by Andi J Feron
He was great for sending messages to each of us telepathically so the enemy couldn’t hear, which helped us maintain stealth. Ajax kept his light brown hair spiked and had eyes that were a lovely shade of deep brown. He was short at only five-feet, four-inches tall. Helen was the only team member shorter than him. I almost felt like he was our counselor, as he inquired what any of our negative emotions meant.
Over the last year, I was accepted into the group and was treated as an equal by all except Petra Ambrosia. She was beautiful and graceful at every turn. Her blonde, wavy hair and hazel eyes perfectly accented each other. She was even magnificent in battle. She would command a Khalbytians to shoot themselves, and they would comply without question. I struggled with the ethics of it, but I shouldn’t have. What I did wasn’t much different, after all; brainwashing versus staged hallucination was the same effect.
I thought, however, the struggle stemmed from my prejudice to manipulators. When I thought deeper on the matter, I realized it was likely I subconsciously grouped them all in with Lucius. I topped off my contemplation by having a conversation with Fayard about it, and he informed me that he knew several manipulators who were great people. He went on to say that there were more than likely bad apples in every ability group. He explained it as we were all people, and you can find good and bad anywhere you went looking for humans.
The more I got to know Petra the more I thought my initial judgment was correct. She seemed to think we were in competition to see who was the best at using our ability. After an entire year, she still made me feel like an outsider.
The day Talon showed up at my door with flowers, I was supposed to meet the rest of the team for game night. We got together a few nights a month to let loose and enjoy each other’s company. I invited Talon, and figured it would be nice for him to meet everyone. I left him to get settled in his new quarters and went to get myself ready.
I chose to wear a royal blue dress I bought the week before. I put on my matching flats. I tied two small braids on each side of my head and brought them together in back, still keeping the rest of my hair long.
I spent a lengthy time selecting the exact shades of makeup I thought my dress and complexion would complement. I was aware I was putting more attention into my appearance than usual, and that I was wearing Talon’s favorite color. I checked myself over in my long bathroom mirror, wondering at my drive to look flawless tonight. I knew that I wanted Talon to notice me, but I wrestled with the reason behind the idea. When I arrived at the base recreational center, I saw everyone was already at various activities.
“Look who decided to go and get fancy on us. Seraphine, nice to see you put in some effort tonight,” Petra said mockingly.
“You look beautiful as always.” Helen smiled sweetly at me.
I thanked Helen as we started with a game of pool and I wondered if Talon was going to show. I knocked my last solid ball in the pocket.
Petra’s eyes were locked on the rec center entrance. “Look at that yummy view of perfection. I call dibs.”
I glanced up and saw Talon walking toward us. I looked at Petra, annoyed. I put my stick down and moved over to Talon. He smiled when he saw me.
Petra followed me over and stuck out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Petra.”
“Talon,” he said. He noticed Fayard at one pool table over from ours, and excitedly went to greet him. “Fayard, how’s it been?”
Fayard greeted him warmly. “Wonderful! Life is good always my man. How have you been?”
“Good, too.” They gave each other a quick fist bump.
“Talon, you know how to play pool?” Petra asked.
He nodded. “A little.”
“Wanna play a game?” She winked at him, and I wanted to slap her.
“Sure,” he replied to my disappointment.
They started a game, and I went to grab a pop and pout. I watched from the couch as Petra flirted with Talon. At one point, she squeezed his muscles and smiled. Talon appeared to remain clueless to the fact that I had benched myself based on his actions. Helen, however, caught my somber demeanor.
“That’s your Talon, isn’t it? The one you told me about?” Helen plopped down next to me on the couch.
“The one and only,” I murmured.
“Ignore Petra. As you probably know by now, she is shallow, and she gets around. She thinks she’s perfected the art of seduction when, really, we all know she’s a manipulator. She probably has no real skill.”
I didn’t like hearing that Petra was into seducing men. Talon was laughing at something Petra said and I sunk further into the couch.
“She bores easy. I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Helen said.
I wondered at what point Petra would bore of Talon. She probably only would after she got him to bed with her. He played a couple games with Petra and then Fayard, Ajax, and Elliott invited him to join their poker game. That was when I slipped out and went home. I removed all my makeup and climbed into some flannel PJs. I was making the vital decision of which ice cream flavor to drown myself in when my door buzzed. I looked out my viewer, and it was Talon.
“What do you want?” I called through my intercom.
“You okay? You left without saying anything.”
I opened the door and let him inside. We sat on my red couch.
“I thought you’d be with Petra.” I nearly rolled my eyes.
“Why would I be with Petra? She’s a nice girl and all, but I wanted to see you.”
“Looked like it when you played pool with her and were flirting the length of each game.”
“Flirting?” He seemed genuinely confused.
“Yeah, I get it. She’s a ton more beautiful than me, but I promise she’s a tantalizing siren who will bash your heart on the rocks.” Talon laughed which only furthered my frustration. “You think this is funny?” I asked, exasperated.
“Kinda,” he said, still smiling.
“Why don’t you go spend the night with Petra then?” I stood to go to my room.
