Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  His head turned toward his communications specialist. “Understood. Make her wait.”

  Yatrell sat down in his seat, and he remained quiet while he gathered his composure. When he knew she had waited long enough to know the delay was intentional, he ordered, “Open the projection channel. Make sure our projection is clear, and the audio in both directions is as well.”

  When the screen came alive, and he was looking into the greenest eyes he had ever seen, his hearts paused a beat. He couldn’t believe what he saw. This was not who he expected to be looking at him across the bridge. The anger in her eyes, even through the projection was obvious, and his guilt overwhelmed him.

  Taking a deep breath, he listened to her words. With the same intensity he heard and saw from her, he responded, “We will not surrender our ships or the planet you orbit. There is a Dentonian colony below and we intend to protect it. Stand down, or we will engage you.”

  As he spoke to her through the holo projector he reached for her telepathically. His eyes traced her form, petite as it was, her dark red hair tightened back allowed him to admire her whole face and stunning green eyes.

  When he established a long, unforgotten link with her he projected gently, ~Why are you there, my Sontiar?~

  Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at him through the holo screen. “Commander, I am not giving up our position to a weaker command.” She projected orders to her tactical officer who sent the orders to the fleet. The Xenonian First Fleet moved into attack formation, and held their fire. After a moment of looking into his dark eyes, the same eyes she once longed to get lost in, she responded to him telepathically.

  ~Why, after so long, do you speak such words of affection?~ She watched his strong features as if she was trying to memorize every muscle and nuance of him.

  “We will not go down without taking your fleet with us.”

  He gestured angrily to his crew who ordered the Dentonian ships to respond in kind. The vessels that were able to raised their shields did so, and the entire Dentonian fleet armed weapons.

  He paused briefly, amazed to see her, and projected, ~Because they are words you should have heard sooner, because I should have been there when you asked me to, and because I mean them.~

  She glared at him through the viewer, “You are outmatched. Why sacrifice so many lives, Commander?”

  She shifted her stance slightly and projected to him. ~So much is different now. I am not the same woman you left for dead all that time ago.~

  Yatrell looked at her stoically, and projected, ~Remember where we started.~

  Carefully, he entered her mind, and started the flood of memories. He focused on their point of first contact, bringing it to the surface of her mind. He then watched her through the holo projection, hoping to see the slightest glimmer of what was once there. He reached hoping beyond hope that the woman he so loved was still inside this battle hardened exterior frame.

  Chapter 20

  The years rush through her mind in minutes. She stares at him across the holo projection, and her eyes soften, but only slightly and for a moment. Her soft features turn harsh again and she snaps, “You have a choice, Commander. You may come on board my ship, and we can discuss this situation or you can watch your fleet decimated.”

  A feeling of disappointment mixes with frustration, and heart break as Yatrell listens to her. His jaw remains set and he considers the situation for a moment. He looks at Turiel, and projects a simple order. When he knows it’s understood he returns his attention to Kala again. “I will come on board. There will be a solid relocator track on me, so anything suspicious, and I will be removed from the situation.”

  Kala acknowledges him with a gesture. “Precautions are understood, Commander. Bear in mind that should such occur, my fleet is under orders to eliminate yours.”

  Her voice remains calm, even through the wave of emotions overrunning her sensibilities. Her mind races through each of the memories again and again behind the blocks she’s carefully erected to keep him out. Him…the man who is her equal… who she once believed to be her future. Now, he’s just another commander in a war that has gone on for longer than needed.

  “I will have my tactical provide yours with coordinates.” She steps off the holo projector before he is able to respond. If he really has more to say, he’d just simply project it into her mind now that he knows she is here.

  Yatrell stands, and crosses the bridge to a small private conferencing center. He pulls up the projection and captures an image of her. With it registered on the conference system, he contacts his first captain, and Captain Sek. Turiel joins the private conference.

  “I am going onto her ship. As I’ve already explained to Turiel, my signature will be tracked by our relocation system.”

  Canith is the first to ask the hard question. “Are you going to arrest her?”

  Anara pulls up the image on her console, and answers before Yatrell is able to. “No. He’s not. He’s going to investigate what happened.” Her stomach tightens, and her face warms.

  “Investigate what? She killed Drexel. That’s enough to arrest her as far as our Senate is concerned.” Canith’s scowl deepens.

  “The Fleet Commander is the same woman that saved our planet at sector twelve beta. That alone makes listening to her side worth the time.” Yatrell swallows hard, knowing that the unspoken concerns are shared with Anara.

  Canith falls silent for several moments. When he does speak, his voice is less angry. “Fine. Learn what you can. It wouldn’t make sense to arrest her if it were self defense.”

  Yatrell responds, “My thoughts exactly. Anara you have command of the fleet.” His head turns toward Turiel. “You have the bridge. Canith, I want you to monitor the data in this system, with close attention paid to the designs of the ships in the Xenonian fleet. No reason they should catch us unprepared, if things go wrong over there.”

  The captains responded in unison. “Understood.”

  Turiel projected her acknowledgement.

