A New Reason To Fight: An Intergalactic Romance

by T. J. Brandow

  “You’ve brought me to this,” Akari said, looking at Lane over her shoulder. “I tried being accommodating, I tried being seductive, I tried being reasonable. Fear was my last option.”

  “I told you I wouldn’t give you information to use against my people,” Lane said. “That doesn’t mean that I’m not cooperating for the best of the situation.”

  Akari took rushed steps toward Lane, reaching down and pulling Lane up from the couch so they were standing nose to nose. Akari’s grasp was tight and insistent on Lane’s arms.

  “You are definitely not cooperating,” Akari said into Lane’s face. Lane couldn’t help but take in Akari’s spiced scent; it floated on her breath.

  “But don’t you see that there’s something in-between cooperating fully and not cooperating at all?” Lane asked plainly. “I’m not trying to hinder you. I just can’t betray my species.”

  Akari clicked her teeth in a show of frustration.

  “So, you’re telling me that your seduction was all an act?” Lane asked, purposely trying to throw Akari. “It felt pretty real to me.”

  “I didn’t say it was put on,” Akari said. “I just said that I tried it.”

  “So, it was real?”

  Akari released her grip on Lane, crossing her arms in front of her chest instead.

  “What do you want to know of it?” she asked.

  Lane knew she’d found a crack in Akari’s defense. She just couldn’t decide how far she wanted to drive the wedge in.

  “I think you want me to misbehave,” Lane continued. Her heart pounded and everything told her to give in and give up, but she fought through her nerves. Instead, she steeled her voice as much as she could and kept her expression neutral. “That way, you can justify putting me through the procedure and taking me as your Abzu.”

  Akari didn’t negate Lane’s statement, so she pressed on.

  “I suspect that you’ve always wanted an Abzu. You have a high rank, you have a room set up and ready for a Human companion, and correct me if I’m wrong, but you seem pretty damn lonely to me.”

  “Enough,” Akari growled. “You try my patience, Human. I don’t think you want to see where this will go when you push me.”

  “I just want you to admit it,” Lane said. “It’ll make us both feel better. At least then we can be honest with one another. Don’t you think that’s the honorable thing to do?”

  Akari stared at Lane with fierce, intensely dark eyes. Despite every part of her that screamed in fear, Lane held Akari’s gaze. She held her breath and waited for the other woman to make a move.

  And did she move.

  Akari rushed forward, grabbing Lane’s waist with both hands and pressing their bodies flush against one another as she kissed Lane with all the fury of a tornado.

  Lane’s mind went blank at the contact, completely caught up in the sensation of Akari’s lips on hers and the bright, layered taste of Akari in her mouth. Lane dragged her hands up Akari’s back, burying her fingers in the woman’s long locks and holding on like she might fall over otherwise.

  Akari kissed her desperately, pulling her impossibly closer for a flash of a moment before pushing her away with a decisive motion.

  Lane blinked in confusion, staring at Akari’s puckered, bruised lips.

  “What?” was all Lane could muster.

  “You taste even better than you smell,” Akari said, continuing to stare openly at Lane.

  Lane took a huge risk and asked the one question she wanted the answer to.

  “Then why did you stop?”

  Akari’s eyes went wide with shock. Lane’s body hummed with excitement and desire: two things that she hadn’t imagined feeling just a few moments before. She couldn’t start to work out how terror had turned so quickly into lust.

  Lane stared at Akari’s low-cut neckline, thinking how badly she wanted that patch of skin pressed against her once again.

  “What are you, Lane Akins?” Akari asked, her tone hushed with awe.

  “I’m really not sure,” Lane answered. She definitely didn’t feel capable of creating the reaction that Akari was clearly experiencing. The effects of her presence on Akari made her tingle with pleasure and a self-satisfaction unlike any she’d ever felt before.

  “I really want to do that again,” Akari said.

  Lane swallowed hard, watching Akari’s lips as she spoke and after she finished. Slowly, carefully, Lane said what she was thinking as well.

  “Me, too.”