“Seraphine, I think it’s funny because no one comes close to you, and you don’t even know it.”
I turned around to face him. “What do you mean?”
“Petra doesn’t even touch your beauty. You’re on an entirely different level.”
“You think I’m prettier?” I wasn’t sure I believed him.
“You’ve been stunning since the moment I saw you on that stage, and I’ve found no one comparable since. I’m pretty sure I never will.” He stood to face me, and I was suddenly lost looking up at him. “You don’t even see how absolutely perfect you are.” The way he said it, I found it hard not to believe it as truth.
He gently held my face in his hand, and pushed his lips to mine. I kissed him back. I never wanted to kiss someone or be with someone so much in my life. We collapsed on the couch, keeping our lips woven together. My breathing picked up and I heard his match mine. After a bit, I lay on top of him, his back pushed against the sofa. I kissed him a while longer before he kissed the top of my head.
“I’ve missed you Talon. I’ve missed you more than I remember missing anyone.”
He squeezed me tight. “Same.”
I tried to fully grasp what relationship Talon and I now had, but resolved not to push for a label. All of it was new but emulated perfection. Enjoying the entire thing without predetermined limits fused an excitement I found addictive.
Petra was the one pouting when she saw Talon and I walk into the mess hall hand in hand the next day.
Fayard smiled at us. “It’s about time.”
Talon went and got our food; Helen wanted the scoop. “You two an item now?”
“No. Yes. Maybe,” I stuttered. I didn’t know how to answer.
“I like it. You guys suit each other,” she said between bites of French fries.
“I’m sure it’ll be over by next week,” Petra spewed her opinion.
I shrugged, not willing to give her any leverage. All of us were called t
o a mission briefing later that afternoon. Khalbytians were hiding some type of weapon of mass destruction on a moon in the Striker system. Talon would be joining our team. According to Admiral Parks, the council requested a spot be left open for Talon.
They never ordered him because Admiral Jacobson gained approval to keep a promise he made to Talon. The approval enabled Admiral Jacobson to reward Talon for keeping his son safe with a year staying close to Allie. Talon requested active duty before they ordered him to our team. We navigated to the Striker sector, and the ride was uneventful.
“Talon, can you search for high concentrations of uranium? If you can locate that you will most likely find the weapon we are looking for.” Ajax was touching various controls and completing scans.
“There is a large concentration on the fourth moon. Upon a closer look, it does appear to be a large explosive device. They have it heavily guarded.” Talon was in full tracker mode.
Fayard set course for the fourth moon and made us invisible as we landed. Fayard’s high-level chameleon skills would also allow him to scramble sensors and keep the enemy from detecting our ship on scans. Talon told us of a remote spot we could land to keep the ship out of view.
He led us to the base containing the weapon. He was able to get us there without anyone noticing. Fayard could cloak us, but it was more difficult with people because movement was more sporadic and his ability required we all be touching. If someone slipped, they would be made visible. That had been our old method, and we learned the weaknesses it brought the hard way.
Talon guided us behind the building, and Elliott cracked the entrance code. Talon led us through an empty hallway, and we carefully inched our way toward the middle of the sizeable cave-like building. The walls were red rock and oozed a slimy brown substance. The musty smell in the air signified Khalbytians were near. Talon told us the weapon was in the room ahead of us. Ajax told me to project into the room.
I concentrated and projected several humans breaking into the room. I bet on the Khalbytians not firing near the weapon, and my assumption appeared correct when they chased after the humans instead of fighting them. Several of them stayed behind, and I projected more humans. I repeated until all but three Khalbytians left the room.
Elliott used his scanner to figure out the code for the door, and we entered the room. Petra waltzed up to the three remaining Khalbytians and told them to leave the room and not come back. Without question, they walked through the door opposite the one we arrived from. Alarms sounded as the Khalbytians looked for the humans I projected.
Fayard touched the weapon, and it became invisible. The weapon was set on top of a cart with large wheels enabling it to be moved as needed with minimal effort. We worked as a team to pull the rope and lug the weapon out of the building. Talon guided us the entire time. We opened the large doors to pull the weapon through, and more alarms sounded. Khalbytians appeared from every direction. We fought them off as Fayard, Talon, and Elliott continued to pull the weapon out.
Once we successfully removed the weapon from the building, we called to a ship that was in space to beam the weapon up. They were previously unable to beam the weapon to their ship due to the inside of the building being full of sensor shielding. Fayard let the weapon become visible again so he wasn’t beamed with it.
Khalbytians spotted us, and we bolted for our ship. Several Khalbytians were firing at us, and we attempted to stay far enough out of range to avoid being hit. I was the furthest back when I felt the familiar burning flesh sensation of Khalbytian weaponry striking my arm. I flew into the ship, and Ajax closed the hatch after he quickly determined everyone was on board. Fayard cloaked the ship again, and we ascended. We zoomed into hyperspace before the Khalbytians could call for backup.
Talon sat next to me. “You going to let me look at your arm or we going to fight about it again?”
