by J Palliser
***
Rash looked at his Captain in bed beside him and realized that he was in love with her. She looked beautiful, sleeping there. By his chrono, they still had about 2 hours before they got to Belarus, and he just gazed at her beauty. She wasn't a drop dead supermodel, but she was definitely a beauty. She was 44, but looked 10 years younger. Her long chestnut hair was worn down, and she had perfect lips.
His Captain smiled to herself as she continued to feign sleep while Rash looked at her lovingly. Rachel Weiss had never married, putting her career and crew before a personal life. She had had trysts and flings with other single officers, usually of the same rank. During a drunken party the night she had promoted Rash from Ensign to Lieutenant, he had propositioned her with the worst pickup line she had ever heard. She smacked him silly, then told him in a whisper to go up to her cabin and wait for her. She then told him loudly enough that everyone in the ship's lounge could hear to go sleep it off.
She also told him that if he told anyone, she would kill him herself. So far, the only other person who knew was Ace, and he would never tell. She winced when they had broken a kiss in the turbo-lift and turned to see the crazy bastard standing there with a grin from ear to ear. She knew his reputation for insane risks behind the stick, but she also knew that he would never jeopardize his best friend's happiness or hers. Every member of the crew loved her, and most of the male members of the crew fantasized about her. She knew everything, since she was the Captain, and was very good at her job.
One thing she couldn't believe was that she had fallen head over heels in love with a man over twenty years her junior. The phrase "robbing the cradle" came to mind briefly, then she thought about how good he was in bed for one so young.
Rash was thinking the same about her as she opened her eyes and looked at him. "How long do we have, Lieutenant?" She asked, sleepily.
"A bit less than two hours, Captain."
"Good. Now, make love to me, baby!"
"Yes, sir, ma'am!" and with that, he kissed her lovingly as he moved on top of her between her silky thighs....
***
Dawn broke on the far side of the island as Delaara awoke to find her love still sleeping. She snuggled into him and smiled. Jacen felt her move and woke up, slowly moving his arm from below her head. He sat up and grabbed his flight suit and boots.
"Come back and lay with me for awhile longer," she moaned softly. "Delaara, we need to actually get up and find some fresh water and food today. We're out of rations and water tablets to turn this salt water into fresh. On the bright side, we can explore this island paradise together." He leaned down and kissed her lovingly. "Does your pistol still work, or was it damaged in the crash?"
"It was a bit waterlogged, but should be fine now", she replied. "When you get back home, you should tell your people to waterproof their weapons." He winked and grinned as he said it.
She smiled back, pulled her pistol from its nearby holster on her flight pants, and fired a shot into the water. "It works", she grinned back.
"Good deal. Now, as much as I enjoy looking at your beautiful body, and as much as it pains me to say it, get dressed, Commander!"
"Fine, Lieutenant. You know I'll have to punish you for insubordination later." She winked at him as she said it with a downright wicked look.
3
Two
The KMS Graf-Zeppelin dropped from gravity-drive into the Belarus system and they were immediately hailed.
"Hail coming in, Captain. It's the Dönitz," said the Lieutenant Reynolds.
"On screen, Lieutenant," said Captain Rachel Weiss. She smiled warmly at the face of Captain Paul Ascher
"Hello, Rachel. Good to see you in our little neck of the war," said Ascher jovially. "What's the situation, Paul? We have an entire fighter wing at your disposal." Rachel was proud of that fact, the GrafZeppelin being the first of a hopefully long line of Star-fighter Carriers.
"Intelligence reports that the Centauri will be launching an offensive here within the next 24 hours. We have more ships coming, including the Dresden and the Drechsler. We're to blockade Belarus IV and protect their Tritanium mining facilities at all costs," Ascher replied.
"Understood, Captain. Graf-Zeppelin out." She turned to her First Officer and the Commander of Star-fighter Command standing beside her. "Well, you heard the man, Commander. Get your men space-borne and patrolling. Number One, yellow alert, please."
"Aye, ma'am," they replied in unison.