  Lane stood completely still as Akari stepped close again, her hand raised experimentally near Lane’s jaw. When Lane didn’t pull away, Akari cupped her cheek. The Apkallu closed her eyes and let out a long hum through smiling lips.

  “You smell so, so good,” she said.

  Akari hovered close to Lane, their noses almost touching and their gazes caught together. Then, with the softest pressure, Akari let her lips meet Lane’s and Lane breathed in Akari’s scent. Before Lane could enjoy it, Akari stopped being sweet and the intensity returned without warning.

  Only a moment later, Akari had Lane laid out on her back on the couch. Akari kissed her again and again, her tongue exploring the lower edge of Lane’s teeth. Lane gasped into Akari’s mouth as the Apkallu laid her entire body out on top of Lane’s. Lane couldn’t decide if she was about to implode or explode or just be crushed by it all.

  “God,” Lane said against Akari’s skin, pulling at the fabric of the woman’s shirt to steady herself.

  “You’re so gorgeous,” Akari muttered into Lane’s neck. Between that, and the line of hot kisses Akari was leaving down the length of Lane’s neck, Lane didn’t think she’d be able to think about anything else for at least a week.

  “So are you,” Lane managed to say back. Akari nipped at Lane’s neck before she swirled her tongue over the place as though to apologize for the pain.

  “I’ve never been with a Human before,” Akari mumbled into Lane’s skin. “It’s not what I expected.”

  Lane wanted to answer or ask a question, anything to continue the conversation, but the sensation of Akari’s mouth on her collarbone made it impossible to form a coherent thought. A full sentence was completely out of the realm of possibility. So, instead, Lane just moaned and ran her hands along Akari’s sides.

  The motion brought the sudden realization that it wasn’t the feeling of fabric under Lane’s fingers. Lane opened her eyes to find Akari completely naked above her. Her tan skin called like to her in undulating, dulcet tones of seduction.

  “Come,” Akari said, pulling at Lane’s dress with eagerness, “let’s be rid of these cumbersome garments you insist on wearing.”

  “Wait,” Lane said, grasping Akari’s wrist. Akari stilled at this, as though unsure how to react. When Lane didn’t elaborate, Akari she pulled back and away from Lane, sitting on the unoccupied part of the couch.

  “I don’t understand,” Akari said evenly, sitting straight and proud in all her naked glory. Lane couldn’t stop staring at the curve of her breasts and the slight dip of her waist. “Explain.”

  Lane bit her lip, trying to figure out how to turn down Akari’s advances without getting herself in more trouble. She felt like she was being asked to walk a tightrope without a safety net. It thrilled and terrified her.

  “Well, you see,” Lane started, stalling, “I am not the type of Human who can just--”

  “Have sexual intercourse,” Akari supplied.

  “Yes,” Lane said, “have sexual intercourse, without really preparing for it.”

  “Ah,” Akari said, a smile on her face and a light in her eyes. “Then, go prepare. I apologize for not allowing you to do this first.”

  “No, not like that,” Lane said. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a hypothetical Maggie was asking her why she wasn’t just going for this. Lane wanted to ask herself the same question, but she knew the answer. She knew it was an awful idea to get physically involved with her captor: Stockholm Syndrome and all that. But was she too far in al
ready?

  “How do you mean, then?” Akari asked, breaking into Lane’s thoughts.

  “Well, I’ve just never been intimate with someone unless I knew them pretty well,” Lane admitted. “Unless I was in a relationship with them.”

  “We’re in a relationship,” Akari said, frowning. “You’re in my care under the law. That’s a serious relationship.”

  “I mean an emotional, personal relationship,” Lane said. She felt incredibly childish explaining this, especially to an incredibly attractive alien who happened to be completely naked at the moment.

  “This relationship,” Akari gestured between them, “is definitely emotional and personal. Do you feel differently?”

  Lane shook her head. Akari looked away from Lane and let out a long sigh. Lane found the gesture strangely Human, a chilling juxtaposition to the rest of the current situation.

  “You Humans are unendingly confusing,” Akari said. “Complicated and confusing.”