I was gently holding a towel to my left arm, as the air hitting the more raw parts was difficult to deal with. I removed the cloth to reveal the majority of my upper arm was thoroughly charred. I saw his face become increasingly concerned. He wasn’t used to battles yet.
After intently looking it over he came to his conclusion. “That looks pretty nasty. I think it’s too severe for a regenerator to work. Fortunately, base isn’t too far.”
“I got it, Talon.” Helen touched my arm.
My flesh changed from afflicted portions of red and black to the soft, freckled pink of its normal form.
Talon’s eyes widened. “That’s a handy ability. Thanks Helen.”
“Yeah, it’s what I do. Gotta go take a nap now.” Helen yawned.
“Healers drain easily,” I explained.
Back in my quarters, we lounged around. Talon showed off his cooking skills and cooked some chicken, loaded baked potatoes, and biscuits. By not having involved parents and raising his sister alone, Talon had developed decent cooking skills over the years. After dinner, he surprised me by cleaning everything up when I went back to get a shower.
I noticed the clean sink, “I might have to keep you.”
“I hope so,” Talon said with a little laugh from his spot on the couch.
“Hey, babe? Is it okay if I go hang out with Helen?”
He paused the movie he was watching. “Uh oh, did I forget we had plans?”
“No, I don’t think so. Why?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“In case you didn’t want me to go.”
“I never want you to go, but it’s better for our relationship if we avoid smothering each other.”
I grabbed my purse off the counter. “It’s ok if I go places without asking permission? I mean, I can check in every half hour, or whatever you want.”
He squinted his eyes. “You can come and go as you please. I mean, the heads up is nice, so I don’t think you vanished. But no, you don’t have to ask my permission for anything. You especially don’t have to call me every half an hour. I might not get through my movie if you do that.” He smiled at me.
Talon continued to surprise me, being different from any other boy I ever formed a relationship with. There was a pleasant newness to being in a relationship where the other person simply loved me and wanted to be around me. There was exhilarating freedom with Talon. He took care of me and wanted nothing but my love in return.
I gave him a quick kiss and left to meet Helen at the movie theater to catch the new comedy that opened yesterday. As the previews played across the screen, I pondered how learning the rules of a healthy relationship came at a difficult learning curve for me.
Months went by with Talon becoming an integral part of our team. He not only helped us locate anything our missions required, but he made sure we maintained an enemy-free path to travel through. When he first joined our team, I was unsure of how he would remain safe and inflict damage without a deadly component to his activated ability. On the first battle we fought together, I realized my concern was far from warranted. He hadn’t slacked in his training and proved to be an exceptional fighter.
For Talon, a deadly ability was not a necessity as he applied swift and definitive movements with his body. When he used weapons to aide his attack, he never missed the target and would take down his enemies with minimal effort. His whole self acclimated to war effortlessly, as though it was his birthright. Ten months in and it was as though he had been a soldier for decades.
At times our team was able to set aside war, and we filled that interval by enjoying each other’s company. We evolved from assigned teammates into a family. We grew closer through the bond of fighting together and by establishing connections to each other away from the battlefield.
Even Petra and I began to put aside our petty differences to form a friendship. I still found her excessive flirting with Talon distasteful. Her disrespect for my relationship with him left me with an enduring annoyance. Talon did little to help to alleviate my frustration on the matter.
He appeared continually oblivious to her flirtatious ways. I wo
uld vent to Helen about Petra’s seduction attempts, but Helen was quick to remind me that I was the one who went home with Talon every night. On that accord, Helen was right, as Talon and I were inseparable. We never slept in separate quarters anymore, and we talked about abolishing one of the quarters altogether.
Late one morning, Talon and I were basking in laziness, since there was no mission assignment. I was relishing his body pressed to mine. I moved my hand over the four long scars on his chest. The rest of his abs screamed perfection, but this flaw was what I valued. I kissed the largest one.
They reminded me of how I almost lost him, and the near tragedy of never reaching this intimacy with him. It would have been never knowing he was the reason I wanted to pull myself out of bed every morning and fight for an ending to the war. Talon’s scars were a reminder of how he loved fiercely to the extent he would not give a single thought to his life or suffering if it meant he could protect the ones he loved. This was something I would never take for granted.
I reached up and kissed his mouth deeply, and he kissed me back. He pulled the blanket around us, and the rhythm of his heartbeat lulled me to slumber. I woke up to the smell of lasagna and garlic bread. I put on my robe and sat at the table. Talon was putting food on the table and placed a couple cups down.
He kissed me. “Ajax said everyone is up for game night. We don’t have any mission assignments, and they are thinking it might be a bit before we do.”
“That sounds nice, not having to deal with things for a bit.”
After dinner, Talon and I worked together to clear the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. I glanced at the clock and realized we needed to get serious about putting ourselves together for game night. I scanned my closet and decided on a black peekaboo top and dark jeans. I completed the ensemble with bright red lipstick. I walked out into the living room where Talon was already waiting, since all his readiness required was exchanging his grey shirt for a blue one. He looked up as I walked into the room.
“Damn, babe! I think we need to cancel game night.” Talon grinned as he took in my freshened appearance.
