0 comments/ 43096 views/ 29 favorites Love & War By: PrincessKoriandr Written by Keith Kilburn Co-Written by Kenya – Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran * * * * * * * * * * Disclaimer and Warning THIS IS AN ADULT THEMED PARODY OF DC COMICS CHARACTERS!!! This story contains sexually explicit material and situations between consenting adults. If you do not wish to read this type of literature, are under the age of 18, or it is illegal in your part of the world, PLEASE bypass this story for one more suited to you. All the characters belong to DC Comics, a Time Warner Company, with the exception of Henry the doorman©, who belongs to Kenya–Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran. No Copyright infringement is intended. I just borrowed them so that they could have a sex life and to please some adoring fans out there. I have not received one red cent from writing this story and if you sue, all you'll get is two bad ass little girls. The only payment I wish is praise, criticism and some ideals for other stories. This work is copywritten to the author. If you wish to archive this story, please ask permission first. Nine times out of Ten, We'll say yes. Please do not remove without the author's permission or make any changes to this story. Thank you for your consideration. * * * * * * * * * * Thanks and Dedications… * * * * * * * * * * Mad shout out to Wonk for the snappy editing job and comments. Such a good man and so damn vocal too! This story has been sitting on my desktop for a while, being re-written and re-written again and now, I think we (Keith and I) can finally declare it done. Wonkeaux will happily edit any fan fic featuring Starfire, (Or Caitlin Fairchild for that matter) and naughtiness. * * * * * * * * * * For those without a clue… * * * * * * * * * * Richard Dick Grayson is the superhero known as the Robin, (later; Nightwing), sidekick since his early teens to the Batman, and leader of the Titans (originally known as the Teen Titans, then the New Teen Titans, later the New Titans, currently just called the Titans.) Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran is the beautiful alien princess and the resident Titan's teammate; Starfire. Beautiful and passionate, Kory is a handful 95% of the time. Born to the Royal throne of Tamaran, Kory was destined to rule, but revenge would rob her of that right. Kory spent years as a Citadellian slave in order to save her planet from destruction. A destruction her older sister, Princess Komand'r, planed for what she claims was the "neglectful" treatment she received at the hands of her parents. The accusation was false of course, but Kory paid the price nonetheless. Eventually Kory escaped and crash landed on earth where she met and became a member of the Teen Titans and eventually fell in love with its leader, Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin. * * * * * * * * * * Sometimes a quick change of plans is called for. What a wonderful day! Kory Anders, also known as the Titan Starfire, and resident teen powerhouse Princess of Koriand'r of Tamaran, thought as she took in the wonders of the day. She was walking over to her boyfriend and Titans team leader, Dick Grayson apartment. They had made plans for a nice walk in the park, followed by a picnic and some afternoon lovemaking. Truth be told, it didn't have to happen in that order. Grinning at the naughty thought, Kory sped up her stride, suddenly in a rush to get there. * * * * * When she arrived, it was around noon. Central Park would soon be packed with people wanting to make the best to of the day and enjoy the park before night came. Entering through the elegant revolving doors, she greeted the doorman, Henry, before she headed for the elevators that would lead her to the upstairs apartments. Tipping his hat and smiling at the beautiful Alien, he spoke. "Good afternoon Madam. It's been a while since you have graced us with your presence." Kory smiled at the warm complement. "I've been so busy lately Henry." She said, bending to kiss the older man on his cheek in greeting. "Between Titan business and Modeling, I barely have time to catch my breath!" she exclaimed. Winking at the doorman, she asked. "Have you been keeping my boyfriend out of trouble?" "Feh!" came the short burst of sound. "Trouble? Whenever is Mister Grayson any trouble?" Raising his left eyebrow, he said. "You'll find more trouble in a nunnery then around Mister Grayson! Such a nice, quiet young gentleman. Surprising in one so young and rich as he is. So, no Ma'am," he said, still smiling at her. "He's a good boy, never any trouble." If only you knew Henry. Kory thought, secretly grinning at the irony of that statement. When was the former "Boy Wonder" ever out of trouble? "Is he still upstairs Henry?" she questioned. "Indeed Madam. He is in his apartment, working as usual." "Then I'll run upstairs and see if he can be persuaded away from work long enough to go on a picnic" she said, pointing to the basket in her hand. Winking, she said her goodbyes to Henry and left the main lobby, heading for the elevators. Once inside, she took out a polished silver key from the side pocket of her cut-offs and inserted it into the keyhole on the elevator panel. Turning the key, she then pressed the button marked "D. Grayson-Penthouse" and felt the elevator slowly begin its climb to the top floor of the building. Two minutes later, she was at her destination. Balancing the basket on her hip, impatiently tapping her foot, she waited for the elevator doors to open and let her in Dick's expensive Central Park penthouse. When the doors opened, she almost wished they hadn't. X'hal! Total chaos reigned. She shouldn't be surprised, indeed, she should be used to it by now, but every time she saw it, it always had the power to leave her speechless. Totally Utterly Completely Speechless. It was a wreck. Usually his apartments stayed that way, but with this being a penthouse, you would think he'd take better care of it. From the looks of it, that was the woefully wrong assumption to make. Everywhere her emerald gaze touched, she saw madness. Books were stacked in piles on the floor, unpacked boxes, stacked all over the place, giving her the impression of someone newly moved when the truth was he's been there for 3 months. The occasional piece of clothing was scattered and lying forgotten over different pieces of furniture. It looked like he had been dressing and undressing in the living room. Scanning all areas of the penthouse's open space, she saw that the damage wasn't limited to just the living room. Everywhere she looked, she found something that didn't belong. "I bet his office is the soul of order." She said, frustration tinting her voice. It always amazed her that the most orderly and controlling of the Titans was the worst housekeeper on the planet. His office at the Tower was in total order, everything neat and in place, but his apartment was chaos in motion. If he was like this as a little boy, then Alfred caught hell trying to clean after him. Rubbing her head and giving a quiet prayer to X'hal for the cleaning staff, she set the basket down on the one spot on the table that wasn't covered with books or papers and went in search of her errant boyfriend. She was just about to search the Bedroom when she heard the quiet click of keyboard keys, like someone typing and it was coming from his study. Turning, she headed for the sound. The closer she got to the door, the louder the sound became. Seeing that the door was opened a crack, she gently pushed it the rest of the way open. Sure enough, there he was, hunched over his computer, typing away like a mad man, clad in only a pair of black silk boxers and mismatched socks. The room was also spotless, just as she knew it would be. So busy typing whatever it was he was working on, he never noticed the door swing open or Kory entering through it. He wouldn't have known she was there at all if she hadn't spoke. "So, are you ready to go to the Park?" Startled, he quickly looked up from the computer and saw Kory leaning against the archway of his office door. God…she so beautiful, he thought, his mouth hanging open at the sight. She was such a vision of loveliness to him and he immediately felt his dick harden and his mouth water. He could honestly say he had the best looking girlfriend in the known universe. Standing at 6'4 and lushly built, she was a golden skinned goddess. Unbelievably long auburn red ringlets fell down her back and stopping once they reached the back of her thighs, Clear, pupil-less, emerald green eyes, wide and expressive, full kissable lips and exquisite regal features, features that proclaimed her royal background, slender, swan like neck, slim, well-rounded shoulders, powerful arms that fell gracefully by a firm pair of breasts, 38 double D's no less, which were barely covered by a beautifully decorated, but skimpy tank top that revealed more then it concealed. Her firm bottom and beautifully long legs were in a tiny pair of clinging, cut-off lavender hip hugger short-shorts that showed off her flat stomach, long legs, hips and perfect ass to its fullest potential. Firm calves, deceptively delicate looking ankles and smooth feet surrounded by a pair of tan leather strappy sandals, clearly Greek in origin and smoothly winding up her calf and tied securely below her knee. A set of polished toes peeked from the straps that made up the sandals. All in all, she looked good enough to eat and his eyes said it. Smiling at that look, she waited for the lust to leave and sweet sanity to come back, only then would her question get answered. She just loved the looks he gave when he wanted her. This was one of those looks. Shaking himself from his lustful thoughts, trying to focus on what he was suppose to do, which was reviewing these cases for Bruce, rather than on what he would like to do, which was tucking Kory under him and causing the Tamaranean to scream in a very unladylike manner. Feeling the shudder of need travel through his body, Dick realized that he still hadn't answered Kory's question. Blinking, as if awaking from a dream, he asked. "Was the trip to the park today?" "Uh huh." She nodded. "I have a picnic basket already packed, equipped with checkered quilt, fried chicken, potato salad, wine and two champagne flutes. Instant romantic picnic for two." She said, watching the dawning horror in his eyes. Frowning at the seated man, Kory came to one conclusion. "Don't tell me you forgot!" she said, watching the blush settle in his cheeks. "Dick!!!" "I know, I know! I'm sorry." He said, watching his irate girlfriend standing by the door with her hands on her hips. That definitely meant trouble and the next thing he says will be sure to bury him. Quickly he starts explaining. "I'm helping Batman on a case and I totally got wrapped up in it. I forgot all about the park. What's worse, I don't think I'll be able to take you to the park today either." He said, holding his breath and waited for the blow up that accompanied whenever he mentioned Bruce's or his alter ego's name. After 30 seconds and no stray starbolts, he looked up. He was just in time to see her leave her spot against the doorway and walk over to where he sat. Spinning his chair around, she took her a seat in his lap, careful not to sit directly on the tent that was beginning to form in his black silk boxers. Talk about the "Big Top" indeed. Caressingly, she ran her fingers through the shining ebon strains of his hair, watching each silken strand slide between her fingers and fall neatly back in place on top of his well-shaped head. Leaning in close, she slowly started nibbling on his lower left ear lobe, gently capturing the fragile skin between her teeth. Hearing his quick indrawn breath, Kory released his ear and whispered into it. "Are you saying Batman can't spare you for two hours?" Feeling Kory's moist breath in his ear and hearing her husky tones as she spoke was really affecting him. He could barely think straight, who could with a sexy alien on your lap, tonguing your ear and rubbing her tight ass against your dick? All he could do was layback and pant as Kory preformed her special form of witchcraft on his ear, and silently curse Bruce for the extra work that kept him from finding a more creative use for his office chair. He'd much rather be undressing Kory then working on some damn case for Batman. Trying to gain some control and make her understand, he pulled his ear from her mouth and turned her until their eyes met, when he had her attention, he said. "This case is really important Kory, Bruce never asks for help unless it's something really important." He said, watching her green eyes narrow until they became slits. Oh God…what is she thinking? Does he honestly think I'll let him blow me off for Batman? Kory hated when he acted like this. What did Donna call it again? A stick in the mud! Yes, that's it. It seemed like all their plans recently have been ruined by Bruce Wayne, Wayne Enterprises or Batman and she was sick of it. This was the third date he's ruined, the Third one! The last date Dick broke, a trip she had planned to see Liberty Island, she had told him the next time he broke another date of theirs, and it wasn't a life or death or world crisis, she would tie him to the nearest piece of furniture and have her way with him until he either stopped being such a pain in the ass or he learned that his girlfriend needed some of his time and attention too, whichever came first. Apparently, he thought she was joking. Looks like it's lesson time, she thought with devilish glee. Ignoring the pointed looks he gave her, Kory carefully searched his office, looking for his utility belt. She knew that he was never far from his "tools" and that he usually kept his belt in whatever room he was working in at the time. She finally spotted it lying on the couch, partially covered by his coat. Leaving his lap, she wandered over to it and pulled out the line he used to swing from, a very light sturdy rope with metal and other unknown alloys weaved into it for strength. It was strong enough to hold someone three times Dick's weight and thick enough not to cut into his hands. Feeling his eyes on her, Kory turned around and grinned at the apprehensive look that crossed his face. Having all she needed, Kory walked back over to Dick and spun the chair he was sitting in around, so that he was facing away from her. Working quickly, she dropped the rope around him chest level, and started tying him to the chair. It was easy goings from there. The chair was one of those high-backed black leather chairs that swiveled and had wide armrests, plenty of places to tie him securely to. Perfect! Dick was in shock. He just couldn't believe that he just got tied to his chair with his own rope! And tied pretty securely at that! All he could do was sit in amazement while she finished tying him in place. Still not believing this, he called to her. "Kory!" Giving one last tug on the rope, Kory spun the chair around and saw her boyfriend's outraged expression. Watching him tug on the rope, testing its strength, she saw him give her a stern look and say. "You know I can free myself, right?" Smiling smugly at him, she said. "Actually, I don't think you can. Sure, given time you probably could, but not with me standing here watching you." "And the point of this is Kory?" he asked, still shifting in he seat, testing for weakness in the knots she made. Walking slowly around the chair, she answered him. "The point is, you seem to forget that my world doesn't revolve around Bruce, and neither does yours. You're not twelve any more, so you don't have to follow blindly behind him." Stopping in front of him, she bent forward and whispered in his ear. "Remember what I told you the last time you blew off one of our dates for Batman?" She asked, watching his Blue eyes go round with recognition. "Kory…" he managed weakly. Oh yeah, he remembered all right, he just never though she'd actually do it. I guess this will teach you not to second guess a Tamaranean Grayson.. He was so excited he almost felt faint with it. His dick was as hard as it's ever been, anxious for whatever this woman decided to do to him. Desire for her was riding him hard; he felt like he was ready to come and she'd barely touched him. He had to see where this would lead them. At that very moment, Bruce and his case could go to Hell. Seeing that look of helpless lust on his face told Kory she had won this particular battle, there will be no more talk of work or Batman this day. Feeling quite pleased with herself, Kory fell to her knees in front of her favorite detective. This spot, while giving her a wonderful view of his straining manhood, also allowed her the perfect position to begin her torture. Smiling up into his eyes, she slowly reached up and teased the inside of his thigh with her nails, steadily inching closer and closer to the protruding bulge in his boxers. His strangled moan and the quiet rotation of his hips let her know that he was enjoying the attention and wanted more of her touch. Well, if more is what he wants, then more is what he'll get, she thought to herself. Sliding her fingers up the right leg of his boxers, she gently cupped the weight of his balls in her hands and gently held them, massaging the two globes she found within before continuing her search higher up. Feeling her hand make contact with a warm blunt object, as thick around as her wrist and throbbing with a life of its own, she knew she had him, literally in the palm of her hand. Wrapping her hand around his shaft and making a fist, she slowly began to stroke him. Dick could feel his eyes crossing so he closed them. The feel of her warm, silky hand wrapped around his shaft was incredible. She knew exactly what to do to drive him nuts. She kept just enough friction on his dick to keep him excited, but not enough to make him actually cum, even though he felt the single drop of milky pre-cum bead up and wet the tip of his dick. The more pressure she applied to his dick, the faster the milky drops of cum formed until her palm was slick with the excitement he couldn't contain. If Dick was turned on, Kory was doubly so. It was something so primitive about sitting at your lover's feet and pleasuring him. Dick was really excited, and as always, his pleasure, pleasured her. Wanting to add to his pleasure, Kory used her nails to brush the moist, blunt tip of his swollen erection, gently teasing the sensitive underside. Not content with just feeling his dick, she wanted to see it also. Grasping his length, she maneuvered his penis until she was able to pull it through his boxers from the slit in the front of them. Up close and in plain sight, it was most impressive. At full erection, Dick was sporting a very noticeable 9 ½ inches, as thick around as her wrist and heavily veined. The wide, mushroom shaped head was partially hidden by foreskin, but if it was pulled back, she knew the head would be a deep angry plum color and wet from the pearly drops of fluid escaping from its head. Every time she saw it, she had the most undeniable urge to wrap her lips around it and give him a most fantastic blowjob. Even as she entertained the thought, she rejected it. Not right now, but definitely later. Right now he had a lesson to learn. Dick thrashed his head from side to side and moaned her name over and over again. The one time he opened his eyes, he saw her verdant green eyes, laughing silently at him. The evil vixen was enjoying this! But then again, so was he. Opening his eyes, he watched her hand move on his dick. It was mind blowing when he wasn't watching, but actually seeing her slim golden hand on his dick really made it strain. Feeling her hand tighten on him, he watched her slowly begin to stroke him, from base to tip. Keeping her fist tight and increasing the slick sliding motion of her hand kept him right on the edge, eagerly thrusting his hips into her hand. Love & War Seeing that she had him so hot he was almost crying, the need to cum was so great; she increased the speed of her hand and asked. "The next time Bruce calls you and asks for your help and it is not life or death, and interferes with our date plans, what are you going to tell him?" Trying to catch is breath; he gapes at her in amazement. He was three seconds from cumming all over her lovely hand and she actually wanted him to talk? Talk? All he could manage was moaning, so he moaned. Kory slowed the motions of her hand, teasing him. "What was that?" she asked, seeing the panic cross his face, scared she would stop. "I didn't hear you. Could you please repeat that?" "No…I'll tell him NO!" he said, almost screaming it, willing to say or do anything if it meant she would continue. "Good boy." She breathed huskily. He deserved a treat. Still stroking him, she sped up the motion on his dick, the friction causing his milky pre-cum to come forth like water behind a leaky dam, causing his hips to leave the seat. She brought him right to the edge and when he was on the verge of losing it altogether... She stopped. Just got up and walked around to the back or the chair, out of his view. Kory was already behind the chair when she heard her lover's strangled, frustrated shriek. Trying to pull air into lungs that suddenly forgot how to work, Dick lay there dazed, dick still hard and begging for relief and him on the verge of losing his sanity if he didn't cum soon. As it was, all he could do was plead with his girlfriend to continue. "No! Kory come back here and finished this." Feeling his dick throb and pulse, need almost had him bent double. "Kory…God! Make me cum or kill me and put me out my misery!!" So dramatic. Grinning behind his head, she leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear, "Oh no m'love. You're not getting off so easily this time." She said, feeling him shiver. Walking back into his line of vision, Kory winked at him and slowly started to peel her tank top off, leaving her beautiful golden breasts totally exposed to his longing eyes. She then straddled the chair, pinning his erection between their stomachs. Leaning forward, she offered one of her erect coral tipped nipples to his hungry mouth. Dick, not one for being slow, hungrily latched on to the nipple, softly biting and swirling his tongue around the sensitive nub. When he felt it stiffen even more from the attention of his mouth, he closed his lips around it and sucked, using his tongue and sensual mouth to give her a little of the torture she had been lovingly giving to him. The feel of Dick suckling at her breast was incredible. The man knows how to get the best responses from her body with little or no stimulation, working her body like the expert he was. No doubt trying to exact a little revenge in the process. Maybe we should give some serious thought to tying each other up. This looks like something we both can enjoy. Who knows, maybe next time, he'll tie me up! Pulling away from Dick's tempting mouth she stood, leaving him panting, his manhood jumping and bobbing like mad. "Kory...wha…where are you going? Come back here! Kory!" Dick panted, frustration eating at his sanity as he watched her begin to strip, slowly sliding off the cut-offs and revealing a black silk thong that had his Nightwing logo in the center of her crotch. God! They have ladies underwear with my logo on it?!? He didn't know if he was flattered or angry about it, but every thing ceased to matter when Kory's lovely nude form walked back over to his chair, and knelt on her knees in front of him. "I think you need this more then I do." Her husky tones informed him. Grabbing his dick with her right hand, she bent and took the tip of his erection between her lips, foreskin and all, and began to lick up all the salty liquid that had been gathering at the head of his dick. Getting comfortable, Kory settled down, about to give Dick one of the worlds finest blowjobs. To Dick it felt like someone had stuck his finger in a light socket, all he could do is sit there and moan encouragements as Kory's talented tongue and lips blew him away. "Damn baby, that feels good. So good." She must need to add more stimuli because he wasn't begging for the freedom of his hands yet, so that's what she did. Taking her lips off the head, she set her tongue to work on the sensitive underside, wetly tracing the veins and the sensitive tip of his glands. Slowly she licked and nipped at his shaft until it shone like a new penny. Giving his shaft a few quick pumps, just to keep the edge on, then she pulled back the foreskin, and licked around the bulbous tip, over and over she teased him, using her tongue to imitate the motions of someone licking a Popsicle. She did it just to hear her name on his lips. He didn't disappoint. "Kory…Kory, please!" Taking her mouth off his dick, she looked into his frantic eyes and asked. "Please what, lover?" Almost beyond coherent though, he managed to get out; "Take it…take it all in your mouth. Damnit Kory, do it right!" "Your wish is my command," she said, and then leaned forward to take more of him into her mouth. Relaxing her throat and sheathing her teeth, she slowly moved her head down on him. When she had gone as far as she could, deep throating his entire length, she moved back up, using her jaw muscles for suction and to keep a tight fit for her lips around his dick and using her tongue to touch whatever it could, swirling around his shaft and tasting the vulnerable underside of his dick. She repeated the process, up, and down, over and over until she was sure he was frustrated enough to give her what she wanted. Smiling around his dick, she kept up the relentless pressure. Dick was losing his mind. Kory was sucking him off so expertly; he thought he'd go mad from the pleasure of it. He wanted to cum so bad, but despite the masterful blowjob he was receiving, she wasn't using the pressure or speed needed in order for him to achieve orgasm. He was close, so very close, but not close enough. He also didn't want to cum in her mouth. He wanted to spend himself in her tight, silky warmth. And if he had to beg to get it, then he was doing his best Keith Sweat imitation. "Kory please..." he managed around the sensations choking him. His throat was so tight; he was surprised he was able to talk at all. Reluctantly she released his flesh with a loud "pop" sound and looked at her handy work. Dick's eyes were silently pleading with her; she could see the wildness and frustration driving him crazy. He was so worked up he was almost ready to free himself just so he could get his hands on her. Propping her arm on his leg and resting her head on it, she blew her moist breath over his dick and asked. "Please what Dick?" Raising one delicate auburn eyebrow at him, loving every minute of this. "Please Kory. Make me cum" he asked hoarsely. "Oh, you'll cum, lover and it will be the best you ever had, but first I need to get some things cleared with you." She said, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Kory, when I get free I'm going to kill you." "Oh?" she exclaimed, her full lips forming a perfect "O" shape. "I hope its la petite morte." "That too." He said, leering at her. Staring at his twitching dick lustfully, she said, licking her full lips. "I can't wait." Staring at her tongue wetting her the lips he wanted to kiss, he asked. "What was it you needed clarification on?" Racking her nails along the inside of his thighs, she asked. "Just this…when I let you go, you will be taking me on a romantic picnic, right? This case will be on hold until I leave, when ever I leave, correct?" Giving his dick a few quick pumps, just enough to bring him back to his recent frustrated state and remind him that this was far from over. Sitting back on her heels, she waited for his answer. It wasn't long in coming. "Case, what case? A romantic picnic in the park sounds wonderful and I'll take you just as soon as I can get my clothes on!! Just, please…" he said, desperation in his voice. Satisfied with his answer, she couldn't help teasing him a little longer. "Please what Dick? Say if for me." She asked in her warm sensual tones. Beyond pride now, he just wanted to get in her as fast as he could, if he had to beg, then he was totally with it. What was it that Roy said? Man, I would cry to get a piece of pussy. This was definitely one of those situations. Grunting, almost on the verge of tears, he started begging. "Please…make me cum Kory. Fuck me now!" he growled. Sensing him to be at the end of his endurance, X'Hal knows she was at the end of hers, Kory got up from her position between his legs, and with one last loving lick, released his dick and stood. Steadying the chair, Kory slowly eased over his straining manhood. Holding onto the armrest with her left hand, she used her right to grasp his manhood and aim it at her dripping love hole. Taking his dick, she started rubbing it up and down her moist hairless slit, coating the head of his dick with her warm juices. She was silently showing him that she was just as effected by all her teasing as he was. When he was nice and slick, she slowly started easing down, taking inch after thick inch deeper into her silk sheath. The sensation was indescribable. She could literally feel the velvety muscles of her pussy clenching and milking his dick, setting off fireworks deep inside her body. When he was seated to the hilt, she was surprised to feel hands on her hips. Staring at him in mute fascination, all she could do was laugh when he winked at her. Then she couldn't even do that with Dick stroking masterfully into her clinging heat, taking her breath and setting her on fire. The act of control had changed hands. The physically dominant has become the sexually submissive. As it should be, after all, all is Fair in love and War. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she closed her eyes and gave herself up to his powerful thrusting. Pulling her tighter to him, Dick wasn't interested in torture. He knew he would get his revenge later. Right now all he wanted to do was have his woman ride him into climax. He was close…real close, but he knew he could please her before he came. That's exactly what he set about doing. Spreading his legs allowed her more space to maneuver; it also brought her flush against his pelvis, giving him a much deeper penetration. Taking her lips in a possessive kiss, he started thrusting up into he silken warmth, steadily bringing her hips down to meet his strokes. Releasing her mouth, he let his lips wander all over her face, stealing little kisses from the soft curve of her ears, her face, the sweet corner when those seductive lips met, her chin, her neck, where ever he could reach. He also watched her face. God, she was beautiful. Her head was thrown back, the lustrous auburn curls spilling down her back and brushing against his legs before spilling to the floor. Her firm golden body was covered with a thin sheen of sweet. Eyes closed and the most arousing sounds were coming out of her. Kory was quite a vocal lover. Feeling her sheath tighten on him, he knew she was close, but he couldn't help teasing her a little. Taking her earlobe between his teeth, he teasingly nipped at the delicate flesh. "So you want to come Kory?" he asked, rapidly thrusting in and out of her warm snatch. "Oh yes, yes Dick, now please" she whimpered, rotating her pelvis down into Dick's upwards thrusts, bring him deeper inside and feeling him strike the entrance of her womb. Dick knew he had her when she gave that strangled shriek when he touched her womb, and sped up his thrusts. Holding her tight, he whispered against her lips. "Hold on baby, I'm about to make you come." Three quick, deep, strikes against her cervix were enough to send her over the edge. He felt her come before he heard it. Deep inside, where they were securely locked together, he felt her muscles tense, then start strongly milking his shaft. He felt her body stiffen, then tremble. He heard his name on her lips. As always with them, her pleasure pleasured him. The tightness of her body, her delicate trembling, the milking of his shaft was too much. Running his fingers through her hair, he pulled her lips to his and moaned her name into her mouth. "Kooooryyyy!" The force of his orgasm left him breathless, his whole body stiffened a second before his seed jetted from his body and poured into hers. For a brief second, he wished he'd gotten her pregnant, but that thought quickly faded next to his pleasure. When they were both drained, and collapsed on the chair, both dripping sweat but too tired to move. Dick's heartbeat was racing like he ran a marathon. Kory's wasn't much slower. After he had rested for a minute, he started running his hand through Kory's hair, rubbing her back, just touching her for the sake of touching her. He felt her stir and saw a pair of emerald eyes peeking at him through misshapen bangs, a slight smile touching her lips. Totally relaxed, all she could manage was a sleepy "hmmm?" Smiling at the sight she made, Dick told her. "You have my permission to tie me up anytime you want." He said with a straight face. Sitting up and wrapping her arms around his neck, she raised one auburn eyebrow. "I need permission now?" Reclining back farther in the chair, he pulled her close and laid her head on his shoulder, tucking her head securely into the side of his neck. "No, you don't need permission, but I thought it sounded better than me begging for it." Giggling, she started teasing him. "Oh, I don't know. You beg like a pro Mister Grayson. I wouldn't mind if you did it more often." "Vixen." "Stud." She shot right back at him. Stretching in the chair, he couldn't believe how relaxed he was. A trip to the park after a work out like that was very appealing. Staying home and making love to her in a bed was more appealing, but fair was fair. Shifting her so he could look in her eyes, he traced his fingers along her face and tapped her softly on the tip of the nose. "If we don't get a move on, soon it will be too late to go to the park and have our picnic." Pulling his head down, his lips barely touching her on, Kory said. "Forget the picnic. Take me to bed lover. We'll have a picnic in bed if we get hungry." Standing with her weight in his arms, he said, "Whatever my lady wants." Heading for his bedroom, he bent and whispered against her lips. "I love you, more then you will ever know." Returning the favor, she whispered. "I love you. You are my life." Smiling into her beautiful face, he said. "Show me." Her giggling and bold reply could be heard through the closed bedroom door. "It will be my pleasure to Mr. Grayson. Mine and yours."" The picnic basket was still sitting on the table the next day too. * * * * * * * * * * © 2001 by Keith Kilburn and Kenya - The Princess of Tamaran All characters © DC Comics, a Time Warner Company. Love & War © 2005 Rafe struggled in the soldier's grip. "Run!" He shouted to the small group behind him. Although bigger and stronger than his captive, it appeared the man was prepared to fight if necessary. Protect his compatriots. Give them time to scurry their prize to safety. Advent Nays watched the retreating pack of rebels, green eyes lit with mirth behind his rimless specs. "Oh yes loves, run." He purred. Turning his attention back to his captive, "Where the devil do you think you are? Down the rabbit hole with Alice?" The older man laughed. "They won't get within five feet of a door. We own this place. If it was that baby genius we really wanted, we would have had him hours ago." Those blue, blue eyes said it all. Rafe couldn't decide if that was an empty threat. Like a frightened animal he had to get away, warn the rest of the filthy rebels that it might be a set up. The young man stomped hard on the toes of Advent's high buckled boots only to discover they were steel toed. "Shit!" Advent was a good eight inches taller than Rafe. And that would have been without the boots. Well muscled, long loose brown hair and vibrant green eyes the soldier was far more imposing. He was dramatic and handsome in his high collared, black Territorial uniform and long leather trench coat. Confidence radiated from the Field Officer. "You trying to go somewhere?" Advent slammed Rafe's back against the table knocking the man's glasses askew. He hissed from the pain. "I don't think so. You and I, we have some personal issues to deal with." For years now Rafe and his crew had been a thorn in the Territories' side. Which meant he'd been a pain in Advent Nay's side. Amazing that he'd been caught so easy. Always before, the rebels had managed to slip away at just the last minute. Months of studying grainy field cams and old school vids had seared Rafe Ayer's features into the Field Officer's brain. He dreamt of the pensive smile and brooding eyes of the man in his grasp. At first he told himself it was just work carrying itself into sleep. Finally he admitted that the cat and mouse game they played made him want a man he'd only seen in fleeting moments. It was "hard to get" ratcheted times twenty. Advent liked hard to get. And the rebel was really good looking; too bad he worked for the wrong side. "Sod off!" Rafe spat. His silvered specs slid off his face, the mop of blonde hair falling into his eyes. He wore a bad imitation of club clothes: blue flash-pants that rose barely high enough to be considered hip huggers, a torn white shirt and chunky sneakers. It made him look young and small against Advent's leather draped frame. Pushing Rafe back into the booth, Advent hissed. "That's an interesting idea." The rebel was such a little committed freak...a lot like he'd been at that age. Of course Ayer came from one of the good families, the kind which bread intellectuals and dissidents. Nothing like Advent's own working class background. Maybe the rebel wasn't as aggressive, but cute; trying to pretend he was older and wiser than he really was. And his oh-so-proper accent, it reminded him of home. Advent's fingers hooked on the low slung waist of Rafe's pants. "I bet if I pulled, just a little, these would come sliding right off." He grabbed the rebel's ankle and Rafe slid, squirming, on to his back. "Of course love, we can't do anything about getting those britches down with these lug soled things on." He dropped Rafe's shoes and they rolled under the table. Then he grabbed the waist the man's trousers. As expected there wasn't much holding them up and in a matter of seconds they joined the shoes on the floor. The younger man kicked at him and Advent grabbed his legs, spreading them as much as he could in the cramped space. He knelt on the seat in between Rafe's naked thighs. "What no knickers? You naughty boy what were you planning on doing tonight?" Rafe swung a badly aimed punch at his head. Advent caught the blow and slammed Rafe's hand against the wall of the booth. The rebel spit in his face. He'd started off just to terrorize the young man. He hadn't had any intention of actually going through with it. Strip him, dump his things in the bin, and leave him naked in the middle of the club. It would have been sufficient revenge for now. But as Rafe struggled against him Advent was becoming excited. Bloody hell he was turning into that oversexed Second Officer of his. Kicking and squirming Rafe tried to drive off his attacker. Advent wondered why Rafe hadn't started off screaming when he'd started to strip him. Of course some form of industrial noise, masquerading as dance, thundered through the sound system. He probably realized no one would hear him over the pounding music. One arm was pinned to the vinyl by the older man. Rafe grabbed a hank of long brown hair with the other and pulled. "Go to hell you government prick." "You little sodding shit." If that was how he wanted to play it, fine. His free hand fumbled with the buttons on his leather pants and he pulled himself free. Then Advent grabbed Rafe's hip and drug him back. The hard head of his cock pressed against the lithe young body. He couldn't believe he was about to give into his dreams. **** Rafe trembled, muscles tensed in anticipation. His compatriots teased him: all work and no play makes Rafe a dull boy. They were so very right. The other members of his cell played with each other, a lot. He'd joined the rebels because he wanted to be a part of something. Living it for so long he's started to believe. Year after year, going higher and higher within their ranks, the only life Rafe had was within the cause. And now, there was always so much work to be done; he could never let himself go. He could never bring himself to give in. The few times he had, he'd been distracted thinking about the hundreds of things that needed to be done. Every time he'd encountered Field Officer Nays he'd managed an escape. Every time he'd escaped, Rafe had dreamed that he didn't. He probably could have managed tonight. But he hadn't wanted too. Because this way, this way took all the choices from Rafe. That tall, sleek frame carried with a soldier's bearing stalked his dreams. He'd read and reread the dossier on his opponent a thousand times. Each time looking for another bit of detail something that he could connect to. They'd grown up within the same sector. Rafe imagined he had visited the same museums and zoos and theaters as Field Officer Nays did when he was a boy. Still, that power, that authority... Rafe desired it. It was something he'd never admit to anyone else, he could hardly admit it to himself... he liked not having a choice. He wanted to be told what to do, to not be the responsible one. Knowing where it was going to end, where he wanted it to end as he fought with Advent, he struggled because that was what he was supposed to do. It was what made it exciting. His hips rose to meet the pressure. Rafe threw back his head and cried out at the grinding bite of Advent's entrance. It was as wonderful as he thought it would be. **** Frost ran down Advent's back. "Bloody hell you're tight." He hadn't thought the young rebel's body would feel so good. He bent down to kiss Rafe. He wanted to feel his lips, pretend he wasn't forcing him. The man's shaft pressed into his stomach. God Rafe was hard. He wouldn't have been hard in his place. He would have been scared shitless. As he pressed his mouth against the other man's lips he could feel more than hear Rafe's words. "Hold me down." "What?" Both hands drove down on the rebel's biceps as he reared back. "Yes," the Rafe's legs wound about Advent's hips, "like that." Rafe's deep blue eyes drifted along Advent's body, full of hunger not terror. The throbbing base gave him a beat to follow as he thrust back against the other man. As Advent moved within the other man's body, he lost more and more control, drowning in the heat licking up his thighs. Rafe's shaft was coursing in a trail of its own moisture on the hard planes of the Field Officer's cut abdomen. The weight of the taller man on his arms fed his shivers. Freezing cold and burning hot all at the same time Rafe thought he would burst. Breath breaking in his lungs, Advent slammed into Rafe. He was trembling as much as the man under him. The rebel's fingers were digging into his arms as he pulled his body against Advent. God it had never been this intense before. Frost clawed at the back of his legs and ran up his belly. Rafe was driving their rhythm harder and faster, crying, panting, half words breaking his lips. Jamming himself onto Advent's shaft, Rafe stroked his own length against the tall green haired man's belly. Advent was going to explode, explode or die. Heat built in the center of his groin and licked its way up through the nerves in his cock. Convulsions wracked the lithe frame beneath him as Rafe erupted coating Advent's chest. Tight to begin with, the spasms of Rafe's orgasm made his body a vice. Advent's blood froze as his own orgasm hit like lightning down his spine. The wordless scream burst from his mouth as he pumped his juices into Rafe. He couldn't catch his breath. Grabbing the back of the booth and the edge of the table Advent pulled himself up. His cock was still sheathed in the rebel's body. Rafe's delicate fingers reached up and wound into Advent's long brown hair. He drug on it, pulling himself up and the other man down. Advent's green eyes went wide as Rafe drove his tongue into his mouth. As Advent drew back, the man's teeth grazed his lip and then coursed down his neck. "More!" Rafe's demand tickled the base of his throat. Love And War Bk. 01 This is the sequel to Love Thy Enemy, which was my first story on here. This isn't a story about sex, in case you were wondering. It's a romantic adventure story set in the Star Trek universe. That said, the story does indeed have sex in it. If you like Star Trek, I hope you like this one. :) ----------------------------------------------- Wedding Bells Above Belaeus IV It was the day before the wedding and the guests started arriving aboard Enterprise. Jason and Delaara had submitted their guest lists, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard had added to it a bit. He smiled to himself as he received RSVPs from some very good friends with connections to the young couple. They were going to have the wedding in the ship's chapel with a combination Romulan and Human service. Onboard the USS Nimitz, Jason and Delaara were enjoying some time in the flight simulator. They were both testing a simulator program for the new Sleipnir heavy fighter, and Jason had to admit that it handled nearly as well as his trusty Valkyrie. "Looking good there, Demoness," he said, referring to his fiancee's new callsign. Foxhawk, her old callsign when she flew for Romulan Imperial Fighter Command had already been taken in Starfleet. "You think so, Friday? Let's see what this ship can really do!" She punched the throttle all the way forward and engaged her warp burners. Jason kept up with her as they raced around the asteroid belt. "Nice handling on this thing," she finally said after dodging and weaving her way through several tight spots with Jason close behind her. "I still prefer the Valkyrie, though." "I know what you mean, sweetheart. However, I also like the added shields and armor this baby has. It's nearly as maneuverable and quick as the Valkyrie, so it's a bit of a trade off." He shrugged. "Any word on if my parents will be there tomorrow, love?" She asked as they cleared the asteroid belt. "I haven't heard anything, but Jean-Luc is keeping his mouth pretty well zipped about the guest list and who's shown up yet. I like the guy, but he loves his surprises." He had always respected Captain Picard since that day when the old guy had taken full responsibility for his ship not reaching his parents' science vessel in time to save them. It always seemed to him as if Picard had become almost a surrogate father to him. "I know. I like and respect Captain Picard as well, but he's maddening sometimes." She chuckled at the thought of the man who would be marrying them. "He's respected throughout the Romulan Empire, too. Loved or hated, but always respected." "Hey, he's famous in the Federation, too. He's the oldest Human Starship Captain in Starfleet history." Jason said. It was true. At the age of 79, Captain Picard was definitely older than any other Human Captain. Some had said he should retire, but he wouldn't hear of it, and proved the naysayers wrong time and time again. He had passed up promotion to Admiral five times in order to stay in command of the USS Enterprise, the Federation flag ship. "Heads up, Friday," came a new voice over the comm. Jason banked left just as Rash let loose a volley of pulse phaser fire from his Sleipnir. "Hey, Rash. Wasn't expecting you out of the Captain's bunk so early in the morning." Jason grinned at that, knowing that Rash hated the ribbing about his love life with Captain Rachael Thatcher. "Well, she said I needed to keep you two busy while she worked on a surprise for the wedding, so yeah", said Rash, and both Friday and Delaara could hear him grinning through the comm. "Hey there, Rash. How are you this morning?" asked his new XO, who fired off her own volley of phaser fire into Friday's former wingman. "Wow, that's some firepower!" exclaimed Rash with a shake of his head. His aft shields were nearly gone after a single volley from the new heavy fighter. "Yes, yes it is," said Friday as he too let loose a volley and blew Rash's Sleipnir out of the Simulator. "Mmmmm, I loved how we did that, baby," said Delaara in her sexiest voice over the comm to Jason. "Yes indeed, sweetheart. Together, we're unstoppable," he replied with a grin. He felt himself getting hard under his flight suit at the thought of her body on his, touching and feeling, loving and fucking. "Red Alert. All hands to Battlestations!" came over the PA, and the flight simulation disappeared, leaving Delaara and Jason climbing out of the generic cockpits and down to the modified holodeck. They exited and jogged toward the main hangar where their Valyries were being prepped. Jason tapped his combadge. "Friday to Thatcher. What's going on, Captain?" he asked. "We just received a distress call out on the edge of the system," came the reply from Rachael. "Enterprise is responding as well, and it seems like a pair of Ferengi ships are trying to hassle some local police craft." "Roger that, Captain. Demoness and I are on the way," he replied. "Friday, out." They entered the aft flight deck and jumped into the cockpits of their fighters. Rash was already prepping for takeoff, and there were a few Skulls still climbing into their ships. Jason tapped his comm for Squadron command. "Everyone stand by. We don't know if we'll even be needed yet. Check your systems and make sure everything is a go. Gloria ad mortem!" "GLORIA AD MORTEM!" came the reply from the Skulls over the Squadron channel. Thatcher came over Wing Command channel. "This is Captain Thatcher to Striker Wing. We will be dropping out of Warp.... Now! All fighters Launch! Scorpion Squadron will hold back and provide cover for Nimitz and Enterprise." Jason punched his throttle forward and immediately saw the Ferengi ships on his scope. "Skulls, on me. We're going after the first cruiser. Stiletto Squadron, take cruiser number 2." "Roger that, Skull lead. Stiletto Squad taking number 2." "Target their engines and weapons only, Strikers. We don't want them dead.... yet," said Jason. He heard a comm buzz of acknowledgements from the entire Wing. Not a day after he became Squadron leader, he was already leading his first mission. "Bravo flight, take down the port phaser banks", said Rash to the fighters under his command. Jason nodded approvingly. "Skull Two to Lead. Friday, what's our target?" asked Delaara. "Engines, Demoness. Alpha flight on me. We're gonna bring them to a stop." Jason hit his Warp burners, closing quickly on the Ferengi ship. He saw Rash's flight hit the port phaser array, and grinned. "Quantums for the engines, Alpha. They're not getting away." "Roger that, Lead. Two has your wing, honey," came his lover's voice. Jason couldn't help grinning as his target lock was acquired and he fired a Quantum into the Ferengi's port engine. There followed three more Quantums into the Ferengi engines which quickly punched through its shields, knocking the impulse and warp engines out. "Charlie flight here, Lead. Taking down the forward torpedo tubes now." "Roger that, Bounce. Keep them from shooting." Jason was enjoying coordinating attacks. Everyone already knew from drills which targets were theirs in this situation. It was satisfying when everything went smoothly for a change. "Bravo lead here, Friday. All phaser banks on enemy ship are down." Rash literally grinned through the comm. "Great job, Rash. Scanning now..... Yes. Ferengi cruiser disabled. Stilettos, you need a hand over there?" asked Jason. "Negative, Skull lead. Ours just went dark as well. Cruiser 2 is disabled." "Textbook operation, Striker Wing. Enterprise didn't even have to fire a shot," came Captain Thatcher's proud voice over the comm. "Come on back home, boys and girls. Drinks are on me!" There was a collective cheer over the comms as the two Squadrons from Striker Wing warped back to the Nimitz as Enterprise moved in to take the Ferengi crews aboard as prisoners. "So, how'd you like your first taste of combat as a Starfleet pilot, Demoness?" asked Jason with a grin as his fiancee came down the boarding ladder right beside him. Delaara turned and threw her arms around his neck. "It was amazing, baby!" she was grinning ear to ear. "I love flying with you!" she said as she kissed him lovingly. "Hey you two! Get a room!" shouted Rash with a laugh. He vaulted to the deck and ran for the nearest turbolift. "Ha ha!" said Jason. "There he goes so the Captain can give him a thorough.... ahem.... physical." Delaara and Jason chuckled at their best friend and adopted brother. Jason noticed how her hair had grown out since they had first met. She had left her old severe Romulan Fleet haircut behind and now wore hers shoulder length, but tied back in a ponytail. "I love the ponytail, sweetheart," he said with a grin. "It makes you look even sexier than you already were." "Mmmm, thank you, baby. I love that you kept the beard. Romulan men almost never grow beards," she said with a wink. They walked hand in hand to the turbolift, and took it up to their quarters on Deck 4. As they made out in the turbolift, it stopped at Deck 8 to let someone on. They kept kissing until they hit Deck 4, not even stopping when whoever got on at Deck 8 got off. Jason freely admitted that she was the best kisser he'd ever been with. It still amazed him that even though she was over twice his age, she only looked maybe a year or two older than him. They stumbled into their quarters and into the fresher, dropping their flight suits as they went. Still kissing deeply, they stepped into the sonic shower together and were nearly instantly clean from the sweat of the mission. Delaara finally broke the kiss. "By the stars, Jason. I haven't felt this horny after a mission since... forever!" "I know what you mean, sweetheart," he replied. He was at full mast and ready for her. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bed. "I need that glorious cock of yours in my tight little cunt NOW, baby!" she shouted with pure lust in her eyes and voice. Jason bent her legs back and placed her feet over his shoulders as he plowed into her dripping wet cunt hard and fast. He could feel her gripping and massaging his cock as he powerfucked her deeper and deeper, bottoming out each time and hitting her cervix. She screamed as she came. "OH FUCK OH FUCK OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK ME BABY!" she screamed as she came again, dragging her nails down his back, with his cock pistoning into her even harder. He pulled out and flipped her over onto her stomach, spreading her thighs and slamming back into her cunt from behind. "FUCK YES! FUCK ME YOU BASTARD! FUCK ME LIKE THE DIRTY FUCKSLUT I AM! THAT'S IT BABY! I'M YOUR DIRTY FUCKSLUT!" she yelled as he entered her and slammed down on top of her, driving even deeper into her than before. "FUCK ME AND MAKE ME CUM AGAIN YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" she screamed and came again, drenching him and the sheets below them with her cum. Jason felt his balls tightening. "You like that, baby? You like being fucked like a hot little slut? You like being slammed by my big hard fucking cock, you dirty sexy bitch?" Jason couldn't believe he was saying these things, but he really couldn't believe how hard and how often she was coming. It felt surreal as their mindmeld kept their pleasure centers linked. He exploded inside her with a yell. "FUCK YES BABY! TAKE MY CUM IN YOUR HOT CUNT!" as he shot pulse after pulse after pulse of cum deep into her womb. ***** Jason woke up with Delaara snuggled up next to him, and he had no idea how long they'd been passed out. God, he'd been as horny as she'd been and it was both amazing and scary at the same time. "Delaara? Honey?" he whispered. She moaned blissfully against his side. "Mmmmmm baby," she moaned again, half asleep still. Jason checked his chrono. It was 1407 hours. They had launched the mission at 0848 hours this morning, and they had landed back on the Nimitz at 0916 hours. After a good solid hour of fucking, that would mean they had been asleep for nearly 4 hours. He slowly got out of bed and went to check his combadge. He picked up his flight suit and pulled the combadge off of it. Tapping it, he said "Messages" and received a 'no messages' beep. "Well, at least they aren't looking for us, yet" he said in a whisper. "God, look at the time!" Delaara said when she saw the chrono. "Honey, I don't know what came over me. If I said anything you didn't like, I'm sorry." He sat down next to her and hugged her tight. "Are you joking, baby? That was amazing!" she said with a grin. "That was the Best Sex I've EVER had!" "I know. Same with me. The weird part is that it wasn't *me*, you know? I felt like I was possessed or something." Jason said. He was worried. Delaara put her arms around him. "My love, don't worry about it. We just flew a perfect mission. No casualties. We completed all objectives in record time. I couldn't believe it would ever be that good, my first time out with you. You made it perfect, baby. The Ferengi never even scored a hit on us." "Sweetheart, if we do that after every perfect mission, I may not survive." he said with a grin. She swatted him playfully. "I guess we'd better get dressed and see if anyone is looking for us." She winked at him and got up to find a new uniform to wear. "Yeah, we probably better," he agreed, chuckling. That really had been the best sex of his life. All the dirty talk. They'd never had that before, and with the mindmeld taking them to new unseen heights of ecstacy, it was even better. They dressed quickly in clean flight suits and went to the Bridge turbolift. They needed to see if the Captain was in her Ready Room. Jason tapped his combadge. "Friday to Thatcher. You in your Ready Room, Captain?" "Yep. Come on up, Friday," came her reply. "Well, we'll know soon enough if we're in trouble," said Delaara with a giggle. "I know, right?" said Jason, kissing her tenderly. They stepped out onto the bridge to thunderous applause and backslaps. They heard "perfect mission" and "textbook op" and barely made it to the Ready Room without permanent bruises. Jason chimed the door, and heard "Come on in, kids." They entered as Captain Thatcher, Captain Picard, and Ambassador Spock all rose to greet them. All three of them were smiling, even the usually reserved Vulcan Ambassador to Romulus. Captain Picard shook their hands profusely, Captain Thatcher hugged them both tight, and Ambassador Spock grabbed them by their shoulders and shook them gently as he smiled. "You are both being awarded the Federation Medal of Valor for your work on NZ8-257, specifically your actions above and beyond the call of duty in dealing with the Orion threat there," said Captain Thatcher. "Bloody well done, you two!" "Thank you, ma'am!" they said in unison, grinning. Captain Picard then said "I have put in for the Andromeda Cross for both of you as well, for the perfect mission today against the Ferengi pirate cruisers. Your handling of that operation was better than textbook, and I have never seen such fine work." "Th.. thank you, sir." Jason was choked up. His hero had just recommended him for one of Starfleet's highest awards. Ambassador Spock came forward and addressed Delaara. "Delaara, you are an amazing young lady, and Jason here is lucky to have you. Your parents have arrived aboard Enterprise, and we will all be at your wedding tomorrow." She hugged him. "Thanks, Uncle Spock." He then turned to Jason. "I've known Delaara now since she was born, son. She's a good woman, and you had better treat her right." "I will, sir." Jason was in the presence of a legend, and knew it. He stood firm, and then held up his right hand in the vulcan greeting. "Peace and long life, Ambassador Spock". Spock, pleasantly surprised, raised his hand in response. "Live long and prosper, Jason and Delaara. Now, I must go. We have much to prepare for aboard Enterprise before the wedding. Rachael. Jean-Luc. I will see you both there." and he left to thunderous applause from the bridge crew, who were just honored to have him in the same quadrant. "Sit down you two, please." Rachael beckoned them to the empty chairs. Jason sat next to Captain Picard and Delaara sat closer to Rachael. Picard spoke first. "Delaara, your mission this morning was the first perfect starfighter mission in Starfleet history." Delaara shook her head slightly. "Sir, if it wasn't for Jason's leadership, it could have gone sideways very fast. He kept everything together by coordinating the attack with Stiletto Squadron." "As modest as you are skilled, Commander," smiled Jean-Luc in response. "And I must be off, now. I must see to our guests for tomorrow." He stood up and after shaking Jason's and Delaara's hands once again, took his leave. "Tell the truth, you two. How did you feel after that mission this morning?" asked Rachael. "Permission to speak candidly, Rachael?" asked Delaara. "Always, Delaara." Rachael said. "Well, in truth, we were both horny as hell after that mission this morning. We had so much excess adrenaline to work off, and once we finished and crashed, we were out for nearly four hours straight." Delaara couldn't believe she'd just said that, and neither could Jason. "It's true, Rachael. We must have...ummm you know, for an hour straight. Felt like we'd both run a marathon after it was over." Jason grinned and shrugged. "In all my decades serving the Empire, I never flew a perfect mission, Captain. When we landed and realized what we'd accomplished, we kissed each other all the way up the turbolift to our quarters, into the sonic shower, and all the way into bed. And let's just say I'm glad the walls are soundproofed." Delaara finished, blushing fiercely. Jason leaned over and held her as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. For her part, Rachael was glad for the atmospheric scrubbers and soundproofing in her Ready Room, since as soon as he had landed, Rash had made a beeline for the Bridge and her Ready Room. Upon his entry, he had moved into the room and around her desk to where she was seated. He'd looked at her with pure animal desire in his eyes, and had his way with her over her desk. He'd bent her over unceremoniously, pulled her uniform pants down, and with a complete lack of foreplay, slammed his cock into her already dripping pussy. He had fucked her like a beast, and she had loved every minute of it. As she'd come around him, she felt him unload himself inside her. Even though she was on birth control, she secretly hoped that Rash would give her a baby, and that thought had caused her to come again with him. When they'd finished, the entire Ready Room had smelled of sex. Hot, dirty, raunchy sex. And as if Rash had just regained his senses, he held her tenderly and whispered how sorry he was for the way he'd acted. Rachael's heart had been pounding in her chest as she'd embraced him and reassured him that he'd done nothing wrong.... well, except for fucking her over her desk while her door had been unlocked. It had been at that point when the door had chimed and both pilot and captain had readjusted their uniforms for decency's sake. By the time Jean-Luc had entered with Spock to discuss the wedding, they were both perfectly presentable. "Ah, the Best Man and the Maid of Honor." Jean-Luc had said with his warm smile. Rash had excused himself, and Rachael couldn't resist saying "Thank you for the thorough debriefing, Lieutenant." Rash had just smiled, said "No problemo, Capitano," and left. Rachael was jarred from her reverie by Delaara saying "Captain? Did you have a similar encounter with Rash?" Both Jason and Delaara had small smiles on their faces, and she caught herself blushing. "As... as a.. matter of fact, yes. I won't go into details, but it was... well.. for lack of a better term, bloody fucking amazing," she admitted. Love And War Bk. 01 Delaara and Jason had known for quite some time about Ryan and Rachael, but this open admission, even in private caught them a bit offguard. Delaara had been ribbing her good-naturedly, but the look on their Captain's face was enough to give them pause. It was clear, to Delaara at least, that Captain Rachael Thatcher, the cool under fire commanding officer of the Federation's first Starfighter Carrier, was desperately in love with one of her most junior pilots. Rachael said "Well, you two have some duty assignments, I'm sure. I have some reports to finish processing and then I'll be heading to the Enterprise for a bit to help finalize you two's wedding for tomorrow." She was all business again, so Jason and Delaara didn't push it. Standing, they said "Thank you, Captain", and left the Ready Room. As the door opened and Friday left with Demoness, Rachael heard even more applause for the happy couple from her bridge crew and smiled. She knew what she was feeling, even if she hadn't felt it in years. She knew it was wrong and could end her career, but she no longer cared. She was afraid of what Ryan would say, though. She loved him, and wanted a life and family with him. It was the first time in her life when she had ever considered having children. "God, Ryan. What have ye done to me, love?" she asked, under her breath. ***** Rash was off duty and had about 2 hours to kill before Rachael finished her day. He sat in his quarters, which he didn't see very often anymore since basically moving into the Captain's quarters with Rachael. He was lost in thought at what he had done earlier. He knew that he had nearly raped Rachael. He felt disgust with himself over how he'd just taken her, with no regard for her pleasure. He'd bent her over her desk and taken what he wanted from her. She had actually loved it, and he was thankful for that, at least. He cared about her more than he had been willing to admit to himself, until that moment. "My God," he said softly. He knew what he had to do, even if it meant losing her. He had to tell her how he felt. "I am so dead," he muttered. ***** Delaara and Jason sat in their quarters, that they would share as husband and wife after the ceremony tomorrow. Delaara was ecstatic over the news that her parents had made it from Romulus to attend. She had commed them after her defection while on Earth for debriefing. Jason had given her the privacy she'd needed for the call. Her father had been angry, yet understood. They'd both taken the news of Stovral's death hard, but also knew that in war, it was always a risk. The part that her father had trouble with was that while he held no ill will toward a pilot who had killed his son in an honorable dogfight to save the life of his friend and brother, he did take issue with his daughter falling in love with her brother's killer. "What are you thinking, Delaara?" he'd asked her. "He killed your brother. I don't expect you to take vengeance on him, but you went and fell in love with him?" She'd answered him with logic. "Father, please. I know how this must seem to you. He saved my life after I crashed. He helped me survive after we found ourselves marooned with seemingly no hope of escape. He shared his feelings with me, and I discovered a good man that I want to spend the rest of my life with." A tear had run down her cheek, and her father had finally relented. He'd sighed. "Delaara, I won't pretend to know how the heart works. When your mother and I first met, I thought her cold and aloof. Yet as we worked together, I fell in love with her. In spite of everything, I persisted in showing her compassion and caring. When she kissed me the first time, I knew she was the one for me." "Father, when he pulled me from the wreckage of my fighter and then pushed air into my lungs from his own, I knew Jason was the one for me as well." She'd smiled, and her father had smiled back. "I will meet this man who has stolen my daughter's heart." He'd said, smiling paternally. "Wait right here, father. I'll bring him in." She'd said with a heart lifting smile. She'd gone to the bedroom where Jason had been sitting patiently and asked him to come into the com room. He'd gotten up, knowing what she was doing, and walked stoically to talk with her father, as a condemned man walks to the gallows. No fear, but a determination to face his fate like a man should. As he had stood in front of the com station, looking into the face of Ambassador Stovrin, he'd smiled politely and said "I'm Lieutenant Jason MacKenzie, sir." Delaara had stood beside him, smiling at her father hopefully. "So you are the man who killed my son and stole my daughter from me." He'd said to the young Lieutenant. "I love your daughter, sir. And I regret the loss of your son by my hand. I know it doesn't bring him back, but I am sorry that I had to kill him." He'd choked up for a moment, and his emotion wasn't lost on the Ambassador. He'd seemed concerned. When Jason had regained his composure, he'd continued. "Sir, if there had been any other way to save my best friend's life, I would have taken it." Stovrin considered it for a moment. Then he'd said something that neither Delaara or Jason had expected. "Well, since you can't bring my son back, I would ask you to become my son and marry my daughter as you plan to do, anyway." Delaara had gasped, and Jason had stood there for a moment, not believing what he'd just heard. "Ambassador, it would be my honor to join your family, and I thank you for the blessing to marry Delaara." He'd bowed his head in respect to her father. She replayed that memory over and over in her head as she cuddled with her fiancee. They'd been given the rest of the day off, and had chosen their clothing for the wedding. Jason hadn't seen what Delaara was going to wear, as that would be bad luck, but she approved of his Dress Whites, complete with both of his new medals when they would be awarded. The Andromeda Cross and the Federation Medal of Valor. In 3 months' time, they had won two of the Federation's highest honors. Rachael had commed him to tell him that their Andromeda Crosses had been approved by Starfleet Command, and would be pinned on their chests before the wedding tomorrow. As they lay together on their bed, still cuddling in their flight suits, they heard the door chime. "Come in, we're decent," said Delaara with a naughty wink to Jason. He grinned at her as Rash entered with a look on his face that Jason had never seen before. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked as if he had been crying. Jason and Delaara jumped up and sat him down on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong, Rash?" asked Jason. "You look like death warmed over." "I just realized how I feel about Rachael, and it's eating me up, Friday," his best friend said. Delaara smiled at him. "You love her, right?" Rash nodded. "I'm scared, Delaara. I'm scared that if I tell her, she'll run for the hills." Delaara smacked him lightly across the face. He was stunned. "Do I have your attention now? Good. One thing I know is when someone is in love. I see the way she looks at you, Ryan. It's the same way I look at Jason. You have absolutely nothing to be scared about, because she loves you so much it hurts." Ryan grinned at that. "You know, I thought she might feel the same way, but then...." "Then you psyched yourself out, Rash. You have a habit of doing that, you know," Jason said, grinning. He checked his chrono. "She should be off duty by now, brother. Go get her." Rash stood up. "You're right. If I don't tell her and lose her forever, that would be worse than telling her and losing her forever." And with that, he was sprinting out the door and towards the turbolift. Jason had an idea for what he wanted for their first dance after the wedding, and moved into the fresher for a moment. "Honey, I need to wash up a bit. I'll be right back." "Ok, baby. I'll be here." She smiled. He tapped his combadge when the door had slid shut. "Friday to Captain Picard", he smiled. "Go ahead, Jason," said Picard over the comm. "Sir, I have a special request for the song to be played when Delaara and I have our first dance after the ceremony", he said, smiling wider. "What song would that be, Jason?" "'Who Am I' by an old 21st century band named Firewind, sir. I have it on MP7 if you need it. I can send it to you." Picard chuckled. "You kids and your music today. I believe we have it in our music library here, Jason. I'll make sure that when you two take the floor, that song will play for you." "Thank you, sir. Firewind is one of our favorite bands." "It's no trouble. I'm still somewhat at a loss as to what she sees in you, though." He chuckled again, and Jason chuckled as well. "Yeah yeah. Everybody's a comedian... sir." "Yes I am, son. Picard, out." ***** Ryan ran down the hall to the turbolift. He punched in the code for the Captain's Quarters and rode it up. He stepped off and went to Rachael's door. He chimed, but got no answer. He entered her room and noted that she hadn't returned yet. He sat on the edge of their bed and waited. 'Our bed', he thought to himself. He had come to see it as their bed. The bed that they shared. He knew that this would be it for him. Either she loved him too, and they would find a way to make it work, or she would reject him and would be back to being just his Captain. He heard the rush of the door opening and looked up with tears in his eyes as Rachael entered. She saw him and noticed the look on his face. "What's wrong, love?" she asked, sitting beside him and wrapping her arms around him tightly, pulling him to her. "I have something that I have to tell you, Rachael," he replied in a voice barely above a croak. He cleared his throat. He wiped his tears away and told her. "Rachael, you're my Captain. You are also the woman I've loved since I first saw you. I didn't even realize it at the time how much I was in love with you. When I first came aboard with Friday as a pea green ensign, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you sitting in your captain's chair on the Bridge and stood to welcome us aboard. Your smile lit up my life from then on. When you promoted me to J.G., and I had way too much to drink already, you changed my life when you said to go to your quarters to wait for you. When you showed up and we made love the first time, I knew that no other lady in the universe would hold a candle to you. I love you, Rachael Thatcher, and no matter what you say now, even if you transfer me off this ship and I never see you again, it's how I will feel for the rest of my life." He sighed, finally. He had unburdened himself, and even if she rejected him now, he would know in his heart that he had not let her get away due to an inability to face his feelings for her. "I love you too, Ryan." He looked up into her smiling eyes. "It took me more than a while to fully admit it to myself, but I love you, Ryan Rasher." He leaned close and kissed her with a tenderness she had never felt from him before. He gently undid her uniform jacket and slid it off her shoulders. They stood as she undid his flight suit, unzipping it down to his waist. He kicked off his boots and fell onto the bed, removing his flight suit the rest of the way. She stood there before him, reaching up and undoing her bra. He unbuttoned her pants and unzipped her, letting her pants fall around her ankles. He stood and sat her on the edge of the bed, kneeling and removing her boots and pants the rest of the way. She lay there in just her panties and he reached up and slowly hooked his hands in the waistband, pulling them down as she lifted up on the bed. No words passed between them as they let their bodies communicate their feelings for each other. He spread her thighs gently, moving in and kissing the inside of her thigh just above her knee. He slowly licked and kissed higher, smelling her arousal. He knew she loved him, and she knew he loved her. When he finally reached her neatly trimmed pussy, he kissed her there, slipping his tongue into her. She gasped in pleasure, and he continued to drink from her nectar as he brought her more and more pleasure. Her gasps turned to moans as he licked and sucked her nub. And then she came, filling his mouth with her sweetness, giving him what he craved more than anything else in the galaxy. He moved up her body after she came, kissing her and sharing the taste he loved so much with her. She reached down and grabbed his hard cock, guiding it slowly into her. Ryan looked into her eyes and gasped as he entered her, as if for the first time. Their eyes never left each other as he moved slowly into her, filling her up completely with himself. They moved, feeling deep down that this is where their lives merged. She reached up and pulled his face to hers, kissing him lovingly, deeply, and passionately. He thrust deeper into her, quickening his pace as she began to moan again. She moaned deeper and louder, feeling his hardness swell and throb inside her. Her eyes closed as she came hard around him, clamping down with her muscles around his hard throbbing cock. He felt her coming and her moan into his mouth sent him off the cliff as he came inside her womb. "That's it, my love," she whispered to him. "Give me your baby." Ryan had come harder than he ever had in his life from that slow passionate lovemaking with the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He looked deep into her eyes as what she had said as he came finally registered on him. His eyes lit up and he asked "Do you really want to be the mother of my children, Rachael?" He had a smile on his face of pure love. "When this tour is up, my love, I'm retiring from Starfleet. At that time, I would love to settle down with you.... if you will have me as your wife." He grinned when he heard her say that, and she smiled as he moved beside her, pulling her into the crook of his arm. She rested her head on his chest. "Rachael, stand up a minute, please." he asked her. Looking at him quizzically, she moved to the side of the bed and stood. Ryan moved down to where his flight suit was crumpled on the floor, and dug into a cargo pocket. He pulled a small box from it and Rachael caught her breath. He stood and walked towards her, and there naked to the world and each other, he sank to one knee. "Rachael Thatcher, will you marry me?" he asked, opening the box containing the diamond engagement ring. Rachael was speechless. She had never before felt such love for anyone. The one other time she had been 'in love' had been nothing compared to this. She gasped for air for a moment, overwhelmed at her own feelings. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she said "Yes, Ryan. I will marry you, you beautiful man!" He slid the ring onto her finger and rose, kissing her lovingly. They moved back to the bed and slid under the sheet together, exploring each other as if for the first time. ***** Jason woke the next morning alone, knowing that Delaara had awoken early and was preparing for their wedding onboard the USS Enterprise. He moved to the window and caught sight of the Sovereign class battleship just off the Nimitz's port side. It was a glorious looking military machine. Much more of a brute force testament to Starfleet's military might than the previous Galaxy class incarnation had been. Smiling, he turned back to the closet that contained his Dress Whites. He removed the uniform and set it on their bed, moving to the fresher to take a quick sonic shower. After the shower, he dressed quickly, making sure his medals and rank insignia were perfect. He then sat and waited. As if on cue, he heard the rush of the door sliding open, and Rash, grinning ear to ear, said "Come on, Friday. Let's get you hitched!" "Good. I was tired of waiting," he said and rose, walking towards his best friend. They exited and headed down the hall towards the turbolift. "So, how'd it go with Rachael last night?" "Better than I could have dreamed, brother. In a few years, we're getting married. By the way, would you be my Best Man?" he asked, grinning like the cat that ate the captain. Jason grinned along with him. "Do we just have a thing for older women, Ryan?" he asked with a mock scowl on his face. Ryan thought for a moment. "I would say so. My lady is 44, and yours is 60." He shrugged. "Yeah, but my lady looks 25. Yours looks 34. So yeah, I'd say we have it bad for the cougars." They laughed at that and entered the turbolift, on the way to transporter room 2. "Where are you taking Delaara for your honeymoon?" asked Ryan. "Well, I considered Risa, but that's been done to death. I was thinking Santa Barbara, since I still own the old house. We fell in love watching the sunsets on NZ8, and the sunsets off the California coast are just as wonderful." Jason was smiling. Ryan had been there, and knew what the sunsets were like. "Good choice, bro. Now, here we go," he said as they stepped out and into the transporter room. Lieutenant McCaffrey was behind the console, and said "Good luck, Friday. You broke a lot of ladies' hearts today." "You're just jealous, Angie", said Rash with a wink. She laughed as she said "Energizing. I'll be watching from 11Forward." They dematerialized and rematerialized onboard the Enterprise. Waiting for them was Rachael, flanked by Ambassador Spock and Captain Jean-Luc Picard. They stepped off the pad and approached. Rachael winked at Ryan and stepped forward to Jason. "Lieutenant Commander Jason MacKenzie, it's my great honor today to present you with the Federation Medal of Valor." She took the box from Captain Picard, and pinned the medal on his chest next to his Vulcan Crescent and Terran Starburst. Stepping back, she said. "For valor above and beyond the call of duty, you have been awarded this medal with the highest appreciation of Starfleet Command and the United Federation of Planets." She then took the second box from Captain Picard and turned back to him. "Lieutenant Commander Jason MacKenzie, it's my great honor today to present you with the Andromeda Cross." She pinned the medal next to the Medal of Valor and stepped back. "For coolness under fire and extremely competent leadership skill, you have been awarded this medal with the highest appreciation of Starfleet Command and the United Federation of Planets." Jason saluted and said "Thank you, sir." Rachael returned his salute just as crisply. "Thank you, Friday," she said with a smile. "Now, let's get you married and let Delaara make an honest man out of you!" ***** Jason entered the chapel and saw Captain Picard behind the podium. He noticed Ambassador Stovrin and his wife, Ambassador T'Rya. His news. Ambassador Spock sat next to them, smiling broadly. The entire command staff of both Nimitz and Enterprise were there, as well as the entirety of Skull Squadron. He stepped forward, Rash slightly behind and to his right. As they stepped up and took their places, the Romulan Wedding March began playing and he saw Ambassador Stovrin rise to his feet, turning and stepping towards the back of the chapel. As he held out his arm, a vision of loveliness entered. Her face was veiled, and her body covered with a gown of the deepest cobat blue. It shimmered in the light, and the V neck showed off the tops of her breasts stunningly. The gown fit every contour of her shape, and the short sleeves showed off the ahtletic musculature of her arms. Delaara took her father's arm and they marched slowly down the aisle together. As they neared the podium, Ambassador Stovrin smiled, guiding her hand to Jason's. He felt her palm against his as she stepped up beside him, and couldn't take his eyes off her for a moment. She looked at him, and they both turned to face Captain Picard, their hands still touching palm to palm. Love And War Bk. 01 "As a Starship Captain, I have many duties," said Picard with a smile, looking around the room and finally at the bride and groom. "One of the hardest duties in my career was having to inform a young Starfleet Cadet that his parents had been killed, and that I wasn't fast enough to save them. That Cadet showed more bravery, honor, compassion, and forgiveness than I thought I deserved. The most pleasurable duty I have is the one I'm performing now. To bring that Cadet, now a Lieutenant Commander in Starfleet Fighter Command, together with his one true love." He paused for a moment, refocusing on Delaara. "When I first met Commander Delaara, she stood before me as an enemy pilot during a time of war. It was with great incredulity that I had read both reports of what had occurred above and on the surface of planet NZ8-257. The young Commander was genuine in her motives, and had fallen in love with the young Cadet I knew so long ago. I've never, in all my years, seen a love so pure as possessed by these two exceptional individuals. It is my greatest duty today to join Lieutenant Commander Jason MacKenzie and Lieutenant Commander Delaara in the bonds of Wedlock. If there are any here who object to this union, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." Nobody uttered a word, and the Skulls were looking around for anyone who would screw up their friends' happiness. "Jason, do you take Delaara to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love, honor, and cherish, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" "I do," answered Jason with all his heart, slipping the wedding ring onto her finger and setting it against the engagement ring she already wore. "Delaara, do you take Jason to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to love, honor, and cherish, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" "I do," she said with all the love she had for him, slipping the wedding ring her father had given her onto his finger. "Then by the power vested in me by Starfleet Command, the United Federation of Planets, and the privilege of being a Starship Captain, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife." He turned to Jason. "You can kiss her now, son." Jason turned as if in a dream. He lifted her veil and gasped at the beauty before him. He slipped his arms under hers, pulling her to him as her arms slipped around his neck. Their lips touched, and parted, kissing slowly and tenderly, eyes closing in rapture at the feel of each other. After what seemed an eternity, they broke the kiss and turned to their friends and family. Cheers broke out as they walked back towards the rear of the chapel and out to head for the reception in Ten Forward, the bar aboard Enterprise. ***** Ryan, drunk as usual, stood up to give the first toast to the happy couple. "To Jason and Delaara! Let your love continue to grow, and let your sex continue to be kinky!" He sat down and promptly passed out. "Bloody hell, not again!" said Rachael, smiling as she nudged him gently. The whole crowd laughed at the toast, most of them knowing what Rash was like. "Now, for the first dance of the night. Jason and Delaara, this is for you," said Commander Will Riker, clicking the button. Jason rose and held out his hand for Delaara. She grinned widely as she heard the song start to play and he led her to the dance floor. She molded her body to his in a slow dance, her arms around his neck as his hands rested on her waist. "I love this song." She whispered in his ear. "I know, sweetheart. I love it too. It's almost like it was written for us. Two souls that will always find one another, even if separated." He kissed her ear, sending a small shiver of pleasure up her spine. As the song ended, Jason led her off the floor. Next, the Maid of Honor and the Best Man, who had woken up stone cold sober, made their way to the dance floor for their song. Jason had picked a good one for them. "Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar. The song was upbeat, but they danced slowly together, her arms around his neck and his hands on her lower back. "You look so beautiful, Captain." Ryan whispered to his fiancee. "Why thank you, Lieutenant. I must say that when you aren't passed out drunk, you're quite dashing." She said quietly, smiling and carressing the back of his neck. He pulled her close, and she rested her cheek against his shoulder. Nobody there would say a word about it, and they even shared a soft kiss as the song ended. While Rachael danced with Ryan, Jason was talking with Delaara's parents. T'Rya said "I'm so glad you two found each other, no matter what the circumstances." She smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back. He decided he liked his new mother. "Thank you, Ambassador." He smiled at his new family. Stovrin was a bit more gruff. "You have redeemed my son, Jason. I had my doubts, but after seeing you two together, I know that I was wrong. Please accept my apology for judging you before we even met." "It's understandable, sir. It was my hand on the trigger that caused your hatred of me in the first place. If I could rewind time..." Jason's voice trailed off. "You would have done the same thing, son. It's alright. Stovral died a hero's death. He died with Honor." Stovrin said this in a gentler tone. "Thank you for understanding, sir. My Best Man and best friend was the one I saved that day." Jason had just put a very Human face on his actions for the Ambassador. Stovrin actually laughed. "Ryan seems like a good man, and your Captain seems to think so, too." "He is, sir. He's also now your adopted son, just so you know." Jason grinned at the shock on the Romulan Ambassador's face. "He's the closest thing I've ever had to a brother, and that makes him part of our family." Both Vulcan and Romulan parents laughed at that. T'Rya said "Now I see why my daughter fell in love with you, Jason. She has good taste." All fell silent as Ambassador Spock took the floor. "During my long career, I have met many who possessed true courage. However, I have never met any who possess the courage of Jason and Delaara. They defied two interstellar governments. They survived against the odds to find each other. There is no greater gift than the gift of love." Everyone applauded his toast and drank. Next up, and their last event of the evening, was the bouquet and garter toss. Delaara stood, eyes shut tight, and tossed her bouquet behind her. Reaching up, as if by accident, it was caught by Captain Thatcher, who blushed noticably and smiled. Then Jason got down on one knee beside his new wife and endured the catcalls when he slid her dress up exposing about a kilometer of perfect leg to pull the garter down from her thigh. As he slid it off over her high heeled shoe, he tossed it directly at Ryan, who caught it deftly and winked at Rachael. ------------------------------------------------- A Matter of Honor As the reception ended, Jason and Delaara walked to their quarters from the turbolift. They had made their excuses and left a little early. As their door slid open, he picked her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold. As they entered their home as Husband and Wife, he kissed her lovingly, setting her back on her feet and unzipping the back of her cobalt blue wedding gown. In Romulan culture, it was the same as a white gown at a Human wedding. The straps slid off her shoulders, revealing the fact that she had worn no bra beneath it. Jason caught his breath as he stared at her flawless beauty. "You are everything my soul desires, my love", he whispered in her ear as she undid the buttons of his Dress White tunic and he kissed her ear. She felt another shiver of pleasure as he kissed her ear, and wondered if he knew he had finally found her secret pleasure zone. She knew for certain when he slowly traced his tongue up from her earlobe to the pointed tip of her ear and she moaned in pure bliss. "Your touch is intoxicating, Jason", she moaned as he continued to kiss and lick her ears and she now fumbled with his dress pants. She was so wet just from his kisses, and she knew that he was without a doubt the most passionate man she had ever known. No Romulan man would open himself up to a woman like Jason had to her. Their bodies touching, caressing each other, exploring everything they had to offer the other. Her hand wrapped around his long hard cock and stroked him as she kissed him softly. His fingers roamed between her thighs before reaching up to her waist and pushing her panties down as he started to kneel before her. As she stepped out of them, he put her right leg over his shoulder and slowly tongue kissed her hot wet pussy. He licked around her petals before slipping his tongue deep inside her. She gasped and moaned in appreciation and pleasure. He removed his tongue from inside her and circled her clit with it before taking her little nub between his lips and sucking gently. As he sucked it, she moaned louder. His hands came up to cup her ass while he continued to lick, eat, and suck her. Her moans turned to screams when he sucked her clit gently while flicking his tongue across it in his mouth. He drank her sweet juices down as her orgasm turned violent and the mind meld kicked in, amplifying their pleasure tenfold. He caught her as her knees buckled, and lay her down gently on the bed. He moved on top of her slowly, kissing his way up to her breasts and sucking gently on each nipple before continuing up to her full lips and kissing his new bride softly. She felt him at her entrance and thrust her hips up slowly as he pushed into her, slowly filling her hungry pussy with his hard as tritanium cock. He looked deep into her beautiful amber-brown eyes and saw her love for him. He felt her love as she felt his through their mindmeld. "Make love to me, my husband", she whispered in his ear as he kissed her ear, causing her to moan again. Jason moved slowly inside her, rotating his hips in circles with each thrust. He kissed her deeply, her moans into his mouth causing him to tense up, feeling the pressure growing inside him. He held off, thrusting a bit faster inside her as their urgency grew. He felt her pussy contract around him as she reached her second climax. She moaned into his mouth as her pussy gushed, drenching him and locking him inside her as her muscles gripped him tightly. "I'm cumming, my love", he whispered as he couldn't hold back any longer, filling her with more cum than ever before as she came around him again, screaming his name over and over. Their mindmeld locked them both into their ecstacy for what seemed like eternity until they collapsed together. "That... that was... mind blowing... baby." Delaara said between ragged breaths. "I.. know... what... you.. mean... sweetheart.." He replied, knowing that they had just crossed over into a new level of lovemaking. They had kept their mindmeld ability while making love a secret from everyone. It was something that they alone shared. It seemed that the more they made love, the stronger the bond became. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. After yesterday's frantic fuck after their mission, it seemed like the pinnacle had been reached... until now. ***** Above Belaeus VIII "Skull Lead to Skull 2, we have 3 bogies at 2 o'clock high, bearing 212 mark 176." Jason said to Delaara as the unknown craft showed up on their scopes. "I see them, lead. Come on, loverboy. Let's go see who's intruding on our little getaway." She grinned. "Sounds good to me, Demoness. You want me on your wing this time?" Jason loved her with all his heart, and knew that she was just as good, if not better a pilot than he was. "Roger, Friday. Take my wing, and we'll see who they are." She replied. She knew that he was as good as she was, but she was also used to leading patrols as a Wing Commander in the Romulan Fighter Corps. "On your starboard, lead," said Jason as they switched roles. They hit their Warp burners and closed distance with the bogies in seconds. Their computers had finally IDed them as Klingon Raptor class light fighters. "We have some Klingons, it seems. Want to do the honors, Skull Leader?" asked Jason with a grin. "Sounds like fun, Friday." He could hear the grin in her voice. She switched to an open channel. "Skull Leader to unidentified Klingon flight. Are you in need of assistance?" she asked. The reply came back "Negative, Skull Lead. We're on a training mission. Leave now." "Identify yourself, Klingon flight", demanded Delaara over the open channel. "We are a training flight on maneuvers. Now leave", the Klingon lead said. "You have five seconds to come to a halt and submit to scan," said Delaara in her most commanding voice. "We will not. You have violated our training area, and you have five seconds to leave. Now." "Two to Lead. Weapons charged and ready." Jason reported to Delaara. "Roger, Two", she said. "Weapons charged and ready." She switched back to open comms. "Negative, unidentified Klingon flight. We are in Federation space, and you have failed to identify yourselves. This is your last chance. Stand down, prepare to be scanned, or you will be fired upon." She stated. Jason saw then how she had commanded an entire fighter wing as a Romulan Commander. She had brass the size of Texas, and he thought he loved her even more. As they watched, the Klingon flight banked hard and came about, bearing down on them. 3 against 2, but the Klingons were facing the two best fighter pilots in the known galaxy. Jason saw how close they were, and proxed two photon missiles. As soon as the first Klingon bird opened up, he fired both photons before banking to starboard. Demoness had done the same, and their explosions tore two of the Klingon fighters apart. The third appeared to be adrift, similar to how Friday's fighter had fallen into the atmosphere on NZ8. "Wow, that worked again!" He shouted over their comm. "Great shot, Demoness!" "Nice shooting yourself, Friday," she grinned. "Lead, I'm scanning Klingon fighter now. Looks like one Klingon life sign aboard. Life support is still operable. We'll have to tractor him back to Nimitz." Jason reported. "Roger that, Friday. Go ahead and resume Lead. I've got your wing", she said back. "Copy that, Two. Let's lock tractors and start tugging." He grinned. He knew this might cause an incident, but they had been right, and their data recorders would show that. Their tractor beams locked onto the Klingon fighter, and they Warp burned back to the Nimitz with the ship in tow. "Skull Lead to Nimitz. We have a disabled Klingon fighter in tow, and a possible survivor aboard." "Roger, Friday. What the hell happened out there?" asked Captain Thatcher. "We'll give a full report while the survivor is checked out at Medical and thrown in the Brig, Captain." Jason said by way of explanation. "Copy, Skull Lead. You had better give a good explanation for this. Seriously, Jason," she said in an exasperated tone. They managed to pull the disabled Klingon into the fighter bay and docked their own ships. Security and Medical teams were standing by to treat the Klingon pilot and take him into custody as Friday and Demoness went to give their report to their Captain. "They fired first," said Captain Rachael Thatcher. It was a statement. She knew better than to doubt the words of her Skull Squadron CO and XO. "Well, we'll download the data recorders and send the data to Starfleet Command." "Sounds good, ma'am," said Jason. Rachael looked at Delaara. "Great flying out there, you two. And a great call, XO. I heard the comm data already. That was textbook." She nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Rachael," said Delaara with her own smile. They had become like sisters, and the mutual respect was obvious. "Ok, kids. Beers are on me at 1800 in 11Forward," she grinned as her two senior pilots left the Ready Room. "So what's the plan until 1800, honey?" Delaara asked, taking her husband's hand. "Well, I thought we'd go see how our Klingon buddy is doing." He grinned evilly. Delaara chuckled. "He'll go ballistic if he thinks a Romulan girl shot him down." Jason leaned in and kissed her lightly. "Exactly, sweetheart." He tapped his combadge. "Friday to Dr. Tavolk. Is our guest still in Medical?" "Affirmative, Friday. Why?" asked the voice of their ship's Vulcan Medical officer. "Just thought we'd stop by to check on him ourselves. Friday, out." They stepped into the turbolift to head down to Medical and grinned evilly at each other. "This should be fun." Delaara said with a loving kiss for her husband. They stepped out of the turbolift right outside Medbay, and went inside. The Klingon was having his broken arm set as Jason and Delaara walked in. He looked up and his eyes grew wide as he recognized a Romulan. "Whoa there, chief. Calm down." Jason said. "What's your name?" "I am Kalvak. What is that THING doing here?" he asked with venom in his voice, pointing at Delaara. "First off, that's my wife you're talking about, and second off, she's a Starfleet officer." Jason had seen this type of racism before, and it always made him sick. "Why are you here? To gloat?" Kalvak asked, defeated. "We stopped by to check on your health, and make sure Delaara's missiles didn't do any permanent damage." Jason said it with a friendly smile. "SHE shot me down?!?!?" he demanded, incredulous. "She has NO honor!" he spat. "Well, she had the honor to give you every chance to stand down and be scanned to make sure you weren't carrying anything you shouldn't. Your flight wouldn't even identify itself, and fired on us first. Now, who's the one with no honor, here?" Jason had him cold, and Kalvak knew it. But instead of admit it, he growled and rose to his feet just as Dr. Tavolk reached up calmly, without even looking up from his clipboard, and delivered a perfect Nerve Pinch. The Klingon fell unconscious instantly. "Doc, that was priceless!" said Jason as he and Delaara laughed at the sheer comedy of it. The doctor looked at them, raised one eyebrow, and said "I don't know what you mean, Friday." He then got a slight smile at the corner of his mouth and winked at them. Jason grinned. "Well, we need to meet the Captain in 11Forward. Make sure Security comes and gets this guy, Doc." ***** "So, Doc reaches up without even looking up from his clipboard and knocks the Klingon out with a Nerve Pinch," said Jason to Rachael and Rash, who just about fell off his barstool, he was laughing so hard. Delaara added "And when Jason told him how funny it was, he looked up, raised his eyebrow, and said 'I don't know what you mean, Friday' before winking at us with a little smile." That was it for Rash. He fell off his barstool and shouted through fits of laughter "HELP! I've fallen and I can't reach my beer!" Commander 'CAG' Jerov was laughing his bald head off at the story. "You two are incorrigible!" He laughed even more. "Not only did you blast him and his buddies, but you went and taunted him too!" He laughed even harder. Rachael finally wiped the tears from her eyes and said "Ok, enough is enough." She looked down at Rash, still laughing his ass off on the floor. "Hey, stud!" Rash looked up at his lover and fiancee. "Yeah, baby?" "Take me to bed or lose me forever!" She winked at him. "Take me home, baby!" said Rash as he slowly got to his feet, grinning ear to ear. Jason shook his head and laughed as Rash and Rachael left together. "Damn Bounce and his insanely huge collection of old 20th century flatvids." Delaara looked at her husband lovingly. "Which movie was that, baby?" "It's called 'Top Gun', sweetheart. Hell, Bounce wanted the callsign 'Maverick' before they made him 'Bounce' because of his favorite saying 'let's bounce'." Delaara laughed, and Jason continued to explain. Love And War Bk. 01 "'Top Gun' is about US Navy Aviators, which were the precursor to Starfleet Starfighter Pilots." he said with a smile on his face as he leaned in to kiss her. "Unfortunately, most of the 'Top Gun' pilots are habitual womanizers." "Well then, you big stud. Take me to bed or lose me forever", Delaara said with a sexy smile. "Anytime, sweetheart", Jason said with a passionate kiss for his wife and a light kiss on her ear, causing her to gasp. "You're a complete utter bastard sometimes, Jason MacKenzie!" She laughed as they walked out of the bar together, hand in hand. ***** "Security to Captain Thatcher." sounded her combadge, waking her up. She gently untangled herself from Ryan and reached down to pick up the combadge from her uniform top beside their bed. She tapped it once. "This is Thatcher. Go ahead, and it better be bloody good!" "We found something in a hidden compartment on the Klingon fighter, Captain. We need you here ASAP." The Security officer sounded unsettled by something. "Fine. On my way", she said. "Give me ten minutes. Thatcher, out." Ryan began to stir. "What is it, bunny?" he asked, still half asleep. "Nothing for you to worry about, love", she said with a smile and kissed his lips lightly. "I'll be back as soon as I can." "Ok, bunny baby," he said as he drifted back to sleep. She looked at him and couldn't wait until they could be together and start a family. She dressed with a smile on her face and didn't even bother to pull her hair back or take off the engagement ring she usually only wore with Rash around. By the time she got to the Security hangar on the forward flight deck, she could sense the unease of the Security detachment. As she got closer, her Assistant Security Chief, Lieutenant Michelle Roberts turned to her. "Thank God you're here, Captain. I don't even know what to do here!" Captain Thatcher stepped forward and saw something she never thought she'd see. "I've already called Doctor Tavolk, but I'm not sure what to do until he gets here." Michelle was nervous, as she had never had children, or even held a child before. Laying on the table was a baby. More specifically, a Vulcan baby. She leaned down and picked up the infant, holding him and smiling as she rocked him gently. He cooed at her, and she touched his little nose. Just then, Dr. Tavolk showed up and raised one eyebrow at the infant. "This is unexpected," he said. "Captain, may I see the infant?" Rachael handed the baby to him and watched as he examined the child. "This is most unexpected," he said again. "This child, while a normal healthy baby, was not created naturally." "What do you mean, Doc?" Rachael asked him, looking at him and the child. "I mean that whoever genetically engineered this child used very advanced procedures. I'm not certain that we've seen genetic engineering this advanced since Earth's Eugenics Wars." His fascination was evident, as he was getting visibly excited. "Calm down, Doc. First thing's first. Take the baby to Medical and do a full workup, get him some baby food, or whatever Vulcan babies eat, and let me know what you find," she said. She turned to the baby, leaned down, and touched his little nose again. The baby cooed happily. Nodding once, Doc Tavolk turned and left, carrying the baby to Medical. The Klingon pilot had been moved to the Brig, awaiting a response from the Klingon High Council regarding his fate. She would now have something else to report to them. She turned back to her Security officer. "Ok, Michelle. Now that we know you're scared to death of babies, what were you able to find about the hidden compartment?" "Very little, Captain, other than it is highly resistant to life scans and holds its own regenerative air circulator. This is really advanced tech, ma'am," she said with a worried look in her eyes. Just then, Rachael had a horrible feeling. "Those bastards. Those fucking Klingon bastards!" She was shaking with rage. "They engaged our fighters with infants on board that we couldn't detect!" Jason and Delaara were on their way to the Training Hangar when Captain Thatcher commed Delaara. "Demoness here, Captain. What's wrong?" she asked, hearing the tension in Rachael's voice. "Can you and Friday meet me in the Brig, ASAP?" she asked, still with that edge in her voice. Jason nodded and they started running as Delaara said "We're on our way, Captain. Demoness, out." They arrived to find Rachael glaring at the Klingon through the security forcefield. She hadn't said a word after she'd arrived. She just glared at him. Kalvak, for his part, was actually intimidated by the sheer icyness of her gaze. When she heard the rush of the door sliding open behind her, she turned and walked towards her two most senior pilots. "Let's go outside a moment." As they stepped outside, Rachael turned to them and looked like she wanted to kill someone. "Rachael, what happened?" asked Jason. "Those.... Klingon... BASTARDS were carrying babies in sensor proof hidden compartments on their fighters. Then engaged you in a dogfight with full knowledge that they were going to die if they lost! They're fucking ANIMALS!" She was screaming by this point and crying her eyes out as Delaara moved forward to comfort her. She hugged Rachael, and looked at Jason with tears in her own eyes. He looked at them grimly, grabbed a phaser from the nearest wall locker, and walked into the Security Detention Center. Jason walked up to the security force field over Kalvak's cell. "Kalvak, give me one good fucking reason not to vent all the atmosphere in your cell and vape your sorry excuse for a corpse. You have five seconds." Kalvak actually recoiled at the intensity of Jason's glare. "What have I done NOW, Human?" he asked in astonishment. "You've already killed my brothers and are keeping me prisoner. I am a Klingon Warrior!" he shouted. "You're a baby killing psychopath!" Jason shouted back. "YOU KNEW THOSE