Matched: A Galactic Battle Series, Book 1

by L H Whitlock

  Brock transformed his arm into a machine gun and raced at a group of ice giants. He shot a series of bullets at the attackers. Snow rained from the creature’s body as the bullets made impact.

  Sara, with the help of Gustavo, fired an RPS. The blast blew the right half of an ice giant’s body off. It hopped on one leg before tumbling to the ground, crushing a few frosted trees.

  Brock sprinted beneath an ice giant, shooting at its legs until the thin appendages disintegrated.

  Ulrick, offering Brock back up, joined him in the leg breaking excursion.

  “Whats hell happened?” Alberta’s thick accent rung through the suit’s intercom. She had moved next to Lily with an R.P.S gun, and began reloading a trio of hefty bullets.

  “Shit if I know. I was just introducing myself then they went all ‘koona gara’ on us.” Lily’s hands began to shake. Her nerves were wound tight, adrenaline kept her on high alert. So much was happening at once – the falling snow, bullets and missiles flying everywhere, the ice beasts laying in mangled pieces on the ground slowly building mass and creating icy clones. Wait…building mass…icy clones? No wonder we are having such a hard time getting ahead.

  “Oh shit, they are reforming. We need to get out of here,” Lily said.

  “Go where? Snow everywhere.” Alberta finished lodging the slugs into the barrel and immediately shot down an oncoming giant. It fell with an ear piercing roar. Somehow the beast was still alive and dragged its torso toward them.

  Lily pulled out her gun and landed a bullet between its glowing eyes. “Can we get to the ship? If you go first and get it started, then maybe we can hold them off.”

  “Good plan. Here.” Alberta handed the missile gun to Lily.

  Lily balanced the weight on her shoulder. “Fall back,” Lily yelled through the intercom.

  Gustavo and Sara, who had been working together to hold up the oversized RPS, dropped the heavy weapon, and drew their E-Guns.

  Not wanting to carry the extra weight, Lily shot her last two missiles and dropped the weapon to the ground. “Fall back,” she repeated, firing energized bullets as fast as she could.

  Alberta sprinted up the ship’s ramp and powered it up.

  “I’ll hold a shield around the ship,” Gloria yelled and ran toward the ship.

  Lily looked to make sure Ulrick and Brock got the memo to retreat. Instead of finding the men regrouping, Brock was busy trying to lay a fist into Ulrick. Fucking unbelievable.

  Brock lunged at Ulrick. Ulrick stepped out of the way causing the other man to stumble. Brock lashed out again. Ulrick easily blocked his attack.

  “You guys have got to be fucking kidding me! Get in the damn ship,” Lily yelled at the two men.

  The men turned to run toward the retreating team, Ulrick acting like nothing happened while Brock snarled and clenched his hands.

  Sara sprinted alongside Gloria. Once Gloria got within several feet of the ship she activated her shield. It shimmered, the top instantly coated with a thin layer of snow.

  “There’s too many.” Sara fired bullets into the crystallized giants. Chunks of snow broke from the beasts and fell to the ground.

  Brock fired round after round of bullets from his mechanical arm; his body jerking with the rebounds. The ice beasts twitched beneath his deadly rain, some succumbed to his onslaught while others continued their pursuit.

  Ulrick threw raw energy at the creatures, cutting large holes into them. The giant spit a deadly shard of ice into the air, it shattered against the shield. Ulrick threw another blast at the creature; it fell to the ground taking an unlucky comrade with him.

  Sara shot energized bullets at the icy giants. Though she landed many hits, they continued their approach with ferocity.

  Gloria’s shield wavered. An ice giant fell through and engorged one of its talons into Sara. The beast removed his talon, blood dripping from its end, tattering the ground with red dots. Lily’s vision narrowed until all she could see was Sara.

  Sara’s knees buckled.

  Ulrick blasted a hole through the ice creature’s chest and it fell, kicking up a flurry of snow.

  Lily opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. She ran on shaky legs for what seemed like forever.

  Finally, she collapsed to her knees at Sara’s side and immediately pressed her hand to Sara’s stomach. Blood seeped around the open wound, the redness harsh against the purity of the snow. Desperate to stop the bleeding, Lily covered the wound with snow. Sara’s face was nearly transparent, her eyes a dull blue.

