Defying The Alliance: ERUPTION (Novokin Alliance Invasion 3) (6 page)

The sting of the point blank range plasma blast tore through my skull with the pain of a thousand Kilorian honeybees.

When my brain cleared and I opened my eyes, I was still kneeling on the floor of the Novokin bridge.
How come I'm not dead?
I turned to look up at my attacker. Asmot's eyes were like saucers before he rapidly fired again, once into my face three more times point-blank into my chest. The girls were not happy.

This time was far more annoying than the last, but not nearly as painful. I squinted into his awestruck face – "Ouch."

I tried to push him away from me with both hands and instead I ended up launching him across the room in an arc of green energy. I stared down at my hands, still crackling and sizzling with the same green energy from his plasma pistol. Ass-mot was some twenty feet away, smoking and groggy, yet still preternaturally pretentious.

When I turned back to where I thought I saw Trex, a moment before tall, purple and jerky decided it was okay to shoot me in the face, my heart skipped.
He really was here!
My beautiful, golden barbarian had come for me. And by the goofy look on his face I knew he was just as surprised as me about what had just happened. However he shook it off and bounded toward me like a Kalurian Wolf, scooping me up into his massive arms as we collided.

"What did I tell you about picking me up in public?" I fake shouted with as much pretend anger as I was able to muster. It had about as much effect as my real anger did the first time he scooped me up with those big steel pipes he called arms on the promenade of the Proteus Deep space station 5. Only this time, he showered my face and hair with luxurious kisses. Nuzzling into his chest, stroking his light, silky chest fur didn’t help my case.
Oh, look a nipple.
My naughty was coming out to play.

When I finally pried him away, he grinned with those big curved lips of his and I felt my heart flutter. "Apologies my Captain, if you wish you can spank me later." Not a bad suggestion I have to admit, and a wicked glint flashed in his eyes.
Maybe I should be concerned?
It seemed my alien had a naughty side too. This may have to be explored in the future. But right then I just needed to enjoy the warmth and protection of his massively strong arms. I was home once again. Safe.

A plasma burst exploded over our heads, raining super heated bits of slag down on us, snapping me out of my comfort once again. Can’t a girl get a moment with her alien? Ass-mott was back on his feet, and running for the port side of the ship. His personal escape pod. Trex roared in warning, the gold hue of his skin catching the light of the burning control panels. His hair was wild with fight and the blood of our enemies. He looked and sounded like a Takadian lion.
Yum, he was so hot!
A wanting moan escaped my lips.

My protector had apparently misinterpreted my noise. His entire demeanor softened, and he focused all of his attention on me. "Are you all right, are you hurt?" He asked, worry with a tinge of fear coating his voice.

Now he was turning into a mother hen. "Put me down and I'll see," I commanded, though not really wanting to leave his arms.

Trex gently lowered me on to the floor, and I started to sway. Maybe I wasn't in quite as good a shape as I thought. Trex pulled me close to his chiseled body, steadying me. Is it wrong I just wanted to sink my teeth into his chest and let the rest of the universe go to the eight infernos?

Two massive explosions engulfed the throne Asmot had made for himself on the bridge, scorching it down to little more than blackened nub. I looked over to see Asmot himself, scowling at the scene.
Ha! Take that you praking piece of purple sire-praking skeck!

Trex glared at the man, the butcher who killed his family and destroyed his world, now stood in front of the open escape pod door. I felt my large alien tense under my touch, before he dropped his head level to mine, his beautiful green, eyes capturing me with their ferocious gleam.

My heart shattered. I understood.

I held my breath waiting for Trex to leave me. To say goodbye forever. To go exact the blood vengeance he had sworn over the graves of his people before he ever met me. To put to rest the souls that consumed his every waking thought thereafter. After all, Ass-mot was within his grasp.
Who could blame him?

He continued to stare deep into my eyes, his face solemn and unreadable. Then the right corner of his lip curled up ever so slightly and a large strong hand slid down my back and patted my butt.

"Let's go my little Captain," he said.

