The Fifth Reich: Blood and Honor Book One

by J Palliser

  They left down the boarding ramp and walked back to their crash site camp. They sat down on the beach just as the sun was setting, leaning together as only lovers could do.

  "If or when we do get rescued, I'm going to miss these sunsets", Delaara said. "This is where we fell in love. When this war ends, and we have our own children, I pray that we can come back here after that damn Neutral Zone is gone and we can all live in peace." Jacen was always hopeful. "And if not, I still own my old house in Lake Walker. The sunsets there are about the same."

  She smiled at that and leaned into his arms, turning her lips to meet his. they were disrobing faster than normal as the stress of combat from earlier finally caught up to them, causing sexual intensity that they hadn't felt since crashing. With superior strength, Delaara pinned him down, her mouth covering his as she mounted his extremely hard cock.

  "Now it's my turn to mate with you,", she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes as she started riding him hard and fast. his own thrusts met hers and he gave as good as he got, causing her first orgasm in record time. Her cunt clamped so tightly on him, he thought she would snap his cock in half as she screamed out a primal roar of lust.

  She collapsed on his chest as he rolled her over, raising her legs above his shoulders and started laying into her even harder. Their moans and screams split the air as they came together over and over, the mind meld taking them to new heights of ecstasy.

  Jacen rolled off of her and pulled her to him. She draped her leg across his hips and they were asleep almost instantly.

  The unmistakable thrum of a transporter beam nearly woke them from their slumber.

  *** Reiger, Wulf, Dr. Gabi Cranz, and Ensign Kline all materialized and beheld the scene before them. Wulf was wide eyed with a slight frown, Reiger was chuckling softly, Kline was eyeing the beautiful Centauri, and Dr. Cranz was blushing as she averted her eyes.

  *** Something at the back of Jacen's mind nudged him awake, and he opened his eyes to see the Kriegsmarine contingent standing over him.

  "Shit!" he shouted, waking the beauty in his arms.

  "What is it?" she asked before getting a good look at the three humans and one Drac standing over them.

  "Umm, this isn't what it... oh shit. Okay, this is exactly what it looks like," Jacen said, grinning ear to ear.

  For her part, Delaara blushed fiercely and clung to him even tighter.

  "Permission to get dressed, Commander Reiger, sir?" Jacen asked with a salute.

  Reiger, grinning ear to ear and nearly laughing himself hoarse, said "Permission granted, Lieutenant."

  As they quickly collected their flight suits and put them on, Jacen made the introductions.

  "Delaara, this is Commander Karl Reiger, Dr. Gabi Cranz, Lieutenant Commander Wulf, and.... Rodger?" Ensign Rodger Kline had graduated early from Kriegsmarine Academy, in the top of his class. He had chosen the Dönitz as his first duty assignment.

  "Hey, Ace. Good to see you." "Rodger. I didn't know you graduated early! You should have contacted me!" Jacen said, grinning ear to ear. This was all just too much.

  Composing himself, Reiger finally addressed the business at hand.

  "Lieutenant Kruger, are you prepared to hand your prisoner over to Kriegsmarine authorities?" asked Reiger. "With respect, no sir. She's not my prisoner, sir." Jacen was back to spit and polish, in spite of the beard that Delaara loved on him.

  "Explain yourself, Lieutenant," Wulf barked out in his baritone voice. "With respect, Commander Wulf, she isn't my prisoner." His hand went to hers and squeezed it comfortingly. "Go ahead and tell them."

  She glanced at him and saw his smile. She smiled radiantly and turned back to the assembled Kriegsmarine officers. "I, Commander Delaara, formerly the commanding officer of Gladius Wing, declare my intent to defect to the Kriegsmarine and marry Lieutenant Jacen Kruger, Bravo Flight Leader of Condor Legion. Is that acceptable, Commander Reiger?"

  Reiger looked at each of them in turn. Kline was nodding yes. Dr. Cranz had a 'why not' look on her face, and Wulf was just glaring at both of the pilots.

  Reiger turned to them and shrugged. "Personally, I have no problem with it, but it's up to Kriegsmarine Command, and the Reich Ministry ultimately." He tapped his comm. "Dönitz, six to beam up."

  *** Jacen and Delaara stood in Captain Ascher's ready room with Commander Reiger as Ascher looked over Lieutenant Kruger's After Action Report. He was both surprised and pleased with Jacen and Delaara's work on the planet, when it came to neutralizing the pirates.

