by Vi Voxley
Naima was happy. It had surprisingly little to do with winning the argument and proving her friendship to the android further.
Braen's words rang in her ears, breaking down the last resistance she had about him. The general agreed with her on many issues, as was perfectly natural considering the two different worlds they came from, but he also respected her opinions. Now, and Naima was very tempted to inform the Galactic Union that one of its fundamental laws of nature had been broken, Braen had basically admitted he'd been wrong.
If that wasn’t human influence changing things for the better, she didn’t know what was.
Her heart was beating like a drum and the butterflies were fluttering in her chest. Like a dam had been broken inside her, Naima suddenly dreamed of fairy tales again. The girl she'd once been, wishing for a man straight out of the tales she'd loved, rose her head once again, waking from a deep slumber.
What made it all better was that Braen was no prince in shining armor. Well, he did have a shining armor and the Brion generals were practically princes, but that was not the point. He was also passionate and strong and dutiful and flawed, even. With flaws that she could smooth over, complement, just as he did with hers.
Not a fictional, unrealistic picture, painted to only resemble perfection while being empty. He was real.
Naima had to bite her tongue not to let the words burst out of her mouth right then. She figured they deserved a more intimate moment. Instead, she turned to Alona, who had so far observed the events going on around it with dispassionate interest.
Or perhaps not. Naima hadn't thought androids were capable of complicated emotions, but after cutting itself off from the Chali fleet, Alona seemed... alive. Its eyes were shining with character, resembling a living being much more than the white smooth body should have allowed.
"I never thought I'd hear a Brion speak like that," the android said when Naima and Braen came closer. "Much less a general."
Naima couldn't fight down the smile that kept tugging at her lips, looking at Braen, who had reverted back to his usual serious being.
"I owe you for protecting Naima," Braen replied. "It doesn't mean I have warmed up to your kind. However nothing can take that service you have shown me away."
"That is fair," Alona replied, looking on with mild interest as the Brion techs began to reattach what their general had broken. "But I must warn you, General. Your task just got considerably harder now that I no longer have access to Sinetha and the rest of her androids."
"We will manage," Naima said before Braen could reply. "I'm almost sure bad odds delight Brions. Challenges are hard to come by. Now, tell us. You said you took "everything". What does Sinetha plan?"
"Nothing," Alona said with only a hint of being pleased about the matter. "She hasn't planned anything ever since she sent me here. Naima was her only chance to escape the Fearless and she's failed in that. Now she'll only live long enough to make sure the harness she built for the enemy works. After that, Sinetha will have no more value for it."
"So she'll die," Naima concluded. "That's... I don't like her, but I can't help but feel a little sorry."
Neither the android nor Braen seconded her feelings.
"Go on," she urged the android after a moment. "Are they still in the Darnetta system?"
"Yes," Alona said. "On the planet Darius. You and Audrey have been right all along. The Fearless has never left the planet. It didn't need to. Sinetha brought it a gift even the enemy couldn't have predicted. Now it has the android army and it's had time to grow. It is ready to face the general."
"I don't think so," Naima said, feeling the way Braen tense beside her. "My gerion will kick its ass, you'll see."
Alona smiled.
"I believe that," the android nodded. "From what I've seen, the Fearless doesn't stand a chance."
I didn’t know androids could lie, Naima thought.
Her gerion was formidable, sure. But could he vanquish something immortal… again?
Then it fixed Naima in place with its curious look.
"But it can still reincarnate. You said you had an idea how to kill it for real. What did your test with me mean?"
Now we’re getting to the meat of the matter.
"Yes," Braen cut in. "I would like the answer to that as well."
It crossed Naima's mind what weird life they lived when their bond had taken over their minds so completely that a possible solution to killing the enemy hadn't come up yet.
"Okay," she said, grinning. "Hear me out. I don't know if this will work, but it can't hurt. It's not like we can field test this. The Fearless is one of a kind.
"My idea was that the lifestone is intelligent. I've explained this to the general before. The stone understands the function of the object it’s in contact with. When I touched you, the stone gave you the power to overcome Sinetha. You felt it, didn't you? That you were somehow... a more complete version of yourself."
"I did," Alona admitted.
"So," Naima finished. "If it understands function, what if we embed it in a weapon? If your men forge the stone into your spear, Braen, perhaps it can kill the Fearless.
“After all, I mean – Brion spears are tools of killing. Everyone knows that. Their entire purpose is to defeat enemies, they're not ceremonial in any way. The greatest weapon in the galaxy, wielded by the greatest warrior. I think it would do it. I think it's at least worth a shot."
Both Braen and Alona stared at her. In fact, everyone in the room stared at her, since even the techs had stopped working and they'd overheard.
Naima felt like a comedian, waiting for the reaction to the punchline of the joke.
Then the general kissed her, strong and forceful and utterly loving. He pulled her into his arms and didn't let go until Naima was panting for air.
"I think you're amazing," Braen said, the emotion in his voice taking Naima's breath away. "I don't just think it's worth a shot. I believe it will work and you have solved the problem of the entire galaxy."
