Transmission Lost (50 page)

“Captain now. Can give what orders I want.” The Ailian, still holding him to her, turned around in the water. She seated him on an outcropping in the water, placing him with his back against the edge of the pool. Standing before him, water dripped down her front, reminding Jack strongly of an occasion months ago when they had been stranded together on an uncharted planet. If possible, she was even more beautiful now than she was then. He let his eyes move down from her feline face, traveling down her front, tracing the line of the scar that ran between her breasts and down to her belly. The flickering shadows created by the candles in the bath house accented her sensuous curves, making his heart race as he took in the sight of her.

Turning his eyes back up to her face, Jack reached a hand out, taking one of Aria's. “So what are your orders to me tonight, Captain?”

Grinning, Aria moved forward, straddling him. “To brace youself.” Her tail swishing through the water behind her, she lowered her body. They both gasped as Jack entered her, her weight settling on his lap and driving him deep, though Aria was careful not to crush him under her heftier Ailian frame.

Jack shivered in pleasure at the hot silk wrapped around him, and he put his arms around the small of her back. “Do my best, love,” he managed to say, the intense pleasure of being joined with her making him slur his words.

“Good.” Hunching over, Aria captured his mouth with her muzzle, slipping her tongue between his lips as she kissed him deeply. Then she placed her hands on either side of him, on the rocky edge of the bath. As she straightened up again, her furred thighs gripping his waist firmly, she began to move.

The water in the bath started to ripple as Aria slowly and sensuously began to mate him. Jack moaned as the Ailian lifted up, hearing her purr in return. He pushed his hips up to meet her as she came back down, a growl escaping her muzzle as he pulled her waist. They started up a gradual rhythm, thrusting against each other, their movements slowed by the resistance of the water around them. Both of them felt like they were in a lower gravity, the buoyancy of their bodies serving to enhance the experience, and enhance the pleasure.

“I was afraid...I'd never see you again,” Jack groaned, rubbing his hands up and down his alien lover's back. He jerked his hips up hard as she came down, eliciting a sharp mewl of delight from Aria. Her claws scraped into the hard rocks rimming the edge of the pool.

“I think about you whole time I gone,” Aria said in reply, bending down to drag her tongue roughly through his hair. She leaned forward, pressing her breasts against his face. She gave a loud purr as she felt his lips close around one of her nipples, suckling at the sensitive nub of flesh. “Whole flight back...Dream of you, Jack.”

The human hugged her tightly, swirling his tongue around her nipple, closing his teeth over it. “I lost count of the dreams I had about you, and about this,” he murmured. He quickened his pace, and the water started splashing louder around them. He was feeling steady waves of bliss washing over him like the heat from the bath, and he knew Aria had to be experiencing the same desperation for release.

Gasping, Aria ground herself down on him, almost forgetting how much stronger she was than him. She was driven by an instinct to mate him as completely as she could, and air hissed out between her clenched teeth as she began to reach her peak. The Ailian arched her back, her hands coming to the back of Jack's head and hugging him firmly to her breasts.

With a sound grip of his hands on her body, Jack voiced his own ecstasy. Moaning loudly, he lifted up as forcefully as he could, holding himself within her to the very end. Their pleasured spasms rebounded off of each other, drawing out their climax far longer than it might have lasted otherwise. The two mismatched lovers held onto each other, keeping each other steady as they reveled in each others' comforting presence.

When they came down from their high, and the surface of the water grew still, Aria shakily slid off of Jack's lap. She sank deeper into the water, putting herself level with him, and leaned against the edge of the bath with her head on his shoulder. She curled her tail over and around him, and rubbed her cheek against his. Aria was purring quietly now, a soft, content, easy sound that was quite different from any purr Jack had heard from her since arriving on Lirna. For the first time since leaving their uncharted world, he thought that she sounded at peace.

Jack hooked an arm around Aria's waist. “How do you feel?” he asked her, kissing her damp-furred forehead. He placed his other hand on top of her head, ruffling the fur between her ears.

