A New Reason To Fight: An Intergalactic Romance

by T. J. Brandow

  “I wish I could say the same to you. If you ever decide to return to base, you and Donna will be charged with desertion. Private Densmore has now been promoted to Captain in your absence. I have to ask what you were thinking when you left just before our mission,” the General said.

  “It’s all my fault, General. I was not content to leave it to other soldiers to rescue our loved ones. As it turns out, I think I made the right decision because we have managed to keep Dedron’s parents from being kidnapped,” Donna admitted.

  “We have also managed to ambush the Remoir and gain intelligence from them. They have kidnapped relatives of all the Defense Squad members except my own and are keeping them at various outposts throughout the universe. Perbron’s aim is to kill every one of us by making us duel with soldiers of his picking. However, we will be showing up at these locations unexpected in order to rescue them. We could really use the help of the other Defense Squad members, and I’m sure that they wish to help rescue their own people,” Dedron said. The General silently took all of this in with the same disappointed look on his face.

  “If everything that you say is true, you’ve done well for yourselves. However, you are no longer members of the Defense Squad and will not be included in any missions going forward. Therefore whatever mission you attempt will be a rogue mission, and we will not be able to aid you,” the General said.

  “That is unfortunate news, but we have no regrets. We never meant for our actions to be perceived as defiance of our orders. Donna knew that you were set in your ways about sending us to Planet Gourgan to gather intelligence. Her love for her mother is strong and overrides her duty to the Defense Squad. I did not fully understand this at first, but now I do. If you change your mind and wish for us to help you, we will be willing. Meanwhile, we are going to rescue the relatives of our former Squad members and attempt to defeat the son of Frembor, the enemy of the free races of the Universe,” Dedron announced.

  “I will not be disappointed if I learn of your success. However, do not expect a hero’s welcome should you return to Earth. Good day,” General Barron said, switching off his communicator.

  Dedron and Donna exchanged a defeated look.

  “Well, you didn’t expect him to be glad to see us, did you?” Donna said.

  “No, I guess that I was hoping that he would change his tune once I told him everything that’s transpired,” he said.

  “Something tells me that our paths will cross again with the Defense Squad,” Donna said.

  “And what of our new home? We will not be able to return there now,” Dedron said, hopelessly.

  “He may yet change his tune if we are successful in rescuing the others,” Donna said, putting her hand on his. Her optimism made him feel better, and he managed to smile.

  That night, Dedron was unable to sleep much thinking of the desertion charge that had been leveled against them. Donna awoke in the night, looked over at him, and noticed his restlessness.

  “Baby, don’t let the General’s words bother you. We will always be members of the Defense Squad in our hearts if nothing else. It will not stop us from fulfilling the mission that we’ve set out to accomplish,” she said. Dedron did not answer. The sight of the beautiful woman he loved was enough to put him more at ease. He reached over and pulled her towards him, placing his lips on hers. They kissed blissfully for several minutes, massaging each other’s arms and shoulders. For a while, they forgot their troubles enjoying the soft, warm feel of one another’s flesh as they made love. Donna mounted Dedron, moving up and down slowly at first and then gradually accelerating her pace. Dedron had to avert his eyes from Donna’s voluptuous beauty to make the moment last as he gripped her hand tightly. Dedron opened his eyes just in time to see Donna’s eyes roll back in her head and her mouth fall open.

  “Oh my DEDRON!” She exclaimed, reaching the peak of her pleasure. Dedron allowed himself to take in the full measure of her beauty and reached climax a second later.

  “Oh Donna!” he said, gripping her hand even tighter. Their eyes locked during the apex of their lovemaking, consecrating the bond of love that they shared. For a long time, they lay with their arms and legs intertwined, taking in one another’s appearances. Finally, Dedron decided to ask a question that had been weighing on his mind ever since he received the Sersay’s blessing.

