Change Horizons: Three Novellas (8 page)

Inside the habitat, Ciel paused, putting Gemma down, but held her close. “This sure would seem like I was indeed presumptuous. My carrying you off like this.” She rubbed her neck, one arm still around Gemma’s waist. “Just stop me if this is too much, too soon.”

“Not too much. Too soon?” Gemma tilted her head, caressing Ciel’s face with the back of her curled fingers. “I don’t think so. We’re mature women. We have a demanding job, both of us, that can take us away on dangerous assignments from one moment to the next. I think we would be smart to grab happiness with both hands when it comes our way.” Gemma rose on her toes and kissed Ciel again. “I want you.”

“Gemma, oh, damn…” Ciel buried her face in Gemma’s hair. “I’ve tried to keep a professional distance, but being around you, and you’re such a passionate woman, no matter what you’re doing, it…it rubs off. I was so set on clenching my teeth and just getting along as best I could with the high-and-mighty SC physician—”

“And another thing I love about you is how you pay the best compliments.” Gemma smiled.

“Hush.” Ciel shook her head. “And there you were. Angry a lot. Passionate even more. And always with the patient as your main concern. Then your coworkers. Only after that did you put yourself. Last. Always last.”

“So was that one of the reasons you started feeding me the magic soup?”

“Yes. I made it my business to look after you, as you weren’t too good about doing that.”

“You’re my protector, you mean?”

Ciel pushed her hand under Gemma’s tunic. Her coverall was off her shoulders already, and she’d used the sleeves to tie the upper part around her hips while working in the main habitat. “So soft. Like silk.”

Gemma moaned at the gentle touch, only to find herself echoed by Ciel. “I want your touch. I can’t wait.” Gemma was certain now her needs would be met and reciprocated. Ciel’s eyes burned with an ice-blue flame, and when she pushed her hands into Ciel’s coverall, she could feel the same heat radiating off her.

“Tell me what you want. I’ll do anything you ask for.” Ciel gasped. “Anything.”

Gemma nudged Ciel until she sat down on one of the cots. “You have to be really quiet, Ciel. These habitats have horrible insulation when it comes to sound. Can you be? Quiet?” She pushed the coverall off Ciel’s shoulders. Beneath it, Ciel wore a gray tank top. It had to go.

“I can be very quiet. I survived because of it.”

Gemma vowed that she would make it clear to Ciel that she wanted to hear everything about her years in the prison camp, if Ciel was ready to share her history with her. Right now, what Ciel wanted was obvious. Gemma straddled Ciel’s legs again, kissing her lips and down her neck, and fondling her breasts. She promised herself that she’d take her time during her next opportunity, but now she knew, from how she felt and from how hungry Ciel seemed for her touch, that it was time.

Pushing her hand into Ciel’s coverall, she cupped her and slid gentle fingers in between slick folds. “Oh, Gods of Gantharat,” Gemma said, moaning at the damp heat that met her there. Now that they finally had the situation with the refugees under control, Gemma was so overwhelmed by her desire for this woman.

“Gemma…I have to…” She felt Ciel yank her own clothes down far enough to return the feverish touch. Soon, agile fingers played with her, not even bothering to tease.

“Yes, like that. Like that.” Her movements became uneven, jerky, as she balanced on the edge of pleasure but just out of reach. Gemma sobbed in frustration. So like her to get too worked up.

“Shh. Don’t worry. I have you,” Ciel whispered. “You’re so stunning, so hot against me. The release will be so sweet. Just trust me, henshes.”

The Gantharian term of endearment was familiar, but Gemma had never thought anyone would ever say it to her. Especially not this amazing woman. “Henshes,” she said quietly, just under her breath.
Darling
.

“You are.”

The two words, uttered so without pretense or hesitation, made Gemma throw her head back and bite her tongue to keep from moaning too loudly as she climaxed in one long shudder after another.

“Oh, Gemma.” Ciel’s voice broke.

She nearly fell off Ciel’s lap backward, but righted herself and focused on what gave her lover pleasure.
Lover.