  Lily pulled her helmet off and tossed it aside. “Sara, what do I do? Tell me what to do.” Snow flew around her as an ice beast fell, though she could hear or see nothing in the back ground.

  Sara smiled. She was beautiful resting in the snow, like a blue-haired angel. Sara’s hand reached for her and clasped onto her’s. Lily took her hand and placed a kiss on it.

  A line of blood ran from Sara’s mouth. Lily took her helmet off and wiped her thumb over the line, removing the imperfection from Sara’s face. “I can do something, just tell me what to do,” Lily begged.

  Sara gripped her hand, her eyes soft and loving like they always were. “There’s nothing to do.”

  Lily shook her head, her vision blurry from tears. She wiped a strand of blue hair out of Sara’s face and kissed her forehead.

  “Remember when we crashed on that dwarf planet Way-Way?” Sara asked in a wavy voice.

  “Yes…I remember.”

  “I wonder if it’s still there.”

  “I hope so.”

  “You will be happy with that man,” Sara’s voice was soft.

  “He does make me happy.”

  “I’m glad. Kill Golan for me, okay?”

  “You best believe I will.”

  Sara turned to face Lily and smiled. “I love you, sister.”

  “Forever and into the stars,” Lily responded, just barely able to get out the phrase of Sara’s native people.

  Sara’s eyes closed, her body relaxed.

  All Lily could do was grip her hand and weep.

  Arms wrapped around her, strong and solid, and lifted her from the snow. She reached for Sara, but Ulrick pressed her to him. Glancing over his shoulder she saw Brock scoop Sara into his arms. Tears caught in his unshaved beard.

  “Get in the ship,” Gloria yelled.

  Before she knew what was happening, boots clanged on metal and the hum of the ship lifting off filled her ears. Lily kept her face hidden in the nook of Ulrick’s neck until she heard the rattling of the collapsing rings. Finally, they were out of this god-forsaken icy world. In fact, she wouldn’t feel bad at all if Golan harvested this hell-hole.

  ***

  Lily sat next to Ulrick in silence for what felt like hours. She was grateful he didn’t make her talk, eat, shower, or any of the other shit she really didn’t want to do. He simply sat with her. The shock had finally worn off leaving her with an empty pit in her stomach. Her head spun with the events of the past few weeks. First, there was being kidnapped by Mr. Hunk and then Vincent and now Sara’s death. Dropping her head into her hands she tried to massage the emotion away. Ulrick brushed a hand over her hair, the simple action providing her with the comfort she craved.

  Without lifting her head she attempted to reassess the day’s events. “Where is Vincent?”

  “Do not think of him, A’ Kilini. Even if he survived the crash there is no way he survived the cold and the ice giants.” Ulrick wove her hair into a loose braid.

  The knowledge that Vincent was dead seemed to appease the emptiness, though she had to admit that seeing his final moments would have provided a lot of satisfaction.

  “Where is Sara?” Lily lifted her head from her hands and, for the first time in several hours, realized how dirty the once white and orange space suit was. She brushed at a spot of dirt, but the mess had dried long ago.

  Instead of answering, Ulrick took her hand and guided her to the medical bay. He paused at the doorway, all
owing her to enter first.

  Sara lay on the exam table in blissful slumber. Someone had stripped her suit and dressed her in a simple white dress. The room seemed colder than normal. Lily wasn’t sure if it was due to the harsh lights and plain steel walls, or if it was projections of her own emotions. Lily wet a cloth and used it to wipe a remaining splotch of dirt from Sara’s peaceful face. Ulrick shifted at the door. Looking up she saw Brock standing next to him. Lily tensed; awaiting another fight, but Ulrick said something quietly and allowed the other man to enter.

  Brock’s eyes were red and puffy. Wet drops, unable to find their way through the thick scruff, hung in his beard. His space suit was covered in mud and blood, a mirror of how Lily imagined she looked. Brock wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

  The door slid open and Alberta stepped into the room. Her mohawk lay on its side, her black eyeliner smudged. Behind her, Gloria held a single white flower. Gloria tucked the blossom into Sara’s hand. Alberta bent to kiss the blue-haired girl’s forehead. Gustavo walked slowly into the room, stopping at Sara’s side and dropping his gaze to the floor, his fingers kneading the bed sheets.

