A Warrior's Heart

by S. E. Smith

  “Yes!” She groaned, pressing into his hands. “Like that. Oh, Aaron. Yes!”

  He rose up, encouraging her to ride him. He wanted to watch her face as she came. He knew the gentle rhythm of their bodies coming together wasn’t going to last long. Sweat beaded on both their brows as they fought the desire so they could make this moment last as long as possible.

  “I can’t… I can’t…,” Hanine panted, looking down into Aaron’s blazing eyes. “Oh Aaron!” She groaned, falling forward as she came around his hard shaft.

  Aaron dropped his hands to her waist and began to frantically move inside her. He could feel her fisting him. It was becoming more and more difficult to pull backwards. His eyes widened when he felt the sensitive edge surrounding the bulbous part of his cock catch as he pushed back into her. His balls pulled up tightly before he exploded deep inside her. He rose up, still holding her hips as his eyes widened at the force of his release.

  “Hanine. Oh, baby. Hanine,” he chanted over and over as he pulsed into her before collapsing back on the bed with her in his arms. He stared up at the ceiling while he soothingly ran his hands along her back. “I love you, my beautiful swan. I love you.”

  Chapter 8

  “Evetta, what is wrong?” Hanine asked when she saw her sister hurry into their quarters. “What are you doing?”

  Hanine followed Evetta’s frantic movements as she pulled a small bag out of the hidden panel. Her eyes widened in alarm when Evetta pulled out the weapons they had covertly stashed over the past six months since they met Ben and Aaron. They had talked about preparing for the time when they may have to run… escape the life they had been forced into. It was unheard of for a Marastin Dow to do something so risky. The few who had tried were publicly executed as a warning to others.

  “An order for a change of command was given,” Evetta said hoarsely as she continued with what she was doing. “All personnel will be moved. I copied a list of the new officers coming down and the security orders before I was locked out of the system using the program you wrote,” she glanced at Hanine, fear darkening her eyes. “They are arresting us and will separate us. Behr and those working under him are ordered to return to the home world under guard. I overheard one of the Commanders say that they are to be executed for treason. A group of armed security personnel has transferred on board. They will find Ben and Aaron. They will be executed immediately, Hanine. We have to leave now.”

  Hanine’s face paled. She nodded before turning when a loud noise echoed through the room. Someone was trying to break into their room and the warning sensors were triggered.

  “Why would they come after us?” She asked confused. “We are not connected to Behr.”

  Evetta looked in despair at her sister. “I watched as Inez was taken by security earlier. She must have said something. What are we going to do?”

  Hanine’s face tightened in determination when she heard security shout for a manual door opener. She turned and opened the desk drawer. Pulling out the small box containing all of the creatures Aaron had made for her, she leaned over and pulled out the emergency bags they kept under their bed. She slid the box into it before slinging the straps over her shoulder.

  Next, she pulled the small tablet from her hip and swiped her finger across it. With a press of her thumb, she opened the program she developed and entered several command codes. The lights began to flash in the room for several moments before going out. The soft glow of the emergency lights cast an eerie shadow.

  “What happened?” Evetta asked, looking around startled.

  “I’ve shut down the power to everything but the environmental system,” Hanine bit out.

  “What?! How?” Evetta stared in shock at her little sister.

  A cold smile curved Hanine’s lips. “I knew this day would come. I didn’t just sit every day watching the ship’s network. I learned to program my own codes. We won’t have much time. Hold onto my arm.”

  “What are you going to do?” Evetta whispered.

  “I’m not going to sit around and watch Aaron die,” Hanine said. “We are going to steal one of the attack transports. I have reprogrammed one of them for our use. They won’t be able to take control. We have to leave now, Evetta.”

  Evetta grabbed Hanine’s arm just as the door to their living quarters cracked open. She felt a wave of disorientation before everything blurred. A moment later, she was in the lower corridors outside of Ben and Aaron’s rooms. She swayed for a moment before locking her knees.