*** Jacen and Delaara had finally dressed and made sure their weapons were at full charge before setting out into the island's interior. According to the survey team reports on NZ8-257, there were very few indigenous lifeforms here to worry about, but Jacen didn't want to take any chances. He fired up his smart-pad and began a sweep of the island itself, finding what could suitably be a fresh water source about half a kilometer in.
"I'll have to make a note to High Command to have scanners as standard survival gear when I return," Delaara said with a wry smile.
Jacen looked at her in mild surprise. "You mean they aren't, already? I thought yours must have gone down with your fighter."
Delaara shook her head. "No, since Centauri pilots are supposed to die in battle, we don't surrender." "Well, if we have to do it formally, I hereby surrender to you, Commander. Now, if your people pick us up, will I be treated fairly as a prisoner of war?"
Delaara had to smile at that. She was already planning to resign her commission as soon as the war was over. It was a strange thing. Seven days ago, she was looking forward to her next patrol as commander of her fighter wing. Now she was ready to give it all up for a man who had reached into her soul and shared himself fully with her.
"You will be treated with all the hospitality I can give you, as my husband. I have that right as a Centurion Prefect." She moved up behind him on the trail, catching him and slipping her arms around his waist.
Jacen turned in Delaara's arms and kissed her softly. He was ready to give up the Luftwaffe for her, as well. "Well, Captor of my Heart, I look forward to having you as my wife. Well, the water source should be just over the next rise. We can refill our canteens and wash up there. Scanner says there aren't any harmful organisms in the water."
Delaara grinned at that. She definitely felt the need to clean the salt off herself after their morning swim in the ocean. Besides making love, swimming, some light physical training, and talking were their only activities while awaiting rescue.
They reached the small waterfall that was the source of the readings and were astounded by the beauty of the glade. The grass was short and a brilliant green, and the sunlight streamed through the tree branches above, giving it an almost surreal beauty. They lay down in the grass on their stomachs at the edge of the pool, and filled their canteens.
Jacen rolled onto his back and gazed up at the clear blue sky and the giant orange sun of this world. "This planet reminds me of Eden, only without the tourist trap hotels."
Delaara pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at her lover with a wicked gleam in her eye. "I've been to Eden. What about the scantily clad women there to please your every need? Don't you miss them?"
Jacen looked at her with pure love in his eyes. "Not in the slightest. You're better than all of them put together, Delaara."
She felt her face flush with that, and her ears started burning as she blushed at the compliment. "You're just saying that because you love me, Ace."
"No, I'm saying it because it's true, and I do love you as well." Jacen grinned and reached up, pulling her to him and kissing her lovingly. "I don't know about you, but I could use a dip in the water to cool down a bit and wash up. Care to join me?"
He stood and undid his flight suit and boots, pulling them off and dove into the water naked. The pool was about 25 meters across and over 2 meters deep in the center. Delaara admired his physique before disrobing and joining him. The water was cool, and they moved under the waterfall to wash themselves properly.
&nbs
p; Delaara noticed the stubble on Jacen's face and marveled at how soft it was as her hand stroked his cheek. They washed the grime and salt away, running their hands all over each other as the waterfall cascaded over them. Afterward, as they leisurely swam toward the shore with their clothing and equipment on it, Delaara asked "How old are you, Jacen? I don't even know your age."
"I'm 23. Am I too young for you?" he asked with a smile and a glint in his eye as he watched her swim beside him. He deliberately didn't ask her how old she was, since he figured she was at least a few decades older. That, and he was a gentleman. Centauri, like Centuri, didn't age as fast as humans. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties at most, to his eyes, anyways.
"Any age difference doesn't matter to me, love. I was just curious. Don't you want to know how old I am?" she asked in return.
"Just when your birthday is on the Reich calendar. A gentleman doesn't ask a lady her age, but I would love to get you a birthday present." He smiled at her.
"The same gentleman who shot me down, then saved me from a watery grave?" She grinned as she asked that.