  “I’ll touch base with all of you when I’m able, or need to.” He turns off the connection, and exits the bridge. He walks through the halls, with his pulse racing at speeds he’s not experienced before.

  His mind is fixated on her. She was dead. He was certain she was dead. More than a year ago she disappeared from him. She was unreachable through many attempts, across months. Everything about her indicated she was lost.

  Why did she hide from him? Why was he left to assume she was dead? Why did she block him? Where had she been all this time? Is she ok? Does she still feel the same? No, of course she doesn’t that’s why she blocked him out for so long.

  Why is he so nervous? Why does this one small woman, make him feel so uncomfortable in his own skin, even after so long? Why is he starting to sweat? Because he is in love with her. Because he had refused to admit it when he had the chance before.

  This time, he’s going to do it right. The first opportunity he has to tell her, he sets his mind to do so.

  As he steps onto the relocation platform, he looks at the woman assigned to the station, and nods. She presses a few commands into the system and he is surrounded by a high pitch wail and a bright light. Seconds later, Fleet Commander Yatrell Jae finds himself in a conference room. The long black table is roughly at his waist, and tall backed leather chairs surround it. Each chair has a small computer console embedded into the table in front of it, and a much larger one on the far wall serves the whole room. In front of the large one is a chair that is turned away from him.

  He begins to approach it, but is stopped by her clear urgency for distance, so he gently projects, ~Hello, Kala.~

  “Hello, Fleet Commander. We have much to discuss. Please, make yourself comfortable.” She speaks to him out loud in a very controlled voice. Her tone prevents any expression of the emotions she’s feeling at this moment.

  Hearing her out loud instead of in his mind concerns him, but he responds in kind. “I’m good to stand. More comfortable
this way.”

  “As you wish. You’ve done well for yourself in a short time.” She pauses to maintain her composure. “You seemed quite surprised to see me.”

  She slowly turns to face him. Her eyes search him and take in every feature. Every emotion is sensed clearly, and she resists her urge to link to him again. She can’t risk all that she’s accomplished for her people. She can’t let this risk those lives or the lives of the Dentonian fleet she is squared off against. Her read of his emotions is mixed with her own, making the definition of who is experiencing what difficult to ascertain with certainty.

  “It’s not every day one gets to talk to a dead woman. I’ve done about as well as you have, by the looks of things.” Yatrell shifts on his feet, wanting to approach her, wishing to be near her, to touch her. He knows she doesn’t want it, so he restrains himself.

  “Dead? You thought so little of me? Of my abilities? Of my skills and knowledge?” Kala finds his reaction amusing. It takes her several moments to continue. “No, I had to make some very difficult choices and hold to them.” She looks him directly in the eyes and adds, “Regardless of what it cost.”

  Yatrell looks into her green eyes, longing for her. “We all have choices Kala, but you didn’t have to block me out.”

  She stands finally, and walks slowly toward him. Leaving many chairs between them she leans on one. “Yes, Yatrell, at first I did. You didn’t need to become part of my trial.”

  Confusion and concern become evident in his expression. “Trial? For what?”

  She considers her words carefully. “I was tried for mutiny. Not mutiny of a ship, mind you, but mutiny of the fleet.”

  His eyes grow wide as she speaks, clearly surprised by her confession. In no way had he ever thought, would he ever think, does he believe she’s capable of such a breach of protocol. “How?” is all he manages to say.

  “Easily.” She stands off of the chair. “Organize all of the psionics assigned on every vessel, and protect the lives of the fleet and crews. When the major battle was over, and our people were safe again, I asked to take full responsibility and faced trial by Senate. The trial served to expose much about the previous leadership structure, most of which was questionable by any standard. Some evidence led the Senate to review their decision regarding Fleet Commander Tangl’s position. By the time it was over, I was given command, and the previous senior fleet captain and the previous fleet commander were recalled to Xenonia.” She looks into his warm brown eyes and sighs very softly. “But that’s not what we are here to discuss, is it? We need to consider what is before us now, Yatrell. What you showed me was our past.”

  Gently he speaks to her, his eyes getting lost in hers for a moment. “Our past means more to me than you know.”

  She arches an eyebrow while she looks at him. “Our past was quickly dismissed only days after the trial.” A clear wave of guilt washes over Yatrell but he says nothing about it. “I told you I’d contact you at the first available opportunity. I did. It was clear, at that time, our previous dispositions for each other changed. As such, we’ve moved forward with our lives. You’ve done well. I’ve been given this responsibility. This is what we were meant to do. Now, how do you suggest we arrange this situation so that no lives are lost on either side?”

  Kala struggles to hide her own pain. She struggles to keep her emotions separate from her choices, but sensing his so clearly only serves to confuse and muddle what she’s dealing with.

  Realizing this isn’t the time to pursue the topic further, Yatrell returns his focus to the issue that brought them face to face. “I suggest you recall your people from the surface, and leave the area.”

  Amused by his simple attempt, Kala stifles a smirk when she says, “We are resupplying. We’ll depart when it’s time for us to depart. Not before then.”

