Voyages of the Solar Wind 1: A Fire in Heaven (5 page)

"Ok, I'm comin'!" I shouted back, regretting it instantly as I pulled up my pants and boots, and shrugged into my flight jacket. I zipped it most of the way up to cover my bare chest. Ri likes snuggling up skin to skin. I definitely don't mind that one bit, either. It occurred to me that I don't know much about her people's mating customs. I filed that away under 'ask later' for the moment.

I stumbled up to the cockpit and looked at the screen.

"Sup, Jen?" I asked with an inward groan. Not again.

"That's Captain Cardwell to you, Lieutenant." She said with a glare. Jen always loved to pull rank.

"Jen, I'm a civilian now, and a Captain in my own right. You know this from our last five traffic stops! I don't give a rat's ass what rank you are, but Congrats on the promotion." I smirked. Jen is one of my exes from our time in. We screwed around a few times, then I decided I didn't want to, anymore. She always thought I was fucking Rilar, but it was actually because Jen was such a bitch. Possessive and jealous in the extreme.

"Well, heave to and prepare for inspection, Dex." She said, still glaring at me and Rilar, whose gunner chair I was standing behind.

"Scan my hold, sweety. I got nothin' here. We're on our way to a pickup now." I really didn't like being harrassed like this.

"Dex, if you refer to me as anything but Captain one more time, I'm going to personally come over there and kick you out the airlock." I had to admit, she was hot when she was angry.

"Promises promises, Jen. Fine, bring your inspection team aboard and have a look for yourself." I shrugged, and Rilar cut the com. I plopped into the pilot seat, cut throttle back to All Stop, and we slowed to a halt.

"Why does she do this to us all the time, Dex?" Rilar was pissed off and snarling.

"Ri, she thinks you and I have been messing around since back on the Lu Bu." I shrugged. "She blames you for us breaking up."

"She's wrong! I would never mess your relationship up like that!" Rilar's claws extended and her pupils dilated. She was really angry now.

"I know, and I've told her that a thousand times, sweety. Hey, calm down, ok?" I said. I was getting worried about her.

She shook herself a bit and calmed down. She retracted her claws, and we felt the clank of a docking arm on our port airlock. "Sorry, Dex." She said with a little smile.

"Hey, I'm right there with ya, sweetheart. Now, let's go see what the Wicked Witch of the WesternStar wants." It was an old joke going back to our time after Jen and I had broken up. We'd been assigned our patrols out of WesternStar Station in the Gamma Hydrenae system.

I smiled at Rilar, she grinned back, fangs showing, and we went to see what Jen was going to try to flag us on this time.

We got to the airlock just as four armed Marines moved into the corridor and took aim at me and Rilar.

"Whoa! Hey! What the fuck!" I shouted at them. I raised my hands away from my sidearm, but Rilar was already moving. She jumped off the wall in an attack vector, claws and fangs bared, but the closest jarhead got in a lucky shot and scorched her arm, knocking her down. I sprinted at him. Two steps and I had his rifle out of his hand, snapping his trigger finger in the process and kicking him in the nuts. He dropped to his knees, but I didn't care as I butt stroked his closest buddy with the rifle stock and stuck the barrel under the third's chin.

"You aim that thing at me or her, I'll blow his fuckin' brains out! You come onto MY SHIP and aim weapons at me, that's fuckin' piracy! I am fully within my rights to defend my ship and crew under CCSJ Article 98, Subsection 5!" The fourth jarhead lowered his rifle. I was NOT happy! I looked at Rilar, and she was holding her arm where the laser blast had burned her. "Are you ok, Ri?"

"Yeah, Dex. I'll live." She grimaced. I kicked the downed jarhead, who'd shot her, in the face as he tried to get up.

"DEX! RELEASE HIM!" Jen screamed from behind the Marine.

I looked over his shoulder at her. "This time you've gone too far, Jen! You've just engaged in an Act of Piracy Under Color of Authority! Under CCSJ Authorization 17, I am now demanding that you and your jarheads leave my ship immediately, or I will defend it with all necessary force! I will also be filing a formal complaint against you and the CSS Ulysses S. Grant!" Jen knew the regs almost as well as I did, and I couldn't help wondering why the fuck she would endanger her career just to fuck with ME! Nobody was THAT psycho... was she? I had her cold, though. Nothing she could say or do, now. So she called for a fallback.

