Transmission Lost

by Stefan Mazzara

  “Sorry, Aria,” he said. Jack rubbed his head, still feeling some of the ache from where she'd punched him. “I was trying to keep my eyes on you, and I got too focused...It's a lot to keep track of.”

  “No excuse,” Aria said simply. “You need be aware everything. Not focus on one thing. Is dangerous. Stupid.” She tapped her foot, her tail still waving, but then she seemed to calm herself. As Jack watched her, she leaned over, offering him a black-dyed hand. “Up. Try again, yes? You hit me four time today. One more, we done.”

  Grinning a little, Jack took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. “You make it sound so easy, Aria. You've got commando experience, and all I ever had was the basic self-defense I got in pilot training when I joined the Navy.” The human brushed a hand back through his sandy blonde hair, and he looked up at Aria's face. “Plus, it's not exactly a fair fight. You're three feet taller than me. How am I supposed to get a shot at your head if I have to jump to reach it?”

  Aria blinked, and then she smiled back. Though it was as friendly a smile as always, the gleam in her yellow-gold eyes also gave her expression a predatory edge. “Then jump. Keep you hands up. Watch my body.” Without warning, she swung a hand for Jack's face, trying to strike his cheek with an open palm. This time, he brought his arms up almost as a reflex and was able to block the blow before it connected. Aria's eyes widened slightly in pleased surprise. “Better.”

  For the last month, ever since the meeting when Li'ren declared that she would accept the position of Empress, Aria had been working double time as the head of the Royal Guards. From the time she woke up until the time she and Jack went to bed, usually late at night, she was either training with various squads of her soldiers or patrolling the Arbaros governess' residence, where the newly-crowned Empress Amani lived. Though the work seemed to be quite taxing on Aria, Jack got the impression that she found it very satisfying. She had started her military career as a foot soldier, and had confided in Jack that such a career had always been her first choice. While she hadn't disliked her work as patrol ship pilot, the journey from junior officer to admiral in the Ailian military, with few exceptions, began in the infantry. Although personal promotion was the last thing on her mind, considering the dire situation that her people were in, Aria was eager to demonstrate that the former Empress' faith in her had been warranted.

  One aspect of her enthusiasm for her job was the training that she and Jack were currently engaged in. Near the governess' residence, built high in the trees like most other buildings on Arbaros, was a civilian police post which had been commandeered by Aria and the rest of the Royal Guards. The post was suited to their needs, and therefore had been transformed into their headquarters. The building contained offices and an armory, as well as a surprisingly impressive firing range and a well-equipped workout facility. The latter was where Jack and Aria were, in the middle of an open, padded area of the floor. With the hour so late, they had the place to themselves. No matter what sort of duties her day included, Aria always made it a point to bring Jack here for at least an hour. Some months earlier, when Jack had first come to live with her family on Lirna, he'd agreed to a few lessons from Aria in Ailian hand-to-hand combat. Unfortunately, owing to how much stronger she was than him, they'd barely made it through the first lesson before Jack had to stop due to a bothersome little concussion.

  This time, though, Aria had promised to hold back for him. He knew that she was worried that either he, she, or both of them were still targets for her mother. Jack had already proven that he could take care of himself before, but she still worried, so she wanted to do what she could to give him that extra edge. Over the last month he had made a lot of progress, but Aria was a tough teacher. She always found ways to challenge him, and it seemed like there was always some new move for her to pull that would throw Jack for a loop. At least he wasn't bruising as easily anymore, and he was feeling like he was in even better shape than he had been after trudging through a lost jungle planet with a pissed-off Ailian woman and wild animals trying to kill him at every turn.

  Jack stepped forward towards Aria, deciding that it was time for him to take the initiative in this training session. He began throwing punches and kicks at her, which Aria handily parried and blocked. “So,” he said, in between strikes, “how are your duties going?”

  “Good,” Aria said. She made a motion as though she were going to counterattack, and Jack shied back from her, shuffling to the rear and to the left. “Soldiers trained well already. Before me. Not difficult. Lirnan guards help, yes? Have good lieutenant work with me.” She swung her right foot out, trying to kick Jack in the ribs, but he dodged it. She gave a little snarl, baring her sharp teeth slightly. “Nice.”