That's more than a little humbling, but I hope to all the gods I'm right.
Her cheeks were scarlet red, and she was smiling wide.
They left the techs to tend to Alona, and Braen escorted her back to her quarters. The entire way there, Naima was tempted to speak her mind, but they still had work to do and she had to oversee the crafting of Braen's spear.
The general had waited to tell her about the bond until they had solved the urgent issues. Naima was going to do the same.
Nonetheless, there was a curious smile on Braen's lips as they walked. When he parted from her at the door of her room, now cleaned up of the remnants of the battle, the general placed a small, gentle kiss on her lips.
"Brions never give up," he said, "but we recognize good fortune when we see it. And I see hope for us."
"I do too," Naima said happily. "If the spear trick works, you will rid the galaxy of its greatest monster."
"It is not what I meant," Braen replied. "Back there, you called me your gerion."
I did, didn't I?
Only Braen didn't press her further on the slip of her tongue, apparently content with that small hint of her growing affection for him. The general left with another kiss, leaving Naima longing for more, so much more.
26
Braen
Naima had chosen to stay. His gesha had chosen to stay with him.
As they left Laveden far behind and rushed to the enemy, Braen had never been so conflicted about anything in his life before. Her decision meant that she and their baby were bound to be in more danger than he was comfortable with.
On the other hand the general couldn't imagine anyone else protecting them as well as he. He trusted his warriors and their capabilities, but there was a limit to them and that firmly stayed at the life of his fated.
He had offered Naima her freedom to make her understand that he was willing to make any sacrifice for her and her safety, as well as the baby she was expecting. Yet when she had refused, Braen cou
ldn't help but feel relief that she wasn't going anywhere. With the plans of the Chali finally exposed and the reinforced glove, the general felt like the more pressing threats to her life had been dealt with.
Which in a way was funny, considering that he had seen the Fearless’ will once more now, and it was very much a real threat. Naima was far from safe.
Despite all that, Braen refused to give himself an excuse to feel relief. Only the death of the Fearless could satisfy him, nothing less – and now he finally had the chance to kill the beast.
They headed straight for the Darnetta system. Finding Naima and taking a detour to the Palians had allowed the Fearless to grow and gather strength. Neither of them doubted it was exactly what the monster had wished for.
All the while, his men were preparing his spear for the battle, under Naima's strict supervision. She made sure none of them accidentally touched the stone and saw to it that it was handled properly.
Braen was approaching the hardest battle of his life, but he only feared for Naima. When he'd met her, his gesha's feelings towards him had been cold at best, desire not counting. Now, with their baby and getting to know each other, she was warming up to him day by day. Compared to that, no enemy was able to capture his attention so fully.
No news dampened his spirit, not even when they received a call from Verien.
So far, Audrey Price had been a mostly silent help from far on the distant Verien, the cold mining planet with the most promising lifestone stock so far. News of the reinforced glove had already reached her although the device itself hadn't and the governor had been nothing less than overjoyed.
As such, it came as a surprise to both Braen and Naima when she called them at a time when the course didn't need adjusting yet. Meaning it couldn't have been good news. Now armed with the information Alona had given, Braen had only planned on checking on the Fearless once more to spare Naima and Audrey. That time was not yet near.
They accepted Audrey's call with reluctant interest, with Naima standing next to Braen on the bridge of the Benevolent.
The holoprojector showed her standing somewhere dark in her frozen station, wrapped in a long white cloak, the silvery-blonde hair that had been billowing over her shoulders before now cut short. On the background, the general saw Tieran, keeping solemn guard over his bride.
The envy that bit at his heart was unwelcome, but there was nothing to be done about it. Seeing the way Audrey kept close to Tieran was more than a little painful to see, because it was a living image of what he wished for himself and Naima.
Only a matter of time, he reminded himself.
There were certainly signs of improvement, and more continued to come every day.
"General," the governor said as soon as the holoimage cleared. "Naima. First of all, let me offer my congratulations, as well as regret that this happens to us at such a dark time."
"Thank you, Miss Price," Braen replied, just when Naima asked: "Us?"
Through obvious tiredness, Audrey smiled to them, nodding, lifting a hand to cover her belly.
"Yes. I am expecting a child as well. I wish with all my heart I could carry my baby, knowing it will have nothing to fear in this lifetime, but that is not the galaxy we live in."
Her words made the paladin tense up and Braen felt a momentary kinship with Tieran. They were both warriors, bent to protect their mates as well as their children. It was hard seeing them suffer needlessly.
It only made the general more anxious to actually kill the Fearless. The task was daunting, but he had no doubt he would succeed. Brions had never allowed matters like the tedious notion of impossibility get in their way, especially where their fated were concerned. He would save his gesha. That was the Brion way.
Naima's eyes had lit up at that piece of news.
She got up from her seat, hesitating for a second before blurting out what had clearly been on her mind: "Are you not afraid? Does the Fearless know?"
