Rebellion (A Titan Romance Book 1)

by Rowan Bishop

  She walked a disused path, searching her thoughts and her heart, occasionally picking up the kolach seeds discarded from the great, fern-like trees towering over her, trees reliably used throughout the galaxy for late-stage terraforming because of their fertile, hearty nature. With them, vast land masses could be forested within a century. Repeatedly, she dug her thumbnail into the hard skin of the seeds to reveal the soft, fruitful flesh, bringing it to her nose, smelling its woody, sweet aroma within. She thought of Raemus’ body, remembering his own smells and tastes. Tossing one seed away, she picked up another, absentmindedly moving deeper and deeper into the forest. Thinking more of holding his body, rubbing his shoulders. Then, she thought of his chest. She thought of his abs. Then, because she was who she was, his heavy cock.

  Such a shame to have this part of the forest to myself, the one moment of privacy I get, and he’s not around!

  Akyra’s heart began to beat double-time as she identified countless places along the path where she’d happily—so eagerly—allow him to take her. Maybe a little rougher this time. A little more tug and pull. So many perfect places to fuck, to let him has his way with her willing body. To let him fill her up with cock and as much cum as he wanted. That fun, sexy, un-fucking-believable blue cum!

  Then… her forearm tapper buzzed. Of course.

  It always does.

  She looked down to see the screen had dimmed: red.

  Well, hello there, Bin Ar-Drezar, you sneaky little rat. That’d be just like you to ruin the moment.

  She sighed, regretting losing the fantasy of her handsome, lovable Titan, then leaned a shoulder against the trunk of a huge fern and opened her messages.

  To: CPT Akyra Roux, Security Operations Division, Church of Nova Sol, Planet Minora, Luminara System

  My most devoted Captain Roux,

  Satellite imagery indicates you have reached the Pergamon region, and not without incident. Since you have refused to contact me, I struggle to understand your strategy by pursuing anyone or anything so far away. My guess is that you suspect Xerxus is responsible for absconding with Bio-Teck Laboratories parcel?

  I hope this is not the case. Only great harm can come of a confrontation with him. And many indicators within Religious Oversight’s network conclude that Xerxus and his collaborators are not involved.

  In fact, you would be best rewarded by turning your own investigation inward.

  I strongly believe that CPT Raemus is dragging you through an adventure that can be of no benefit to anyone. Except for perhaps himself. I will continue urging you to reconsider your trust in captain Raemus, for I continue to receive escalating evidence that his intentions are malicious and contrary to the goals and beliefs of your faith.

  Remember, he is not human. I cannot stress enough the detrimental possibilities of that.

  While he maybe the smartest Titan The Church has ever produced, he is using that intelligence for what I suspect are nefarious purposes. And since he is not human, he is not to be trusted. I know Colonel Weir would agree with me on this.

  At this point, I advise you to break with CPT Raemus’ company and return to zebra as soon as possible, empty handed or not.

  As before, please keep our correspondence confidential. Perhaps it would behoove you to update me on your progress.

  All my prayers are yours.

  Bin Ar-Drezar, Highest Officer, Office of Religious Oversight, Church of Nova Sol, Planet Minora, Luminara System

  Akira plopped herself down on an old tree stump to ponder Bin Ar-Drezar’s message.

  What could he possibly be thinking? How in the world could he possibly believe I’m on his side after everything that's happened in the last week? Because of our mutual devotion to The Church? Probably.

  Think, Little Miss Roux. Don’t be a fool. You’re smarter than this.

  Akyra rubbed her temples, wishing she could pull her thoughts together. Too many variables distracted her. She wished she could talk all this out with Raemus. Isn’t that what lovers do?

  What did call it, Profuse Variable Assimilation? Kind of a dry name, but I’ll take it right now.

  The sexy fantasy pushed its way back into her thoughts, the absence of his touch turning quickly to agony. She missed his kiss. She ached all over, knowing full well the only thing to make that ache go away was his powerful body against hers.