It seemed as if Ciel had barely managed to hold off her own orgasm since she convulsed within seconds after Gemma pushed her fingers inside her. Out of breath, Gemma could still appreciate the utter beauty before her as Ciel gave a muted cry and pressed her legs together around her hand.

“Ciel,” Gemma murmured. “It’s actually a real word on Earth. One of the lesser-spoken languages in our time, but still around.”

“What does it mean?” Ciel tipped them sideways so they could lie down together.

“It’s a French word that means ‘heaven.’” Gemma nuzzled Ciel’s neck, reveling in the damp, wonderful-smelling skin. “So appropriate.”

“How so?” Ciel pulled the blanket over them.

“When you want to describe something truly and amazingly wonderful on Earth, you say it’s heavenly. Like our expression, ‘stars and skies.’”

“Oh.” Ciel hid her face in Gemma’s hair again. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She hoped Ciel was all right. “Something wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Ciel moved and kissed Gemma’s lips gently. “Just a little…taken aback. It’s been a long time since I allowed…closeness.”

“Same here.” Her words seemed to relax Ciel. “Let’s push these coveralls off. Um. And the boots?”

Ciel laughed, a low, contagious chuckle that made Gemma join in.

“I can’t believe I didn’t even let you take your boots off,” Gemma said, moaning as her cheeks warmed.

“You know? I take that as a true compliment. You clearly find me very alluring.” Ciel smiled broadly, which transformed her serene face into a whole different kind of beauty.

“I do. I’m falling in love with you, Ciel. So no wonder I find you alluring.”

“That makes me very happy. I’m falling for you too. I’ve never heard it put quite like that, but it’s true nonetheless. I’ve fallen many times during this mission, in a manner of speaking, and the biggest fall I took for you.”

“Well spoken.” Gemma helped Ciel by pushing off her boots and clothes. Being naked under the blankets with the tall blue-blooded woman she’d come to love very deeply reignited her passion. As she set out to explore every part of Ciel that brought her lover pleasure, Gemma knew no matter how long her assignment was meant to be, thanks to Ciel, Gantharat now felt like it could be her home.

Camol couldn’t let go of his wife. Tammas in turn couldn’t stop crying. Between them on the bed lay little Ilias, now a healthy, somewhat plumper baby, asleep and blissfully unaware of the drama.

“I will come back later,” Ciel said, not wanting to intrude on the couple’s reunion.

“No. Stay, please.” Tammas extended a hand. “I need to ask you about Camol’s arm, because he will downplay it if I ask him. I also want to know about the rescue. The nurses told me that large space vessels hoisted you up with…with ropes!” Her eyes were huge as she looked between Camol and Ciel.

“They did,” Camol said. “Somehow they managed to get some signal up despite the interference from the bedrock, and soon long, thick ropes with the biggest cages you ever saw appeared.”

“Cages?” Tammas looked shocked.

“Not cages,” Ciel said, sending Camol an admonishing look. “Actually a sort of reinforced habitat with beds and medical equipment inside. Some of them had rows of chairs with belts. We were able to hoist twenty patients at a time with those.”

“It sounds amazing. Thank the Gods for the Supreme Constellation for bringing such technology.”

“Yes, some of the people from our camp would have died from the poison if—”

“Poison?” Tammas sat up straight so fast, the baby began to stir. “What poison?”

“Camol, you and I will have to discuss proper bedside manners,” Gemma said from the doorway. Her look was serious as she entered and Ciel’s heart twitched painfully. Now what?

“What is he talking about, Dr. Meyer?” Tammas’s chin trembled and she clung to Camol with one hand and settled her baby by patting his bottom with the other.

“It turned out that the Onotharians were slowly administering a poisonous substance in some of the camps. It seems that most of the poison was given to Onotharians who wouldn’t join in the fight on their side, so your husband received rather a lot. However, the Onotharian biological makeup made them less receptive unless they were old or weakened by illness and so on. Camol is a strong young man. After we started treating everyone in our care with dialysis for their kidneys and several liver-cleansing substances provided by Dr. O’Diarda, we realized that the effect of the poison was reversible for the most part.”