  “What we do now?” Alberta asked.

  Uncertain silence filled the room for several moments.

  “We bury her,” Brock finally answered, his voice hoarse.

  “Where? We are nowhere near Base, and Alvernon was Harvested,” Gustavo replied.

  “There is a moon orbiting Aray. The Hilian refugees bury the honored there. I think she would like it,” Ulrick said from the doorway, his voice soft. “Unfortunately, even if we TIP we won’t have enough time to get to your Base then back to Aray before the battle.”

  Alberta rotated a piercing in her ear. “What its like?”

  “It has light blue oceans, pink grass, and a beautiful yellow sky. There are lots of flowers, trees, and small mammals. It is peaceful,” Ulrick explained.

  “Sound beautiful. Sara would like,” Alberta confirmed.

  “What is it called?” Lily asked, covering Sara with a white blanket.

  “A’ Gonen.”

  Lily nodded, “All right we will go there.”

  Ulrick jotted down coordinates and handed them to Alberta. The pilot took them and headed out of the room.

  Gloria wiped her hand over her face. “I’m going to lie down”. She slunk from the room. Gustavo sighed and followed her, his boots dragging on the ground. That left Lily alone with Brock and Ulrick. Her mind was too numb to process her emotions.

  “Lily, stay with your friend for as long as you need. I will wait in your room.” Ulrick said before making his way to the door.

  Turning on his heel, Brock stormed out of the room. He paused as he walked past Ulrick and exchanged hushed words with the larger man. “Get some rest El,” Brock said before exiting.

  “Come, A’ Kilini, you need to get some rest,” Ulrick waited for Lily to pass then followed her down the hallway.

  ***

  Ulrick gazed over her sleeping quarters. “This is your room? It is…minimalistic.”

  Lily felt her face flush with embarrassment. There were no extravagant holograms, comfy furniture or decorative art. All she had was a bed, a sometimes warm shower, and a cold metal floor.

  She dropped her attention to her blood-stained hands and dirty space suit. “I am going to take a shower.” After kicking off her boots, she shimmied out of her suit and walked to the cleansing room. Even with her back turned she felt Ulrick’s eyes on her, her body heated in response. Pausing at the door she smiled at him. “Join me?”

  “A’ Kilini, you had a long day and—”

  “I can’t reach my back.” Without another word she stepped into the bathroom, dropping her bra on the way.

  38

  Ulrick entered the cleansing room and discarded his clothing. The shower was fogged over, leaving only the slender outline of his mate visible.

  His heart ached for her. He had been through many losses, but nothing seemed to break his heart like seeing his mate crumble next to her friend in the snow. Damn Vincent for this! And damn himself for not destroying that beast before it killed Sara. He had never before felt like such a failure.

  Steam spilled from the shower as he opened the door. Lily’s back was to him, displaying the enticing curve of her spine and delicious heart-shaped ass. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the slope of her neck next to the Grun’Jari. His heart swelled with love by just seeing her wear it, especially when it was the only attire she adorned. She leaned into his embrace, their markings spiraled together, a delectable mixture of black and chocolate. He pumped a dollop of soap into his hand and rubbed over her shoulders, leaving a trail of bubbles over her silky skin. Massaging the ointment into her back, shoulders, and sides, he slowly worked out every stiff knot he encountered. She groaned and arched her back as he hit a sensitive nerve.

  Water cascaded off him and fell upon her in an intimate waterfall. He rubbed soap through her hair and she tilted her head to savor the moment. She reached up to help rinse the bubbles from her hair and he used the opportunity to clean her firm, perky breasts until they peaked beneath his hands. Giving a soft gasp she turned, grabbed his wrists, and pulled him into a fierce kiss.

  She crushed her mouth to his, demanding he open for her. He obliged, allowing her access to explore. Pushing him against the wall, she laced her fingers into his hair. They moved quickly to his shoulders and down his chest, exploring him until she reached his hardened member. He couldn’t contain his groan when she wrapped her small hands around him and stroked.