  She jerked when a figure ran by her, knocking her into the doorway. Firm hands that she would know anywhere grabbed her, catching her when she would have fallen. She tilted her head backwards to stare into Ben’s grim eyes.

  “How did you get here? Behr and the others are preparing to leave,” Ben growled. “It is too dangerous for you to be here.”

  “It was too dangerous to be above deck as well,” Hanine said, glancing around Ben’s tall form with a frown. “Where is Aaron?”

  Ben’s face turned even darker. “He was out when Behr received the call to escape,” he replied in a tight voice.

  “We have to go now,” Behr said, striding toward them. “My warship is docking underneath the ship. We won’t have much time once the power is back online.”

  “I took down the power. It will take them half an hour to reboot the system. I can lock down the weapons system for slightly longer. Where is Aaron?” Hanine said stubbornly. “I will not leave without him.”

  “He was in the flight deck access tunnel the last I heard,” Behr said before looking at Ben. “We have to leave. He will not make it in time. You’ll have to go without him.”

  “Would you leave one of your brothers behind?” Ben asked harshly.

  He already knew the answer after the numerous hours he spent in Behr’s company. The man was a true leader. If it meant freedom for the masses, he would not only leave his brother behind, but sacrifice himself for the cause. Ben wasn’t so noble. He would not leave Aaron behind.

  Instead, he turned to Evetta. “Go with him,” he ordered. “I’ll find Aaron and find a way to get to you.”

  Evetta shook her head. “I will not leave you and I know Hanine will not leave Aaron. We will stay by your side and find a way together.”

  Behr cursed when one of his men ran up to him and muttered a few sharp words. He turned back to Ben, Evetta and Hanine. His lips were tight with anger.

  “We have to leave now,” he said. “I am asking you to come with me.”

  “And I’m telling you no. Thank you and good luck, Behr. You are a good man and a strong leader. If anyone can change your world, I believe you can,” Ben said, holding out his hand.

  Behr stared into the stubborn face of the alien male he rescued four years ago and who had given him the foundations they needed to change his world. He gripped Ben’s hand tightly in his before letting it go with a brief nod.

  “Good luck,” Behr said harshly before he barked out an order to the rest of the crew waiting for him.

  Ben watched as his savior and friend disappeared. He looked down into Evetta’s eyes, regret and rage ripping through him. This was the moment he feared the most.

  “It is not over yet,” Hanine assured him quietly. “I have a way for us to escape, but we cannot go without Aaron. I will not go without him.”

  Ben glanced at the young woman who had become the center of his brother’s world. He saw determination and a steely resolve in the stiff lines of her body. The odds of making it out of this were a million to one, but he had a feeling that all they needed was that one chance to be successful.

  “Let’s go,” Ben said.

  *.*.*

  Aaron wiped the sweat out of his eyes. The only thing guiding him back to the lower levels was his knowledge of the tunnels and the soft red glow of the emergency lights. He was on the upper level section of the receiving bay when he overheard the communication between the Disappearance and another ship.

  When he heard Behr’s
name he knew trouble found the man who had become their friend. He immediately contacted Behr when he peered out of one of the grates and saw at least a dozen security officers disembarking from a transport shuttle.

  He was halfway down to the lower cargo bay when the lights went out. Now, he was past the cargo bay and working his way down to the lower levels. His only hope was that Hanine would be untouched by whatever was going on. He had no misconceptions that his and Ben’s lives were about to change for the worse.

  He paused when he saw a figure round the narrow passage. The curse on his lips died when he recognized his brother’s large, lanky form. He hurried forward only to slow in anger when he saw that Ben wasn’t alone.

  “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” He bit out in a fierce whisper. “You’re going to get them killed!”

  He watched as Ben was pushed to the side when Hanine squeezed by him. A moment later she threw herself into his arms. A shudder went through him as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

  “What are you doing here, Hanine? You should be safely tucked away in your quarters,” he muttered against her neck.