  “If my forces have to remove yours, Kala, we will.” Yatrell tries to harden his tone and expression, but knows facing her for the first time ever is making his professional side hard to hold on to. Trying to harden himself against his Sontair only serves to hurt and confuse him further.

  “Your ships do not command enough stature in this situation to justify your ‘fight’. You should be making choices to protect your people.” Her voice stays calm and controlled, but the frustration is obvious, none the less.

  “You are not the only telepath in this situation, nor are you as battle trained.” His tone turns threatening and his powerful stature intimidating. His mind is guarded, but it is hardly on this conversation, it’s focused on her. “I would not challenge the situation or test the option.”

  She folds her arms and stares at him and she maintains her telepathic barriers. As the anger for his reckless and selfish behavior grows, she glares at him. Brimming over with fierce intensity she speaks. “You and your ships will stand down to save the lives of our people on both sides of this battle, or I will force your ships to stand down around you.”

  Frustrated, he looks around the room and then back to her. She stands there, arms folded, fire in her green eyes, and even in her intensely angry expression all he wants is her. He walks around the meeting table, and stands inches from her, his jaw is set.

  “You think you can just demand whatever you choose and people will just bow to you? You think you rule space like some iron queen?”

  Annoyed he could remotely attempt to challenge her, she looks up into his deep brown eyes, ready to attack, but resists. “I rule those who are my people, and require protection from factions like yours.”

  “Factions like mine?” His eyes narrow, he draws his face closer and his voice lowers. “My faction and I will be leaving this area in the morning, Your Majesty, but only after we have removed yours from our space.” He keeps his face locked inches from hers as he speaks. Taking in her aroma, he finds himself distracted by it. His head swims with ideas he’s unable to pursue.

  “By morning is fine with me.”

  She doesn’t move, she doesn’t let him see how much she wants this to be different. She refuses to show weakness to him or any man. Inside, her hearts are in agony, and she is longing for this argument to be over. She desperately wants them to come to positive terms, to have a place to build, but not if he’s going to display a reckless attitude about his meager fleet.

  Before he says another word, his eyes drink in her features again and he feels his pulse quicken. “You are not the iron queen, Kala. You are just another commander in a war that has gone on for far too long.”

  He keeps his eyes locked on hers, and finds he is memorizing her features. Before he realizes he would, he wraps his arms around her and kisses her deeply. He lets it linger when she melts into the kiss. As he kisses her, he pulls her closer and he instinctively reaches for her telepathically, opening himself to her, she takes him by surprise when she does the same. Their minds merge as they bring their bodies together.

  Suddenly, she pulls out of the kiss, and glares at him. “How dare you!”

  Taken by surprise, Yatrell snaps, “You weren’t complaining a moment ago, when you were kissing me.”

  “You’re just trying to distract me. I won’t be distracted from looking after my people. Don’t you think you did enough damage already?”

  Kala pulls back from him, and turns her head to hide the tears welling in her eyes. She’s longed for that kiss for years now. She has ached every day for more than a year now, because of him. He selected to allow her to be killed at the hands of her master, instead of love her as she did him. That was his choice. She paid the price for his choice. When things had improved, he moved on, leaving her to linger in an emotional pain she had never previously experienced.

  “I’m not allowing you to damage me as you have before. You were right, Yatrell. Love is a weakness we cannot afford to endure during war. Deal with your fleet. We are nearly done with the resupply anyway. Take whatever posture you require, just do not risk the lives of our people or I will show you the might that is in this fleet.” Kala walks out of the
room and across the hall to her bridge. By the time she arrives, tears start to trickle down her cheeks.

  ~I’m sorry. You’re not the only one who’s suffered because of me.~ Inwardly, Yatrell kicks himself for ruining the only opportunity he has had to talk to her. He collapses into a chair, emotionally distraught.

  Henessa projects to Kala the moment she emerges on the bridge. ~You may wish to enter your office. We clearly need to talk.~

  The senior officer takes a moment to prepare the bridge, and then follows Kala into her office. She watches her friend as she sits behind the desk and tries to regain composure.“That’s him, isn’t it?”

  As coldly as she’s able to muster, she says, “Yes, Nessa. That’s … Yatrell. How close are we to completing the resupply?”

  “Maybe hours. The locals have been very helpful, and not at all combative.” Henessa is calming in her tone, but unsure what to say. “What did he say to you?”

  “While we were on the bridge in conversation he spoke words of affection to me and forced me to relive the life we had before. The closeness, the friendship and all of it. Then he told me he’s willing to fight us to get us out of his space. I explained that threatening his people and mine with a battle that was unnecessary was frustrating. Then he kissed me, and I left.” Kala’s voice shakes as she tells her friend about her meeting.

  “Kala, I wish I knew what to say.” Henessa starts to console her before she realizes the last part of what her friend just told her. “Wait, he kissed you? What did you do?”

  “I made the mistake of kissing him back before I stormed out.” Kala looks at the table, ashamed of her choice.