by D. R. Rosier
Hopefully a new lover. I couldn’t deny there was a spark between us, and as our lips met in a soft probing kiss, the spark didn’t go out. It exploded into a fire of passion as we explored one another’s lips, even as our hands touched, caressed, and explored. Her hair did feel like silk, as did the skin of her cheek. She was so beautiful, and this moment so insane.
How selfish was I? I was in love with three amazing people, yet I got lost in the excitement and breathless pleasure as our kiss found a rhythm unique to us, and it deepened.
She nibbled my bottom lip, and whispered, “You are so beautiful, I’ve been wanting and hoping for that all night.”
No, she was the one, she was beautiful. But wasn’t that how it should be? Both of us should feel like they were getting the better part of the deal. Except, I knew the truth, it really was me that was the lucky one.
I smiled, our breath lingering together. We still hadn’t backed off, our heads close together, our hands still caressing and exploring, but for the moment, avoiding the titillating spots.
“I missed you while we were gone.”
She brushed her lips lightly against mine, the butterflies were gone, replaced with a coiling need and excitement, both in my stomach and lower in my body, a deep and building desire to pleasure the most beautiful woman I’d ever met, both inside and out, burgeoned from deep inside me. It wasn’t love, I hadn’t known her all that long, but it was admiration, trust, desire, friendship, and a deep need to connect. Along with that admittedly, was the shallower emotions, lust for her body, a desire for soft hedonistic Sapphic pleasure, but mostly it was trust, friendship, attraction, and the deep desire for more between us, not just physical pleasure. One thing was for sure, we had chemistry to spare. I was already moist, and it had just been a kiss.
It was hard to think, but I knew the time for holding back had passed. It was terrifying and exciting, but I knew I’d open myself up to her, completely. I didn’t believe for a second she’d hurt me, or this was a cruel game. Just the idea of it was absurd.
“Join me Cyn, stay the night?”
She whispered breathily, “I’d love to share your bed tonight Lori.”
Kisses, caresses, and a discarded trail of clothing led us into the bedroom and onto the bed. There was an urgency in me to please, but we weren’t in a rush. I savored every moment of it, the feel of her hands on my body as she removed my clothes, and the feel of her soft silky blue skin on my fingertips as I removed hers. Her soft lips pressed against mine, and the soft breathy gasps from both of us that mixed in our mutual passion.
The lust in my gaze echoed hers, as I looked upon her naked body for the first time, even as she unashamedly and boldly did the same to me. The look in her eyes made me feel sexy, and unstoppable, while I admired her curvaceous form. Large rounded breasts, hardened puffy nipples, and a thin waist followed by her sexy hips, tight ass, and long graceful legs.
Her eyes twinkled as we came back together with a kiss, our naked bodies rubbing together for the first time, and all my nerves were alight with the pleasure of it. We slipped into bed, our kiss pausing briefly as we shared breathy gasps to catch our breath.
Soft teasing kisses, but our hands and explorations grew bolder, as I teased the bottoms of her breasts, and she caressed my hips, over my ass, and then around front to tease my inner thighs. I burned in need for her touch on my swollen moist labia, but she continued to tease me, as I teased her.
She gasped, “Lori,” as I brushed her nipples once with my thumbs, and then explored further downward as I kissed my way down the soft curves of her neck.
It was my turn to gasp her name, as she ran a teasingly light fingertip down my slit, and used her other hand to hold me by the hair and reclaim my lips.
There was no time, no thoughts of the others, or of war within or outside the empire. There was only her. Her scent, soft pleasuring touch, and my aching need to please her as much as she was pleasing me. It was a timeless moment, no rush, but neither did we purposely drag it out. I was lost in Cyntariel, and I felt it in every one of her touches, and saw it in her eyes, she was lost in me and the moment as well.
When the first orgasm came, it came out of nowhere without warning, like a storm breaking over clear skies. It didn’t take her long to follow, trembling on my fingertips as euphoria overcame her body.
That was just the first, there would be many more moments of intense ecstasy for both of us that night.
I’d think about that first night with Cyntariel many times in the future, it was beautiful, and freeing. Thoughtless, as we just felt, gave, and received pleasure from one another. Generously, and without expectation. It was intense, passionate, and all consuming. Shockingly so. Maybe I had the other loves in my life to thank, they’d taught me what it was to be family, what it was to surrender, to be open, and to accept love.
Jealousy was such a small thing in comparison.
It was a transcendent experience, that changed me profoundly. I didn’t fall in love her that first night, but I trusted her with myself, with my heart, and I think I did love her already.
Chapter Thirty
We were a few minutes late to breakfast, given our reprise in the shower that morning. Somehow, I managed not to blush as we walked in together, with Vik, Dessia, Solyra, Jillintara, and Telidur waiting for us.
Vik grinned knowingly, “Good morning.”
I supposed he would know, we’d been late to a few breakfasts ourselves the morning after.
“Morning,” the two of us murmured at the same time, and then the blush I was holding in finally escaped and my cheeks lit up like Christmas lights.
Telidur snickered.
“So, has there been any word?” I asked as I sat down.
