by Calista Skye
“Looks like they like you, Ashley.”
“What was that thing?”
“Aletoptric,” he said. “Like your butterflies, they help spread the pollen, and help with pest control. We did our best to make this environment as close to natural as possible.”
The nervousness and hesitation I’d felt at being aboard this ship quickly melted away, overcome by curiosity and beauty as I marveled at the richness and variety of life.
Jak led me through the biodeck, occasionally stopping to point out particularly interesting varieties of flowers, all of which had colors more luminescent than anything I’d ever seen. But all of it paled in comparison to the view from the ceiling. An ocean of stars, glimmering with a dense luminosity I had never fully comprehended beamed and cast an eerie glow on the hard lines of Jack’s face. And in the center of it, the large blue planet that I called home.
“It seems so different from up here,” I said. “I mean, I’ve seen pictures before, but…nothing compares to actually seeing it like this.”
“You come from a beautiful world, Ashley. Earth is easily one of the most magnificent I’ve ever seen. And I’ve visited more than a few. That’s why it would be such a shame if we had to…” He trailed off, looking at the glowing blue ball. “Your planet is not without its problems.”
“You’re telling me,” I said. “But when I see it from here, it all seems so insignificant. All those petty squabbles don’t matter. The greed. The borders. The differences between us are so small. One day, we’ll learn to work together.”
Jak’s gaze bored deep into my soul. “If they’re anything like you, Ashely, I believe it.” He leaned in to me, drawing me closer to him. “But it’s an uphill battle. Believe me, I know. It can be tough for even the most evolved among us to rise above our more primal urges.”
“No one can do it alone” I said, trying to hide the fact that I felt a very different kind of primal urge coursing through me. “But that’s why you’re here, right?” I asked him. “To help us?”
“I wish it was that simple, Ashley. Let’s just say that I will do everything I can to help you.”
“Because I’m your lifemate.”
“I can’t change the way my biology has reacted to you, now that the process has been set in motion.” Jak shifted, considering his words. “It’s not something I was too keen on either, at first. My life made sense the way it was. My mission was clear. But as I’ve gotten to know you, Ashley, as I’ve seen the way you look at the world…It’s changed me. You’ve reminded me why I’ve dedicated my life to this career in the first place. I wanted to make a difference. To make life better for everyone.”
We walked in silence for a long moment, neither of us wanting to disrupt the calm of this place with the uncertainty of our future. Even if I acknowledged that I felt my attraction growing, that I wanted to see what we could be together, I wasn’t sure it would work. We came from two very different worlds. And I couldn’t fathom giving up on everything I’d ever known to stay here aboard this ship. Nor could I picture Jak abandoning his mission.
When we had circled the perimeter of the deck and finally ascended the hill that led to the top of the waterfall, Jak stood next to me, looking out across the vast expanse of glowing greenery beneath us. I felt so comfortable in Jak’s presence. Easy. And I didn’t want the moment to end. I leaned into his body, resting against his solid frame as another bright orange aletoptric fluttered along beside us, lighting Jak’s silhouette before it landed on his shoulder.
“They’re bold,” he said. “The aletropic knows its life is short,” he said reaching his up to it as the luminous little creature climbed onto his outstretched finger. “So it goes after what it wants, chasing its own happiness. Exploring the fullness of its world. Experiencing everything it can in its limited time.” The aletropic spread its wings and fluttered off, leaving a trail of light behind as it dipped over the cliff edge and flew behind the waterfall.
Maybe it would be worth the risk to leap into the unknown. How many opportunities had I passed up in my life? How many more times would a chance like this pass me by because I was too afraid to open myself up to what I wanted? Always putting the happiness of others first sounded noble. But maybe I was just using it as an excuse to keep myself closed off.
Jak stood, lifting me with him. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist and pressed my face into his chest. He would be there to catch me if I fell. There was no burning tower this time to coax me into jumping, but I still felt the heat and the pressure building inside me, pushing me to action.
I looked up into Jak’s eyes and slowly moved in towards him as I traced my hands up his chest and kissed him quickly on the lips.
Jak inhaled sharply, and closed his eyes, pulling my body in close to him. His mouth was on me again, his tongue gently parting my lips as he kissed me with an explosion of passion and hunger. I felt my body opening to him, relaxing in his arms, savoring the sweetness and the honesty of his desire. Feelings of warmth and electricity surged through my body, filling me with a sense of possibility and anticipation.
“Ashley,” he said as he drew his mouth away from my lips. “I want this more than you can imagine.” He released his grip on my body as he pulled further away. His eyes were impossible to read, but his thoughts were far away.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Ashley. You did something very right.” He looked out through the glass into the blackness of space and the large blue planet. “But your people are in trouble. And I have to save them.”
Chapter 7
A’Jakri
When Ashley kissed me, something changed. I thought the pull of the connection and the lifemate bond were strong before, but feeling her lips pressed against me ignited a reaction inside my body that I couldn’t ignore. I had to be with her, and I could no longer accept any other possibility. She had sealed the connection of her own volition. Made her choice to leap into the unknown. And it was up to me not to let her fall.