  "Those Wraiths you killed were terrorizing our colonies further into Reich territorial space. I've contacted Reich Ministry as to your defection request, Commander." Ascher regarded them with respect and also a bit of confusion. "One thing perplexes me, however. You say that after you shot each other down, you ended up falling in love?"

  Jacen took the lead on this one. "Yes, sir. What started as a matter of honor to rescue a fellow fighter pilot became what you see now. I love Commander Delaara."

  Paul Ascher then turned his gaze on the young Commander and raised one eyebrow. "And you, Commander? Is this how you feel as well?"

  "It is, Captain Ascher. Jacen... Lieutenant Kruger is the man I have searched for all my life, and I wasn't about to be separated from him by a war or a border. I love him, Captain." They held the same rank, albeit in opposing military, but she showed the utmost respect for him, and that was not lost on the Captain.

  "Well, I've forwarded a copy of your report to the Reich Ministry, and I assume you will wish to act as Commander Delaara's defection liaison, Lieutenant?" Captain Paul Ascher was many things. Captain, warrior, poet, philosopher, but above all he was a romantic. After reading the Lieutenant's battle report and the Commander's account of what happened both during and after the dogfight above NZ8-257, he couldn't help but wish the two young lovers the best. In his report to the Admiralty, he also included his own recommendation that she be allowed to defect under the supervision of Lieutenant Jacen Kruger.

  The Captain turned to address Jacen again. "Before you go, Lieutenant. With respect to your wedding, I do have one request...."

  *** With the signing of a new peace treaty between the Centauri Empire and the Reich Ministry, everyone was once again at peace.

  Lieutenant Kruger was promoted to Lieutenant Commander for his role in securing the NZ8 system from both the Centauri and Wraiths, and Commander Delaara was given a crash course in Luftwaffe battle tactics and effectively demoted two grades to Lieutenant Commander in Luftwaffe Fighter Command. She didn't mind one bit, just happy to finally wear the same uniform as her love.

  They were then assigned to the KMS Graf-Zeppelin, under Captain Rachel Weiss.

  ***

  Two months later... "There you are! Man, we got the comm from Dönitz to come pick you up, but nobody was saying shit about what happened to you!" Becker hugged Jacen hard, slapping his back.

  "Good to see you too, Rash." Jacen grinned, and looked around at the assembled Condors. "With the transfers of our Commanding Officer and Executive Officer to the Dönitz, I'll be taking command of Condor Legion. Here is our new executive officer." He stepped aside and Lieutenant Commander Delaara walked down the boarding ramp of the shuttle from the KMS Dönitz. Every eye in the place went wide as they recognized the attractive Centauri now assigned as the new executive officer.

  "Commander Deraala is the best pilot in the galaxy, and the only one to ever shoot me down. You will show her the same respect that you show me or the Captain. Is that clear?" He shouted the last question at the assembled fighter jockeys.

  "YES, SIR!" came the immediate reply. "Good. Squadron, DISMISSED!" Jacen was already moving with Becker and Delaara by his side. The statuesque Centauri hadn't said a word yet, but the radiant smile on her face when she looked at Jacen was unmistakable.

  "Rash, I need a favor." Jacen looked and Becker raised an eyebrow in question. "I'd be honored if you would be Best Man at my wedding." Becker stopped dead in his tracks, with a d
umbfounded expression on his face.

  "Are you kidding me? You're getting married?" Becker grinned like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. "So, who's the unlucky..." He saw his best friend take Delaara's hand and his jaw dropped nearly all the way to the deck.

  Becker dropped his gaze for a moment, then looked up and walked quickly forward, hugging Delaara tight. "If you're gonna be my new sister, then I'm your brother. You can call me Jacob or Rash. But if you hurt Ace in any way, shape or form, I'll smack you upside the head!" and he stepped back with a huge grin on his face and a tear forming in his eye.

  Delaara laughed musically. "Good to meet you, Rash. Jacen has told me much about you." She smiled her disarmingly beautiful smile at him, and Jacen knew that she had a brother for life in Becker.

  "Now we have to go see the Captain. Is she on the Bridge or her Ready Room?" he asked. "Ready Room. We're about to get off duty, so we'd better hurry!" Becker said as they entered the turbo-lift up to the Bridge.

