Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: Scifi Alien Romance Novel (8 page)

She pried herself from the seat and hopped over the edge of the pod, racing back towards the center of the room to watch the end of the battle unfold on the holodisplay.

With muscles tense, her breathing shallowed as she oriented herself to the image projected in front of her. She had sacrificed herself and her place in the rankings, but her gambit had worked. The shields went down.

She watched as Reina, Tabor, and Yamao closed on the now unprotected base. The display in the center of the room flared brilliantly as the base lit up in an explosive flash. With a few well-placed torpedo blasts, they had won the simulation.

Ja’al stood across the room, his thick, muscular arms folded across his chest. He looked up at her and nodded once with an expression she couldn’t quite read. Was he proud of her for winning the battle? Or disappointed that she didn’t survive it? She cursed his stoicism and resolved to ask him later.

The other sim pods opened around her as the holodisplay changed to show the battle debriefing and pilot statistics.

“I can’t believe we pulled that off,” said Reina, rushing up to her friend with a congratulatory hug. “But what the hell were you thinking?”

Kira shook her head. “I had nowhere to go,” she said. “I figured if I was going to die anyway, I’d make it count.”

“It was crazy, but it worked. And look,” said Reina as she pointed up at the board. “You scored more than Jomanak.”

“Too bad you’re dead,” came the deep voice behind her.

Kira turned and saw the large man scowling behind her. “Maybe, but we won.”

Jom laughed. “Sheer luck that you were pointed that way already. And I still tore you out of the sky like a little helpless talim bird.”

“What’s the matter, Jomanak? Can’t handle getting your ass handed to you by a woman?” said Reina.

“We’re all on the same team,” said Kira.

“It was a stupid move, Kira. Flying like that against the Kamarans would put the rest of us at risk. Go back to the repair deck before you get someone killed. You’re not cut out to be here.”

“You’re just pissed that she beat you on the leaderboard,” said Reina.

But Kira wasn’t so sure. Jomanak’s words stuck in her mind, fueling the fire of her own doubts. What if he was right? She didn’t belong with Storm. She’d never be able to live with herself if she cost one of her squad mates their life. The life of a strike pilot was dangerous, but she didn’t want to be the one responsible for that.

“That won’t last long. Next time, I’m taking you out first. Watch your back, Thorne,” he said as he turned and walked away, back to the high-fives of his celebrating teammates.

“Don’t worry about him, Kira,” said Reina. “Guys like that always feel like they have something to prove. I thought what you did was heroic. And pretty damn smart, under the circumstances. I never would have even seen that ammunition depot, let alone thought to target it. You won the match. We should celebrate.”

“Thanks, Reina,” she said. “He’s right about one thing, though. I still have a lot to learn.”

Chapter 8

Ja’al stared out the viewport of his private cabin and inhaled deeply. The glowing blanket of stars glimmered through the asteroid field, winking in and out of view as the rocks shifted. Vanishing, hidden from view, but always reappearing in the same place. Unchanged. The giant heaps of rocky debris hid them for a while, but the stars were always there, burning on.

“You were amazing out there today,” he said, turning to face Kira, sitting on the small sofa in his quarters, still wearing her flight suit. A woman like Kira would look beautiful in anything, but the fabric of her flight suit hugged the curves of her body in a way that drove him crazy.

“You don’t have to humor me, Ja’al. I know I messed up out there.”

Ja’al shook his head. He would never lie to her. Kira deserved the truth. Besides, she’d see right through him. Kira had an uncanny ability to read people. He couldn’t hide his feelings from her if he tried.

“You did screw up today, Kira. But not in the way you think.”

“I let myself get caught off guard. I let Jomanak, of all people, take me out in the sim. Like his ego needed the boost.”

Ja’al chuckled softly. “He thinks pretty highly of himself, doesn’t he? But Jomanak is a good pilot. One of our best. And he’ll make an excellent member of Storm Squadron when the training is complete.”

Kira’s eyes narrowed, and this time Ja’al read her face. “But you don’t think you will,” he said.

“I should have stayed with the mechs. If Jomanak took me out so easily, I’ll never survive against the Empire.”

Kira shifted in her seat, crossing her arms across her chest. He’d have to try a different approach if he was going to get through to her.

“Do you know the mistake you made today?”

“I wasn’t prepared when he came up over the edge of the canyon. I let him get the jump on me.”

“You let him get the jump on you when you let him get under your skin. When you let his bravado shake you. When you doubted yourself. Jomanak is trying to shake your confidence because he’s scared of you, Kira. He’s scared you’ll show him up.”