But her bond had not yet been cemented the way mine was. And the fact that her home planet was about to be destroyed landed squarely in the category of “unforgivable deal breakers.” And I would not allow it to happen.
I gathered my thoughts as I sprinted through the corridors of the ship. The clang of my heavy boots rang through the halls echoing like drums of war calling an army to battle. There was only one course of action left to me that could possibly stop Captain Ro. I had to challenge him. I had to invoke the rite of T’ariak.
There was no time to contemplate the gravity of my actions. I had to act now. Standing outside the Arena, I pressed my palm onto the glowing blue sensor that opened the wide double door. The massive gates creaked and groaned as they threw open the doors that led inside the chamber that had stood unused for thousands of years.
Already, a crowd had started to gather, unable to ignore the foreboding sound of the opening doors. I heard their whispers around me. I was sure the crew doubted my sanity. Was this one little planet in a remote corner of the galaxy worth challenging the authority of such a well-respected man as Captain Ro? He was uncompromising, but he had never steered us wrong before.
Maybe it was arrogant to assume that I knew better than he did. But I couldn’t shake my conviction that his decision was wrong. And even though it took the direct, personal influence of my bond with Ashley to spur me into action, saving them was the right thing to do. This planet, these people deserved the chance to live. To fix their own mistakes, and to evolve into the people they were meant to be. And I believed they could do it. People like Ashley were the proof.
I committed to my decision, and walked forward into the center of the Arena, retrieving the large gartana horn from its ornate stand. With a full blast of air from my lungs, its rich tone bellowed through the ship, alerting anyone and everyone that a challenge had been made.
“Captain Ro,” I called. “I invoke the rite of the T’ariak.”
The T’Kali people poured
into the Arena, forming an arc around me as I waited for Ro to present himself. Standing with my eyes closed, I recalled the hand to hand combat training in my head. It had never been more than recreation to me. Its practical use seemed antiquated and barbaric. I doubted Ro felt the same way. He would probably be grateful for the chance to put me in my proper place and reassert his authority over the ship.
“A’Jakri,” Ro called back to me. A hush fell over the crowd as he stepped into the area. He stared at me in astonishment, his cold eyes unreadable. “You challenge my authority?”
“With honor and respect to the T’Kali, I cannot abide by your decision to eradicate the blue planet Earth. It is with a heavy heart that I invoke the rite.”
“You’re a fool, A’Jakri. Your heart is soft and you’re misguided. You think you’re the first to share a lifemate bond with a member of a doomed race?”
I caught Ashley’s eye as she looked on in horror. I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.
“Oh yes, A’Jakri. I’m quite well aware of the effect she’s had on you. Did you think I wouldn’t recognize the signs of a man in love? I know everything that happens aboard this ship.”
She may be an example of the best of them. She may be evolved enough to bond with you. But do you really expect that the small number of humans like her will be enough to save them? Their cancer will spread. And it’s our job to stop it.”
“No, Captain. It’s our job to help them. To guide them. Even our own people barely made it through without destroying ourselves. If we truly are the boon to the galaxy we pretend to be, we should help them get through it. It’s the right thing to do. The T’Kali people live in harmony with one another. And with the universe. Your calling for their destruction violates the basic principles that have made us so great. And I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that way.”
The crowd in the arena remained silent. Even if they supported me and my ideas, they would have to wait until the conflict was resolved to show it.
“This woman, Ashley, has devoted her life to saving her people. She believes that they’re capable of something more. She doesn’t think it’s too late for then. And neither do I. As long as there are people like her, human kind will evolve.”
“So it’s come to this, A’Jakri. You’re willing to put your life on the line to defend them. I respect the strength of your convictions. But unfortunately, you’re wrong. And now that the challenge has been invoked, we’ll have to see it through to its conclusion.”
“With respect, Captain, let the T’ariak begin.”
Ro and I simultaneously wrapped our hands around the twin metal pillars protruding from the ground, releasing the glowing staves from their cradles. The weapons burst to life in a fiery glow of red light as Ro lunged at me with the calculated ferocity of a predator, trying to sweep me off my feet. There was no hesitation in him. He expected me to fall quickly to the attack, but I reacted faster. I parried his blow as I dodged around to the left, circling his momentum back around against him.
“Good, A’Jakri,” he said. “Never let your guard down.” He feigned a shot to my shoulder before reversing the trajectory of his next swing, nearly catching me off guard as his glowing staff raced toward my head, barely missing my temple as I ducked out of the way.
I lowered my stance, ready for his next move. “Is that your philosophy, Ro? Always on your guard? Always worried about the next threat?”
I didn’t see the next blow coming until it was nearly too late. The edge of his weapon struck my leg and threw me off balance as the weight of his body knocked me to the ground. I rolled as he threw his weight down, and scrambled back to my feet.