  “I just need more time,” Lane said, hoping that would make more sense to the Apkallu. “I need more time to get used to the idea of us being...physical.”

  “More time?” Akari echoed.

  “Yes,” Lane answered. She didn’t want to add that she wasn’t sure that there would ever come a time when her no would become a yes. But, that was too much information. That was dangerous information at this point.

  Akari’s shoulder dipped ever so slightly and Lane thought she looked dejected.

  “Very well,” Akari said.

  Lane stood up from the couch, debating with herself over her next move. She knew that she shouldn’t get too involved with Akari -- it was dangerous for a few different reasons -- but she figured that it couldn’t hurt to meet her somewhere in the middle. She was attracted to the Apkallu and Akari looked so upset…

  Lane moved to where Akari sat on the couch, slowly sitting down on her lap and straddling her.

  “What are you doing?” Akari asked, her eyes wide.

  “Just kiss me,” Lane said, winding her arms around Akari’s neck. “Touch me and kiss me, but nothing more.”

  A smile, small and close-lipped, started on Akari’s face.

  Chapter 8

  Lane easily and quickly lost herself in the sensation of kissing Akari. The cascading crispness of Akari’s taste filled Lane’s head, pushing out rational thought and any shred of pragmatism she still had.

  Akari’s hands slid up Lane’s thighs, sending spikes of pleasure all the way down to Lane’s toes. Lane showed her appreciation by sucking on the pulse point at the juncture of Akari’s neck and shoulder; the motion of her lips coaxed a moan from Akari.

  “I should warn you,” Akari said, her voice dark with want, “that as I get more aroused, it’s harder for me to hold anything but my Born form, so...”

  “I understand,” Lane said against Akari’s still-Human skin.

  Lane kissed the soft patch of skin beneath Akari’s ear and Akari gasped into the silence.

  The chime of the door broke the silence next.

  Akari stood quickly, pushing Lane off her lap as she transformed into her male (clothed) Human form. Lane smoothed down the front of her dress and tried not to feel rejected.

  “Come in.”

  Jinn stepped in, his expression grave. He looked from Lane to Akari and back, waving his hand in the air in a gesture that seemed significant but was wholly unfamiliar to Lane.

  “Well?” Akari asked.

  “Yes, sorry,” Jinn said. “Just thought I smelled something strange.”

  “Go on,” Akari pressed and Lane couldn’t help but wonder if Jinn’s hand gesture had been the Apkallu equivalent of sniffing the air. She wondered if he could smell the remnants of what had been happening before he’d stepped in.

  “The General has requested an audience with you.”

  “Finally,” Akari said, her tone reeking of sheer impatience. “Come.”

  Jinn and Akari stepped out into the hall, but Lane hung back in the room. When she didn’t follow, Akari turned and asked, “Aren’t you coming along?”

  Lane had expected a command, not a question, and she found herself smiling at the change.

  “Yes,” she said. She stepped out into the hall, following the two Apkallu through the halls of the ship. Nerves made her heart pound and her thoughts race, but the wonderful sensations from her make-out session with Akari lingered as well. The mix of strong and conflicting emotions made Lane a bit light-headed.

  “Any idea what the General will say?” Akari asked Jinn as they walked.

  “None. He gave no indication.”

  They continued in silence to the command center. The screen at the front was already on, displaying the General’s impatient expression.

  “Finally,” he said. “Nys Akari.”

  “General,” Akari replied. “What do you have for me?”

  “We’ve had a change of plans,” the General said, his tone betraying nothing. Lane stood beside Akari, her gaze trained on the projection but her attention focused on the feeling of Akari’s body so close to hers. Akari felt tense, more restrained than she had only a few moments before.

  “What change of plans?” Akari asked. “We had a deal.”

  “Well, it turns out The Ummanu are more cooperative than we anticipated. We’ve reached an agreement with them. They’ll share all their intel with us and sign a non-aggression pact if we give them Lane Akins for questioning.”

  “You’re far less intelligent than I thought,” Akari said, her tone chillingly calm. Lane’s heart was back in high gear. She hadn’t expected to become a pawn again so easily. She tried to pay attention to Akari’s words as shock made a mess of her more coherent thoughts.