Jillintara asked innocently, “Didn’t you have time to check the data-net?”
Dessia scowled, and as usual I ignored her. Mother in law cliché anyone? Still, it was true enough, the woman didn’t like me.
Vik took mercy on me, “Good news and bad news. The good news is the people voted to remain in the empire. I’d like to think that was about seeing through the lies, and figuring out how awesome I am, but it was probably the fear of facing the Stolavii and Suateran without the support of the empire’s fleet.”
“Bad news?”
Vik grunted, “Tek has disappeared. They went to arrest him and he’s nowhere to be found. One of the higher ranking military men was removed from their secret data-net, and the fleet can’t be found.”
Well, fuck.
“Okay, so Tek ran to the fleet, kicked the key people from their secret data-net, and now has a hundred-ship fleet? What about the crews?”
Telidur replied, “They are either supporting Tek, or they’re dead. From what the Xulia Admiral said, the A.I.s they spun out are enslaved to Tek, much like Denik held the empire hostage with iron control over the A.I.s. They are not bound to moral limitations, only Tek’s orders and commands. So, either Tek is alone on fully A.I. controlled ships after spacing his crews, or his people continue to support him despite the vote.”
I sighed and closed my eyes. Ambition always led to evil when it wasn’t controlled and tempered by other emotions and loyalties. Even for the so called advanced races in the Isyth empire. Ambition in itself wasn’t wrong, and might have even been necessary for a happy life, but by its own it was poison.
“He’s coming here. That’s really his only choice.”
Solyra said, “I agree, and that’s exactly what Tel and Vik said would happen.”
It was obvious enough, his only chance at that point, of even keeping his life, was to destroy the royal family and try to end the empire. Then he could go back to his world and take control with his fleet.
“Oh crap, that wasn’t everything was it?”
Vik shook his head, “No, the ten ships we have in orbit for protection were ambushed and destroyed. I’m sending a hundred ships there just in case we read the situation wrong, and recalling two hundred ships to Isyth in anticip
ation of his arrival here. I’m also going back to our ship.”
Telidur frowned, “You can’t do that, highness.”
Vik looked stubborn.
“I don’t have a choice. We can’t depend on empire law or even moral judgement to stop him. He’s gone too far already, and he’s let ambition severely affect his decision making. If we stay here, he may just fire a shielded missile from a cloaked ship, and take out the palace and capitol city killing millions. If he stays cloaked right up to the planet, we have nothing that could stop it from happening. I won’t take that chance, we’re going to the ship, and we’re going to make sure that information is available to him by plastering it all over the public data-net.
“I also want Solyra, Dessia, and Cyn to get on a ship, cloak, and leave the planet. No one is to know where they’re going, not even me. They can come back when the crisis has passed. Regardless, they’ll be safe, and I’ll be far safer on the most advanced ship ever created in the empire.”
I wanted to argue, but his argument made a lot of sense. The point of him belonging on the planet was to keep him safe. The palace shields could withstand a kinetic bombardment, but if empire law was ignored, and plasma missiles were used, there was no stopping that destruction.
No one looked especially happy about it, but there were also no more objections. We all tucked in and ate breakfast, we had some time. It would take almost two full days for them to get here if they wanted to preserve cloaking. Shielded missiles, I never should have designed them. The point defense on the palace was worthless.
“Any updates on the new sensors?”
Jillintara shook her head, “No, they’re having problems getting it to pulse at non-destructive concentrations.”
I frowned, “Have they tried surfing the dark energy on a gravity pulse? A gravity pulse wave should push the dark energy away in the same spherical wave.”
Jillintara nodded, “That’s exactly what they’re doing. The dark energy gets too spread out too quickly as the sphere enlarges. It only reveals a cloaked ship if they get within a quarter mile, which might as well be a millimeter when you consider the vastness of space. Strengthening the DE concentration at the pulse point enough to increase to a useful range, also makes it powerful enough to dissolve atomic bonds, which makes it extremely dangerous for anything close by.”
“Hmm, sounds like a replacement warhead instead of plasma.”
Jillintara smirked, “They’re doing that too, and developing a beam. They aren’t ready yet though.”
“So, what are they doing now?”
Jillintara said, “A field pulse. A field that will expand, and still attract and concentrate dark energy. The theory is the larger the sphere grows, the more dark energy gathers on the spherical energy field, but the DE amounts will remain the same. They’re having problems keeping the field stable as it expands, but they’re working on it.”
Right, either way it won’t be ready in two days. We’ll have to do this without detection, and that means being ready to counter a surprise ambush, which isn’t easy. Well, wishing for answers or tech isn’t going to help anyone.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Vik said, “All I’ve got so far is that we can dictate where, if not when. That means we can set a trap of our own. Right now, I’m thinking orbs not only to be our ship, but the rest of the fleet as well. We’ll all be cloaked, our ship and two hundred others, while orbs spoof the enemy’s sensors into believing they’re the fleet.
“Once they reveal their position by firing, we will have countered their surprise, and hit them with our own surprise attack. After that, it will be a stand-up brawl, but we have the scout-destroyer, which should be able to take out ten of them at a time.”