BABIES WERE ABOARD YOUR FIGHTERS WHEN YOU ENGAGED US! THEIR DEATHS ARE ON YOUR HEAD!" Jason moved to the cell controls. "WAIT! What did you say?!?!?" demanded the Klingon. Jason, even through his rage, heard the desperate ignorance in Kalvak's tone. He turned towards the large warrior and said, in a voice that could barely be heard "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" "I may be a lot of things, Human. But I am NOT a killer of children!" Kalvak said in something resembling a normal tone of voice... for a Klingon. "Where were you flying out of, Kalvak?" Jason asked, reaching for the cell controls again. "Near Ceti Alpha V, there's a small space station that looks abandoned. Look, I'm just a merc. If I had any idea what we were transporting, I would never have signed up for it! I do not harm children." He had a sickened look in his eyes as he realized what he'd done. "Ok, Kalvak. I believe you. Thanks for the heads up about that station. You're the Klingon High Council's problem now." Jason turned and left. Out in the hallway, he found Rachael and Delaara. "He didn't know, and he's telling the truth," Jason said. "He gave us some intel to check out an abandoned space station in orbit around Ceti Alpha V." Rachael thought for a second. "Ceti Alpha V sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before?" Delaara knew about all of her grandmother's missions and all congruent missions. "Captain, Ceti Alpha V was home to Khan Noonien Singh after Captain James Kirk and the USS Enterprise marooned him there. He hijacked the USS Reliant and was killed by Admiral Kirk 18 years later," she said with deadly accuracy. "My grandmother was serving onboard the USS Enterprise as a trainee at the time," she said with a wry smile. "Could whoever's been doing this have found Khan Singh's work in bioengineering?" Rachael wondered out loud. "Well, whoever's doing it is genetically engineering babies for God knows what. Whether they're artificial or not, they're still children." Jason said. "Well said, Friday." Rachael tapped her combadge. "Thatcher to Bridge. Set course for Ceti Alpha System, maximum warp. Engage." "Ceti Alpha System, maximum warp, aye ma'am", came back the reply and confirmation. "Good. Thatcher, out", she turned to Delaara and Jason. "Let's go. We need to get a briefing set up for this mission." She turned and walked towards the turbolift, Jason and Delaara following closely. As they got on, she said "You two go wait in my Ready Room. I'll grab Rash and get him up. I want the entire Wing on this one. Skulls, Stilettos, and Scorpions. CAG will be running this op, so let's do it right", she said. "Yes, ma'am," they said in unison. They got off at the Bridge and went straight into the Ready Room. Rachael got to her quarters and watched Rash sleep for a few minutes with a loving smile on her face. Then she steeled herself and roused him. "Come on, Ace. Rise and shine!" she said loudly enough to wake him. "What's up, Captain?" He asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "We're on our way to the Ceti Alpha System, honey. The entire Wing is going to be in on this op, and I need you awake." She laid out the details for him. "One moment, baby," he said, walking naked to the replicator. "Computer. One cup of double espresso, medium hot", he said. The small cup materialized and he grabbed it, gulping it in one slug. His eyes shot open and grabbed a spare flight suit from his half of the closet, dressing quickly and grabbing his combadge from yesterday's uniform before shoving it in the laundry chute. He went into the fresher, combed his hair, shaved, and was ready to go. "You're great after you've had your morning coffee, Ace", Rachael kissed him lovingly. "Thanks, bunny", he said just as lovingly and kissed her back softly. "Now, let's go kill us some sickos!" He ran out and down to the turbolift. ***** The entire fighter wing was assembled in the Hangar briefing room, with Captain Thatcher in front of them all with the CAG. She laid out the assault plan and had a platoon of Starfleet Marines standing by for the boarding action. Skull, Stiletto, and Scorpion Squadrons would deal with any and all station defenses and fighters that launched, giving the drop ship the chance to dock and capture alive (if possible) any suspected 'sickos', as Rash had put it. In other words, anyone onboard that station was to be captured alive if possible, or eliminated if capture proved impossible. The second primary objective was to find and seize any and all bioengineering and cloning equipment, as well as destination intelligence. The last primary objective was to rescue any infants or children found onboard the station. Rachael had contacted Starfleet, and they had given her the go-ahead for the operation. "Any questions?" asked Rachael with a glare. Nobody said a word. "Good. Let's go kill us some sickos. We drop from warp in 5 minutes. Get to your fighters and drop ships. Good luck, Marines and Pilots," she said and strode from the Hangar. Jason got with Lt. Cmdr Thorst and Lt. Cmdr Skelton to coordinate. Skull Squadron would take any fighters and defend the drop ship, while Stiletto and Scorpion would take any station defense turrets. "Let's go to war," Delaara said as they broke into pairs and mounted up. "Skulls, any fighters that launch get disabled if possible. They may have more infants aboard when they launch," Jason told every member of his squadron. Comm acknowledgments came across loud and clear. "Gloria ad mortem." "GLORIA AD MORTEM!" The Nimitz dropped from warp about 200,000 kilometers from the space station and preliminary scans showed 44 life forms aboard. Most were adults, but 6 of them were classified as infants. No outward defenses could be seen, but they did have a full squadron of fighters in the docking bay. Striker Wing launched and went to full warp burn immediately, closing within 30 seconds to the station. Skulls started shooting as soon as the defending fighters launched, and knocked 7 Raptors out of the sky in 3 seconds, disabling them. The remaining 5 fighters managed to slip past, but were quickly taken out by the Skulls. As Jason and Delaara banked hard left and came in behind the last Raptor, firing in a trapping pattern that caught the Klingon fighter cold, disabling its engine. Engineering had modified their sensors to scan through the sensor resistant containers, but even with that, no life signs were found aboard the disabled fighters other than their pilots. They gave the go-ahead for the drop ship full of Marines to come in and hit the facility. The Marines landed and began a pitched battle with the inhabitants. They managed to rescue all 4 infants found, as well as confiscate all bio engineering and cloning tech and research. They downloaded the destination logs for each delivery of genetically created infants, and when he got a patch on some of the data, Jason figured it out. "Friday to Nimitz, we have a problem." Jason was shaking with rage. "Are you ok, Friday? What's going on?" Rachael asked over the comm. "These infants are being genetically engineered and sold to the highest bidders. Quite a few of those bidders tend to be Ferengi, and they have a very exclusive list of some very powerful Ferengi." He laid it all out. "That was just a patch of info I got from the Marines. They'll have more intel when we get back. They're launching now." The drop ship launched and the Skulls escorted it back to Nimitz. By the time the mission was over, they had rescued all 6 babies, who were safely being cared for by Doc Tavolk in Medbay, and the Brig had filled up with sickos. Jason, Delaara, and Rash were seated in the Ready Room in front of Rachael as she went over all the data recovered from the op, shaking her head and looking disgusted. "You were right, Friday. This goes deeper than we thought. The Ferengi are doing some horrible things to those babies, and some of the culprits are high placed government officials." "Wipe the scum from the galaxy," said Delaara as she heard more and more about the atrocities the Ferengi were perpetrating. Rachael said "I'm with you on that, sister. Unfortunately, it's now up to Starfleet and the UFP on how to proceed." She shook her head sadly. "I don't know about you guys, but I could sure use a good war right now. I just feel the need to launch my boys and girls at some Ferengi and watch those fucking cocksucking bastards die in fire and pain." "I'll drink to that, honey", said Rash in a serious tone. "Rash, you'll drink to anything," said Rachael with a laugh. "Yes, ma'am, I most certainly would, but I would drink an entire jug of Romulan ale after blasting some of those sickos to dust," he said with a nod. "I'll buy you all the Romulan ale you want, little brother," said Delaara, hugging him with a smile. "Hey hey, my new sis has connections! Woohoo!" Rash grinned and moved around to sit on Rachael's lap. They all laughed, since Rash could defuse even the most dire of situations with his own unique brand of humor. -------------------------------------------------- The Honeymoon After the Nimitz delivered its cargo of prisoners, evidence, and babies to the USS Gryphon, they headed back to Belaeus IV to wait for further orders. Now was the time to get the Honeymoon rolling as they had some real downtime for a while. Putting Rash in charge of Skull Squadron, it was time for Jason to take two weeks of Leave back to Earth with Delaara. They borrowed a Mjolnir class bomber for the trip, as it had two seats, a spacious crew compartment, and enough room for their luggage. Plus it would fit in the old driveway at Jason's house in Santa Barbara. "I hope you love it, baby. My old house where I grew up, that is." he said with a huge grin. "I have a lot of good memories there." Delaara moved up and put her arms around him from behind as she leaned over his pilot's chair. She kissed his ear and said "You have ugly ears, baby. It's a good thing the rest of you looks great enough to overlook those rounders." She giggled as he said "Hey!" and turned to kiss her passionately. They were only 2 hours from Earth now, and it had only been a 22 hour trip one way at maximum warp. ***** The Mjolnir landed in the old two car driveway and Jason cut the engine. He got out, helped Delaara down, and stretched in his blue t-shirt and black denim shorts. Delaara was wearing a short pink tank top that showed her toned bare midriff, and a pair of blue denim short shorts. She'd seen it once in a flatvid of Bounce's, and loved the look. Jason loved it too, and told her so. "Baby, you are going to make me the envy of every guy on the block here", he said, kissing her neck from behind and moving up to her earlobe. She shuddered and moaned. "I love you, sweetheart," he whispered. "Mmmmmm I love you too, baby," she replied. "Jason???" came the high pitched questioning yell from Mrs. Schmidt. "Is that you???" He waved. "Hey, Mrs. Schmidt!" He smiled. "Who's your lady friend there, Jason?" she asked, walking towards them slowly. "Mrs Schmidt, this is Delaara, She's my wife," he said warmly to the little old lady. "My my! Aren't you lovely, dear! How old are you?" she asked. "Why thank you, Mrs. Schmidt. I'm 60 years old," Delaara smiled warmly, and Jason had to keep from laughing at the look on Mrs. Schmidt's face. Without another word, she turned and mumbled her way back to her house. Delaara was giggling nearly uncontrollably. Jason looked at her questioningly. "What was she mumbling?" "She was calling me everything from cradle robber to pointy eared bitch," she grinned. Jason covered his face in shame. "I was kind of hoping she would have.... moved on up to the great beyond, if you know what I mean," Jason said with a world weary look. "I'd been hoping to get us inside before she showed up, to be honest." "It's ok, baby," she said as she kissed him. "I'm used to it, but what I found really funny is that she thought I was Vulcan!" Jason laughed at that, and caught the attention of another neighbor. "OhmyGod, JASON!!!" Shouted Stephanie Riley. She ran up and jumped onto Jason, wrapping her legs around his waist and screaming as she hugged him hard. Jason gently but firmly pried Stephanie off of himself, and set her on the ground. "Stephie, this is my wife, Delaara. Delaara honey, this is my EX-girlfriend from high school, Stephanie Riley", he said by way of introduction. Stephanie's eyes got wide when she saw Delaara's striking features and killer body. Delaara smiled sweetly. "Hi there, I'm Delaara. Jason and I have been married for nearly 4 weeks now, and this is our honeymoon." "OmyGod I'm so sorry. I didn't even know he was seeing anyone," she said with an apologetic smile. Jason sighed. "Stephie, that was one of the reasons we broke up in the first place. You never listened when I told you stuff," he said. "I introduced Delaara as my wife after you came running up." "I'm sorry, Jason. I didn't mean to intrude like that," she said. "It's ok, Steph. I know it's been a couple years since you saw me, and a lot has changed since then," he said. "I heard about your folks, Jay. I'm sorry," she said and hugged him. "Thanks, Steph. Well, we need to get this ship unloaded and get unpacked for our vacation. Bring Danny by later if you want, and we can all catch up," he said with a smile. "We can do that!", she said and walked back towards her house. Jason started grabbing their bags and Delaara grabbed two as well. Luckily, they'd packed light and were able to get everything inside in one trip. Jason went back out to make sure the Bomber was locked down, and found Steve Winston looking at it with a critical eye. "Hey, Steve. How's it going?" he asked. "Holy crap! Jason! How you been, man?" Steve asked with a grin. Love And War Bk. 01 "Not too bad. Got promoted to Lieutenant Commander, got shot down, marooned, fell in love, got rescued, and married a Romulan fighter pilot." Jason said with a smile. Steve laughed. "Yeah, right!" "Baby, who's your friend?" came the sweet smokey sound of Delaara's voice right on cue. Jason grinned. Steve turned to look and his eyes about bugged out of his head. "Dammit, Jason! You were telling the TRUTH???" Delaara came down the steps and walked to Jason, slipping her arm around his waist as she held out her hand. "Hello, there." "Umm, hi," said Steve, shaking her hand in stunned silence. "Steve, this is my wife Delaara. Honey, this is an old friend of mine. Steve Winston." Jason made the introductions. "Is everything Jason just told me true?" he asked. "Yes. All of it. We first met nearly 6 months ago, and the circumstances of our meeting were unusual, to say the least." She smiled. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, Delaara", he said, recovering from his initial shock nicely. He turned to Jason. "Jay, do you mind of I bring Cindy over later and we can catch up? I know she's been dying to see you, and she's going to love Delaara here." Jason looked at Delaara. She said "Sure. When we retire, we're going to be living here, so I don't see why not. So far, you're the most normal of Jason's friends, Steve." "Yeah, we're not all as bad as Jay's neighbors." Steve shrugged. "Well, we're going to watch the sun set, but we should be back after dark," Jason said. "Sounds good, Jay. See you both then, and I'll ask Cindy to make some cookies." he said and walked down the block to his house. ***** After making sure the fridge was stocked and the furniture uncovered, it was getting pretty late in the afternoon. "Sweetheart, would you like to go watch the sun set?" Jason asked, slipping his arms around Delaara's waist from behind. "Gods yes, baby!" she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around him, kissing him passionately. "Mmmmmm good, honey. We can walk down to he beach and watch the sun set on the sand," he said with a grin. They left the house and crossed the street to walked down to the beach. The surf of the Pacific ocean lapped against the shore, and Delaara loved the feel of the sand between her toes. They sat on a dune and cuddled as the sun dipped toward the horizon. "You're wrong, my love. These sunsets are better than on the island," she said with a smile and kissed Jason lovingly. "I was hoping you'd say that, sweetheart. I love you, Delaara." "I love you too, Jason. Is Steve your only normal friend?" She asked with a laugh. "In this neighborhood, pretty much, yeah." Jason shrugged. "Stephie is a straight up airhead, who keeps bouncing from boyfriend to boyfriend in hopes that some guy will take care of her for the rest of her life. Mrs. Schmidt is about 150 years old and is too mean and evil to die. Heaven won't let her in, and Hell is scared of her." Delaara laughed musically and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I missed this, Jason. Sitting on the beach with you as the sun set." "So did I, honey. This is our time. We were in need of this honeymoon since we got rescued", he said. "I agree with that assessment, my dear husband," she said and kissed him again. The kiss was long and lingering, passionate and sensual. Jason closed his eyes and lost himself in her as their mindmeld gently took effect. She could see his childhood and his memories of Mrs. Schmidt being nasty to everyone around her. She could see Stephie Riley trying to take advantage of him, and Jason finally shutting her down. Jason could see memories of when Delaara got promoted to Centurion, and the ship's XO had propositioned her. She had slapped him, drew a dagger, and placed it to his throat. Her CO had stopped her from killing the man, but had relieved the XO of his duties and had him court martialed. The mindmeld was gentle this time, instead of extremely intense like the times before. They finally broke the kiss and smiled at each other. They finally knew the full depth of their love, and realized that they had each other through everything. They walked back to the house and got to the door as they heard Steve and Cindy Winston on the sidewalk behind them. Jason turned and waved, inviting them up to the house. "Got some beer in the fridge, Steve." Jason said. "Sounds good, buddy." Steve replied as they came inside. "Delaara, this is Steve's wife Cindy. Cindy, this is my wife, Delaara", Jason introduced them. Cindy and Delaara got along like old friends who had known each other all their lives, and Jason sat catching up with Steve while drinking some good German beer. "Wow, man. If your wife hadn't confirmed it, I wouldn't have believed it," he laughed and shook his head. "Trust me, man. I lived it, and I can hardly believe it," Jason replied, laughing at the whole situation. "Then I look at Delaara, and I have to believe. Because she's as real as they get, man. I look back now and wonder how the hell I could have been with Stephie back in the day, or any of the others." "She's your Cindy, Jay," said Steve. Jason clinked bottles at that. "Yes, yes she is. I now know how you felt when you met her. Delaara and I are soulmates, and I'm proud to say it." The old friends grinned and drank while their wives talked. Cindy said "That must have been horrible, being marooned like that." "Not really, Cindy. After he shot me down and saved my life, Jason earned my heart and undying love." Delaara smiled and Cindy knew she loved him with all her heart. "Don't take this the wrong way, Delaara, but you're nothing like anything I've ever heard about Romulans." Cindy smiled apologetically. "No offense taken, Cindy." Delaara laughed. "I'm not the typical stuffed shirt Romulan. I'm a figher pilot, like Jason." "Are you the reason why Jay isn't batshit crazy anymore?" Cindy winked. "I think I had something to do with it, yes." Delaara said with a blush. Meanwhile, Steve asked about Rash. "Oh, yeah. Rash hit on our Captain once. He'd just been promoted, and was drunker than shit. So he walks up to Rachael and says "Do the Klingons know you escaped? I heard the like to capture angels", so she slaps the living shit out of him." Steve busted up laughing at that. "Only Rash would be THAT crazy!" "Well, it ended up working out, though. They're now engaged, if you can believe that," Jason chuckled. Steve thought about it. "Yeah, I can actually believe that. Does he love her?" "As much as we love our wives, bud," said Jason and they clinked bottles again. "I'll drink to that, Jay," and he did. ***** Rachael woke up and Rash wasn't there. She picked up her combadge and tapped it. "Thatcher to Rasher." "Rash here. Give me a moment, baby. I have a surprise for you!" Rachael grinned. "Well, don't be too long, honey. I might find some other lonely bastard to fuck," she giggled. "Oh yeah? Well, I hope this is worth it. Look out our window, baby." Rachael got up and walked over to the transparisteel viewport. What she saw blew her away. 'I love you Rachael' had been set up in lights right outside her window. "You beautiful man, you!" She felt herself tearing up as she heard the rush of her door opening and Rash walked in grinning as the superheated plasma from his Valkyrie's engine manifold continued to burn outside. He took her in his arms and turned her to face him. Rash leaned down and kissed his Captain lovingly and softly. "I just wanted to do something special for you, honey," he said with a slight blush. "Ryan, you are the only man I will ever love and be with for the rest of my life," she said, crying tears of joy as her fiancee held her close and kissed her with love and passion. ***** Delaara woke up and detected the unmistakable smell of food cooking. She smiled and opened her eyes. She could hear the sizzle of the frying pan and felt a tinge of surprise. With the Replicator, there was really no need for cooking like this, anymore. She got up, threw on one of Jason's oversized surfer t-shirts, and walked out to the kitchen. Jason was flipping the scrambled eggs and bacon over when he felt her hands come up under his arms and stroke his chest, her toned yet supple body pressing into his back. "That smells wonderful, hotshot", she said lovingly. He smiled. "Good morning, beautiful. Thought I'd fix you something my mom fixed for me when I was growing up", he replied. "Bacon and scrambled eggs. I hope you like it." She turned his face towards hers and kissed him softly. "It smells wonderful, baby, and if it tastes half as good as it smells, I'm going to want seconds," she giggled. "I cooked enough for two, so we should be good to go. Have a seat at the counter, sweetheart. Breakfast is served," he said as he cut the heat to the burner and lifted the large frying pan off the stove. As Delaara took her seat on the stool at the counter, Jason moved the pan over the plates and scraped half the eggs onto the first plate as well as a few good sized bacon strips. After he scraped the last half of the seasoned food onto the second plate, he grabbed two forks from the drawer and brought both plates of steaming goodness over to their breakfast nook. He'd used salt and pepper for the eggs, with a little basil just for the heck of it. Delaara kissed him when he set her plate in front of her. "Thank you, baby," she said with a smile. "I love cooking, honey," he said. "And I plan on making the food around here for the next 2 weeks, unless you would like to help," he grinned and winked. "I can cook some Romulan dishes, if we can get the ingredients," she agreed with a smile. "I have a feeling you'd like it." "So do I, love." They dug in and Delaara moaned appreciatively with her eyes closed. It was obviously a very simple meal, but the fact that it didn't come out of a Replicator and the fact that it was cooked by the man she loved made it even better. She loved the simple spices used, which brought out the full flavor of the eggs. And the bacon! Bacon had to be the food of the gods! "I never thought anything so simple could taste so wonderful," she said with her eyes closed. "Jason, you should be ship's chef!" "I'm not that great a cook, Delaara," he laughed. "I love cooking, but I tend to stick to the simple stuff." "This day is starting so much better than yesterday, baby," she said as they finished their meal. "I mean, first the bigoted old woman, then your airhead ex-girlfriend... But at least Steve and Cindy are nice." She smiled. "I'm sorry, baby. If I thought Mrs. Schmidt would still be alive or if Steph hadn't moved away, I would have warned you," he replied with a grimace. "It's ok, love", she said, kissing his lips lovingly. "Steve and Cindy are good people, and this breakfast more than makes up for those other two people." Jason grinned. "Well, I still haven't introduced you to Shawn and Julie. I think we'll drop by their place and ring the doorbell today. Oh, I have a surprise for you in the garage." "Well, after we get dressed, I would love to see the surprise," she grinned. Jason had checked to make sure it was still operational when he'd gotten up this morning. His old hoverbike had started right up. He'd nodded and made sure that both sets of protective goggles were cleaned and ready to go. "Today, I have a feeling that you're going to fall in love with my little town, sweetheart," he said and winked. They went back to the bedroom and Delaara put on some blue jeans, changed to a regular sized form fitting t-shirt with 'The Trooper' Iron Maiden logo on it that did absolutely nothing to hide her figure, and some calf high boots. Jason was dressed similarly with jeans, boots, and a Metallica t-shirt. With the beard, he looked like a biker from one of the old flatvids that Bounce had loned her for her viewing pleasure and to give her some insight into 20th and 21st century Human culture. Jason looked at her and grinned. "I read an old fantasy novel once with a female Elven biker as one of the characters. Delaara, you look like her in that outfit!" He grinned, swept her up in his arms, and kissed her passionately. She giggled. "I like the Earth legends about Elves. Some portrayals resemble Romulans to an extent." "Well, I hope you like the wind in your hair, lovergirl," he grinned as they walked back towards the kitchen and garage area. As he opened the door to the garage, she gasped in appreciation. The old modified Harley Fatboy had been refitted with hoverpads instead of the wheels it had originally come with, but that took little away from the sheer power that it possessed. The old V-Twin had been replaced by a VicFive Energy Cell Turbine. Jason grinned proudly. "I can't believe it! A Harley Davidson Fatboy!" She grinned. "Yep. When I found it, it was a complete wreck. I salvaged what I could, but I had to replace the engine and wheels. I figured that since I couldn't restore it to original condition, I could use today's technology to improve it." He shrugged as he explained. She'd told Jason on their second to last night on the island that she would love to ride a motorcycle, and he had just smiled and said "I think that can be arranged if or when we get rescued." "When did you do all this?" she asked. "I found the old frame when I was 16, and brought it home in my dad's old truck. I worked a part time job and saved up enough credits to get the parts I needed to fit it out and make it run again. It took me six months, working on it after school and work. When I finished restoring it, some guys were riding past the day I brought it out for a test drive, and they invited me to ride with them." This was a part of his past that he treasured, and this was the right time to share it with her. "Delaara, I want you to meet my old biker buddies. Rash knows them, but I swore him to secrecy when we got back, since I told him that I wanted to take you riding with me on our honeymoon." "Jason! You are full of surprises, baby!" she grinned and kissed him passionately. He handed her a pair of the dark tinted protective goggles, and put on the other pair, activating them. "These act as helmets and basic body armor. If we crash, the field they generate absorbs most of the impact." She nodded and activated her goggles as she put them on. Besides a slight tingling as they activated, it was like nothing had happened. He mounted up and she got on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He started the Harley, and it thrummed to life. He hit the remote garage switch and slowly accelerated outside when the door had lifted fully. He maneuvered around the bomber in the driveway and hit the switch again, closing the door behind them. "Are you ready, honey?" he asked. "I was born ready, hotshot!" She said with a huge grin. He opened the throttle and the beast roared forward, and he turned it towards town. ***** They pulled into the parking lot of Big Lou's Bar and Grill in downtown Santa Barbara and dismounted the bike as Jason cut the power. "This is my old hangout between semesters at the Academy and during summer break. This is where Rash got the nickname 'Roadrash' after a pretty bad wipeout," he grinned. "Roadrash.." She giggled. "That must have been painful for Ryan." "Not really. His pride hurt worse than the pain from the wipeout," he said, grinning. They walked towards the door and as Jason pushed it open, he heard "HOLY SHIT!" from the direction of the bar. He turned and saw Big Lou stomping towards them with a huge grin on his face. "LOU!", shouted Jason in response. The old grizzled Starfleet Marine veteran was still alive and kicking. He grabbed Jason up in a bear hug, and then turned to Delaara, smiling. "How you doin', little lady?" he asked with a genuine smile. "I'm great, and you?" she asked back, smiling. "Can't complain," he shrugged. "Lou, this is my wife, Delaara. Delaara, this is Big Lou. He's like the crazy uncle I never had." Jason was grinning proudly as he made the introductions. "Jay, she's the hottest woman I've ever seen you with. You best not let her get away," Lou clapped him on the back as he said it. "Hell, when did you get married, and how the hell did you get a Praetorian to fall in love with ya?" Lou laughed when he saw Delaara's surprise. "It's all in your stance, darlin'. I can spot a Praetorian a klick down the freeway," he winked. "Lou was Starfleet Marines, honey." Jason said. "He served for 30 years and saw more than his share of ground combat against Klingons, Cardassians, and Romulans." "Those were the days, kid." Lou laughed, pushing Jason and Delaara towards the bar. "Sally! Beers are on me for Jay and his wife here!" They sat at the bar with Jason on one side and Lou on the other side of Delaara. Jason's arm went around her waist in the universal sign to all bikers that she was his woman. Delaara smiled and kissed his lips. "Ok, Commander", Lou finally said to Jason. "There's a story behind how you two met. Let's hear it." Jason and Delaara both grinned. "Well, Rash and I were on a search and destroy mission over NZ8-257 and engaged a flight of Falcons over the planet. We splashed all four when Delaara here showed up with her wingman and things got interesting...." He laid it out for the big biker, and Lou just nodded as the story unfolded. "So we woke up naked with the Enterprise away team standing over us." Lou laughed long and loud as he clapped them both on the back. "You couldn't make that stuff up!" he shouted and laughed some more. "I know, right?" said Delaara with a smile. "After Jason and I got dressed and presentable, I declared my intention to defect, and we've been together ever since." She smiled warmly at the memory. Lou leaned over and looked Jason in the eyes. "If I hadn't lived it, I wouldn't believe it. She's a keeper, son," he said with a smile under his beard. By the way, your whiskers make you look like one of us now, kid." He raised his beer and toasted. "Jay MacKenzie, as I live and breathe! I thought I smelled a warrior when I walked in," said the harsh yet feminine voice behind him. They turned and Lou grabbed Kralla up in his arms, planting a big smooch on the Klingon woman's lips. As he set her down, Jason got up and gave her a hug. "Good to see you too, Kralla!" She sqeezed him tight and let him go. "Kralla, this is my wife, Delaara. Delaara, this is Lou's wife Kralla." Lou laughed as Delaara's face showed her shock. "I said I lived it, little lady. Kralla and I met during the Cardassian Conflict, right before I retired. She and I were both trapped behind enemy lines and on opposite sides." "Lou was trapped by Cardassians, and he blasted through most of them before engaging them in hand to hand. He saw me coming and grinned. I'm still not sure to this day, but I stopped short of running him through with my batt'leth", said Kralla. "Probably because all I had was my K-Bar. It wouldn't have been a fair fight. She dropped her batt'leth, and went to draw her dagger, but it wasn't there. I nodded to her and drove my knife into the ground before we went at it hand to hand." Lou shrugged. "I'd never fought a Human like Lou, so I was not only impressed, but extremely horny when we both finally disengaged after an hour long fight." She laughed for a moment. "Then he did something I never thought I would see from a Human." She actually blushed a bit at the memory. "I laid one on her, full tongue", grinned Lou. Delaara and Jason were laughing their asses off, even though Jason had heard the story before. "Then he took me prisoner," she stuck out her tongue at Lou. "Best move I ever made," said Lou, taking a swig from his bottle with a wink to his wife. "I let her go before I got back to our lines, since we got the word over our comms that the cease-fire had started." He shrugged. Love And War Bk. 02 Foreword: Welcome to Book 2 of Love And War. This, like Book 1, is a romantic adventure set in the Star Trek universe and features characters from TNG and DS9, as well as original characters and ships. The story is not all about sex, but does have sex in it. Just fair warning. Enjoy! :) I.D. ------------------------------------------------- Wings of Glory Cobalt called the shots. "Bravo Flight, keep on the leader. Charlie, break off and help Stiletto with the battle raider. Alpha on me, let's scrap that war raider!" The battle was dirty as mud. The Orions had opened with an attack on Enterprise herself, and Scorpion Squadron lost a full flight of 4 fighters defending her from the Orions' drones and suicide attacks. Nimitz took some serious damage when one of the Orions made it through and demolished the forward fighter bay. Cobalt and Demoness pulled in behind the war raider with Gem and Ape behind them. "Full burst of phasers NOW!" He shouted to his flight, and all 4 Valkyries opened up. The war raider's port nacell exploded as they punched through the remainder of its shields. They pulled up and swung hard over for another pass. Gem caught a prox fused torpedo and went spinning off, finally ejecting from her ship before it blew. "Gem's out and EV, Cobalt," called Ape over the comm. "Is her transponder active?" Jason asked. "Affirmative, Skull Lead." Ape replied. "Good. Let's wrap this one up and get her home", he said. "Alpha, shoot to kill. Full spread photon missiles and phaser fire." "Roger, lead. Two has your wing, baby," came Delaara's smokey voice. Jason grinned as his remaining ships opened up full on the war raider class cruiser, blasting it out of the stars. "Lead, this is Bravo," came Rash's voice. "Orion battle marshal is down and out, sir! One battleship scrapped!" Jason could hear the grinning pride in his voice at his flight's work. "That's my hubby!" came the voice of Rachael Thatcher, Captain of the USS Nimitz, over the comm. "Outstanding work, you guys. Charlie, what's your status?" Jason asked. "Charlie to lead, we have the battle raider venting atmo. Closing in to finish it off now," came Bounce's reply. "Roger that, Bounce. We'll meander over that way to see if you need a ha.. nope. Nevermind. Great job, Charlie. Casualties, Skulls? Alpha has Gem in Extra Vehicular, so we need to grab her. Bravo? Charlie?" "Bravo here, Lead. Razor took some damage, but he's good to go. The kid got 3 kills himself!" Rash was proud, and so was Jason. Alexander 'Razor' Rozhenko, son of Commander Worf, was the newest addition to the Skulls, and had proven himself in 4 battles so far. "Great job, Razor! Alright, I'll tractor Gem's pod and we'll head home. Outstanding work, Striker Wing!" Jason grinned. He hailed Enterprise. "Skull Lead to Enterprise. You're all clear, Captain", said Jason into the comm. "Acknowledged, Jason. Thank you for your assistance, and thank Scorpion Squadron for theirs as well. We've tractored their escape pods, and will have the survivors transported to Nimitz immediately." Jean-Luc Picard said over the comm. Jason smiled grimly. "Will do, Captain. No need to thank us, though. All in a day's work." Jason knew it sounded arrogant, but that's what he was paid for. Starfleet Fighter Pilots were by their very nature arrogant, to take a small one-man fighter into harm's way against a cruiser or a battleship. Even as coordinated and skilled as Jason's Skulls were, the risks every time they engaged the enemy were insane, to say the least. "Indeed, Jason," said Picard, chuckling. "That's what the two pilots we rescued said, in fact." "Roger that, sir," said Jason. "We do the job, and hopefully go home in one piece. Thanks for pulling the Scorps out of the fire, sir." "Anytime, son", said Jean-Luc. "Give my love to your wife." "Your love received and appreciated, Jean-Luc. Skull Two is always at his side," said Delaara into the comm with a smile for her friend. Captain Picard chuckled over the comm. "Alright, you two. Get back to Nimitz and give Rachael your debrief. Enterprise, out." With all fighters having to dock in the aft flight deck, it was a tight fit, but they managed to pull it off with some creative parking. Jason and Delaara vaulted out of their cockpits and ran to Gem's pod to make sure she was ok. Two Medical personnel had her up and walking when they got there. She pulled off her helmet and said "Sorry, sir. Got careless with my spacing," she said with a scowl on her pretty face. "Don't worry about it, Jenny," said Delaara with a reassuring smile. "We're just glad you're ok." "I agree. You got 2 kills out there, and that's nothing to sneeze at. Also, that's the only time you've been shot down, so don't be too hard on yourself. Prox fused torps pack a nasty punch, even with a near miss." Jason said, patting her on the shoulder. Lieutenant Jennifer 'Gem' Sparks was a sweet redhead with a cute freckled face and a heart of gold. Every guy in the Squadron was her big brother, and they always looked out for her while on shore leave. She'd been with the Squadron since its inception, just like Jason, Bounce, Arrow, and Rash, and had proven herself time and time again over the course of the Romulan War and now the Ferengi-Orion War, as it was being called back on Earth. She hung her head. "But I got SHOT DOWN, sir," she said again. "Ok, Gem. Beers are on me. You need one. Just remember that I actually got shot down before you did," Jason said and put an arm around her shoulders after the Med team finished checking her out. With helmets in hand, the three started towards the turbolift with Rash and Razor showing up to offer support to Gem as well. "Razor, take Gem here to 11Forward, and we'll be there as soon as we deliver the AAR to Rachael," Jason said. "Buy her a beer while you're waiting, and put it on my tab." "Roger that, Cobalt," the young Klingon said. Ryan, Jason, and Delaara went up to the Bridge and crossed it to cheers from the Nimitz bridge crew. They smiled at the praise and chimed the Ready Room. "Get in here, kids!" came Rachael's voice from inside. They grinned and entered. Rachael came around her desk and kissed her husband before the door was even closed. Rash kissed her back lovingly. "Ok, boys and girl," she said. "Give me the bloody skinny, here." "Here's our report, Captain," said Jason. "We lost a total of 5 fighters in the entire wing. 2 of those were KIA. 3 pilots went EV and were recovered unharmed, including Gem." "Good job. With a fight that dirty, it's a wonder we didn't lose more. Great job to the entire wing," she said with a smile. "Now, could you two please leave while I molest my husband here?" She asked with a wink to Jason and Delaara, who grinned and turned to go. "Give him hell, Captain! He thinks he's hot shit now that he took down an entire battleship singlehanded." Delaara winked at her as they left and made for the 11Forward bar via the turbolift. ***** When they got to 11Forward after a quick sonic shower, they saw Alex and Gem talking at the bar. Alex had his arm around her waist and was smiling to her. The surprising thing was that she was smiling back as they talked in hushed tones to each other. They just stood and watched for a moment. "Hmmmm, what have we here?" asked Jason. "There. She just bit her lower lip as she smiled. Yeah, she likes him," he grinned. "I concur, and couldn't think of a nicer guy to give that girl some fun." Delaara grinned as they bellied up to the bar to the right of the Alex. They signalled for 2 beers. "Hey, guys," said Alex, quickly removing his arm from around Jenny with a nervous look. She blushed as if they'd just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "As you were, Lieutenants. What you do in your off hours is none of our business," said Jason with a grin. "But if you hurt each other, be prepared to face the Wrath of Delaara. She doesn't take kindly to stuff like that." Delaara laughed. "If you two like each other, just make sure that nobody gets hurt. That's all I ask. If one of you ends it, the other had better respect that. And do NOT let it interfere when you launch. Leave the relationship woes on the flight deck." They just looked at her with their jaws open. "What? It's the way I ran Gladius Wing as their CO. That was the advice I gave on interpersonal relationships between pilots." She shrugged and smiled. "It's good advice." Jason said. "If anything bad happens, feel free to request a transfer if it bothers you that much. The one thing we won't tolerate is taking bad feelings out on each other instead of the enemy." Over the past three months since the war started, They had made great inroads against the Ferengi and their Orion mercs. The Ferengi were scarce in the actual battles, but the Orions had proven themselves to be just as savage and mercenary as Delaara had predicted. "Besides, Jason turns 24 today, so we need to have a party!" Delaara grinned as the rest of Skull Squadron burst into the bar, singing a really bad rendition of 'Happy Birthday' and carrying a cake with 24 candles and shaped like a Valkyrie. He grinned, as did everyone else, and the tension was lifted. "Shit, guys. You shouldn't have." "Blame your wife, brother!" Rash shouted, Rachael on his arm and beaming with that just-been-fucked look on her face. Delaara kissed him softly. "Happy Birthday, baby," she whispered, making him hard instantly. As the party started, Alex and Jenny moved off a ways and started talking quietly to each other again. Jason looked on in approval. He knew that Alex had his father's Honor, and would never do anything to hurt Gem. He knew Gem wasn't a slut, since she didn't sleep around. She was like he used to be. She hadn't found the right person yet. The fact that she was even talking to Alex was a good sign. "Did we really have to scare them so much, honey?" asked Delaara, who had been watching as well. "Nah, but I wanted to test how much they really like each other. If they'd let us scare them off, there would be no hope at all for them." Jason winked. Delaara grinned. "You are an utter bastard sometimes, Jason MacKenzie." "Yes, yes I am, and you love me anyway. So I must be doing something right." He kissed her. "You're the best fuck I've ever had," she said. "Other than that...." "Hey!" He grinned, and she kissed him. "I love you, Jason", she said tenderly, kissing him. "Happy Birthday." "I love you too, Delaara, and thank you." He replied, kissing her back lovingly. It had been almost a year since they'd met, and he was as in love with her now as he'd been when they were rescued. Delaara, on the other hand, was even more in love with him now than she was when they were rescued. She couldn't explain it, even to herself. Their wedding was all she had ever dreamed. Their honeymoon, though brief, had shown her sides of him that she didn't know he had. She knew that he was a good man, and that he had quite a few friends. She didn't know, however, how he would handle anyone trying to hurt her. He had handled Tommy Hest with Romulan precision and force, which had made her proud. He was loyal to his friends and family. And his friends were loyal to him. Most importantly, he was as devoted to her as she to him. ***** Alex really liked Jenny, and she really liked him. He asked her to dance, and she accepted. Dancing close together, she was intrigued by him, and felt things she'd never felt for most men... except for Jason at one point, when she'd had a huge crush on him. She'd gotten over it quickly enough when it was apparent that he had no time for romance at all. Alex, on the other hand, was well muscled, cute for a Klingon, and had a nice smile. He also had that vulnerability that while subtle, attracted her like a moth to a flame. For his part, Alex liked Jenny from the first moment they met. As a normal young man, he was smitten with her tough attitude and rapier wit, when she let it loose. She had an inner strength that even she didn't know she possessed, but was apparent to him. The song ended and a slow song started. He went to lead her off the dance floor, but she pulled him back and pressed her petite body close to his as they started to dance slowly together. "Alex, I don't do this a lot," she said. "Date, that is. I'm just not that interested in it, most of the time." "I know that feeling," he said. "I had been looking for a Klingon woman, but most of them are too violent for my taste. However, I think I found a lady here who would put any Klingon woman to shame." He looked down and blushed. Jenny smiled as he blushed, and recognized the compliment for what it was. She leaned up and kissed him lightly, then smiled at him. He smiled back and kissed her back softly. "I prefer Starfleet to the Klingon Military, anyway," he smiled. "Not as many people trying to kill you at all hours." Jenny laughed. "I couldn't join the Klingon Military. I wouldn't make it through boot camp!" "I think you would, but I'm glad you're here instead," he smiled and kissed her lightly again. Jenny found herself looking at the young Klingon warrior in a new light. He was tough, but didn't enjoy violence for its own sake. He was strong, yet could be gentle. He was a man, yet had a sensitive side. Alex was falling fast for Jenny, now that they'd had a chance to talk. She was tough, yet not in a violent way. She was strong, but didn't let her strength make her into a bully. She was a woman, yet had an adventurous side that appealed to him. ***** Jason and Delaara watched the young lovebirds for a few more minutes. "She really does like him", Jason said, nodding approvingly. "And look at the way he blushes. He's in love with her," said Delaara as she laid her head on Jason's shoulder. "They have a lot in common, you know. Similar temperaments and personalities, for starters," said Jason after a moment. "Are we playing matchmaker, baby?" She smiled. "I think it's more like matchwatcher," said Jason, nodding to her with a smile. "We're checking to see if anything's going to happen. They've already given each other tentative kisses, to test the waters. It looks like they might be going for an old-fashioned take-it-slow romance. At least to me, it does." "They do have good chemistry," Delaara said with a grin. "And more than that, even. They're actually taking the time to get to know each other." "Well, we took the time to get to know each other... after we fell in love." Jason winked to her. "You mean after we worked off all the crashlanding stress with a hot hard fuck?" She grinned at him. "That too, yeah." He shrugged. "He has Honor," she said after a long pause. "I think that's what Jenny has been waiting on. A man that isn't just out for a piece of ass." "Knowing how some fighter jockeys can be, I think you're right. She shot Rash down, back in fighter training," Jason chuckled. Delaara laughed. "That doesn't surprise me." "At least Rachael made an honest man out of him." Jason couldn't help but smile at the fact that two of his closest friends made each other so happy. "Who's an honest man?" Ryan asked as he and Rachael came up beside them. "You are, now that Rachael finally tamed your sorry ass," said Jason with a grin and hug for his friend. "Happy Birthday, Jay," said Ryan. "Watching the two lovebirds out there?" "Yeah. I think they're going to work out," said Delaara, nodding. "I just have a good feeling about them." Rachael said "I think you're right. He's a good kid, and so is she." As they watched, he tilted her chin up and kissed her long and tenderly. "Whoa! Razor's got some moves!" Ryan said, nodding his approval of the young Klingon's approach. Rachael smacked her husband upside the head. "He's got more than moves, buster. He's got Honor and class. Women go for that, you bloody wanker." "Then what did I do right?" Ryan asked, wide eyed. "You're a damn good shag, and I fell in love with you, idiot!" She kissed him soundly. Jason laughed. "You two sound like Big Lou and Kralla!" They all chuckled at that, remembering the big biker and his Klingon wife. ***** Alex and Jenny kissed. It started off as a kiss of tentativeness, as the ones before, but this time he felt her lips part against his and her tongue touched his lips. He parted his lips as well and her tongue slipped into his mouth, dancing with his as their kiss deepened and her arms grew tighter around his neck. Jenny felt as if she'd been waiting all her life for a nice guy like Alex. A man with Honor and strength who wanted more from her than just a one-night stand. She'd made that mistake before, and hadn't had another since that night back at the Academy. She had withdrawn from dating and romance for too long, she finally decided. As they'd talked about first the loss of her ship, and how badly it hurt her pride, to other everyday things, and why they hadn't found the person they wanted to spend their lives with, they both realized that while their feelings for each other were still in the primary stage, those feelings were real enough to explore further. He'd kissed her that time after she'd told him about her previous fling that she had wished was more than a fling. He'd said "The honorless fool didn't know a good woman when he saw one," and it had touched her heart. So when he'd kissed her in a tender, yet chaste way, she felt that she could trust him a bit more, and her lips had parted. Alex had never been kissed like that before, and it lit him up inside. He knew that if anything was to happen between them, it would be at her pace. He had been in several failed relationships already, all of them because he'd set the pace too fast. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. As their kiss of deep exploration ended, he said "Jenny, as much as I would like to go further, I do not want to pressure you or make you feel as if you hav-" He was forced to shut up as her hungry mouth found his again. As she broke the hungry kiss finally, her face was flushed and her breathing had grown heavy. "Alex, I don't want just a one-night stand with you. I want to actually try with you, to be with you. Is that what you want too?" "I do not want you to wake up regretting it in the morning, Jenny. I want more than one night with you as well." Alex knew how to please a woman, and had never had complaints on that front. He explained to her that of the few women he'd been with, the Klingons had been disappointed in his Human side when he'd kissed them tenderly after they had finished. Most Klingon women weren't big on kissing and cuddling, it seemed. She listened to what he said and how he explained his own admission of Humanity. "Alex, that's exactly what I want in a man. Those women didn't know a good man when they had him." She smiled and her dimples melted the remainder of his resistance as she lit his heart on fire. ***** As the foursome watched the Klingon and Human pilots talking and kissing, they saw Jenny take his hand after the dance ended, and led him off the dance floor and out of the bar. "That's my wingman. He'd better treat her right," said Rash with a warm smile on his face. When Razor had first told Rash about his growing feelings for Gem, due to spending a lot of time with Alpha after missions, he'd told him about her past and her reluctance to trust. Alex had said that the men in her past had given up a good thing, and Rash had agreed. "Ryan, I had no idea the maturity that lurks beneath your childish surface." Rachel said, smiling at her husband warmly. "That's because I have carefully crafted my facade to be impenetrable unless I allow it." He grinned. "Can't go around with people accurately estimating my intelligence now, can I?" Love And War Bk. 02 Jason, Delaara, and Rachael all laughed at that. Jason had known for a long time that there was much more to Ryan than meets the untrained eye. The only time when he really let his intelligence show was behind the stick when giving orders to his flight or coordinating attack and defense maneuvers. Off duty, he was still a loud and brazen functioning alcoholic, though lately he had begun to drop his facade on that front as well. "Married life has been good for you, Rash," said Jason as they watched the two young lovers leave the bar. "Not sure what he said to her, but whatever it was, it melted Gem's shields." "I just told him to get to know her, and let her get to know him." Rash shrugged, and everyone gaped at him. "Ok, where's my husband and what have you done with him?" Rachael asked in mock horror. Ryan laughed and kissed her passionately. "Oh, there he is," she giggled like a school girl. ***** "Where are we going?" Alex asked the cute girl leading him. She turned, reaching up and pulling him down to kiss her again. It was a toe curling kiss that left them both breathless. "My quarters, Alex," she said finally by way of reply. "And we're here." She waved her hand in front of the door plate and then grabbed him by the front of his flight suit, pulling him into her room after her. As soon as the door was closed and secured, she wasted no time grabbing the zipper at his throat and yanking it down, revealing his bronze chest. He leaned down and kissed her long and passionately, unzipping her flight suit as she pushed his off his shoulders and down his arms. She was topless under her suit, and his hands brushed against her breasts and hardened nipples as he went to push her suit top off and down her arms. She'd hooked her thumbs in the bottom half of his suit, but moaned as he touched her aroused breasts. She whispered "Make love to me, Alex. Make me yours," as her breathing became heavy, and her heart pounded in her chest. They finished undressing each other, and she took his cock in her hand, stroking him as he caressed her perky breasts, lightly pinching one of her nipples, eliciting another moan of approval. "It's been far too long for me, baby," she gasped. "Then let us not waste time, my love," he replied. He picked her up gently, moving to the bed and laying her down on it. He could smell her arousal from between her thighs, and it intoxicated him. He moved down her body, kissing her as her fingers curled in his long hair. His mouth reached her landing strip of hair above her pussy, and she arched her back, thrusting her hips up to his mouth as she felt his breath on her pussy. It might have been his Human side, but he loved the taste of a woman's pussy. He slipped his tongue into her, tasting her as she moaned loudly and her hands tightened in his hair. He extended his tongue all the way, and she gasped as it twisted around inside her, tasting as much of her as possible. She was getting wetter and wetter as her moans got louder and louder. "That's it, baby. That's it right there. OhmyGod I'm going.... to.... OHMYGOD!" He felt her pussy grab his tongue as she gushed, flooding his mouth with her sweet cum. Her body was shaking as she climaxed. Alex moved back a bit and smiled as she looked down at him with a huge grin on her face. "I've never come like that before, Alex!" Jenny was breathing as if she'd just run wind sprints. Her fingers, still grabbing his hair tightly, pulled him up to kiss her. She'd often tasted her fingers as she masturbated, and loved her own taste. It was even better for her to taste her cum on his tongue as he kissed her passionately, and she felt his hard cock at the entrance to her pussy. As he started to enter her, she broke the kiss and moaned "yyyyeeeessssssssss" in his ear. Alex thrust slowly into her, feeling her pussy spasm a bit as she stretched to accomodate him fully. He had never felt one so tight as her, and moaned deeply himself as he bottomed out inside her tight pussy. "Mmmmmm that feels soooo good, baby." She moaned as he began to move slowly, thrusting in and out, in and out. Her hands moved up and down his back as they made love, and her nails dug in as he hit her g-spot and she screamed and came around him. "I'm going to fill you, Jenny", Alex moaned as he felt his own cum rising. He thrust faster and harder as his orgasm built. He held back some, until he heard her starting to come again. "Yes, baby. Yes yes yes YES YES COME IN ME! MAKE ME YOURS BABY!" She screamed as they came together, her third climax rolling into her fourth as she felt him explode inside her, feeling the heat as his cock pulsed deep in her womb. He went to roll off of her but she stopped him. "Don't pull out yet, baby. I love the feel of you filling me," she said sweetly, stroking the ridges on his forehead. He gazed into her eyes and leaned down, kissing her lovingly, tenderly, passionately. Her legs wrapped around him, keeping him where she wanted him. After kissing and holding, touching and exploring, loving each other, they finally fell asleep in each other's arms. ***** As they both reported for duty in the morning, Jason and Delaara both noticed that they'd shown up together, and were holding hands. Gem's face was beaming, and Alex was smiling contentedly. Ryan saw them coming and grinned. "Good, now that Razor and Gem are here, we're going to go over exactly what happened during the battle, yesterday. As you all know, Scorpion Squadron lost 4 fighters. We lost 1, but not due to anyone's fault. A proximity fused torpedo is deadly to a starfighter, especially flying in formation." He paused. "To digress for a moment, Gem, it was not your fault yesterday. It wasn't anyone's fault. Are we clear?" Jenny smiled. "Clear, sir," she said to Rash. "Well, I'm glad someone around here finally got happy," he grinned and watched as Alex and Jenny both blushed. "Anyhow, back to business," he said as the low chuckles died down. "Bravo Flight did a great job yesterday. My boys and girl turned that fuckin' battleship into scrap metal! We accounted for a combined 16 kills, including the battle marshal, and I couldn't be prouder of you all. Razor got 3 solos, and was in on the battleship. Zephyr," he indicated Ensign Stratal, the Andorian girl in his flight, "accounted for 2 solos, bringing her to Ace status. Congrats, Zeph!" With that, he took his seat by his team. Bounce got up and gave his account. They hadn't lost anyone, and had accounted for 12 kills as a unit, including a battle raider class light cruiser. Finally, Cobalt got up and let everyone know how proud he was with all of them. "Seriously, we're the best damn Squadron in Starfleet. We pull together and do what we have to do. We fight as one. Gem, that torpedo was fired point-blank, and we couldn't have avoided it if we'd tried. I reviewed the battle footage last night. You won't be gigged for the loss of your Valkyrie." Jason smiled and nodded to her. She visibly let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Now we need to get some simulator reps in. Bounce, your crew gets first hour." "Roger that, Cobalt." Bounce grinned and grabbed his guys to hit the simulator. "Valkyries again today, guys," he said as they entered the holosim. As the other flights were sitting around talking. Zephyr went and sat next to Gem. "So? How was he?" She whispered and was grinning ear to ear at her friend. "He's amazing, Strat," Jenny whispered back with a smile on her face. "He made me feel so good last night!" Stratal hugged Jenny. "I'm so happy you found someone, and he's really hot!" She'd said that a bit too loud, and Rash busted up laughing. "You hear that, Razor? You're really hot!" Alex laughed at that. "If she says so," he smiled warmly at Gem, who smiled warmly back with a wink. Stratal was blushing a deep purple. The PA came up. "All Scorpion and Stiletto pilots, the debris in the forward flight hangar has been cleared. Please move your fighters from aft flight deck immediately. Thank you." The Skulls cheered as the announcement was made. "Good", said Rash. "I was getting sick of parking in a handicapped spot." That was what he called the maintenance pads with the circular icon painted on them. Zephyr and Gem had moved away a bit and were talking animatedly about Razor, it seemed. Zephyr had an amazed expression on her face at one point, then smiled with her eyes half closed as she imagined whatever it was that Gem had told her. Rash said to Razor "It looks like you made quite an impression. Gem and Zeph have been friends for years, so don't worry. Whatever Jenny tells her won't go beyond the two of them." "I'm not worried. We have a date tonight on the holodeck." Alex smiled. "Good. I'm glad you're not a one-night wonder. She deserves better than that." Rash was proud of his new wingman. "Yes she does, Rash. I like her a lot." Alex felt more than a liking for her. He knew he was falling in love, and it felt good. ***** "By the moons," said Stratal. "Jenny, if I'd known that about him, I would have made a move myself!" She giggled. "He's not that kind of guy, Strat!" Jenny was glad they'd moved away from the guys to have their chat. "He made sure that I came first, and made sure I was completely satisfied. He's not the type to hit and run." "Well, then he's unlike any Klingon I've been with. Now I'm jealous!" She giggled again. Ensign Stratal had a reputation that started in the Academy as being a bit of a slut. She rarely spent the night with the same man twice, but she also didn't sleep with every man who came along. She picked and chose her night mates. She'd spent two years trying to get Gem to come out of her shell and just enjoy the men around her, but it had seemed like a lost cause. Now, Jenny had found a man with Honor and integrity, and it seemed like things were finally turning around for her. "He was worth waiting for, Strat," said Jenny finally, looking across the hangar to where Alex was talking to Rash. "Well, you have your ways, and I have mine. I wonder if Bounce has been with an Andorian before," she wondered out loud. Jenny laughed at her friend. "You're incorrigible!" "You say 'incorrigible', I say 'friendly'." She winked and grinned. "I just wish I'd gotten my hands on Rash before the Captain did," she pouted. "If you had, you'd have dumped him the next day, Strat," said Jenny with a smirk. "Not according to the scuttlebutt I've been hearing. They were together for almost 6 months before anyone found out! And if he can satisfy her..." Stratal let her mind go filthy with thoughts of what he could have done to her. Jenny giggled. "I'd heard the same thing. The amazing part is that he never bragged about it!" Rash had a reputation as a ladies' man at one point, but hadn't hit on any of the female pilots or crewmembers since the night he'd been promoted and slapped silly by Captain Thatcher. Jenny realized that was when the affair had started. "It was the night of his promotion to J.G.," she said to Strat. "What was?" The blue girl asked. "When he started sleeping with Rachael," said Jenny. "Don't you remember her leaning in close and saying something in his ear before he left 11Forward that night?" Stratal thought about it. "Now that you mention it, yeah. Then she left shortly afterward, claiming it had been a long day and she needed sleep. Ha! She was fucking him that night!" They both giggled, not realizing that Rash and Alex were right behind them. "Yep, that was the night, Detectives," said Rash with a grin. "Ohmigosh!" Stratal turned, embarrassed and blushing. "Don't worry about it. I'm surprised that nobody figured it out before now." Rash laughed. "How long were you two standing there", asked Jenny, wide eyed. Alex said "From the 'scuttlebutt' comment." He smiled and moved forward, kissing Jenny sweetly. She grinned and bit her lower lip after they broke the kiss. Strat said "Oh, I'm not going to hear the end of this, am I?" "Well, as long as the Captain doesn't find out, I think you're safe," said Rash, chuckling at his pilot's discomfort. "I'm doomed," said Stratal, holding her face in her hands. "Oh, shush. Nobody here is going to tell her about your latent desires for me," said Rash with a grin. "Honestly, I'm flattered. Stratal, if I wasn't happily in love and married, I might have been interested." She looked up with a smile. "Thanks, boss." "No problem. Now, Gem, go tell Arrow that we need him here. We're up next in the simulator." "You got it, Rash", said Jenny as she walked away towards where Alpha was talking to each other and Roy 'Arrow' Harper. ***** As Bravo took over the simulator, Delaara turned to Jenny and said "So, I saw you and Zephyr talking about Alex. I think he likes you even more than he lets on." "I think so too, Commander. I love him." She smiled at her Squadron XO. "He's just as scared of being hurt as you are, Gem." Delaara could read people. It was in her job description as a Commanding Officer of an entire fighter wing back with the RIF. "He's a strong man, but a very gentle lover," said Gem in a whisper. "I love the way he makes me feel." "Good. You two have a lot in common, and you're good for each other, from what I've seen," Delaara said with a smile. Jason walked up then. "Talking in low tones. Must be about Razor," he said. "You're too observant for your own good, baby," said Delaara, turning and kissing him. "It's a talent", Jason said with a shrug after enjoying her kiss. "That's what I want with Alex," said Jenny. "What you two have." Her eyes misted up a bit. "Jenny, what we have was forged in the fires of combat, which brought about mutual respect. It was tempered with a common love of many things and perfect compatibility, both physically and emotionally. If that's what you find with Alex, then we'll be very happy for you." Jason was surprised by Delaara's assessment of their relationship. "Honey, you are amazing. I couldn't have said it better, myself," said Jason with a smile and even more respect for his better half. "I think it was when you pulled out your MP7 player and began playing 'Where Eagles Dare' that I knew for sure that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, Jason," she said, putting her arms around his neck. "Hey, it was your love of Iron Maiden that earned even more of my respect and admiration. 'Aces High' is one of the best songs out there for any fighter pilot," Jason said and kissed her. Jenny was giggling softly. She'd been surprised when the first time she'd seen Delaara listening to something on her old Romulan earpiece, it was 'The Trooper' by Iron Maiden, followed by 'Seek and Destroy' by Metallica. Ape was sitting and listening to his music, most of which he'd gotten from Jason and Delaara. "It's good stuff, Jen," he said with a grin. Lieutenant Dominic 'Ape' O'Neill was a big guy. Easily 2 meters tall and built like a linebacker, he barely came in under the maximum height limit for a fighter pilot, hence his callsign. Jen laughed at her 'big brother'. "Dom, please don't threaten Alex," she said to him. "He's a good guy and treats me right." Dominic stood up and looked down at her. "No problem, sis. But if he ever hurts you, I'm gonna stomp him into jelly. Deal?" She chuckled. "Ok, deal. I don't think it'll be necessary, though." "I hope not. I've fought a Klingon hand to hand. He damn near beat me", Dom said. Jason laughed. "I remember that fight, Dom!" When Delaara looked at them quizzically, Jason said "We were on Kling as part of a joint training operation with the Klingon Military shortly after being assigned to the Nimitz. We were out drinking with some of our Klingon partners at a local pub when a battleship captain took offense to a story that Ape was telling. He started talking smack about how he could beat any Human alive, until Ape stood up." Dom picked it up from there. "I stood up and the guy stopped mid sentence, lookin' up at me with his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. So I said 'you might want to close your mouth before something flies in there, bubba', and he decided to take a swing at me." "So when the guy takes a swing at Ape, his fist connects with Ape's jaw and stops. It just stopped dead. I'd never seen anyone take a punch like that from a Klingon warrior before. Ape just said 'ouch' in a deadpan voice, then picked up the Klingon and threw him into the bar." Jason was laughing at the memory. "So then Jason intercepts one of the guy's friends and decks the living shit out of him before he can get up behind me," said Dom, laughing now too. "And that's when all hell broke loose. It was us two and our Klingon wingmen against nearly an entire pub full of pissed off warriors," said Jason with tears in his eyes. Jenny and Delaara just looked at each other, smirked, and said "Men" in unison. Jason finally calmed down enough to finish. "So anyhow, our wingmen finally got us to the door, and the Klingon captain comes charging at Ape, knocking him down and starting to wail on him. Ape just grabbed the guy's nuts and squeezed until he fell over. As I helped him up, the whole bar was silent. They hadn't seen the nutgrab, but they'd seen him fall over." Dom was chuckling. "When we got back to base, our wingmen said that Jason and I took down Captain Kon and his entire crew by ourselves!" Jason said "Honey, you girls have your things that guys don't like to do. We have barfights," he said, draping his arm around Ape's shoulders. Delaara and Jenny laughed at them. "I love a good barfight just as much as you do, baby," said Delaara as she kissed him. "But the way you embellished that story was way beyond realistic." "But that's what we do, Missus Delaara. We embellish it until it becomes a tall tale. We're guys," said Dom with a shrug and a grin. "Speaking of which, I should tell them about when you beat the hell out of Gina Lee when we were at Big Lou's that day," Jason said with an evil grin. Delaara smiled. "That was fun, I'll admit. This woman who Jason knew from before the Academy came into the bar looking to start trouble with him, so I stepped up, took a few insults from her mostly relating to my heritage, and then sent her flying with her teeth knocked out." Dom was stunned. "Wow, ma'am! I think I love you!" Delaara grinned. "I know you do, Ape." Dom laughed. "Jay, she's definitely a keeper, brother!" "I know that already, Dom. Trust me on this," he said, kissing his wife lovingly. That was when Bravo came out of the simulator. "All yours, Cobalt," said Rash with a grin. Jenny kissed Alex on their way in, and he blushed noticeably as his teammates started ribbing him immediately. As they started the simulation, Jason laid down the rules. "Ok, we're going to do boys vs. girls today. Gem, you're Demoness's wing, and Ape, you're with me. Standard rules of engagement, so let's do it." Ape and Cobalt came under fire immediately from Demoness and Gem. They broke port and starboard, drawing a split from the women. Jason had Delaara on his tail, and juked hard and pulled up to avoid her burst. "Nice one, honey", he said over the comm. "Thanks, baby. How about you hold still a little?" Delaara chuckled. "Well, I can't do that, now," he said, pushing forward in an inverted loop. "That would make it too easy for you." "True. You know I love a challenge," she said, firing another burst that he evaded with a climbing barrel roll. "Wow, that was fast," came Ape's voice over the comm. "Heads up, Cobalt. I'm EV and Gem is headed your way!" "Roger that, Ape. Stick around and watch," he grinned, pulling up into a loop and pulling the throttle all the way back. As soon as he had Demoness in his sights, he squeezed off a burst that slammed into her forward shields before accelerating past her again. Love And War Bk. 02 Delaara was momentarily blinded by the phaser bolts hitting her shields, and banked hard to starboard as Jason's Valkyrie shot past her. She pulled around as fast as possible, but he wasn't where she thought he'd be. "Demoness, he's above you!" came Gem's frantic yell over the comm, but by then it was too late. The burst shredded the remainder of her shields and she went EV with Ape. "Gotcha, honey," he said over her comm. "Well, you haven't got me, yet," said Gem as she locked him and fired a quantum missile. Jason diverted all shields to the rear, and slammed his warp burners to maximum. The quantum was still on his tail, but he was able to minimize the damage when it finally hit. He readjusted his shields all forward, pulled hard about, and warp burned towards Gem, proxing a photon missile and firing when she started firing her burst. Gem saw it coming and banked hard just in time. The prox fuse detonated, but she was able to avoid engine damage. As she recovered, a burst of pulse phasers slammed into her fighter, tearing off her port side wing. Thinking quickly, she slammed her throttle back to stop, swung around, and fired her guns into his ship, depleting the remaining shields and puncturing the cockpit. ***** "Gem, that was some of the best flying I've ever seen!", said Jason as they exited the simulator. Delaara and Ape were slapping her on the back as well. "Well, when you shot my wing off, my options were pretty limited," she replied. "It was more desperation than actual thought." "It was glorious!" Alex said, running up to her and hugging her tight. "I agree with the Klingon," said Rash with a grin as he joined them. "We decided to watch and see what would happen." "He shot me up pretty good, and I thought for sure that wouldn't work," Jenny said, blushing. "Desperation is the mother of innovative tactics, Jenny," said Delaara with a smile. "It reminded me of how I shot you down over NZ8, honey," said Jason to his wife with a wink. Jenny and Alex had their arms around each other's waist, and she was beaming proudly. Delaara smiled at them. "Jenny, look at everything in perspective. You got shot down yesterday, but since then, you've found a man who loves you. Then you managed to school the best fighter pilot in the galaxy with a desperate maneuver that worked beyond what anyone could imagine." "She's right, Jenny," said Jason, laughing. "And since I got shot down, beers are on me." They all headed to the turbolift to 11Forward. ***** It didn't take long for Rachael to show up at the bar to congratulate Jenny on her accomplishment. She slid her arm around Rash's waist and said "Gem, Rash fowarded me a copy of your simulation today. That was some inspired flying, hon!" "Thanks, Captain," she said with a smile. "It really was desperation more than anything else." "But sometimes, desperation is-" "The mother of innovative tactics," said the others, cutting her off. "You've all learned so well!" Rachael was proud. "I'm glad at least some of my words of wisdom didn't get thrown out the airlock." Rash kissed her. "That's my Captain." ***** Alex and Jenny told everyone about their date on the holodeck, and Jason said "Ok, you two have fun, and don't do anything Delaara and I wouldn't do!" much to their blushing chagrin. Even though he was the same age as they were, Jason realized how much he'd matured over the past year. He felt older and more responsible thanks to being in a command position as Squadron Leader. Delaara had noticed as well. "They're our kids, honey. As much as we can have right now, anyway." "I think you're right, sweetheart. I'm proud to lead this squadron, and even prouder that I have you to help me lead it." He kissed her again. "I never get tired of kissing you, Delaara." "Good, because I never get tired of you kissing me, Jason", she said, kissing him deeply and passionately. Rash looked at Rachael and said "When in Rome" as he kissed her just as passionately, pulling her into his arms. The PA blared "Incoming hostiles detected. Captain to the Bridge!" "Oh boy. When this is over, Rash, I'm going to ride you to bloody death, boy!" Rachael said as they headed out of the bar. The pilots went to the flight hangar while she went to the Bridge. ***** Captain Thatcher burst onto the Bridge and dashed to her Command Chair. "What's the situation, Number One?" Commander Reynolds said "Incoming Ferengi and Orion battleships on long range scans, Captain." Her voice sounded worried. "Red alert. Notify Striker wing to be ready to scramble," Rachael ordered. "Aye aye, ma'am," said her XO, and repeated the order over the PA. "Enterprise is moving into position to engage as well." "Thanks, Marie. Hail Enterprise." "Onscreen, Captain," she replied. "Jean-Luc, we have a situation incoming," she said. "We saw it, Rachael. We'll engage the 2 Orions while you handle the Ferengi. Give us a Squadron as backup, and we'll be fine," said Captain Picard. "You'll have the Skulls, Jean-Luc," she replied with a smile. ***** "Skull Squadron, we'll be under the command of Enterprise for this op," said Jason when he received the order from Rachael. "We follow Captain Picard's orders to the letter, understood?" "YES, SIR!" came the resounding reply. "Good. Set your comms to include Enterprise's frequency. Skulls, mount up!" He and Delaara moved to their Valkyries as the rest of the Skulls climbed their boarding ladders. As their canopies closed, Jason hit the Squadron comm. "Gloria ad mortem!" "GLORIA AD MORTEM!" Came the reply as they prepared for possible death in the vacuum of space. The Skull Squadron motto translated as 'Glory to death' from the ancient Latin. "Hostiles have dropped from warp and begun to advance at Impulse. All fighters Launch!" CAG ordered. "Go, Skulls. Holding pattern off Enterprise's port side," said Jason as their ships shot out into space and they turned towards the Sovereign class battleship. "Enterprise to Skull Leader. Engage Orion 2 while we take Orion 1. Sending you our telemetry now," said Captain Picard. "Skull Lead here. Roger that, Captain. Telemetry received and starting our attack run. Good to be fighting alongside you, sir!" Jason then switched to Squadron channel. "Skulls, you heard the man. We start with weapons first. Bravo, take Phaser bank targets port. Charlie, take phaser banks starboard. Alpha is on the forward torpedo tubes." "Roger, Lead," said Rash and Bounce. "Skulls, full impulse. Arm Quantum Missiles 1 and 2. We'll take down the battle marshal's shields before starting our attack runs," Jason said, and heard acknowledgments from his Flight leaders. As soon as they entered missile range, Jason said "Fire!" and 24 quantum missiles slammed into the shields of the Orion battleship. "Their shields are down to 5%, sir," said Rash. "Bravo flight beginning attack run." "Go get 'em, Rash," said Jason. "Charlie, begin your run. Alpha, on me." Jason aimed his flight at the forward torpedo tubes and armed photon missiles. "Photons armed, Alpha. Lock onto tubes and fire at will." The Valkyries launched their photons as soon as their locks became solid, slamming into the tubes of the enemy warship. The Orion hit Ape with a glancing shot from its starboard phasers as they completed their pass. "Ape, status report!" Jason shouted. "Shields at 40%, sir," came the reply. "Roger that, Four. Come about on me for another pass. We'll hit their aft tubes this time around." Jason ordered. "Bravo to Lead, Port side phaser banks are down, switching to engines." "Roger that, Rash. Stop him dead!" Jason was loving this. Alpha came about and targeted aft tubes. "Photons 3 and 4, fire at will!" Once again, the Flight's missiles slammed into the battleship's tubes, destroying a huge part of its offensive capabilities. "Charlie to lead. Starboard phaser banks down. Switching to shield generator," said Bounce. "Roger that, Bounce. Good job!" "Gem to Lead, we have 4 bogies launching from shuttle bay on the battle marshal," she said. "Roger that, Gem. Let's go introduce ourselves. Alpha, our targets are the 4 bandits that just launched. Take individual and light 'em up!" Jason went for the middle right, while Demoness went mid-left. Ape went far right and Gem took far left as they closed distance. Gem locked her trigger to the stick as she blasted the Orion fighter's shields away and punctured its canopy with deadly accuracy. It went spinning away into the night sky of space. "Gem to Lead. Target is cooked." Ape locked a quantum and fired just as a burst from his target hit him in the port side wing, shearing it off completely. He banked to starboard and saw his target go up in a ball of fire as his quantum hit. "Ape to Lead, target's down, but I'm limpin' here." "Roger, Ape. Head on back to Nimitz. We got your back," said Jason over the comm. Demoness went in for the kill on hers, who had banked hard port when she'd opened up with phasers. She locked him from behind and sent a burst into its engines, fireballing the Orion. "Demoness to lead, target splashed, baby," she said. "Roger that, Demoness." Jason said as his own target continued to juke and jink erratically. He fired a controlled burst and saw it kick off the shields as it banked hard starboard. "This guy's good," he smiled as he banked to follow. The Orion kicked in burners, and Jason grinned. The burners would make that thing a straight line sitting duck. He armed a Quantum and locked it. Just as he fired, he saw the incoming photon from the fighter that had cut burners, spun in place, and fired. Jason banked hard to port, and the photon just missed him as it passed. His quantum hit, destroying the fighter's shields, but not the fighter itself. Jason nodded his respect as he switched to guns, firing a burst from his pulse phasers at the fighter as it closed with him again. The burst tore through its starboard wing, hitting a fuel tank and fireballing it just as its own burst peppered his port wing. "Target down," said Jason. "Damage minimal." "What took you so long, baby?" Delaara asked, half concerned, half joking. "Oh, you know. Had to make him feel he was doing well," said Jason nonchalantly. "Seriously, that guy had skill." "I know, baby," she said back. "I saw his moves, and he was nearly as good as you are." "But 'nearly' isn't enough against me, darling," Jason said with a grin. "Bravo to lead, engines are toast," said Rash with an audible smile. "Good job, Rash," Jason said. "Charlie to Lead, shields are destroyed," said Bounce. "Nice one, Bounce," Jason replied. "Skull Lead to Enterprise, Orion 2 is disabled. Awaiting kill order." "Nicely done, Jason," said Captain Picard. "No kill order yet. We'll see if they wish to surrender per Admiral Nelson's orders." "Roger that, sir", said Jason. "Will await kill order." They formed up as a squadron as they got the word that Ape had crashed into the aft flight deck. "Roger, Nimitz. Is he going to be ok?" Jason asked. "Stand by, Skull Lead. We have fire control and Medical on it." "Oh no!" Gem shouted into the comm. "It's ok, Gem. He'll be fine," said Delaara. As if to prove her right, the comm came from the Nimitz almost immediately. "We have preliminary from Doc Tavolk. Ape is stable, but he's lost a leg and has 3rd degree burns over 10% of his body," said CAG. "Don't worry, Gem. Doc is the best Medical Officer in Starfleet," said Jason to his junior pilot. "Ape will pull through." "Enterprise to Skull Lead, we have received a surrender confirmation from Orion 2. Go ahead back to Nimitz," said Captain Picard. "And Jason," he went on, "Thank you, son." "Skull Lead to Enterprise, it was our pleasure, sir," he replied. "We have a man down, and are returning to Nimitz now." "Enterprise's prayers go with him, Jason," said his friend. "Thanks, Jean-Luc. That means a lot to us, sir." The Skulls landed safely and vaulted from their cockpits as soon as their engines had cut, sprinting for the turbolifts. ***** When they got to Medical, Ape was in a medically induced coma while the medications took effect. Doc was looking haggard for a Vulcan, which is to say that he was breathing a sigh of relief. "How's he doing, Doc?" Jason asked as his entire Squadron filled the waiting area. "He will be recover eventually, Commander," said Doc. "Unfortunately, he won't be able to fly a Starfighter again." "What happened? Won't a prosthetic leg help?" Gem asked, tears in her eyes. "His leg isn't the issue, Jenny," said Doc with uncharacteristic tenderness. "He lost the sight in his right eye as a result of the fire." She started to cry as Alex took her in his arms and hugged her. He didn't say a word, but just held her as she sobbed into his chest. Her arms went around his waist and held him to her tightly as she cried for her best friend. "Can we at least see him, Doc?" Delaara asked. "I've induced a coma to help his body heal," said Doc. "I'm sorry, Delaara. He needs it." "We understand, Doc. Come on, Skulls. We need to let the Doc have his workspace back." Jason turned back to Dr. Tavolk. "Let me know as soon as he's able to talk, Doc." "I will, Jason," he replied, nodding. They made their way listlessly to 11Forward and drank a few dozen toasts to Ape, praying that Doc was wrong and that he'd be able to fly again. Rachael showed up and hugged Rash tight, then hugged Gem just as tight. "I do have some good news, at least. Our rotation is done for now, and Eisenhower will be here tomorrow to relieve us," said Rachael. A ragged cheer went up from the assembled Wing, who were all there to show their support for Ape. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, and Jason said once again how proud he was to serve with every one of them. He had become de facto Wing Commander since they still hadn't received one in the 9 months they'd all been flying together. They now had a total of 8 vacancies to fill in the crew and pilot rosters, so they'd be returning to Starbase for repairs, refitting, and restaffing. ***** "We need to end this war. It's taking its toll on our kids, honey," said Jason as he and Delaara laid in bed that night. "I know, baby," she replied. "It's been hard on all of us, but moreso on them. The majority of them are brand new, and have never lost friends before." "True. I just can't get that image out of my head, though. Ape laying there comatose. I'm just glad that Alex was there to block Jenny's view of him." Jason knew that Alex had taken her back to her quarters after 11Forward, and he wouldn't let her go over the edge. "At least she has Alex now," said Delaara. "Also true. I just hope she doesn't push him away because of what happened to Dom. He's one of my best friends, sweetheart. I've been flying with him, Bounce, and Rash since the Academy." He felt tears in his eyes. "Shhhh baby. It's ok." Delaara kissed him softly, and he kissed her back passionately, holding her close and running his hands up and down her bare back. She moaned as he broke the kiss and licked her ear slowly, barely touching her with his tongue. She straddled him, sitting up and guiding him inside her. She engulfed him completely as he filled her, moving slowly together. Delaara leaned down and kissed him as the mindmeld took them both, letting all their feelings intermingle and taking the hurt away. He rolled her over and moved slowly, thrusting deep into her as he rolled his hips in circles. They knew what was needed tonight, and he kissed her tenderly as they made love. The intimacy. The caring. The feel of each other. Her first orgasm pounded through her like a freight train, and set off his own, filling her to overflowing as she came again and again in rapid succession. He kept moving inside her as they came together repeatedly, and as they felt themselves finally relaxing, held each other close, kissing and touching and holding until sleep finally took them. ***** Alex sat with Jenny through the night, holding her until she had stopped crying. He didn't speak, just held her. She had finally stopped crying, looked into his light blue eyes, and kissed him passionately. He kissed her back just as passionately, and they were soon scrabbling to remove their flight suits. Once naked, she had pushed him onto his back and mounted him, snarling as she took him, riding him harder and harder, faster and faster, feeling her orgasms rip through her. She screamed in lust and primal need, throwing her head back as he came with her finally. She fell onto him, exhausted, and still he didn't say a word. Just held her as she slept on his chest, and closed his own eyes as sleep took him as well. ***** The next morning, USS Eisenhower arrived, and Nimitz entered Warp for Deep Space 9. Alex transferred to Alpha flight to replace Ape, and Rash, while sorry to see him go, knew that was what was needed. He and Gem flew well together, and the move brought them closer still. When Ape woke up, Jason and the rest of the Squadron went to show their support, along with Captain Thatcher. "I guess I'll just be a desk jockey from now on," he laughed. "Not bloody likely, boy!" Rachael said. "I'm transferring you to Command, and you're getting promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Elizabeth Shelby needs a new Second Officer onboard the Gryphon, and I recommended you for the job." Ape was speechless. "Wow, Captain," he said. "Thanks!" "It's the least I could do, Dom," she said. "You've been here since Day 1 when this ship was commissioned, and I know you'll have your own ship someday." "Hell, Rachael. After you retire, I want command of the Nimitz!" Dom grinned, and everyone there could just see that happening. In spite of the loss of his leg, and the burns over the right side of his head and face, he looked in good spirits. The skin grafts had started to take effect, but being allergic to the ocular implants, he would be relegated to using a prosthesis over his right eye, which resembled an eyepatch. "On the bright side, Dom," said Jenny with a smile. "You're going to look like a pirate with that eyepatch!" "Yarr! I can see it now! Sailing the high seas taking any booty that comes along!" He reached out and grabbed Stratal's ass. She jumped, then smiled and leaned down to kiss him passionately. She then said "Once you're out of this bunk, come see me, loverboy." The whole Squadron cheered at that. Ensign Stratal was gorgeous, and Dom looked like he'd just won the jackpot. Jason and Delaara shook his hand, and the rest of the Squadron gave him their congratulations on surviving with another kill to his record. He wasn't at fault for the crash, since his repulsors had been damaged by enemy fire and his throttle had stuck when he was trying to decelerate. He'd burned in at 1/10th impulse, and it was a miracle that he'd survived. His leg had been amputated just above the knee when the lower left side of the cockpit had collapsed, and the fire from the exploding panel above the right side of his head had blinded him in that eye and given him 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Those were fixed with synthskin and his leg was replaced by a cybernetic enhanced leg system. But his right eye was still blind, and no synthetic prosthesis would make him flight capable in a starfighter again. Ensign Stratal visited him every day during his rehab at DS9, and when Gryphon arrived for repairs, refit, and restaffing, she asked to go with him. She had full Security qualifications, so Elizabeth accepted her transfer. Skull Squadron got two competent replacements, and both were thrown into Bravo flight to be trained by Rash to his exacting specifications. ***** Kira and Garak sat in their chairs in Quark's with Jason, Delaara, Ryan, and Rachael. Stratal and Dom walked in and Dom asked "Are these seats taken?" Love And War Bk. 02 Jason looked up at the newly promoted Lieutenant Commander and Lieutenant(J.G.) on his arm. In the past month, he'd healed considerably from the wreck. "Lookin' good, you two!" Jason said with a grin, rising and hugging his long time friend, and then hugging Stratal. Delaara also gave them hugs, and they made room as Jason grabbed a couple more chairs from an empty table. Mac and Elizabeth entered next, and Mac said "Don't get up, Jason. We can get our own chairs," as everyone chuckled at his expense. Rachael said "Elizabeth, this is Dominic and Stratal. Both are great pilots, but they also are fully trained and competent in Command and Security respectively. Dom will make a great Second Officer for you, and Stratal worked in Security before training as a fighter pilot." "Good to meet both of you, and since it's obvious you two are a couple, don't worry about the regs. I run a similar ship to Mac and Rachael," she said, and grinned as the relief flooded the young couple's faces. "Oh, and I have some more news," said Rachael. "Commander, MacKenzie, you are out of uniform." "Ummm, no I'm not," said Jason, checking his flight suit. "Yes, you are, Commander." She put emphasis on Commander, he noticed. Jason's eyes went wide. "Seriously? Rachael, are you shittin' me?" "Not at all, Commander. Congratulations!" She removed his hollow pip and replaced it with a solid one. "Holy crap! I mean, thank you, Captain!" He beamed, and Delaara, who had been holding back, laughed her musical laugh. "Well, as the youngest Commander in Starfleet history, I just have to ask WHY ME?" "Because we need a Wing Commander, and nobody is more qualified than you are," Rachael said by way of reply, "except maybe your wife." "I would have turned her down, Jason," said Delaara. "I love being under you," she winked, and everyone's eyes went wide as Jason grinned slowly. "You will still command Skull Squadron, Jason, so don't worry about that." Rachael was laughing at the double entendre that Delaara had delivered with flawless precision. "But since you've been running all the Wing level missions already, it made sense to promote you and give you official Command of Striker Wing." Garak and Kira shook his hand, then everyone else, and Rash grinned as he knew that he would soon be promoted too, in accordance with Command Squadron in a Wing having Lieutenant Commanders as Flight Leaders. Mac clapped him on the back, handing him a beer. "Thanks, Mac," Jason said, laughing. Delaara leaned in and kissed him. "Thanks, sweetheart," he said breathlessly after his toes had sufficiently curled. Quark, who had finally been released from protective custody after public opinion said that Quark was a DS9 citizen, and they didn't care whether he was Ferengi or not, Kira gave Odo the ok to let him and Rom out. "Colonel, who's paying for all this?" Quark asked, addressing Kira. "I am, Quark," said Jason. "Just got promoted, so I'm buying the rounds tonight." "Very good, Commander," Quark said. "Congratulations, and congrats on your marriage, since I wasn't able to attend." "No problem, Quark. Good to see you again," said Jason. Quark nodded and smiled, then moved on to another table. "He's a good guy, if a bit greedy," said Jason as Delaara was looking at him funny. "He's Ferengi," she said. "Yes he is, but his nephew is in Starfleet, and Nog is a friend of mine." Jason said. "Hey, Quark. Is Rom around?" "Sure thing, Jason. I'll see if he's here," said Quark. "One second, Jason", said Elizabeth. She tapped her combadge. "Shelby to Nog". "Nog here, Captain. What can I do for you?" "Well, there's an old friend here who wants to see you. Can you come to your uncle's place on the Promenade, Lieutenant? Don't worry, have Jack cover for you at Helm." "Sure thing, Captain", said Nog on the other end of the comm. "Good. Shelby, out", she said with a smile. "There, Commander. Your friend is on his way." "Ha! I didn't know he'd transferred to the Gryphon! Thanks, Elizabeth!" He hugged his adopted aunt. "No thanks necessary, Jay." Shelby and Mac both grinned. "Oh hell, Nog is coming? Sweet!" Rash and Nog were buddies too. "Sweetheart, don't worry. Nog might be Ferengi, but he's Starfleet above all else," said Jason when Delaara looked at him walleyed. "Trust me, baby. Nog's family would have nothing to do with the reason we're fighting this war." "Well said, Jay," said Rom. "Trafficking in children is illegal, even under Ferengi law. I'm surprised that those damned bureaucrats are protecting whoever is responsible!" "Hey, Rom! Glad you're here!" Rash said, hugging another drinking buddy. "Where's Leeta?" "Oh, you know. She's around here someplace." He shrugged. "Honey, Rash and I flew with the Bajorans a couple years back, and we used to hang out at Quark's all the time." He squeezed her hand. Delaara finally decided to put her distrust of Ferengi aside, and smiled. "I'm sorry, love," she said. "I have to put my preconceived notions aside, but it's difficult. I've dealt with way too many Ferengi in my career with the RIF." "And now you realize all the distrust people show you when they don't know you." Jason said it kindly, knowing that the shoe was now on the other foot. "Rom?" She said. "Yes, ma'am?" He said, ready to help in any way possible. "My name is Delaara, and Jason is my husband." She smiled. "Well, Delaara, I'm Rom, and Jason has been a friend of mine for a while now. I'm happy to meet you!" Rom smiled big, and shook her hand profusely. "And I apologize if I haven't been too friendly to you or your brother. When I was in the RIF, we had quite a few Ferengi problems in the Empire." She smiled by way of apology. "Oh, it's alright! We're used to preconceptions around here." Rom chuckled. "Jay! Dad!" Nog came running into the bar and hugged his dad and Jason in turn. Then he noticed Rash. "Ryan!" He ran and hugged Ryan. Then he turned to Captain Shelby. "Wow, ma'am! Thank you! I haven't seen Jason and Ryan in forever!" "Nog, this is my wife, Delaara," he said. "Honey, this is Nog, an old friend from the Academy." Delaara had visibly relaxed and was much friendlier now. "Good to meet you, Nog," said Delaara warmly. "Wow, Jay! You married WAY up!" Nog said with a huge grin. Delaara blushed a bit at the compliment. "I agree, Noggy. So did I," said Rash as he held Rachael's hand and showed off their rings. "Dang, Ryan! If you married a babe like Captain Thatcher, there's hope for me yet!" Rash's face went blank at that for a moment, and Nog laughed along with Jason, Delaara, and everyone else. "Nog, I like you. You actually shut Rash up," Delaara said. "He's been good at that since we were plebes, sweetheart," said Jason with a grin. Nog pulled up a chair and sat between Jason and Garak. "Good to see you again, Nog," said Kira. "Thanks, Colonel. Great to see you too!" Nog said with a smile. "And you, Garak." "Yes, it's been a while, Nog. How are you?" Garak asked politely. As the conversations went on, Nog was excited to say the least, and everyone was having a great time. When they finally went their separate ways, it was with the fond memories of spending time with good friends. Jason paid his tab to Quark and gave the waitress a generous tip for keeping the beers coming. ***** Back onboard Nimitz, Jason pulled Delaara close. "See, sweetheart. I told you not all Ferengi are the same," he said, kissing her. "Well, baby. I'm sorry that I didn't take your word for it. I love Nog, Rom, and even Quark." She smiled at the thought of her new friends. "Now, Commander, I look forward to serving....under you," she said, unzipping her flight suit slowly, revealing that she wore nothing underneath. "My God, sweetheart. Every time I see you, you just get more and more beautiful." He let her unzip him and he pulled his t-shirt off over his head while he sat on the bed and she pulled off his boots. He pulled her up to kiss her deeply and passionately. Her lips tasted of cherries, and as his finger slipped into her wet pussy, she moaned into his mouth. "God I want you, baby." She said as she kissed him and felt his fingers up inside her. She fell onto her back on the bed and Jason moved down between her thighs. "Ooooh yes baby. Lick me. Eat me. Make me come on your tongue...." She gasped and moaned as his tongue entered her and slipped in deep, tasting her sweet wetness as his thumb found her clit and rubbed it lightly. She squealed and moaned as he licked her cunt and sucked her clit in turn, fingerfucking her and knowing that her climax was building. She came hard on his tongue as he sucked her clit, and his fingers were drenched as she screamed loudly. "OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYGGGGGGGGODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" He drank her cum down like a man dying of thirst, and felt her orgasm deep in his soul. Her hands were wrapped tightly in his hair, and she pulled him up to kiss him, tasting her cum in his mouth as her tongue invaded and duelled with his. Her other hand reached down and grabbed his throbbing hard cock, shoving it inside her cunt. "Now, lover, fuck me like a whore," she whispered to him. "Fuck me, Commander. Fuck your whore wife! Fuck your Romulan WHORE!" She was screaming and coming as he plowed into her fast and hard. He pounded her cunt like a man possessed, the mind meld transferring her aggressive feelings to him and he channelled that into fucking the living hell out of her. He leaned down and said "Get on all fours, whore!" She got up and knelt in front of him with her hands on the pillows as he moved in behind her and shoved his cock into her cunt from behind. "You like that, whore?" He asked, grabbing her hair. She came around him as he grabbed her by the hair and shoved his hard throbbing engorged cock deep into her cunt over and over and over and over again. "Oh fuck yes!" She screamed out. "Fuck your Romulan WHORE, Commander! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me fuck me fuck me fuck me! OH FUCK ME BABY!!!" She screamed over and over as his cock bottomed out against her cervix, causing her to come over and over. She felt his balls tighten and his cock swell even larger and shouted "COME IN YOUR WHORE, COMMANDER! COME IN YOUR ROMULAN FUCKING WHORE! COME INSIDE ME!" It was too much to hold back, and he came, thunder pounding in his ears as he unloaded completely inside of her. Her cunt clamped down like a vice on him, locking him inside her as his cock continued to pulse with every release of his seed. They seemed to stay locked like that for hours as they both came over and over. By the time they collapsed beside each other, they were both breathing like they'd just run from Marathon to Athens in full armor. "My God, Delaara.... Every time I think you can't shock me again.." He laughed raggedly. "Mmmmmm, baby. You like it when I'm your Romulan whore?" She grinned evilly and her eyes twinkled with love and lust. "That was intense, sweetheart. But as far as I'm concerned, you're my wife. I don't care if you're Romulan or not. I love you, and that's all I know," he said, looking into her beautiful amber brown eyes. "I know, baby", she said, stroking his bearded cheek and smiling. "You love me for who I am, not for what race I am. Same reason I love you. But you have to admit that was hot," she grinned. "Ok, yeah. Hearing you talk dirty is always hot!" He grinned back at her. She rolled over and snuggled into his side as his arm went around her. "I love you, Jason", she said. "I love you too, Delaara", he replied as they fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. ***** "Ok, you're Ensign Mariel Evans, and you're Lieutenant(J.G.) Gabrielle Saint." Rash was chiding himself for a moment when looking at Xena and Gabrielle standing in front of him. 'Dammit, Bounce', he thought to himself. The tall statuesque brunette with the ice blue eyes caught him a bit offguard, but the cute petite blonde with the hourglass figure and a little bit of babyfat on her face was just too much. "And it says your callsigns are open." He nodded to himself. "Aye, sir!," they responded in unison. Then he thought of a way NOT to name them after old 20th century television characters. He checked his computer for callsign history and said "Good news. Mariel, you are now Seraph, and Gabrielle, you're now Cherub. Congratulations, angels." He grinned. Mariel looked surprised yet pleased, but Gabrielle looked like she wanted to shoot him. "Hey, I go off of training or combat record, looks, and names. In your cases, mostly looks and names. It says here that both of you are very competent pilots, and graduated top of your respective flight programs." "Aye, sir!" They said again in unison. "And ease off the 'aye aye sir' stuff," he chuckled. "Ay.." They both started, and stopped. "Look," he said with a smile. "Rachael runs a pretty informal ship here. While disciplined, we don't stand on rank a lot, and most of our replies to orders are standard 'yes, sir', 'yes, ma'am', 'you got it, captain', etc. I'd settle for a 'fuck you, Rash' sometimes." They both chuckled, and the ice was finally broken. "Now, I'm Lieutenant Ryan Rasher. You can call me LT, Ryan, or Rash. Or Bravo Lead since you're both in my flight, now. The Old Man is Commander Jason MacKenzie, who is the same age as me, and the Old Lady, who really is an old lady, is Lieutenant Commander Deraala, former commanding officer of Gladius Wing, Romulan Imperial Fleet. Yes, there is a helluva story to that, but I'll let them tell you that, themselves. The Captain is Rachael Thatcher, who you've already met." They both nodded. "Are you calling me 'old' now, Rash?" Deraala raised one upward swept eyebrow at him. "Hey, sis", he said. "Yeah, I was. But you don't look a day over 25", he grinned as the two new pilots turned and saw her. "Delaara, these are Ensign Mariel 'Seraph' Evans, and Lieutenant Gabrielle 'Cherub' Saint. "I bet you won't look this good at 60, buddy," she said and grinned. She looked at the wide eyed girls and said "I use good skin cream. Good to meet you both. I'll tell Jason they're here, Rash." She turned and walked away at a brisk pace. "Ladies, that's Demoness. You probably already know how she got that name." He smiled and chuckled. "Now, come on. Time to meet my wingman," he said. "HEY ROY!" He shouted. Roy poked his head out of his Valkyrie's cockpit and said "WHAT? I'm installing my new sound system!" "Arrow, get down here and meet our new wingmen!" "Roger that, Rash," he said, vaulting onto the deck and jogging towards them. Mariel turned to Gabrielle and whispered "Oh my God, look at him!" Gabrielle responded immediately. "He's hot, Mari!" The girls bit their lips as they watched Lieutenant Roy Harper close on them at a jog. "Mari, I want to fuck him silly." Gabby was salivating. "We'll share him, Gabby," Mariel promised. Roy finally came to a stop, smiling as Ryan made the introductions. "Good to meet you both, and I can see why Rash chose those callsigns for you. You're both angels," he smiled disarmingly. "Angels with dirty halos, flyboy", said Mariel with a wink. "How'd you get the callsign 'Arrow', anyway?" Gabrielle asked with a meaningful look at his crotch. "Ladies, I'll leave you in the capable hands of Arrow here, and I'll grab Jason right quick," he grinned as Roy began smiling his million credit smile at the ladies. "Poor Roy is going to get more than he bargained for," said Rash quietly as he walked away, grinning to himself. ***** "Hey, Cobalt! You gotta see these two new pilots we got!" Rash was beside himself. "You mean the Ensign and Lieutenant(J.G) down in the flight hangar?" Jason asked. "Delaara told me about them, and she also overheard you getting Arrow to take care of them. Do you really think they're ready for that?" "No no, buddy. It's 'Do you really think he's ready for them', and trust me, those two had the look of a predator in their eyes when they were eyeing poor Roy up like a side of beef! Wanna go watch the fireworks?" Rash was grinning like the cat that ate the captain. "Rash, when are you and Roy going to cut out the betting and practical jokes? Especially when you involved two horny female pilots? Yeah, Delaara told me about the pheromones they were giving off, like they hadn't been laid in a year." Jason grinned. "Hell with it. I'm in." He stood up from behind his new desk and headed out into the flight hangar with Rash. Jason and Rash took up a spot behind Rash's fighter. "This should be good. Roy's a beast, but I can see what you mean about those two. I wouldn't trust them alone with a Marine battalion, much less one pilot." Jason's mouth was hanging open in shock and horror. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Delaara kissed Jason's cheek. "Hey, sweetheart. We're just watching to see if Rash's joke on Arrow backfires or not." Jason said by way of explanation. "50 creds says he takes them back to his place," said Delaara. "You're on! I say he does them in his Valkyrie," said Rash with a grin. "No bet, here. As Wing Commander, I have to stay neutral," Jason said with a sage nod. "Besides, I just want to see if this newest temptation is enough to win that bet for you or not." ***** "Well, you're both familiar with the Valkyrie, I take it?" Roy asked the two new pilots. "Of course. We both graduated top of our classes at the Academy in both Mjolnirs and Valkyries," said Mariel. "Gabby here was a year ahead of me, but we were roomies for a while." Mariel had 'FUCK ME' written across her forehead, and Roy was definitely interested. However, he had a bet with Rash that he could give up women for Lent. In fact, both of them looked like they hadn't seen a cock in a year or two, so Roy had figured out what Rash was up to. He was seriously thinking of paying Rash the bet now and having his way with them, in fact. However, his pride was on the line. It really was a tough call. Gabrielle said "Yeah, Mari and I shared everything for the three years we were roomies", she winked. "And she does mean 'everything', flyboy," said Mariel with a lick of her lips. ***** Delaara said "Ok, I think we need to stop this." "No, sweetheart. This is a valid tactic," said Jason. "We have to see if Roy's willpower is up to the challenge, and besides, Rash has 50 creds on the line with Roy for the bet." He grinned and Delaara chuckled softly. "That poor man. Either lose 50 credits and have his way with two lonely women who are, and let's be honest here, hot as hades, or turn them down and win the bet for 50 credits and pride while suffering with a bad case of blue balls? If I was a man, I would take those two over the money." She shrugged. Both Rash and Jason were looking at her with shock on their faces as she smiled at the thought. "Sweetheart, if that's what you want, I'd be more than happy to watch", said Jason with a chuckle. "You know, for scientific purposes." Delaara laughed. "Not quite, hotshot. I'm not into women, but if I was, those two would definitely do it for me." She winked at her husband. They all turned back to watch the action. ***** Roy had decided that his pride and 50 credits weren't worth the chance of missing out on these two. "Ladies, would you like to take this discussion someplace a bit more private?" "How about your place, Roy?" Gabby asked with a look of hunger in her eyes. "I think that can be arranged. Just give me a second to put something on Rash's desk." He smiled at the two, then went to Rash's office and placed 50 credits on the desk. He jogged back to them and said "Ok, we're good to go. Ready, ladies?" ***** As they all walked to the turbolift together, Delaara held out her hand and Rash handed her 50 credits. Love And War Bk. 02 "Pleasure doing business, Rash," she said with a grin. She turned and left as Rash and Jason stood there shaking their heads. "Hey, what do you think he was doing in your office, Rash?" Jason asked. "Not sure, but let's go find out." Rash shrugged. They walked towards the office and went inside. Rash just about died laughing when he saw the stack of credits on his desk. "Well, at least he's a man of Honor," said Jason with a grin. "In this case, it's 'jump honor and stay honor'. I think he saw it as a fair trade." "Yeah, especially since he'll be installing sound systems in their Valkyries next," said Rash, shaking his head and grinning as he picked up the credit chips and pocketed them. "At least I broke even on this one." "Yes, yes you did. I think Arrow came out ahead, though," Jason laughed. ***** At that point in time, Arrow was definitely coming out ahead. As they entered his quarters, They pushed him down on the bed and ripped his flight suit the rest of the way off. Then unzipped theirs and undressed slowly, kicking off their boots and sliding their suits down over their asses and down their legs. Roy was propped up on his elbows watching, and thinking that this was definitely worth losing a 50 credit bet. He smiled widely as they kissed each other passionately. He removed his boxers and laid there naked with his impressive 'torpedo' on display for them. The girls were squeezing each other's breasts when Mari saw his tool. "Oh My God!" Her eyes grew wide as the saucer section and Gabby's eyes did the same when she looked. Upon seeing his shaft, the two newest Skulls descended upon it like a pair of hawks swooping in for the kill. "Oh my God, it's fucking HUGE!" Mariel exclaimed with entusiasm! She engulfed it with her mouth down to the root. Roy moaned as her hot wet mouth descended on his meat. She sucked long and slow, licking along the bottom of his shaft as she went. Gabby, not to be left out, went down and licked his heavy balls as she fingered her friend's pussy. He moaned even more when Gabby took first one, then both of his balls in her mouth and started to hum around them. "Oh fuck, ladies! Keep that up and I'm going to come!" Roy was tensing up, so they stopped and grinned up at him as Gabby stroked him slowly. "Who do you wanna fuck first, flyboy?" Mari asked with a wicked glint in her firey ice blue eyes. "Flip a coin. I can't decide", said Roy with a grin. "Gabby, you go first. And if he comes in you, we'll get him hard again so he can give me a load too!" Mari was moving up his body, kissing his stomach, chest, neck, and finally kissing him passionately as her tongue went halfway down his throat. He felt Gabby raise up and lower herself onto his shaft, taking him into her slowly as Mari kept his mouth otherwise occupied. When Mari finally broke the kiss, she said "Now you're going to eat me, baby" as she straddled his head and lowered herself onto his eager tongue. Gabby was filled to the brim with Roy's hard cock, moving up and down slowly, enjoying the ride as she kissed Mari while he was eating her out. Mari tensed and came, moaning hard into her girlfriend's mouth as Roy licked her clit. He thrust up to meet Gabby as she fucked him, and she succumbed to ecstacy as well, drenching his cock as she screamed into Mari's kiss. Roy felt Gabby's cunt clamp onto him and her muscles started massaging his cock as his balls tightened and he started to swell inside her. He delved his tongue deep into Mari's cunt as he came, blasting off inside Gabby with a muffled shout. "Oh fuck yes!" Gabby shouted as she felt his missile blast go off inside her. "Lick me out, Mari", she demanded of her friend. She dismounted Roy and lay on her back with her legs spread as Mari moved between her thighs. Her tongue entered Gabby and scooped out a huge load. She swallowed and said "Mmmmm, he tastes good, baby" as she kept licking her friend to another thunderous orgasm. Roy was hard again almost immediately as he watched the show, and moved in behind Mari, taking her from behind. She lifted her head enough to say "Fuck yes, baby. Fuck me, Roy! Fuck me like you fucking own me!" So he did. He grabbed her hair and plunged deep into her extremely wet and tight cunt. His rocket went ballistic inside her, and in no time she was coming like a freight train, her screams muffled by Gabby's dripping pussy. He saw Gabby coming again on her friend's tongue, and that sent him into overdrive. He released the hold on Mari's hair and grabbed her hips, slapping her ass while his cock pistoned in and out of her hot fuck hole. "You like that cunt, baby?" Gabby snarled. "Isn't her cunt hot and tight, Roy? You want to give her a load of cum too, don't you, flyboy? Come on and fuck her cunt. Fuck it. Fuck it. Fuck her til she can't fuck anymore!" And that sent him off the rails. He buried himself inside Mari and fired off at least 5 salvos up in her. Mari screamed and came again as he lit her pussy on fire with his hot seed. His shout was loud and his ecstacy nearly unbearable. He collapsed to the side and slipped out of her, breathing heavily. The new pilots also collapsed in a heap, their breathing noticably ragged. "Fuck me, that was the best we've had in a long long time," said Gabby when she finally caught her breath. "You said it, Gabs," said Mari, still breathing heavily. She leaned back and spread her legs, Gabby getting down between them to lick her clean. "Mmmhmmmm!", Gabby said when she tasted him. "You were right, Mari. He tastes really good!" Roy laid there for a good 10 minutes before he could even move. When he did, he looked and the two women were kissing and snuggling with satisfied smiles on their faces. "Best 50 credits I ever lost," he smiled and chuckled. "What's so funny, Roy?" Mari asked with a raised eyebrow. "Rash and I had a bet that I could give up women for Lent. I lost, and you two were the best reason in the world for losing," He smiled at them both. They laughed and smiled at him. "Did you have any second thoughts?" Gabby asked. "Not anymore. I was thinking that I might be able to hold out... and that lasted about 2 minutes." "Well, we aren't done with you by a long shot, flyboy. But we'll let you get back to work on your fighter for now," said Mari with a wink. Roy got up, leaned over and kissed them both passionately, and picked up his flight suit and boots. as he finished dressing, he heard their soft breathing as they fell asleep together. ***** Rash sat as his new desk, which used to be Jason's desk until he got promoted when Roy walked in. "Rash, I can't even be mad at you," Roy said with a grin. "You can use those creds to buy me a beer later." Rash grinned. "Once I saw how they looked at you, I couldn't resist, brother." Roy laughed. "No harm done. Like I told them, that was the best 50 I ever lost. They took that as a compliment, by the way." "So where are they now?" Rash asked. "Probably still asleep, which was how they were when I left." Roy shrugged. "Whoa! You wore them both out?" Rash gawked. "It wasn't easy, man," said Roy with a tired look on his face. "Yeah, I bet! I thought those two would leave you a pile of jelly when they were done!" Rash and Arrow both laughed at that. "Oh, and I lost 50 credits to Delaara earlier. I bet that you'd do them in your fighter, but she was insistent that you'd take them back to your place", Rash smirked. "Ha ha! So you lost one, won one. I think I'm the only one here besides the Old Lady who came out ahead!" And with that, Roy went back to work on his fighter, climbing the boarding ladder. ***** When they got to 11Forward, Rash, Jason, and Delaara were busy drinking their beers at the bar in their usual spot. Gabby and Mari had slept for a couple hours after their vigorous workout with Roy, and were looking around for their Squadron mates and Wing Commander. Delaara saw them come in and waved them over with a smile. The girls saw her, smiled back, and walked their way. Jason saw them as they got to the bar. "Ensign Mariel Evans, sir", Mari said, introducing herself to Jason. "And this is Lieutenant Gabrielle Saint, sir." "Good to meet you both. Welcome to the 155th Interceptors: Skull Squadron. Our motto is 'Gloria ad mortem'. I'm Commander Jason 'Cobalt' MacKenzie, and this is my wife, Lieutenant Commander Delaara." Jason said, introducing them both. "You already know Rash," he grinned. "Old Latin for 'Glory to death', if I'm not mistaken," said Mariel with a smile. Delaara and Jason nodded appreciatively. "Very good, Ensign," said Delaara. "Thank you, ma'am. I took Latin and several alien languages at the Academy, including Klingonese and Romulan." She said that last sentence in Romulan, and Delaara smiled widely. "Thank you, Mariel. It's been a while since I heard my native language." Delaara chuckled. "Jake, give us a couple more beers for the new Skulls. They really need some refreshment after the workout they just had," Jason grinned as the bartender handed the ladies a bottle each. They both had shocked expressions on their faces. "Hey, don't worry about it," said Jason as Delaara and Rash chuckled. "Roy's a friend, and he's also a good man." "I'll say he's a good man," Gabby said with an enthusiastic grin. As if on cue, Roy walked in and made a beeline for the group, smiling. "Hey, Roy!" Mari said, giving him a hug and kiss. Gabby joined in, giving him a tongue lashing of his oral cavity. Jason laughed. "Best bet you ever lost, Arrow?" "You got that right, sir," said Roy with a grin wide enough to land on. "I think we know why he's called Arrow, now," said Gabby to Delaara. "Actually, he's the best shot in the whole Wing", said Jason. "His accuracy is 98.259% with unlocked Phasers." The girls' jaws dropped at that statistic. It was true. Roy was an ace 7 times over. The only people in the Wing with more kills were Rash, Delaara, and Jason. "I missed a shot once because I hit the trigger too early." Roy shrugged. Rachael joined them as she got off shift, spotting them and heading their way. She raised an eyebrow at the two new pilots hanging off of Arrow, and smiled to herself, knowing that Rash had won the bet. She also knew Roy's reputation from several female crewmembers, including her Number One, Marie Reynolds. In fact, it was rumored the the only two women he hadn't slept with were Rachael herself, and Delaara. She walked up and asked them "So, how are you two settling in? Did Lieutenant Harper give you the special tour?" She asked with a wink. Rash came up and said "Captain, can I discuss something of grave importance with you?" "Certainly, Lieutenant. What can I do for you?" She asked, playing along and knowing the game. "Well, I really need a huge favor that involves the ship and morale of the crew, ma'am." He said, still with a straight face. He had both girls' attention now. "Of course, Lieutenant. Anything I can do, of course!" She loved this game and the shocked looks it got from new crewmembers. "Well, Captain... You see... I really REALLY need you to kiss me," he said. Without another word, Rachael pulled him to her and kissed him passionately, sucking his tongue into her mouth. At the startled gasps, they broke the kiss and turned towards them with huge grins. "Ladies, allow me to introduce my husband, Lieutenant Ryan Rasher," she said with a smile. Then, as if remembering something, said "Lieutenant, this just came through from Starfleet Command Headquarters. As of today, you are officially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Congratulations, Commander," she said, popping the hollow pip into place on his collar. "Thanks, baby!" He kissed her deeply, holding her close. "Congrats, Rash!" Jason clapped him on the back after they broke the kiss. "Good job, little brother!" Delaara grinned. "In accordance with Starfleet Fighter Command, Wing Command Squadrons are staffed with Lieutenant Commanders for Flight leaders instead of Lieutenants. Since Jason is the youngest full Commander in Starfleet history, we're breaking new ground in Fighter Command every day." After congratulations all around for Rash, Mari said "Commander, Rash hinted earlier that there was a story behind you and Commander Delaara meeting and falling in love?" "As a matter of fact, there is", Jason said. "About a year ago, Rash and I were flying a long range recon to investigate possible Romulan activity along the Neutral Zone in the NZ8 System, and spotted a flight of 4 Falcon class heavy fighters over NZ8-257. They were an advanced scouting party looking to possibly use the ionosphere of the planet itself to hide a base for launching attacks on the Federation. We engaged and destroyed the Flight, then Commander Delaara, at that time the Commanding Officer of Gladius Wing, Romulan Imperial Fighter Command, and her wingman showed up and we engaged them. Delaara and I ended up shooting each other down, I saved her from drowning, and we fell in love. We also stopped some Orion pirates from establishing a base there. When we were rescued-" "Butt ass naked", interjected Rash with a grin. "Delaara defected, and here we are today." Jason finished the story as if Rash hadn't even spoken. "Baby, you even make the short version good", said Delaara with a kiss. She then reached over without looking and smacked Rash upside the head. "Hey, it's true! Commander Riker told me!" Rash said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Should we bring up the callsign that Big Lou gave you, Ryan?" Delaara asked with a perfectly raised eyebrow. Rash shut up. "Damn, honey! You're getting as good at that as Nog!" Jason smiled and kissed her tenderly. Gabrielle finally wrapped her head around what had happened and said "You two are so romantic!" She was grinning from ear to ear. Rachael chimed in "I don't know if Rash told you about Arrow's reputation, but the fact that he isn't ditching you two right now is a testament to how he feels about the both of you," she winked, and Roy blushed. "Captain, I swear I'm turning over a new leaf!" Roy said desperately. "Roy, you would need to turn over a new tree", said Rachael as everyone laughed. "Don't get me wrong. Roy is a good man and a great pilot. He just doesn't usually like to be tied down for more than one date," she winked. "Is that so?" Mariel asked with a raised eyebrow. "It was," Roy said with a shrug. "I admit everything, but I also stand by my previous statement. While I'm still a bit commitment phobic, I believe I've seen the error of my ways." He smiled sincerely. "I believe him," said Delaara. She knew his reputation, but also heard the sincerity in his voice. Her hearing could detect lies, especially with Praetorian training. "So do I." Jason threw his support in. "But, and I say this to EVERYONE who enters into a relationship in my Wing, if anyone gets hurt emotionally, either request a transfer, or work through the difficulties. ALL emotional baggage gets left on the deck when we fly. Clear?" "Yes, sir!" Mariel, Gabrielle, and Arrow all said in unison. "Good, now let's drink! Beers are on Rash, since he can afford them now!" Jason raised his beer to toast his buddy. Alex and Jenny heard that as they walked in, and nearly ran over to congratulate their friend and fomer flight leader. "Razor and Gem. Go ahead and grab a beer. Rash is paying," said Jason. "These two new pilots are Seraph and Cherub, the newest members of Bravo Flight." With introductions made, and Charlie flight inbound, the serious drinking could begin. Alex said "Welcome to the hardest hitting, high speed, low drag Squadron in the entire Federation!" The girls giggled and kissed Roy each in turn. Alex and Jenny both laughed. Jenny was another one who had slipped out of becoming another Roy Harper conquest. Mostly due to Ape when he was here and had threatened to remove Roy's cranium and use his esophagus for a toilet. Rachael also promoted Bounce to Lieutenant Commander, and used the same line on him that she had on Jason when they were on DS9. He'd looked over his uniform before he realized she'd said Lieutenant COMMANDER. Another good ice breaker for the newbies. "Congrats to Lieutenant Commander Anthony 'Bounce' Mitchell", she said in closing. Rash, now off the hook for the beers, paid his tab and drank some from Bounce's new tab. For their part, Mariel and Gabrielle were loving life so far aboard the USS Nimitz. Their first day, they'd scored the best piece of meat they'd ever seen, and gotten free drinks in the ship's bar. Their Squadron was cool. Their Wing Commander and XO were cool. Their Captain was very cool, and so was their Flight leader. Alex was also cool, and completely devoted to Jenny, which Mari and Gabby also found to be really romantic. ***** Late that night, as they lay in bed together, Jason awoke with a start, startling Delaara awake. "Mmm, what is it, baby? Are you ok?" She asked, as he was sitting bolt upright with a look of surprise on his face. "Everything is great, sweetheart! I just remembered something, and I have to contact Enterprise immediately." Jason knew. He just knew it would work. It had to work. He dressed quickly and ran for the Bridge. As soon as he entered, he said "Marie, wake Rachael and Rash. Get Enterprise on the horn, and have them wake Captain Picard and Admiral Nelson if they're asleep!" She looked at him as if he'd just fallen off another planet. "Trust me on this, Marie. We can win this war without firing another shot if I'm right!" "USS Nimitz to USS Enterprise", said Lieutenant Chambers into the comm. A very awake Commander Data appeared on screen. "Enterprise, Commander Data here. How may I help you, Commander MacKenzie?" "Hey, Data. Wake Captain Picard and Admiral Nelson please. This is very important!" He was nearly jumping out of his skin. Data appeared both surprised and cognizant of the urgency of the request. Delaara came onto the bridge, wide awake in spite of having just woken up. "Very well, Commander. One moment, please." Data cut audio for a moment and commed Captain Picard and Admiral Nelson to report to the Bridge. Rachael and Rash entered the Bridge. "What the bloody hell are you doing up at this hour, Jason?" She asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Rash, already having had his double espresso, was wide awake and ready to go. "Captain, I have a good feeling about this. This war is as good as won, if they go for it!" He grinned. "What is it, Jason?" Captain Picard said with a yawn. "Data said it was urgent." "Yes it is, sir. Is Admiral Nelson coming? He needs to hear this, and it can't wait until morning." Jason was hyped. He knew his plan was risky, but it could work if he had the Orions figured out like he thought he did. "He's on his way, Commander. What's this all about?" Asked Picard. "If I'm right, sir, we can win this war by tomorrow afternoon, or at least get the Orions out of it." Jason said with a grin. At that, Picard woke up and took notice. Admiral Nelson entered the Bridge on Enterprise, and said "Give me one good reason not to bust you down to crewman and give you a posting on a garbage scow, Commander." "Yes, sir. I can do that, sir. First off, you have negotiating authority here, right sir?" Jason asked, making sure of his plan. "Of course, son. Why?" Nelson asked. "Good. Now, contact the Orion Mercenaries' Guild and find out how much the Ferengi are paying them. Whatever the amount is, double it to get them to back off. If they try to argue, point out all the ships they've lost so far compared to how much they're getting paid. It would be in their best interests to accept that offer, since by my estimates, they've lost far more in ships, personnel, and equipment than they've made so far fighting us." Love And War Bk. 03 Foreword: Welcome to Book 3 of Love And War. Jason and Delaara face a few more adventures in this one, and so do their squadron mates! Sex is a bit more prevalent in this story than in the previous books, but I don't think it detracts from the overall plot. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :) I.D. ------------------------------------------------- The Land of the Risian Sun Captain Rachael Thatcher had been on birth control tablets for years, since she'd never wanted to have children until she was retired, if even then. She had nearly a year and a half left on this tour. The complication was that now she was pregnant. She looked at her tiny baby bump under her uniform in the mirror and smiled. No matter what happened, and why the birth control had failed, it was a blessing for her. Her husband, Lt. Commander Ryan 'Rash' Rasher put his arms around her from behind. "I love you, bunny," he said with a smile. "You're the most beautiful mom-to-be in Starfleet." She turned and kissed him lovingly. "Thank you, darling. At least the morning sickness is pretty much gone." "That's great, honey! Hey, I just had a thought. Do you think Q had anything to do with your birth control failing?" Rash had his theory. "It's possible. Maybe trying to make up for making 4 years of our lives mean absolutely nothing?" She shrugged. "Well, if he IS responsible, I think we should thank the bloody wanker." Captain Rachael Thatcher was born in Suffolk County, England, and raised in the Upper East Side of London. She had attended Oxford before going to Starfleet Academy. Her tours of duty on various starships had seen her receive commendation after commendation. She'd been promoted fairly rapidly, but not nearly as fast as most of the senior Starfighter Pilots on her carrier, the USS Nimitz. The Quasar Class Carrier was based on the Nebula Class design, with the weapons pod on top of the saucer section replaced by a large three squadron flight hangar deck. Two squadrons launched from the forward hangar, while one squadron launched from the aft hangar. Her pilots had many names for it. The hangar deck, The flight deck, or sometimes just The deck. "Honestly, honey, I think we might have been a little harsh on him. He did make sure that we could all stay together with none of us dying." He shrugged and smiled. "You were the one who beat the tar out of him, sweety." Rachael was grinning at the memory of her husband beating the hell out of one of the most powerful beings in existence. "True, and it did feel good at the time," he agreed with an impish smile. He had enjoyed it quite a bit. He was pissed off. At Q for kidnapping them. At Q for stealing 4 years of their lives that would now have to be replaced. At Q for coming into their Quarters in the middle of the night when they'd only been asleep for a few hours, and he had to use his standard double espresso medium hot to wake up enough to beat the hell out of the all-powerful turd. "Yeah, on second thought, I don't regret a thing," he shrugged and grinned. "Especially not getting you pregnant, my Captain," he nuzzled her neck. "Ok, hubby o' mine. We're going to be late for shift." She giggled like a school girl when she thought of him, more than 20 years her junior, loving her more than his own life. The truth was that she felt exactly the same about him, and blessed the day she'd promoted him from Ensign to J.G. and he'd used that horrible, yet somehow charming pickup line on her in 11Forward. "Yes, dear," he said with a wink and a grin. "Make sure you eat enough for the baby, honey!" He called as he went out the door. ***** Jason and Delaara stood across the mat from each other, padded short staves in their hands. She was instructing him in the use of Ra'Tra'Ora fighting staves. The short staves were only 60 centimeters long, but when used properly, could disable or even kill an opponent very quickly. She was a 27th degree shonn in the art, but he was a quick learner. Their sparring sessions were exhilarating for both of them. Jason, for his part, had studied Escrima stick fighting while in High School and Starfleet Academy. The Phillipino martial art wasn't very different than Ra'Tra'Ora. He had surprised her in their first bout when he had actually beaten her handily. "You've studied Ra'Tra'Ora before!" She had accused him. "Not a day of it, sweetheart," he'd said in return. She knew he was telling the truth, but she also knew he was holding something back. "Well, if I win the next round, you will tell me what you did study that was similar, deal?" She'd said it sweetly with a smile. "Deal, honey," he'd said. It had taken her two more matches to win one against his Escrima style. As she had him pinned to the mat with her staves crossed over his throat, he'd finally relented. "Ok, ok. It's called Escrima, and it's a Phillipino martial art from Earth." He'd smiled and shrugged. She had studied what she could from the Nimitz's database, and had discovered that nearly every Ra'Tra'Ora move had its counterpart in Escrima. There were a few differences. The length and width of the staves was slightly different, and there were a few moves in one art that weren't in the other, and vice versa. Other than that, they were identical martial disciplines. "Ok, hotshot. One more before shift?" She asked, grinning and breathing heavily. They had a small audience watching their bouts. "Sounds good to me, sweetheart," he grinned back, breathing a bit heavy himself. He'd beaten her 1 out of 2 so far, and she always wanted 2 out of 3. They took their places. "Ra shar!" She said, starting the bout. Their sticks moved like lightning, too fast for the untrained eye to follow. Soft clacks of the padded staves hitting each other sounded through the ship's dojo. Alex, Jenny, Roy, Mariel, and Gabrielle were all watching them intently as they duelled. Jason was getting winded, in spite of his excellent physical shape and wiry muscles. His breathing became even heavier as they duelled back and forth across the mat. Delaara wasn't faring any better. She was coated in a sheen of perspiration, her skin glistening in the long form fitting shorts that came to just above her knee and the tank style halter top she wore. Her bare midriff looked as if it belonged to a warrior goddess. Her breathing had gotten very heavy in this match, as they closed any openings that appeared in their defenses as soon as they appeared. Their staves flashed even faster, then he dropped below her swing at his head and swiped both staves through her legs. She jumped to avoid them, and he used his momentum to catch her in the ribs, knocking the wind out of her. However, she didn't fall, so the match was still live. She moved inside his defense and shoved both staves into his chest, knocking him backwards onto his ass. "Ra shos," she said, bowing to him as he rose. He bowed back in respect. They had taken to doing this every day for a month now, ever since he'd asked her about Romulan martial arts. She moved forward and kissed him hungrily, her arms going around his neck. He kissed her passionately back, loving the taste of her lips and tongue. Finally breaking the kiss, she said "Your skill is improving. If I had been Human, you would have beaten me easily. In fact, you would beat most Romulans easily, baby." She grinned. "How long have you trained in Ra'Tra'Ora, sweetheart?" He had to know. "Since before you were born, sweetness," she winked at him. He had to chuckle at that. When they'd first met, she'd been nearly three times his age, since Romulans, like their Vulcan cousins, aged much slower than Humans. However, it didn't stop them from first finding comfort in each other's arms, then falling deeply and truly in love with each other. "Qu vos," he said, bowing to her. The Escrima/Ra'Tra'Ora had brought them even closer. They already respected each other as people, warriors, and lovers. Now their respect had bloomed into completeness with this primal cultural exchange. She nodded approvingly of his pronunciation. "You're learning Romulan fast, my love," she said with a smile of respect. He turned to their audience. "And that is how you keep your lady happy, gentlemen. You let her win." He smiled, grimaced, and held his ribs as he walked off the mat to shower and dress. "Yes, gentlemen. You do need to lose to your lady every once in a while. But not every day," she winked. They all chuckled at that. "Now, hit the showers. We have Simulator today!" ***** Jason and Delaara walked into his office. "I know, sweetheart," he said. "Alex and Jenny are perfect for teaching a class or two. They're both quick learners." He chuckled. "So, what do you think?" She asked, nervously. "I think it's a great idea. He knows what he's learned from Worf and at the Klingon Academy when it comes to Klingon martial arts. I think a Human/Klingon/Romulan Mix would be an awesome fighting style. Maybe throw some Vulcan jiu jitsu style in there for submission moves." Jenny had shown that she was very adept at Karate. Alex was a master at K'vekor, and Delaara had shown him a few moves of Rarasho'nokir, an unarmed combat style that significantly resembled Krav Maga. "Good! We can talk to Rachael about it after shift!" She grinned. "Honey, this is one of our best achievements yet!" "I agree, sweetheart." He smiled. She continued to take his breath away at least once per day, and not just in the martial arts ring. He was once again struck by her beauty in many little things she did. Moving a stray hair back over her ear. Her perfectly upward swept eyebrows. The gentle curve of her ears before culminating in sharp points at the top. A slight touch here and there. The way she smiled when she was happy. Her beautiful amber brown eyes. She caught him staring at her with a smile on his face. "Do I still take your breath away, baby?" "Every time I see you, my beautiful wife", he said with conviction. She loved him more than she could express. The way he moved like a great cat. Silently, but with an air of slight menace in his movements. It was too subtle for most people to even notice, but she had been trained as a Praetorian Guard, and knew what to look for. His even temperament and his sense of humor. He rarely lost his composure, and saw the bright side in most everything. She loved that he actually could challenge her in the ring, and she had only won that morning because she had gone all out against him to win. He had trained himself to the peak of Human perfection physically. He could go toe to toe with a Klingon warrior and win, as she had seen him do a few months earlier on Deep Space Nine. They found peace enjoyable. No wars threatening them for the moment. For over a full year, they had been nearly constantly at war. First their own governments, the Federation and Empire, and then the Ferengi and Orions. So far, the peace had held for over a year with the Romulans, and she was even allowed to return home for certain occasions. Her visits were restricted to certain holidays, but at least Jason was allowed to visit with her. He'd been welcomed into her family with open arms, for the most part. Her father had started off very brusque with him, but after almost two years of marriage, he'd finally softened significantly to Jason. Stovrin was a good man, and his son Stovral had been a good man. Jason still regretted his death, but knew that he couldn't undo it. Everyone had forgiven him. He had even forgiven himself. He just wouldn't allow himself to forget. But, as is the saying, 'to secure peace is to prepare for war'. That's what the simulator is for. As the Skulls showed up, Jason addressed them. "Ok, boys and girls, today we are going to all be running the same simulation for each flight. Scores will determine our readiness against.... Klingons. Yes, they're allies, but they've also been enemies in the past. Most notably in recent history, the Cardassian Conflict. Our goal here is to make it so that we are prepared to face any enemy. By the way, Alex did the honors of programming the simulator today." He grinned and nodded to his teammate, who smiled evilly back. There were several groans from the Squadron. A few were not too keen on Alex's programs, since they usually ended with entire flights in EV. The kid had talent for creating barely beatable scenarios where precision was the key to victory. "Charlie Flight. You're up first." Alpha and Bravo moved into the monitor room as Charlie entered the Simulator. Charlie flight did well against Alex's program. They only lost three flight members to the eight Elite K-Raptors that Alex had programmed with variable adaptive AI so that each simulation learned from the previous defeats and learned from them. As they exited the simulator, flight suits stained with sweat, Jason and Delaara debriefed them. Bounce looked like death warmed over, as he'd been the third to die, but had accounted for two of the eight kills. "You did well, guys", said Jason. "There are a few areas to improve on, but all in all that was an impressive first run against an unknown simulation." Bounce perked up at that. Having known Jason since their Academy days, he knew that his Wing Commander and Skull Leader didn't hand out praise lightly. If you got his praise, you damn sure earned it. Bounce got his flight together and went into his office to review the footage for themselves. "Ok, Rash. Show us how it's done." Jason grinned at his best friend. "Oh, we'll show you how it's done! Come on, Arrow and the Angels!" Rash punched Jason in the arm as they jogged to the simulator. They got in the Simulator and started the fight. Rash kept his flight together to concentrate firepower for the first four kills, and didn't lose anyone. The last four were the bitch, though. They lost Arrow and Cherub, but Seraph and Rash were able to take the last 3 K-Raptors down. "Excellent job, guys," said Jason. "That was great thinking at first, Rash. Keeping your flight together for concentrating firepower. Works well at long range and against capital ships, but kind of sucks when you're fighting at relatively close quarters. When you finally split off for one vs one was when you shined. Seraph, great job with 3 kills! Rash, you had mostly combined kills, but managed to score 1 solo." Rash shrugged and grinned. "Better than nothin'." "Cherub, not bad but no solos. Your damage output was good, but Arrow got 2 solos. Whoever lost that bet, I hope you're ready to pay it." Gabby was chuckling softly. "Trust me, Boss, I don't mind paying off our bets," she winked at everyone, grabbed her two lovers and led them out and back to their Quarters. Mari and Gabby had moved in with Roy, and they were all very happy together. "Ok, Alpha. That just leaves us. Let's go to work. Razor, I'm probably going to forward this program to the other Squadron Leaders. It's a good one!" Alex smiled and said "Thanks, sir. Jenny helped me write it." Jason nodded at Jenny approvingly. "Good job, Gem. There might be an instructor slot or two for you guys later on." They entered and ran the simulation. Jason split them into two man flights apiece and they wiped out the first five with precision and liberal use of missiles. With three left, things got interesting in a hurry. Jason had Gem with him as they fired repeatedly at their target but missed each time. This was of course the last run, and the simulator hadn't been reset since the first run. The enemy AI had learned a lot during the past few hours. Finally Jason and Jenny were able to catch it in a crossfire, and the K-Raptor fireballed. "Cobalt, Razor is EV", came Demoness over the comm. "Roger that, Demoness. We have two left. Let's do this. Form up on my other wing, Two. "Forming up now, Cobalt. We have two bandits coming around for another pass, and I'm out of missiles." "Roger. Three pronged crossfire formation. Spread out to double and we'll take the port side bandit first." Jason said. They spread out to double normal formation spacing, and vaped the port side bandit in a perfect crossfire. The last fighter banked hard to starboard, and Jason went after it. It kept juking and jinking and he had to sweep fire in order to hit it. Delaara opened up on it and they managed to score a few hits from each burst, but not very many. Gem had swung out wide and hit her warp burner to gain some ground on the fleeing Raptor. She turned towards it and led it while firing, depleting its shields fairly rapidly. Jason fired and his burst blew its engine as Demoness finished it off with her own burst. "Razor, that was intense!" Jason said as they exited the simulator. They were all covered in sweat down to their socks. None of them had any solo kills, but they had stuck together and worked as a team more than the other flights had. "Thanks, Jason. It's a survival test more than a kill contest." Alex explained. Jason nodded. "I thought so, judging by how the other flights did first. You realize that facing that many enemies at a time where everyone of them could go one vs one with us would be very slim, right?" Alex grinned. "Yes, sir. I just figured it would make a great team survival test. It's best to be prepared." "Very true, Alex. Ok, guys. Beers are on me! I'll forward this sim to Stiletto and Scorpion Squads in the morning. ***** Alpha went and showered and changed. They met in 11Forward and Delaara and Jason started drinking with Rash. Rachael was drinking club soda, but still having a great time. Delaara asked her permission to put together a mixed martial arts class made up of Human, Romulan, and Klingon martial disciplines, and she was all for it. Jason briefed her on the Skulls' performance, and she was impressed. "You mean he snuck a team survival test in with our kill counters?" Rash looked hurt. "Hey, it's necessary, brother," Jason said. "I know the chances are slim that we would ever face such odds with that many skilled pilots on the enemy side, but it could happen. In those situations it's always better to work as a team." "You boys and your toys," said Rachael with a smile. "Which is why I joined Starfleet in the first place, Rachael," Jason said with a grin. "Where else would I get to fly around the galaxy, meet new and interesting people, and then kill them?" "Honey, that's the RIF Recruiting poster." Delaara winked and smiled. Rash just about fell off his barstool, and Marie walked in with Bounce on her arm. Marie Reynolds wasn't a sexpot or supermodel type. She was your average girl next door with a command rank and a spine of pure tritanium. At the age of 34, she wasn't old by any stretch. Her dark blonde hair and blue eyes made her good looking, but her smile would light up a dead sun. That was what made guys want her. That, and she had a dirty mind that would make a Marine blush, and had on several occasions. While on duty, she was always professional. But when she let her hair down, you had better watch out! There were even rumors of her in bed having a mouth that would burn through your eardrums with the string of profanities that ran out of it. "Wow, Marie! We don't see you in here very often," said Rash with a smile. "Well, Tony asked me out, so I decided that I wouldn't mind joining you flyboys and girls for a drink or twenty," she smiled. "We don't get to see this side of you very often, Marie," said Delaara with a smile and hug for her friend. When Jason had proposed the idea that ended the Ferengi-Orion War, Marie had grabbed the nearest guy and stuck her tongue down his throat in celebration. Nearly unfortunately fatal for her, she had grabbed Jason and done it in front of Delaara. She hadn't even realized who she'd been kissing until afterward when Rachael explained how close she'd come to getting decapitated by a jealous Romulan. She'd gone and apologized to both of them, and it had been forgiven and forgotten. Love And War Bk. 03 "Most of the time, I'm so focused on work that I rarely have time to have fun, anymore. Since we're not at war right now, I figured 'why not'." She grinned and Bounce asked her to dance. "Sure, cutie!" She grinned and let him lead her to the dance floor. "Is Bounce even worthy of her?" Rachael asked. "Bounce is Bounce. He's a good guy who rarely gets any action, so I think he's about due," Jason said. "There are worse women he could hook up with, to be honest." "Like who?" Delaara asked. "Like Tanya Duran the Security Chief," he replied. Delaara shivered. "Oh, her. Yeah, I can agree with that!" Tanya Duran was NOT ugly. In fact, she was the exact opposite of ugly. Unfortunately, she was such a tomboy to the point of being 'butch', that she was often mistaken for a lesbian by unknowing guys. She talked like a man. She walked like a man. She even fought like a man. She was well muscled without looking like a body builder. At one point shortly after he'd been assigned to Nimitz as a J.G., he'd found her attractive. That didn't last long, once he had a conversation with her. Physically, she was as close to perfect as you could get. Personality-wise, she wasn't. Delaara wasn't a girly girl, but Tanya freaked her out. "Or Mae Siln over in Medical." Jason was referring to Doc Tavolk's assisting physician. Dr. Siln wasn't ugly either, but she had a quiet strangeness to her that men found very unsettling. Rachael said she was just shy, but Delaara, Rash, and Jason felt like something might be seriously wrong with her. "Yeah, I could definitely see that ending badly for Bounce, or any man for that matter." Delaara nodded her agreement. "So compared to them, Marie is pretty normal, and not too bad looking. She's got nothing on you, though," he said to Delaara and kissed her lovingly. "Mmmm, even when I think I could possibly get mad at you for something, I just can't." She smiled and kissed him back. "That's because we're made for each other, sweetheart. I can't get mad at you, either. Even when you beat my ass in Ra'Tra'Ora." Jason shrugged. "I just respect your skill." "In fact," he leaned in close to her ear. "I need to make love to you tonight, my heart," he said in perfect Romulan. Delaara's eyes grew wide and she looked at him in shock. He smiled and she kissed him passionately in front of the whole bar. Her tongue invaded his mouth and fought his tongue for supremacy. She was wet, hot, and in need. She'd missed hearing words of love in Romulan, and now her husband had learned some just for her. "I want you to make love to my tonight, my husband," she said back in her native tongue. "Then I will, my dearest one," he replied, also in Romulan. "Baby, when did you learn Romulan?" She asked in English. "I've been teaching myself for the last six months. I wanted to surprise you." He smiled. "You never cease to amaze me, Jason." She pulled his face to hers and kissed him again, even more passionately than before. Marie turned and looked at Jason and Delaara while dancing a slow dance with Bounce. Her eyes went wide at what she saw, and the pure heat of it made her hornier than she already was. She looked up at Bounce and said "Hey, stud." "Yes, ma'am?" Asked Bounce, already anticipating what was coming. "Take me to bed or lose me forever." She gave him a smoldering gaze that said she was going to rock his world. He leaned forward and whispered to her "Let's get out of here, Marie." "Works for me, Tony dear." She whispered back, and he led her out of the bar. Rash and Rachael watched the First Officer leave with Bounce. "Looks like Bounce is going to get bounced a bit", said Rachael. "Mmmhmm. Speaking of which, my lovely wife...." Rash left it hanging. "Oh fuck yes, baby. I'm so fuckin' horny, love," she grabbed Rash and left with him. Her hormones had kicked in and she was horny all the time now. Jason pulled Delaara out on the dance floor when 'War of the Thrones' started playing. It was one of the most beautiful waltz songs he could think of. They noticed Alex and Jenny also dancing to it. For such a big guy, Alex was surprisingly light on his feet. Jenny was also an expert dancer, having grown up with her mother after he father had died. Her mom was a dancer, and she was planning to introduce Alex to her the next time they went to Earth. The song ended, and it was time. Delaara had brushed her hand across his crotch several times during the dance when he'd twirled her, and had felt how hard he was under the flight suit. She whispered to him in Romulan as they walked off the dance floor "Tonight, my love, you are mine." He whispered back "I am yours forever, my darling star," also in Romulan. He had to admit that her native language was nearly as beautiful as she was. They left the bar and walked hand in hand to the turbolift, and then to their quarters. When they entered, Jason kissed her hand and said "My love, you have always been my moon and stars. My light in the darkness. I have found my way because of you, and will always find my way back to you." "Those... those are wedding vows!" She exclaimed, and he smiled. "I know, Delaara. I wish I'd known them when we got married." He got down on one knee before her. "Delaara, I have been yours for as long as there have been waves upon the ocean, and I will be yours for as long as there are stars in the night sky. Will you do me the honor of being my one in all things? Will you do me the honor of making my world and life complete? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" She nearly died as he recited the 'Pledge and Request' perfectly. "Dear God, baby," she said in English. "Your pronunciation and syntax are perfect!" "Happy Birthday, my love," he said in Romulan. "Your heart is mine, and mine is yours," she said, in answer to the 'Request', agreeing to be his wife. He kissed her lovingly as he unzipped her flight suit slowly. She kicked off her boots as he slid the suit over her shoulders and down her arms. He leaned forward and kissed her neck and ears, drawing gasps and moans from her with each touch of his lips. As she stepped naked from her flight suit, she unzipped his as he took her left nipple between his lips, sucking and biting gently. She moaned louder, and said in Romulan "I need you, Jassonn. I need you on me and in me. I need to feel your seed in my womb. I need your child, my love." He heard her and responded. When he was as naked as she, he laid her down on the bed and kissed her lips tenderly, lovingly, as their mind meld drew them together as no others could be during lovemaking. She felt him and he felt her. His lips moved over hers, kissing lightly and lovingly. He entered her slowly, deliberately, letting her feel every sensation he could give to her in excruciating pleasure. Their minds merged. Their thoughts became one, yet still individual. Their emotions became the thoughts and thoughts became emotions. He moved inside her, slowly, lovingly, feeling her clasp around him as she came in a wave of pleasure. She came slowly, letting it wash over her as she washed over him with her juices. She moaned in desire and love for him, her husband. He moaned in desire for her, his wife. They reached the climax together, his seed shooting into her womb, his love claiming hers in a silent crescendo of pure bliss and joy. She kissed him as she lay against his chest in the wake of what they had just done. She kissed him under his chin, and on his lips. "I've never had anyone make love to me like that, Jassonn." She used the Romulan pronunciation of his name. "You're the only woman I've ever made love to like that, Delaara. And you are the only woman I will ever make love to again." She finally cried her tears of joy. "My eyes are bright. My heart is light. My joy is in my sight. You are my loving fire in the night," she said. "Romulan is such a beautiful language, Delaara. It would have to be to come from your lips." Jason kissed her then, loving her taste and the feel of her pressed against him. Their sleep that night was deep, filled with dreams of love that they shared together. Their mind meld had crossed the barrier of waking consciousness into the dreams they had that night. They made love in their dreams as they slept. ***** Alex and Jenny watched Delaara and Jason leave the bar, then he said "I need you, Jennifer." He growled low in his throat, which turned her on to no end when she heard him do it. "Ohmygod I need you, Alex. I need to feel the beast again, like last time!" She whispered urgently in his ear. She took his hand as the song ended and they nearly ran out of the bar and back to her quarters, making out in the turbolift all the way up. As the doors rushed open, they walked quickly to her door, opening it and moving inside. He knew that she needed him as much as he needed her. They tore each other's clothes off completely and he picked her up under her ass cheeks. She wrapped her legs around him and his hard engorged cock found her pussy like a heatseeker. He lifted her and dropped her onto his hardness over and over and over. "Oh fuck yes, baby! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" She screamed as she came all over him, clamping down on him and soaking his balls with her juices. He didn't let up, but kept thrusting up into her as she continued to come hard and fast. He growled and snarled as he fucked her deep and long. She bit his shoulder as she came again, screaming into him as he fucked her mercilessly. "OH FUCKING GOD YES BABY!!!" Her cum soaked them both as she squirted all over his stomach. She threw her head back and moaned loud and long as she finally subsided with his cock buried all the way inside her to her cervix. "Ohmygod, Alex. Ohmyfuckinggod... Fuck me harder, baby. Fuck me like you fucking own me!" He knelt on the bed with his cock still firmly planted inside her, and started fucking her even harder. He growled loudly as he took her. He snarled and kissed her hard and passionately as she came again around him. The muscles in her cunt massaged him and he couldn't hold out any longer. "OHFUCKBABY!!!!!" She screamed as she felt him shoot his cum inside her hungry cunt and came around him again. "OH GOD JENNY!!!" He yelled as he came. He fired at least 4 salvos of his cum deep into her. He nearly collapsed on top of her, but shifted his weight at the last second to roll off of her. She rolled on top of him, her leg going across his waist as his cum slowly dripped out of her. "Oh fuck, Alex. Oh my God, my pussy is sore now," she giggled. "Jenny, no matter how you want me, I'm yours. Hard and fast or slow and easy. I am yours." He said, half delirious from their rampant fuck. "Good, my Warrior," she said. "Because I am yours, and I won't have any other man. I love you." She sighed contentedly. When they'd started dating, she never knew any man would make her feel this way. Alex was feeling the same for her. He knew that he'd found his perfect mate. She was the most wonderful woman in the galaxy, and she was his, as much as he was hers. She fell asleep on his chest, breathing deeply as he stroked her hair. He knew. "I love you too, Jennifer," he said. He knew he was hopelessly in love with her, and he smiled as he drifted off with this angel in his arms. ***** "We have a pirate problem, and they're getting bolder," said Captain Rachael Thatcher to her assembled staff. "I just got word from Starfleet that the Orions have just hit Risa. It was a hit-and-run raid, but they robbed several banks there in a well coordinated attack. We're already enroute." "Orions in Risa? Something doesn't feel right here," said the CAG. Commander Jerov was the flight control coordinator and, on paper at least, overrode even Jason or Rachael on matters of starfighter command and control. "CAG's right, Captain," said Delaara. "This isn't the Orions' style. Risa is too high risk, and they have to know Starfleet will respond in force." "I agree with your assessments, guys," said Rachael with a sigh. "But our job is to blockade Risa, and if they come back, to intercept and eliminate them." "Striker Wing is ready, Rachael," said Jason. "But here's the good news," Rachael was smiling. "When the Orion threat is declared neutralized, we'll all be getting shore leave on guess where?" A cheer went up from most of the assembled staff. Even Doc Tavolk looked interested. Delaara, through her mother and grandmother's sources, had finally dug up the skinny on their semi-emotional Vulcan buddy, and had found that he had never completed his Kolinahr, the Vulcan Ritual of Cleansing that purged all emotions. He had control of his emotions, but not to the point that he acted like a complete robot. When she'd told Jason, he said "Hey, that's cool by me. We already know he has a sense of humor." Rumor also had it that he'd been seen drinking in 11Forward with Tanya Duran, and she had not only been smiling more, but was acting less and less like a man. When Jason heard that, he shuddered and mumbled "Better him than me." But then again, if he got her acting like a real woman, then more power to him. Rash shrugged. "Well, at least it won't be a total loss if they don't come back." He thought of Risa and how much he wanted to take Rachael there for a nice relaxing vacation. They'd never had a real honeymoon, and the stress of being pregnant while commanding a Starship, especially a Starship as combat focused as the Nimitz, was wearing on her more than a little. Rash had an idea. His ideas were usually a mixed bag , but this one was sure to work. After the briefing, he found Doc Tavolk and said "Hey, Doc. I need to talk to you for a moment, if possible." Doc inclined his head. "Go ahead, Ryan. What can I do for you?" "It's about Rachael, Doc. She's been getting stress headaches lately. I think it's a combination of being pregnant while being in command of the Nimitz." Ryan was worried, and Doc picked up on that. Ryan knew that a vacation would do her a world of good, so he told Doc how he'd prescribe it. "Doc, this mission is tailor made for her to finally have a nice relaxing vacation without having to worry about stuff for a while. Marie is a great First Officer, and she's been in command before taking assignment here." Doc's mouth twitched in a nearly imperceptible smile. "How long did you want to spend with her, Ryan?" "Well, if the Orions don't show back up within a week after we arrive, then chances are they won't show back up." Which was usual Starfleet protocol, and Ryan knew it. "After that week, I recommend a full week of shore leave under Doctor's Orders for the Captain with her husband." Doc actually liked Ryan. He loved his wife, and he was willing to go over her head to make her happy. "I'll do it," Doc said. "Cool, Doc! Thanks, brother. Hey, can you not mention my name to her when prescribing the shore leave? Well, just don't tell her it was my idea?" Ryan asked. "I will be discrete, Ryan. Don't worry about it." Doc was almost openly smiling now, and clapped his hand on Ryan's shoulder with a reassuring nod. "Thanks again, Doc. If you need a favor, let me know!" Ryan turned and nearly ran to catch up with his Squad mates. Doc, alone in the corridor, looked down and allowed himself a genuine smile and low chuckle. Then, composing himself as if nothing had happened, started walking towards the Security Office. ***** Lt. Commander Tanya Duran walked into her Security Office and looked over the new reports on her desk. She checked the status of a minor scuffle between two crewmen in Engineering, and found that it had been resolved with beer in 11Forward. Then she smiled. Life aboard Nimitz was easy for her, since the mavericks on this ship, who she was now considered one, looked out for each other much more than on a by-the-book Federation vessel. By-the-book ships tended to have much more crime, making a Security Chief's job that much harder. She'd realized the method to Rachael's madness shortly after being assigned here. She'd grown up the youngest in a family that included 4 brothers, so she'd grown up tough and strong. She'd played with them, fought with them, and learned to defend herself. They weren't the protective brother types. They were the 'torment the little sister' types. One time when she was 15, one of her brothers had hit her square in the jaw with a sucker punch. She'd retaliated immediately, and beaten him mercilessly, leaving him a bleeding wreck on the ground. He'd never told their parents, but had steered clear of her for the remainder of their time at home, and he'd even stayed away from her Academy graduation. At 29, she wasn't old, and most men found her looks attractive, even though her manners weren't very ladylike. It wasn't that she wasn't a lady, but she put forth the facade to keep people at arms' length. There was one man who'd seen through her facade, though. Her lips curled up in a smile as she thought of Doc Tavolk. They'd talked numerous times over the past several months, and had even shared drinks in 11Forward on a handful of occasions. He wasn't like most Vulcans she'd met, and he intrigued her. She looked up from her reverie then and saw him walk into her office. "Hey, Doc! What can I do for ya today?" She asked with a smile on her face. "Hello, Tanya. I was wondering, when you get off shift of course, if you would like to accompany me to the holodeck for an experiment of sorts. I can't reveal the nature of it yet, but I think you may enjoy it." He said, looking into her eyes. Tanya thought she was going to melt. Up until now, she hadn't been alone with him in private when it wasn't her six month check-up. And even then, Dr. Siln had been the one to perform her actual check-up after Doc gave her the preliminary. She smiled widely and said "I would love to, Tavolk." She saw his eyes widen slightly and a curve upward on the right side of his mouth. She had a strange feeling that she would definitely enjoy their date, as she now knew it was, and that she would do her best to make sure he enjoyed it too. ***** Jason and Delaara were sitting in his office... well, their office now, and discussing the Orions. "What do you think their game is, baby?" Delaara asked him. "Diversion? Pull a hit-and-run on a high profile high-risk target, then pull another heist or raid on another target once forces have been diverted." Jason theorized. He didn't know if he was right, but it was what he would do if he ever decided to go pirate. Delaara nodded. "That makes sense. You, my love, have a very criminal mind," she smirked and kissed him. "I used to fantasize about being a space pirate when I was a kid," he admitted, grinning at the memories. "I would come up with fool-proof schemes to plunder boatloads of gold-pressed latinum." Delaara laughed her musical laugh. "You, my dear one, are incorrigible." "I know, and that's why you love me, honey," he said, standing and taking her in his arms from where she was leaning against his desk. "Just one of many many reasons, Jason," she replied, kissing him lovingly. "Hey, guy... oh, sorry." Ryan turned to walk out. "What's up, Rash?" Jason asked, breaking his kiss with Delaara reluctantly. "Well, it's about Rachael. You know how stressed she's been, right?" Ryan had a look on his face that worried Jason. "What's wrong, Rash?" Jason asked. "It's the whole 'being pregnant while in command' thing. She's been getting stress headaches." He said. "I talked to Doc, and he's going to be prescribing her some Shore Leave in a week after we get to Risa. Just wanted to let you know, and if you can keep an eye on her when I'm not around, I would appreciate it." "We'll do what we can, Rash", said Jason. "Good idea, though. Rachael needs a vacation." Love And War Bk. 03 "Just do me a favor and please don't tell her that I put Doc up to it." Ryan loved Rachael, but with her mood swings lately, he was afraid of how she'd react to what he'd done. "Our lips are sealed, Ryan," said Delaara with a smile. Rash visibly relaxed. "Thanks, guys. Now, as you were, and I'll make sure the door closes behind me." He grinned and ran to find his Flight. Jason chuckled. "That's my best bud for ya." "Baby, I don't know if I've told you yet, but last night meant so much to me," said Delaara, smiling. "Just that you took the time to learn Romulan, which is not an easy language, says a lot." "Well, it was Seraph who actually gave me the idea. When she said whatever it was she said to you in Romulan, and your eyes lit up, I knew what I wanted to do for your birthday." Jason smiled as his wife kissed him. "It was the best birthday present I've ever had, baby," she said finally, after curling his toes with a kiss that could melt tritanium. "Wow, Delaara. I can't remember if you've ever kissed me like THAT before. Probably because that kiss just superceded every memory I had of you kissing me before.. and I'm babbling like an idiot." He collapsed into his chair. His cock had gotten hard instantly when she'd kissed him, and all the blood had been diverted from his brain. Delaara noticed and arched one of her perfectly upswept eyebrows. "Well, with all the blood down in your very impressive cock, it's no wonder you can't think straight." Jason looked up at her and chuckled. "I blame you for this, you know." "Then I accept full responsibility." She smiled smugly as she sat in his lap, leaning down and kissing him again. "Mmmmm babygirl, if you don't stop doing that, I'm going to bend you over this desk and have my way with you." He was breathing raggedly now, his face flushed with her wiggling her beautiful ass on his cock. They heard the familiar rush sound of the door opening. "Well, I finally come down here for a visit, and I catch my Wing Commander and his XO making out." Rachael was smiling as she came in and leaned against their desk. "Rachael, after what Jason did for me yesterday, I wanted to show him how much I love him." Delaara was glowing. Rachael's eyes went wide. "Yesterday was your birthday! I'm sorry, Delaara. I completely forgot!" "It's ok, Rachael. I didn't want a big party for number 62, so Jason and I kept it a secret. He learned Romulan and romanced me with it!" She squealed. "Jason, if you were single and I wasn't married, I would jump your bones right now, you bloody brilliant bastard!" Rachael grinned as she said it. "Rash is in his office, Cap," said Jason with a grin. "Then if you hear anything from Ryan's office, please don't come running. Those will be the sounds of me getting my bloody hormones under control." She nodded at them, turned and left. Delaara turned back to Jason. "Now, where were we baby?" ***** USS Nimitz dropped from Warp above the planet Risa. Risa, being the favorite vacation spot for most of the Federation, was strangely unguarded due to overconfidence on the part of Starfleet Command. They thought that nobody in their right mind would attack Risa and risk an armed Starfleet repsonse. But the unthinkable had happened, and Risa had been raided. The hit-and-run hadn't done much damage, but about 5000 bars of gold-pressed latinum had been stolen from the Archonis Bank and Trust branches by the Orion raiders. And since one of the best and newest combat ships in Starfleet's arsenal wasn't needed to fight a war, Nimitz had been ordered to defend Risa from any further attacks until such time as either the raiders were caught, or it was determined to be a one time incident. Jason walked across the Bridge to Captain Thatcher's Ready Room and hit the door chime. "One moment," came the response before the comm cut off. Her voice had seemed a bit out of breath, so Jason knew what was going on. He looked around the Bridge and saw Bounce talking to Marie. They hadn't said anything in public yet, but it was apparent that they were sleeping together. He checked his padd and looked over the patrol duty schedule he and Delaara had made up for rotating patrols above Risa and covering the whole planet. "Ok, you can come in now," said Rachael from the door's intercom. He walked in and noticed Rash and Rachael both had satisfied looks on their faces, and Rachael's hair was a bit mussed. "Here's the duty roster and patrol schedule for our stay, Rachael," he said with a knowing grin. "Mm, thanks, Jason," she said with a smile of thanks as she took it and looked it over. "You and Delaara deserve some shore leave when this is all over. I think we'll all be taking some, in fact." "Sounds like a plan, ma'am," replied Jason with a smile. "Alright, get out the both of you. I need to go over shift schedules and make sure we're combat ready." She started sorting padds and flimsies on her desk as Cobalt and Rash went to leave. "Oh, and Ryan." He turned back and smiled. "Thank you for the thorough debriefing.", she said with a wink. As they got into the turbolift, Jason finally released the laugh he'd been holding back. Rash, knowing why, laughed too. "'Debriefing', right?" He grinned. "Yep!" Jason said between laughing fits. "It's an oldie but a goodie!" "I know, right?" Rash said. "The first time she used that one on me, I just about died when I realized how dirty the word really was!" As they stepped off the turbolift onto the Flight Deck, they were brought up short by Delaara. "What are you two laughing about?" "Something very immature, sweetheart", said Jason. "Probably, but I'd like to know anyway." She batted her eyelashes. "Well, when Jason showed up to hand over the duty roster and patrol schedule for our stay here, Rachael and I were in the middle of a Ready Room Quickie. So once we finished, and Jason delivered the reports, she told us to leave, but thanked me for the 'debriefing'." Ryan couldn't suppress a laugh. Delaara looked confused for a moment. "I know, I know. I found it confusing at first too, since I only wear boxers." Ryan and Jason both laughed again. "Ohmygod..." Delaara put her face in her hand and laughed softly, the chuckle growing into a full fledged laugh. "That is.... just.... filthy!" She managed to get out between fits of laughter, which set Jason and Ryan off yet again. ***** When they'd finally calmed down enough to walk with little snicker fits along the way, they made their way to Jason and Delaara's office. "I can't believe she could say that with a straight face," said Jason as he wiped a tear from his eye. "That's why she's the captain, baby," said Delaara, also wiping tears of laughter away. Bounce chimed and Jason said "Come on in." "Hey, boss. Just letting you know Charlie is starting our patrol." "Good deal, Bounce. Stay sharp out there." Jason shook his hand. "Always, brother." Bounce said with a grin. He left, and they could hear the four Valkyries firing up their engines as they got ready to launch. "This is why I hate peacetime guard duty," said Jason. "Our guys are used to quick and clean or quick and dirty missions against numerically superior enemies. This guard duty is going to be boring as hell, and if they don't have some music to listen to, it's going to be a long long day for them." He'd scheduled 8 hours on, 16 off for each flight, with a day off every 3rd day in the rotation. He knew that Scorpion was sending out their Charlie flight at the same time, and would be under the command of Bounce. They had ration packs for a lunch so they could eat in rotation designated by the flight leader. Stiletto got off easy, this being their off shift. "This is where we'll find out who is really capable of handling not only the pressure of combat, but the boredom of everyday peacetime operations," said Delaara, nodding her agreement. "How'd you handle it in the RIF, Delaara?" Ryan asked. Delaara pulled her old Romulan earpiece from her pocket and tossed it to him. He looped it over his ear and hit the play button. 'Thunder in the Sky' nearly blew his eardrums out as it started playing. He pulled it from his ear, laughing and tossing it back to her. She had it set to randomize the songs, so she put it on and listened for a few seconds. "Ahh, yes. Manowar." She handed it to Jason and he slipped it on. "'Thunder in the Sky'," he said, nodding approval, then hit stop and handed it back to her. "Rash, that is how ANY pilot handles boredom during peacetime out here." Jason laughed. "Next time we get to Earth, I recommend Tesla Records, which was where Delaara and I were the day you commed me after you guys met with Admiral Nelson." "I'm gonna have to find some of that music," he said. "If nothing else, it will keep my sleepy ass awake!" "As if your double espresso shot every morning doesn't?" Jason asked, laughing. It had been a morning routine for Rash since their time at the Academy. Like clockwork for 4 whole years. "You don't understand, Cobalt! That doesn't keep me awake, it just wakes me up!" He grinned. ***** Bounce was bored as hell, and so were his guys. He checked in with Charlie: Bravo, Scorpion's contingent on this patrol, every 5 minutes to make sure they were all clear as well, but the whole patrol was just a boring day. "Hey, Spar, you got anything going on tonight after patrol?" He asked over his comm to his wingman. "Not really, Bounce. Thought about going to 11Forward and seeing if Dr. Siln is there. She's kind of hot." Lieutenant Steve 'Spar' Logan said back. "I don't know, Spar. Something about her just doesn't feel right. I caught her looking at me once, and her eyes looked like 50 kilos of crazy in a 5 kilo bag." Mae Siln freaked him out, especially when she'd been watching him dance with Marie. "Well, I think she's cute, and I've never seen her out with a man or woman, for that matter. She usually just works or sits in 11Forward for a while drinking before going back to her quarters." Spur wasn't about to tell him that he'd been friends with Mae for a few weeks already. He'd heard all the rumors about her, but realized that there were no facts to back them up. "Ok, bud. If she cuts your nuts off while you're sleeping, don't come crying to me." Bounce said and chuckled. "Ha ha, Tony," said Spar. "How are you and Marie doing?" "Not bad. It's just a friends with bennies situation, and it's pretty nice so far." Bounce wasn't going to brag, but Marie was pretty filthy. He thought about the night before. ***** As Marie pushed Bounce down on the bed, she had unzipped her uniform top and said "I'm going to fuck you silly, you fucking bastard!" Her grin was sexy and seductive. "I'm going to fuck your hard motherfucking cock like you've never been fucked before!" He got undressed just as fast. He'd never heard any woman use that many f-bombs in one sentence before, but he was going to enjoy it. He loved dirty talking women. As soon as they were both naked, she shoved him down on the bed and inhaled his cock down to his balls in one shot. Her wet warm mouth sucked him like she was trying to milk all the cream he had. She pulled her mouth off long enough to say "And after I suck your fucking cum out, I'm going to fuck your cock with my cunt until you fucking cum again!" She inhaled him again and sucked long and hard, her tongue licking the underside of his shaft as she deepthroated him. Pulling off one more time, she said "Oh, and after you cum in my fucking cunt, you're going to fuck my ass until I can't take it anymore! Then you're going to give me another load of your motherfucking cum in my motherfucking ass!" She was almost screaming as she'd said it, and Bounce finally figured out just how filthy she really was. "How about when I'm fucking your ass and I'm ready to come, I pull out and you suck my cum out after licking my cock clean of your ass?" He said with a nasty grin. Her eyes went wide at that. "Oh fuck yes!" Marie exclaimed. "Your Commander is about to suck her ass juice off your cock while you come in her mouth, baby!" She inhaled him down to the root again, and sucked him hard. He felt his balls begin to boil. "Oh fuck, Marie! I'm gonna come!" He shouted, right before he came hard down her throat. 3 pulses of cum shot into her mouth and down the hatch. "Mmmmm, that tasted good, baby. Tell you what. Let's save my cunt for last and you fuck my ass now!" She said, rising up above him and turning around, guiding his cock with her hand as she lowered her hot ass onto him. She moaned as his still hard cock entered her tight puckered hole, and shouted "Oh fucking dear god that feels so fucking good!" She slammed her ass down on him, her cunt hitting his balls as she came hard, drenching him and the sheets below them. He felt her ass squeeze him like a fist as she came in spasms, her ass full of his hard throbbing meat shaft. "OH FUCK!" She screamed as she came again, rolling her first orgasm over to a second. He reached up and grabbed her waist, thrusting in and out of her tight ass, pounding her mercilessly as she writhed above him, shaking her head from side to side. She screamed out again, coming like a geyser as she squirted like a whore. "OHMYFUCKINGGOD!" "Oh fuck yes, baby!" Bounce shouted. "I'm gonna fucking cum, you fucking slut!" As he shouted that, she jumped off his cock and inhaled him again, tasting her ass while sucking his cock down. She felt him swell in her mouth and squeezed his balls with her free hand. She pulled her mouth back and said "Yeah, sweety. Gimme that hot load of cum. Give it to me, baby. Give it to me!" She sucked him down again as he began to come, even harder than before. "OH FUCK MARIE YOU FUCKING SLUT TAKE MY FUCKING CUM!" He exploded in her sucking mouth, filling it as she swallowed over and over. "Oh fucking god, Tony," she said after she'd swallowed it all. "That tastes so fucking good!" She moved up and kissed him, making him taste himself and her ass juices on her tongue. ***** Bounce snapped back to reality and realized that he was hard as a fucking rock, and that their shift was just about over. "Ok, Charlies", he said over the comm. "Let's head on back to Nimitz and let our buddies in Alpha take over." 'And Marie, you best be ready tonight, baby' he thought to himself with a grin. As Charlie was pulling into the flight hangar, Bounce was filing his report to Marie on the Bridge. She said "This is all well and good, Charlie Lead, but I will need a thorough debriefing from you as soon as you finish handing your AAR in to Captain Thatcher." Bounce grinned. "You got it, Commander. You will be fully debriefed ASAP." ***** After Bounce landed, he was literally bouncing to the turbolift. Jason noticed and narrowed his eyes. "He probably has a date with Marie," she said with a chuckle. Scorpion and Stiletto Alpha flights had drawn this shift, and Jason had arranged for the day off tomorrow from regular duties so they could pull their own rotation tomorrow night on patrol. He had done it for both himself and Delaara, but also for Alex and Jenny, who appeared to be even more in love each day. "I wouldn't doubt that. They must have a regular thing now," said Jason with a shrug and a smile. As they entered 11Forward, Jason wanted to pull Spar out of the line of fire, as he was actually talking to Mae Siln. Delaara saw the look on his face and followed his gaze. "Oh no," she said with her own look of horror. "Wait, sweetheart. Let's just see what happens first." Jason had a thought, and placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Ok, baby. But for the record, I don't like this." She said. "Neither do I, but we won't know for sure unless something happens here." Jason cautioned her. They took up their usual barstools and let their gazes wander around as they surreptitiously spied on the conversation taking place. To both of their astonishments, Mae was actually smiling and looking down, glancing up at Spar occasionally and biting her lower lip. "Honey, I think Rachael might be right. She looks really shy", said Delaara after watching them for a while. "Maybe, sweetheart. We'll see." Jason was wary, but it was beginning to look like Rachael was right. Spar stood up and held out his hand to Mae. She took it, and he led her to the dance floor. Jason saw that she was smiling, and the wallflower that she usually was seemed to disappear when she smiled. She was acually very beautiful when she didn't have that dour expression on her face. Her long dark hair, which she usually wore up in a severe bun, looked beautiful, and her eyes, usually downcast or staring at someone with a fierce intensity, were now more relaxed and open. Her eyes were green, and went well with her long dark brown tresses. Spar and Mae danced a few dances together, from western music to a couple rock ballads. He tipped her face up and kissed her lips lightly, and she returned his kiss with an enthusiasm that left Delaara's jaw hanging open. ***** "Damn, Doc! This is some setup you have here!" Tanya said to Doc Tavolk as she entered the holodeck for their date. She looked around at the countryside and then at the Doc himself. She sized him up and decided that he wasn't bad looking at all. His eyebrows, which swept upward from the bridge of his nose, similar to Delaara's, and his pointed ears gave him a devilish look. His deep chocolate brown eyes were reserved, yet gentle. Then she saw him actually smile. "I am glad you made it, Tanya," he said with a small smile. His eyes were smiling more than his mouth, though. "Please join me," he said as he gestured to the outspread blanket with the picnic basket on it. Tanya smiled broadly. "Why Doc, I didn't know this would be a date!" "Ah, the Human custom. Now that you mention it, I guess it is a date." He bowed his head in acknowledgment. "But Doc, you're Vulcan. Why ask me out on a date when you have a woman waiting for you back home?" She asked with a perplexed look. "When I decided not to finish the Kolinahr, my bride to be disassociated herself from me, as did my family. I am what you would call single." He looked perfectly in control of his emotions. "Tanya, I asked you on this date because I find you intriguing and I... well, I like you," he finished finally. Tanya was touched. She'd never heard a man say that to her before. She moved forward and slipped her arms around his neck, hugging him as his own arms went around her waist. "Doc... Tavolk, I like you too, hon." Tanya replied. She smiled at him, and he had a hint of a smile on his face. "Then I guess, since we like each other, that we should eat. I took the liberty of preparing some dishes that both Humans and Vulcans enjoy." He gestured for her to sit, and once she was seated, he too sat and opened the picnic basket. They ate and talked. He told her of his childhood on Vulcan and then his enrollment in Starfleet Academy after his family had disowned him. She talked about growing up with 4 bullies for brothers, and he put his hand on her shoulder at that point, squeezing gently. She put her hand over his, and stroked it as she looked into his eyes. "Thank you, Tavolk. For this. For listening. It's been a hell of a long time since I could just be myself with anyone." "It is my honor, Tanya," he said in a gentle voice. "Whatever you wish to tell me, know that I will not judge you or criticize your choices." Tanya looked deep into his eyes, then leaned forward slowly and kissed him lightly on his lips. His hand came up and stroked her cheek as she pulled back, and he leaned forward and did the same, kissing her lips lightly. It was as if she'd been struck by lightning as her breathing got deeper and her heart started to pound in her chest. "Tavolk..." she started to say, then stopped and leaned forward, kissing him softly. Her lips parted and so did his. Their tongues touched and another electric spark shot through her spine. Their kiss became more passionate as their tongues explored each other's mouth, dancing together and tasting. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed her first kiss with a man in nearly ten years. Love And War Bk. 03 She pulled back slowly and looked into his eyes again. "Tavolk, I'm sorry if I have offended you in any way," she said. "It's just that I've been feeling this way about you for a while now, and I don't want to do anything with you that you don't want to do..." "Tanya," he said in little more than a whisper, "I've felt this way about you as well. Since I first saw your beauty when you stepped into Medical for your initial physical." "You never said anything," she said, surprised. "I am Vulcan", he said and shrugged. "It would not have been appropriate since we didn't know each other yet." For the first time in her life, Tanya knew what it was like to feel like a woman. To feel wanted by a man for more than a night of fun. "Tavolk, if we do this..." "Then we do this, Tanya. If you don't wish to continue our relationship afterward, then I will not stop you. However, I would be disappointed to lose your company." He said it in such a way that she felt no pressure to do anything with him right now, but that simply stoked the fire inside her that had lain dormant for so long. "Tavolk," she whispered. "I want to take you back to my quarters and have you make love to me tonight." She kissed him passionately, and felt his arms go around her as hers went around him. Tavolk felt himself drawn to her and kissed her deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth and enjoying the taste of her. 'She is a remarkable woman' he thought as she pressed her body to his and he could feel every womanly curve. He processed his feelings and realized that he was indeed sexually attracted to her, as his member rose in response to her touch and closeness. As Tanya felt his hardening cock, her eyes went wide and she pulled back from the kiss momentarily, gazing at him. "Is that a phaser pistol in your pocket, Doc, or are you just happy to see me?" "It must be the latter, Tanya. I have no phaser pistol on me." He said. She seemed startled at first, until he smiled and kissed her again passionately. He could sense her arousal as their bodies pressed close together on the blanket. His hand went down and slid over her hip, coming to rest on her full round behind. He squeezed gently, and she moaned in pleasure into his kiss. Her hand went down and undid her uniform pants, then took his hand and guided it down the front of her pants. He felt her dampness through her panties, and could now smell her aroused state. The pheromones she was releasing had an effect on him, and he said "Tanya, I cannot wait until we get back to your quarters." He was breathing raggedly, not used to such feelings. "Then make love to me here, Tavolk. Please." Her eyes were pleading with him, and he nodded and smiled. He unzipped her uniform blouse and she helped him remove it. She reached behind herself and undid her bra, releasing her 34Ds. His eyes were drawn to her breasts, and he lowered his mouth to kiss her nipples. As she moaned again and pulled his face into her breasts, he opened his mouth and sucked her nipple into his mouth. She moaned even louder, and he pushed his hand back into her pants, rubbing her through her panties. "Oh god yes, Doc. Oh honey you make me feel so good!" She was on fire for him, and he knew it. He was also on fire for her. He felt like his Ponn Farr was starting, and only her touch could ease the burning of his blood. She moved her hands down and removed her pants and panties off over her boots, then kicked her boots off as well. He removed his uniform quickly, his eyes containing a hunger that she had never seen before. She saw his cock and gasped. It had to be 8 inches long! She mentally kicked herself for still using standard measurements, but she was from Texas, so she didn't care for metric much. She'd learned it in Starfleet, but didn't use it in her everyday life. Tavolk could feel his emotional control slipping, but he no longer cared. He felt the love she had and he felt the same for her. He felt her reach down as he moved between her thighs and felt her hand guide him into her shaved pussy. As his tip entered her, she looked into his eyes and gasped. He moaned as her heat and tightness engulfed him when he pushed into her. Her eyes grew wide as she moaned in ecstasy. "Tanya..." he said her name like a benediction. He leaned down as he thrust into her over and over, and kissed her lips as her legs wrapped around his back. He moved slowly at first, then faster as she began to buck her hips up against him. Her breathing was becoming heavy as she neared her climax. "Tanya, I can feel you about to come. Please come for me as I will for you..." He said evenly, but with all the love he felt underneath his calm exterior. Tanya felt herself start to come, and she screamed out "OHGODYES TAVOLK! I'M COMING, BABY!" She spasmed around him as her legs pulled him in and her pussy clamped down on his cock as she felt it swell inside her. "Come in me, baby. Give me your seed. Give it to me, Tavolk!" She begged and her pussy contracted again around him as he began to come. "I'm coming, Tanya. I'm coming for you and inside you," he was breathing heavily as his voice rose. "Oh Tanya! Yes Tanya! Here it COMES!" He felt his cum erupt out of his cock and deep into her tight pussy. He erupted over and over, filling her to maximum capacity. His eyes closed and his mouth opened. He felt the greatest pleasure he had ever known inside her and in her arms around his neck and her legs locked around his waist. They were both shaking when he removed his cock from her and leaned down, kissing her lovingly. He was once again in control of his emotions, but he still felt the love for her that he had felt when he'd lost control. Tavolk smiled down at her. "Tanya, I have to confess that I love you, and have since the moment I saw you." He said it in his usual even voice, but she could hear the love in his words in the subtext below the tone. "I love you, Tavolk. I fell in love with you over the last six months when we would talk, and I learned more about you. I thought we would never get together, though." She blushed. Tavolk smiled broadly, seeing her blush. She was not only remarkable, but beautiful as well. "Tanya, you are both remarkable and beautiful. I've never been happier that I did not finish my Kolinahr." "Is that what it's called when a Vulcan completely suppresses his emotions?" She asked. "Yes it is." "Then I'm happy you didn't do it too," she said and kissed him again. ***** Spar and Mae had just finished dancing, and he led her off the dance floor. He sat at a table with her and she looked at him. "Why are you here with me, Steve?" "Because I like you," he said with a smile. "But I'm nobody. There are plenty of girls around here who are prettier than I am," she said with a blush. "Mae, listen to me. If I wanted to be with them, I would be talking to them instead of you. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, you're the prettiest girl in the room." He really did have feelings for her, but trying to get her to believe him was going to be a challenge in and of itself. "I like you too, but I'm just not sure..." She fumbled for the words. "Sweety, look at me," he said gently as he tilted her chin up. "I won't make you do anything you don't want to do. Ok?" She nodded and smiled. He nodded in reply. "Good. Now, what would you like to do? I'm done for the day and I have tomorrow off. We could go to the holodeck, or catch a movie, or get some dinner? Whatever you want, Mae." "Would... would you like to... ummm..." Her voice trailed off again. "Hey," he said quietly. "You can ask me, Mae. It's ok. Remember, what ever you want to do." He smiled at her. "Wha... whatever I want to do?" She asked, a nervous expression on her face. "Even if you want to just go back to your quarters alone and end our date right now. I understand if you want to," he said. He hoped she wouldn't, though. "Steve, I don't know. I... I'm really shy for a reason." She looked down and blushed. "Hey, now. Did someone hurt you?" He asked. "No, nothing like that. It's just...." Mae was beside herself. She knew that Steve wasn't a Cassanova like Roy, and she really really liked him, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell him. "You know what, it's ok, Mae. I'm here, and we can talk about whatever you want. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. They'd been talking for a few weeks, but every time he thought he'd get somewhere, she would shut him down again. They were kind of dating, but she just couldn't open up to him about some things. He sensed that she had been through some sort of trauma in the past, but couldn't guess what it could be. She leaned towards him and put her arms around his neck. She whispered "I'm sorry I'm not very good at this." "Sweety, it's ok. I'm not going anywhere unless you want me to." He whispered back to her. She summoned up her courage then, like a new resolve had entered her head. "Steve, I do want you to go... back with me... to my room." She gulped and blushed furiously. Steve couldn't believe what he'd just heard, but wasn't questioning it. He just said "Ok, Mae. I will." He stood up and held his hand out to her. She looked up, smiled, and took his hand. He smiled back as he led her out of the bar. By the time they got to Mae's room, she was walking with her head held high. She had resolved to take a chance with Steve. She had never met anyone as nice as him before. And even her first and only boyfriend was never this nice to her. When they got inside, she told him the truth. "Steve, please don't be mad with me for being so shy," she pleaded. "Mae, look. I said you don't have to if you don't want to. I like you for you, when your personality shines through your shyness, but I can accept whatever you want to say or not. I'm your friend first and foremost." Steve was not the kind of guy to take advantage of a vulnerable woman. If she had any issues with men, then they would work through them before he made a real romantic move. She'd told him when she'd wanted to kiss him. He was in no rush with her. "I appreciate your patience. I'm just scared to tell you, because I'm afraid you won't like me anymore." Mae was nearly in tears. "I want to tell you, though. I want you to be the one." "The one?" He asked, completely mystified. "The one, Steve. I know you're a nice guy, and you don't have a reputation like Roy or even Ryan." She caught her breath. "Steve, I did some checking and well, I know your fiancee broke up with you last year from home. Please don't be mad at me." He chuckled and smiled. "Sweety, there's nothing to be mad at, here. I like you. I'm interested in you. If I was still with Janine, I wouldn't be interested in you this way." And with that, he kissed her again lovingly. When Janine had dumped him, he'd been kind of relieved, actually. He'd been interested in Mae since he first came aboard and met her in Medical, but he had stayed loyal to his fiancee, who had promised to wait for him while he was on this tour. That had lasted six months before the Dear John comm from her. "You.. you mean..." "Mae, look. When I was with Janine, I was WITH Janine. Which meant that I wouldn't be with any other woman besides her. Was I interested in you the first time I saw you in Medical for my initial physical? At that point in time, all I thought was 'she's a very pretty girl', but no, I didn't think of you in a romantic way. Now, after Janine dumped me last year, I really thought long and hard about what I had done wrong. I took quite a bit of time to get over her, even though I was kind of relieved she broke up with me. When I had processed everything and dissected our relationship under a microscope, I realized that I didn't feel much for her after the first few months we were apart. It was nothing I or she did wrong, but I realized that my mind was on someone else. That someone was you, Mae." "Steve, I know you're a good man. I can tell in the way you talk to me, or the way you are with your friends and squad mates. Most of the pilots think I'm some kind of psycho, or at the very least a wallflower. I know all that, and I accept it. I'm not psycho, so don't worry about that. What I am is a very lonely, very horny, very pissed off virgin who wants to give her virginity to you!" It had taken every ounce of courage she had mustered to admit everything to him like that, and she collapsed beneath the weight of her admission, her head dropping to her chest as she blushed bright red. Steve had his back to her bed, and sat down with a thump. He was staring past her as his mind processed what she'd just told him. "You..want.... me... to...." he let it trail off as his eyes finally focused on her face. She looked up and into his light hazel eyes. She really focused on how he looked to her. His light brown hair and eyebrows, the strong chin, the thin yet perfectly proportioned nose, the way he smiled when he looked at her, and found her courage again. "I want you to be the one that I love for the first time, Steve." Her voice wasn't mousy anymore. She now knew that he felt the same for her because of his admission. "Mae, I don't take this step lightly, just so you know. If we do this, to me, it's a long term commitment. If you just want a nice guy to..." He looked like he was hurting a bit. She sat down next to him on the bed. "Listen to me now. I don't want a one time thing, and I would not give my virginity to just anyone. I fell in love with you over the past weeks, just talking about our lives, what we like, and what we do every day. Now, I want to give you the only gift I can give you, Steve. Will you accept?" He looked at Mae and gazed at her beauty. Her hair was gorgeous, as were her eyes. Her lips were full and lovely, and her cheeks dimpled when she smiled. He knew she wasn't a psycho, no matter what Jason, Delaara, Rash, or Bounce thought about her. He closed his eyes and smiled, seeing them together down the road. It was amazing that he never really saw that with Janine when they were together, but he could see it with Mae. He opened his eyes and looked at her again. "Mae, I would like to ask you one thing." "Ok. What is it?" She asked warily. "Do you want to be with me for the foreseeable furture? Beyond this ship and duty assignment?" He looked into her eyes as she looked surprised. She'd thought about it, dreamed about it, but never dared to ask herself if it would be possible. "Yes." "That's all I needed to hear, Mae." He leaned forward and kissed her. Passingly he noted the 2 solid and 1 hollow pips on her collar, marking her as a Lt. Commander, and thought nothing of it. Cobalt had Demoness, who had been several pay grades above him when they'd met, albeit in an enemy military. He thought of Rash and Rachael, and their child that was on the way. Hell, Rash had been a J.G. when he first got with the Captain. Love didn't care about rank, though. That much he knew. Their kiss slowly deepened as their bodies moved closer to each other on the bed. His hands went to her face, stroking her cheek as he kissed her lovingly, their tongues exploring slowly over each other. Her hands went to his waist, feeling up and down his sides as they continued to kiss. She pulled back a little as he moved down her chin with his lips and down to her neck. Her hand came up to the back of his head as he kissed and licked her neck, and she moaned in pleasure. "Please make love to me, Steve," she whispered. "I will, love," he said. "I want to make your first time the best it can be, if you will let me." She just moaned her approval as his lips moved up and kissed her again. Her hands went to her uniform top and she unzipped it for him. She pulled it off, revealing her bra clad breasts. She then reached for the zipper to his flight suit, pulling it down to reveal his chest. He broke the kiss and smiled at her as he moved down to kneel between her legs. He grabbed her boots and took them off of her, then removed her stockings. He stood and pulled her to her feet with him, and knelt again to undo her uniform pants. She reached up and undid the catch on her bra, opening it to his eyes as he pulled her pants and panties down. She moaned again as he leaned forward and kissed the top of her shaved pussy. She had felt a pleasant shiver up her spine when she felt his lips near her pussy, and nearly came as a result of his light touch. She gasped as he stood and kissed her breasts, sucking first the left, then the right nipple between his lips until they were rock hard. She pushed him back a bit with a playful look, and undid his flight suit down to his waist. She grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it off over his head. She grabbed his waistband and yanked his pants and boxers down like a woman possessed. She gasped and her eyes grew wide at the sight of his hard cock, and she did experience a mini-orgasm as she could imagine him taking her. Steve saw her eyes glaze over momentarily and realized as she shuddered and moaned that she came from their foreplay alone. And he had barely even started yet. He sat on the bed and kicked off his boots and socks, then helped her pull his flight suit the rest of the way off. Now as naked as she was, he took her hand and pulled her onto the bed with him. "Lay back, beautiful," he said with a smile. She did so, moving to the middle of her bed and spreading her legs. He moved slowly up between her thighs, kissing the inside of her legs from calf to inner thigh right beside her pussy. She moaned again and tried to shift her pussy onto his mouth, but he wasn't ready yet, and he wanted her to enjoy everything. He finally licked around her outer pussy lips, and she cried out as she came again. He could hardly believe it. He slowly licked from the bottom of her slit up to her clit, tasting her sweet wetness as she squealed in delight. He looked up at her face, and she was biting her lip as her eyes begged him to take what she offered. While looking into her eyes, he slipped his tongue down and inside her pussy, causing her to gasp as she shuddered. Her climax was building quickly while his tongue explored her sweet sweet pussy. He twisted his tongue inside her, and she nearly lost her mind. Her hips bucked, and she came on his tongue as it delved into her. He drank her sweet nectar down and then smiled as he kissed from her clit up to her lips, letting her taste her cum as he slid his hard throbbing cock into the entrance to her pussy. He looked into her eyes as he began to push into her. When he hit her maidenhead, he stopped and looked into her eyes again. "Do it," she whispered. "I'll be as gentle as possible, love," he said as he pushed through it, making her gasp as a tear came to her eye. Once he was in all the way, he stopped and let her adjust to him. "You feel so good, honey," she said finally, smiling. "Now, please make love to me. Please...." He moved in her slowly, in and out, in and out, rotating his hips as he filled her incredibly tight virgin pussy. She moaned with each stroke. "Oh my God, Steve! You feel wonderful, baby! Please don't stop. Love me. Make love to me. Do it, baby. That's it. Don't stop, Steve! Oh God!" She moaned and screamed as she came around him, her tight pussy growing even tighter around him as her juices flowed out of her. "Oh fuck!" she cried. Steve held himself still inside her as she spasmed around him. He could feel his own climax approaching quickly. "I'm going to come, baby," he said. She pulled him down and whispered "Fill me, Steve. Fill me with your cum. Fill me until I can't take anymore. Please! Make me yours, Steve!" She came again as his cock swelled and he moved inside her, his cum rocketing into her as he yelled "MAE! I'M COMING!" He filled her full, and she screamed his name over and over, her pussy milking him of every last drop. Love And War Bk. 03 When he collapsed on top of her, she stroked his hair as his head lay on her breasts. She felt so full with him inside her. She didn't want to move and break the bliss they both shared. "Stay with me tonight, baby," she said in a whisper. "I will stay with you as long as you want me to, Mae," he replied. "I love you." "I love you too, baby," she said as she smiled. She wrapped her legs around him, holding him inside her as his hard cock still throbbed after coming. They made love four more times that night, trying different positions, but ending the way they had begun, with him on top of her and her legs around him. When Mae finally fell asleep, he stroked her hair away from her face and kissed her lips lovingly just as sleep took him as well. ***** When Jason and Delaara got back with Alex and Jenny, they were worn out from patrolling. Charlie Scorp and Charlie Stiletto had taken their spots and it was nearly morning. "Graveyard shift sucks," Alex said. Jason laughed. "You're learning quickly, young one." The Nimitz had been launching patrols for 3 days straight and no sign of the Orions on any of them. "Welcome to peacetime operations, Razor," said Jenny with a wink. Alex smiled at her. "You're the only reason I enjoyed myself at all out there, Gem." He leaned down and kissed her. "Ok, you two. Hit the showers and get some sleep. Preferably together, to conserve energy and share body heat, of course," said Delaara with a knowing smile. Alex and Jenny blushed and laughed as they headed for their quarters. "Well, hotshot. It's just you and me now," she said, slipping her arms around his neck and kissing her husband softly. "Mmmmmmmmmm yes indeed, my lovely wife," he replied as they broke the kiss. "Whatever shall we do, baby?" She asked in her best Scarlet O'Hara impression. Yet another reason to kick Bounce's ass whenever Jason could remember to do so. His insanely large collection of 20th and early 21st century flatvid movies was so huge, he had to have an entire foot locker to haul them around when he got assigned a new duty station. Delaara, in an effort to learn more about Human culture, had borrowed quite a few of them and watched them with Jason during their downtime... including 'Gone With the Wind' and 'Top Gun'. "Hmmmm. Let me think a moment..." Jason had an idea, since they had never done it before. He picked her up and hit the crew door on his Valkyrie. He winked at her and she got a naughty grin on her face. "Want to relive that time in the wreck on the island, hotshot?" She asked. "Well, for lack of a better term, I believe that 'oh hell yes' applies here", he said with a wink as he stepped into the Valkyrie's crew cabin with Delaara in his arms. The door closed behind them, but their moans and screams of pleasure could be heard throughout the hangar by anyone walking past. ***** An hour later, they opened the crew cabin and were met by the Skulls, who were all clapping and cheering their Lead and Two. Jason and Delaara, smiling ear to ear already, just took a bow and exited the fighter. Rash led the charge. "Hey, guys. We heard something strange around here and thought we'd come up and investigate." "Yeah, there was some sort of time/space distortion that sent some strange sounds into my Valkyrie, so we had to go investigate. We were transported to a strange land where every tree was made of cotton candy," Jason said with a completely straight face. "We've returned and the breach has been sealed!" He threw his fists into the air, and his people laughed and clapped for their 'heroics'. Rash just looked at them and said "You know, that's too damn freakin' crazy to be a lie. I believe you." He then got a haunted look on his face, turned around, and walked quickly towards the turbolift. Every other Skull there was left scratching their heads. Delaara leaned into his ear and whispered "Baby, that was just mean. I loved it." and kissed his bearded cheek. Jason just smiled. ***** When Rash got to Rachael's Ready Room, he still had that haunted look on his face. She looked up from her desk. "What's wrong, baby?" "Just something that Jason said up in the hangar. A few of us were walking by when we heard strange sounds coming from the inside of Jason's Valkyrie, so we waited for about a half hour. The hatch lowers, and Jason is standing there with Delaara." Rash then related Jason's story about what happened. "But from the sounds, we were sure they were fucking in there." Rachael had needed a good laugh, and this was a keeper. She laughed so hard she peed herself a little bit, and had tears streaming down her face by the time she was able to talk again. "Oh God, I needed that!" She said, finally, still wiping tears from her face. "Ryan, my darling husband, that bloody wanker took you all for a ride! Jason and Delaara told me about making love in the back of Jason's wreck when they were on the island together. 