Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  A hot little tingle of electricity ran through Andi’s nerves. I never expected to see him here.

  “Don’t tell me you were invited?” How did he manage that? Looking down on anyone not in their noble caste, the Obati made their parties hard to crash. Outworlders weren’t normally included on the guest lists, but Loxton was important to Zulaire’s intergalactic credit balance, which explained Andi’s access.

  Deverane still wore his camouflage fatigues but had pinned on his silver captain’s bars. Riding his hip was a Mark 27 blaster.

  Andi pointed at the weapon. “You always wear a sidearm to formal occasions?”

  “On this planet I do.” He rested his hand on the blaster’s butt. “I invited myself, and the doorkeeper didn’t quite know what to do, so she let me in. With Mawreg incursions in the adjoining Sectors, we’re an important presence on Zulaire. Nobody wants to piss off the Sectors when the enemy might just decide your planet is a tempting target.” The captain glanced around the crowded room, full of laughing, dancing Obati and Shenti. The pounding music was fast, with a heavy bass line. “Pretty good turnout. Took me a few minutes to work my way over here. I saw you dancing when I came in.”

  Andi’s cheeks flamed. He was watching me? Wasn’t at my most graceful, not doing that awkward step. She hoped the subdued lighting would hide her embarrassment. “I was dancing with a business acquaintance.” Right, a jerk trying to get certain personal fringe benefits from throwing large shipping orders Loxton’s way. Won’t be dancing with him again. Not after what she’d told him to do with his order.

  “I see.” Very slowly, the captain’s gaze traveled from her head to her toes and back again. “Great dress, by the way. Nice shade of blue.” The pupils of his eyes were huge, sparkling.

  Could all-business Captain Deverane be trying to get on my good side with compliments? Hers was a knockout dress, though. Much better than the borrowed, overfussy getup she’d had to wear for Lysanda’s ceremony earlier in the day. Low-cut, sheer, pale-blue offworld silk with subtle flowers woven into the fabric, the dress flowed over a tight, blue bodysuit. This outfit could hold its own with any other woman’s at the party. The dress cost her a chunk of last quarter’s salary. I wish Loxton’s accountants understood the necessity of blending in with the clients.

  “You don’t strike me as the type to notice what a woman is wearing, unless she’s a soldier out of uniform,” she said. Teasing Deverane seemed safer somehow than acknowledging the compliment outright.

  “Hey, I’m serious.” His genuine smile and twinkling eyes took ten years off his face.

  “Well, thank you, sir.” Why is this new side of Deverane making me tongue tied? Andi cleared her throat, fidgeting with her necklace.

  “Let’s declare a truce.” He held out his hand, palm up. “I recognize this song the band is attempting to play. It was popular at Sector Hub when I was last posted there. I do know how to dance.” This last was said directly into her ear. His breath whispered over her skin, tickled her cheek in a way that gave her butterflies. The captain nodded toward the dance floor and winked.

  The orchestra had switched to a slower, more romantic tune, and the lights dimmed to match the shift in mood.

  “I never thought of dancing as a military skill.” Still a little flustered, she stepped onto the polished hardwood floor. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly as his closed around them.

  Deverane encircled her waist with one arm, tugged her close and swirled her into the throng of couples. He was smooth and sure at following the intricate patterns demanded by the music. “Command believes we should know all about maneuvering in tight situations. I learned at Star Guard Academy as a cadet. Some skills stay with you for life.” The captain avoided mishap by swinging her around a couple doing exuberant, sweeping turns, hogging the floor. Twirling Andi out, then back, he held her tight for the next series of steps.

  He was warm, solid against her, all muscle. Catching a whiff of his intriguing scent, she inhaled, trying to ignore the way her nipples pebbled and tightened. I’d better watch myself, this officer is affecting me on more than one level. Andi relaxed as the music played on. They moved so smoothly together, as if they’d been dance partners before, maybe in another life.

  He grinned down at her, green eyes gleaming. “I’m sorry I was so abrupt this afternoon.”

  “Apology accepted. Why are you here at this party, though? To kidnap me? After all, you do have orders, right?”