  “Family seems to be settling in,” Jack said.

  Aria smiled, swishing her tail, this time in a pleasant, leisurely sway. “Is true.”

  When they'd first moved to Arbaros, Aria's family had been very out of sorts and uncomfortable, especially since they had been moved into the governess' residence. That had been Empress Solan's idea, in order to give Aria the opportunity to protect her family as well as Li'ren. Aria had appreciated it, but her father and siblings found it somewhat awkward. However, they had gotten used to it over the past several weeks. A big part of that was the friendliness of Governess Amani and Li'ren. They'd both done their best to make them feel welcome, and Aria's father had even been provided with a high-quality communication terminal in his living quarters, of the kind which was usually set aside for military or diplomatic purposes. This allowed him to keep up with his business affairs, or at least the ones which were not located on Lirna. That had done wonders for improving his mood.

  “I've...ah...seen Li'ren around the governess' house, too,” Jack said. “She seems like she's coping well. I can't imagine what she's been going through.”

  “Empress Amani,” Aria corrected him. The same way that she had corrected him every time he referred to Li'ren by her first name. “Is more respectful, yes?”

  Jack rolled his eyes, using the brief lull in Aria's attention to try to jump up and punch her on the muzzle. He couldn't be that lucky, though, and she batted his fist away. “She's not my Empress,” he said, smirking at her. “And I've always called her Li'ren. Why should I change that now?” He darted around Aria, but she spun around and kicked him in the chest. A light kick, but enough to send him back several meters.

  “Males,” Aria growled, flicking her ears forward. “No respect.” She shook her head at him, then sighed her surrender on the matter. “But is true. Empress strong. And busy with work. No time for grief.”

  “I don't think it's just that. She has her family. Her mother is here, and I think she talks to her brothers pretty regularly.” Jack paused, gauging Aria's stance. He noticed that she was putting her weight on her back foot, and her tail tip was twitching. She was getting ready to jump on him. Jack began slowly stepping to the side, and he saw her nod fractionally. “She's got friends, too. Sami, for instance. She's been hanging out and talking with Li'ren a lot since we arrived.”

  Aria nodded again, circling around in opposition to Jack's movements. “I know. Guard captain, yes?” She waved a hand down her body, indicating her recently dyed black coat of fur. “Have to know.”

  “Well, here's something you might not know,” Jack said, raising an eyebrow. “Sami is sweet on Li'ren.”

  He saw Aria's eyes widen considerably, and her arms dropped a few inches as she stared at him. Taking the opportunity, Jack darted in close to the Ailian and bladed his body to one side. Before Aria could recover from her shock and react, he loaded his left leg and lifted his right, kicking out and catching Aria in the right side just under her ribs. She gave a yelp of surprise and teetered to one side, giving Jack the chance to follow up with a jab under her chin. Aria rocked back and lost her balance, falling down to the floor and landing right on her rear. Jack heard her curse and roll to her side as she grabbed for her tail, which had gotten pinned underneath her whe
n she fell.

  “Ha!” Jack crowed, flexing his fingers as the sting from striking her strong jaw dissipated. “There's number five. And number six, too, if you want to count the kick. Not bad, eh?” He straightened up and crossed his arms across his chest. “Need a hand up?”

  Aria gave an abbreviated snarl and shook her head, standing up on her own as she rubbed the base of her tail. “Fine...” She touched a hand to her jaw, and there was a little pop as she opened her mouth and worked it back and forth. “That hurt. Good. You much better.” Her lips widened in a grin, and he saw that familiar spark in her eyes. His growing prowess with Ailian martial arts was turning her on. Jack still thought it was a bit strange for someone to get so aroused by fighting, but he wasn't about to complain.

  “Thanks.”

  “But...ah...what you say,” Aria said slowly, her smile melting away. “Not understand.”

  Jack hesitated for a second. “You mean you really didn't know?” He dropped his arms, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his pants. “You can't tell me you haven't noticed. Sami talks about Li'ren all the time. Whenever I talk to her, she always tells me how much she likes talking to Li'ren and hearing stories from her about growing up in the palace. Sami admires her a lot. She's got a crush on her.”