  The trio stepped onto the Bridge of the Graf-Zeppelin and made a beeline for Captain Weiss's Ready Room. They rang the door chime and heard " Come in" from the other side. The three entered the ready room and Captain Weiss was immediately startled by Delaara's striking features. Then she got up and walked straight up to Becker, grabbed him, and kissed him hard and passionately. Jacen and Delaara just grinned.

  Composing herself, the Captain returned to her desk and sat behind it. "As you can see, Ace, there have been a few changes around here." She smiled warmly at her new Squadron Commander. Jacob and I have gone pseudo-public with telling the crew of our relationship." She looked at Delaara. "I presume by the look on your face, Commander, that Ace has already told you everything about us." She kept the warm smile in place. Delaara immediately liked her new Captain, and she smiled warmly back, taking Jacen's hand.

  "Jacen was right. I love you both, and I thank you for accepting me." Delaara realized that she had smiled more in the past three months than in her entire life before that. "I'd ask you to be my 'Maid of Honor' at our wedding, Captain, if you accept?"

  Rachel was stunned. She glanced at Becker, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat, and she realized that he would be Ace's Best Man. She ran around her desk and hugged Delaara tight. She whispered "You make an honest man out of him, but if you hurt him, I'll shove you out an airlock!" with a playful tone to her voice. All four of them were grinning ear to ear by that point, until something occurred to Rachel.

  "Ace, if I'm going to be 'Maid of Honor', then who's performing the actual Wedding? I'm Ship's Captain, here." "Well, Captain Ascher asked to perform it, and I have the utmost respect for the man. He was the one who told me about my parents when I was still at the Academy, so I thought it was only fair to let him have the honor. Apologies if I offended you, ma'am."

  "I understand perfectly, Jacen." Then turning to Delaara, "It would be my pleasure to be your Maid of Honor, Commander. Now, let's all go to my Quarters for some Centauri Ale." She winked at Delaara, who had grinned widely at the choice of beverage.

  *** Several hours later, the quartet of Officers and Friends sat around the table in Rachel's quarters, still drinking and talking like they had all known each other their entire lives. Rachel and Becker both grew to love Delaara in record time, as she wasn't like any Centauri they had ever met.

  "So while Jacen was flirting with the Wraith Captain, I neutralized her internal security detachment, then shot her." Delaara said with the sweetest smile as Jacen sat there grinning with pride.

  "That was a good 50 meter shot with a pulse pistol, too!" he added. "She's the best pistol shot I've ever seen."

  Rachel and Becker were wide eyed at the account, then Becker toppled over, passed out from all the ale he'd drunk. Rachel looked down at him... "Bloody lightweight. If he wasn't so good in bed..." she finished with an affectionate laugh for him as she got up, picked him up almost effortlessly, and laid him on her bed.

  "Well, Captain, it looks like we need to make ourselves scarce", Jacen said with a wink for his Captain. "He'll wake up in about ten minutes, horny as hell. I've seen this happen before."

  "Oh? Oh! Well, you two can show yourselves out. I need to get ready, then!" the Captain giggled like a schoolgirl as Delaara and Jacen got up and left, laughing softly.

  "Well, are you ready to see our new quarters?" Jacen asked her.

  "Lead the way, love", she said with a smile, taking his hand.

  "The wedding is the day after tomorrow. Are you sure you want to be my wife?" Jacen asked, a naughty glint in his eye. She stopped and looked at him. Her expression became thoughtful for a few moments before she said "I have never been more sure of anything in my life, my love."

  "Well, in that case, let me do this right." Jacen said as he pulled a small square felt case out of his pocket. He got down on one knee, opened the case, containing a diamond engagement ring, and looked up at her with a tear in his eye. "Delaara, will you marry me?"

  Having read up on this custom, she knew how much it meant to him, and a tear cascaded down her cheek as she smiled radiantly. "Yes, my love. I will marry you!" He slid the ring onto her finger and rose to kiss his love, who had once been his enemy.

  5

  Four

  Wedding Bells...

  Above Belarus IV It was the day before the wedding and the guests started arriving aboard Dönitz. Jacen and Delaara had submitted their guest lists, and Captain Paul Ascher had added to it a bit. He smiled to himself as he received RSVPs from some very good friends with connections to the young couple. They were going to have the wedding in the ship's chapel with a combination Centauri and Human service.