5 will get you 10 that they wanted to relive that experience." She winked. Ryan shrugged. "It was still a damn good story," he grinned. "Ohhh, you have no idea, flyboy." She grabbed him and kissed him hard. ***** The patrols continued. Day 7 and 8 went by with no incident. With Nimitz in polar orbit and flights of the best fighter pilots in the galaxy circling the planet day and night, there really was nothing any pirates could have done to get through. On Day 9, Rachael called a halt to the patrols, but Nimitz would remain on station for the time being. Doc Tavolk and Dr. Siln both showed up to Medical that morning with smiles on their faces. Doc's was a very faint smile of satisfaction, while Mae's smile was one of pure joy. Doc noted the day and sent for Captain Thatcher for her 4 month pregnancy checkup. When she arrived, Doc examined her, and while her stress levels had been very elevated, the baby was fine. However, he was prescribing her with 7 days of shore leave on Risa, starting immediately, and also prescribing 7 days for Ryan, who also needed a break from both being a father to be and a fighter pilot. Rachael looked grateful, and notified first Rash, then Marie that she would be in command for a week. When Marie heard the news, she thought about all the times she had heard of Ryan and Rachael doing stuff in her Ready Room, and was contemplating bringing Bounce up to see her there while she was Captain. Then she got a text message on her console that read: 'Don't even think about it, Marie. You had better not fuck Bounce on my desk. If I find anything out of place, I will shove you both out an airlock.' Love, Rachael. XOXOXOXO Her eyes grew wide, then she saw: 'I'm the bloody captain for a reason, missy. I get paid to know everything.' Love, Rachael. XOXOXOXO "Oh my God, she's fucking psychic." Marie was spooked. ***** Jason and Delaara heard about the vacation and smiled. The Captain and her husband really did need a break from shipboard life. When Delaara had gone for her six month check-up that morning, she was stunned to find Dr. Siln laughing and joking with another patient. Her usual reserved self was gone, and she had blossomed to the point where Delaara was about to ask her where the real Mae was and what had she done with her. Mae saw the look in her eyes and said "Come on in, Commander. We were just finishing up." She turned to her patient. "Ok, Lieutenant. Just take two of this every 4 hours, and you should be fine in a day or two. Have a good day, and get better soon." As the young female Lieutenant left, Delaara asked her what was going on. "Well, Commander, if you must know, Steve and I are living together now," she grinned. "Forgive me, Mae. But just a little over a week ago, you were so shy, that nobody could talk to you. What changed?" Delaara was curious and not a little bit pleasantly surprised by the change in Dr. Siln's demeanor. Mae moved to the door, closed it and sealed it to give them some privacy. She then returned and sat down on the medical bed next to Delaara. "Ok, it's like this, Delaara. Up until 10 days ago, and please promise me you won't laugh." She looked meaningfully at Delaara, and Delaara smiled and nodded. "Well, I am 30 years old, and up until that first night with Steve, I was a virgin." Delaara was stunned. Then she smiled and put her hand on the young doctor's shoulder. "Sweetie, I was 36 when I lost my virginity." "Well, that's different, Delaara. You were what? 18 in Human age scale?" "Not quite. We age faster when we're young, but once we hit the equivalent of 18, which is approximately 28 Human years, our aging slows considerably." Delaara shrugged. "So that's the reason you still look like you're 25, even though you're 61?" Mae asked. "Exactly. Jason already looks older than me, and he's so much younger." Delaara shrugged again. "You're one hell of a hot cougar, Delaara," Mae said, winking and giggling. Delaara laughed at the term for an older woman who was with a younger man. "Humans are so fascinating. Especially Jason," she said with a smile. "He learned to speak perfect Romulan for my Birthday, and surprised me by speaking it to me all that night as we made love." "Delaara, if you ever let him go, I will personally brain you with this medbed. That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard!" Mae was wiping a tear from her face. "Mae, if I were to ever let Jason go, it would be because I'm already dead. Nothing in this world will keep me from him as long as I live." Delaara was devoted completely, and Mae could see that. She smiled and hugged her Romulan friend. "Well, then. Let's get you checked out!" Mae said with a smile as Delaara disrobed for her physical. ***** Doc Tavolk walked in after his lunch with Tanya and noticed Delaara and Mae walking out of the examination room. He smiled and walked up to them. "Hello, Delaara. How'd the exam go?" He asked. "Perfectly, Doc," she replied. "You're in a good mood today. What happened?" "I've been in a good mood for a little over a week now, thanks to Lieutenant Commander Duran." He saw the shock on her face. "Well, you must already know that I'm pretty much an outcast among my people, and I find her fascinating as well as lovely." "But she acts like a man trapped in a woman's body," said Delaara, confused. "It's a facade, Delaara. I won't repeat what she's told me of her childhood, but suffice it to say that there is a good reason she does that to keep most people at bay." Doc was polite as usual, but his tone still conveyed the fact that there would be no more answers from him concerning Tanya Duran. "Understood, Doc. I was just wondering at all the changes going on around here. I did not mean to offend," she said. "I apologize to you, Dr. Siln, and I will apologize to Tanya as soon as possible." "No harm done, Commander," said Doc. "I know she can be.... off-putting, to say the least. But the more time I spend with her, the more of the real Tanya Duran I see." "I understand, Doc. I'm glad you both are so happy now. Look at you two!" She grinned and hugged them both. Doc smiled in spite of himself and Mae was just radiant. "Ok, you two have fun, and I'll see you later!" She turned and left with a bounce to her step. Love was in the atmospheric scrubbers! ***** Jason stepped into the Security Office and found Tanya at her desk. She looked up. "Hey, Commander. What can I do for ya?" "Hey, Tanya. I was wondering if you happened to still have that Klingon disruptor pistol we took off that pilot last year?" He asked. "Give me a sec, sweetie," she said in a much more feminine voice. Jason blinked three times rapidly. She noticed his surprise. "Tanya, are you seeing someone?" Jason asked, knowing that something was up with her. She turned from the confiscated weapons locker and grinned. "As a matter of fact, I've been keeping Doc company lately. He's a damn fine man!" "I won't argue with you on that, Tanya. He's the best damn Doctor in Starfleet, as far as I'm concerned. I have to ask how you two got together, though." Jason was still a bit confused. "Well, for the first part, he doesn't judge me." She said pointedly. "Tanya, I'm sorry about that. I've learned lately that we shouldn't judge anyone based on how they dress, act, or anything like that. I wish I'd gotten to know you better before I jumped to conclusions about you." Jason was contrite to the point where his stomach was turning flipflops. She laughed. "Hon, if I had an apology for everyone who couldn't see the real me beneath that facade, I would be hearing them for the rest of my life." She sat down on the edge of her desk and took his hand. "Jason, I know about your parents, and I know the facade you wore until you got back from Earth with Delaara in tow. I noticed the difference in you immediately, because I had a facade on for so long, I was good at spotting it on others." "Before I met Delaara, my main goal in life was to die in combat against a worthy enemy." Jason smiled ruefully. "Then I met the most worthy enemy in the galaxy, and fell in love with her." "You know, I've never heard the whole story about how you two fell in love," she said, all signs of her facade were gone. Jason smiled. "Well, it all started with the dogfight over NZ8-257...." As he related the story, she sat in rapt attention to his words. He ended it with them being found by the Enterprise Away Team after they had just fallen asleep together after making love. "So then she defected and I was assigned to be her liaison for defection to the Federation. After all was said and done, she was commissioned as a Lieutenant Commander in Starfleet Fighter Command, and the rest is history." He finished with a smile. Tanya was wiping tears from her eyes. "Jason, that was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard." "I keep thinking about how if I'd been a jerk instead of saving her life when her ship was sinking, and I can't see myself doing anything different." He shrugged. Tanya got up from where she leaned against her desk and hugged him. "It's because you knew, even then, that she was your soulmate, Jay." "I'll believe that, because I felt compelled to save her life, even if it was just to shoot it out on the beach and die honorably." Jason chuckled. "I'm sure as hell glad it didn't come to that, though." "So am I, and as to your request, I seem to have found that Klingon disruptor pistol you requested. Are you going to check it out?" She asked. "Well, I already learned Romulan for Delaara's birthday last week, but I was thinking of putting in paperwork to confiscate it as a spoil of war, for her Christmas present next week," he said with a grin. "I know she likes guns, since she was talking to me the other day about certain weapons.... and you learned ROMULAN... for her BIRTHDAY?" Tanya's jaw had nearly hit the deck. "Yeah, it took me about six months." Jason confirmed. "Say something to me in Romulan", she said. "Wait, hold on." She took her combadge off and shut down the universal translator. "Ok, lay it on me." "I hope you and your doctor are always happy together," he said in Romulan. "I don't know what you just said, but I want to jump your bones right now," she grinned. "That has to be the most beautiful language I've ever heard!" Jason grinned. "I said 'I hope you and your doctor are always happy together', just so you know." "Aww, thanks, hon. I think we will be. I plan on marrying that handsome devil when or if he ever pops the question." She was blushing now. "Tanya, if you talk to him about marriage, if he doesn't bring it up first, that is, wait about six months into the relationship. Not everyone knows right then." Jason advised her. "Good advice, sir. Anyhow, as to this spoil of war, it's yours as far as I'm concerned." She shrugged and handed him the pistol, butt end first. "Thanks, Tanya. You're a sweetheart, you know that?" "Anytime, flyboy. You know I used to have a huge crush on you when you first came aboard?" Tanya grinned. "Tanya, if I had known the real you back then, I would have gone out with you in a heartbeat." He said and meant it. She hugged him close and kissed him softly. "In another life, flyboy," she whispered. Jason just smiled and said "In another life, Tanya. Doc is lucky to have you." They said their see ya laters and Jason left. He managed to avoid Delaara long enough to hide her Christmas present in his sock drawer at the very back. She entered their quarters just as he was getting out of the sonic shower. He towelled off and heard the rush of their door opening. He walked out with his towel around his waist and saw her looking at him smiling. "Baby, we have to talk about something!" She was grinning ear to ear. "What is it, honey?" Jason asked. Delaara told him. "We were so wrong about Mae." "How so?" He asked. "She's not a psycho, she was just frustrated and extremely shy. Spar got her squared away, if you know what I mean." She winked. Jason grinned. "Well, I have some news about Tanya, too. Her tough guy act? It was all for show to keep guys at bay. I had a talk with her earlier in the Security office." Delaara chuckled. "Yeah, Doc has been keeping her company." "Oh, that reminds me. How did your physical go, sweetheart?" Jason asked. "Well, I'm not pregnant yet," she said with a disappointed shrug. "From what Mae told me during the physical, it might be hard for us to conceive. But other than that, I'm in perfect health." She smiled. "Good! Next week is Christmas. We didn't have much chance to celebrate it last year or the year before, but this time we should be able to." Jason loved Christmas, and wanted to share it with his wife. Delaara had heard of the joint secular and religious holiday. She had read the Bible and Koran, as well as other religious teachings from Earth. She was a big fan of both Buddha and Confucius. She knew that Jason was spiritual to a point, but didn't take any religion too seriously. But he still loved Christmas. "You know that it coincides with a Romulan holiday, don't you?" Delaara admitted. Jason was caught offguard. "Which one?" "Liberation Day, when Romulus was first discovered and colonized by my ancestors." She was referring to the Vulcans who had left Vulcan under the Banner of the Raptor. They had refused to follow the path of logic to the extent that all emotion must be suppressed. They were the first Romulans. "Do you celebrate with the exchanging of gifts, baby?" He asked hopefully. "As a matter of fact, we do. Also, it's the only time of year that, in time of peace, all family members usually get together. I would love for you to meet my aunts, uncles, and cousins, baby!" She said with a grin. "Then it's settled. We're doing Christmas on Romulus this year, honey. Unless you object?" He winked and chuckled. "Oh, we also have a greeting for the holiday where we say 'Merry Christmas'. Do Romulans have a similar greeting for Liberation Day?" "Have a festive Liberation Day." She replied. "That's the most common." He slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her lovingly. "I can't wait to meet your extended family, sweetheart," he said as they broke the kiss. "Neither can I, love!" Delaara was giddy with joy. ------------------------------------------------- Challenge of Honor The rest of their stay on Risa was pleasant. Rachael and Rash had enjoyed their stay greatly, and were more than prepared for the rest of the pregnancy. By the time they got back aboard, Rachael was so relaxed, she was smiling as she sat in her command chair and took the comm from Starfleet. "Rachael, you look relaxed," said a smiling Admiral Nelson. "A week on Risa with the man I love has that effect on me, Nick. What can we do for you?" Rachael asked her oldest friend. Love And War Bk. 04 Foreword: And now a new chapter in the lives of Jason and Delaara MacKenzie. I recommend reading the 'Love Thy Enemy' 4 part series and the first three books of 'Love And War' to know what's going on here. This is, like the others, a love story and romantic adventure set in the Star Trek universe created by Gene Roddenberry. While sex is in each story, it doesn't play a central role. I've thrown adventure, humor, and spaceborne dogfighting into each story so far. This will be an epic length story arc by the time I'm finished. If you like Star Trek, I hope you all enjoy my additions. :) I.D. -------------------------------------------------- Cry Havoc As the Christmas and Liberation Day celebrations were winding down on both Romulus and the USS Nimitz, in orbit around the formerly enemy homeworld, Ambassador Spock was saying his goodbyes to his friends and family at Ambassador Stovrin's estate. "I thank you once again for your hospitality, Stovrin," Spock said with a smile. "Anytime, my friend." Stovrin answered with a smile of his own. They had been friends for years, and he'd made Spock godfather to Delaara, his daughter. Spock turned to his goddaughter and her husband. She hugged him tight. "Thank you for coming, Uncle Spock," she said with a smile for the elderly Vulcan. "I wouldn't have missed this Christmas and Liberation Day for anything, Delaara." He turned to Jason. "And thank you, Jason. Your gift meant more to me than you know." "It was just a token of my respect, sir." Jason bowed his head. He'd found the old figurine in one of his father's old boxes at home, and remembered that Spock had once served as First Officer under Captain James Kirk, and later as Captain of the NCC-1701 USS Enterprise when she'd been refit as a training vessel. "As it may, but thank you all the same, son." Spock shook his hand, and they traded Vulcan salutes of long life and prosperity. Spock was gratified that one so young knew the proper protocols, but knew that Jason wasn't the average Starfleet officer. That was evidenced by his Romulan bride, and future mother of his child. "Delaara, I am so happy for you both. Have you decided on a name?" He asked her. "We haven't gotten that far yet, but I was thinking Bryan for a boy." She turned and saw Jason's shock. That had been his father's name. He smiled then and hugged her. "In that case, my love, I recommend Stovara for a girl." Jason smiled, and Delaara's face split into a grin, recognizing the feminine version of her late brother's name. "Hey, we still haven't decided on a name yet!" Rash said as he held his wife. "We still have four months left to decide, Ryan. Don't rush it." Rachael said, smiling up at her husband "It will come in time, Ryan. You will know." Spock said. "Now, I must go. Politics and Diplomacy can be more dangerous than frontline combat." "That is true, my friend," Stovrin said with a wry chuckle. "Be well until we meet again, Spock." "Live Long and Prosper, Stovrin," Spock said in reply, before turning and walking towards the Praetoriate. "Now where the bloody hell are Cole and Donatra?" Rachael was looking around for her pilot and his new friend, Delaara's cousin. "If I had to guess, I would say they're saying their own goodbyes in private, Captain." Jason winked and grinned. ***** Jason was right, and as they lay together in each other's arms and caught their breath, Donatra kissed Cole lovingly. "Cole, why couldn't you have been born Romulan?" Donatra smiled warmly at him. "Why couldn't ye have been born Irish, Dona?" He asked back with a roguish grin. "After this weekend, I wish I had been!" She chuckled and grinned at him. "So do I, luv." He said and kissed her again. She was his ultimate ideal in a lover. She was beautiful, intelligent, charismatic, and very energetic. "I've received word that I've been assigned a new Warbird. The IRW Valdore is mine to command. Maybe I could sneak across the Neutral Zone sometime for a quick weekend at Risa." She winked at him. "Just name the time and place, darlin'," Cole replied with a passionate kiss. "I'll go AWOL if necessary." He chuckled. "Mmmmmm, Cole, as much as I would love to spend the rest of the week fucking your brains out, I think we should get dressed and downstairs to see you off." She winked and snuggled closer to him, not wanting to let him go. "Dona, are ye sure ye don't have any Irish in ye?" He asked. She chuckled. "I'm sure. I would know if I did." "Would ye like some, lass?" He winked and grinned his disarmingly charming grin. Her eyes widened as she got the joke. "As a matter of fact..." ***** The rest of the family sat around talking and laughing as Donatra got her Irish in her for the last time that holiday. "Cole is a good guy. I could see Donie falling for him." Delaara shrugged. "And he can go toe to toe with her in a drinking contest." Ryan laughed at that. "True. I've never seen so much Romulan Ale drunk at one sitting!" "Donatra has always had an extremely high tolerance for alcohol." Stovrin nodded, smiling. "I've seen her outdrink Romulans twice her size, at least five in a row." "Cole has nearly as good a record against Klingons with Blood Wine. After the last time on Kling, they made him an honorary Klingon." Jason grinned at the memory. "Yeah, when he came to and I told him, he said 'Bah! I'm Irish! Why the fook would I wanna be a Klingon?'" Ryan said in his best Irish brogue. "Aye, that's because I'm fookin' Irish!" Cole shouted as he and Donatra finally came down hand in hand to join them. "And we wouldn't want you any other way, brother!" Ryan laughed. "And now I have some Irish in me, apparently." Donatra said with a wink. All the adults laughed, and luckily the children were too young to get the joke. They both liked their new Human 'Uncles', though. Jason had brought them all presents, Ryan had taught them to build snowmen and make snow angels, and Cole had taught them some Irish jokes where he'd changed the Irish characters to Romulan. He also made their Aunt Donatra happy. Admiral Stelis was also happy. He'd been incredibly rude to Jason when they'd first met, and had underestimated Delaara's husband, but they had made their peace finally and become friends. After Jason had beaten him soundly in a bout of Ra'Tra'Ora that left him bruised and a few bones broken. He'd come to like the young fighter pilot who had earned his cousin's love and trust. He'd been particularly impressed with Jason's generosity and perspective. It had given him a new perspective on Humans and Romulans and their familial ties. They weren't so different after all. "Ok, we'd better all go before Starfleet gives us some other assignment before we can even get back to Federation space." Rachael chuckled. "Stovrin, T'Rya, and everyone, it's been my pleasure to meet you all, and my honor to call you all friends." She turned to her pilots. "Come on, kids. Let's go save the galaxy... again." "It was our pleasure to have you here, Rachael. We hope you accept our hospitality whenever you're here." T'Rya said with a smile, and Stovrin nodded his agreement. "We will, if you will accept ours when you visit us sometime." Rachael said. She saw Cole giving Donatra a kiss and hug out the corner of her eye. "We'd be delighted. Now, we'd better get cleaned up around here and get ready." "I have a new ship!" Donatra exclaimed with a grin. "I'll go take command and escort you all back to the Neutral Zone!" "That sounds like a good idea!" Jason said. "Hey, Cole. You want to ride along with her until we reach Federation space?" He winked at his friend. "Actually, I would, Commander. If it would be alright with Commander Donatra, of course." Cole grinned again. "You'd better, boyo!" She grinned back. ***** And hour later, the IRW Valdore launched on her maiden voyage with Ensign Cole 'Bolter' McBride of the Federation Starship USS Nimitz as a special guest of her Captain, Commander Donatra of the Romulan Imperial Fleet. The Nimitz and Valdore formed up and entered Warp together with their course set for the Neutral Zone. Aboard the new Warbird, Cole and Donatra stood on her bridge and Cole whistled appreciatively at the sights around him. "This is one helluva ship, Commander." "That it is, Cole." She was beaming with pride at her first Command. "Crew is squared away, and you have some serious firepower onboard, if I'm readin' this right." He nodded in appreciation. "Well, let me give you the tour, Ensign." She winked at him as she gestured towards the turbolift. "I'd be honored, ma'am." He said with an answering wink and his trademarked grin. The 'tour' had been a rather short ride to the Captain's Quarters, where Delaara had already had her gear beamed aboard before she officially took command of the Romulan Military's newest ship of the line. As soon as she had him inside, she was stripping his flight suit from him and kissing him like a woman possessed. He likewise was removing her uniform with record speed, and they fell into bed together in a tangle of naked flesh. She threw him on his back and inhaled his cock down her supple throat. Cole groaned appreciatively as he reached down and twined his fingers in her dark reddish hair. His eyes were closed as she expertly sucked him into her mouth and throat over and over. "Dear God, Dona!" He moaned out loud. "I'm gonna come, luv!" She pulled her mouth off of him and continued to stroke. "Do it for me, baby! Come in my mouth!" She inhaled him again and felt his cock swell as she stroked his balls and sucked hard. Cole gasped and shouted "I'm comin', darlin'!" as he exploded into her mouth. She sucked greedily, swallowing his entire massive load as his hips pumped into her face with each pulse of his seed. She came around her fingers as he'd shot in her mouth. 'Oh fuck I wish I could keep him!' she tought to herself. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a lover. "Commander! Nimitz is hailing. We need you on the Bridge, sir!" Came over her combadge. She grabbed if from her uniform jacket and answered. "On my way." They dressed as quickly as possible and ran to the turbolift and up to the bridge less than 30 seconds later. Cole caught her eye and gestured to her lips. She had missed a small spot of his cum, and quickly wiped it into her mouth as she winked at him. "On screen, Centurion," She said professionally. ***** "Captain Thatcher, we have a distress signal coming in. Audio only, ma'am." Lieutenant Jackie Chambers said. The communications officer was relaying the info to her Captain. "Let's here it, Jackie." Rachael nodded. "Mayday! Mayday! This is the USS Bombay requesting assistance from any nearby Federation ships! We've come under attack from Cardassians near the Romulan Neutral Zone in the NZ12 system. Five attacking ships in total. Send help immediately!" "The Bombay. That's Rob Strickland's ship. Helm, set course for NZ12, and Jackie, hail the Valdore." She commanded. "Yes, ma'am. USS Nimitz to IRW Valdore." She said. "This is Valdore, Nimitz. Centurion Survik here. What can we do for you?" "We need your assistance. Is Commander Donatra available?" Rachael had a pretty good idea where they were, and smiled to herself. "I'll have her report immediately, Captain." The Romulan replied, nodding. He cut audio and video while keeping the channel open as he called Commander Donatra to her bridge. She and Cole appeared less than thirty seconds later, and she said "Onscreen, Centurion." Rachael saw her and smiled at them both. "Cole, I hate to cut your visit short, but we need you back aboard. We've received a distress signal from the USS Bombay in the NZ12 system, and we need all our pilots. Commander, if you would, your assistance would be greatly appreciated. It seems that the Bombay is under attack from no less than five Cardassian ships." Donatra nodded once. "We'll set course immediately, Captain. I'll escort Ensign McBride to our transporter room, and have him back aboard Nimitz in a moment." ***** Jason was scrambling with Delaara and the rest of the Skulls towards the aft flight deck. Cole appeared from the transporter room and joined the dash. "Vacation's over, Bolter. Welcome back!" Jason said as they ran. They were five minutes from the NZ12 system. "Aye, sir. I'm gonna miss her." Cole replied as they ran. They got into the turbolift, and were soon in the hangar, sprinting to their fighters. Once the canopies were closed, Cobalt got on the comm. "Strikers, we have a possible of more than five Cardassian ships in the NZ12 system attacking the USS Bombay at this time. I'll send telemetry and assignments for each squadron upon launch. Stay sharp out there." "Scorpions ready, sir." "Stiletto acknowledges, sir." "Good." Jason switched to Squadron. "Skulls, we have Commander Donatra and her new Warbird backing us up. Let's not disappoint Bolter's girlfiend." He grinned. The chuckles and laughs died down on the comms after a moment. "Ok, seriously, Skulls. Let's go save the Bombay, and let's all come back alive. Gloria ad mortem!" "GLORIA AD MORTEM!" came the thunderous reply. "We'll be dropping from warp in one minute. Strikers, get ready!" the CAG said over the comm. "Roger that, CAG. Striker Wing is prepped and ready. On your order." The Nimitz and Valdore dropped from Warp to see the Bombay, severely limping, being pursued by five Cardassian Cruisers. "Striker Wing, LAUNCH!" The CAG bellowed. "Go, Skulls!" Jason shouted as he punched his throttle all the way forward. They banked and saw the situation, and Jason started calling the shots as he marked the Cardassian ships and sent telemetry. "Scorpions, on 1. Stilettos on 2. Skulls on 3, standard attack patterns!" He then relayed his targets to both Nimitz and Valdore. "Valdore, this is Skull Leader. Striker Wing has 1 - 3, if you'd like to take 4 or 5, we'd appreciate it." "No problem, Commander. Valdore has the last two. Good luck, Jason, and tell Bolter hi from me." Donatra's voice betrayed her grin over the comm. "Bloody hell, I'm not gonna hear the end of this, am I?" Bolter said over the squadron comm. "You know it, Bolter!" Bounce said with his own grin. "Charlie is ready, Cobalt." The Skulls were closing quickly at full warp burn towards the third Cardassian, and opened up with all Quantums as soon as they entered missile range. The shields on the cruiser died and they moved in to disable shields, weapons, and engines. "Bravo, take port phasers, Charlie, take starboard phasers. Alpha is on tubes as usual." Jason called out their targets. Valdore opened up on the fourth cruiser with full disruptors, disabling its shields and phaser banks in one salvo. The second salvo fireballed the Cardassian ship. Stiletto Squadron had destroyed the second Cardassian in no time, and was already heading towards the fifth cruiser by the time Valdore hit it with a full spread of torpedoes, annihilating it from existence. The bombers of Scorpion Squadron hit the first cruiser with their Torpedoes as well, and destroyed most of the ship's capabilities in one strike, coming around for another pass to finish it off. "Strikers, leave Cruiser three alone once it's disabled. We need some answers. The rest can burn." Jason wasn't in the mood to take more prisoners than necessary. "Roger, Skull Leader." came the replies from Scorpion and Stiletto. Jason then relayed his orders to both Nimitz and Valdore, receiving acknowledgments from both. He knew procedure. Before a war could be declared, answers must be sought. These ships were a long way from home, and Bombay had already destroyed one of them, judging by the amount of wreckage already in the system. "Nimitz to Bombay. IRW Valdore is here to assist as well. Do not fire on them." Captain Thatcher said over the open comm frequency. "Bombay copies, Rachael. Good to see you!" Rob Strickland said with relief in his voice. "Only too happy to help, Rob." Rachael replied. "Now, just sit back and watch my boys and girls work!" Jason grinned at the exchange as his squadron kept the pressure on the third cruiser, completely disabling it. "Skull Leader to Nimitz. Cruiser 3 is dead in the water." Jason reported. "Great job, Striker Wing, and thanks to the IRW Valdore for their assistance!" Rachael said over the open comms. A cheer went up from the pilots of Striker Wing to their Romulan ally for this battle. "It was our pleasure to assist, Nimitz." Donatra said over the comm. "Can we assist in any way with repairs or medical personnel?" "Not necessary, Valdore. Nimitz has this one. We already have Medical teams and emergency repair squads on the way. Thank you for your help, Donatra!" Rachael said with a smile for her newest 'cousin' on her adopted brother's wife's side. "Anytime, Rachael." Donatra was smiling. "This was the best shakedown cruise I've ever been on. Not only did we have fun, but found out that this Warbird is fully combat capable!" "Got that right, luv!" Bolter said to her. "That's a right beast of a machine ye're commandin' there!" She laughed. "Thanks, Ensign. Glad you enjoyed your tour while aboard. I have your comm frequency, Cole. I'll give you a call the next time I get some Leave. Valdore, out." With that, the Romulan Warbird turned back towards the Neutral Zone and returned home. Jason laughed. "Ok, Strikers. Stilettos and Scorpions head back to the Nimitz. Skull Squadron will guard Bombay while they make repairs." "Roger that, Skull Leader. We had the easy job." Lt. Cmdr Thorst said over her comm as she wheeled her Stilettos around and headed back to Nimitz. She was right, thought Jason. It's always harder to disable a starship than to destroy it. Much more precision involved. With the aid of Valdore, the Skulls suffered no casualties, and the Bombay was saved from complete destruction. It was limping badly and had lost its starboard warp nacell, though. Nimitz came alongside and sent some repair crews and medical personnel over to assist. The Sovereign class battleship had given a good account for itself, however. Upon further examination, it had actually destroyed two of the originally seven Cardassian cruisers before being overwhelmed. ***** "So seven Cardassian cruisers engage a Federation battleship along the Romulan Neutral Zone. What exactly is wrong with this picture?" Rachael asked Rob Strickland over the comm. "I wish I knew, Rachael. They came out of nowhere and opened up immediately upon exiting warp." Rob sat on his Bridge, shaking his head as repair crews from both ships worked around him to clear the Bridge of debris. "We lost Commander Jameson and Lieutenant Sheffield in the battle, as well as at least 150 crewmembers. Our sickbay is overloaded right now, and our warp drive is still offline." Rachael could sympathize. "Don't worry, Rob. Nimitz will stay on station until we have you up and running. We've contacted Starfleet command and have requested further assistance with the crew of the Cardassian ship." "Understood, Rachael. Thanks for the help." He smiled. "Bombay, out." Jason and Delaara were already standing by her chair with Rash, and she turned to them. "You are the best damn pilots in the Federation, you all know that, right?" She grinned and hugged them all, kissing Rash fervently after disengaging the hugs of her Wing CO and XO. Jason had compared the firepower of the Wing with that of a battleship, and the fighters had the battleship beat by a very small margin when firepower was concentrated equally. The fighters had more maneuverability than the battleships, but the battleships could survive more punishment in a protracted battle. Love And War Bk. 04 "Ok, kids. Ready Room. Let's get the AAR analyzed." Rachael stood and led them to her office. Jason gave her the report chip, and she plugged it into her console. She grinned and shook her head. "If you keep pulling off perfect missions like this, Starfleet is going to run out of medals to give you all. As it stands, I'm putting the entire Wing in for the Solar Standard for this one." "Thank you, ma'am." Jason said with a smile. "I didn't even have to call all the shots this time. They knew what to do and when to do it." "Because you trained them to the peak of perfection, guys!" She grinned then got a surprised look in her eyes. "Ryan! The baby kicked!" Ryan's eyes lit up and he moved to her side and placed his hand on her belly. "He's a fighter pilot, baby!" He grinned as the baby kicked again. "He knows a perfect mission when he sees one!" Everyone laughed at that, even Rachael. "We'll have him flying combat missions before he's out of diapers!" She said finally after her laugh had turned to a chuckle. "Then I'd better start training him the day after you give birth, honey." Ryan kissed her before she could laugh again. "I know what his callsign will be. 'Babyface' would work well." Delaara grinned as she said it. "Brandon!" Rachael said. "We'll name him after my father." "I like it. Brandon 'Babyface' Rasher." Ryan smiled and kissed her again lovingly. They all laughed again, and Rachael said "Ok, you two. Get to 11Forward and buy a round for your boys and girls. I need to have some alone time with my hubby here. Now, get moving you wankers!" She chuckled as they went. ***** Jason and Delaara entered the bar to find Bounce dancing with Marie, Alex dancing with Jenny, Doc dancing with Tanya, and Arrow sitting with the Angels at their usual table. "Skulls! Drinks are on me!" Jason shouted to thunderous cheers. ***** Enterprise arrived shortly before the repairs to Bombay had been completed to take the crew of the Cardassian ship into custody. Bombay limped back to Starbase at Warp 2 for repairs, and Nimitz accompanied Enterprise back to Starfleet Command on Earth as an escort after scuttling the Cardassian ship, sending it into the core of the nearby gas giant. ------------------------------------------------- Angel of Darkness Above Starfleet Headquarters, Earth. Jason and Delaara lay in bed, kissing and cuddling. It had been a month since they'd conceived their child, and she was positively radiant. The best thing about a pregnant Romulan woman was that her morning sickness was very brief, lasting barely a week. She was, however, very horny during her first trimester, and she took advantage of Jason whenever possible. "Mmmmmm God, sweetheart." Jason said after his breathing finally returned to normal. "If you keep this up, I'm going to be dead before our baby's born!" He chuckled and kissed her lovingly. "I can't help it, baby. I'm horny pretty much all the time now!" Delaara replied. Once the baby was large enough, he'd pulled her from flight duty, for hers and their baby's safety. "I know, honey. I'm sorry. Let me grab some more oysters, and I should be ready to go again." He winked and stepped to the replicator naked. "Jason, why can't I fly with you anymore?" She asked with a hurt tone, fighting back tears. He turned and ran back to the bed, holding her close. The mood swings were another hazard, but he was willing to endure them. "You know why, sweetheart." He said it softly, holding her as she finished fighting back her tears and returned to normal. "I'm sorry, Jason. Oh my God, I can't believe these mood swings!" She chuckled. "Maybe we should see Doc and he might be able to prescribe something to help?" Jason asked, shrugging hopefully. "NO! I WILL NOT SUBJECT MY BABY TO DRUGS!" She shouted and snarled at him. Jason felt the almost unbearable urge to dive for cover under her withering glare. She shook herself and looked at him again. "I'm so sorry, baby. I think we might want to talk to Doc. If I'm snapping at you like this..." She shook her head and pulled him to her, hugging and kissing him lovingly. "Ok, then let's get dressed and go see him." Jason dressed quickly as she did, praying that she didn't go ballistic on him again. ***** "I can give you something for the mood swings, Delaara." Doc Tavolk said with a nod. "Your baby will be fine." He smiled his little smile that would have been a full fledged grin on other species. It was the most emotion the ostracized Vulcan ever showed. He wasn't completely emotionless, which had caused a serious rift between him and his family back home, but had made him good friends with Ambassador Spock. "Thanks, Doc." Jason breathed a sigh of relief. Between the mood swings and her excessive horniness lately, he'd been getting very little sleep at night. "No problem, Jason." Doc nodded. On this ship full of mavericks, he fit right in. As far as Jason and most of the rest of the crew was concerned, the popular opinion was that he was the best damn doctor in Starfleet. "Thank you, Doc. Will it also alleviate my.... horniness?" Delaara blushed and grimaced a bit. "It will balance your hormones, Delaara. Since your child is half Human as well as half Romulan, it is sending your hormones into, for lack of a better term, overdrive. But since your physiology is nearly identical to Vulcan females, this medication will work for you as well. Delaara knew that sometimes Vulcan women mated with Humans, so Doc knew what was needed. "Thank you again, Doc." She breathed a huge sigh of relief. Jason had suspected that there might be problems with her pregnancy, so if this was the most severe, he could live with that, as could she. She looked at him and smiled her radiant smile. "I'm going to be a mommy!" She grinned and hugged Jason to her, kissing him softly. "The most beautiful mommy in the galaxy, my love." Jason replied in perfect Romulan. "I love it when you speak Romulan, baby. You don't even have an accent." She smiled warmly at her husband. "I worked hard to get rid of it when speaking your language, love." He smiled back as the words rolled off his tongue. "Tonight, my shining star, I wish for you to hold me as we sleep, and to keep me in your arms." She said in a verse from an old Romulan poem. "Then I shall hold you for the rest of our lives, my darkest angel." He replied from the male verse of the same poem. Delaara was once again shocked. "You know 'Love of Light and Darkness', baby?" Jason shrugged. "Romulan poetry is the most romantic I've ever read, to be honest." He smiled and blushed. Delaara couldn't believe it. Jason had to be Romulan in a past life. There was no other explanation. She grinned. "You have a Romulan soul, my dearest one." She whispered in his ear in her language. "I will take that as a compliment, then." He smiled and kissed her lovingly. "I hate to break this up, but I've given you your shot, Delaara, You should be feeling normal again soon. Now, make sure you come back in one week for another checkup and possible shot." Doc said. "Thank you, Doc." Delaara said with a warm smile for their friend. She hadn't even felt the shot in her arm, since she'd been distracted by Jason's poetic prowess. "It was my pleasure. Now, if you would please kindly un-ass my workspace, I would be most grateful." Doc said in his usual monotone, which caused Jason and Delaara to laugh. "You got it, Doc. We'll get out of your hair." Jason said as they left. As they walked from medbay back to the turbolift, Jason said "Oh, we now have 48 hours off, in case we want to head home for a bit." He'd heard from Rachael that she was authorizing shore leave while in Earth orbit. Enterprise was also doing the same. "Yes! Oh, baby! We can break the news to the Bikers!" Delaara was grinning ear to ear. "Big Lou is going to shit himself!" Jason grinned in agreement. "Let's go." They went to the transporter and beamed down to their house, which had once belonged to his parents before their deaths. They changed into jeans, t-shirts, boots, and leather jackets. "Damn, you look great in jeans, leather, and that Trivium shirt, baby!" Jason grinned at his biker babe wife. Her breasts had already started growing due to her pregnancy, and she was nearly a D-cup now. "Well, you grabbed the Wolfsbane shirt." She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him lovingly. Jason kissed her back tenderly, handed her the safety goggles, and said in Romulan "Ready to ride, my love?" "Always, my darling," she replied in her native language. They walked out to the garage, and Jason fired up his Harley. Delaara swung her leg over behind him, and slid her arms around his waist as he gunned the engine and raised the garage door with his remote switch. The Hog roared as he accelerated outside, and the door closed behind them as they turned left towards their hangout. They pulled into Big Lou's a few minutes later, and he helped her off the bike after sliding out of the seat himself. "Why thank you, kind sir." She winked as she switched to her southern drawl. Since Romulus had very few accents, she'd been experimenting with Earth accents, and had found the southern American to be her favorite. Jason chuckled as they walked to the door, and he opened it for her. "WELL HOLY SHIT!" Lou shouted in his usual greeting as he rumbled across the floor to grab them both in his bear hug. Jason and Delaara were laughing by the time the big Biker and former Marine let them go. "Great to see you, Lou!" Jason said. "Where's Kralla?" "She's in the back with little Vinnie. One sec." He turned. "Hey, Kralla! Bring Vinnie out here. We got some visitors!" They were the only ones in the bar at that point, since it was still before noon. Sally hadn't even arrived for her shift yet. Kralla came out of the back with her toddler in her arms. He had obvious Klingon features with some Human characteristics. Kralla looked and saw them, and her face lit up. "Jay! Del! Hot damn!" She marched up to them, handed Vincent to his father, and hugged them both tight. "How the hell have ya both been?" She grinned. "Wonderful, Kralla!" Delaara said. "We're pregnant!" The Klingon woman's jaw dropped, then spread in a huge grin. "That's wonderful!" She grinned and squealed like a girl. She hugged them both again. "You hear that, Lou? They're gonna have a baby!" "Hell yeah, I heard! Getting them some drinks right now!" Lou shouted from the bar. "Come on over and let's celebrate!" They walked towards the bar and Lou handed Delaara a synthbeer and Jason a real beer. He then handed a beer to Kralla and sat his son on the bar. Vinnie grinned at them all, feeling the positive energy in the room. Jason picked him up in one arm as he swigged his beer. "How ya doin', champ?" He asked with a grin, and Vinnie hugged his 'Uncle Jay' around the neck. "Gud Unca Jay," Vinnie said in his toddler voice. He then said "Aunty Del!" and nearly jumped out of Jason's arms at his Romulan 'Aunt'. Delaara held him then, and she felt what it was like to be a mom for the first time. She smiled at him. "How's my favorite nephew? You're going to have a cousin to play with soon!" She tapped him on his little nose, and he giggled. They were all playing with Vinnie when the first thrums of Federation Transporters brought in Ryan, Will, Jean-Luc, Alex, Jenny, Tony, and Marie. "Hey, Rash!" Lou stood up and ran to hug his Biker buddy, picking him up in his customary Bear Hug. "Oof. Lemme go, Lou. I love ya too!" Ryan laughed as he introduced first Captain Picard, Commander Riker, Alex, Jenny, Tony, and Marie. "Good to meet ya." Lou grinned. "Any friends of Rash, Jay, and Del are family of mine! Come on up to the bar and meet my missus and baby boy!" They all came up to the bar, and most were surprised to see Kralla there with Vinnie in her arms. She and Del were laughing at his antics, and soon Will joined in. Then the thrum of more transporter beams as Worf and Deanna beamed in. Surprisingly, they were all dressed in civvies, and most had on jeans, t-shirts, and leather jackets. "Lou here is a thirty year vet of the Marines, and his story with Kralla isn't much different than ours." Jason said to his friends. "Yeah, we met first during the Cardassian Conflict." Lou said as he kissed his wife. Then the sound of a powerful V-Twin from the parking lot made Lou's eyes go wide as he looked out the window. "I'd recognize the sound of a Ducati anywhere!" He nearly ran towards the door. "And that would be Rachael unleashing her inner Biker." Rash was grinning ear to ear as he followed the big Biker out into the parking lot. The next they saw him, Lou had Rash and Rachael under each arm and brought them into the bar, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "Are you sure you should ride while five months pregnant, Rachael?" Will asked in mild surprise. "Bloody hell, Will. This kid's going to know how to ride by the time he's born!" Rachael grinned and kissed Ryan lovingly. "He's gonna know how to fly a Valkyrie before he's potty trained, too!" Ryan added after their kiss. Everyone laughed as the conversation really got underway. "Lou, Alex and Jenny are together, by the way." Jason informed his friends. "Yeah, sorta figured that, the way he's got his arm around her waist." Lou grinned. "You got yourself a good man there, Jen!" "I know, Lou! He treats me right." Jenny replied with a grin of her own. Kralla looked at Captain Picard. "What can I get ya to drink, hon?" "Oh, well, I guess whatever you have on tap." Jean-Luc answered with a smile. "Comin' right up, Cap." She answered with a smile. "Anyone else want a beer?" Everyone except Rachael and Delaara ordered one of their galaxy famous beers, and Jason grinned as his second beer really hit the spot. "This is excellent beer!" Jean-Luc said in surprise. "Jean-Luc, Lou makes even better beer than Quark." Delaara grinned. "I can see that, Delaara!" Jean-Luc smiled and drank some more. "Kralla, do you think I could hold him?" Deanna asked with a smile. Jason knew that she and Will were trying for a baby. "Sure, hon. Then I'm gonna have to put him down for his nap." She handed Vincent to Deanna, who held him for a few minutes, then handed him back. Vinnie loved her, but then Vinnie loved all his parents' friends, as they were all extended family to him. "Ok, Lugnut!" Kralla yelled to Lou. "I'm gonna put Vinnie down for his nap, and Suze should be here soon." "Oorah, sweetheart." He shouted back to her. "Bloody hell, Gunny!" Rachael laughed. "You've been out how long now, and still with the 'oorah'?" "Once a Marine, always a Marine, darlin'. From what Ryan's been sayin', your kid's already kickin' like a Jarhead!" He grinned at her shocked face. "I don't think so! He's going to be a fighter pilot or starship captain!" Rachael grinned and laughed. "Didn't you hear, Rachael?" Jean-Luc asked. "Starfleet Fighter Command now falls under the Marines for rank structure purposes." He chuckled at her look. "Well, Oorah!" Jason shouted. "How do you mean?" Rachael asked. "Since Fighter Command is also set up for Air support of ground operations, which are conducted by Marines, and since Starfleet protocol would have a Wing Commander as a Captain, the same title as a Captain of a Starship, it was decided that Colonel fit better." Jean-Luc explained. "So that means I'm promoting Jason to Colonel now?" She chuckled, and everyone laughed at Jason's face as his shock registered. Rachael saw him and laughed. "Not yet, boy! Just the next time I promote you." Jason laughed. "That's just cruel, Rachael." "I'm pregnant. It's my prerogative!" She grinned at him. "Don't give Delaara any ideas, boss lady!" Jason laughed. "I'm not cruel enough yet, loverboy," Delaara said as she pulled him tight against her and kissed him hard, biting his lower lip. Jason felt himself get hard in his jeans as Delaara bit his lip. "Wow!" He finally said as his toes started to uncurl after the kiss ended. "Now THAT was a kiss!" Kralla exclaimed as she stood in the door after walking back out from putting Vinnie down for his nap. The sight of them kissing had stopped her dead in her tracks. "Got that right, Kralla," said Jason, still slightly in shock. "Semper Fi, Jay!" Lou was grinning and nodding in respect. "Oorah, Gunny!" Jason replied to his long-time friend. The day went by and the Enterprise crew got introduced to Lou and Kralla's world famous Buffalo wings, more of Jay and Del's friends, and even a couple of lowlifes that Jason and Delaara had thought long gone to a penal colony. Lou nearly grabbed his old phaser rifle when Gina Lee and Tommy Hest showed up at about 1500 hours. Jason turned and so did Delaara. Delaara dropped into a non-obtrusive yet effective combat stance she'd learned as a Praetorian, but Jason made no effort to hide his readiness. Ryan was also about ready to draw down on them if necessary. Tommy put his hands up, palms forward. "No need for that, Jay. We just wanted to apologize for the last time you and your wife were here." He smiled apologetically, and so did Gina. She'd had her teeth replaced after Delaara had knocked them out of her head during their last encounter. "And why should I believe you, Tommy? You've been nothing but a piss stain ever since I've known you, which is most of our lives." Jason didn't raise his voice, and kept a completely even tone. Everyone there recognized the implacable look in his eyes which often heralded swift and precise violence. "Because it's true, Jay. We read about what you did during the wars, and how you single-handedly won the Ferengi-Orion War. You lead the best fighter squadron in the entire Federation." Tommy shrugged. "You actually inspired us." "My question is why aren't you both in a Federation penal colony doing hard labor?" Delaara had an icy look in her eyes, and murderous intent in her heart. However, she also kept her voice even. "We were released on a technicality, to be honest." Gina admitted. Delaara knew when people were lying, through her hearing and Praetorian training that could tell when someone's heart was beating erratically. She could sense the false apology a kilometer away. She whispered to Jason "They're lying about the apology, baby." "I sort of figured that, sweetheart," he whispered back. "Let's find out how much." Jason smiled suddenly and walked towards them both. "Then let's shake on it, shall we?" He held out his hand to Tommy as Delaara fell in beside him, smiling at Gina. The entire bar stopped to watch what happened next. Jason reached out his right hand for Tommy's. Tommy was smiling broadly as he reached his out but had his left hand going behind his back. Delaara saw a similar move from Gina, and both closed the distance even faster. Tommy's left hand came back out holding a pistol, but Jason had already closed and grabbed the weapon. He bent it backwards and snapped Tommy's trigger finger at the same time. Delaara had grabbed Gina's pistol and slammed her hand against the wall, making her drop the weapon as well. She then headbutted the redhead in the face, knocking out her newly replaced teeth. Tommy screamed as his finger snapped, but Jason wasn't done yet. He slammed his elbow into the criminal's jaw, knocking out a handful of teeth, and then bent Tommy's arm around behind his back in a classic arm lock. Delaara had hiptossed Gina to the floor and had her face down with her arm up and behind her, with her foot down on Gina's shoulder. They heard the sirens then, and the flashing lights of the Santa Barbara PD pulled into the parking lot. Lou came forward and opened the door for the cops. He grinned when he saw Shawn and Julie leading the way. Love And War Bk. 04 "About damn time you shits got here. Jay and Del already did your jobs, ya lazy slobs!" Lou was grinning as he said it, and Shawn just laughed with Julie. The detectives put the cuffs on the two criminals, and said to the uniforms that took them "Make sure ALL the paperwork is filled out this time!" "Yeah, or no donuts for you!" Lou yelled at the uniforms. Shawn sighed. "Jay, we're sorry about this. We didn't know until it came up on appeal that the paperwork wasn't filed correctly. Since you're our friend, we were taken off the case." He shrugged. "No problem, guys." Delaara said happily. "That's probably going to be the last action I see for another nine months." Julie got it first as they all walked back in towards the bar. "OHMYGOD! You're pregnant!" She hugged Delaara tight. "Congratulations!" She squealed and Shawn hugged her too, only without the lecherous undertones this time. Apparently, Julie had put a stop to all of Shawn's jokes. Probably with a broken rib of two, and Jason grinned at the thought. "Jay, where'd ya learn to fight like a Praetor- nevermind, dumb question." Lou laughed and gave Delaara a nod of respect. Delaara just grinned, and Lou said "I'm bein' honest here when I say I'd rather fight a Klingon hand to batt'leth than fight an unarmed Praetorian." Kralla slugged him in the arm for that. "Hey, I'll show you unarmed combat, ya big slob!" "Only if ya give me some sweet sweet lovin' afterwards, darlin'." Lou grinned, and Kralla kissed him. Everyone laughed at the exchange, since Kralla and Lou were completely devoted to each other. It was obvious in spite of their jovial arguments. "You guys are the best, you know that?" Jason said to them. "Bikers look out for their own, Jay. You know that. And since you're now an official Starfleet Marine, that makes you a Jarhead too!" Lou grinned at the pilots. "Even if Roadrash here couldn't hack it in Marine boot." "Dammit, Gunny!" Rash was laughing and grimacing all at the same time. "Just yankin' your chain, Rash. We loves ya, kid." Lou grinned and handed Rash another beer. "Ooh, beer!" Rash drank and all was forgiven. The usual crew showed up for dinner rush, and everyone at the bar was pressed into service by Gunny Lou and Kralla. Jean-Luc even chipped in, mixing drinks for customers, and enjoying himself immensely. The Starfleet Academy crew showed up after the Bikers, and the group of twenty or so Cadets were stunned to see no less than seven legends behind the bar and taking orders at tables. As the dinner rush left and the place had calmed down, the Cadets came up and asked quite a few questions of the jeans and leather wearing heroes of two wars. Jason and Delaara were only too happy to help them out, and all of the Cadets vowed to apply for Starfighter Pilot training at their ealiest opportunity. "Just keep calm behind the stick, listen to your instructors, and trust your instincts." Jason had said. "That's all the advice I can give." "I'll add that if you ever become romantically involved with a fellow pilot, that no matter how the relationship goes, you leave the emotional baggage on the flight deck. Never take it out with you into space. Got it?" Delaara said. "Yes, ma'am." The Cadets replied in unison. Lou said "That's some good advice." Delaara shrugged and smiled. "It's how I ran Gladius Wing when I was RIF." "It's still damn good advice, Del." Lou grinned. "I never knew shore leave could be so invigorating." Jean-Luc Picard was smiling ear to ear. "That's because this is your first time in my bar, Cap'n." Lou said and nodded with respect. "You fix a mean mojito, sir." "I learned mixing drinks from an old friend of mine, Lou." Jean-Luc said. "I'd like to meet your friend. I could use a great bartender around here." Lou said with a nod of respect. "Well, let me call her." Picard replied. He moved off a ways and hit his combadge. He spoked quietly for a moment and then returned to the bar, smiling. "She will be here momentarily." "Sounds good, Cap'n." Lou said. "You called her, didn't you, sir?" Will said with a smile. "Of course. She's settled here on Earth and is one of the best bartenders in existence." He replied. "I dunno if I can afford the best in existence." Lou chuckled. "Lou, trust me on this. She's worth every penny." Jason said. He'd met her a few times aboard Enterprise before she'd "retired". He liked her a lot, and she'd counselled him a bit about his parents' deaths when he'd first met her shortly after. He'd still been