  Lily’s aqua eyes darkened with lust. “Ulrick, take me.” Her markings danced over her arms, twisting like a windstorm.

  Though he knew he should have been sensitive to the day’s events, he couldn’t help but respond. He needed this as much as her. With a heated growl he pressed her against the wall and lifted her into position. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped his shoulders.

  He locked his lips to hers and plunged his aching shaft into her heated core. He wanted to start off slow, as a gentleman should, but passion consumed him until his hips were moving on their own accord.

  She cried out with each heated thrust, only making him harder and more desperate to have her. Arching her back she gripped onto him and cried out in release, the sound taking him over the edge with her.

  He held her in his arms for several minutes, unwilling to let her go. “I love you A’ Kilini,” His voice came out raspy and raw.

  There was a moment of silence and for a second Ulrick feared he had misread her.

  “Ulrick…I love you too.”

  He pulled her up to cradle her in his arms and carried her from the now cold shower. After laying her upon the bed he dried her, one slow inch at a time until he had her begging for more.

  ***

  Ulrick stepped into the hallway and quietly closed the door to Lily’s room. She was tucked into the blankets, her face peaceful and innocent. He wanted to lay with her, to hold her as she slept, but he needed to check in with Alberta.

  The hallway was bleak, the metal having lost it’s polish long ago. The seams of the large metal panels were visible and out of line. A tilted painting of a forest hung on the wall. He tried to straighten it but the string snapped and the frame clattered to the ground. With an irritated grunt, he propped it safely against the wall.

  Flicking on the lights to the control room he stepped inside. Alberta was resting on the cot. Her wet hair was spiked up into a thick Mohawk and the dragon tattoo on the side of her head flexed as she yawned. Piercings in her ears, eyebrow, nose, and collarbone caught in the light when she rolled to face him.

  “How are you feeling, Alberta, would you like me to take over?”

  “No need. Auto-pilot. We be there no time,” Alberta replied sleepily from the bed. “Turns off light on way out.” She rolled over, blocking her eyes from the intrusive brightness.

  After checking the control board, Ulrick flicked off the lights and
left the pilot to her slumber.

  He walked past the common area, sleeping corridors, and into the kitchen. An older model Rebi-maid washed dishes by hand in a sink. It stacked them, still wet, onto the counter. Water dripped off the plates, ran down the steel countertops, slowly creating a puddle on the floor. He shut the Rebi-maid down, dried the dishes with a towel, and looked for their place inside the cabinets. Cups, shoved into the tight space, fell out and clanged against the counter. Opening the next cabinet he found loose utensils, batteries, and a toolkit. Another was full of ammo. Unsure of their organizational system, he hesitantly placed the dishes back onto the dirty counter.

  Opening the cooler he found a bottle of rabid juice, a bad year, but a drink would be nice. Selecting a glass adorning a hairline crack he filled it with the soothing liquid. After emptying the glass in a few swigs, he poured another, and sat at the table.

  The door slid open as Brock entered. “You sonofabitch,” Brock slurred, taking a swig directly from a burgundy bottle of rabid juice.

  “Brock,” Ulrick nodded.

  Brock had cleaned up from the battle, his mechanical arm shining in the artificial light. He wore sleep pants, a tank, and was barefoot.

  “Join me?” Though Ulrick really didn’t want to discuss anything with the other man, he owed it to him.

  Brock moved to the table, his eyes never once losing their heated glare. He took another swig from the bottle then pointed a finger at him. “You kidnapped her, endangered her life, involved her in a war we were not prepared for, and you expect me to believe that you are ‘predestined’ or some shit like that?” He slammed the bottle down on the table.

  “I am sorry, Brock. I know you do not believe we are predestined, but it is true. Our bodies are marked from the time we come of age. Mine have lain dormant for almost one hundred and fifty years. They started churning the moment I saw her, and I knew she was my match. I love her and I would never hurt her. I know she is very dear to you, try not to make this harder on her then it already is.” Ulrick poured himself another glass of juice and sipped, the warmth beginning to touch his senses.