It was a good plan, as far as it went. It also seemed fair to use the same cloaking tactics to ruin Tek’s. We’d have to adapt I was sure, we couldn’t predict what Tek would do at that point.
I said, “We could take a page from his book, launch and cloak four hundred missiles. He doesn’t have a scout-destroyer with advanced plasma point defense, so it should be far more effective than his trap was. Then when we attack with plasma and missile launches of our own, another four hundred missiles added to the first volley should be devastating. We might even destroy them before they can launch their second volley of missiles.”
Maybe, it depended on how close they were to us when they fired their first volley, which if our plan worked, we could completely ignore as they passed through illusory ships. A few orbs might get hit, but they were so small it was doubtful.
Vik nodded, “Good idea.”
Telidur asked, “Can the destroyers target twelve plasma weapons, and four missiles, plus all those extras? There won’t be very much time to assign targets. I assume we’ll be targeting a shit load of plasma attacks as well from our ship?”
I shook my head, “Normally no. But, we have over sixty A.I.s without ships, we can have them control five missiles each, and target them. I can split up the plasma port weapons in groups of ten, and I can target ten ships very fast. So, yes, our ship can tear them up fast. If their shields are equal to our destroyers, it will take less than five seconds to burn through their shields.”
Telidur asked, “That fast?”
I shrugged, “Normally a plasma attack is very short. Don’t forget we’re not generating plasma. It will be an endless stream of plasma, burning twice as hot as our ship’s plasma, and there’s no recycle time. We could take his fleet by ourselves in a little less than a minute. Unfortunately, we can’t keep our distance, since they won’t attack until they’re in close range. It’s only the rest of the fleet that will give us a real chance despite our fire power.”
Jillintara smirked, “The A.I.s are bored waiting for their new ships, they’d love to play with missiles.”
Vik laughed, “Good, let’s get it done, I want to be in our ship by noon.”
I felt pretty good about our plan, but didn’t like the fact Vik would be there. He could hide too, like he was hiding his mother and sister, but the plan wouldn’t work unless he acted as bait. I also couldn’t come up with a better plan. Tek had the true initiative, but we held the upper hand in that we could set the trap and determine where.
I did wonder though what last night had been about, but I wasn’t going to ask what was so important that he’d closeted himself with Dessia and Solyra last night. Maybe he’d just needed to convince them to run and hide?
Chapter Thirty-One
The day went fairly quickly, and without issue. Plans usually worked, at least until the enemy showed up that is. We had no idea where Solyra, Dessia or Cyntariel were, they were cloaked and space was very big. They could be at any star system, or even in the void between them.
We were also cloaked, as well as a fleet of two hundred ships which should be overkill in itself, to say nothing of the four hundred cloaked missiles. We were in a spherical formation around the fifty-ship fake fleet in plain view, generated by some of the cloaked two hundred multi-function orbs. We wanted to appear weaker after all, Tek might avoid a fleet two hundred strong.
It had also occurred to me once the trap was tripped, those multi-function orbs could become another two hundred missiles, which upped the count of our initial volley to six hundred, plus all our ship’s firing.
In total, that was fourteen hundred missiles, and two thousand four hundred plasma attacks, not counting our own ship which could do over another hundred but wouldn’t have time to target more than that in the initial attack. Each consecutive round of fire would only be eight hundred missiles and an equal amount of plasma attacks, minus attrition of ships.
It was a very good trap, and would assure the enemy’s initial volley was completely wasted, assuming of course, that Tek fell for it. We guessed he’d arrive in just about a day, give or take a few hours the next night. It’d taken us about twelve hours or so to get things set up.
I tried to come up with what could go wrong, and there were a lot of thing
s. From him simply not showing up, to him bypassing the fleet and holding whole planets hostage under threat. I hoped that latter one wasn’t a possibility, he had the A.I.s locked down, but hopefully they were still bound by laws as well. Otherwise things could get very ugly, if Tek had gone too far around the bend and lost his mind.
I had a feeling whatever Tek would do, it would fall somewhere between those two extremes. About the only thing I was sure of was that he wouldn’t drag it out. Tek didn’t have the time to risk that, not with the Suaterans breathing down our neck and the Stolavii right behind them.
It wasn’t all kittens and rainbows, but Vik’s approval rating on both Xulia and Kaprorix had changed drastically over the last twelve hours, since the outcome of the vote and the proof of Tek’s perfidy had become public knowledge.
Of course, the trust in the government as a whole took a small hit from that, since that was the second person in a position of power that had abused that power in the last year.
Vik interrupted my thoughts.
“Anything else we should be doing?”
I shrugged, “Not sure sir. Except maybe get a good night’s rest. We’ll need to be quick on our feet tomorrow night.”
No one else had another suggestion.
Vik said, “Let’s eat, and get that good night’s rest. Jillintara, will you join me for dinner?”
There was a pregnant pause on the bridge.
Jillintara said, “Love to, sir.”
I couldn’t help my grin as we left the bridge, guess I’d be spending the night with Telidur…
Of all the things that could have gone wrong, it came from an unexpected direction mid-morning the next day.
Jillintara reported, “Sir, the Stolavii are moving.”