“Good,” she murmured, her yellow-gold eyes drifting closed as she enjoyed his gentle petting. “Wonderful. Perfect.” Aria smiled, nuzzling at his face. “Have my family, my mate...Have everything I need.” She took a deep breath of the warm, damp air of the bath house, letting it out in a comfortable sigh. “I love you, Jack.”

“I love you, too, Aria,” Jack whispered.

Maybe the universe was going crazy around them. Maybe the happiness wouldn't last for long. But for right now, in this moment, everything was exactly the way that they had always wanted it to be. Perfect.

- 5 -

Feeling slightly nervous, Jack stared out the window of the vehicle he was traveling in. Outside, the day was bright, hot, and rather breezy, a typical beautiful day on the desert planet of Lirna. His anxiety stemmed from the fact that, for only the third time since he had been staying at the Me'lia estate, he would be leaving the relative seclusion of the mansion to venture around the city of Hayikwiir, the capital of Lirna and really of the entire Ailian Ascendancy. He wasn't sure what to expect, since he only had experience with the family home, the base through which he had arrived on the planet, and the royal palace. Not helping matters was the knowledge that, after the cancellation of Aria's trial the day before, which had already been the source of considerable gossip in the Ailian media, the Empress was following through with her idea of publicizing their relationship. All part of her plan to try to get the general public of the Ascendancy to see humans as something other than slaves or enemies. Jack knew he'd probably be getting more than the usual amount of stares today. He only wished he could have removed the collar around his neck; it made him feel awkward, but the Empress' willingness to ignore Ailian law didn't seem to extend quite that far, yet.

Turning his gaze back to the interior of the car, Jack looked at Aria, seated next to him. She was looking out the window just as he had been, but she seemed more comfortable and at ease than he felt. Which was probably to be expected, since it was her planet that they were on, and not his. That morning Aria had asked him to come out with her on some errands, and at the time he had eagerly agreed. To tell the truth, he had been growing a little stir crazy, but he was starting to think better of the decision. Although he was very glad to see Aria in such good spirits. Today she had foregone her military uniform for civilian clothes. The Ailian was wearing a loose-fitting top made of bolts of a sandy-colored cloth, with an ankle-length skirt to match. The material was almost, but not quite, translucent, and when the light shone from behind Aria just right one could see the silhouette of her body underneath. Jack got the distinct impression that she had chosen to wear it for him, and he did have to admit that she looked gorgeous in the outfit. As it was, her midriff and shoulders were bared by her clothes, letting him see the fluffy orange-and-cream colored fur that coated her form.

“So where are we headed?” Jack asked, causing Aria to turn her head. “You still haven't told me yet. Going to keep me in suspense all day?”

Smiling at him, Aria shook her head. “Not all day. Just some.” She reached a hand over, touching his leg and scratching lightly with her claws over his pants. Jack was, as always, dressed in some hand-me-down clothing from when Aria's brothers had been much younger. “Few places to go. Things to get. Will be nice. You see.”

“Still, you're not going to tell me are you?” Jack prompted her again, smirking.

“Not last stop, no. Is surprise.” Aria leaned over and touched her nose to his forehead. “You like.” Then she paused. “Maybe not like, exactly. But...meaningful.”

“If you say so,” the human said. He slid closer to Aria, until their hips were touching. “Then maybe you can tell me where we're going
before
the last stop?” He placed his palm over her exposed belly, rubbing around her silky fur in a slow circle. She shifted in her seat, a pleasant expression crossing her face and a quiet purr rumbling in her chest.

Chuckling, Aria placed her hand over hers. “Persuasive.” Her tail curled around his feet. “We go to father's main business, first. Need to pick up food for week. Then to market before last stop.” Her purring deepened as Jack continued to stroke her belly, and he could tell it was having a most arousing effect on her. “I maybe have driver pull over for hour first, yes?”

