Voyages of the White Skull Book 1

by Jason Alan Jones

  On his way to the gym, Jesse realized how attracted he was to Eronica. He felt a strange, indescribable connection with her. He wasn’t sure if it was just a strong sexual attraction, or something deeper. He tried to shake the thought of her out of his head. After an hour of a hard workout, he took a cold shower; it had helped him a little, but not completely. Jesse was concerned, for he had never met a woman who was not only breathtaking beautiful, but also had an amazing personality.

  “I have more important pressing matters to think of, not women,” Jesse stated, lying to himself. He needed someone in his life now more than ever. He hated his dependency on the comfort of a relationship. Maybe it would be different with her, but he wasn’t sure. He had been burned so many times in the past, that he wasn’t sure what he thought or needed anymore. His life finally had a deeper meaning now, and it wasn’t just filled with his own selfish needs. He just wished he had someone to share it with.

  Jesse decided to find Pong to ask her to join their team. He found Crazy Renzo in the hanger bay. Renzo and Don were working on one of their new fighter ships for the fleet. Tony had been helping, but was training his Special Forces team. Jesse couldn’t help but to laugh when he saw Renzo yelling at the engine.

  “Come on, baby, don’t do this to me!” Renzo pleaded.

  “Renzo!” Jesse yelled. He quickly got the attention of everyone in the hanger bay. Dozens of men filled the enormous hanger while working on rows of new, half built space fighters. Sparks danced on the floor from welding torches. Multi-colored coiled wiring hung from the bellies of the ship’s engines, as crewmen saluted at the sight of their admiral.

  “Yes, sir!” Crazy Renzo answered.

  “Have you seen Pong Ling? I’m looking for her.” Jesse knew Renzo would know, since he had a strong infatuation for her.

  “The last time I saw her, was an hour ago. She is on the shopping level, buying everything in sight,” Renzo answered.

  “Thank you. How is my new fleet coming along?”

  “Excellent, boss, were almost done with our first ship. We’ll be able to test her in three days, tops.”

  “Keep up the good work,” Jesse addressed the entire crew. “All of you men and women have shown an amazing amount of dedication and hard work. You are an excellent crew, and I am proud to be called your admiral!” Jesse stated, as the entire crew let out a cheer of inspiration for their admiral. Many of them had been awestruck by being commanded by the legendary White Skull.

  “Don, keep an eye on Renzo for me. I don’t want him sleeping on the job,” Jesse jokingly said.

  “Will do, sir.” Don smiled, as Renzo folded his arms.

  “Tell Pong Ling I love her, Admiral,” said Renzo.

  “Don’t worry, I will,” Jesse said, as he waved, then exited. He had no intention of telling Pong that Renzo loved her. First of all, she already knew it, and second, he didn’t want her to stab him. She was known for her temper.

  The young admiral entered the shopping level, and looked around for Pong. He felt a little uneasy, hoping that he wouldn’t be attacked with a million questions from the civilians. It wasn’t that he minded talking to them; he just didn’t want to be distracted while looking for Pong. Luckily, she found him while an elderly gentleman began to tell him his life story.

  “Jesse!” Pong yelled, through a crowd of happy shoppers. Her arms were flooded with shopping bags.

  “Excuse me, sir, I have to talk to the young lady about something,” Jesse said, as the elderly man smiled when he saw the Asian beauty.

  “You look lost, are you shopping also?” Pong asked.

  “Actually, I was looking for you,” Jesse stated.

  “I swear, I didn’t do it. What was it that I did?” Pong nervously asked.

  “Nothing, I just wanted to ask you something.”

  “All right…fine…damn…Yes, I’ll marry you!” Pong blurted out. She paused for his expression, and she was satisfied when his face turned red. “Just kidding, what is it you wanted to ask me?”

  “Very funny, Pong, I wanted to know if you would like to join my command team as a lieutenant. I think it would be equally beneficial to both of us, since you have helped all of this come about. Your courage has inspired many people, including myself. You are an ace pilot and a skilled fighter. I would be honored if you would join my team. I think we would work well together, since we have experienced a similar upbringing, and we are kind of family, since we studied martial arts under the same master,” Jesse explained.

  “I don’t want your pity, Admiral,” Pong grew agitated.

  “I don’t pity you; I respect you, and your skills. I am constructing a fleet of space fighters, and I want you to be second-in-command under Renzo. I also want you to design a new uniform for the entire crew of the Horizon, including the Command staff and myself. I want something cool and black.”

