by Greg Curtis
“Exactly! First these sorts of test tell us which people do have immense loyalty to others outside of themselves. And you’d be surprised how many people fail it. Choosing their own well being over their people’s. But more importantly it tells us that we can trust those people. Once any one of these people accepts that his people’s greatest well being and safety lies with the Force guiding and protecting them, we know that he will give us that same loyalty.” It made sense too, in a surprisingly convoluted way.
“Stars that’s devious.”
“Thank you. We’re very proud of it.”
“So now you’re going to show me that the Earth’s greatest safety and well being lies in becoming part of the Community, and being under the watchful eye of the Force?”
“Not exactly. That you’ll decide for yourself in a while, if you haven’t already. But I rather think you already have. You’re just not ready to admit it yet.” Those green eyes were piercing through him again and he was suddenly sure she saw right through him. And yet the smile behind them was so overpowering he couldn’t be upset by the idea. Besides, she was probably right and he was too tired to argue.
“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I’ll make an idiot of myself.” She just laughed, and it was such a lovely laugh, he could have listened to her for hours.
“And I refuse to ask it on the grounds that you’ll probably shoot yourself, get electrocuted, wind up on some remote poisonous little hell hole, or just injure yourself in one of a hundred different ways, and I’ll have to spend all night putting you back together. It’s getting rather tiresome.” It was his turn to laugh.
“I’m sorry, yet again. I do seem to be putting you to a lot of trouble, but believe me I’m very grateful for the care. I owe you my life several times over I suspect. But it was also wonderful waking up in the sickbay and knowing you were there. I felt safe with you watching over me. I owe you probably more than I can ever repay.” He kissed her hand by way of a thank you, and he meant it.
“At the least. And on top of that you owe me an infinite number of apologies for all the embarrassment you’ve caused me.” Suddenly her eyes were flashing at him, and he thought there might even be some anger there. But why? Then he remembered.
“The cat! You mean Scratch! I’m not apologising for talking to Scratch. I meant what I said and you know what they say – eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves.” Yet even as he protested, he could feel the heat rising in his face again as he tried for the thousandth time to remember exactly what he’d told Scratch.
“Actually this one did.” And her smile sent shivers of excitement up and down his spine. “But I didn’t mean that. I meant one Nurse Thera, the most sexually deranged Regularan in the Force. Do you know she hounded me for days? Begging me to let her watch us mate! That was not funny!”
“What! You’re kidding - days? - I’m sorry.” It would have been more convincing as apologies went if he could have stopped himself from bursting out laughing even as he said it. But he couldn’t help himself as he remembered the frighteningly perverted nurse, and the strangled choking sounds that came out of his mouth wouldn’t have fooled anyone.
“But she cornered me in the sick bay and I couldn’t seem to stop her ridiculous questions any other way. I couldn’t run away, and I couldn’t keep her away from me. I just wanted to get rid of her, and I figured you’d know how. But it was very peaceful after that!”
“Liar! You thought it would be fun!” She swatted him again. “And it might have been peaceful for you maybe. But not for me! First I have to pull you back from yet another near fatal accident. Two solid days of hard work and worry. Then when I finally get you stabilised and go home for a well deserved rest, I get woken up every hour by your perverted messenger. Was I ready to mate yet! And then you sent the entire ship, scientists and all, into yet another spin, while I was still having to fend off nurse Thera for days on end while trying to run a hospital and a security team in the middle of another of your crises.” Yet she was laughing too, and turning just as red as him.
He grabbed her hand and kissed it again. “I am very sorry. Humbly sorry. Totally, utterly and completely sorry. In fact sorry doesn’t even go far enough to describe how sorry I am.” It would probably have been more convincing if he could have stopped giggling under his breath.
“You will be! I suggested to nurse Thera that she’d be better off learning the practical from you directly. Even now she’s waiting eagerly for you on Unity. All I have to do is call her. Let her know when and where you’ll be arriving.” Daryl stared at her, shocked by the idea and wondering if she really meant what she was suggesting. But she looked serious.
“What! No please! You can’t be serious!” And she couldn’t, could she? But on the remote possibility that she was, he suddenly realised he might be in trouble. One and a half metre high randy lizard woman with big teeth, trouble. Assuming that she was actually female. He still wasn’t completely sure about Regularan genders.
“Oh can’t I? I am a Force Security Officer. You’d be amazed what I can be serious about!” And she held out her hand imperiously for him to kiss a few more times. Which he did, while she looked on, clearly enjoying her new found power.
“All right, all right. I am truly sorry. It was a terrible joke to play on you.”
“Keep kissing lizard toy boy. You’re not out of the woods yet. There’s some toes that need kissing as well. Maybe a foot massage as well. And then I could use a back rub, manicure, pedicure, the works. After the trouble you’ve put me to lately, I deserve it.” But finally she was smiling, and he knew she didn’t mean it. Entirely anyway.
