The Kiss: An Anthology About Love and Other Close Encounters

by C. A. Newsome

  “I understand, sir,” she replied, barely above a whisper. He finally let her go and her arms fell to her side.

  “Put your uniform back on.” Disappointment filled him. When the Thorian had told him something was wrong, he'd been expecting she needed help, not to find her sleeping somewhere she wasn't meant to be.

  As soon as she was fully dressed he walked back out to his second in command. She followed and had the good grace to keep her head down and look ashamed of herself.

  “Take her to the brig.”

  “The brig, sir?”

  “Yes, the Brig. She can be locked up there until we can hold a trial, and make sure she gets some sleep.”

  The Thorian nodded and didn't ask any more questions, leaving him to find someone to watch her until the morning. Whoever it was wouldn't be happy about having their sleep cut short.

  *

  Auraylia tried not to shiver as the Thorian led her into the brig and locked her in. The room didn't have a single bit of privacy. Even the small toilet was out in the open. The bed had a short blanket and no pillow. She sat on it and tried to think of something to keep her brain occupied and awake.

  “What the hell happened?” the Thorian asked a minute later. She looked up to see him leaning against the door post, his arms crossed. He must have been staring at her the entire time.

  “It was an accident. I didn't realise it was the Captain.”

  He shook his head in disgust and looked like he might say something but before he could, Thomas turned up. He was pulling his uniform straight as he did.

  “The Captain asked me to watch her. Apparently she attacked someone.”

  The Thorian nodded, handed him the key to her cell door and glared at her for a second before leaving her alone with Thomas. She wanted to scream and beg for him to stay, but she just ignored him and paced instead. With Thomas in the room she had to stay awake.

  “Well, this is an interesting situation. Do you want me to come in there and help you relax. You might find it easier to sleep.”

  “Didn't you hear the Thorian? I'm in here because I attacked someone. Do you really want to unlock that door?” she countered and did her best to look fierce. Although he didn't look scared, he backed away from the bars and sat down. Once there he stared at her and she stared back.

  Hours passed and she had to break off the glaring match and pace several times in an attempt to get herself buzzed with enough adrenaline to keep her eyes open. Just as she thought she couldn't take any more, the Captain came through the door. She stopped moving and stood in the middle of the cell. Inside she felt awful. She knew she had let him down and he had every right to be cross, but self-preservation had to come first.

  “In the morning, once all my crew is well rested, you'll be tried for your actions. Do you understand?”

  She nodded and fought the desire to cry and beg. Just in case he might see the emotions within her she kept her eyes fixed on the speck of dirt less than a foot in front of her.

  “Now you've had some time to think about what's happened, do you have anything to say?”

  She shook her head.

  “Auraylia, you really aren't helping yourself.” He almost growled the last word and his shadow moved across the floor towards her. She took a step back before she could stop herself.

  “Why won't you sleep? I've ordered you to twice now.”

  She closed her eyes, wanting to block him out, although she felt relief at this question. The Thorian must have kept her secret if the Captain was still confused by her behaviour.

  “Answer me, Auraylia. Why won't you sleep?”

  “I don't want to,” she whispered, finding her voice didn't want to come out any louder. “But please, can I be guarded by the Thorian?” For this request she lifted up her eyes and stared at him, hoping he would be moved somewhere inside. She knew it was wrong to try and manipulate him like that, but it was all she could think of doing. With the Thorian there she could at least relax a bit.

  After focusing on her face for a minute he nodded his head.

  “All right, I will ask Varl if he minds guarding you, but it will be his choice, if he feels any compassion for you.”

  “Thank you,” she said and gave him a smile. He didn't return the gesture, instead leaving her alone again with Thomas.

  “What do you want with the Thorian?” Thomas got up and came to the bars. She fixed her previous glare back on her face.

  “That's between me and him.”

  “Was it him you attacked?”

  “Perhaps, but if it is, you've got to wonder why I've been locked up. Surely a Thorian wouldn't need protection from a slave?”

  Thomas didn't back up this time but she hadn't expected him to. His male ego wouldn't let him show her any fear. It would, however, keep him from going any further and it bought her some time for the Thorian to show up.

  The Crime and Punishment Officer left her alone and paced while she sat and waited. Seeing the Captain and having to respond to his questions had charged her body with enough emotion that she felt more awake. She also felt more afraid.

  A trial would mean she might be punished. Or, if she could explain her actions well enough without having to admit the truth, it would lead to her being released and forced to sleep in her bunk amongst the others. Even if she could gain some respect for attacking someone, she'd attacked the Captain and all of them appeared to like him. Unless she could stop the trial, she was in danger of being severely punished or putting herself at the mercy of one or more of the men in the crew.

  Telling the Captain the truth would be tough and in her previous experience, telling tales of what superiors had done only ever made the situation worse. Her slave master had always forced her to sort out her own problems in her own way. She also knew the Captain was kind and would expect her to try and get along with her fellow crew mates, and that was exactly what she was trying to avoid.