Jack was sorely tempted by the idea. “As much as I'd like to...I think I need a break, especially since I also think
you
had enough of that, between last night. And when you woke me up at midnight. And this morning before breakfast.” They both shared a laugh, Aria a bit sheepishly. To say that she had been overjoyed to be free and home would have been a grievous understatement. “I am glad you're feeling better, though. It's good to see you happy.”

“Is very good,” Aria said lovingly. She rubbed her cheek against his. “Is good to not have secret anymore, also.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Jack agreed. “Having to hide it...It gets to you. Stresses you out. I guess it does feel a lot better to have things out in the open.” He sighed. “But it is a little weird knowing the Empress talks about us on your news. It feels like my love life is a matter of public record. I mean, I know it's not like we're screwing on TV or anything, but still...”

“'Tee-vee'?”

“Never mind. Anyway, yeah. I do like that we don't have to carry on in secret, but I do wish the Empress could keep things a
bit
more private.”

Although she still looked curious about “tee-vee”, Aria laughed and cuffed him stiffly on the shoulder. “Now you know how I feel, when everyone talk about my trial. Understand these, maybe, yes?” Aria held up her hands, showing him the scars on her wrists.

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I don't think I'll be doing anything like
that
any time soon, but yeah. I think I get how you reached the breaking point a little better. The pressure of what the Empress expects us to help with is pretty intimidating, even if all we really have to do is just exist.”

******

When they reached the center of the city, the driver stopped in front of a complex of warehouses. Aria gave the driver instructions to wait, and she and Jack stepped out to walk into the complex. Like most things on Lirna, Jack was impressed and slightly intimidated by the size of it all. Moving around the buildings were tracked vehicles remarkably similar to forklifts, although on a larger scale, carting around wooden and metal crates packed presumably with foodstuffs. Jack recalled that Aria's father, Arn, was a fairly successful merchant who dealt in food, so it stood to reason that he would have a large hub of warehouses like this. Though technically, Jack realized, it all belonged to Aria since she was the head of the family as recognized by Ailian law. According to Aria, this was only the largest; there were several more warehouse complexes on Lirna as well as a few scattered about the Central Worlds and Inner Colonies.

Jack followed Aria into the complex, trying not to pay attention to the stares of the Ailian workers. Since they worked for Aria's family, they all knew her by sight, so it wasn't all that hard for them to figure out who the lone human slave with her was. Jack's face had been on the news by now, so he was sure that he was at least a little recognizable to them. About the only thing that made him more comfortable was the lack of slave workers around. He knew Arn's feelings about keeping slaves, so Jack was the only one, and considering his actual status he tended to feel like a slave “in name only”. Still, he got the impression that a lot of people continued to feel that Aria was lowering herself by being with him. Having the support of the Empress didn't seem to help much when Jack was surrounded by Ailians who had less progressive views.

Coming into one of the smaller buildings, Aria led Jack to a partition in the back. There they found her father in an office, looking at a computer screen with an assistant. They were talking back and forth, but as soon as Arn saw his daughter come in he stood up and came to the door to greet her.

“Ha'lani aria,”
Arn said with a smile on his face. He embraced his eldest child, then stepped back to look at Jack.
“Na'ra ke ra'lash alek zetra, jack. Mele kan ra'ale aresh dena?”

Jack looked at Aria, a bit confused. He'd caught some of what the older Ailian had said to him, but he was talking faster than Jack was used to so some of it had been missed. Though he caught that the assistant, a younger female, was twitching her tail in embarrassment.

Aria however, smirked and translated for Jack. “He say you look tired. Say he know some Ailian remedy for stamina.”

A wave of heat washed over Jack's face. He knew that he was probably as red as a beet right now, but he took it in stride. Arn knew very well what he and Aria had probably spent all night doing, and having him joke about it was a lot better than what the typical human father's response might have been. Ailians, as a whole, seemed to take such things as a matter of course. “Tell him I'll pass. If I can survive for a month on a planet hellbent on killing me, I can live through a few midnight rides.”