  “Donna, my love. No one has ever completed me or made me feel quite the way that you do. Therefore, I am going to open my heart to you and allow you to see me at my most vulnerable. Will you unite yourself with me in a binding ceremony that will forever consecrate our love and commitment to one another?” he asked. Donna’s eyes grew huge and her mouth fell open as if she was experiencing another climax.

  “Are you asking me to marry you?” she asked. Dedron looked puzzled, but he quickly realized that this was the human equivalent of a binding.

  “I suppose I am,” he said.

  “Oh, Dedron of course I will! I have been waiting my whole life for the right man to come along and sweep me off of my feet. I never knew that all this time it wasn’t a man I needed, but an able, strong, and compassionate Barringe,” she said. She laid a kiss on him that was so passionate, long and full of tongue, Dedron was practically gasping for air once it was done.

  “You will not regret this. Together we will live in happiness no matter where we are in the Universe as long as we both live,” he said.

  “So can we have the ceremony today before we leave?” Donna asked, not wanting to wait any longer than was necessary.

  Dedron considered this in silence. Normally, a binding ceremony took days of preparation. A feast had to be prepared and all of the necessary invites and arrangements had to be made. Still, he didn’t see why they couldn’t skip some of the formalities such as the feast and whatnot.

  “I don’t see why not,” he answered, prompting Donna to kiss him yet again.

  Chapter 9:

  The next morning, Donna had almost forgotten about her mother she was so excited about the binding ceremony. Dedron was not beside her because he had already gotten up to make preparations for the ceremony. Donna got out of bed and looked in the closet. There a hand-woven gown had been hung along with a handmade necklace with a shimmering red jewel hanging from it. Instinctively, Donna knew this outfit was meant for her. So, she gleefully took the outfit and put it on. It fit almost perfectly. Finally, she brushed her hair and ran out to the village commons to find Dedron. There, she found the Barringe of the village already beginning to assemble before a huge flat rock. The assembled guest all sat cross-legged on the gradd. On the rock stood Dedron dressed in a hand-made leather outfit that was akin to the Barringe equivalent of a suit. He looked more handsome than Donna had ever seen him before. Opposite Dedron stood his mother and father, smiling at her.

  Donna was unsure of how to proceed, not knowing how to conduct herself during a Barringe binding ceremony. Dedron sensed this and waved for her to join him on the rock. Nervously, she made her way up a cleared aisle in the gathering crowd. She took her position beside Dedron and whispered in his ear.

  “I didn’t know what I should do. You see, on Earth we think it’s bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other right before the ceremony.”

  “There is no such tradition here, I assure you. By the way, you look stunning in my mother’s gown. I figured that it would fit nicely because you two have a similar build,” he said with a smile.

  “I don’t know what to do. We never had time to discuss how the ceremony works,” she said, nervously.

  “It’s very easy. You just repeat the words that the Sersay tells you to. You do have your language decoder on, don’t you?” he said. In her nervousness, she had forgotten to turn it on, so she switched it on to make sure she could understand the words of the Sersay. A minute later, the Sersay appeared seemingly out of nowhere wearing a colorful, ceremonial robe.

  “My fellow Barringe, we are summoned together for an event that is unprecedented in our history. Today we wi
ll bind one of our own, Dedron Fildred, with a human woman, Donna Stevens. In the past this would not have been allowed, but the love that these two share overrides our traditions.” After the Sersay said this, Donna and Dedron smiled at each other and their eyes locked. “Therefore, we ask that our Gods smile down on the binding of these two. As is the tradition, first I will ask the Fildreds if they approve of this binding?”

  “Yes we do,” Dedron’s parents said together without hesitation.

  “Wonderful. Then, I will ask Dedron to repeat after me. I, Dedron Fildred accept Donna Stevens as my partner in life for all eternity. I bind myself to her in love and partnership to face all of the trials of life until the end of my days,” the Sersay spoke in a grave and serious tone. Dedron repeated the words without any hesitation.

  “Now, you Donna,” the Sersay spoke. He repeated the same words again, and Donna repeated the phrase dutifully.