"Well, I was raised to treat women with respect. Blame my mom and dad," he chuckled. "Are your parents back on Earth?" she asked as they reached the shore and pulled themselves up onto the bank. "I'd like to meet them after we get rescued."
Jacen lowered his eyes at the memory and said in a low voice "They died while I was still in the Academy."
Delaara moved towards him and hugged him close. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't know." He looked up at her with a tear on his cheek. "No way you could have known. They were on a survey mission when they got ambushed by Trassians. Their science vessel never stood a chance against three cruisers. The Dönitz arrived too late to save them, but they were avenged."
He told her of that day at the Kriegsmarine Academy when he had been called into the Commandant's office and told of his parents' fate. That was the day he had volunteered for star-fighter pilot training in the Luftwaffe.
"Are they the reason you're so reckless with your own life?" she asked, concerned and not wanting to lose him.
"Until now, yes. I threw myself into flying and dog-fighting. I was always restless between missions, and I will probably hold the Luftwaffe record for 'Most Consecutive Hours' in a training simulator for the next hundred years or more. When I wasn't on duty or on patrol, I was flying on the holo-deck with the safety protocols off." He realized how stupid he had been, and it was a weight off his chest to confess this to the woman he loved. He still refused to grieve, though.
"What changed?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "I was shot down by the most beautiful woman in the universe," Jacen replied and smiled at her. "I'm not afraid to die, but now I have something to live for."
"If you keep this up, I'm going to keep you forever," Delaara said with a smile and a deep kiss. "Promise?" he asked as they finally broke the kiss. He had never felt this way before about any woman, much less an "enemy" of the Reich. But then he realized that she was just a regular person. A fighter pilot and a beautiful woman.
"You are unlike any man I have ever been with. Your compliments are genuine and you have real feeling in your heart. I can't wait to introduce you to my parents." She grinned at the look of abject fear on his face. "Don't worry. I know my mother and father will love you. They know that I would never settle for anything less than the best."
It was Jacen's turn to blush at the compliment. As they lay by the pool, they lost themselves in each other and kissed softly with pure love in their hearts. The mind meld was effortless this time, and Jacen saw her mother and father as she saw his, the last time he had seen them. Their memories intermingled as their bodies did the same. Then he noticed something a bit odd.
He broke the kiss and looked at her closely. She bore a striking resemblance to her mother, except for the forehead ridges that her mother lacked.
"Your mother is Centuri." It was a statement.
"Yes, she is. She met my father when she came to Centauri on her first diplomatic mission, and they fell in love." "That seems pretty strange, to me. I've met plenty of Centuri, and none of them showed very much emotion," he chuckled quietly. "I would love to hear that story sometime." In his vision of them, her mother had been smiling as proudly as her father.
"She was very young when they met, and hadn't completely mastered her emotions. They worked closely together to bring about a peace treaty, and fell in love in the process. She is the daughter of Admiral Sahar of the Kriegsmarine."
That name was instantly familiar to Jacen. He knew of her, and knew that she had served aboard the KMS Hermann Göring with Captain Savik. "I studied your grandmother's missions in the Academy. She was one hell of a Captain!"
Delaara smiled at him and the common knowledge and respect they both shared for her ancestor. "I had the honor to meet Ambassador Savik once, back on Earth. He was attending our graduation at the Academy." He smiled at the memory, and how the old Centuri had been nearly jovial at the function.
"He's a friend of my parents!" Delaara exclaimed in surprise. "He's still on Centauri, in spite of the war. Unfortunately, he's watched closely since the Tal'Shar doesn't trust him."
"Well, I for one hope they get a peace agreement worked out soon! I don't want either of us to be a prisoner when we get rescued," he said as he looked at her lovingly. "If anyone can do it, it's Ambassador Savik."
Delaara thought for a long moment before speaking again. "If we're rescued by the Kriegsmarine before the war ends, then I am defecting. I love my parents, and I love the Empire..." her voice trailed off as she whispered "but I love you more."