  Deverane looked away for a second. “Not orders to kidnap civilians under the protection of the Planetary High Lord.” The words were clipped, bitten off, his voice low and tense.

  Andi decided to ignore the odd undertone. “Not that I’m ungrateful for the dance, but I never expected to see you here.”

  “I never expected you to leave the house and be here.” He sounded annoyed. “The situation is unsafe, you’re unprotected, vulnerable—”

  “You don’t think the Tonkiln’s protection will be enough?” She was surprised.

  “No.” Breaking off the dance, he stared into her eyes, still holding her close. Annoyed couples bumped into them on both sides. Andi staggered, and the captain steadied her, but another somewhat inebriated couple jostled him. Shielding her from the impact, Deverane fended off the other dancers with his hip and elbow. “Look, we can’t stand here to discuss it. And we sure as hell can’t dance and have a debate. Agreed?”

  She nodded, but with a sigh. He was the best partner she’d ever danced with. It had been effortless to follow his lead, like flying. Why couldn’t this have lasted longer before reality broke in on us? “We don’t have to go back to the Tonkilns’ yet, do we? Is the APC repaired?”

  “No, my men are working on it. Let me get you something to drink, and we’ll step outside where we won’t draw so much attention.” Deverane led her by the hand through the throng of onlookers, back to the intimate groupings of small tables along the wall. Giggling, a cluster of the younger Obati ladies talked animatedly, stealing glances at her. The scrutiny made Andi tense, on edge. She could imagine what trend the gossip was taking.

  What would Gul say?

  Does he know about this good-looking offworlder?

  Is she trying to make him jealous? Clever girl!

  She dropped Deverane’s hand. “I’ll meet you at the western door,” Andi said over her shoulder, already walking away along the line of tables. Deliberately, she kept her pace slow and unhurried. One never exhibits undue haste in front of the Obati nobility.

  Slipping outside, Andi waited in the gloom by the vine-covered pillars. She hummed under her breath, the song they’d been dancing to, trying to block the amorous sounds coming from couples sprawled on the double-wide lounges scattered outside the ballroom. As soon as Deverane walked out, she went to meet him, accepting the cold drink he offered her. She waved her free hand toward the tree line just off the patio. “Can we walk down to the lake? With the two moons out tonight, it’s clear enough, and this is one of my favorite places on Zulaire. If what you’ve told me about an impending war is true, I may never be here again.”

  “All right, but we’re not going to stay long.” Taking her elbow in a light clasp, Deverane guided her down the shallow stairs toward the lake.

  “I can leave,” Andi said, sipping her drink. “Lady Tonkiln went home with a headache right after all the gifts were tallied. And I haven’t seen Lysanda and her groom since the dancing started. My duties are complete.”

  Arm in arm, they strolled past a reflecting pool. The captain kept gazing around, checking the area for threats, apparently. Military reflexes, no doubt. His actions reminded her why she was really here in the moonlight with this handsome man—politics, not pleasure. Sighing, she chose the flagstone pathway toward the lake, which gleamed gray blue in the moonlight ahead of them. Not far from shore, the trees on a small island cast odd black shadows onto the calm waters. Misty clouds were coming to rest on the distant mountains.

  They walked for a few minutes, n
ot touching but companionably close. She was very conscious of him at her back, ready to shield her from any danger they might encounter. Pausing at the lakeshore, Andi savored the peaceful scene, allowing the lapping of the waves to calm her nerves a bit.

  “A beautiful place.” Deverane moved to stand right beside her, his hip brushing hers. Even the slight contact sent sizzling sparks through her nerve endings. Apparently unaware of the effect he was having on her, he gazed out over the lake. “Serene.”

  Andi laughed. “You should have seen it during the day, when the children were riding their personal aquatic craft. So much noise. I pity the poor water creatures.”

  He glanced at her sequined dance shoes gleaming in the moonlight. “Your feet must be tired. Are there benches?”

  Warmed by his attentiveness to her comfort, Andi couldn’t help wishing just a little that they weren’t out together because of the unsettled circumstances between the Clans.Why couldn’t I have met this intriguing guy some other time? “Over here.”