  Even a little bit would do the trick, she admitted. Just to hold his big strong hands. Just to lean foreheads together, like we did after that firefight when Bin Ar-Drezar’s hunterdrones opened up on him. Just a hug from his insanely powerful arms.

  But it always has to be quick. Always just a little bit. Just a squeeze, a pat on the knee.

  This is a terrible way to get a love affair going!

  She pulled some of her hair in frustration.

  Shit, shit shit. I Can’t even keep my thoughts on the task at hand! she lamented. You are such a shameless little girl, aren’t you, Little Miss Roux?

  Akyra groaned out loud for all the trees to hear. Having messed up her braid, she yanked off the tie and began straightening her hair.

  Then, a thought am to her, Bin Ar-Drezar can still use me. That’s what he’s up to.

  Of course he doesn’t think I’m planning on helping him! But the clever bastard is still offering me a way out just in case. Because he can still use me.

  But just in case what? I feel in over my head? I’m completely scared to be defecting with a renegade Titan commander? Because that’s what’s happening. Isn’t it? Raemus is a renegade, and to any observer in orbit or even on Dehlosse-5, I’m merely running away with the bad boy.

  So, the answer is yes to both. Yes, I’m way over my head, and yes, I’m scared to be with Raemus because I’m not entirely sure what he’s doing.

  So… fuck.

  Akyra’s thoughts were abruptly broken again when she saw movement farther up the path: Jexica’s flashy red hair standing out brilliantly amid the lush green foliage. Akira watched her for a minute, hesitating to call out. Jexica wasn't just out for a pleasure stroll, either, though she was pretending to be. She was snooping around!

  Always doing her job. That young woman is a keeper, Akyra admitted. Val and I probably made her work way too hard to transfer onto the team.

  It was no use hiding now. Jexica was a sniper, and a great one at that, so Akyra knew she’d been seen long before Jexica came around the path.

  They waved to each other from a distance. When Jexica hesitated to approach her captain, who was obviously deep in thought, Akyra waved her closer.

  “What are you checking out, Jex?”

  “Oh nothing, captain. Just some strange anomalies about this monastery… or convent, or whatever it is.”

  “It’s an abbey. Like what kind of anomalies? You mean like, what's this place doing so far away from any other settlement, and why are there so many children here?”

  “No, I get that. It's a spiritual hideaway from what these people consider to be an oppressive church regime. No, the anomaly bugging me is the Raptor hidden in the hazardous waste storage chamber two hundred meters… that way.” Jexica pointed a single finger toward the deeper, darker forest.

  “Did you say a Raptor?”

  “Sure did, captain. Tracks around the shed don't look too old either.”

  That’s exactly where Raemus told me not to go…

  Awww, fuck.

  Akyra swallowed against her tightening throat. “Was there anyone around?”

  “Nope. But it’s the only building in the complex with self-sustaining power. And the wires are humming. Something’s going on in there, captain.” She looked Akyra in the eye. “Something… Titan-ish.”

  “Well dammit, Jex. What the fuck is Raemus doing?”

  “Captain, if I may, why don’t you just…you know, ask him? You two shared Shu’ri—you lucky bastard. You’re politically bonded. What’s the deal with just asking?”

  Akyra looked away, knowing Jexica was right. In a simple view of things, s
he shouldn’t feel any hesitation asking Raemus anything about his plans. In a more realistic view of things, however, circumstances were completely denying her and Raemus the one-on-one time to develop those bonds implicated by Shu’ri, political, religious, or even romantic. Especially romantic.

  In fact, for the first time Akyra had the terrible thought that maybe their Shu’ri was rushed and completely premature.

  What a big mess you’re making of everything again, Little Miss Roux. What a fucking mess.

  Just then, they heard the distant roar of aircraft. The sound was growing quickly, low and heavy. It was the sound of very powerful engines.

  Jexica moved to a clearing, looking up and shielding her eyes. “What the fuck?”

  As the roar grew louder and louder, Akyra joined her favorite sniper, looking up into the sky that was blindingly bright compared to the dim, sheltered atmosphere of the thick forest. She had to shout now over the noise, “Whatever it is, there’s a lot of them!”