“You know, I can think of something else that might relax you more.” He kissed the palm of her hand.
“You mean some of the things you suggested to Scratch.” He turned red once more, even as he tried to remember again what he’d actually said to the poor cat. But whatever he’d said, he realised she didn’t seem to mind it. Maybe he decided, it was time to be a little bolder.
“If you like.” He moved his lips up the inside of her wrist, kissing all the soft tanned skin he could find under her jacket sleeve.
“Oh I could like very much.” It was an invitation and he started rolling up her sleeve, letting his lips move their way slowly up her arm as far as they could. But at her elbow he discovered the sleeve would go no further, and he was stuck for a while.
“Uh uh. That’s not where I want you to kiss me.” It wasn’t where he wanted to kiss her either. Given the green light he immediately found her lips with his and told her of his desire. A kiss she returned without hesitation. It was warm and soft, sweet and with the promise of things to come. Wonderful things to come. He almost couldn’t believe it was happening, until she showed him it was, her tongue suddenly exploring his.
“That’s more like it.” She tousled his hair like a child’s. “I was beginning to think you didn’t like me any more. After all it’s been what, three full days without even a word.”
“But, - You, - I’ve” It was a long while before he could actually work out what he wanted to say, and of course by then it was too late.
“Are you suggesting Daryl, that there should be anything more important in your life than courting me? Or was all that stuff you said to Scratch just a lie? Not to mention your pathetic attempts to make me like you. All those really bad jokes.” Her eyes were dancing and she knew she was reeling him in. He knew it too.
“Never.”
“Then what are you going to do about it?”
Knowing it was an order, he immediately kissed her again. Her hand, her face, anything and everything he could lay his lips on, while she enjoyed his attentions.
“That’s much better.” Her face was suddenly in his as she abruptly straddled him, and he was briefly shocked. But only briefly. Green eyes, acres of long dark curls everywhere, an exotic musk that enveloped him, and those beautiful full red lips. He had no choice as he pulled her in close and kissed her as h
e’d been aching to for months. And what a kiss! It began as something intimate and sweet, and swiftly became something passionate and fiery as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Tongues met and flesh just melted together as it was meant to. He could feel her breasts boring into him, her breath mingling in his, her body aching as did his.
In time their lips parted, a little. But not far, and he noticed that she made no attempt to get off him. Not that he wanted her to. Ever.
“Dear Lord that was nice.” He agreed with her totally, and kissed her a few more times to make sure she knew it. And then he had a sudden thought.
“Ahh is anyone watching us now?” Given what she had told him he started wondering about someone having bugged the room. He looked around quickly, but then swiftly realised he had absolutely no idea what he was looking for.
“Oh yes. You have a Major in Force Security watching you like a hawk. In fact you could say she’s on top of your every move!” It was Daryl’s turn to snort and laugh at the same time, something he couldn’t do half as well as Karen.
“And now my dear sweet man, it’s confession time – mine not yours for a change.” She brushed her hair out of his mouth. He was desperately disappointed as he saw her stopping and thought things might be over before they had even begun. He shouldn’t have worried.
“Relax. I didn’t say I wanted you to stop. Just to listen – while you work.” And without warning she started pulling him forward and making him rise. But even while he was starting to stand with her still in his lap, she was grabbing a deep thick pillow, and placing it under him. Then when he sat down again at her bidding she somehow looped her legs right around his waist and under his buttocks, until her groin was pressed firmly against his.
“Ah. That’s much better.” And it was. Daryl felt his manhood getting harder by the second as she sat there and rubbed herself gently against him, while she spoke. He listened to her, as well as he could, but it was difficult to concentrate on her words.
“I owe you an apology. A big one. And not just for bugging your cat. I wanted this from the moment we met, just like you. I knew you were attracted to me, and I was attracted to you. And I knew you were no monster and that you hadn’t done anything to my people, so there could be no real objection. But because I’m a security officer and an Edenite I couldn’t allow it to go anywhere. Your people and mine have a long and bitter history. Or we thought they had. But I always knew you were a good man, and someone I could trust, even if I wasn’t allowed to. Even if my own family would never accept it. And I loved your jokes. Even when they bordered on the obscene. You have no idea how many times I nearly wet myself laughing, or bit my lip as I had to force myself not to laugh.”
“I forgive you, and them.”
“Really?” And she shot him a smile that sent his pulse into overdrive. The most lecherous smile he’d ever imagined.
“I imagine you’d say anything while I’m sitting here like this. Anything at all, if you thought it’d let you have your way with me.” She was right too, and she knew it. But it wasn’t just him that was desperately hungry. Besides, as he noted, she hadn’t said he wasn’t going to have his way with her.
“Well yes that’s true too. Absolutely. You’re so gorgeous and sexy, and warm and funny, that I’m helpless before you. The ship could catch fire and I wouldn’t care.” He kissed her repeatedly. “I don’t think I’d even notice.”
“As well you shouldn’t.”