  Aria looked down at the floor, and then she turned away, going over to a padded bench and sitting on it. She seemed taken aback by what Jack was telling her, but not as much as he might have expected to see. Finally she spoke up. “Knew Sami...different. But not like that. Is...difficult.” The Ailian crossed her ankles, turning her eyes back on Jack. “You sure?”

  “Well, I'm no expert on Ailian psychology, or anything like that,” Jack said, stepping over and sitting next to her. “But I know you pretty well. And I've spent plenty of time with Sami, so I think I have a good read on her.” He shrugged. “I think I'm right. I think Sami respects Li'ren's grief too much to say anything to her, but she definitely likes her.”

  Taking a deep breath, Aria looked up at the ceiling. Jack could tell that it was a lot for her to absorb. He knew that same-sex attraction still held a huge stigma in Ailian culture. There had been a considerable stir about it when the news had come out to the public about the real nature of Li'ren's relationship with Kri'a. The reaction had been tempered somewhat by the way the late Empress had used his and Aria's relationship to try to build support for peace with humanity, but even so not all of the reaction had been positive. Aria was probably worried about what her sister might be subjected to if she pursued something with Li'ren.

  When Aria took a while in speaking again, Jack tried to mitigate things. “I...could be wrong, I guess.”

  “No...,” Aria murmured. “You right, I think.” She sighed, and then she looked over at Jack. He saw a shrewd sort of respect on her face. “You wait for good moment to tell me. Surprise me. Give you chance to strike. Sneaky.” Leaning down, she planted a kiss on his lips. At first it was just a brief one, but as she drew away she paused and then went back in, deepening it. She started purring, very faintly but enough so that Jack could hear. Aria was still keyed up from their sparring match.

  As she kissed him, Jack put his hand on her thigh and rubbed it firmly. He put his tongue out and she parted her lips, letting him slip it inside and touching it to her own. He felt her furred palm press against the small of his back, and she pulled him closer to her as her tail curled up in front of him and coiled around his legs. She usually got in a frisky mood after a training session, but tonight she seemed particularly so. Perhaps it was because he'd done especially well this evening, or maybe it was just because the workout facility was much more deserted than usual. Nobody was around, and other than the subtle sounds of their kiss and Aria's purr, the room was quiet.

  “Sneaky?” Jack asked, once his mouth was free. “Nah...Not me. I was just making small talk. I just happened to be lucky that it threw you off your game.” He rubbed one hand up Aria's side, teasing his fingers through her black fur. Jack would never have said it to her face, because he knew she was self-conscious about it already, but he missed the vibrant orange of her natural coloring. He hoped that eventually, when her assignment with the Royal Guards was over, he'd be able to see it again.

  “Lies,” Aria purred, and she rubbed her cheek against the top of his head possessively. She touched a finger to his knee, dragging it up his thigh until it rested lightly against the crotch of his pants. Jack let out a low groan as he responded to her feather touch. Aria cooed in approval, whispering into his ear. “Ha're ke sala me...”

  Jack's face warmed at her words. His understanding of Ailian had vastly improved since he'd first met Aria, and what she'd just said to him had been a succinctly descriptive explanation of what she wished him to do to her. “I don't know if that's a good idea,” he said, even though he was really thinking the exact opposite. “Someone could walk in any time.”

  “Is exciting, yes?” Aria said, her voice a low, throaty growl. “Make it...nicer.” She cupped her whole hand around his groin and squeezed him firmly. His hips jerked forward against her, and she laughed softly. “Oh, yes. Much nicer.”

  Aria took her hand away and grabbed for the waistband of his pants, her deft fingers untying the strings that held them tight around his hips. He could see the eagerness in the way that she moved, the way that she seemed desperate to get him where she wanted him. Jack let her drag his pants down, lifting up his body so that she could get them past his rump. As they got down to the tops of his thighs, the human kept his eyes on the Ailian's face. Aria was looking down at his lap, and he saw her tongue flick out at her thin black lips.