  Another option came to her mind. The Captain liked her and was a protective sort of man. If she gave him something in exchange for his protection he might halt the trial and give her some leeway. It would also provide her with an alternate place to sleep. It appealed to her more than being forced to share someone else's bed sometime, whenever they decided to take it that far.

  Before she could formulate an exact plan of action the Thorian came through the door and dismissed Thomas. Within seconds the knot in her stomach unwound and she found she could sit down.

  “You can't let something like this lead to a trial,” The Thorian said as soon as they were alone.

  “I know.” She frowned.

  “Talk to the Captain. He can help you.”

  “You think so? He won't be cross with me?” She stood up, surprised the Thorian was on the same wave length as her.

  “I know you can change his mind. He doesn't want to see you harmed, but you've got to give him something to work with.”

  She nodded. His comments made her feel better, even if it was unexpected to have him agree with her.

  “Will you take me to his room?”

  “Now?”

  “I think it's better to do this while I feel like I can.”

  The Thorian stopped leaning and fetched the keys from the pocket he'd stowed them in.

  “Stay close to me. I don't want to have to catch you,” he warned as she walked over the threshold of her cell. She nodded her acquiescence and allowed him to lead the way to the Captain's quarters.

  As she went she felt the first flutterings of nerves in her stomach, but she knew she had to ignore them. This was the best decision to make considering the place she found herself in. Since the moment she'd set eyes on Dylan she'd sensed she could trust him, and the time had come to rely on that initial hunch.

  When they arrived at the cabin the Thorian knocked but no one answered and when they stepped inside they found the cabin empty. She took in the desk, small dining table, sofa and bed, and small bathroom off to one side.

  “We'll wait here for hi
m to get back.” The Thorian sat down on one of the chairs while she stood in the middle of the room, not sure what she dared to touch.

  “Can you leave me alone in here?” she asked after a few minutes.

  “I don't think I should.”

  “You can wait on the other side of the door. I won't be able to get out or go anywhere. I just... I'd appreciate some time alone to prepare for this. It won't be easy for me.”

  “All right, but no violence and no trying anything else. You just wait here and sort this predicament out with the Captain.”

  “Of course, that's why I came.” She nodded at the Thorian and he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. After taking a couple of deep breaths, she hastily pulled all her clothes off, folded them up in the corner, and slipped beneath the crisp sheets of his bed. It bothered her that the bed had been perfectly made but it couldn't be helped. She needed him to understand what she was offering without her having to say it. A part of her knew it would be difficult to get the words out. With the covers arranged neatly around her she lay back and waited for the Captain to come and discover her.

  From Bad to Worse

  The ship sounded eerily quiet as Dylan made his way through its halls. Other than a few staff, all of which were hard at work, the crew still slept and any non-essential functions had been switched off to conserve energy.

  All he could hear was the gentle tapping of a repair bot as it tried to bend a panel back into the right shape. It sounded strange echoing through the corridor but not out of place given their situation.

  After visiting Auraylia in her cell he'd needed to calm himself down, so he'd visited each of his staff who were still awake and talked to them for a few minutes. They appreciated the concern and he now had a better idea of what state his ship was in.

  With each hour that passed they also put distance between themselves and the Myreen scouts. With this in mind he felt a bit better than he had since the first attack less than forty eight hours earlier.

  Finally feeling like he might be able to get some rest himself, he headed back to his cabin. When he saw Varl standing outside his door with his arms crossed Dylan sped up.

  “Auraylia is inside. She wanted to talk. I think she has something important to tell you and I think it will help,” the Thorian said as Dylan closed the last of the gap.

  “So you left her alone in my room?”

  “She can't go anywhere.”

  “Varl, she attacked me!”

  “Only because she thought you were someone else. You did wake her up.”

  Dylan sighed. The Thorian never gave any indication that he cared what his Captain thought of his actions. Without changing the look on his face Varl opened the door and moved out of the way. Dylan heard it close behind him but it took him a second to locate Auraylia.

  When he saw her lying in his bed he froze, not sure if this was some kind of joke. Then he noticed her stack of clothes in the corner.

  “What are you doing, Auraylia?”

  “I thought we could talk about this trial thing,” she replied as she ran her hand slowly over the space in the bed beside her.

  “Well, not like that we aren't. I'm going to step out of my cabin for a couple of minutes and then I'm going to return. I expect to find you fully dressed again.”

  “Captain, I... Let's just talk about this.”

  “No. Up. Dressed. Now!” He stomped back out of the room and slammed the door. Varl raised an eyebrow.

  “She's... Why on earth did you bring her here?”

  “She said she wanted to talk to you. She had something to say.”

  “Well, she must have changed her mind. I found her in my bed.”

  “Captain, I really thought she was going to talk to you.”

  “It's all right.” Dylan shook his head at Varl's discomfort. “Would you go find Thomas and ask him if he'd mind watching her in the brig again, at least until we can sort out a rota of guards. Varl nodded and hurried off.