I was speechless. He scooped me up again, but this time I didn't waste time chastising him for it. After all my hands were busy sliding around his neck. And my mouth was occupied kissing his brow, his cheeks, his nose and then those sexy, succulent lips of his as he settled us into the only escape pod on the starboard side of the ship.

I didn't even stop as he closed the hatch behind us, I just kept kissing. Well, I groped a little too, but it was mostly kissing. The feel of his lips and his face, the maddening intoxication of his delicious scent… I nuzzled into his neck and for the first time in a long time I felt – satisfied.

Before I knew it Ass-mot’s ship was far behind us and we were surrounded by the empty black vastness of space. I finally pulled away from him. Brushing the hair out of his eyes, I was slightly afraid of what I might find when I looked into them. Sadness? Anger? Regret?

"Are you okay?" I asked tentatively.

Trex gave me a wickedly wonderful grin. "I am perfect," he boasted. His tail punctuated his sentence, taking certain uninvited liberties with my backside.

I gave him my best you stink-like-skeck look before I pressed on. "But Asmot got away. What about your oath, your vengeance, your family –?"

"You are my family," he announced with authority. He pulled me closer to him. How much closer I could get already in his lap I wasn't sure, but I'd be damned if he didn't try. And if I didn’t let him. He delicately lifted my chin so we were eye to eye. "You've been my family since the first day we met. I tried to tell you the last time we joined. You come first in my life my little Captain, my amka." He slowly slid a hand on my side and ended with it on my belly, "and he will be my family too."

Realization of what he meant struck me. Shot me point-blank in the gut. My jaw dropped and for the first time in my life I was speechless. Then it warmed me to my core.

“You are with our young in your belly my amka. He would inherit my ability to create and absorb most types of energy. That is the reason you survived Asmot’s plasma blast.” Adoration and a tender love sparkled in his eyes making me woozy, warm and tingly inside.

I was pregnant. We were pregnant. As if
flipping a switch the indignation at his assumption overtook me.

"You mean
she
will be your family too." I stated firmly, trying to look put off.

"It matters not my amka, as long as we are all together."

I guess it really wasn't worth pretending to fight it anymore.
I loved this man.

He tried to bring his full lips to mine again but with great force of will I splayed my fingers on his chest, holding him back away from me.  "You know what today is?"

He shook his head no. I feigned an annoyed astonishment. "Today is our anniversary. Two months ago today I met you on the Proteus Deep space station 5."

Now was his turn to give me a funny look, but nothing, nothing was going to spoil my surprise. I raised my righteous chin. "Well, it doesn't matter if you forgot. I got you something anyway."

My sweet barbarian was totally confused. I held up a small blue circuit board I had stashed on the floor of the escape pod earlier.

"Thank you," he said cordially. "I apologize I did not think to get you anything. I will not fail our next anniversary," he said emphasizing each word while he puzzled over the hastily pulled piece of circuitry.

Wow! Somebody trained him well.
Seriously though. I shook my head.
What a goofball.
"It's the stabilization circuit board, from the other pod. Look," I pointed out the large window.

From our vantage point we saw Asmot's escape pod shoot away from the ship, spinning wildly. Trex laughed once, and then lowered his gaze away from the scene in front of us.

"What?" I exclaimed punching his solid arm.
Ouch.
"The thought of Asmot flopping around in an escape pod filled with his own vomit and excrement isn't a good enough gift from your woman and child?"

A smile tugged to the corner of those luscious lips and I needed to run my hand across his face. "It was very thoughtful of you," he confessed before leaning in for more lip locking.

I held up a hand to stave off his sexy attack. "But not exactly what you wanted, eh? Okay, so here," I reached down and grabbed a second circuit board, holding it up for him to see. This was much smaller than the other, green and held mostly conduits of silver suspended in an orange gel.

His eyes widened, "Is that…?"

I dipped my head a slow nod, letting him know that yes, this was the navigational circuit board from Asmot's escape pod. What can I say, best girlfriend ever.

We both turned to watch Asmot's pod spin out of control as it sailed across the sky, directly into a red giant. Poof, no more Asmot. No one even heard him scream.

Trex turned back to me, eyes glistening, his body trembling when he whispered, "I have nothing to give you."