CCSJ is what protects free traders from military strong arming. The Confederacy-Civilian Statutes of Justice. I've memorized EVERY paragraph of it. It was signed by both the Free Trade Alliance, of which I'm now a member, and Confederate Fleet Command.

"Oh, and I'M KEEPING THIS RIFLE!" I shouted as the conscious Marines dragged their unconscious buddy out with them and left my ship with Jen glaring at me. I closed the airlock and disengaged their docking arm. We ran for the cockpit and engaged Flank Burn as I plotted a course to Port Royal.

Rilar was right behind me. She jumped into her gunnery seat and energized the armor plating. She aimed the 100mm Rails that had 'Hugs' and 'Kisses' painted on them (Rilar'd done that herself) at the Grant, just in case it opened fire. I hit the Slipdrive, and we went into slipstream for the seven hour trip. When you're as good a gunner as Rilar, you can paint your guns however the fuck you want. I wasn't about to argue with her.

Then I turned to Ri as I heard her hiss in pain.

"Ri, come here." I said gently.

"Fuck! It hurts, Dex!" She was in a lot of pain, so I grabbed the Bridge Medkit and got some disinfectant/numbing spray and a regen bandage. She moved over by my pilot seat. I stood up and sprayed her wound, then wrapped it up with the bandage.

"There, sweety. You'll be good as new in no time." I smiled and reached out, stroking her cheek.

I'd never seen her hurt like this before, and now I felt even more protective of her than usual. I wanted to hold her close, and she looked at me in a way I'd never seen before. Ten years together, and I'd never seen that look.

"Dex... I... I.. I need to talk to you." She said slowly.

"What is it, sweety?" I stood up and pulled her to me. I had my arm around her waist as I guided her to our quarters.

"I have a confession to make, Dex." She blushed. At least I believe she blushed. I'd never seen her blush before that I knew of.

We sat down side by side. "Ri, you know you can tell me anything. What's wrong?"

"When you reached out and stroked my cheek..." Yes, she was definitely blushing now.

"Oh shit, Ri. I.. I'm sorry if I offended you or made you feel uncomfortable." Now I was blushing.

She giggled, and it was the first time I'd heard her giggle like that too. "No, Dex. It's just that you stroked me as a lover would."

"I did?" I had no clue.

"Yes. I haven't told you much about Gurinkan culture." She smiled at me. I knew Gurinkans and Humans were both physically and emotionally compatible, but I'd always seen Rilar as a best buddy. Now I was seeing her in a whole new light.

"Which part were you wanting to discuss?" I was suddenly short of breath, and my heart was pounding. Shit, I wanted her!

"When a man touches a woman's cheek, she's his mate. It's one of our customs." She stroked my cheek. "It's the same if a woman touches a man's cheek."

I felt my breath catch at her touch. How could I have missed this all these years? Was I that dense? I could only conclude that I'd been clueless about her!

"Ri, it's not like I've never considered it." Briefly I did. "I just never thought you'd want to... you know, with me." Now I was being shy and blushing. Dammit, I'd known her for ten years!

She giggled again. "Dex, why would you think that? Why do you think I love cuddling with you at night?"

"I dunno. I thought you just loved the physical... oooh!" I got it, finally. See, I'm a shit hot pilot, and a damn decent gunner. But when it comes to reading women, I'm shitfucked stupid!

She laughed. "Oooh is right, Dex! About time you got it TEN YEARS LATER!" She giggled again and threw her arms around my neck.

She kissed me for the first time, and she made my toes were curl in my boots. Our tongues met and dueled for supremacy as she molded herself to me, pushing me back on the bunk. We'd bolted her bunk flush right next to mine on the wall, so it was our bunk now.

I slipped my arms around her waist as she laid out on top of me. Good Lord, she's a great kisser!

Finally she broke the kiss, and her eyes were dilated almost fully open. I knew she got that way when she was angry, and now apparently when horny. She was breathing heavily.

"Shek tak reaaahhrr'kek?" She said in her own language.

"Sweetheart, I have no clue what you just said." I stroked her cheek again, and she purrrrrred as she replied.

"Sorry, Dex. I said 'Would you please make love to me?'" She grinned.

"Ri, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do!" I grinned and rolled over on top of her. I kissed her lovingly as she unzipped my flight jacket, slipping it off as she ran her hands over my chest.

"Mmmmmmm Gods of Gurshinka, Dex!" She moaned as I kissed her neck. She unzipped her flightsuit as she opened it, exposing her perfect B-cups. High, firm, and oh so soft.