  “How can you trust The Ummanu to keep their word?” Akari asked the General. “And you’ll just hand over one of your best scientists?”

  “Sometimes it’s a high price for peace,” the General replied. “But it’s a price that I’m willing to pay.”

  “But what of Lane?” Akari asked. “Does her opinion and free will in this matter mean nothing?”

  The General gave a sharp laugh at this.

  “You’re one to talk about free will. She’s been your prisoner this entire time!”

  “We have treated her with respect,” Akari bit back. “I can’t say that The Ummanu will extend the same courtesy.”

  “They’re Human. They won’t mistreat their own.”

  Now it was Akari who laughed.

  “Tread carefully here, General,” Akari said. “Lane Akins will not be traded for empty promises or equally empty threats. I will not honor our original deal if she’s to be passed over to a terrorist organization. My conscience cannot allow it.”

  “Then you’d better get over your conscience quickly,” the General said, “because we’ll have Lane Akins one way or another. She’s too dangerous to remain in your possession and holding her is an act of war.”

  “I refuse to start a war,” Akari said.

  “Then it seems we’ve reached an impasse.”

  Akari didn’t answer. Lane stared at Akari: at the straight, confident lines of her male form and the firmness in her voice. Akari’s daring and her ability to keep collected in the stressful situation impressed Lane beyond words.

  “Nys,” the General said, “it’s time to fold. Turn over Lane Akins.”

  Akari looked down at Lane, who looked back up with fear in her eyes. Lane knew she looked scared because she was terrified and there was nothing she could do to hide it. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this level of terror. Nothing had taught her to hide it, no matter how much she wanted to put on a brave face.

  Akari held her gaze for a moment longer and Lane thought she saw sadness pass over Akari’s Human features. Then, without any further hesitation, Akari turned back to the projection.

  “General, I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, Lane Akins is my Abzu and, under the Jupiter Treaty, that makes her an Apkallu citizen. You have no right to her
any longer.”

  Lane’s jaw fell open at the blatant lie. She couldn’t begin to understand the full implications of the statement when Jinn grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the command center. As she left, she heard the General shouting something akin to “Son of a bitch!” as the doors closed.

  “We have to start the procedure immediately,” Jinn said, pulling her down the hall at a jog.

  “What?” Lane sputtered. “The procedure? But surely, Akari was bluffing.”

  Lane sure hoped Akari had been bluffing.

  “She wasn’t bluffing,” Jinn answered. “She was making a strategic move. Now I have to make sure it happens before the Human forces bang down our door to check.”

  “What?” Lane repeated. Dread clutched Lane’s heart with its unrelenting claws.

  A moment later, Akari appeared at their side, falling from a full-out run to a jog to match their pace.

  “The Human ship will be here in four hours at top speed. They’ll want to check the legitimacy of my claims, so make sure all the tests come out positive.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jinn answered.

  Akari stopped them in the hall, a hand on Lane’s arm. Lane felt tears of fear and anger and betrayal welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall.

  “Lane, look at me,” Akari commanded. When Lane didn’t look up, Akari repeated, a bit softer, “Lane.”

  Lane finally looked up at Akari. The sadness she’d seen before had returned to Akari’s expression. Lane couldn’t decide how she felt about it.

  “Listen to me,” Akari started softly. “This is the only way to protect you. Jinn is a professional. I’d trust him with my own life. Nothing bad will happen to you. You’ll undergo the procedure, the Humans will leave you alone, and we’ll figure out what to do after that. I didn’t want things to go this way. I just…”

  Akari’s voice faltered. Lane opened her mouth to answer, but her tears had all but closed her throat and the thought of speaking fled faster than it had arrived.

  “Everything will be alright,” Akari promised, a hand gently cupping Lane’s face.

  Lane pulled out of Akari’s grasp, her anger returning full-force.

  “How could you do this? I trusted you not to do this to me,” Lane said, her voice heavy with tears. “I never wanted this. You knew that. I don’t know if I can forgive you for this.”