Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: Scifi Alien Romance Novel (30 page)

“Relax, Ja’al. I know you’ve been too busy to keep us monitored. But from here, we can see everything.” He spun his head in a full circle, looking up to the mezzanine and all around them, taking in every possible entry and exit point from the grand ballroom. “The exit should be right over there,” he said, nodding towards the southwest corner of the room. “Did you catch all that?”

“Yeah, we got it, Adaar. But it doesn’t match. They’ve changed the layout here from our plans. There in the southwest corner…this whole footprint seems wrong.”

“Of course it does,” said Adaar.

“Our tracking data shows that you passed it some time ago.”

“Probably tucked away behind that statue,” said Adaar.

“Passed what?” said Lana. “Were we supposed to be looking for something? I thought I was here to speak with Ellistra.”

“That’s still the plan, Lana. We’re just covering our bases in case someone recognizes the captain.”

“An escape route,” said Adaar. He looked to Lana and said in a hushed tone. “This is one of the oldest palaces in the galaxy. Large sections of it are still carved directly into the rock, and the rest is backed up to the sea cliff. It’s great for protection, but it also means that the royal family had no way to escape.”

“No kidding. They’d have nowhere to go.”

“Which is why, four-thousand years ago, a secret tunnel was dug out through the rock, leading underground and winding out to the shore about two miles east of here. The seaside entrance is well hidden, and virtually no one knows about the passage on this side. By the time you’ve talked with Ellistra, everyone will be here in the ballroom, so it’s irrelevant. Just a precaution.”

“I’m going to speak with the princess, convince her to break off the wedding, and we’re just going to waltz out the front door?”

“Just like that,” said Adaar.

Lana shook her head. “But what if I can’t? What if she doesn’t want to listen?”

“The princess isn’t naïve. Or greedy. She believes she’s doing what’s best for her people.”

“As soon as I open my mouth, she’s going to know I don’t belong here.”

“I’m counting on it,” said Adaar. “You’ve experienced the tyranny of the Empire first-hand. And that’s why you have to be the one to speak with her.”

Lana looked down at her feet. She was skeptical.

“You can do this, Lana. Just tell her the truth. She’ll listen.”

“Or have me killed.”

“You wanted to make a difference, Lana? This is your chance. You can save this planet from sharing Tarksis’s fate. Is that worth the risk?”

Lana heaved a sigh. She thought about Tanner, and about her father. She thought about the faces of the humans in the mines. If she could prevent the people of this world from suffering, she had to try. “Of course it is.”

A fanfare of horns echoed through the palace halls, summoning them back to the ballroom.

“It’s time, Lana. Let’s give them a show.”

Chapter 14

Lana panicked as the guests flooded into the ballroom. It would be a miracle if she could remember the steps of the Kamaran Royal Waltz without tripping over herself. And now she had a minefield of overlong and ostentatious dress trains to contend with. She was sure she was going to make a spectacle of herself, toppling headfirst into the reflecting pool.

“You look tense,” said Adaar as he took her hand with a long, slow bow.

Lana held her arm out uncomfortably, curtsying as she nodded her head to him. “Again with the brilliant observations. What gave it away?”

He pulled her in close as the stings began their song, placing his hand on the small of her back and looking her deep in the eyes. “To my point,” he said. “You’re quick with a riposte when you’re feeling vulnerable.”

Lana hated that he was right. Hated that he saw through her so easily. And even through the mask that the doctor had so carefully disguised him with, Lana could see the telltale lines of that cocky smile that meant he knew he had made his point.

“You have nothing to worry about, Lana. You had this down cold when I taught it to you. Just follow my lead. Let me guide you.”

“I’m going to trip over myself and blow the whole thing.”

“Do you trust me?”

“What?” she said. Her rate raced. What the hell kind of question was that? Her panic over her dance steps fell from her mind, replaced by a far more personal terror.

“It’s a simple question, Lana. Do you trust me?”

She swallowed hard. She was here with him, after all. Putting her entire life in his hands. Going to talk the Anaran princess out of the biggest mistake of her life. Because he had asked her to. It was completely insane.

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

He pressed into her palm, holding her body steady as they stepped around the corner, perfectly in time with the accelerating tempo of the orchestra. “That’s not an answer,” he said.

Adaar pulled her closer and held her cheek to cheek as they spun a tight circle, traversing the centerline of the floor. He stopped suddenly, letting her momentum bend her body back over his arm, and he caught her inches from the floor before gracefully raising her back up into position.

She looked up at him, at the enchanting blue eyes that she’d come to find comfort in. “I would be a fool to trust you,” she said. “You’re nothing but trouble.”

But even as she spoke, she knew it was a lie. He was risking his life to be here, and for a noble reason. She saw the good in him. In the crew. She had let her own prejudice blind her to the incredible man who was right here in front of her. Adaar was committed to easing the suffering caused by the Kamaran people. She’d never met a more noble man in her life.