  “They came for us,” she whispered. “They broke through the door. We escaped. I couldn’t leave you. I love you, Aaron. I cannot leave you.”

  Aaron looked with tortured eyes at Ben. He fought back a groan when he saw the regret in his older brother’s eyes. A sense of hopelessness washed through him.

  “Maybe if…,” he started to say.

  “No!” Hanine whispered fiercely as she laid her fingers against his lips. “Evetta and I have a plan. We are both skilled pilots. I can disable their shuttles. There is an attack shuttle in the lower bay. It was repaired, but never moved. I’ve reprogrammed it. We have to get to it. I will disable all the others.”

  “What about the other warship?” Ben asked. “It can still come after us.”

  A cold, deadly glint came into Hanine’s eyes. “Not if I shut down the environmental system on the Disappearance. The commanding officers are here. They will need the other warship if they want to live.”

  Aaron pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Have I ever told you how much I love you when you are pissed?” He teased her.

  Hanine turned and her eyes softened as she gazed up at Aaron. “You promised you would perform the ceremony to bind us as is the custom of your people. I am keeping you to your promise.”

  “What ceremony?” Evetta asked, turning to look at Ben.

  “I asked Hanine to marry me,” Aaron replied with a wicked gleam in his eyes as he raised an eyebrow at his brother. “I want her as my wife.”

  “Can we discuss this once we are out of here?” Ben asked gruffly.

  “Do you want this marriage with me as well?” Evetta asked Ben as he turned to follow Aaron and Hanine, who were moving down the long corridor toward the lower cargo bay. “Well?” She demanded when he didn’t say anything.

  Ben glanced at his brother’s retreating back before gazing down at Evetta who was staring at him with a slightly hurt expression. He tenderly brushed his fingers down along her cheek. Shaking his head in frustration, he brushed a kiss over her pursed lips.

  “I wanted to do it right,” he admitted. “As far as I’m concerned, you are already my wife. Evetta, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

  “This means you belong to me?” Evetta asked stubbornly.

  Ben chuckled before bending down to whisper in her ear. He loved the sound of the sharp hiss as she drew in a deep breath and the sight of the bright glitter that appeared in her eyes after he pulled back. A shaky smile curved her lips as she gazed up at him. He breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded at him.

  Chapter 9

  “Wait!” Ben hissed, putting his hand out to stop Evetta from entering the access door into the lower bay. “Let us go first.”

  “There are only two heat signatures showing,” Hanine whispered back, pointing to the tablet in her hand. “Evetta and I can take care of them.”

  “No.” Ben shook his head emphatically. “Aaron and I will take care of them. You and Evetta get to the transport and get it ready. We must leave in a hurry. You know how to operate the transport, we don’t.”

  “Be careful,” Evetta whispered. “Kill them. It is the only way. If you do not, they will kill you or notify the others.”

  “Don’t worry about us,” Aaron responded. “Just be ready to leave as soon as possible.”

  Hanine ran her fingers along Aaron’s jaw. “I will shut down the environmental systems just before we depart. This will cause mass confusion. I’ve also set a disruptor to shut down communications, but it will only last for about thirty seconds. This will be long enough for us to depart,” she explained before brushing a light kiss across his lips. “Be careful, my husband.”

  “Give us time to release the locks on the transport before you lower the platform,” Ben murmured in a low voice. “Let’s go, Aaron.”

  Hanine waited a few seconds, watching as the two men disappeared into the bay, before she turned to Evetta. “Are you ready?”

  An expression of resignation swept across Evetta’s face when she realized that Hanine planned on teleporting them. She nodded as the unfamiliar tingling washed over her again. She really should ask Hanine where she learned to use a teleporter. As far as she knew, only the Valdier, Sarafin and Curizan races had mastered that technology.