“What does that mean?” Tammas asked.

“It means Camol will live a productive, healthy life with you and your son.”

“But?” Tammas asked.

“I told you. She’s as stubborn as she’s strong.” Camol smiled faintly.

“I think this type of poison can have other long-term effects. I wouldn’t recommend that you have any more children. Your DNA can be compromised when it comes to reproduction.” Gemma clenched her hands behind her back. Ciel could see from how the skin tightened around Gemma’s eyes how hard she found delivering such news to a young couple.

“Oh! Oh.” Tammas hid her face against Camol’s chest. Then she took a deep breath and looked at them with huge eyes. “We have Ilias. We will simply love him all the more.”

Ciel swallowed at the bravery of the young woman who had been incarcerated for most of her life, as had Camol. She watched Gemma exchange a few reassuring words with the pair before leaving them to enjoy their reunion.

“You didn’t tell them everything, did you?” Ciel placed a gentle hand at Gemma’s lower back.

“I just couldn’t.” Gemma stopped and faced her. “Soon they’ll start asking questions about Ilias, but as I don’t have any definite answer yet, I didn’t think it necessary to bring it up.”

“And when they start asking if the poison could be transferred to the baby via her milk?” Ciel’s stomach clenched at the thought.

“By then hopefully we’ll know. We’ll also have to consider what the poison might have caused in utero.”

Ciel knew that they had to factor in the risk that the poison could have traveled over to the fetus during the pregnancy.

“Look who’s here.” Gemma tugged at her sleeve.

Over by the nursing central stood Protector Kellen O’Dal and her spouse, Admiral Rae Jacelon. Surrounded by staff and patients, they smiled and talked briefly with everyone.

Ciel had met the protector on several occasions, but she’d never encountered the admiral. To Ciel’s surprise, the protector and the admiral both embraced Gemma. Obviously the woman she’d come to love was a personal friend of the people who were closest to Prince Armeo.

“And you know Ciel, right?” Gemma said, interrupting her reverie.

“I do. Dr. O’Diarda was a well-known name and the source of much admiration during the dark years.” Kellen took Ciel’s hands between both of hers. “Many people owe you their lives, Druid.”

“Thank you, Protector, but they don’t owe me anything except to live long and happily.”

“I’m glad to finally meet the woman who first made Gemma foam at the mouth, only to then have her fall head over heels.”

Gemma groaned and glared at the admiral. “Thank you, Rae.”

“It’s my honor, Admiral…Protector?” Ciel hesitated.

“I prefer ‘Admiral.’” Rae grinned at her wife.

“Not sure what that saying about the heels means,” Kellen said, frowning slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in gala dress and high heels, Druid.”

“Oh, but that would be a sight,” Gemma said, clearly now in on some secret joke. Ciel looked at her lover and honestly didn’t mind being the source of the teasing, as she loved the new spark in Gemma’s eyes. Whereas fatigue and exhaustion had recently weighed on Gemma, since they’d returned to the capital, Gemma seemed light and exuberant even though she’d worked night and day.

“We’re being awful people,” Rae said, shaking her head. “I fully intend to kidnap you right here. My people tell me they have everything under control when it comes to the refugees and their health situation. No doubt something new will show up soon, but for now, you’re on leave and you’re staying in the new wing at the palace.” She winked at Gemma. “That’s an order, Commander.”

“Aye, ma’am.” Gemma glanced at Ciel. “Sound good to you?”

Ciel waited until the protector and her spouse were a few steps ahead of them. “More than good.” She took Gemma’s hand in hers. “It sounds heavenly.”

“It’s time to board the
Koenigin
, Your Majesty.” A young man stood respectfully at a safe distance from EiLeen, where she sat on the long couch beneath a window. She turned her head slowly, trying to not bite the man’s head off for using her old title. Being Queen EiLeen of Imidestria was a closed chapter in her life, but the public seemed determined to not let her move on.