  “Cool?” Pong smiled.

  “Yes, I want to look sexy and cool,” Jesse joked with her. She began to relax, and said, “I think that sounds pretty good, I accept. Thank you.”

  “Also, if you ever need anyone to talk to about anything, my door is always open. The Pulse are also good to talk to,” Jesse stated.

  “Thank you. Speaking of the Pulse, I ran into that Eronica the other day. She was looking for you. I think you have a stalker. What did you do to her?” Pong asked, smiling.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “As odd as it sounds, I think she is in love with you. You must have put the whammy on her pretty hard.”

  “All right, knock it off, that’s an order.” Jesse grew tense.

  “I’m serious, I’m a woman. I know…the look. I’m sensing that you don’t want to talk about her.”

  “What gave you that idea?”

  “Your bright red face is an obvious tip off.”

  “I’m all right, I just don’t want to talk about her right now.”

  “I understand. Let me know if you do. In the meantime, I’m going to take my things to my lovely new apartment you gave me and hit the stores again. I’ll start on the new uniforms later tonight.” Pong was happy now that she had something to do. She had spent most of her life seeking revenge, and now she could become a part of something important and positive.

  “Excellent. If you want, you can take a couple of weeks off before you start helping out with the fleet,” Jesse advised.

  “That’s all right, I want to start right away. I want to jump right into it. So, how about in two days, if that’s okay with you?” Pong asked.

  “That’s perfect, Pong. Report to Crazy Renzo in two days in hanger bay thirteen, at zero nine hundred hours. I’ll tell him to expect you,” Jesse said.

  “Thanks again, and stay clear of ladies with blue hair.” Pong smiled and walked away.

  “Trust me, I’ll try to do my best.”

  Jesse checked on Frank, Luis’ lover, who had luckily been found on the Renex ship. Frank was hit hard with Luis’ death, and like Jesse, missed him greatly. Jesse knocked on Frank’s door. “Come in,” Frank says.

  Jesse entered the dark apartment, and said, “Frank, why the hell is it so dark in here? You know Luis wouldn’t want you to mope around all depressed.”

  “I know.”

  “Dude, you have to find something to do to get your mind off of him. Trust me, I miss Luis very much as well, he was like a brother to me, but constantly thinking about it just makes things worse. Come with me to one of the lounges for a drink. Come on, and I won’t take no for an answer.” Jesse insisted. Frank did want to get out, and went with Jesse to one of the lounges. They drank, told funny stories of Luis, and some of the crazy stuff he used to do. It cheered Frank up.

  “Anytime you want to talk, Frank, you can come and see me. I was Luis’ close friend, and now I’m yours. All right?” Jesse said. Frank nodded yes, and was now happy. Jesse finally found Frank a job, organizing shows and other entertainment, it was something he did for Luis and he had loved it. Frank found out that there were a
number of gay men on the Horizon, and thought about getting back in the market.

  Jesse had also made time to visit Cinnamon. The young admiral asked her if she wanted to be part of his team as well. She said that she needed a lot more time to think about it. Her and Pong had been spending a lot of time together, but Pong said that Cinnamon had been hit hard by the loss of her sister, and Monica. Jesse knew exactly how she felt, and decided to give her as much time as she needed. Cinnamon had a lot of experience, and he didn’t want to lose her. All of the women, who had survived from Monica’s crew, had also joined him after Monica died. They proved to be a very valuable asset to the young admiral. Many of them had come to him to talk with him, especially Janet, Monica’s pilot, and Natalie. Monica had always talked about Jesse, and both women looked forward to serve under a legend.

  Chapter 20

  “All very successful commanders are prima donnas and must be so treated.”

  George S. Patton

  Another two months had gone by, and everything had been running smoothly. Jesse, and the crew of the Horizon, were all wearing their new uniforms that Pong had designed. She had designed different uniforms for each department. Pong confessed that Cinnamon had even helped a little. For the Command staff, she had combined the traditional naval style, with an elegant sleek look to them. The uniforms were completely black, and had rank insignias, which were dark shiny blue and light silver.

