Ascent
Lili Ann Baker has been enjoying her time as a cargo captain. She spends huge swathes of time alone getting world building materials to where they are needed and the appreciative recipients give her the feedback that she needs. When she delivers the final harvest containment to Geko 7, the party that erupts is wild and she is invited by the grateful population to enjoy the fruits of their first harvest.
Admittedly, Lili Ann has more wine than she can account for and the next morning she wakes up in bed with a man who does not meet the specs of the colonists. She assumes he is a pilot, like her, and sneaks away in the early dawn hours.
Her ascent is denied by a hungover ground control and she has to wait on the tarmac until the local government can sort things out. Imagine her surprise when her bedmate is leaning against the side of her vehicle, the mind of the Geko 7 swirling in his eyes.
Yavoy has been waiting for decades to find a woman of his own and despite her rather relaxed language, Lili Ann has something that completes him, an enthusiasm for life.
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Ascent
Copyright © 2012 Viola Grace
ISBN: 978-1-77111-160-7
Cover art by Martine Jardin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Ascent
A Terran Times Tale
By
Viola Grace
Chapter One
Lili Ann Baker watched the jump transport flicker and disappear in the distance. With no worries about disrupting their engines, she powered up her ship and began to make her way through the Geko system.
Lili Ann’s payload was a harvest-storage system that would contain and preserve enough food for seven thousand residents. With their harvest season just wrapping up, getting the timing right was urgent.
She had three days of slogging through the Geko system ahead, so she played music, had endless rounds of tea and meditated while the ship was on automatic.
Geko 7 was her ultimate destination and once her ship was emptied, she would return to the pickup point and wait for the cargo jumper to return to get her and bring her back to the depot.
For now, it was a long and silent glide through the star system to the seventh planet and its brand new colony.
It was time to break out the deck of cards.
“This is the transport vessel H’dar requesting confirmation from the Geko 7 colony.”
There was a pause and a crackle of the com system. “This is the Geko 7 colony. What is your business here?”
“I am hauling your harvest storage systems from the Dalliafien Nebula. I am ready to drop them anytime you are.” She smiled and waited.
A stream of data to allow her to clear the atmosphere surged into the nav computer.
“Welcome to Geko 7, Transport Pilot Baker. We have been looking forward to your arrival. The harvest commences in fifty-three hours.” The voice on the other end of the com had definite relief in its tone.
“I have the coordinates and the codes for the planetary shielding. Expect me in seven hours.”
“We look forward to it.”
She flicked the com off but kept it passive and open in case there were any updates from the planet she was approaching.
She hoped that everything was in order because there was no way that she would achieve lift off with her payload still attached. Lili Ann shifted in her seat and queued up her landing montage. Terran music pounded through her cockpit, the tiny bubble on the top of her payload.
The landing was always surreal. Entering the atmosphere of an alien world seemed so peculiar to her, even after six years of working as a space trucker for the Alliance.
She had applied to be a Terran Volunteer while she travelled from depot to depot for a building-supply company. It was amusing that she had ended up in the same line of work on a much larger scale.
The ship that she was in control of was not so much a ship as a long-distance grapple with engines.
Lili Ann slowed her ship and began a controlled entry into the atmosphere of Geko 7. It was the end of months of travel and prep. She was going to be glad when this delivery was over.
One day later, Lili Ann was watching the colonists prep and open the storage units, gearing up for their first harvest.
She waited for the council head to sign off on the shipment and then turned to leave.
“Wait, you aren’t leaving yet, are you? We would like to invite you to the celebration that we are having this evening to mark the completion of our colony supplies before we store the harvest.”
She perked up. She loved a good party. “What kind of celebration?”
He grinned, “Food, wine and dancing.”
She was getting excited. She loved dancing, even if she couldn’t manage half the steps that the Alliance contained. They were as fun to watch as they were to attempt.
“When does it start and is there somewhere I can rest for the night? A day away from my ship would definitely be welcome.”
“I will make the arrangements. Please come with me, Pilot.” The Jerican councillor took her on a tour of the centre of the main city.
“We have been working on this world for ten years and we are very proud of our accomplishments. Of course, we did have help.” He smiled and brought her to a dress shop.
“A dress? Really?”
“Everyone will be wearing their best tonight. It begins at sunset, so there are only a few hours for you to prepare. You will be seated at the honoured table and will have an excellent view of all the festivities.”
She blushed and entered the dress shop. Councillor Hon gave her a quick introduction and when she had met the owner of the dress shop formally, he left her in the woman’s capable hands.
“I am sure you are really busy with dresses for the other ladies attending the celebration.”
Dressmaker Sheevin smiled. “The women around here have been ready for weeks. We were just waiting for the harvest to be ready for collection. You have made that possible and so, I will ask you to simply remain in place while I pin this dress together.”
The dress in question was black and not quite what Lili Ann would consider being a complete garment.