She had never sought to inherit a title, but when her brother, the former King Reidder, had died in a hunting expedition on Imidestria’s second moon twenty years ago, EiLeen was next in line to the throne. Having no choice, she tried to fulfill her duties but also determined to work toward a more modern system. Imidestria had long sought to join the Supreme Constellations Unification of Planets, but certain requirements had to be met, and not having a feudal system was one of them. Four years ago, EiLeen had signed the documents stating that Imidestria was now a democracy, governed by a planetary leader and their sectional administrators, all elected every five years.

Never before had EiLeen felt so liberated, so free to do what she wanted and not have to be accountable for every second of her life. She had a mind for business, which had stood her well even as a queen, and it had taken her two years to double her already immense wealth. Now her latest business endeavor was to board the
Koenigin
en route to Gantharat, the planet the Supreme Constellation forces had helped liberate from the oppressive Onotharian Empire.

EiLeen stood and walked briskly down the gate to where the vessel was moored. The
Koenigin
, a luxury cruiser, catered to the wealthy. Usually, she traveled on her own space yacht, but the situation with space pirates made such a voyage beyond SC borders dangerous. Hunt-and-assault fighter craft escorted the
Koenigin
whenever she went on these longer cruises.

As she stepped through the opening leading into the lobby, the captain and her senior crew greeted her.

“Welcome aboard the
Koenigin
, Madame Maxio. I’m Captain Dana Rhoridan and this is my next in command, Tory L’Ley. My crew and I will do our utmost to make this journey pleasant for you.” The tall ice-blond woman stood at attention before EiLeen, and though it was a relief that the captain hadn’t used her obsolete title, she had the distinct impression that Captain Rhoridan wasn’t too thrilled at her presence.

“Thank you. I wish to be shown to my quarters immediately.” She was exhausted after sitting through endless business meetings, and, though she hated to admit it, she felt every single one of her fifty-one years.

“Certainly, madame. Commander L’Ley will escort you. We’ll be on our way as soon as the rest of the passengers have boarded.”

EiLeen nodded curtly and followed the commander to her quarters. Behind them trailed several crew members and her personal assistant, Mock, hauling her hover luggage. Located on deck two, the quarters consisted of three bedrooms, en suite luxurious bathrooms, several rooms for entertaining, and an office with state-of-the-art computer and communication technology. She dismissed the commander at the door and allowed only Mock inside to unpack her baggage.

Mock had been her court attendee and footman ever since she was a mere princess. He was the closest thing to a father figure that she’d had, as her brother, the former king, had been a notorious rogue. King Reidder had hunted, chased both women and men for pleasure, and enjoyed his status as sovereign without much though for his nation’s well-being. Taking over the reins had been hard on the young EiLeen. She’d been ruthless out of necessity while reconstructing the way Imidestria ought to be governed if it was to ever become a democracy.

“When you’re done, Mock, do get some rest. We’ve been on our feet for two days straight. That’s how I feel, at least.” EiLeen removed her gloves and coat. Glancing longingly at the en suite, she knew she had more work to complete before she could indulge in a long, hot aqua-bath.

*

Dana Rhoridan removed her gold-collared captain’s jacket and tossed it onto a chair inside the door to her ready room. She virtually growled as she slumped back into her chair, frustrated with the new assignment. Flipping her computer screen open, she noticed another message from Fleet Admiral Ewan Jacelon. Yes, it was flattering for the highest-ranking officer in the fleet to contact her, but this mission was utter crap.

Dana had gotten used to working undercover during the last five years. She actually enjoyed being among mostly civilian spaceship personnel and had made some lifelong friends as their captain. Only two of her crewmembers knew of her military rank as captain: her first officer, Commander L’Ley, and the head chef, Paymé Soth. Paymé was a security officer in the SC fleet, and L’Ley held the same rank in the Marine Corps and had been undercover for almost a decade.

“And now we’re babysitting a damn celebrity. A party princess. Oh no,
excuse
me, a
queen
.” Dana pursed her lips as she drummed her fingers against the alu-carb desk. “Let’s see what Jacelon wants.” Dana opened the voice message, thinking it couldn’t be a good thing, really, to hear from the fleet admiral himself.