  After giving her another minute to make herself decent he walked back into his own cabin. It felt strange to be apprehensive in a place that had always felt his and safe, but he fought back his emotions. Auraylia stood in the middle of the room, dressed. As he strode in she wiped away what looked like tears.

  “One last chance. Tell me what all this is about and what is bothering you.”

  She shook her head. “There's nothing I can tell you.”

  “Then you will face trial as soon as it is convenient.”

  He took her arm in his hand and escorted her back to the brig. This time he locked her up personally and waited for Thomas to come back.

  “Sorry about this,” he said as he handed over the key. “Hopefully we'll figure this all out soon.”

  Dylan walked out without so much as a second glance at the slave. Inside he was furious, but he couldn't show it. She had let him down. After all her gratitude and promises about being worth the credits, he'd wasted most of his savings on a woman who was likely to get kicked out of the Fleet before she'd even completed a week of probation. Never before had he judged a situation or person so badly.

  On his way back to his cabin his comm device went off.

  “Go ahead,” he said as he activated it.

  “Captain, I thought you might like to know we've entered Federations space and have been hailed by the Conchita scout ship. She's going to watch our back and let us have a free run into port.”

  “Thank you. That's very good to know.” Being out of danger made him feel a little better, but he knew he had plenty to plan. Finding time for a trial where all who wanted to could attend wouldn't be easy, and he knew if she were found guilty it would be his responsibility to drop her off at the next Federations planet, stripped of rank and any money. For someone like Auraylia and the planet they were heading to, that could be a death sentence. At the least, taking her back to Lantock might mean she could get a job.

  Instead of scheduling the trial immediately he decided to hold off until after their current mission. To recharge the ship's weapons and support systems they would want to spend a few hours near the solar system's star and the downtime then would be perfect to hold the trial.

  Despite this resolution he found he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts to dwell on the case. Once back in his cabin he invited his officers to join him for dinner.

  In less than ten minutes the Thorian, Trell, Beth, Doug and the ship's doctor, Kaiden, were in his cabin with him. Although the Thorian never said much, Dylan could tell he was annoyed at himself and saying even less than usual in conversation.

  As soon as they'd finished eating, where they only talked of inconsequential things, as Dylan made it a rule not to talk about work while eating, Trell launched into something that had obviously been on her mind the whole time.

  “Is Auraylia really on trial for unauthorised weapons possession?”

  “Yes, the girl's the most foolish excuse for a human I've ever met,” Varl said before Dylan could respond. The Thorian got up, nodded at his captain and left the room.

  “Did she attack him, then?” Trell continued, even more interested after this reaction.

  “No, she attacked me.” Dylan motioned to the scratch down one side of his face and the line of dried blood that formed the scab.

  “But she was so lovely before. I spent hours talking to her and she borrowed several of my books, although I found the last one dropped in the women's toilets.” Trell pouted.

  “I don't know what's happened. Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it, but I'm equally disappointed in her.”

  “Do you think there's more to it, that something we don't know about might have caused the change?” Kaiden asked.

  “Perhaps. Varl seemed to think so, but she won't tell me anything. I'm hoping the trial will get her to talk about it.”

  Dylan sat back and allowed the conversation to wash over him. Kaiden's question was important and he knew the Thorian must believe something had happened. It wasn't like him
to free a prisoner, much less bring her to his cabin, unless there was a reason behind it. For now, however, he needed to let his second in command cool down.

  When everyone had eaten, talked, and left, he snatched a few hours of sleep before their arrival on the planet Etam. It felt like no time at all before Trell was waking him to tell him they'd arrived and landed in the main docking area.

  Once outside he noticed the horrible conditions. The planet was even drier than he'd expected, and everywhere he looked the ground was cracked and dusty. The few buildings in the area were weather beaten by sandstorms, and even inside the plantation dome the inhabitants had set up, the ground was cracked and the plants withered.

  The planet's Unified Federations official came out to meet him before Dylan could even start removing the cargo from his own ship.

  “We're very glad to see you, Captain. It's been weeks since we last had supplies and we're very low on water.”

  “Well, I have a ship full of cargo and Admiral Dokar assured me a larger cargo ship was coming around on the safer route. They should be here in about three days with even more.”

  The official beamed and pumped his hand up and down for the second time. The gratitude and cheerfulness helped Dylan feel like the journey was worth it. Up until this point it had seemed like a chore he could have done without.

  Trell oversaw the workers to unload everything and stash it where the planet wanted as the sun beat down on them. Dylan kept in the shade as much as he could and encouraged the rest of his crew to do the same, but they were all soon sweating with the heat.

  An hour later the cargo was all off his ship but they were delayed from leaving by confusion on the exact location of all the supplies. It took him another half an hour, with Trell's help, to double check the inventory and reassure the people on the planet they had everything they were sent. Although Trell was competent and experienced, it couldn't have contrasted more with Auraylia's efforts in having the cargo loaded in the first place. She'd somehow kept track of every box, container and barrel, despite carrying little of it herself.