Jacen was shocked completely at that admission. He had been wrestling with a similar decision as to which was more important. He had decided that they would never accept him as a defector, but he would surrender himself to the authorities should the Centauri find them first. "I've already formally surrendered to you, Delaara. Your people would never accept me as a defector."
"True," she replied. "They're distrustful of all outsiders, even those who have lived among us for decades."
"I trust you, Delaara. In the face of all I've been taught about the Centauri, I trust you with my heart and my life." Delaara once again blushed at his compliment and vocal affirmation of his love for her. She pulled him close and kissed him for what seemed like years, losing herself in his touch, as he lost himself in hers. "I trust you with all that I am, my love," she whispered to him after the kiss ended.
Jacen felt himself slipping away into the passion they shared, and felt his hardness raging for her as he pushed her back on the soft grass and kissed slowly down her beautiful body. He paused to pay special attention to her breasts, taking first one, then the other nipple between his lips. He licked and sucked them until they were as hard as tritanium, then continued to kiss down across her well toned stomach. She spread her thighs as she ran her fingers through his short black hair, urging him lower.
Jacen could smell her arousal from her freshly washed pussy, and it intoxicated him. He spread her lips gently and slowly licked between them, loving her sweet taste. He felt her shudder in pleasure, and heard a soft moan escape her lips. His tongue delved deep inside her as he slowly rubbed around her clit with his thumb, causing another, louder moan of pleasure. Pulling his tongue from her pussy, he flicked it lightly across her clit before sucking it gently. He slid a finger into her pussy while sucking on her bud and thrust it in and out slowly. He could feel her wetness growing and her fingers in his hair tightening as she pushed his mouth deeper into her. She came in a rush, her cunt clamping onto his probing finger as she screamed his name and came in his mouth.
Delaara shook from the pleasure of her orgasm, and marveled at her lover again. No man had ever licked her like that before. She pulled him up and kissed him deeply, tasting herself on his tongue as she felt his hard throbbing cock at the entrance to her pussy. "Mate with me. Please...." she begged him.
Jacen slowly thrust into her as he heard her whispered p
lea in his ear. He felt her pussy grasp him as soon as he entered her, and her muscles seemed to suck him in with very little effort on his part. He hungered for her, wanting her to devour him as well as they made love. The mind meld started, sharing all feelings and emotions with each other as they moved together as one, lips and hips locked together in pure love and passion. When their orgasms hit them, they rode the waves of ecstasy together and found themselves coming again and again and again. They both screamed out in pleasure as their bodies stiffened and collapsed, breathing raggedly as they slowly recovered.
*** The Battle of Belarus IV was quick and dirty as the the Centauri fleet dropped out of gravity-drive nearly on top of the Kriegsmarine contingent. TheDönitzandDrechslerengaged the Predators with support from the Graf-Zeppelin fighter wing, while the Dresden quickly dispatched the Centauri Frigates.
With Ace ' Missing In Action', Rash had been promoted to full Lieutenant and given command of Bravo Flight, 501st Squadron. The Condors, as they were referred to in comm chatter, had the highest kill ratio in the Reich's burgeoning Luftwaffe Star-fighter Korps. Granted, most of those kills belonged to Ace and Rash, but all of them were great pilots. After the battle was over, and the remaining Centauri had been dispatched or retreated, Rash got a private comm from Captain Weiss.
"Still alive, Rash?" came her worried sounding query. "I'm here. You're not getting rid of me that easily." Becker grinned at his lover's concern, and was deeply touched by it. They knew they had to be careful, as their relationship could end both of their careers, but he wanted to shout it from the rooftops that he was in love with her. "I'll be back aboard as soon as I complete a flyby on Drechsler. Captain Talon asked for a damage assessment, since their internal sensors are offline."
"Thank God, Rash. As soon as you report to Talon, get your ass back here!" She nearly shouted that last, and thanked the Stars that her ready room was soundproofed.
"Yes, ma'am! Rash out." He completed his flyby and hailed the KMS Drechsler.