  “If there is no one to find objection to this historic union, I will now consecrate the binding,” the Sersay announced as he took out a small length of rope and wrapped both of their arms with it.

  With that, Dedron led Donna off of the stage and through the crowd. His parents followed them as the assembled Barringe began to cheer. Afterwards, they had a brief feast that lasted about an hour or so. Normally, the feasting and celebration would last several hours on into the night, but both Dedron and Donna felt that there was no time to lose. They were both anxious to begin their journey to Drexel, the Dark Moon in order to rescue Donna’s mother.

  “I really wish you could stay for us to celebrate your binding,” Gerdred said, placing her hand over Donna’s.

  “I promise that we will come back for a more extended stay once we are done with our mission,” Donna reassured her.

  “I hope that you might consider coming to live here permanently when your mission is accomplished,” Jadron said. Dedron looked at Donna who tried not to show her disapproval of the idea.

  “We will have to discuss that matter further once we have rescued the loved ones of our fellow Defense Squad members,” Dedron said.

  “Understood. I’m sure that it would be a big adjustment for Donna to make, but I trust you will give the matter some consideration,” Jadron said, sensing Donna’s misgivings.

  “I want both of you to know that I’m honored to now be considered a member of your family. The short time that I have spent here has been quite amazing,” Donna said.

  “And we are honored to have you,” Gerdred replied. Then, she took an amulet with a bright blue stone in its center from the pouch around her waist and handed it to Donna.

  “We Barringe have a tradition. My mother gave me this amulet when I became married to Jadron, and I am passing this on to you since I do not have a daughter to give it to,” Gerdred said.

  “Thank you. I am honored that you have given me such a beautiful amulet. What kind of a stone is this?” Donna asked.

  “It is called a Derbarrion stone: a rare stone found deep within the soils of our planet,” Gerdred answered.

  The entire village turned up to watch Donna and Dedron depart. They elected to take the Remoir cruiser ship so that they could land on the Dark Moon without being attacked by the Remoir. Both Dedron and Donna felt a strange mixture of emotions as they sat down in the bridge to depart.

  “Your family is simply wonderful. I can’t tell you how much I like them and how lucky I feel to be bound to you. I just wish we could stay longer and then go on a honeymoon,” Donna mused.

  “Where is this honeymoon that you speak of?” Dedron asked. Donna laughed out loud.

  “It’s not a moon, silly. It’s like a trip that newlyweds go on after they are married on our planet,” she explained.

  “Oh,” Dedron said, still not completely understanding the concept.

  “You see, once Earthlings marry they often go to far of exotic places where they can enjoy some beautiful scenery and romance,” she said.

  “That sounds quite nice, but we will have to make time for such things after we’ve completed the mission we’ve been tasked with,” Dedron said.

  “Where should we go?” Donna said, her voice rising in excitement.

  “Hold it now. We really need to be figuring out our plan of action once we reach the Dark Moon. There will be plenty of time to plan our, eh, honeymoon later,” Dedron said. Donna’s expression looked somewhat deflated.

  “I’m sorry my dear. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Dedron said, putting his arm around her. She nestled in beside him.

  “We haven’t even gotten to consecrate our union,” She said, lifting an eyebrow.

  “Wha?” Dedron said. She had lost him again.

  “You know,” she said as her hand slipped down to his thigh.

  “Oh!” he said. “Well, let me program the coordinates of our destination. Once we discuss our plan of action when we reach our destination, then we can have a little fun,” he said.

  “I suppose you’re worth the wait, but I’d prefer to skip steps one and two,” Donna joked. Dedron laughed as he began to program the coordinates into the Remoir ship’s navigation computer. The ship lurched into action, and soon the forested planet receded from view until it was only a small green ball in the distance. Dedron watched it until it faded completely. He was already feeling homesick.

  “Alright my dear, let’s talk about our strategy. Once we reach the Dark Moon, we will make sure that the Remoir captain tells us the exact location where your mother is being held. We will have the Captain gain permission from Perbron to land. Now, what we need to decide next is how we plan to mount our rescue,” Dedron pointed out.