In the silence that followed, Ja’al studied her face, but he couldn’t read her.

“Even if that were true, I’ll never be better than him.”

“You can, Kira. And you will be.”

“I don’t have what it takes,” she said.

“That’s enough,” said Ja’al. He couldn’t negotiate with her fear. “The only thing holding you back is your lack of belief. You’re a damn good pilot. And you’ve got better instincts than anyone I’ve ever seen. You have to get the hell out of your own way and learn to trust yourself.”

“My instincts get me into trouble,” she said, standing up abruptly and closing the distance between them. “My instincts are telling me things that they shouldn’t.”

Ja’al was keenly aware of the curves of her body in front of him. His heart raced in his chest as he felt the blood coursing through his body. He wanted to reach out and hold her. To grab her and kiss her. Taste the sweetness of her lips.

But yet he still held himself back. And even as he encouraged her to trust her own instincts, he had to fight his own. They would only get him into trouble. He couldn’t make her any promises, and he refused to hurt her.

His desire wouldn’t cooperate. Even as she argued with him, he admired the fierceness of her spirit. He had never met anyone who caused him to react so viscerally. The raw, primal urge was almost more than he could stand.

He inhaled deeply, stifling the urge. He had to maintain his composure.

“This training will test you in ways you’ve never been tested before, Kira. There’s no denying that. My words will never convince you. You’ll have to learn it yourself. But I have no doubt that you’ll make it.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because I’ve never met anyone so brave. When Jom’s ship locked on to you, you didn’t panic. You focused on your mission and made the most of your time. Faced with death, you made the hard choice. And your team won because of it.”

“But I didn’t survive,” she said.

“No, you didn’t. But the reason he got the jump on you is something we can train.”

“Joining Storm Squadron was a mistake,” she said as she jumped up. “I don’t belong here.”

He closed the distance between them, grabbing her shoulder and spun her around to face him. Feeling the warmth of her body under his arms, the electricity of their contact surged through him. “You belong with me. I won’t let you quit.”

“Let me! It’s not your choice. The squad would be better off without me.”

She shook his hand off her body and turned away.

“But I won’t,” said Ja’al, pulling her back in close to him. He gripped her waist between his hands and held her firmly. “I don’t want you to leave, Kira.”

The urgency of his outburst surprised him. But it was out there now, and he couldn’t take it back. The truth he’d been hiding. And not just from her.

She stared up at him in shocked silence, but held her ground. Her body remained tense, but she didn’t shy away from his touch. And Ja’al refused to let go.

“I want you here with me,” he said. He was on dangerous ground, but he couldn’t turn away. If his life back on Kamara had taught him anything, it was that letting people in opened them to risk. And the future of the rebellion was uncertain. He couldn’t make any promises. And he refused to hurt her.

But he couldn’t take it back now. The damage had already been done. From the moment he met her, his heart  had been compromised.

Kira softened in his arms, leaning into him. She rested her head against his chest, he felt the curves of her body press against him.

“Things are changing fast, Kira. The Rebellion is growing. And if you’re not in my unit we could be separated at any time. I will not lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose you either.”

He lifted her chin and stared into her almond eyes. “And you won’t.”

It was dangerous to give in to his feelings. It might compromise his ability to make good decisions. And the Storm Squadron, hell, the whole damn Rebellion was counting on him to make good choices. To lead them to victory.

Falling for Kira gave him a weakness. A pressure point for the enemy to exploit. And what if turning the tide of the war, overthrowing the empire required putting her life at risk? Would he be able to do it?

But he couldn’t fight it anymore. Couldn’t fight the way she made him feel. The rush of warmth that flooded his body every time he saw her smile. That cute, mocking laugh when she beat somebody at Traps. Ja’al’s feelings overwhelmed him.

And he wasn’t doing either of them any favors by holding back. And all his reasons for wanting to keep it inside were crumbling before him. He’d already allowed her to join Storm. Already put her in danger. There was no escaping the fact that his judgment had already been compromised.

Ja’al gave in to his emotions. He parted her lips and kissed her, exploring the curves of her mouth. Tasting her soft lips. He wanted more. Needed more. The flood of passion overcame him.

“It’s about damn time,” she said, leaning into his arms, kissing him back with a hunger that matched his own.

“There are no guarantees. I can’t promise you anything. But I’m not going to my deathbed knowing we didn’t try. Besides,” he said, “something tells me you didn’t volunteer for Storm Squadron just because you wanted to fly the fighters.”

She ran her hands along his arms, the soft feeling of her cool skin sending a surge of warmth through his body as his pants tightened. “I’m not worried,” she said.