  Jesse was walking around the corner when he saw Eronica waiting in the doorway of his quarters. His shift was over, and he was looking forward to taking a long hot shower, and then passing out on his couch. Jesse was dying for a couple of shots of Absinthe. Luckily, he was able to get a few things from the Black Ice when the retired Captain Moore brought it aboard the Horizon. Eric had the Renex alien ship separated from the Black Ice. Jesse hoped that someday he would be able to have her repaired, but he felt it probably wouldn’t be a very long time. Jesse realized that there was no escaping Eronica this time. Although he was happy to see her, he hid his emotions. When he looked into her eyes, he could see that she was nervous and anxious to talk to him. Eronica did have a lot she wanted to discuss with him, but she just didn’t know where to begin. As he approached her, neither of them spoke a word for at least one minute. To them, it felt like an eternity.

  “Are you all right, Eronica?” Jesse spoke first.

  “No,” Eronica whispered.

  “Do you want to come in?”

  “Yes.” Jesse opened the door with his security key, which was shaped like an old fashioned credit card. When he opened the door for her, she quickly entered. Her perfume was intoxicating, as it caught Jesse’s nostrils, and he took in her scent, which had always weakened him.

  Eronica immediately seated herself on Jesse’s red leather couch. She looked up at him with a hurt look on her face. Her eyes were watery, making them look like beautiful blue crystals.

  “Is there something wrong with me?” Eronica asked. He felt his stomach knot up with her question, and asked her, “No, of course not, why would you think that?”

  “Because you avoid me every chance you get.”

  Jesse didn’t want to tell her the truth. “No, I don’t, I’ve been extremely busy.” Jesse truly was busy, but that wasn’t his true reason.

  “Yesterday, you walked completely to the other side of the shopping level. I know you saw me. By the time I reached the side you were on, you had disappeared,” Eronica stated.

  Jesse knew it is the truth and felt bad for it, and said, “I had to go check on my Command staff.”

  “You’re avoiding me, and I don’t understand why. Do you hate me, Jesse?” Eronica desperately asked.

  “Of course not, Eronica, don’t be ridiculous.” He tried not to look at her directly, walked in to his kitchen, and got a shot of Absinthe. He asked her if she wanted something to drink, but she said no.

  “Then, why are you avoiding me?”

  “I’m not, it’s just…I have had a lot on my mind since I took over as admiral, which requires a lot of mental energy. I’m sorry if I’ve seemed rude,” Jesse explained. Even though he loved it, Jesse’s entire body ached from the stress of his new Command.

  “I can’t take it any longer. I have to be with you. You don’t understand what it is like for a Pulse female to be without her mate. I know you have feelings for me, I can feel it in my heart and soul, but you seem to be fighting it. Why won’t you let me love you?” Eronica asked, as tears trickled down her soft cheeks.

  “I can’t!”

  “Why not?” Eronica didn’t understand.

  “Because I’m afraid! I don’t want to disappoint you. I’ve been burned by women so many times, that I’m afraid to put my trust and love into another,” Jesse explained, as he began to pace back and forth.

  “Jesse, I promise on my life that I will never hurt you. You can put your trust in me, honey,”

  “Honey?” Jesse asked.

  “I’ve heard a few couples using the term of endearment, and Pong says it all of the time. I like it.” Eronica smiled.

  Jesse smiled back. “Listen, I believe you mean what you say, but I feel you can do a lot better than me. Why would you want to waste your time on a space bum like myself? There are many good-looking Pulse men on this ship. You could have any man you want, why me?”

  “You’re not a bum. You are a kind, gentle man, who likes helping others, and enjoys helping them solve their problems. I don’t just love you because the gods have perfectly matched us together. I love you because I see the goodness in your heart, and the love you have to give. Plus, I am strongly sexually attracted to you. I think you are a beautiful man, who I want to spend the rest of my life with,” Eronica confessed.

  Jesse knew she was sincere; it is just hard for him to swallow after his many failed relationships. “I don’t understand how you can see all of that in me.”

  “You have to understand, Jesse, that Pulse females have a kind of strong psychic intuition on reading people, especially on reading men. Not only that, I have watched you as you grew up. I have seen what you have been through, and I have experienced the pain you have suffered. Jesse, I may be a stranger to you, but I have known you most of your life, thanks to the gods. I have loved you deeply for many years, and I have seen that you are an honorable man. Please, Jesse, put away all of you doubts and fears, and let’s love each other like no one else has in the entire existence of all life.”