  She looked up just in time to see the first white Raptor pass over the clearing, slowly, followed by another. Then another. And another.

  Jexica shouted at the top of her lungs to be heard, “Are we under attack?”

  Akyra looked down the forest path toward the main cluster of Ishkari Abbey buildings two thousand meters away, completely out of sight.

  Raptors continued to fly over them in the direction of the abbey. The roar of low flying assault aircraft over their heads now completely washed out their words.

  “Their landing thrusters are open. Shit, their landing!”

  Jexica cupped an ear. “What?”

  Akyra smirked, then shouted even louder. “I said, they’re not attacking. I think we’re having company!” Akyra looked around the forest, then back down the path toward Ishkari. She put her hands on her hips. And somehow the immense amount of noise battering her brain gave her an epiphany.

  Knowing full well it was impossible to hear each other, Jexica joked again, “What?” Akyra could only read her lips.

  “I said, I think I made a big fucking mistake hooking up with Raemus!”

  Jexica nodded. “Okay, great!”

  Akyra took a big deep breath. A wave of relief came over her. For the first time in her life, she admitted out loud that she didn’t know what the hell she was doing. She was not in control.

  Except that for the first time, she actually felt relief admitting it.

  The last Raptor moved over them, and the volume of its engines began to ease up on their eardrums.

  Jexica said, “I counted nine.”

  Akyra replied, “Plus the one you discovered is ten. Two flights of five. That’s the entire Titan wing from Zebra!”

  “What’s that mean, captain?”

  Akyra turned to Jexica, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Jex, I have no fucking clue. Let’s go find out.”

  Without their armor on, they ran fast.

  Nine shimmering white Raptors awaited them when they reached the abbey’s central open square. They were absolutely gorgeous.

  There wasn’t enough room for them to land with any sense of proper formation, but that didn’t stop Akyra and Jexica—slowing to a walk from their two thousand meter run—from gasping at the intimidating sight of their deadly, hawk-like contours. They represented everything Akyra loved about the military.

  Jexica said, panting, “Fuck me. Does this mean our convoy is safe now?”

  Akyra began smiling. “Maybe. It does look like we just got a lot of extra help.”

  “Akyra!” Raemus shouted to her as the last of the cool-down drives stopped whining, and a silence overcame the entire abbey. He was helping one his comrades step from an aircraft after a long flight, smiling broadly, waving to her.

  “Raemus!” Akyra was still out of breath, struggling to shout the distance to him. “Why didn’t you tell me we were having company? I would’ve made extra for dinner!”

  Raemus might not have heard her joke, she conceded. But I mean it, why didn’t you tell me, Raemus?

  Raemus, Akino, and several of the pilots began walking toward Akyra and Jexica. Many other Banshees made their appearance in the square by then, Valarae, Rayeley, Polli, and Emilia. Seeing Akyra emerge from the forest, they headed toward her, too.

  Akyra put her hands on her hips just as Raemus and his guys reached her. “Well, you’re smiling, big guy. Does this,” she nodded to the Raptors, “mean our meeting with Xerxus will go a lot better than I’d hoped?”

  By then, most of Akyra’s team had reached her, surrounding her and Raemus’ group, overcome with curiosity and the excitement of the military might that just descended upon them. Ton for ton, a Titan Raptor was the deadliest piece of weaponry in the galaxy.

  Clarx tried pushing his way closest, but Akyra had to grab him by the hand to yank him through the throng of powerful women. “What’s going on, captain?”

  “Shh, Clarx. Captain Raemus is about to let us in on his plans and why he’s smiling so big. Right, Raemus?”

  Surprisingly, Raemus’ smile diminished. “I’m smiling because more of my brothers are here. And they’re safe. But there’s a lot more to all this. And I’m afraid it’s bad news.”

  “Bad? What’s so bad about having ten Raptors on site?” She said ‘ten’ on purpose.