“Captain Rhoridan, I trust by now that you’ve rendezvoused with EiLeen Maxio and have made sure she is installed in your presidential quarters.” The white-haired handsome man who commanded the fleet and had faced down space pirates and the Onotharian Empire, and whose only daughter held one of the most powerful positions in the military as well as being a citizen of Gantharat, smiled politely. “I know you are under the impression that you’re merely delivering her like an expensive, high-profile package to Corma, but that is only half the truth. You will go via the Corma home world first, but then you need to take Ms. Maxio to the small cluster of planets between the SC and Gantharat. This is where we helped heal and train the surviving resistance members we rescued from the Onotharian asteroid prisons. Ms. Maxio has urgent business at Revos Prime and I’ve made a personal promise to her that we’ll take her there, swiftly and safely. I look forward to updates via security subspace communication channels.” Ewan Jacelon nodded curtly. “Safe journey, Captain. Jacelon out.”

Why the hell would EiLeen Maxio go to a planet inhabited only by rehabilitation staff, patients, and training camps for soldiers struggling to regain their strength to get back to reenlist? No doubt whatever endeavor the glamor-loving woman was up to involved money. The ex-queen must’ve pulled every string she’d ever collected to make someone like Jacelon dance to her tune. It still didn’t make sense, and Dana knew better than to jump to conclusions too swiftly. Something was just completely annoying about this woman—her way of dismissing people like they were nothing but space dust clinging to her survival suit. Dana hadn’t met EiLeen personally, but she’d of course read about her and seen her on transmissions when she was still the sole sovereign on Imidestria.

“And that’s another weird piece of the puzzle. Why would such an attention-seeking celebrity give up practically owning an entire planet?” Dana murmured as she rose to prepare herself for the evening’s dinner. Tradition dictated that Dana, as captain of the cruise ship, dine every evening with the VIPs. She undressed and stepped into the cleansing tube in the small en suite of her ready room. Just as she stepped out again, it dawned on her that EiLeen would most likely be at the table tonight.
Wonderful.

An hour later, Dana went by the bridge to check on the unreliable space vortices they would pass later in the evening. The dust-filled maelstroms endangered ships unless the crew paid attention to the readings, as they moved without warning. If they managed to surprise a ship, its structural integrity could become compromised with micro fractures or even a full hull breach. So far, the vortices had stayed beyond the Bramanian asteroid belt, which meant Dana had no chance of having her dinner on the bridge instead.

She strode into the restaurant, its grandeur never ceasing to amaze her. Tall, old-fashioned brass columns supported the ten-meter ceiling. Vast viewports displayed the beauty of space on one side and a large stage at the far wall. The entertainment that commenced after dessert had been served was something new and fantastic every evening.

The table was impressively set as usual. As captain, Dana was expected to greet the VIPs chosen to accompany her, another duty she found rather silly, but she carried it out with the same diligence as she did everything else. Being the fourth generation in her family to captain a starship, Dana knew her reputation for being by-the-book and a stickler for rules and regulations preceded her.

Soon the dinner guests trickled in and Dana donned her best smile, shaking hands with dignitaries and celebrities as they took their seats. It hadn’t escaped her attention that the seat to her right held a name-cube with the Imidestrian royal insignia. Just as she started to get her hopes up that EiLeen Maxio would not show, a faint murmur traveled among the five hundred and some passengers. Dana looked over toward the entrance and couldn’t stop a gasp.

EiLeen Maxio might have abdicated, but the woman framed by the door opening radiated regality where she stood, scanning the room. Meeting Dana’s eyes, EiLeen walked with obvious confidence between the tables toward her.

“Madame Maxio, welcome.” Dana took EiLeen’s hand to greet her like she’d done with the other eighteen guests at her table.

“Thank you, Captain.” The proud stance and slight disdainful tone of EiLeen’s voice grated on Dana’s nerves.

Still holding EiLeen’s hand in hers, Dana felt an utterly out-of-character spark ignite in the back of her mind. Not sure where the impulse originated, she raised EiLeen’s hand to her lips and kissed the impossibly soft skin. She then let go of it and pulled the chair out. “I believe this is your seat.”