  He followed her onto another path made from crushed white rock. Artistically rustic, but still comfortable, wooden benches were placed at intervals along the shore. Selecting one a few yards from the entrance to the path, Andi sat down. Taking a longer swallow from her drink, she savored the fruity taste, berries and citrus with a biting alcoholic kicker. Raising his glass, Deverane took a sip, rolling it around in his mouth to appreciate the blend. She watched the muscles in his throat work as he finally swallowed. He smiled. “Good stuff. Packs a punch but smooth.”

  Sipping her own drink, she stared unseeing at the silvery waters. Conflicting thoughts warred in her head – an increasing interest in, and attraction to, the man beside her versus the memories of what he’d told her about the atrocities going on elsewhere, the death of her friend Kane…Rubbing her forehead, she felt a headache coming on.

  A pair of night hunting birds called from the woods behind them. In the parking area on the other side of the celebration hall, a groundcar alarm blared then abruptly cut off.

  Andi stood up, putting her glass down on the bench before resting her hand on Deverane’s arm. “I think we’d better go. Everything you’ve told me today is making me nervous, although I still find it hard to believe there’s danger to Lord Tonkiln’s family, or any of the others out here.”

  “Maybe the Naranti mediators can reduce the tension levels. I understand it’s worked before,” he said. “Not my problem, however. Command doesn’t want any Sectors citizens caught in a Zulairian concern.”

  She turned her head away from him. Even with their own citizens getting killed in the crossfire, the Sectors would take a hands-off stance, leaving the people of Zulaire to solve the problems. The offworld government didn’t care if it meant years of local bloodshed. “Sectors doesn’t want to have to get involved, you mean.”

  “Right.” Crisply, Deverane nodded. “Zulaire provides some essential minerals, from the Abuzan Range, but we’ve secured and supplied the mine to withstand a two-year siege.”

  Andi took a last look at the lake, trying to imprint the quiet scene on her memory. “What did Lady Tonkiln say when you decided to spend the night?”

  “A lot of gracious nonsense. The old harridan didn’t mean a word of it. She left it to Iraku to decide where to quarter us. He must dislike outworlders even more than she does, because he stuck us in the big transport barn with our vehicles.” He smiled, but his clenched jaw betrayed his true feelings on the subject.

  “You’re not serious?” Andi did a double take. “You’re an officer. Weren’t you provided a room in the main house?”

  “Iraku offered a room to me. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to sleep in a posh mansion while my men bunk in a garage.” Tossing the remainder of his drink into the shrubbery, Deverane set the heavy, engraved glass on the bench.

  She shivered, rubbing her arms, trying to soothe away the goosebumps brought on by the night breeze.

  Giving her a concerned look, he stood up. “I’m an idiot. I should have thought to ask if you had a wrap before we came out here.”

  “It’s all right. I’ll be fine. I’m upset about my friends and concerned about everything you just told me.”

  “The situation report was a lot to take in, I know.” Deverane moved closer to her, heat radiating from his body. Slowly he reached out with one hand to circle her wrist, tugging her gently closer, until she was right up against him. “Better?”

  Andi nodded, placing her hands on his chest, enjoying the feeling of their bodies together, the implicit intimacy holding promise for what might happen later.

  The lights along the path and beside the benches flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness.

  Glancing around, Deverane frowned in the moonlight. He released her, keeping one hand around her wrist and putting the other on the butt of his blaster. “Is that normal?”

  “The generators have been known to be troublesome in the summer. Probably nothing.” The moment was gone, the spell she’d been under broken. Am I disappointed? Relieved? Things had been moving way too fast between them for people who had just met. “Fortunately, we still have enough moonlight to see the path.” Andi took a step toward the clubhouse.

  He tightened his grip on her wrist, forcing her to stop. “Wait.”

  Yelling broke out in the large building on the rise behind them. Glaring, sporadic flashes burst from the general direction of the parking area and from the main wing of the celebration hall itself. Making the forest brighter than day, a sizable explosion obliterated the light of the two moons for a moment. Clapping her hands to her ears at the concussion, Andi ducked, crowding into the reassuringly hard-muscled captain.