  Raemus looked around at the Banshees surrounding them. He was at least a foot taller than them, so he was able to see their eyes and engage them all. Looking back to Akyra, he said, “Your superiors on High Orbit Anchorage are beginning to assemble an assault force. A big one.”

  All the Banshees straightened their backs and took an audible breath.

  “They’re coming here. To Pergamon. They’re coming for me, definitely. Maybe for you, too.”

  Akyra felt the tension in the air as every single Banshee’s heart dropped. “Shit.” She turned to Valarae several bodies away, who shot an angry glance right back at her. She asked Raemus, “Any idea how long?”

  “Three days at least. Bu probably more. They can’t land here directly from orbit. But once their cruisers and skimmers are planetside, they could be here in three days. Colonel Weir is heading up the landing force himself.”

  “Shit,” Akyra said again. In the face of this very bad news, it simply seemed the best thing to say.

  No wonder Ar-Drezar is still offering me a way out.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Supernova, supernova

  Pray goodnight to ol’ Jehova

  Burn our galaxy, left to right

  Start with friars, burn ‘em bright!

  Minoran nursery rhyme, made popular throughout the galaxy promptly after The Battle of Pergamon

  Raemus tore through the night’s sky over the black mountains.

  It was his turn to be alone.

  The meeting with his own leadership team had not gone well this evening. The frustrations and tempers of Titans began to flare because this situation had evolved far differently than what they’d expected. Even his closest companions such as Akino and Levi, weren't holding back any longer.

  They were pissed that the Bio-Teck cube hadn’t been destroyed. They were pissed that the presence of the human team was affecting there plans.

  He couldn't blame some of them for hooking up. As the company commander, he had very little privacy, and that was one thing he wanted most to have with Akyra.

  Even though the magical spell of initial love was wearing off, he was still struck by her great leadership skills and ability to run a tight military unit.

  She’s damn funny, he thought as he laid into his horizontal thrusters, hugging the mountainous terrain at an extremely dangerous altitude. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. Whatever she wants to do, she knows she can get the job done. On top of all of that, I can’t get the image of her body out of my head. That curvy, round ass is going to drive me crazy if I don’t fuck her again soon. Very soon.

  But the amount of time they could spend together was simply too limited. This one fact made him more
pissed off then all the other Titans experienced put together.

  I've got the best thing I could ever want, something I never dreamed possible. And there's nothing I can do to hold onto her.

  He’d seen her becoming distant these past few days. Even before arriving here at the Ishkari Abbey. Even before Xerxus’ goons tried taking her out at the boulder field.

  They just couldn’t get time together. It was no one’s fault. It was just the way it was.

  It’s our separate destinies, once crossed, now slowly, painfully drifting apart.

  Raemus felt the trigger of his turret gun nested the Raptor’s chin, resisting the impulse to squeeze it. He wanted to light something up, anything. He was so mad, he could barely control the urge to destroy half a mountainside.

  Just a kiss goodnight. If I could just count on a kiss goodnight every night…

  He eyed the black silhouette of a row of trees along a long ridge. Fuck it, he thought, as he slowed to a near hover and fired several hundred explosive rounds into the perfectly innocent trees. The blue explosions lit up the sky like an immense nighttime electrical storm focused on one spot.

  It didn’t make him feel any better.

  “Humans will cloud your judgement!” Akino insisted in his own fit of temper earlier. “I'm not talking about whatever you’ve got going on with Akyra, captain. I mean, humans are always caught up in a tangle of political drama. Always. It’s always about lies and deception with them. That’s not our style. We like to get in and get out. Maybe blow some shit up along the way. Having these humans around is a guarantee that your plans… our plans will turn out badly.”

  “Your little obsession with humans is going to get us killed,” Tomohiko added. “Are you willing to let that ruin everything we’re fighting for?”

  It’s not just a curiosity about humans, Raemus insisted only to himself, his grip tightening again on the controls of his Raptor, looking for something else out in the night to unleash his frustration upon. It’s a curiosity about myself. About all of us. Aren’t we part human, too? On some level? Aren’t the best qualities of humanity somewhere inside us?