"I don't think I've ever told you this, Ri... but you're beautiful." I whispered into her ear as I kissed it.

She arched her back up off the bed as I kissed her ear, and she screamed in ecstasy. Holy Lords!

"Oh FUCK, Dex!" She shouted as she shuddered beneath me. I lifted up as she slinked out of her flight suit. She was completely naked underneath, of course.

"What, babe? Are you ok?" I was worried now.

"Gods, Dex! Gurinkan ears are one of our most erogenous zones!" Her eyes were fully dilated now.

I smiled. "From what I've seen so far, your whole body is one big erogenous zone." I winked at her and kissed her again. Her tongue was gentler this time as we kissed. I was beginning to love kissing my best buddy.

I felt her hands at my belt, pulling it open along with my pants. I reached down with one hand to help her pull them down. I was hard as a meteor, and I needed to be inside her. It was like a switch had flipped in both of us, and we needed each other like nothing else in the galaxy.

She broke the kiss and looked into my eyes. "I love you, Dex. I hope you know that!"

"I do, Ri. You know I love you too." I replied. I kicked off my boots and then kicked off my pants with them. She reached down and stroked me, purring.

"Mmmmmm it's so big, Dex." Her voice had taken on a very seductive tone.

Now, I wasn't huge, but I came in at a respectable 7" and fairly thick.

Her skin was hot against mine as she guided me into her. I shuddered in pleasure as the head of my cock parted her pussylips. She didn't feel like Human women, but she felt great anyway. Just different. Hotter and wetter. Her pussy was soaked, and her arousal smelled like cherries. I thrust into her as slowly as possible, and she growled low in her throat as her head went back and her back arched upward. When I reached her hymen, she just nodded to me with a smile and I pushed through. She mewled and grimaced for a few seconds, then smiled at me lovingly. I lowered my mouth to her breasts and sucked a nipple between my lips. Her nipple hardened quickly, and she purrrrred as I licked and sucked them one at a time. Her hands went to the back of my head as she held my mouth to her breasts. I moved my hips forward and back, making love to her. She wrapped her legs around me, and pulled me deep into her. I leaned up and kissed her ear again, letting my tongue trace around it.

"OHMYGODS DEX I'M COMING!" She warned me as she spasmed hard. Her pussy felt like it was going into overdrive as she bucked her hips up to meet mine. The sensations of her pussy before and during her climax were too much for me. I knew I wasn't going to hold out as she convulsed with her legs locked around my waist.

"SO AM I, BABY!" I shouted back as I swelled and came harder than ever before deep into her hungry pussy. I shook above her as I filled her with my cum. She purred lovingly as she stroked my cheeks with her hands. Her lips were parted slightly and her eyes were still fully dilated. I leaned down and kissed her lovingly as her hungry pussy drained every last drop of cum from my balls.

I collapsed on top of her and shuddered as her legs stayed locked around me. She was purring and still stroking my back as we continued to kiss. Her small perfect breasts were pressed into my chest, and I love how her body feels on mine. Her skin is so warm, and I knew that this was just the beginning.

She finally unlatched her ankles from behind my back and I rolled off of her. She immediately snuggled up to me, and I leaned down to kiss her as I tilted her chin up.

I kissed her softly. "Ri, I don't want this to change us. Ok? I love my best buddy." I smiled.

"I love my best buddy too, Dex. I've been waiting for that for the last ten years." She snuggled and purred.

"Ri, are Gurinkans a monogamous people?" I asked.

"Yes we are. We mate for life." She replied, still purring.

I thought I would react differently to that revelation, but I found myself smiling.

"How long have you been in love with me, Rilar?" I asked as I stroked the soft stripe of hair on her back.

"Since I first met you back in flight training." She said sleepily.

I started, and she looked up at me with concern in her eyes. "What is it?" She asked.

"You just startled me, Ri. Why didn't you ever say anything?" I asked, chuckling softly.

"I wanted to, Dex. I didn't know how you'd react, though." She was blushing again.

I laughed. "After ten years, you didn't know how I'd react? Ri, listen. After our first meeting, I didn't think you would want to. I don't know why. I let it drop, and was happy to just be your best friend and cuddle buddy." I shrugged.

"And now?" She asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Now? Wow! And if I read what you said right, and the fact that you had a hymen like Human women do, you've never been with a man before?" I had to ask. It was a valid question.