A New Reason To Fight: An Intergalactic Romance

by T. J. Brandow

  “No, Captain Fildred, I will,” General Forester said.

  General Barron didn’t seem to know how to respond to this. He just stared on gravely.

  “Alright then, I will leave you for now. Please let me know once you’ve established contact with Rebroan,” the general said just before his image disappeared.

  Dedron and Donna hugged. Then, they both turned towards the general and shook his hand.

  “Donna, I think it was your words that inspired General Barron to change his mind. I think he needs to place more trust in the both of you. If you worked under me, I would certainly put my faith in you,” the general said.

  “Thank you, sir. That means a lot to us. Now, we had better start our journey towards Berindi. There is no time to lose!” Dedron stated.

  “Indeed, we had better do that,” the general agreed.

  Dedron and Donna went to their sleeping quarters and sat down on the bed together. They gazed into each other’s eyes for several moments, exchanging feelings and emotions without saying a word. The longer they were together, the stronger this nonverbal communication became between them. It was as if they were of one mind, thinking the same thoughts and feeling the same emotions.

  “I feel like I don’t even need to tell you what I’m feeling. When you look at me, I can feel you moving past the flesh and into my soul. Go ahead and tell me what I’m thinking now, and no cheating! You are not allowed to use any Barringe mind tricks. Just feel it,” Donna joked as she took Dedron’s hand and held it tightly.

  “You are thinking about our house back home, picturing you and I laying in our new bed together,” he said.

  “Perfect! That is exactly what I was thinking about. I share a connection with you that I’ve never shared with anyone before. I did have a boyfriend in college who could guess what I was thinking, but he would have to try two or three times before he got it right.”

  “That’s not a connection, that’s guessing,” Dedron laughed.

  “Exactly. Come over here and kiss me you hairy Barringe,” Donna said, running her hand from his neck down his chest.

  They kissed gently and passionately for several minutes before pulling away and looking into each other’s eyes once more.

  “Do you think we can find Rebroan?” she asked, turning to the matter at hand.

  “Yes, I do. Over the years I’ve learned to trust my intuition, and so far it has not led me astray. Knowing how many Remoir have escaped to Berindi, there is little doubt in my mind that Rebroan is there now organizing the forces of the Remoir opposition,” Dedron said.

  “Your confidence puts me somewhat at ease, but if you made love to me right now, I would feel completely at ease,” she said, cocking her left eyebrow.

  “I love it when you give me that look. How can I resist?” he said as he put his hand up to her cheek, gently caressing it. He kissed her delicately and then put both of his hands behind her head, pulling her closer to him. They shared several wet, tongue-filled kisses, caressing one another’s shoulders. Donna proceeded to remove her top and push Dedron down on the bed. Without warning, she slipped off his pants and mounted him. They made love, slowly at first, then gradually increasing the speed and intensity. Dedron once again averted his eyes as Donna moved up and down with her exquisite bosoms bouncing before him. Taking Donna by surprise, he pushed her down on the bed and took control, plying her with forceful thrusts.

  “That’s it! Give me all you’ve got!” she begged. Dedron wanted things to last, but he could not resist her commands. He thrust into her like he’d gone mad, feeling the intensity of their union growing with each passing second. Their eyes locked as if Dedron wanted to see how she wanted things to finish.

  “Go on. I want us to have a child when all of this done!” she managed to say in between heavy breaths. Dedron nodded, gripping both of her hands tightly. All at once, they both reached the most intense climax they’d experienced so far.

  “Oh my GOD!” Donna said.

  “OH Donna!” Dedron exclaimed. They broke apart and lay together, still holding hands, sharing a moment of post-coital bliss.

  “What am I thinking about now?” Donna finally asked, breaking the silence.

  “You are picturing you and I looking out of the window of our home as you cradle our newborn child,” he said.

  “Spot on again. I can only hope that we can make that vision a reality once we return home. We are going to return home, aren’t we?” she asked, experiencing a moment of doubt.

  “Of course we will. What kind of talk is that? Haven’t we gotten through predicaments like this before? Good will always prevail over evil in the end, although it may be hard to see that now. Just have faith in our cause,” he reassured her, bringing a smile to her face.

  Chapter 11:

  The colony of Berindi was not a planet or a moon. It was once the largest space station ever built in the late twenty-first century. After it became too expensive to maintain for the allied planets that put it together, it was eventually left to orbit the planet of Gorundia where the station had been gathering data. Eventually, it was colonized by escaped Remoir and by other beings seeking freedom from the regimes that controlled their lives. In particular, a race called the Heronticots began to arrive there around the middle of the twenty-second century. Heronticots were lizard-like beings with a penchant for technological advances. Often, the Heronticots were recruited by the Remoir in order to develop weapons and communication devices.

  For decades, the Remoir transplants lived a peaceful coexistence with the Heronticots, although there was sometimes tension between them. Most of the tension stemmed from the Heronticots fear that too many escapees from Remoir would attract the attention of the Remoir despots such as Perbron. Thus far, Perbron had paid little attention to the colony, reasoning that the resistance members who had left were not a loss to him. Humans very rarely paid the place a visit, having no real reason to be in that corner of the universe. The planet Gorundia was uninhabitable due to the fact that it was a gas giant with a particularly inhospitable climate and because it was often prone to powerful geologic upheavals.