  *.*.*

  Ben and Aaron hid behind a large storage container and scanned the area. Ben held up his hand and motioned to Aaron before he began moving slowly around one side of the container. Aaron gave his brother a sharp nod and worked his way around the other side. The two security personnel had separated and were methodically searching the lower repair bay. Ben was thankful this area was used solely for storage and to repair damaged shuttles or battle transports. It did not require a large amount of personnel to maintain it.

  It was obvious from the way the two warriors were dressed that they were not part of the normal crew. They wore a different uniform than he had never seen before. He paused when the warrior that he was stalking turned around and paused, as if sensing he wasn't alone. Ben pressed back into the shadows and waited. He hoped that the male didn’t have the same technology to detect heat signatures that Hanine did. He released a silent sigh of relief when the man turned away again.

  His eyes swept the area around the transport. They needed to pull the release pins on the two clamps holding the transport in place. It was bolted down to prevent it from shifting if something were to happen to the Disappearance. Ben turned his eyes back to the male who was walking under the transport’s left wing.

  Gripping the knife he held in his left hand, he silently sprinted the short distance between them. He struck the guard as the man turned, catching him in the side while his right hand grabbed the male’s left hand. He pulled the guard’s arm up and jerked the pistol the male was holding away from him. The guard yelled out in pain as the blade pierced him. His finger closed in reflex on the trigger of the laser pistol, firing upward into the air.

  Ben swiveled around, drawing the blade across the male’s stomach as he twisted the man’s arm behind him. The pistol clattered loudly as it hit the metal floor of the repair bay. Sweat broke out over Ben’s forehead as warm blood flowed over his hands from the deep wound. The guard’s fingers blindly searched for Ben’s arm, but Ben had already withdrawn the blade and slid it across the man’s throat.

  He dropped the guard’s body and turned. He knew that Aaron must have taken care of the other male otherwise he would have been vulnerable while he fought with his target. Turning back to the transport, he rushed to pull the pin on the release holding the locking mechanism on the left side.

  He pivoted defensively into a low crouch when he noticed a figure approaching out of the corner of his eye. He nodded when he realized it was Aaron approaching before turning back to what he was doing. He focused on releasing the second lock when the platform on the transport lowered and Eve
tta stepped out.

  “Systems are ready,” she called out in an anxious voice. “Hurry! Hanine has set the environmental systems to shut down as soon as the doors to the bay open. She will lock the outer doors so that they remain open to prevent anyone from entering.” Her eyes widened when she saw the blood covering Ben. “You are hurt?”

  Ben stood up and tossed the heavy pin aside. “No, it isn’t mine. Let’s go,” he said, turning to look at Aaron with a frown.

  Aaron nodded before he stumbled when he took a step forward. His face creased in pain and he turned a deathly white under his naturally tan complexion. He looked down at his bloodstained hand before looking up again.

  “I wasn’t so lucky,” he grimaced as his knees gave out under him and he crumpled to the ground.

  Ben’s loud curse echoed in the empty bay just as the sound of alarms blared. He rushed forward and wrapped his arm around Aaron’s waist. Evetta hurried forward and grabbed his other side.

  “Damn it,” Ben growled. “Let’s go. Aaron, so help me. You keep your ass conscious. I am not losing you, bro. You hear me. We are finally getting off this damn ship! You will not die on me now.”

  Aaron chuckled hoarsely before a low groan escaped him. “Are you kidding me? Hanine would kick my ass if I did something as stupid as dying on her.”

  Ben gritted his teeth, ignoring his brother’s gasp of pain as he and Evetta half carried, half dragged him onto the battle transport. The platform closed behind them. He carefully laid Aaron down on one of the benches that lined the inside walls and held onto him tightly as Evetta yelled for Hanine to get them out of there.

  “If anything… anything happens to me,” Aaron whispered as the transport shot out of the lower repair bay and into space. “Prom… promise me you’ll take care of her.”