“But still I really do forgive you. All your people. Until a few days ago I was living with this overwhelming guilt for something I thought my people had done. It never occurred to me that it might be someone else. And I didn’t know how to even begin to face your people, or you. Only that I had to. But the worst of it is that immediately after we learned the truth, and once my fear was eased, the one emotion I felt most strongly was relief. Relief that my people hadn’t done it. That I wasn’t in some way guilty. I’m so very sorry for that. Thousands and thousands of your relatives were killed, and all I could feel was happiness that my people hadn’t done it.”
“Don’t be. You lived with guilt and shame eating away at you. And I with anger and suspicion. Yet time has shown us both to be fools. Now it’s time to throw that foolishness away.”
She leaned in close once more, and kissed him thoroughly. A kiss that would not end. Neither of them wanted it to. Instead it was many long minutes as they breathed in quickening gasps of delight while tasting the pleasure to come. Some time during that kiss Daryl understood that he was going to be very lucky that night. And after so long!
“You know I’m going to have to confess this to my priest.” He didn’t realise she would have to actually, but she didn’t seem to be too worried about it.
“You’re Catholic?”
“United Christian actually, like all my people. We took the best of the other Christian faiths, and put them all together. Confession was part of that. It’s good for the soul as they say. And it makes us more amenable to living a good wholesome life.”
“Do I have to confess too?” Truthfully he wasn’t sure he wanted to.
“Only if you want to. But from reading about your past you’re from an Anglican background. Not too dissimilar in many ways.” Which was a little more than he knew. His grandmother had dragged him along to church as a child and he’d sat through it with all the patience a youngster could find. But in truth, most of the time he’d been asleep or staring out the window dreaming of alien worlds and spaceships.
“You know then that I haven’t been to church in nearly twenty years?” Actually that part worried him a little. It wasn’t that he was opposed to religion. It was just that it had never appealed.
“Nobody’s perfect.” They both laughed, and then kissed some more. A lot more. The hunger was growing, becoming more insistent, and it wasn’t just on Daryl’s part. He could see the colour rising in her face, and her eyes widening as she rubbed herself slowly on him. Just as it was in his.
Unbidden his hands started exploring her, moving from her waist to her breasts, and she didn’t try to stop him. Instead her own just pulled him close again, as she kissed him soundly for his indiscretion making sure he knew it was okay. It was more than okay. He could feel her nipples hardening beneath her uniform jacket and the excitement was unbelievable. For both of them. He gave them a few soft squeezes, massaging them until they were little points of rock hard passion while Karen moaned softly and rubbed herself more urgently on him.
“Do you want to go back to your quarters, or mine?”
“Neither. You don’t have time. Ship, this is Major Volk. Lock the mess door to everyone below the rank of Captain and dim the lights.” Immediately the lights dimmed to background levels and he knew they were alone for a while.
He started unbuttoning her uniform jacket, wondering why in such an advanced culture it had buttons. Surely a simple magnetic clasp would have been perfectly serviceable, and a damn sight easier to remove. Though perhaps not as exciting.
Underneath her uniform jacket he discovered she was wearing some gauzy black garment that was so thin he could see her nipples standing proud through it, staring back at him. Unable to hold back he kissed them both, and listened with joy as she whimpered with pleasure and held his head to her. He kissed them some more, and enjoyed the shuddering pleasure that seemed to take her as she moaned her encouragement, urging him on. Her hair was everywhere, in his face and mouth, and he loved the delicate floral scent of her shampoo in his nostrils.
Soon she flung her jacket away, and he heard it fall to the floor somewhere behind him. Her hands turned to his own one piece ship suit. One touch at the clasp at the top, and her hand was running down the seal, smoothly pealing him out of it and she didn’t stop at his waist. Taking his cue from her he started attacking the accursed buttons on her trousers, and soon had her out of them too. A few of the buttons lay on the floor though, as he’d ripped them loose in his desperation.
She pulled him d
own sideways on the couch, until they were both lying touching along their entire bodies. Her legs were starting to straddle him and he knew she had every intention of making him extremely happy as soon as possible. He kissed her some more, while his hands wandered up and down her perfect body. He could feel her skin, so warm and soft under his hands, but still wrapped up in her black silk teddy. Excitement was driving him wild, and her as well. Tearing sounds made themselves known and he realised with pleasure that she was ripping his underwear off him in her haste. It was time.
“How do you -” But that was as far as he got, before she led his hands down to the clasp at her groin where her underwear joined. Even as he touched her there, it came apart and she was naked where it counted. There was nothing between them.
“Are you sure?” He didn’t want to ask but had to because he couldn’t live with the thought of her regretting anything. But if she’d said no he didn’t know how he could have held back. For an answer she just hit the button that reclined the couch, and he rolled unexpectedly backwards as she’d intended. Before he could even react she was on top of him pushing him down into the yielding fabric and covering him like a beautifully warm and soft blanket.