  As soon as the military cruiser ship was fairly close to the old space station, the Heronticots who controlled the air traffic towers contacted the ship. The space station resembled three large discs with all manner of satellites and towers emerging from it. When the inside of the station became too overpopulated, the Heronticots in cooperation with the Remoir built a dome over the top of the three discs so that its citizens could live on top of as well as inside of the space station. Now, the majority of the citizens lived underneath the dome.

  “State your business,” a nasal voice spoke into the army ship’s communicator. A lizard-like face with bulbous green eyes wearing a silver cape-like outfit appeared on the holographic screen.

  “Hello, we come in peace. I am General Forester of the Intergalactic Army. I am only here to make contact with former citizens of Remoir with whom I want to form an alliance as well as your own people,” the general stated. The creature’s expression did not change, but it appeared to be considering the general’s words very carefully.

  “We will grant you permission to land at runway fg-390. Once you have landed, you must leave your weapons with the landing inspectors until such time as you depart. This is only a safety precaution on our parts, and we have no intention to keep those weapons or profit from your belongings.”

  “How are we to defend ourselves if the need arises?” the general asked. “If you come in peace as you say, then there will be no need for such things,” the creature responded. The general looked over at Dedron to gauge his response to this request. He nodded his head to indicate that they should go through with the request.

  “It’s a good will gesture. It will prove to them that our intentions are what we say they are,” Dedron said to the general.

  “Very well, we will do as you request,” the general said, turning his attention back to the Heronticot air traffic controller. T
he creature did not respond. Instead he turned and appeared to be talking to another of his comrades.

  “As I stated, you are to land on runway fg-390. Welcome to Berindi,” the creature said just before switching off his communicator.

  Minutes later, an opening appeared in the clear dome above the settlement, allowing the space cruiser to land on the colony. The buildings had a utilitarian, industrial quality about them as if they had been built as one large housing development. They were all variations of rectangular, concrete buildings with an abundance of glass.

  “Looks a lot like some of the structures in New York, back home,” Donna remarked as she looked about her.

  Once they were on the ground, a group of Heronticots came over and began to inspect the ship. A few dressed in army-green riot gear came over to the entrance to the ship wielding laser cannons. As the doorway opened, the general and the Defense Squad members lifted their hands in the air and put their weapons down at their feet.

  “Step away from the weapons and you may enter,” their leader said in a nasal voice similar to the air traffic controller, but slightly deeper.

  “Sir, do you have any idea where we can find the Remoir they call Rebroan?” Dedron immediately asked. The Heronticot guards looked at one another and then back at Dedron.

  “I do not know him, but I can direct you to the Remoir quarter of the settlement,” the leader answered.

  “That would be helpful,” Dedron answered.

  “Once you have left the landing facility, you will head to the eastern disc or quarter as we call it. That is where the Remoir dwell,” the leader shared.

  As the group walked away from the ship, Donna began to realize how vulnerable they were without any of their weapons. They were well and truly at the mercy of the citizens of Berindi.

  “So I get the impression that the Heronticot and the Remoir don’t have a lot of mixers,” David said.

  “From what I’ve been told, they maintain a healthy co-existence, but don’t often come together unless matters of security require them to do so,” the general said. There was a teleportation train station with a sign indicating something in Heronticot that said the word, ‘Remoir’ on it.

  “Hey, why don’t we take the train?” Donna said.

  “I don’t see why not,” Dedron said.

  “Sure,” the general agreed. The group boarded the teleportation train and watched the scenery blow past them as they rode to the Remoir quarter of the settlement that many referred to as ‘New Remoir’. The train arrived in seconds, teleporting the riders through a blur of silver light. Scientists had learned in recent years that it was quicker and more efficient to send a concentrated amount of energy such as one has when several people are teleported in one vehicle as opposed to being teleported one at a time.

  When the train arrived at its destination, New Remoir gave Donna the impression of a slightly more upscale version of the poorer areas she and Dedron had witnessed in the city of Gertron on Planet Remoir. Donna and Dedron exited the train first; as they did, the Remoir guards gave them a defensive, skeptical look. However, one by one the faces of the four guards began to change as they recognized Donna and Dedron. The guards at the train station of New Remoir did not wear the hooded vestments like the guards on Remoir wore, and their eyes had a less evil light in them.

  “You two were at Gertron,” the nearest one said.

  “Yes, we were,” Donna said with a smile.

  “Yes, you were the ones that helped with the uprising. We are forever indebted to you,” the farthest one said.

  “It was our pleasure to be a part of it. Were you there?” Dedron asked.

  “Aswot and Panterdon were. I was already living here in Berindi,” Termotan, the one who stood nearest the Defense Squad members said.

  “What brings you here now? Are you in need of protection against Perbron?” Aswot asked.

  “How did you know?” Laura said.

  “Well, you see Perbron has some of our comrades and he wants to trade their lives for ours. We need some help foiling his plan, but he will surely kill them if we try and interfere,” Dedron explained. “Oh, by the way, this is General Forester of the Intergalactic Army, which is based out of Earth like the Defense Squad.”