The darkness of space was awash in the bright red light of Asmot's exploding ship.

I grabbed his "belt" and pulled him close towards me. "I believe I can think of something you can give me."

Anya leaned forward in the captain’s chair aboard the Protectorate warship Razor, watching an escape pod scream away from the Novokin monstrosity known as the Harbinger. A small white burst emanated from where the bridge should be when a second pod wildly peeled away from the ship.

"Lieutenant," she had tied her command into the comm system of all the other ships as she called out one final order to the valiant crew of the Protectorate warbird Razor. "Target all weapons in the direction of that explosion."

Every ship in the fleet ceased chasing the small Novokin attack fighters and aligned themselves into position.

The ship's intercom crackled to life. A tinny voice yelled at them from the Arboretum, "It's twins!"

The large half Terran-half Duskanite smiled from ear to ear at the news, and continued smiling as she gave her last order as Captain of the Razor.

"Fire."

When the thick metal door to my new room slid open, Trex duct and spun instinctively. His gorgeous mane of golden brown hair flailed wildly behind him.

Smash!

Something exploded on the wall behind his head. His gorgeous olive eyes softened and gazed at me with that annoying look of his - part affection and part annoyance. The air around the room began to charge. Old-time writing instruments in the table next to my bed danced, all the photo frames across the room shivered and the hard copy reports on the floor seemed to come to life.

Within a second he was next to my bed, kneeling at my side. Goddess how I loved this man, but boy did he annoy me. Crackling with blue light my hand met his jaw at near the speed of sound.

SLAP!

The air exploded between my palm and his face. During my incarceration I learned that when a charged surface meets charged surface, the resulting sound was near deafening. He at least had the courtesy to blink his eyes a few times and rub his jaw, even if the blow hadn't moved him. He didn't deserve to be hit, he was the sweetest alien this side of the dark nebula. But being cooped up here in a converted cargo hold for the last two months with nothing to do didn't make for a happy Captain.

His warm hand met my face, but unlike my initial greeting, his was filled with love and longing.

"I'm sorry my little Captain, but as you know we have little choice." His fingers moved to stroke my hair.

"I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Anya is working on a containment suit, that might allow you to get out of here." He tried to convey hope with his eyes, but we both knew her fifth attempt at a suit wouldn't likely be much different from the other four I had melted. I couldn't fault her though, she meant well.

Being cooped up here by myself I was having a wee bit of trouble controlling my emotions. The
charging
hormones didn't make matters any easier. Trex's large hands encircled mine. My big barbarian captured my gaze with those damn stunning eyes of his. His sculpted lips and perfect jaw made me want to slap him again.

"Tonight, I will discharge you as much as I am able, then I have arranged for you to have some time here with your godbabbies." Skeck, now my eyes were leaking. This man always knew exactly what I wanted.

Nothing made me happier than playing with Shotoc and Vaneflower. Shotoc was the same vibrant viridian as his father. He even looked like a mini Jaxx, but with a soft fuzzy coat of adolescent foliage. He was fearless, and like all Floturan children, growing like a weed. He had to be almost two metlars high already. But no matter how big he got, he would never be too big for godmother Caspia to cuddle.

Vaneflower on the other hand was the complete opposite of her brother. Her foliage was reddish with a hint of orange. Her eyes were big and bright, but she often chose to survey the world in detail before reaching out to experience. These being his first children, Jaxx was nervous and concerned. Caspia knew better, Vaneflower was just thoughtful very aware of her surroundings. She was careful and aware. She'd make a fine captain someday.

"Do you want the reports?" The trepidation in his voice suggested to me I might've tormented the big barbarian a little too much. I soothed his wild mane and drizzled soft kisses along his cheek. He took that as an invitation and began to read.

"Currently, we are at a hundred and twenty ships, and have six more scheduled to rendezvous with Lieutenants Cobbs and Dodson next week. Ensign Chandles is now in his third week of training all the freighter pilots and civilians who were interested in learning to fly the small attack vehicles we salvaged from the wreckage of the Harbinger."