The dark look on Audrey's face said it all. Naima's shoulders slumped as Braen growled instinctively. Every inch of him ached to bring his gesha into his arms and offer her support, yet he didn't want to pressure her into anything.
After their kiss on Laveden, and the events with Alona, it was obvious to him Naima was starting to love him – truly and honestly, of her own volition – and there was nothing strong enough for the general to compromise that.
"It knows," Audrey said sadly. "It knows about you too. Do not take the glove off, not for any reason but setting the course as soon as possible."
"I've been thinking," Naima went on, casting an inconsolable look at Braen. "Will our babies have the connection to the lifestone as well? We know so little of the mineral, yet it's possible, isn't it?"
"Do you think so?" Audrey asked, a horrified look on her face. "It doesn't carry through our touch."
"It doesn't," Naima admitted, "but they're our blood and flesh. The gloves will protect them, but if... if something should go wrong and the Fearless escapes us, they will always have a shadow looking over their shoulder."
"No," two deep voices rang out at the same time.
Both Naima and Audrey looked behind them in surprise and with a very Terran hint of doubt.
The holoprojector went quiet for a moment as Audrey muted the transmission and they could see her talking to the paladin. Braen watched as Tieran gathered the woman into his arms, holding her there, no doubt saying the same as he was about to.
"I will not fail," he promised Naima. "We have a way to fight it now, kill it. The lifestone has been brought to the galactic attention, it can't go free. If it should escape us on Darius, I will pursue for as long as it's necessary.
“While I still draw breath, it has to know I'm coming for it. Don't let this take away your hope. I would never let anything happen to you or our baby."
"That doesn't determine anything – gods, I'm such a wet blanket, aren't I?"
Naima burst out laughing, chortling to herself. Braen was shocked to see tears beading in the corners of her eyes. Seeing the look on his face, she shook her head, smiling.
"It's okay, I'm fine. I'm fine. These are just pregnancy hormones or me conjuring them up to justify myself. I'm simply so done with always questioning your oaths and promises and attempts to make me feel better.
“I mean... for fuck's sake, what am I trying to do here? My life completely went to shit when I touched the stone and apparently the only sane thing to do is to make you admit we're screwed."
She took a deep breath while Braen made sure the holocall was still muted, letting Naima speak her mind. The rest of the bridge was very busy with finding things to do as to not eavesdrop, aided by the distracting sounds Braen’s valor squares were pulsing.
"I don't even know what I want at this point. I know I want you, or us, to kill the Fearless and rid us all of the evil but fate keeps throwing these obstacles in our way and every time that happens, I start doubting again.
“I mean, it's you. I've seen you fight, I've roamed around in this ship. I believe you will do it, but for some reason I haven't been able to bring myself to admit that because that means... I don't know.
“That everything else you're saying is true as well. That it's all really happening, that you can kill the Fearless just because you want to."
He hadn't said a word while she talked, only listening with his heart beating so loudly it threatened to deafen him. With every breath, Naima had edged closer to him until she was standing near enough to touch. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she pressed herself against the chest plate of his armor and wrapping her arms around him.
Braen pulled her tighter into his embrace, his hands buried into her long red hair, breathing in the soft, fresh scent of her hair. He wanted to tell Naima everything she was doing to him, but even the complicated, morphing Brionese wasn't good enough for that task.
No language in the galaxy could have put into words what it felt like, to hold her in his arms and feel her lean into the touch.
T
he bond was crackling, burning between them. For a moment there, the general was beginning to doubt whether they'd affirmed it or not. Usually when the fated couple laid together for the first time, it signaled the bond was complete, but in their case... the enormity of the moment now was so unexpected and so powerful that he almost forgot how to breathe.
It was impossible with his armor in the way, but Braen imagined he could feel Naima's heartbeat, in tune with his own.
She was his and his alone. The certainty of that hit the general like a shockwave. Out of the blue, in the middle of a meeting wasn't how it went with Brions, but he couldn't deny it and didn't care one bit about propriety. Something in Naima had given in to him. And he could feel it.
It was blinding in its sheer intensity, like every second he'd spent alive was only to bring him to that room, into that moment with his gesha. Life itself lost the meaning it had always had for Braen. Compared to what he was experiencing, existence so far had been nothing but floating through time only to be stopped so abruptly his heart nearly stopped with it.
He was complete, made whole at last by his fated, his true heart.
After what seemed like an eternity of bliss, Naima pulled back, looking a little embarrassed.
"I think Audrey is waiting," she whispered. "We should tell her about the spear."
She was indeed waiting. Braen hadn't noticed. It was impossible to see anything in the world other than his gesha.
We will have time together, my little Terran… later.
He swore they would continue completing their bond, but right now they both needed to hear the news about the enemy. There would be no happiness for them with the Fearless still alive. Especially after Naima had mentioned the possibility that their baby would have the same connection as she did.
They stepped away from each other with clear dismay on both parts. Audrey Price was observing them with a quiet, knowing smile. As soon as they turned the sound on again, however, she turned serious again.