He pulled her against him and inhaled her skin, nipping at her neck as he traced his lips down her to her collarbone. “The only woman I can’t resist. You’re going to be the death of me.”

Kira leaned her head back, and a soft purr escaped her lips as he cupped her breasts. She leaned into him, brushing against his bulge as he explored her body.

Hooking a finger through the zipper of her flight suit, he worked it slowly down, inch by inch, exposing the tender skin of her chest. “I want you,” he said. “I’ve wanted you since the day I met you.”

She wrapped her hands around his arms, kneading her thumbs into his skin as she looked up into his eyes. “We can’t tell anyone.” It wasn’t a question.

Ja’al stopped, loosening his grip on her.

“We’ll have to be careful,” he said. “There would be people, even here in our ranks, who would try to use it against us.”

Kira turned away. “I don’t want to be responsible for that. I won’t let you put yourself at risk because of me.”

“And yet,” he said. “By asking you to stay in Storm training, I’m doing the same. I know you’ll be amazing, Kira. But that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she said.

Ja’al smiled. “You’ll stay, then.”

Kira laughed and inclined her head. “Oh, yes,” she said. “I’ll stay.”

***

After the longest, hottest shower she could manage under the rebellion’s strict water rationing, Kira sprawled out on her bunk. The moisture clung to her skin as it cooled, each evaporating drop teasing her enlivened senses.

She should have been content to lay there, fantasizing about her next meeting with Ja’al. But the reality of situation wouldn’t permit it. If she was going to be with him, she had to make sure she didn’t wash out of training. And that meant she’d need to shore up her skills.

As a mechanic, she’d spent endless hours tinkering with whatever she was working on, learning it backwards and forwards until she could make necessary adjustments in her sleep. The best way to master any new skill was immersion. And besides, she needed something to take her mind away from the intense heat of her unfulfilled desire.

Kira sat upright and fired up her terminal. She keyed in her access code and scrolled through the bank of training vids, searching for replays of famous battles. If she could study the tactics of the best pilots, she could internalize their moves. Learn their thought processes. It would give her something to practice.

Being in motion soothed her worry. There was a comfort in purposeful activity that took her mind away from the things she couldn’t control.

The display leapt to life in front of her, projecting a stream of data into the air above her bunk. With a careful swipe of her finger, she navigated through the archives until she found what she was looking for: Advanced Aerial Maneuvering and Open Space Battle Tactics.

She selected a lesson from the list, and laid back, getting as comfortable as she could on the mattress and preparing to take in the information.

But the video wouldn’t play. The light from the holodisplay blinked and flickered. The images in front of her blurred and distorted as the playback lurched and jumped.

So much for that idea. But the challenge of solving a technical problem would give her something to occupy her mind. Before digging into the system’s code, though, she should report the issue.

She pressed the comm button on the side of her terminal, pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face answer the call.

“Tyrus!” she said. “I didn’t know they had you working overnight.”

“It’s a glamorous life here in the tech world,” he said. “How’s Storm Squadron treating you?”

Kira listened for a hint of sadness in his voice, a sign a jealousy or bitterness that she’d abandoned him for greener pastures. To her relief, Tyrus seemed glad to talk to her. No surprise there. He had always been one of the crew’s most easygoing. Which was exactly why they got along so well.

“It’s good, Tyrus,” she said. “Tough.”

“Nothing you can’t handle, I’m sure. Your talents would have been wasted here with us.”

“You know that’s not true,” she said. “Besides, I don’t have anyone here to utterly massacre at Traps!”

He laughed. “You wouldn’t stand a chance against me, either. Not anymore. I’ve been practicing.”

“Thank the gods,” she said. “I beat you so bad last time I almost felt bad. Almost.”

“I miss you, Kira. But something tells me that’s not why you called.”

For a bittersweet moment, she wished she had made a different decision. She’d love to be down there laughing with the crew. But she’d chosen her path, and she’d see it through. She resolved to find some time to get back down there and pay a visit to her friend.

“Something’s wonky with the holovids,” she said. “I was trying to access our training videos, and nothing’s playing back the way it should.”

Tyrus raised his brow and grinned. “You called me for that? You should able to fix that yourself.”

“Well, sure,” she said. “If it were something on my end. But the judder on playback makes me think it’s a server issue.”

Tyrus keyed a few strokes into his terminal and brought up a diagnostic tool. A flurry of cryptic text scrolled through the air as he scanned the data.

“I haven’t seen this yet,” he said. “But it looks like you’re right. All the transmission speeds are slow right now. Nothing to worry about, I’m sure. The system’s just under a heavy load.”