She lifted a hand to the back of his neck as they spiraled faster around the floor. The tempo of the waltz raced through the changes, the melody swirling upwards in a series of sweeps and runs.

Kira was right about the Raiders. They were close, like a family, and they had welcomed her into the fold. They were the kind and honorable, and every single one of them trusted their captain.

She braced herself against the firm pull of his biceps as he held her into his chest, his strong body effortlessly guiding her along. Her feet fell into a natural rhythm under his direction. It was easy to let go and follow his lead.

“It’s true, Lana. I’m nothing but trouble.”

The Anaran woman she’d spotted earlier spun nearby, stumbling over the diaphanous train of her dress and falling to the floor in front of them. Without missing a beat, Adaar lifted Lana up and swung her out of the way.

She admired his skill, his centered awareness. She allowed herself to be carried away in the ease of his control, relaxing into his mastery of his body. She imagined her hands tracing over the smooth golden lines of his skin as his lips swept over her body, exploring her reactions.

There was no hesitation in his movements as he pulled her forward around the floor, guiding her through the sea of people. Lana’s vision narrowed as the world around her faded away. The cascade of colors and sounds filled her senses. It would have been so easy to stay here forever in his arms.

She deserved the chance at happiness. She’d suffered too much. Would it be so wrong to seize the chance at love in the midst of the chaos? She could make her own life, live it on her own terms. Adaar had shown her that it was possible. That it was worth it to fight back. To make a difference and do what was right.

Lana let the possibility in. Let the sheer joy of the moment in, and allowed it to flow through her.
Yes,
she thought.
I could trust you. I could even love you.
The weight of her burdens lifted off her shoulders. Her lips parted as she gazed into his eyes, entranced. The strong touch of his hands on her back sent a wave of anticipation through her body as she opened herself to him.

“I think I can handle it,” she said as she drew her hand down his down his neck. “I trust you.” Her lips parted as she closed her eyes.

And Adaar’s mouth was on her. A smooth, slow kiss that penetrated her entire body, deep into her core.

The sublime melody of the Kamaran Waltz swirled to its peak as the strings sang and Lana disappeared into his kiss.

And as the final cadence rang and the echoes of the music faded into the background, the turns of their dance slowed to a stop.

Adaar stepped back and bowed to her as the room erupted into thunderous applause.

“You’re ready for this,” he said.

Lana looked up at him, deep into his eyes. “Yes. I am.”

The Head of Ceremony appeared on the balcony as a regal fanfare sounded from the horns. “Distinguished guests,” he began. “I would like to thank you all on behalf of the Imperial Court of Kamara for taking part in our time-honored ceremony of the Kamaran Waltz. With your help and through your efforts, we have melded the traditions of the Kamaran people with the deep and rich history of Anara and her people…”

“It’s time,” Adaar said softly. “When he’s finished his speech, the doors will open to the private chambers of the betrothed, and the couple will join us here for the ceremony. You’ll want to get to Ellistra before that happens.”

Lana nodded. She still a job to do. The moment she had shared with Adaar gave her a renewed sense of hope and possibility.

He pointed to a majestic archway leading away from the ballroom. “During the dance, the princess would have moved into the waiting chamber, just through that passage. The princess has a private devotional ceremony, a ritual prayer to perform in isolation as the assembly consecrates the hall with the waltz. Ellista will be waiting in there for her attendant to knock and escort her to the ballroom balcony.”

“But I’ll be there instead.”

Adaar flashed his blue eyes and smiled at her. “Only if you hurry.”

Lana reached up onto her toes and planted a kiss on his mouth.

“I’ll be waiting here,” he said. “Gods go with you.”

***

Lana pressed her way through the crowd, diving in between an audaciously dressed older Anaran couple as she approached the door. She imagined herself steering her magnecycle through the crumbling canyon back on Tarksis, darting and weaving on her feet as she dodged the crowd. She spun and turned, weaving the elements of the dance in with her visions of flight, until she crashed into a large Kamaran man with an angry copper tint to his golden skin.

“Watch it,” he called to absent ears as Lana pressed on, intent on reaching the princess before she left her chamber.

When she finally dipped through the archway and into the hall beyond, she was greeted by a solid wooden door, heavily adorned with tarkanium. She shuddered as she thought of the lives of the miners who slaved away to provide such lavish ornamentation. She couldn’t let that fate befall the Anaran people. She hoped she wasn’t too late.

Lana knocked. And she waited.

Nothing.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the soft footsteps approaching from within. The door creaked open on its heavy hinges as Ellistra huffed to pull it open.