  On-board the Graf-Zeppelin, Jacen and Delaara were enjoying some time in the flight simulator. They were both testing a simulator program for the new Spyder heavy fighter, and Jacen had to admit that it handled nearly as well as his trusty Valkyrie.

  "Looking good there, Redfox" he said, referring to his fiancee's new call-sign. Foxhawk, her old call-sign when she flew for Centauri Imperial Fighter Command had already been taken in the Luftwaffe.

  "You think so, Ace? Let's see what this ship can really do! " She punched the throttle all the way forward and engaged her warp burners. Jacen kept up with her as they raced around the asteroid belt.

  "Nice handling on this thing," she finally said after dodging and weaving her way through several tight spots with Jacen close behind her. "I still prefer the Valkyrie, though."

  "I know what you mean. However, I also like the added shields and armor this thing has. It's nearly as maneuverable and quick as the Valkyrie, so it's a bit of a trade off." He shrugged.

  "Any word on if my parents will be there tomorrow?" She asked as they cleared the asteroid belt. "I haven't heard anything, but Captain Ascher is keeping his mouth pretty well tight about the guest list and who's shown up yet. I like the guy, but he loves his surprises." He had always respected Captain Ascher since that day when the old guy had taken full responsibility for his ship not reaching his parents' science vessel in time to save them. It always seemed to him as if Ascher had become almost a surrogate father to him.

  " I know. I like and respect Captain Ascher as well, but he's maddening sometimes." She chuckled at the thought of the man who would be marrying them. "He's respected throughout the

  Centauri Empire, too. Loved or hated, but always respected." "Hey, he's famous in the Kriegsmarine, too. He's the oldest Human Kriegsmarine Captain in Kriegsmarine history." Jacen said.

  It was true. At the age of 73, Captain Ascher was definitely older than any other human Captain. Some had said he should retire, but he wouldn't hear of it, and proved the naysayers wrong time and time again. He had passed up promotion to Admiral five times in order to stay in command of the KMS Dönitz, the Kriegsmarine's flag ship.

  " Heads up, Ace," came a new voice over the comm. Jacen banked left just as Becker let loose a volley of pulse cannon fire from his Spyder.

  "Hey, Rash. Wasn't expecting you out of the Captain's b
unk so early in the morning." Jacen grinned at that, knowing that Becker hated the ribbing about his love life with Captain Rachel Weiss.

  " Well, she said I needed to keep you two busy while she worked on a surprise for the wedding, so yeah", said Becker, and both Ace and Delaara could hear him grinning through the comm.

  "Hey there, Rash. How are you this morning?" asked his new executive officer, who fired off her own volley of cannon fire into Ace's former wing-man.

  " Wow, that's some firepower!" exclaimed Becker with a shake of his head. His aft shields were nearly gone after a single volley from the new heavy fighter.

  "Yes, yes it is," said Ace as he too let loose a volley and blew Becker's Spyder out of the Simulator.

  "Mmmmm, I loved how we did that,"said Delaara in her sexiest voice over the comm to Jacen. "Yes indeed. Together, we're unstoppable," he replied with a grin. He felt himself getting hard under his flight-suit at the thought of her body on his, touching and feeling, loving and fucking.

  " Red Alert. All hands to battlestations!" came over the comm, and the flight simulation disappeared, leaving Delaara and Jacen climbing out of the generic cockpits and down to the modified holo-deck. They exited and jogged toward the main hangar where their Valyries were being prepped.

  Jacen tapped his com-badge. "Ace to Weiss. What's going on, Captain?" he asked. " We just received a distress call out on the edge of the system," came the reply from Rachel. "Dönitz is responding as well, and it seems like a pair of Bren ships are trying to hassle some local security craft."

  "Roger that, Captain. Redfox and I are on the way," he replied. "Ace, out." They entered the aft flight deck and jumped into the cockpits of their fighters. Becker was already prepping for takeoff, and there were a few Condors still climbing into their ships.

  Jacen tapped his comm for Squadron command. "Everyone stand by. We don't know if we'll even be needed yet. Check your systems and make sure everything is a go. Blood and Honor!"

  "BLOOD AND HONOR!" came the reply from the Condors over the Squadron channel. Weiss came over Wing Command channel. " This is Captain Weiss to Strike Wing. We will be dropping out of gravity-drive.... Now! All fighters launch! Strike Wing Blue will hold back and provide cover for Graf-Zeppelin and Dönitz."