The top was concealing enough, but the bottom consisted of a black set of briefs and a skirt that showed them completely but joined to the bodice that laced across her torso. Her legs were shown to all and sundry, but based on the gowns on display, this was a Jerican standard for clothing.
Silvery hoops connected the skirt to the bodice and the slight amount of skin that could be seen between them was kind of cute.
Lili Ann smiled. “It isn’t what I am used to, but I like it.”
“Good. It suits you, but you need to get a hairstyle that matches it. Come with me, so I can hand you off to the next stage of your evolution.”
Sheevin grinned and escorted her out of her establishment and down the promenade. Orchit was her next stop and the hairdresser had her brushed, braided and her nails polished within an hour.
The sky was starting to tint as she stood and checked out her reflection. The pale blue of her eyes and ivory blonde of her hair stood out in stark contrast to the dark dress.
Orchit smiled, her black eyes and blue skin made her a poster girl for the Jerican. The lavender hair just completed her look.
“Come along, the gong is going to sound soon and you need to be in place before the entertainment starts.”
“Entertainment?” Lili Ann raised her brows.
“Of course. This is our first harvest. The weather has cooperated, the planet has been generous and we are relieved. We want to show our appreciation to Arengar of Geko 7.”
“Arengar?”
“The planet beneath our feet. He offered us a place on his surface and we will be forever grateful to him. This is our way of honouring his generosity.”
They walked quickly past a gathering crowd and around through a back entrance to a huge building. Orchit handed her off to a security guard and she was soon whisked through more halls and into a curtained area.
“Wait here, miss. We are a little late, so you will get to take your place as soon as the Avatar finishes speaking.” The guard peeped through the curtain and when applause rang out, he quickly escorted her to her seat at a table between Councillor Hon and one of five other species’ representatives.
The Jerican were the predominant species, but about five percent were representatives from other worlds.
A husky whisper from the other non-Jerican next to her made her smile.
“What are you in for?”
She chuckled softly and turned her head to face one of the most striking men she had ever come across. Midnight skin and ivory hair made an amazing contrast. His burning red eyes held traces of his emotions and he was definitely amused.
“Hello. I am here to deliver the last of the equipment. What are you in for?” she kept her voice to a whisper as well.
“Infrastructure.”
She grinned at his eye roll. She extended her hand to him. “Lili Ann Baker, transport specialist.”
“Yavoy. Infrastructure specialist.” He took her hand and pressed a quick kiss to the back of it.
“Do you know what this evening will entail, Yavoy?”
“Food, celebration and quite a bit of drinking. Are you up for it?” He quirked one white brow at her and she took it as a challenge.
“I am if you are.” She looked out at the friendly, pale blue faces and sat out the myriad speeches that preceded the meal.
It was not the first time that she had been invited to a meal after a long delivery, but usually, she did not have such charming company. Suddenly, she felt a lot more positive about her chances of knocking out the cobwebs this evening.
Chapter Two
The first course was a fresh salad topped with marinated fruit and a crisp wine. The alcohol went straight to her head and she felt a distinct relaxing around the neck and shoulders.
She was just settling into the warm, fuzzy feeling she was experiencing when Yavoy filled her glass again. She laughed. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“No, simply relaxed. You seem far too tense.” He grinned and toasted her.
A few of the Jerican smiled and whispered together as Lili Ann leaned a little closer to her dinner companion.
The appetizer was lovely. Flowers were arranged in a pattern that mimicked the mountain range to the south.
“This is lovely.”
“Niabbru flowers. Ounce for ounce, they contain more protein than any of the meats on Geko 7.” He smiled and lifted one by the small bit of stem left over. “They also have an intoxicating aroma.” He extended the flower to her and stroked it across her chin.
She blinked in shock through her slightly fuzzy haze as she realized that she was being seduced. The scent of the flowers was quite heady indeed. Her eyes widened in surprise as her body interpreted the smell as a sensual caress. A man stroking a finger between her thighs could not have had more effect. “What the hell?”
He laughed. “I was wondering if yours were one of the species seduced by the flowers. Niabbru means
to stroke from within.
I am guessing that it was the effect you experienced.”
She blushed. “How does it do that?”
“It works on sense memory.”
“What?”
He chuckled. “It does not work on virgins.”
She covered her face with her napkin and tried to cool her blush. “Gotcha.”
“I didn’t mean to offend.” His grin was still in place, but there was concern in those red eyes.
“You didn’t. I am just not used to being easy to read.”
He smiled and placed his hand on the table, palm up.
She took the hint and placed her hand against his, palm to palm. Electricity ran through her and echoed the sensation that she had felt when she smelled the flower.
Her hand clenched and she relaxed it with an effort of will. She licked her lips nervously and when she met his gaze again, it was fixed on her mouth.
She jumped when music started up and in a rush, couples took to the floor, dancing and gyrating as the next course of food was served.
Dumplings in sauce necessitated that she release Yavoy’s hand and part of her sighed in relief, the urge to crawl into his lap at the simple contact was not like her by any stretch of the imagination.