  “Damn, Aria,” he hissed. “How can you be so eager and so teasing at the same time?” Jack did have to admit that the more public location might have been more exciting than otherwise. He and Aria were usually so discreet, waiting until they got back to their room in the governess' palace. The change made for an interesting vibe.

  Aria smiled sweetly at him, though the predatory gleam remained in her eyes. “Is good, yes? You like, I see.” She leaned down, and her furry lips planted a special kiss on his swelling pride. “Karesh te zala a're...Tasty.” Licking her lips again, she finished pulling his pants down his legs. Once they were gone, she gave him a little wink, and she leaned forward and kissed his lips. “Now you.”

  Jack was confused by those words, until he saw Aria lie back on the padded bench, stretching out with one leg in front of Jack, across his lap. The other leg was behind him, her bare foot brushing up and down against his back as she looked down her body at him with half-lidded, sultry eyes. Then he understood, and he smiled as he leaned towards her. As she watched him, the subtle thrum of her purr vibrating through the air, he removed her tight, sleek workout leggings. Once he did, he immediately detected a strong scent. The smell almost sent his head spinning, even before he recognized as a familiar one. On this occasion it seemed much more intense than usual. He was instantly drawn in, intoxicated by it, so much so that he didn't even notice as Aria pulled off her top and freed her voluptuous breasts.

  “Damn...,” Jack breathed, touching his fingers to her. A wondrous sigh escaped his mouth. The Ailian murmured in fevered pleasure as he rubbed at her, and her purr intensified. He looked up from where his hand was, taking in the whole of her body. He saw her wide, curvy hips, and her flat, firm belly. His eyes traced along the lengthy, jagged scar that wound its way through the rich fur covering her front, following its trail up from her navel, between her breasts, all the way to where it touched her collarbone. Finally, he looked at her feline face, where her yellow, gold-flecked eyes stared back at him. “There's something different about you tonight, Aria. Something...wild.”

  “Mmm...,” she purred in response. Aria curled her tail up and around his back, and he felt it pull against him. Jack's heart skipped a beat as she drew him closer. The scent was even stronger now, and the truth struck him all of a sudden like a lightning bolt. Ailians were a feline species. Could it be that they e
xperienced heat like animals on Earth? That would explain the boldness that was driving her to disregard the fact that anyone could walk in at any moment. She spread her legs wider, bending her knees, inviting him in. “Need you...”

  The very picture of obedience, Jack slid back and then got on his belly. As Aria looked between her breasts at him, he scooted forward until his face was between her sleekly muscled thighs. She placed one hand on the back of his head, gently nudging him down as she teased her fingers into his hair. He took a deep breath. Her essence flooded his nose, and he swooned. He couldn't imagine how an Ailian's...pheromones, he supposed...could affect a human, but it was certainly working for him. His ears perked up as he heard Aria give a small, kittenish mewl of need, a sound that he'd only ever heard from her a handful of times before. That was the sound she made when she was so desperately ready for him that she was almost driven to begging.

  Never one to disappoint his lover, Jack acceded to her desires, and he pressed his mouth to her eagerly. Aria moaned softly as he went to work. Jack reveled in the spicy, sweet, exotic flavor that he knew so well by now. Except now it was even better than ever, amplified by the state she was in, as though she was a succulent delicacy and he had been starved for weeks.

  “Kas'ne ne sa'i ra,” Aria whimpered. He'd heard her say that once or twice before, always when he was doing something particularly nice to her. Smiling to himself, Jack slipped his hands underneath her rump, cupping her sculpted ass in his palms. Though the base of her tail was pinned beneath her against the bench, he could feel the muscles rapidly contracting in rhythm with his tongue. If her tail was fully free, he would have to constantly dodge it as it whipped around his head.

  At the same time, Jack feel the clenching nearer to his mouth that signaled her pleasure. He felt a very real sense of satisfaction and delight that he was the one who could bring her to that level of ecstasy. Jack squeezed her rear and pulled her tight against his face. He was determined to make her scream. He wanted to hear that passionate Ailian roar that he'd heard so many times before...