  “Why don’t we hold the Captain and the others as hostages that we could exchange for my mother?” Donna proposed.

  “I’m not sure that will be an effective strategy against Perbron. He is far too ruthless. It is likely that he won’t let your mother go in exchange for his men. If he still has a shot at killing you, he will likely sacrifice them in order to make that happen,” Dedron stated.

  “Well then, I guess we will have to go in with guns blazing,” Donna said.

  “Not sure that’s the best strategy either. We will be hopelessly outnumbered and will likely be disintegrated,” Dedron said. Donna was becoming annoyed at how Dedron seemed to be shooting down all of the possible strategies.

  “So then, how about we get as close as we can to where my mother is being kept and hideout until she is alone. Then, we will find out a way to free her. There is bound to be a code or a key that will free her,” she said.

  “Now we are getting somewhere. I believe that stealth and secrecy are the best methods in this situation,” Dedron said, looking out at the myriad stars that lay in their path.

  “Ok then. Now that our strategy is complete it’s time to consecrate our marriage,” Donna said as she got up from her chair.

  “There are still some specifics that we need to iron out,” Dedron said.

  “Ok, I’m listening,” Donna said as she slid her shirt over her head.

  “Well, eh, we need to figure out the best way to enter their compound in secret,” he said, having trouble focusing on his own words.

  “Yes,” she said as she removed her bra, letting it fall to the floor.

  “Um, we will make the Captain tell us everything that he knows about the compound including all of the entrances and exits.”

  “How very clever of you,” she said as she took a step closer to him, sliding her shorts off of her hips. Now she was standing only inches away form him in nothing but her panties. “What else do we need to do?” she asked as her fingers crept up and his thighs towards his crotch. Dedron was unable to focus on anything other than the gorgeous creature that stood before him.

  “Well, um, that is to say….” He stammered as Donna finally slid her panties off, began to slide his scant clothes off him, and sat down on his lap.

  “Just kiss me,” she whispered. Dedron stopped trying to focus on strategies and received her kiss inste
ad. It was wet, passionate and full of tongue. It wasn’t long before they were united in their lovemaking, slowly writhing as one on the chair. Finally, Donna pulled him down on the floor of the bridge on top of her. Dedron became overwhelmed by her beauty and began to thrust into her with everything he had while she urged him on.

  “That’s it my love. Give it to me. Give me all of your love!” she cried. As usual, he had to avert his eyes to keep the proceedings from coming to a swift close. He slowed his pace to make things last giving her slow, loving strokes. Slowly, he increased his pace again as Donna eagerly received each thrust.

  “Oh yes, I’m almost there, my love!” She urged. Just as they were both about to reach a mind-blowing climax, the ship’s communicator began to blink indicating that someone was trying to send them a message.

  Chapter 10:

  “Get up quickly! This might be a communication from Perbron. We mustn’t let him know that this ship has been commandeered!” Dedron shouted. Donna jumped to her feet and began to get dressed.

  “I’m going to get the Captain so that he can reassure Perbron that everything is business as usual,” Dedron said as he too began to get dressed. He ran down to the lower level where the Remoir were imprisoned and put in the code to unlock Captain Clauson’s cell. Dedron took out his laser pistol and pointed it at the Captain.

  “We need you to come with us to the bridge. Someone is trying to send in a communication. If it is Perbron or some other Remoir commander, we need you to reassure them that you have my parents on board and that everything is still going according to plan. If you try and warn them in any way, it will cost you your life. Understood?” Dedron asked.

  “Yes,” the captain said in a grim tone. Dedron led Captain Clauson up to the bridge where Donna was waiting. The communicator was still blinking.

  “Tell the Commander you were having technical problems which is why you didn’t answer him right away!” Dedron said. The captain nodded to show his understanding and took his place in the pilot’s seat. Dedron and Donna stood over to the side pointing their laser pistols at the captain. Captain Clauson pushed the response button on the communicator.