  Eronica rose to her feet, and placed her small, delicate hands on his shoulders. She was only three inches shorter than he was. She looked deep into his blue eyes. He felt as if his lips were magnetically drawn to hers, and couldn’t resist her any longer. He pulled her in, and passionately kissed her luscious blue lips. He became overwhelmed by the power of their kiss; it was like nothing he had ever experienced before. He felt his body heat up all the way down to his toes. Jesse had fantasized kissing her many times in his thoughts, but hadn’t realized that the passion must have been building up inside him, for the kiss was explosive. Eronica, on the other hand, had waited for years for this wonderful moment, and was happy that her wish had finally come true.

  She already knew that the chemistry between them was beyond magical, and could feel her love for him flow over her entire body, causing her skin to flush and redden. Jesse noticed that her lips tasted like fresh raspberries. He drew her back for a second.

  “What’s that? Are you wearing something on your lips? They’re sweet,” Jesse asked.

  “What, my love? Please don’t stop kissing me,” Eronica begged.

  “You taste good.”

  “Pulse females excrete sweetness from our lips…and certain other…body parts. The Earth flavor would be known as sun dried black raspberries,” Eronica grinned.

  “Interesting.” Jesse grinned. She pulled him in and they continued to kiss. Time seemed to come to a halt for the both of them. Their tongues danced in each other’s mouths, until finally, Jesse picked up Eronica into his strong arms, and took
her to his bedroom. She could feel the hardness of his metal muscles on her side. He gently laid her down on his soft bed. She grabbed him by his shirt, flipped him onto the bed, and proceeded to mount him. They continued kissing, as they helped each other with removing their clothes. He looked down at her voluptuous round breasts and noticed that her nipples were also blue. He didn’t think he could be anymore turned on by her, yet he was. She smiled at him, because she could feel his passion was burning deep inside, and it made her happy and aroused. Jesse sucked hard on Eronica’s blue nipples and was amazed that they, too, tasted sweet.

  “Lights,” Jesse said. The lights dimmed until the room was completely black. They continued to make love for hours, and all through the next morning. When it was time for his shift to begin, he called Captain Jain to take over command for the day. Nilay was more than happy to take over for his admiral, because he felt that he had too much on his plate, and needed some time off. Eronica was also happy, because it gave them more time to make love. She didn’t want to stop, and they didn’t.

  Two days later, Jesse was forced to emerge from his bed, after being continually begged by Renzo and Tony. They wanted Jesse to see their progress of the new fleet of fighter ships. Eronica didn’t want him to be away from her, so they took a shower together, and finally, made their way to the hanger bay. The couple had a glow about them as they walked through the corridors of the Horizon. They were so in tune with one another, that they didn’t even feel the need to speak, as if they could read each other’s thoughts. Jesse was in love, there was no denying it. Eronica was beaming, because she had finally gotten him, and there was no way she would give him up. Marriage rested on her mind, but she wondered if she should bring it up, since he was human. She had listened to the conversations of other couples, and had marveled at how human males would continually dodge the subject of marriage, as if it were a razor sharp knife.

  It was driving her crazy, and the urge to talk to him about it was strong. As they walked down one of the halls, Eronica cradled her arms around his right arm and rested her head on his shoulder. Jesse was not used to this kind of affection, but he loved it. Eronica wanted to go back to bed, so that she could hold onto him tightly. The couple finally reached the hanger bay, and Jesse’s mouth dropped open, as he stared in amazement over what he saw. One dozen fighter ships were perfectly lined up in four rows; it was his new fleet of ships. The fighter ships were long, sleek, and shiny. They were painted in half blue and silver. From the top to the middle of the ships, it was painted dark blue, and from middle to bottom, it was painted shiny silver. Each ship had its own name printed on the side in white letters. Jesse saw that one of the ships said, “Kamikaze,” and he knew right away that it was Crazy Renzo’s. Each pilot, who were also standing next to their ships, looked sharp in their new black uniforms. Pong stood next to her ship, as did Don and Tony next to theirs. Pong’s ship had the word, “Endless Revenge,” on the side of hers, and Jesse laughed when he saw the side of Don’s ship, which read “Dark Chocolate.” Jesse recognized some of Monica’s old crew, who were now a part of his. Janet and Natalie both stood next to their ships, and gave the young captain a warm smile. Janet had dedicated her ship in the name of the Huntington, and Natalie’s ship said “Monica,” on its side.