I sighed. Regardless of their Captain being out of commission, the Razor was still the focal point of this rebellion. We may have had a major victory against Ass-mot nearly two months ago, but one battle was far from winning the war. It was closer to the truth to say we had painted a big target on our backs now, begging the Alliance to come and get us. Fortunately the crew of the Razor, my crew, had stepped up. My lieutenants used our victory to help swell our ranks to nearly three times the size of the force that took on the Harbinger. My Ensign and Commander Jaxx were making sure each ship was properly briefed, their tansponders recoded so they would be essentially invisible to Alliance scans and every able pilot was trained. From ex-Protectorate, to freighter jockey, to pirate.

Supply lines had been built, and the Razor's engineering crew led by Anya; a woman even I had to concede was absolutely fabulous was retrofitting all the older ships in the fleet with upgraded targeting technology, weapons and even got together with some of the other engineers in their off time to build us a dozen starlight series Protectorate ships.

Anya had also managed to contact her brother in the Southern Fleet. Their expedition had been cut short when they came upon a contingent of Alliance ships just inside the dark nebula the same time as the Novokins were invading us. They had their hands full with their own little war in the galaxy adjacent to ours. Now at the behest of his sister and their victory there, they were headed home. His crew’s addition to ours will nearly double the size of the fleet we had now. When the Alliance came looking for some payback for that black-eye we gave it, they were going to be in for a big surprise.

"Any word from Julie and Marco?"

"None as of yet, but according to their time line they are not yet overdue."

"They still should've checked in by now." I scowled.

"From what you have described, they are both quite capable of taking care of themselves." He turned his attention back to the papers in his hand.

Apparently, he wasn't prepared to give in to another one of my rants today. The twitching at the corner of his mouth also told me he knew that I knew he knew.
Sniff – sniff – oh yeah, I smelled a slap coming.

I just hoped the two of them were all right. Wow, I never thought I'd be worried about one of the purple skins – no. That wasn't right. I never thought I'd be concerned for a Novokin’s well-being. I had to remember to keep the Novokins and the Alliance separate, at least if what Marco said was true.

Trex was still reading update reports to me, while I absently stroked his long fuzzy tail. It playfully pulled at my fingers and rubbed itself up and down my thigh. I can't believe at one point I thought it was merely some kind of ceremonial belt he had wound around himself. I knew better now. It playfully tugged at the seam of my uniform. I also knew how naughty it liked to be sometimes. I punctuated that knowledge with a little pinch and it ran for cover, cowering around his waist. Trex gave me a wry look.

"What?" I punched him lightly on his thick tree trunk of an arm. "I'm really bored in here. I can't keep up to date, I can't use the computer – I can't even read the reports you give me." I threw an exasperated gesture at the pile of semi-burned papers next to the insulated ruberium bed we were sitting on. I could feel the air around me start to take on a static charge. The writing instruments in the metal desk once again began their annoying dance.

"All I do, all day, is eat and exercise. I wish I knew how many push-ups I've done today, or how many times I've hit the speeder bag. I should be in the greatest shape of my life," I laid my head on his shoulder and gave a fake punch to his rock hard six pack. "But I'm fat."

An instant later I was about a foot from the ceiling. If anyone ever asked, I would categorically deny that I squealed like a little girl. After scooping me up and twirling about the room he pulled me back into his arms before we collapsed to the bed. His lips found mine, his kisses hungry and toe tingling. He slowly pulled back, his teeth catching my lower lip and gently sucking at it just before release.

With one massive hand supporting my back, his other slid around to palm my growing belly.

"You are not fat. You are with child. My child. You are beautiful, wonderful and glorious."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." I pretended like his words didn't cause my heart to swell, tsunami heights.

"I know this is hard for you, but as you know Othmarvian children only gestate for four of your Terran months."

"It's already been two months," I pouted.

He nudged my nose with his. I was nearly overcome by the delicious smell of his, an intoxicating erotic mixture of a warm summer day brushed with the sweetness of apples. I took a long, deep breath, and caught him smiling. I nudged him back with my hips.

"The Terran midwife from the mining colony, says you and the baby looked to be somewhere equivalent to the fifth or six month of a normal Terran gestation."