  In one fluid motion, he had his blaster in hand. Still keeping his grasp on her wrist, he drew Andi farther away from the path, taking cover behind a wide, multiple-trunked tree. Placing himself between her and the building, he leaned out, reconnoitering the pathway. The screams and shouts were increasing in intensity and number.

  Andi huddled against the tree, rough bark scraping her arm. He was right, this sounds like the beginning of war. Trembling, she had to lock her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering as one piercing shriek rose above the rest of the general uproar.

  “I’m afraid we missed our deadline for a clean escape.” His voice was harsh, the words angry. “Come on.” Pulling Andi to her feet, he laced his fingers in hers and drew her from the safety of the tree, setting a course around the edge of the lake to the east. Andi stumbled in her high-heeled dancing shoes over rocks and branches.

  “Wait.” Digging her heels into a softer patch of ground, she forced him to stop, yanking her hand free. “Shouldn’t we go back, try to help?”

  “We’re overwhelmingly outnumbered.” He frowned at her, nostrils flared as if he could scent the enemy forces. His stare was unblinking.

  Eyeing the blaster in his hand, Andi raised her eyebrows.

  Deverane sighed. “Even with a blaster. This was a well-planned, well-timed attack. You and I can’t afford to be caught in the middle of it. We’ve got to get back to the Tonkiln house and my men.”

  Across the lake, one of the Obati mansions on the far shore exploded into flames. Andi gasped. “The attack is spreading.”

  “This is worse than I thought.” Grabbing her shoulder, he turned her toward the lake and gave her a gentle push. “Are there any boats? We need to keep this head start. No time to creep around the edge of the lake.”

  “The boats were drawn up on shore late this afternoon for the end of the season. This way.” She led him to the lakeshore, where the going was easier. Kicking off her stiletto heels as soon as the ground changed to beach sand, Andi ran faster than she’d ever managed in her life.

  Not even breathing hard, the captain kept pace. Swiveling his head, he evaluated the situation. “I don’t like us being so exposed in the open.”

  “There are the boats.” Andi pointed to the line of gaily painted pleasure craft resting in the sand about ten
yards ahead. Holstering his blaster, Deverane sprinted, grabbing the first boat in the line. He dragged the small craft across the sand into the lapping water. By the time she skidded to a halt, his hand was stretched out to her as he gestured impatiently. “I’ll boost you in. Come on.”

  Holding her shoes above her head, she waded out, gasping a little at the coldness of the water. With one hand he helped her shimmy up and over into the boat, where she landed with a thud. Scrambling on hands and knees to the stern, she sat at the control panel, trying to remember the simple instructions she’d received earlier in the week. As Deverane fell over the side, she had the motor revving to the red line. Leaving a broad wake gleaming in the moonlight, the little pleasure craft shot straight across the lake.

  He crouched low on the bench amidships and ran his hand over his hair. She hoped he was planning their next move. Blaster in his hand again, he reconnoitered the shore with deep suspicion. “Any obstacles in this water?”

  Chilled in her half-drenched party clothes, she shook her head, wishing her expensive dress could shed water the way his uniform was engineered to do. “Not this direction. Can you contact your squad?”

  “I’m trying right now.” He showed her the tiny comlink cradled in his other hand. “No answer, which could mean anything or nothing, but probably isn’t good.”

  “Do you think the Tonkiln house has been attacked?” Andi worried about heading into an even worse situation than the one they’d left behind.

  Not looking at her, he just shook his head. “Let’s deal with that when we come to it. Don’t steer straight to the dock—we’d be too obvious, sitting ducks. We need to land and work our way to the house without attracting attention.”

  Angling the boat off to the east, Andi set a course to avoid the dock as ordered. “I never considered an attack on the family’s home. Lords of Space, what about the kids? Sadu and his two little visiting cousins—their Shenti nurse went home to her village last night—there’s only old Iraku and a few of the housemen there to protect them.” Worry about the younger family members gnawed a pit in Andi’s gut. “Lady Tonkiln must be terrified.”