Her eyes widening and the orange fur on her face fuzzing out in a blush, Aria let out a loud laugh. “I keep that private, I think,” she said, ruffling his sandy blonde hair. She turned back to her father, her voice sobering up.
“Kure lek te pa?”
Jack understood enough to know that she was asking him how he was holding up. Arn hadn't taken the news that his mate was still alive very well at all, definitely not as well as the rest of the family had.

Arn's shoulders slumped, and he shook his head slightly.
“Na'la,”
he growled, his ears lowering. He leaned back against his office desk, staring at the floor for a while. When he looked back up, his expression was closed. Jack got the feeling he didn't want to talk about it right now.
“Zere te'la'ra an me lo'tok, aria. Heren ka delon a'ra vente.”
He gestured to the assistant behind him, and then returned to the computer.

Aria hesitated. Jack had the feeling that her father had just dismissed her rather shortly, and he could tell that the man was hurting pretty bad right now. Whether or not he felt like it, Jack thought Arn probably could have benefited from being at home with the rest of his family rather than at work. Saying so, on the other hand, didn't feel like Jack's place. Aria seemed to feel the same way. She went to where her father was sitting, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Kure me a'ran le iza'la mashen...,”
she said gently. Her father gave a little sighing huff, looking back at her.
“Le mek te'ren zek aran le've'rete.”

Arn took a shaky breath, reaching back to lay his hand over his daughter's.
“Me'kre a resho. Iza'la de netela.”
With a weak smile, he turned back to the computer, falling silent again.

Looking at her father sadly, Aria followed the assistant out of the office with Jack in tow. They were taken to a corner of the building they were in, where a stack of specially marked boxes was neatly arranged. A group of workers was waiting nearby.

“All this?” Jack asked. “Looks like a lot for one week's worth of meals.”

“Yes,” Aria said. She forced an expression of happiness, despite the mood she was starting to sink into. “Sami think cause for celebration. I home, free of charge...Make some special food this week.” She spoke to the workers, pointing to the front of the building, and they started lifting the boxes and carrying them outside to where the vehicle they'd arrive in would be waiting.

Watching, Jack crossed his arms. “Is your dad gonna be okay?” he asked. “I mean...you know...Your mother's responsible for a lot of bad things, now. The invasion of Earth, allying with those...what are they called...Pteryd. And not to mention the rebellion. That's a lot for him to handle.”

“Father be fine,” Aria said with firm conviction. “Just...need time.” She sighed. “Like us all.”

“You're probably right,” Jack said. He looked at the stack of dwindling boxes. “Well, I can do my part to help you all out, anyway.” Clapping his hands together, he walked over to the boxes, finding one of the smaller ones and putting his hands on it. Grunting, he bent his knees and slowly lifted it up.
Oh, geez.
The box had to weigh over a hundred pounds, at least.

Aria wagged her tail in amusement. “You need help?”

“I...I got this,” Jack managed to say. He hefted the box up onto one shoulder, staggering as he tried to take a step forward. “This is...nothing. Just food, after all. Shouldn't be a problem.” He staggered backwards a few more inches, then felt himself steady. Looking back, he saw Aria with a hand against the box, keeping him from falling over. “I don't need any help, but if you wanna walk behind me, you can.”

“I do that.”

******

Though Jack had assumed that they would be riding in the family transport for the entire outing, he found out that Aria had different plans. When all of the food boxes were loaded into the back of the vehicle, she instructed the driver to return home, and then she and Jack set off together on foot. The heat of the day made this a bit difficult for the human, but luckily the city seemed to have been set up with this sort of thing in mind. Every few blocks there were public fountains with disposable cups placed nearby, allowing water to be taken. Even originating from this world dominated by deserts, Ailians needed water just as much as any other species. Though her usual impatience was apparent, Aria tolerated Jack's need for frequent stops in the oppressive heat with little overt complaint.

“So, ready to tell me where we're going?” Jack asked Aria on one such stop. They were both having a drink this time, the first time Aria had needed any water but the third drink for Jack. Other Ailians walking by took note of them, curious, but nobody stopped to openly stare like they had at the warehouse. He supposed that the people out on the street were more concerned with their own business.