Lana was awestruck by her beauty. The Anarans were an attractive people by nature, and their planet’s abundance of exotic foods and natural herbal medicines gave a vitality to their appearance that bordered on the supernatural. But Ellistra was even more beautiful than she’d imagined. With high cheekbones and a slender face, her flowing blond hair was wrapped up in an elaborately wound braid with wisps that perfectly framed her radiant smile.

“I was just finishing up,” she said. “You’re earlier than I expected.”

“Princess,” said Lana.

“Please, Ellistra is fine. It’s so exhausting playing these royal games all day.” Her face grew serious. “Not that I don’t appreciate the gravity of the ceremony.”

“No, I would never assume that…”

“It’s just that it would be nice to have a real conversation for once. It gets so exhausting to be so formal all the time.”

Lana laughed uncomfortably. “I can imagine.”

“Well, you would know, I suppose. Except…you don’t look familiar. You’re not part of the assembly.”

“Ellistra, I was hoping that we could talk. Before the ceremony. Woman to woman.”

Ellistra rolled her eyes in a way that reminded her of herself. “If you’re here to gush about the Emporer…”

“Gods no,” said Lana, her face drawn in as though she’d taken a bite of an overripe sunfruit.

“I swear, if I have to listen to one more woman tell me about how hot he is, I’m going to…do something very unbefitting of a princess. I don’t care about that. That’s not what this is about.”

Lana liked her immediately. Ellistra seemed like a person she could have been friends with in another life. “Believe me, I get it. I have a friend back home who’s always on about those shirtless Kamaran soilders. I never got the fascination until…but that’s not why I’m here.”

Ellistra stopped and looked at her carefully. “I don’t quite know what to make of you, miss…”

“Lana,” she said.

“Lana, you’re not my attendant. You’re not here to escort me to the ceremony. And if you’re trying to assassinate me, you’re the worst assassin I’ve ever met. So what exactly do you want?”

“I want to talk to you about the Emporer,” she said. Lana drew a deep breath. It was now or never. “Please don’t go through with this. It isn’t right.”

“I knew it!” said Ellistra. “Look, I know he’s not the nicest man in the world. But this is for the good of my people. The Empire is going to take care of us. Life will be better for everyone. My advisors have looked over everything. They believe that this arrangement will benefit everyone. And so do I.”

“You don’t love him,” she said.

“Of course not. But love is not a requirement for marriage. I wish it wasn’t the case, Lana, but that’s the reality of my position. This is all political. People think that being a princess is all about ceremonies, fancy costumes, and getting whatever you want all the time.” She shook her head, and Lana saw a wisdom and a burden in the pained lines of her face. She sympathized with the woman.

“There’s hardly a day that goes by,” Ellistra continued, “when I don’t spend half my time second guessing people’s motives. I’m surrounded by people all day, Lana, but being the Princess of Anara is lonelier than you could imagine.”

Ellistra scrunched her face and looked away, drawing a deep breath. “I don’t know where you’re from, and I don’t know why I’m opening up to you now…but you don’t carry yourself like one of the pretentious nobles on either side of the aisle. And I like that.”

“That’s true,” Lana said. “I’m not from around here.”

“Which raises the all-important question of how you got in here in the first place. But then, I guess it doesn’t matter. You’re here now and you don’t seem dangerous. Thanks for letting me vent.”

Lana smiled at her. “You seem to care a lot about your people. I admire that, and I respect it.” She looked at her feet and steeled her nerves. Building rapport would be helpful, but she didn’t have time to waste. Any minute, the attendant would come to escort Ellistra away and her chance would be gone. “And that’s why you can’t marry the Emperor.”

Ellistra shook her head. “What do you know about politics? I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

“You’re right. I’m not a politician, or a royal, or an Imperial. I’m not wealthy. I’ve never held a position of power of influence. But I do know a thing or two about life.” She felt the courage well up inside her. “I’m a cargo pilot from Tarksis, and I’ve seen what happens when the Empire moves in. When I was young, the Kamarans negotiated a pact, a binding agreement with our government that put our little mining colony under Imperial control.”

“I remember,” said Ellistra. “I was only a child, but my advisors and my tutors have taught me enough about the Empire’s history. It was a good arrangement. It freed up humanity’s limited resources to focus on their other colonies, and it helped build wealth for the Empire. It was a good negotiation all around.”

“Not for the colonists,” said Lana with more force than she’d intended. She had suffered for so many years in silence that she hadn’t seen the way the sadness had soured into rage. “The Kamarans made my people slaves. Not officially, but slaves nonetheless. The colonists there are forced to work under grueling conditions in the mines, extracting tarkanium for the Empire. Do they get to keep any of that wealth? Anything at all for their efforts? No. By the threat of the gun-barrel, they turn it all over to the Empire. With barely enough wages to live, they pay the taxes that reinforce their oppression.”