EiLeen’s violet eyes with their unique star-shaped pupils narrowed as she examined Dana’s appearance. Dana refused to be intimidated by the former queen and sat down. Unfolding her napkin, she placed it on her lap as she nodded to the waiters to begin. As soon as they had served the first course, Dana raised her glass, as was her duty, and toasted the guests. “May your stay aboard the
Koenigin
be relaxing, pleasurable, and safe.”

“Safe?” A woman two seats to Dana’s left frowned. “Surely that is a given? I’ve heard about pirates, but isn’t that a thing of the past, Captain?”

“Hush, darling,” her husband said. “This ship has its own security detail. Like a small army.” He smiled reassuringly. “Do you think Queen EiLeen would travel with this ship if it wasn’t safe?”

Dana chewed on a Cormanian asparagus as she listened to the conversation. She wasn’t surprised that the other guests knew who EiLeen Maxio was. The reputation of her extravagant way of life and the many juicy details of her private life no doubt fascinated the public.

“Just call me EiLeen.” The sonorous voice of the former queen made the man color faintly. “It’s been years since I abdicated.”

“Eh. Yes, of course, Your M—EiLeen.”

Dana smiled inwardly at the man’s discomfort. EiLeen had a way of shrinking the person she homed in on. Her eyes were like lasers, piercing right through the layers of garments and skin if you let them. Dana would make sure EiLeen knew this method didn’t work on the captain of this ship.

“Tell me, Captain, how long have you commanded the
Koenigin
?” Another guest farther down the table, a young man sitting next to his parents, asked the question. He was handsome with his long, wavy hair in a ponytail. Dana estimated he was at least twelve years her junior.

“Four years.” Dana smiled politely.

“You’re very young to hold such a position,” the young man’s father said. He raised his eyebrow as if to imply that he found her
too
young.

“I started early.” Dana was used to these types of questions. She kept her polite smile, but inwardly she sighed at the repetitiveness of this part of her job.

“Most civilian starship captains started in the military,” an older woman to Dana’s left said, her voice kind. “Was that the case for you as well, Captain?”

“Yes, it was.” Dana forced herself not to shift uncomfortably. Sooner or later this topic appeared, and she was already preparing for the almost unavoidable follow-up question.

“Well, I don’t blame you for getting out, with the war effort and everything,” the first young man said, wrinkling his nose. “I mean, I’m all for letting the hardened soldiers deal with that.” He pointedly elbowed his dad, who clearly agreed with him, judging from how he pursed his lips and nodded.

“We can thank the stars that not everyone reasons in the same spineless manner as you,” EiLeen said, and put her utensils down. “If all people regarded the universe like that, empires with a knack for oppression would soon take over every planet in our sector.”

“What—who do you—you cannot sit there and call my son spineless!” The young man’s father looked like he was about to choke. He stared at EiLeen, and Dana surmised that only her previous title kept him from demanding her thrown overboard for being insolent toward his offspring.

“I think I just did.” EiLeen smiled maliciously. “Fortunately we live in a sector of space where we’re allowed to have our opinion and not be jailed for voicing it. You see your son as the heir to your personal empire of…what is it you produce, Mr. Ta’Yans? Oh, now I remember. Among other things, you’ve built your wealth on plasma-pulse cassettes, haven’t you? I imagine the war effort has increased your wealth tenfold.” She wiped her mouth on the napkin and looked over at the approaching line of waiters. She turned to Dana, her eyes glittering. “Oh, look, how timely. The main course is here.”

Dana wasn’t sure whether to applaud EiLeen for putting the men in their place or smack her for being deliberately rude and not caring that she was. Was this what being a former queen did to you? As queen of Imidestria, EiLeen hadn’t had absolute power, but damn close to it. The political experts had speculated about her reasons for abdicating, but so far, they were a closely held secret. Dana slowly shook her head at her, wanting her to know she wasn’t entirely pleased with her display. To her surprise, EiLeen pressed her lips together and chuckled quietly while the waiters served the main course.