  “Pleased to meet you, guards,” the general greeted.

  “Any comrade of Donna and Dedron’s is a comrade of ours. We are, how do you humans say it, pleased to meet you as well. We Remoir say ‘termordaran flasihawasa’, which pretty much means the same thing as pleased to meet you. I was there and saw Donna go up against Uteron and saw how Perbron fled in the wake of the Defense Squad,” Panterdon said, enthusiastically.

  “Thank you, that means so much to us. Tell me comrade, is Rebroan on this settlement with you?” Dedron inquired.

  “He most certainly is and he will be very happy to see that you are here,” Termotan said.

  “Wonderful, can you take us to him?” Donna asked.

  “We’d be most pleased to,” Aswot said. “Follow us,” he said.

  They walked through a maze-like area that appeared to be the town square. The buildings were spread far apart and had open floor plans not unlike the plaza- style, terra cotta buildings of old New Mexico, back on Earth. It seemed the citizens of New Remoir were trying to create a more open, inviting space than the ones they were used to back at Gertron and other crowded Remoir cities. There was also much more light, and an overall feeling of openness and wellbeing.

  When the group got to the north side of the center of the plaza, they stopped at a modest dwelling. Aswot made a complex series of knocks and whistles on the door, which was meant as a kind of password. Two more guards walked out and greeted Aswot, Panterdon, and Termotan.

  “We need to see Rebroan. The members of the Intergalactic Defense Squad are here to see him and are in need of his assistance. The eyes of the two guards lit up like the others had when they heard this and rushed to get back inside the oval-shaped door. Rebroan immediately emerged from the entrance, looking tall and thin with commanding bright, brown eyes.

  “My comrades, I can’t believe my own eyes. It is you! I didn’t know if I’d have the pleasure of being in your company again after you left Gertron. I am happy to see that our paths have crossed again, but what is it that brings you here?”

  “Well, after we left Gertron, we had entanglements with Perbron again. He has many of our comrades and will not be satiated until we give ourselves up,” Donna explained.

  “You mustn’t give yourselves up to him. He will be determined to see you suffer and die after the defeat he suffered at Gertron. I must tell you that the peace that we envisioned didn’t last very long. Perbron came at us with even more forces than he’d had present in the city before. Most of the members of the resistance were killed and a few others captured. Any secrets that we may have kept are now known to Perbron. Those of us that survived fled as quickly as we could. I have no doubt that Perbron has probably already guessed that we came to Berindi, but who knows what he will do about it,” Rebroan explained.

  “Right now, he’s probably preoccupied with dealing with us,” Donna said.

  “Let me aid you in any way I can,” Rebroan said.

  “Funny you should mention that,” David said.

  “And who are you?” Rebroan asked.

  “I’m David, another member of the Defense Squad.”

  “Very pleased to meet you,” Rebroan said.

  “Likewise,” David replied.

  “Perbron has told us that if we try and do anything to take the prisoners back, he will kill them,” Dedron explained.

  “Of course he did,” Rebroan said, shaking his head. “We will help you take your comrades back. It is the least we can do after what you did to help us back on Remoir,” Rebroan said.

  “We will gladly donate troops to the cause of helping the resistance defeat Perbron once and for all,” Dedron stated.

  “That, comrade, is the best news I could have hoped to get today,” Rebro
an said with a huge grin.

  Chapter 12:

  “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how do you plan on taking our prisoners back?” General Forester asked Rebroan. He was worried about the safety of his men, hoping that Perbron wouldn’t suspect the army’s involvement with the resistance’s plan.

  “It’s a simple plan of ambush. We will wait until Perbron’s soldiers land at the location that he has designated for you and we will overtake them. Where has Perbron asked you to meet him?” Rebroan asked.

  “He has asked us to meet him at the settlement of Deratadon in sector 12. It’s only a day’s journey from here,” Dedron stated.

  “Hmm, that will be a little trickier than I thought,” Rebroan mused.

  “Why is that?” Donna asked.

  “Well, Perbron has many loyalists that live there, including Remoir and Fridrazoids. However, it is no matter. We too are Remoir, so it won’t be hard for us to disguise ourselves as Perbron loyalists. In fact, we have some of the robes that Perbron’s imperial guards wear from when we still lived on planet Remoir. We will tell the citizens of Deratadon that we have been sent by Perbron as back up in case the Intergalactic Army or Defense Squad should try to attack Perbron’s soldiers,” Rebroan stated, confidently.

  “Sounds like a great plan to me,” the general said.

  “That should work,” Dedron said, sounding a bit more skeptical.

  “Do not worry, comrade. We will handle this situation,” Rebroan reassured him.

  “What are Fridrazoids?” Donna asked the question that everyone else was thinking about.

  “They are giants with thick, leathery skin, muscular bodies and small heads. Perbron provided them with weapons some time ago in order to form a protective alliance with them in sector 12. His eventual hope is to drive out any other colonists in that sector with their help,” Rebroan explained.

  “Perbron always has an ulterior motive for everything he does,” Dedron remarked.