I couldn't be angry at the baby. Heck, she wasn't even born and had already saved my life once. But these uncontrollable bursts of electricity from my pregnancy were maddening. I destroyed every terminal I came near. I burned three uniforms and shot bolts of energy at my crew whenever I got upset. After multiple crew members and several visiting entourages had received multiple third-degree burns, more than a few hints suggesting I take a break or even a vacation had landed in my inbox.

A thought raced through my mind, materializing in the tangible world as a bolt of static electricity shot through a half-empty teacup on the desk next to my insulated bed.

"What if this doesn't go away after she's born?"

His fingers stroked my hair. Energy crackled and hummed between us, his fingers encircled with blue and green tendrils of energy. My body was reaching out to him again.

"If that occurs my little Captain, my Caspia… We will deal with it. Maybe in time you will learn to control your new powers?"

That earned him another slap, but a playful one on the chest. It turned into a slow rub and I savored the warm magnetic pull of his skin.

As an Othmarvian female, I would have been able to safely absorb and then discharge the necessary energy from my growing child. However as a Terran, I had no such way to regulate the energy levels my little girl needed to survive. So every day, I relied on Trex.

Based on the scans the A.I. doctor did on the Protectorate ship Glory, Trex's body had sensors that were attuned to the child and what it needed energy wise. Never having encountered Terrans before, the doctor as well as the rest of the fleet was unaware of any current-producing species, meaning we were deep in uncharted space here.

The only nice thing about my situation was that the more skin contact there was between the two of us, the easier it was for him to regulate the necessary energy fields for me. It took a few tries, and a few positions to narrow down that tidbit of information. A sensual wave of energy pricked the skin of my forearm like a cool breeze in a hot summer’s day. Seemed my man was done reading.

Turning to face Trex I was greeted by bright hazel eyes, crackling with the wrath and virility of the spring thunderstorm. His face drew close to my when the first tendrils of electricity began to jump between us. Any pain from the sparks was sweet, more closely resembling a lover’s bite.

I wove my fingers through his charged silky, golden brown mane. When I had a nice firm grasp, I held his beautiful face inches from mine studying every minute detail of it. Green and gold firebolt stricken eyes captured me in their loving and tender gaze. They sat above high cheek bones, split by a strong, straight nose towering over big luscious lips and a delectable jaw. He was beautiful. Behind us I could smell smoke from where one of the errant tendrils of lightning we had discharged was burning through the papers he had brought with him. It was a good thing the bed was fireproof. Very good.

Across the room photo frames holding exact duplicates of the pictures from my Captain's quarters shook, while the images inside them bubbled and split. The writing instruments on my table danced into the air along with a heat-resistant plate and eating utensils I had left over from lunch. The electromagnetic waves I was generating even started to shift the bed we were laying on.

"Last time you shorted out this whole section of the ship." Trex growled his reminder at me from between clenched teeth.

I couldn't hold him off any longer, and he pushed through my grip to devour my mouth. As hungry as he was, he took his time savoring each drag of his lips across my mouth, as if we hadn't seen each other for years. True this had only been our second time making love today but I wasn't in the mood to split hairs.

I opened for him, inviting his tongue to meld with mine and explore my mouth. Our tongues twisted and stroked one another, his thick lips claiming my mouth. The protected lights in the ceiling began to flicker, strobbing the room as their power supplies alternately surged and drained.

My big golden alien attempted to pull back from my mouth. I protested by biting on his bottom lip, hard.

"We are going to destroy all the conduits in this section of the ship if we keep going like this." I knew that must've been praking hard to say, especially with me dangling and suckling on his lower lip. "Caspia…"

Prak him for bringing logic into this, the last thing I wanted to do now was think about –.

"We need to have more direct skin contact."

My barbarian alien was genius.
I released my hold on his lower lip and fell back down onto my ruberium coated pillow. I let my hands slide across and then down his beautifully sculpted chest. My fingers dancing like the water of a babbling brook across the tightly packed muscles of his abdomen, only stopping when I reached the solid jutting bones of his hips. Being so close to his groin caused my insides to flutter. I made small hungry kneads into his skin.