“A leader must be ever vigilant. A leader must learn to strike first. There’s no room for hesitation. No room for weakness. But you, A’Jakri…you’re soft. You’re not qualified to lead the T’Kali. You’re not qualified to live. I should have dispatched you the moment I realized you had fallen for one of them. Despicable creatures, humans. After I destroy their planet, I’ll have to kill her myself to finish the job.”
“NO!” Something primal erupted inside me and launched myself at him fiercely with a fury of strikes. He deflected the first few blows skillfully, but I didn’t let up. I couldn’t. It was my fault that Ashley was in this situation, and I was not going to let Ro have her. I continued my unrelenting assault until I felt the full weight of my staff crack him upside the skull. I kicked him solidly in the chest, sending him to the ground, and descended onto his body with a flurry of blows.
Ro spat blood and stared up at me as I pressed the weight of my staff down into his neck. I knew that I had beaten him.
“What are you waiting for, Jak. Do it. Let’s end this.”
“Jak, no!”
I looked up from Ro’s blood-soaked face and saw Ashley staring at me in open-mouthed horror as she looked on from the crowd. “Jak, this isn’t who you are. You don’t have to do this.”
“Finish it, Jak! Take your ship. Claim your power.”
But I knew that Ashley was right. If I killed him, we would be no different. The act would make me a monster. A representation of everything that I set out to end.
I threw my staff aside as the room looked on. I scanned their faces in silence.
“The ability to change” I said as I stood to address the room, “is exactly what makes our people noble. And even you, Ro, are worth saving. There will be no more killing. We’re better than that.”
The Arena erupted into applause as the T’Kali chanted my name.
I locked eyes with Ashley and smiled.
Chapter 8
Ashley
The subtle purple hues of morning sunlight trickled in through my bedroom window. I sat cross-legged at the foot of bed, admiring the way the light danced off the sculpted peaks of his body.
“Give me your hands, Ashley,” he said, reaching his arms out towards me. “It will be easier to connect if our bodies are in contact.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. I had been waiting all night for him to lay his hands on my body, but he insisted that we go over the plans and make sure everything was in place for the inaugural event of our charity. The publicity campaign had generated a great deal of interest from the press, and Jak’s introduction of new high capacity energy storage devices to solve the problems of intermittent source-power had peaked the curiosity of the world’s scientists.
“It’s about damn time,” I said as I placed my hands in his. The familiar blue glow lit up his skin as our bodies made contact, and I finally appreciated it for the sign of arousal that it was.
“You know I’ve wanted you since the moment I met you, Ashley. I didn’t exactly keep it a secret.”
“And now that you have me here, ready and willing to connect with you, you just had to make sure that every last little thing was taken care of first.”
“I thought saving the world was your idea,” he teased, massaging my palms with his thumbs. “Besides, this will be better for both of us if we’re not distracted.”
“So what exactly are we doing?”
“In order to fully seal the bond between us, we need to be in that same linked mental state we were in when we met. Once our minds and our spirits are connected, we’ll seal it together physically. Our bodies and our spirits will be tied together forever.”
“I still can’t believe you’d want to give up all of that…the ship, your crew, the whole damn universe…to stay here on Earth with me.”
“I meant what I said. I believe in you, Ashley, and I believe in your people. They just need a little help. And working together, we can help show them the way. Your people need you here.”
“But don’t your people need you, too?”
“They have Callum. He’ll be an excellent captain. He was born for the job. He’s always been a leader, and I have every confidence he’ll be able to undo the damage that Ro caused to the spirit of the people. And besides, doesn’t someone need to be here to look after Tom?”
“Tom’s always been able to look after himself. But thank you for healing him. I doubt our doctors would have able to save him.”
“Not yet. But one day. And we’ll be here to help.”
“So you’re really going to stay.”
Jak squeezed my hands again and the blue light flared all the way up his arms, spreading through his chest until his entire body glowed. “Lie down on the bed,” he said, “and concentrate on your breath.” Jak lowered me down to the bed, his massive frame hovering over my body as he traced his hands along my thighs.
The blue light of his body began to permeate my skin, leaving tingling trails of sensation that glowed like the embers of a celestial fire as his hands traced up between my thighs. I felt his bulge pressed against me as he shifted his weight and drew his fingertips up over my hips, above my waist, and around to the sides of my breasts.
I inhaled sharply as he drew my nipple into his mouth, circling me gently with flecks of his tongue. I couldn’t hold back the moan of anticipation as he drew his mouth from me.
“Focus on your breath, Ashley,” he whispered into my flesh as my skin lit up. “I can feel you now. Let yourself ease into it.”
Jak traced his mouth around my collarbone as he ran his fingers through my hair. He parted my lips as he hovered over me, hungry and searching. He kissed my fiercely as I arched my body up towards him and swallowed a moan as his tongue explored my mouth.
“I want you more than I can stand,” he growled deeply into my ear as I fought to keep my focus on my breath. “I want to make you mine.”
I felt the warmth of his light spreading through my body as every naked inch of my skin burned with the desire to join him. I wanted to feel him on top of me, around me, deep inside me. My body ached in an absence that only he could fill.
“Please, Jak. I want you. I need you inside me.”