in the Academy, but had met her when Jean-Luc had visited the Academy and had her with him. "You know her, Jay?" Lou asked. "Yeah, she's one of the coolest people I've ever met. Lou, you'll love her." Jason grinned. The thrum of the transporter made everyone's head turn as Guinan appeared before them. She smiled serenely and hugged Jean-Luc tight before turning to look at everyone else. "Well, HOLY SHIT!" Lou exclaimed, grabbing her up in a Bear Hug. "Damn, Guinan! Still lookin' good as ever!" "Gunny Gibson!" Guinan laughed. "Jean-Luc said that someone was looking to hire a bartender, so I thought I would drop by to see if I would be interested." "Hey, Guinan. How've you been, ma'am?" Jason said, and Delaara raised her eyebrow at the quiet respect he showed her. "Jason, it's good to see you. There's something different about you. You're smiling a lot more than you used to." She smiled at him and hugged him. "Guinan, I'd like to introduce my wife, Delaara. She's the main reason I'm smiling a lot more now. Delaara, this is Guinan. She's a good friend who helped me through a really rough time with some great advice." Jason introduced them. "Jason, hon. You married way up!" Guinan smiled as she nodded to Delaara. "Delaara, it's an honor to meet you, and thank you." "The honor is mine, Guinan. Jason holds you in the utmost of respect, and now so do I." Delaara replied. "Also, there's no need to thank me." She laughed. "Yes there is, Delaara. Just trust me on this." She smiled at them all, then turned to Lou. "Guinan, I can't afford to pay you as much as you're worth." Lou shrugged apologetically. "I'm not that expensive, Lou." She replied with a smile, and moved off with him and Kralla to discuss a possible job. "So, what was the great advice she gave you?" Delaara said to her husband. "She told me not to give up hope, and to focus on the future. I didn't really listen at the time, but her words stuck with me even when I was at my lowest." Jason said, stroking her hand. "And what was she thanking me for?" Delaara was wondering. "For saving my life, and helping me grieve. I'd always been afraid to grieve over my parents. I was afraid of being judged, until you showed me unconditional love with no judgment." He whispered to her in Romulan. Delaara melted at that, and threw her arms around him. "I love you, Jason MacKenzie." "I love you too, Delaara MacKenzie." Jason replied, kissing her lovingly. "I shall love you for the rest of my life, my heart's desire." He said in Romulan. "As I shall love you for the rest of my days, dearest heart." She replied in her native tongue. "Jason, I didn't know you spoke Romulan." Guinan had come up to them from behind the bar. Jason looked at her and blushed. "I learned it for Delaara's birthday last year." "You speak it perfectly." Guinan said. "So, I hear you're expecting? A boy or a girl?" "We don't know yet, but we will when we get back aboard the Nimitz." Delaara said with a smile. "And you don't need to thank me, Guinan. I never need thanks for loving Jason." "You speak with the wisdom of the ages, Delaara." Guinan bowed her head in respect. "I remember what you told me, Guinan. After my parents died, that is. I never completely lost hope in the future, and Delaara was there when I needed help the most." Jason told her. "Just another reason to listen to your Aunt Guinan." She grinned. "... so I clocked him in the jaw and slugged him in the gut. It felt great!" Rash was saying to Will Riker and Deanna Troi. Jason and Delaara started laughing, then noticed Guinan looking at them funny. "Ryan's talking about beating the tar out of Q a few months ago." Jason explained. "He interrupted his and Rachael's sleep." Delaara shrugged. "Ryan!" Guinan shouted. "Yes, ma'am!" Ryan answered her, coming to Attention. "You beat Q in a fist fight?" She squinted at him. "I hit him twice, and rung him up pretty good." Ryan shrugged. "It's true," said Rachael. "Bloody bravest thing I've ever seen." She was grinning broadly. "Well if that don't beat all." Guinan started laughing. "Felt good, didn't it?" "Yes, ma'am," Ryan replied with a grin. "Rash, how the hell did you beat Q and not die?" Jean-Luc asked. "Honestly, sir, I have no freakin' idea." Ryan shrugged. "He said that Ryan throws a mean left cross, though." Rachael helped. Jean-Luc laughed. "Son, you have done what I wished I could have done for years!" "I was pissed off, sir. He deserved it." Ryan nodded sagely. "Maybe it was the double espresso, medium hot." Jason said with a smirk. "If that's the case, I'm drinking one the next time Q shows up." Jean-Luc laughed. "I'll drink one and then stab his hand again." Guinan agreed. "Never underestimate the power of the Double Espresso." Ryan did his best Darth Vader impression. "I swear, Tony! I'm going to kill you and burn all those flatvid movies!" Jason growled in mock anger. "Hey, Jay. Don't look at me, man!" Bounce was looking nervous. "It's not my fault!" He grinned. Marie laughed at that. "Hey, stud!" She said to him. "Yeah, baby?" Tony replied. "Take me to bed or lose me forever!" Marie grinned and winked. "Take me home, momma!" Tony grinned. She moved a little away from everyone with him. "Bye everybody. We're going to go have some 'us' time." Marie winked. She tapped her combadge and they thrummed out in a beam back to the Nimitz. "Saved by his girlfriend!" Ryan chuckled. "Yep." Delaara grinned. Guinan was having a great time pouring beer and mixing drinks, and Lou was nodding in appreciation and respect for her and her skills. The rest of the night passed in good humor and fun, and was pretty uneventful except for one shining moment on the dance floor when Alex pretended to drop something while in a slow dance with Jenny. He said loudly "I need to find it!" as he knelt, drawing everyone's attention. He then pulled a small velvet covered box out of his pocket and Jenny's eyes went wide. He opened the box. "Jenny, will you marry me?" "OhmyGod, yes! Alex, YES!" She grinned as he slipped the engagement ring onto her finger and kissed her lovingly. Her arms went around his neck as they kissed. "Well, hell. Beers are on me, guys!" Lou said with a grin. Everyone congratulated them, and Rachael called dibs on conducting the ceremony. Worf was laughing until he heard "Dad, we're going to make you a grandfather!" He stopped laughing and smiled warmly at his son. ***** After the bar had closed, Lou and Kralla went out to check out Rachael's Ducati. Will Riker and Deanna Troi joined them to look over the bike. Deanna was a motorcycle fan, and loved the look of the bike. She also appreciated all the work that Jason had put into his Harley. "Hey, Captain." He said to Rachael. "We'll be up tomorrow morning. We're going to sleep at home tonight." "Ok, Jason. Good night, guys." She said with a smile. "By the way, I put a down payment on that house today." She grinned. "Which one, Rachael?" Jason asked. "The one that belonged to Mrs. Schmidt." Rachael replied. Jason laughed. "Well, come on, then! We can all ride home together!" Mrs. Schmidt had finally passed away, and her house had gone up for sale after her extended family and cleaned it out of anything valuable. As much as Jason had wished her gone, a part of him missed her. Probably the masochistic part of him, so he dismissed that thought process and grinned. "I know it's not good manners to speak ill of the dead, but she was an evil old woman." Delaara shuddered at the memory of the old shrew calling her every racial slur under the sun. "I agree. She was a real piece of work." Lou said with a nod. "Ok, guys. We'll see you all tomorrow. Lou, until we're home again, keep little Vinnie out of trouble!" Jason and Delaara got on their bike with the goggles on, and took off for home. ***** As Jason shut the bike down inside the garage, he got off and picked Delaara up in his arms, carrying her inside. "Mmmmm, are you going to have your wicked way with me, sailor?" She winked and grinned. "I do believe so, my dearest wife." Jason grinned as he carried her to their bedroom. They undressed each other slowly as they kissed. They spoke only in Romulan as they kissed and touched, held each other close. They lay down together, still kissing as they moved to the middle of the bed. He kissed her ear, causing a shiver of pleasure up her spine, and whispered "Thou art the seasons of my life, Delaara." Her eyes shot open at the old language and she whispered back "As thou art mine only love, Jassonn." as she felt him enter her. Jason thrust slowly inside her, still marveling at how she felt and looked when her face was full of pleasure as she engulfed him inside her pussy. They fit perfectly, as if made for each other. He moved his hips slowly in circles, loving her with every part of him. Their mind meld was sensual, loving, caring, their minds and thoughts starting as two but ending as one. One mind. One soul. Two hearts beating as one. They felt their climaxes coming, and revelled in their love as they came together over and over. She rolled them over and lay on his chest with him still inside her, on their bed. The bed they would share for the rest of their lives. ------------------------------------------------ Best of the Best Delaara and Jason woke the next morning refreshed and ready to start the new day. They showered, dressed, and hit their combadges to beam up to Nimitz. They grinned as they walked through the ship, still in their t-shirts, jeans, boots, and leather jackets. Delaara's skin tight jeans drawing more than her fair share of appreciative stares from both men and women alike. "You look sexy as hell, sweetheart." Jason whispered, knowing that she would hear him. Her smile only broadened. "And everyone here knows that I'm all yours." She replied in a whisper back to him, entwining her fingers with his. "And I'm proud to be all yours as well, Delaara." Jason replied, grinning. ***** Ensign Jon 'Raijin' Takamura entered 11Forward after he finished his Simulator training for the day, much to everyone's surprise. While he had been onboard for the past six months, he hadn't socialized much with his fellow pilots. He was nice enough, and had a quiet air of competence about him, but he was more interested in training himself to be the best. Bounce was standing with Marie, Jason, Delaara, Rash, and Rachael at their normal spots at the bar, when Bounce spotted his newest Charlie flight pilot. "Hey, Raijin! Over here!" He waved the young pilot over. At 5'8" and 150 pounds, the young Japanese American was shorter than most pilots in the Squadron, with the exception of the 5'5" Gem and the 5'6" Cherub. Then he saw her standing next to Captain Thatcher, and his eyes were glued to hers as she looked back at him. He smiled for the first time anyone could remember, and joined his squadmates at the bar. "Want a beer, Raijin?" Jason asked. "No thank you, sir. Not at the moment." He glanced at his Squadron and Wing CO and smiled, then turned his gaze back to the stunningly gorgeous redhead that had captured his attention. Jacqueline Chambers had been Communications officer since Day 1 when the ship had been commissioned. She hadn't dated much, even though Rachael's regs were pretty laid back. She was now struck by the pilot who was her exact height, with his exotic Asian appearance and his graceful stride. He was built for speed and grace, and she was struck gazing into his dark brown eyes. Jonathan Takamura was equally struck by her sky blue eyes under her short red hair. He strode confidently up to her and smiled as he looked into her eyes. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Jon." He held out his hand to her. "I'm Jackie," she replied with a warm smile of her own, shaking his hand, which he then brought to his lips to kiss. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Jackie. Would you care to dance?" He asked as his smile widened. Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'The Last Rebel' had just started, and Jackie accepted his hand with a smile as they stepped onto the dance floor together. ***** "Well, what do ya know?" Bounce was smiling as he cuddled with Marie at his side. "I know, right?" Jason said as Delaara just smiled and shook her head. "I do believe we have just seen proof of 'love at first sight', everyone." Delaara finally said as she chuckled. They'd all seen it. As soon as Jon had seen Jackie, their eyes had locked and he'd made a straight shot to her. Six months onboard, and this was only his second trip to the bar. And up until this moment, they'd never even seen the kid smile. He was already a damn good pilot, but he hadn't socialized much at all, until tonight. "I don't think I've ever seen Jackie dance with anyone before!" Marie said in a bit of shock. "I haven't either." Rachael chimed in. "I tried to get her to dance when we first came aboard, but she wouldn't." Rash said as he shrugged and took a swig of his beer. Jackie wasn't a wallflower on the scale that Mae had been before hooking up with Steve, but she'd been a bit on the shy side. She'd been fun to be around when in a group, but she usually turned guys down when they would ask her to dance or offer to buy her a drink. She was the same way with the lesbian and bisexual women of the crew, so it wasn't that she disliked men. Yet there she was, dancing with the most junior pilot in the entire Wing, and enjoying herself. Her arms rested on his shoulders as his hands rested on her waist. Rash saw Rachael give him a dirty look. "Honey, it was before I even got promoted to J.G. I was still an Ensign at the time." He smiled and kissed his very pregnant wife. "Hey, Captain. How long are we going to stay in Earth Orbit?" Jason asked. "We've been here over a month now." Rachael shrugged. "I have no idea, Cobalt. Enterprise is in the same boat we are, and nobody at Starfleet Command is talking." "Well, I say we all march into Nick's office and demand to know what the fuck is going on." Delaara said. She hated being kept in the dark and REALLY hated not being able to fly alongside Jason. She knew she would be flying their Desk for the next nine months until their baby was born. Jason wasn't taking any chances with their safety. "Normally, I'd agree with you, sister." Rachael said. "Unfortunately, if Nick is keeping quiet over this, he has a good reason. I've known him a very long time." Romulans, like Vulcans, had a ten month gestation for their babies from conception to birth. While she could run Simulations with Jason, he'd grounded her once her morning sickness and mood swings had hit. While her morning sickness had passed, her mood swings were being chemically controlled now by Doc's meds, so she was still grounded. She'd shrugged, knowing that this had been a very real possibility when she'd first decided to stop her anti-conceptive shots in order to become a mother. It wasn't the first time she'd been grounded and relegated to an administrative role. She knew it was the logical decision for her safety as well as their unborn child's safety. Doc had agreed, even though he wasn't the most Logical Vulcan alive. He was still extremely competent as Chief Medical Officer. Love And War Bk. 04 She leaned toward Jason and whispered "My love, once Bryan is born, and able to be babysat, we're going to fly deep into Cardassian space and pick a fight!" Jason laughed and kissed his wife. He knew how much she loved to fly, and hated having to ground her from combat missions, but he also knew that if it put their baby in danger, there was no way in hell that he would put them in harm's way. And now that Alex and Jenny were getting married, and had already announced their intention of having a child of their own, it appeared that the Nimitz was in for a mini baby boom. ***** Jon and Jackie were talking quietly to each other on the dance floor. "So what brought you here tonight, Jon?" Jackie asked with a smile. "I don't know, to be honest." He smiled. "I know I haven't been the most sociable person since I've been aboard, and I'm still trying to get used to the relaxed regulations." Jackie smiled and giggled. "I know what you mean. When I first came aboard at Utopia Planaetia, I was expecting just another ship with just another Captain. I'd no clue that Rachael would not only relax the personal relationship regs, but that she would actually hook up with and marrying Rash." "I'd noticed that. Especially when they pulled what I'm guessing is a going joke on new personnel here in 11Forward." He smiled as he'd remembered Rash and Rachael having a seemingly serious discussion until she had kissed him with a passion that he'd never seen before. It had caught him offguard at the time. "From what I've heard, you rarely come here, either. What brought you out tonight, if I may ask?" She giggled softly again. "I don't know. Marie wanted me to come with her and Tony, and she said that I needed to get out more often." Jackie shrugged and pulled him closer. She was enjoying dancing with the young pilot. Jon was enjoying dancing with this goddess he'd just met as well, and enjoyed the feel of her so close. "Jackie, I for one am glad you came tonight," he said softly. Jon was usually training himself in the simulator and holodeck. He knew when he'd received his Orders of Transfer to Skull Squadron that he would be flying alongside living legends, and had honed his skills as much as possible on the different simulations. He'd also kept up his bujutsu training since he'd left Earth, and had forged himself into a living weapon like his ancestors in Japan had hundreds of years before. The only thing he'd been missing, and he hadn't even realized it until now, was someone special to share himself with. Jackie had spent her off hours reading, mostly. She loved learning new languages, and was now working on Romulan, having been inspired by Jason's dilligence in learning his wife's native language. She'd been working with Mariel 'Seraph' Evans, who was already fluent in it, as well as studying on her own. They talked about their interests, and what they liked and didn't like. Like her, he loved learning new languages, and had studied to learn Klingon, since their culture somewhat resembled the warrior culture of ancient Japan. Their sense of Honor was very close to the Samurai ideal. Jon was only 23, but in his short life, he'd excelled at nearly everything he'd attempted. Here he was now, proving himself to his new squadmates, and dancing with the prettiest woman he'd ever laid eyes upon. The song ended, and they walked hand in hand back to the bar area. "Ah, good. You're both back." Rachael said as they came near. "Lieutenant, you are out of uniform." She said to Jon. "With respect, ma'am. Lieutenant Chambers is in fact in uniform." He smiled as he thought she'd meant his dance partner. "Actually, she isn't, but we'll get to that in a moment. I was adressing you, Lieutenant Junior Grade Jonathan Takamura." Rachael smiled as she saw his eyebrows raise momentarily. Jon recovered quickly and bowed. "I'm honored, Captain." He allowed himself a small smile as she pinned the hollow pip on the collar of his flight suit. "Congratulations, Lieutenant." She said with a grin, and the Skulls present applauded. "Thank you, ma'am." He responded, and Jackie kissed him on the cheek. "Ok, Lieutenant Commander, you are also out of uniform." Rachael said with a smirk at Jackie, who was now grinning ear to ear. "Rachael, you are one evil woman sometimes!" Jackie smiled as Rachael pinned another hollow pip on her collar next to he two solid pips already there. "I can be, but you've both earned that." She finished. "You should have seen Jason's face when I did it to him!" "He was beside himself." Delaara confirmed. Jon liked his Squadron Commander and Squadron XO. They were tough but fair, and friendly when off duty. When he'd first come aboard, Delaara had welcomed him with a smile, and even though he knew who she was from watching the News, he was still captivated by her striking looks. Bounce had called her 'The Old Lady', but she looked just slightly younger than her husband. "Jon, why don't we go dance to celebrate?" Jackie said to him with a grin, and he smiled back. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Jackie." He replied, and led her back onto the dance floor. ***** Alex and Jenny lay in bed talking as they remained stationed in geosynchronous orbit above Starfleet HQ on Earth. "You are so beautiful, Jennifer. I love you." Alex kissed his fiancee as she lay in his arms. Her naked body pressed against his. "I feel beautiful when I'm with you, Alex. I love you too!" She replied with a smile and snuggled close to her Klingon lover. "When we get married, I would love to have a full Human ceremony, sweetheart." Alex said. "Klingon weddings aren't really my thing." He shrugged. "Ugh, I know, baby. I was thinking about including the 'tossing the bride into the air' part, though." She giggled. Alex grinned. "Yeah, that's about the only fun part, from what I've seen." They both laughed and then kissed passionately. "I need you, Jenny." He whispered in her ear. "Then make love to me, Alex. I'm yours." She replied, her breath catching in her throat as her heart started beating faster. She spread her thighs for him invitingly as he moved between them. He kissed her lovingly as her arms went around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. She didn't even have to guide him as he entered her hungry pussy, and thrust slowly into her. She moaned as he penetrated her lovingly, and tightened her legs around him, pulling him even deeper. "Mmmmmm God baby.... You feel so amazing inside me!" Jenny moaned as he filled her. "I love being inside you, my love." He replied, thrusting in and out slowly, giving her as much of himself as he could. She moaned louder as they made love, coming around him as he bottomed out against her cervix. She shook with her climax, feeling him deep in her, nearly to her womb. He held still as she came down from the peak, and started moving again slowly. Alex loved making love to her. He enjoyed their hard frantic fucks, but this was much more sensual, and allowed him to express his feelings toward her better. He continued to thrust into her slowly, moving his hips as hers rose to meet him on each downstroke. She felt wonderful around him, and she kissed him lovingly as their bodies joined. "Oh Jenny... I'm getting close, baby!" He said as they moved together. She pulled him closer still as she felt her own build up. "Yes, baby! Come in me! Give me your babies!" She cried out as she started to come around him. Alex felt her tightening, her young pussy contracting around him, milking him as she massaged him inside her. He couldn't hold back anymore as he swelled inside her loving pussy. "I'm coming, baby!" He shouted as he released, uloading volley after volley into her for what seemed like forever. His orgasm set her off again, and her climaxes cascaded one into another as he bucked and spasmed above her and inside her. He rolled off of her, pulling her on top of him as they continued to climax together. He'd never felt anything like it, and by the time the came down, they were both breathless. "Wow, Alex!" Jenny said as she caught her breath finally. "Wow is right, baby!" Alex said, breathing heavily himself as he kissed her passionately. "You are the most amazing woman in the galaxy, Jenny Sparks!" "Not as amazing as you, Alex Rozhenko!" She giggled in reply. "We're both amazing, then!" He laughed his deep laugh and kissed her lovingly again. ***** "I don't know, Jackie," Jon was nervous. "Believe me, I want to. More than you know." "Jon, I want this with you. I know you want it with me, too." Jackie was breathing quickly as she danced with him slowly. She'd just invited him back to her quarters. "Jackie, I do want you, and I know you want me. While I'm a good pilot and a skilled fighter, there are some things that I have very little experience with." He gulped and blushed. His control had slipped, and he was furiously grasping to get it back. "Jon, it's ok." She replied, stroking his face. She smiled at him. "Jon, listen. Please. There's no shame in that. We don't learn unless we experience things. You know that." He saw her smile and looked into her sky blue eyes. "I don't think you realize this, Jackie. I'm... I'm a... I've never been with a woman before." Jackie pulled him close. "It's ok, Jon. I understand. Do you want me to be your first?" Jon was reeling. He hadn't felt this way about anyone else in his life. "Jackie, if I give myself to you, I am giving myself to you for as long as you want me. If this is a one night thing, I will understand. Especially since I really don't know what I'm doing." He chuckled nervously. "Jon, I've only ever been with one man before, and that was years ago. I'm not very experienced either." She admitted with a smile and a shrug. Jon looked at her in disbelief. She was gorgeous. She could have any man she wanted. He sensed the truth in her words, though. "Jackie, I know you're telling the truth, but how? How is it that a lady as beautiful as you doesn't have a man already? You are truly gorgeous!" She blushed at his heartfelt compliment. "Jon, you are unlike the other men here. I'm VERY choosy about who I date." Jackie smiled at him. Unlike quite a few other female crewmembers, she had never had a crush on Jason MacKenzie. She'd always seen him as more of a little brother, but he and Delaara were her friends. She'd seen women throw themselves at him when he'd first come aboard as an Ensign, and had been promoted to J.G. a week later, but he'd turned them all down. She knew from her girlfriend Akiko that he wasn't into men, but he seemed to have no room for romance, even if she had been interested. Jon was something else, though. It wasn't that he didn't want her. It was that he was nervous about how he would do with her. "Jackie, I have to ask if you believe in love at first sight." Jon blurted suddenly. His normally reserved demeanor was out the airlock. "Jon, I believe that when you walked in that door, I lost sight of everyone else around me." Jackie replied with a smile. She leaned forward and kissed him sweetly. "It.. it was the same for me, Jackie." He smiled and kissed her back lovingly. "One thing, though. I want this to be with someone special, and I don't want it to be just a one-nighter." Here's where it usually went wrong for him. When he'd say this to other girls who just wanted him as a notch, they usually balked. "You are special, since none of the other women in here even come close to your beauty." Jackie was speechless for the first time in her entire life. She'd felt the tingle in her pussy when he'd first walked in, and knew that she wanted him. But to hear this from him touched her more deeply than anyone else in her life. ***** Jason, Delaara, Rash, Rachael, Bounce, and Marie all watched the romance unfolding on the dance floor. "Man, he's in my flight, and I've never seen him show that much real emotion." Bounce said as he swigged his beer. "Hell, I've never seen Jackie so much as look at a man twice until now." Marie added. "Look at him. He's a nervous wreck." Jason said. "The poor guy is acting like he's never been.... ohboy." Delaara saw it too. "He's never been with a woman." She said matter-of-factly. "Ok, I think if he needs help, we should give it to him. No pilot in MY Squadron is going to die a freakin' virgin!" Jason nodded resolutely. "No worries there, mate." Bounce said, letting his Australian heritage show. "I think Jackie has the situation well in hand." He clinked bottles with his boss on that. "You're right, Tony. I have a feeling he's going to be a new man by morning." Marie grinned as she watched Jackie kiss Jon passionately as she melded her body to his. "How did he do that?" Rash asked, shaking his head in wonder. "The kid is good with a stick." Jason toasted his most junior squadron member. "Let's hope he's good with her cockpit." Bounce grinned. "Speaking of which, Tony, can you come back and inspect MY cockpit? I think it might be starting to leak." Marie asked, giving him a wink. "I'd be happy to, babe!" Bounce replied, and they left the bar together. "She has to be the randiest slut I've ever met." Rachael laughed after they'd left. "Marie??" Delaara asked. "Yeah. I used to serve with her on the USS Saratoga, and her quarters were right next door to mine. If you heard half the things she says during sex, your ears would melt, sis." Rachael winked at her friend with a smirk. "She should hear some of the stuff you say to me, sweetheart." Jason said to Delaara just loud enough for Rachael to overhear. Delaara smacked him on the shoulder. "Don't you dare!" "Oh hell, Delaara, are you as filthy as I think you are?" Rachael was wide eyed and grinning. "I'm not saying anything else, since my wife would probably cut me off at the nuts." Jason started gulping his beer studiously. Delaara laughed, and Rash was red faced at the thought of Delaara screaming profanities while... yeah, he had to stop thinking that... NOW! ***** "Jackie, I really REALLY like you. But I don't know if it's love yet. Maybe we could go someplace a bit more quiet and talk about it?" Jon said after their most recent kiss that had left his toes curling in his boots. "I think we could do that. Would my quarters be ok, baby?" Jackie asked in a sultry tone. Her pussy was drenched, and she knew right then and there that she had to have him. "Yes, ma'am!" Jon said, grinning. "Lead the way." She grabbed his hand and led him out of the bar at a near run. ***** "Yeah, Raijin just hit the Single Dude jackpot right there!" Rash grinned. "How'd he get that callsign?" Delaara asked. "What, 'Raijin'? I think it was because his flight instructors said he struck like lightning during training. Fast and with deadly accuracy. Since Raijin is the Japanese god of Thunder, it would make sense." Jason said with a shrug. "Well, let's just hope lightning strikes more than once tonight." Rash lifted his bottle in a toast. ***** Jackie had pulled Jon's zipper down as soon as they'd gotten into her quarters. She had him undressed in no time, and he returned the favor on her. "I want you, Jackie." Jon was breathing heavily. His eyes were full of love and lust for her. "I want you too, Jon! More than you know!" Jackie replied. She threw him onto the bed and took hold of his hard cock in her hand. "If you come quickly, don't worry. I'll make sure you don't stay soft for long, baby." She grinned wickedly as she straddled his hips, and he looked at her neatly trimmed pussy hair. He watched her set him against her dripping wet lips, and pushed up to meet her as she sank onto him with a loud moan of pleasure. "Oh my God, Jackie!" Jon was inside her. He was inside a woman for the first time! "You feel wonderful, baby!" He exclaimed. "Now I know what heaven feels like!" "Mmmmmm Jon, that's what I need, baby. Now just lay still and let me do all the work." She leaned down and kissed him as his hands went to her waist and she began to move on him. Up and down, up and down. He soon got into rhythm with her, meeting her with upstrokes every time she came down on him, and her moans grew louder as she got closer and closer to her climax. Jon looked up into her eyes as she rode him. She leaned forward and presented her hard nipples and luscious breasts to his hungry mouth, and he licked and sucked each nipple in turn, to her delighted moans and squeals of pleasure. She started fucking him rapidly as she got closer to coming. "Jackie, you're so tight, baby!" He exclaimed as he felt his balls tightening and his cock swelled larger inside her. "Oh fuck yes, baby! I can feel you, Jonny! I can feel you. Come inside me, baby. I need it!" Jackie started to climax around him. "FUCK YES! I'M COMING, BABY! I'mmmmm CCCCCOMMMMIIIIINNNGGG!" Jackie thrashed wildly on top of him as she came, her pussy clamping down on him and locking him inside her. Jon felt himself erupt inside her like a volcano. He cried out as he filled her, and she came again in rapid succession around him. "OOOOHHHHHH YESSSSSS BBBAAAAABYYYYYYYY!!!!" She screamed as he filled her with volley after volley of his seed. Jon's whole body tensed up, and he felt her spasming and thrashing around as they came together. Then as quickly as it had hit them, it released them, and they collapsed together. Jon was breathing heavily, as was Jackie. Her head was resting on his chest as she regained herself, and she looked up into his dark almond shaped eyes with her sky blue ones and kissed him lovingly. Jon returned her kiss just as tenderly. He felt some satisfaction at not only holding out as long as he had, but having satisfied this beautiful woman and bringing an angelic smile to her face. "Ja... Jackie, Oh my God WOW!" Jon finally exclaimed. "That was... you are amazing!" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately as she lay on top of him. "Ar... are you.. sure you were a virgin, baby?" Jackie asked as she continued fighting to catch her breath. "Yes. Up until we made love, I had never been with a woman before." He blushed at her compliment. Jackie laughed breathlessly. "Then you are a natural lover, baby." She kissed him lovingly and tenderly. She moved off of him slightly and snuggled up against him with her leg draped across his waist and hips. Jon stroked her hair off her face and looked at her serene smile and sky blue eyes. She is beautiful, he thought to himself. Soon her breathing deepened as their eyes began to close, and they fell asleep together, dreaming of the love they had found. ***** Tony was fucking Marie hard in her ass, which was where she preferred him most of the time. She was bent over her bed and his fingers were wrapped in her hair as he plundered her hot tight asshole. "You like being my bitch, don't ya?" He said. "You like being fucked up your dirty ass like a fucking whore, don't ya, baby!" "OH FUCK YES YOU FUCKING GODDAMN BASTARD!" Marie screamed as she came again, drenching his balls as they slapped against her cunt with his cock balls deep in her backdoor. As she convulsed around him, he leaned forward and whispered "Now, slut. Get down on your knees and clean my cock and balls." "Oh fuck yes, baby!" She exclaimed, dropping to her knees and sucking her ass juices off his cock. She then cleaned his balls of her cum, and moved up to kiss him lovingly. He returned her kiss passionately, then pushed her back on the bed with a wicked smirk. She spread her legs wide, and crooked a finger at him, inviting him into her again. Tony moved on top of her and their mouths met as he plunged his now clean cock into her cunt hard, causing her to scream out in pain and pleasure. He put her legs up over his shoulders and began to plow her like a farm field. Pumping into her harder and harder, faster and faster, going as deep as humanly possible inside her tight gushing wet cunt. Love And War Bk. 04 "You gonna cum for your fuckslut, you fucking bastard?" She demanded. "You going to fill my fucking cunt with your fucking load of jizz, you fucking shit? Fuck me, Tony! Fuck your fucking whore like she fucking deserves!" Marie had never met a man like Tony before. Most men were put off by her dirtiest talk while fucking, but he revelled in it. "Fuck yes I am, you fucking cunt!" He shouted back. "I'm gonna fill your fucking cunt so full, you're gonna get fucking pregnant!" He could feel his balls tightening again, for the third time this fuck session, and said "I'M FUCKING COMING!" as he blasted off inside her, filling her with rocket after rocket of cum. Marie screamed wordlessly as he took her over the edge again. She spasmed and convulsed beneath him as his cock emptied his seed into her over and over. Tony was fucking her like a man possessed as he continued coming deep in her pussy. As they finally came down, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly. She kissed him back lovingly and deeply, their tongues dancing together as they basked in the filthiness that had given birth to their love. "Oh my God, Marie." Tony said finally after catching his breath. "Tony, that was... WOW, baby!" Marie grinned and kissed him again. "Glad I can keep you satisfied, babe." He winked and kissed her back lovingly. "Tony, I love you." She said. It was the first time she'd admitted it to him. Tony was caught offguard, and his mouth dropped open. "Marie... wow. Do ya mean that, babe?" He had the beginnings of a smile on his face. "Yes, I do, Tony. We've been together how long now? Nearly a year? Maybe a little more? Until you, I've never stayed with a man more than a month at most." She blushed as she said it. "I was afraid to say it to you, honestly." Tony admitted. "I love rough fucking, but most women don't. I love extremely dirty talk, and you deliver it better than any other woman I've been with. What I'm trying to say is that I love you too, Marie." Tony finally spit it out. Marie smiled warmly at her boyfriend. "Make love to me, Tony." She whispered. "Just make love to me tonight." She'd taken a chance on telling him, not knowing how he'd react, but finding out he felt the same way somehow calmed her and made her feel more loved than any man had ever made her feel before. They made love then for the first time in their relationship. Long and slow, loving and caring. It was something new for both of them, but they revelled in their newly admitted love for each other. ***** "Damn, Bounce! When did that happen?" Rash asked his friend. "Last night, mate. After our normal powerfuck, we actually made love. It was... different, but also fantastic!" Tony admitted with a grin. "I thought she just kept me around because I'm a damn good fuck, but she really loves me!" Jason grinned. It was just the three of them in his office. "So Rachael was right about her being filthy as sin. She makes Delaara in heat look tame by comparison!" Bounce had given them an example of her dirty talk during sex, and it had made both Rash and Cobalt go red with embarrassment. "What kind of stuff does Delaara say?" Rash asked with his jaw hanging open. "She likes being my 'Romulan whore' when she really gets going." Jason replied. He knew that his friends would never repeat what he said, just as they knew that he wouldn't, either. They'd all known each other since they were plebes at the Academy, and could confide in each other. "Oh my God, Jay!" Rash was grinning. "Damn, that sounds HOT!" Bounce was laughing his ass off as well. "I agree with the 'bloody wanker' here. Now I can imagine her Linda Fiorentino voice shouting that. Dammit, where the fuck is Marie when I need her?" "On duty, jarhead!" Rash said. "Same as my wifey." It had been a while since they'd had a Guy Talk Bullshit Session, but it felt good to cut loose. Since they were on duty, Jason had gotten three synthbeers from the Replicator. But since they had really nothing to do that day after Simulator, it made sense. It had been nearly two months since they'd taken up geosynchronous orbit above Starfleet Headquarters in San Fran with Enterprise right behind them in Orbit. Being in the Aft Flight Hangar, they could see the Sovereign class battleship clearly outside the atmospheric forcefield. One night they'd gotten so drunk, the three amigos had mooned Enterprise, and had laughed hard when Jean-Luc had commed Jason to ask what was going on. "We're just blowing off steam, sir. We're off duty, but we have literally nothing to do right now other than get drunk and regress to our Academy days." Jason had said, still half drunk, to his hero and mentor. Picard had laughed at that. They were all going a little bit stir crazy being cooped up with no orders from Starfleet and nothing to do that they hadn't done already several times over. Delaara and Rachael were sore from all the sex, as was Marie. They would drill or do simulations for several hours a day, and fly out and do some acrobatics for a bit in their Valkyries, but not even the Holodeck was any fun right now. ***** "Admiral Nelson to USS Nimitz." Rachael sat up and looked like she was about to laugh. "Nimitz here, Nick. You'd better say we have new orders and something to do, or so help me God, I'm going to beat you to death with your own shoes!" "Now that's scary. Jean-Luc said something similar when I just commed him to tell him the news." Admiral Nelson laughed. "Yes, Rachael, we have a mission for Enterprise and Nimitz, and it's a doozy. We finally got the Cardassian commander, Legate Masson, to tell us why his cruiser squadron was in the NZ12 system attacking the USS Bombay." "Well, it's about bloody time!" Rachael responded. "Don't keep me in suspense, Nick!" "We have a stable wormhole in Federation space that appears to lead to the Gamma Quadrant. We need you and Enterprise to check out the coordinates and see if the Dominion might have found a way back." He paused as he looked at his friend. "Rachael, I don't have to stress the need for caution on this one. I'll tell you the same thing I told Jean-Luc. Be careful." "Understood, Nick. We will." She nodded to her oldest friend. "Good. Nelson, out." The screen went back to the starfield with Earth below them at the bottom of the viewscreen. Rachael hit the PA. "Ok, boys and girls! We have an assignment! Nimitz and Enterprise are going to investigate the coordinates of a possibly stable wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant to determine of the Dominion is behind it." ***** Jason, Rash, and Bounce all heard the Captain over the PA and grinned. "YES!" Rash shouted as he jumped to his feet. "It's about bloody time!" Bounce grinned as well. Jason smiled and chuckled. "We never got into the last Dominion War. They never met Skull Squadron!" ------------------------------------------------- The Rage of Angels "No, Jason. I AM going to fly with you. That is ALL there is to it!" Delaara glared at Jason as he got suited up. Jason looked at her and rose to his feet. He saw the determination on her face and the worry in her eyes for him. "Ok, sweetheart." He said quietly. "Get your gear on and report to the Flight Deck. We're going to be providing cover for both Enterprise and Nimitz on this one." Delaara's face broke into a grin. She was two months along, but she still hadn't started to show. "Thank you, baby!" She grinned and kissed him lovingly. She ran and got her flight suit from her closet and stripped off the old surfer t-shirt of his that she used as a night shirt. He admired her athletic body and beautiful striking features. She'd grown her hair out even longer, and now wore it in a braided ponytail. She looked maybe 26 at the outside, when she was in fact 62. She dressed in record time, and they were on their way to the Flight Deck. "Sweetheart, please make sure your inertial dampeners are on full, ok?" He said, thinking of their unborn son. "I will, baby." She leaned over and kissed him as they walked. "Good. Let's go introduce the Jem'Hadar to Skull Squadron." Jason grinned at the thought. As they entered the flight deck, The Skulls were already assembled. Jason and Delaara moved to the front of the formation. "Skulls, we missed out on the Dominion War by about two days, last time around. Today, we have a possible opportunity to face them in combat. We've all seen the footage of them and their combat tactics, but they've never seen us in action. It is said that the Jem'Hadar don't fear death." He paused and smiled at his assembled pilots. "But that's because they've never met Skull Squadron!" The cheer was loud through the deck, and Rachael had heard the pep talk over the comm. She grinned, as did the rest of her Bridge crew. "Mount up, Skulls!" Jason finally shouted to his pilots as he and Delaara ran to their Valkyries. They all mounted up and waited for Commander Jerov, the CAG, to give the order to launch. As they powered up their Valkyries, Jason switched to Wing frequency to bring his other Squadron COs up to speed. "Dominion contact is very possible if what the Cardassians said is true. Be prepared to engage Jem'Hadar ships upon entering the wormhole." He heard their acknowledgments and was satisfied. Scorpion Squadron would be flying the new Sleipnirs for this mission, and Jason was eager to see them in action. He had half hoped the Skulls would get them, but he found he trusted his Valkyrie's speed and agility over the added armor and shielding of the Sleipnir. "Two to Lead, I have your wing." Delaara said over the comm on the Flight frequency. He grinned. It had been too long since they'd flown together, and he had missed her on his wing. "Thatcher to Striker Wing. We will be dropping from Warp in one minute. We will launch fighters as soon as we drop. Form a perimeter around Nimitz and Enterprise and be prepared to engage any hostile forces." "Roger that, Captain. Skull Squadron has the Enterprise while Stiletto and Scorpion have the Nimitz." Jason reported his assignments for his Wing. He switched to Enterprise's frequency. "Skull Lead to Enterprise, we have your back." "We copy, Jason. Good to see you, son." Jean-Luc said. "As long as we aren't seeing your backside, this time." He chuckled. "That's a negative, Jean-Luc. We're sober and ready for war." Jason replied with a grin. "The Jem'Hadar aren't ready for us, though." "Exiting warp now. Striker Wing, LAUNCH!" The CAG yelled over the comm. "Go Skulls. Gloria ad mortem!" Jason said. "GLORIA AD MORTEM!" The thunderous reply came from every Skull as they launched into the vaccuum of space and took up their assigned stations around the two capital ships. They saw the wormhole as they exited and banked hard to starboard to take up their positions as the Enterprise's escort. As soon as they were in position, Cobalt hailed the Enterprise again. "Skull Lead to Enterprise, we are in position and ready, sir." "Copy that, Skull Leader. We are entering the wormhole now. Stay with us." Jean-Luc replied as the Enterprise and Nimitz started forward with their fighter escort keeping close. "Skull Squadron is at your command, Captain." Jason acknowledged as they entered the wormhole alongside Enterprise and Nimitz. The wormhole rushed past them as they shot through it in a matter of seconds, and as they exited the other side, they saw the fleet just in time to hear Jean-Luc shout "Red Alert! Shields up! All hands to Battlestations!" Jason confirmed that both Enterprise and Nimitz had raised shields and charged weapons as he started calling targets to the Skulls. Enterprise sent telemetry to Jason and he tranmitted them to his pilots with targets of priority. The Dominion ships, however, had not moved. Jason had already had his Skulls target the huge Jem'Hadar battleship. "Targets acquired, Enterprise. Awaiting your attack orders, sir." "Copy that, Skull Leader. Stand by." Jean-Luc said. "Skull Squadron standing by, aye, Captain." Jason replied. Stupid Federation rules of engagement, he thought to himself. The Dominion outnumbered the small task force by ten to one, but they still hadn't moved. "Dominion Fleet, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. Please state your intentions toward this wormhole and the Alpha Quadrant." He broadcast over an open channel. "This is Taarok of the Jem'Hadar battleship Colvo. We are awaiting orders from the Founders." The reply came back. "I wish to speak to your Founder, Colvo." Picard replied. "Very well, Captain. I will contact him immediately." Taarok's voice responded. "Here we go!" Jason shouted as he saw the Dominion fleet roar to life. All ships had raised shields and charged weapons. "Enterprise to battlegroup. Engage targets at will!" Jean-Luc commanded, and the Skulls shot forward at full warp burn. "Skulls, the Colvo is ours! Engage and destroy! Alpha, we're on Torpedoes as usual. Let's light these fuckers up!" Jason called. "Roger that, Lead. Two has your wing, baby." Demoness grinned through the comm. Razor and Gem were formed up as well as they shot towards the massive battleship at a fraction of lightspeed, closing rapidly. "Skulls, full spread of Quantums, fire!" Cobalt shouted and his entire squadron opened up. A total of 24 Quantum Missiles slammed into the Colvo's shields, as the fighters slowed from warp burn and went about their assigned targets. Switching to Photons, Alpha blasted half the forward torpedo tubes on the first pass, banking hard to port and warp burning out to avoid the massive energy weapons fire coming from the gigantic battlewagon. They swung around again and annihilated the remaining forward tubes on their second pass. "Charlie to Lead, we have the port side Phasers down, switching to shield generators." Bounce reported. "Great job, Bounce." Jason replied, grinning. "Bravo to Lead, starboard phasers are down, switching to engineering. "Roger that, Bravo. Let's finish this ship off!" Jason said as they wheeled about. "Quantum torpedoes armed, Skulls. Fire when you get a lock!" The fire from the Jem'Hadar cruisers had been scattered, trying to pick off the fast and nimble fighters. They had completely ignored Enterprise and Nimitz as they swatted in vain at the mosquitoes ripping them to shreds. Stiletto and Scorpion Squads had already taken down three of the cruisers as the Colvo fireballed finally. "YEAH! Great job, Skulls! Next target!" Jason grinned as a blast caught his attention and half of Stiletto Squadron disappeared in a fireball. "What the fuck was that?!?!" Rash shouted. "It came from the planet's surface!" Jason replied. "Skull Leader to Stiletto, pull back towards the enemy fleet. Don't let that planet take another shot at you!" "Stiletto copies, Cobalt. They just destroyed half my squadron in one shot!" Freya shouted over the comm. "Understood, Freya. Keep it together. We can mourn them after the battle." Jason knew it sounded harsh, but this was war. "Enterprise to Skull Leader. Jason, we have telemetry on the blast from the planet surface. Transmitting it now." Jean-Luc said as the data hit his Valkyrie. "Roger that, Enterprise. Skull Squadron is going sub-atmo to deal with it." He heeled over in a dive towards the planet's surface, with the rest of the Skulls right behind him. They warp burned into the atmosphere at Mach 50, and armed all remaining photon missiles. Their target was nearly in range when they spotted new signatures. "Two to Lead, we have five incoming fighters! Three o'clock high!" Demoness shouted. "Roger that, Two. Charlie, Bravo, Keep on the attack run and blow that gun off the face of the planet. Alpha has the fighters!" Jason said. He banked them hard to starboard and began to climb towards the enemy fighter formation. They switched to Phasers as they shunted shields forward. They opened up on the Dominion fighters as soon as they could. Two of the Jem'Hadar fighters fireballed immediately, then a third. The fourth managed to get a missile off, which slammed into Gem's fighter, sending it careening out as Alex shouted a war cry and blasted the Dominion fighter from the sky. "Go get her, Alex. Sensors say she's EV!" Jason said to his friend. "Two, let's take this bastard out!" "Roger, Lead. Let's do this!" Demoness was grinning ear to ear, and he could hear it through the comm. They spread out to double distance and caught the enemy fighter in a perfect crossfire, obliterating it. "Razor to Lead, I have Gem's pod and burning back out atmo." Alex reported as he tractored his fiancee back to the Nimitz. "Bravo to Lead, that gun is destroyed, but we lost Cherub to EV. Arrow and Seraph have her, though. Heading back to Nimitz." Rash reported. "Charlie to Lead, we're still at full strength, sir. No casualties." Jason got an idea. "Charlie, you are now temporarily assigned to Stiletto Squadron. Back up Freya until the battle is over. We'll be out again as soon as we reload." "Charlie copies, Lead. Switching to Stiletto frequency now. Good luck, Cobalt." Bounce said. Jason switched to Wing comm. "All Squadrons report in! Status!" "Scorpion to Skull Lead, we have five down, but we've taken down two cruisers and a destroyer. Three of our five casualties are EV." "Roger that, Scorp Lead. As soon as Skull is rearmed, return to Nimitz for rearming as well." "Scorp copies, Skull Lead." "Stiletto Lead to Skull Lead, we have Charlie here now and we're pulling back to Nimitz. We've lost six casualties, all KIA." Lt. Cmdr Helen 'Freya' Thorst sounded stoic, but Jason knew that she was torn up inside. "Roger, Stiletto. Once you're all aboard, stay there. We're almost done out here, anyway." Jason ordered. "Stiletto copies, Cobalt." She replied. Jason reviewed what had happened so far. They had lost a full third of their Wing, but were winning the battle. He came up with a plan to finish it off. "Skull Leader to Enterprise, I'll be reforming Striker Wing once aboard Nimitz. We will continue assaulting undestroyed targets." "Enterprise copies, Jason. Good job so far. We have them reeling!" Jean-Luc sounded alive, as if he'd been born for this. "Nimitz to Skull Lead, we have Stilettos and Scorps aboard now. Scorpions are rearming missiles, and Stiletto has stood down per your orders. "Thanks, Rachael. When I get aboard, Scorpion Squadron is being reformed along with the Skulls into Skull Group. We will concentrate all firepower on each remaining Dominion vessel along with Nimitz and Enterprise." Jason said. "That's a risky play, Jason." Captain Thatcher said. "I know, but we've already lost a full third of the Wing, and I don't feel like losing any more!" "Enterprise to Skull Lead. We've obliterated two thirds of the enemy force, so far. Six ships remaining, all firing on Enterprise and Nimitz." "Roger that, sir. We'll be back ASAP." Jason countered. Now wasn't the time to panic. They were winning in a landslide. "Delta flight reporting, Skull Lead." The voice of Lt. Cmdr Jameson 'Merlin' Richards came over the comm. "Roger that, Merlin. Take Delta and hit the next cruiser. Your seven fighters should be more than enough to take it down. A full volley of missiles should do the trick." Cobalt ordered. "Roger, Skull Lead. Thirteen has this." Merlin replied as he led his flight back into the mouth of hell. They landed and refit immediately, deck crews fitting new missiles onto the wing hardpoints. They lifted, and rejoined the fight as two more Dominion cruisers went up in fireballs. Enterprise had obliterated one just as the Scorps now under direct Skull command blasted the other. "Outstanding work, Skulls!" Cobalt shouted over the comm. "Let's finish this!" "Gloria ad mortem, Cobalt!" Merlin replied. Love And War Bk. 05 Foreword: Wow, we're on Book 5 already! Yeah, I've had this story floating around in my head for years, ever since I ran a Carrier in Starfleet Battles and played as the SFMC in the old Star Trek RPG from FASA, including the Starfleet Marines module. What can I say? I'm a 'Trek Geek from way back. lol Jason and Delaara MacKenzie are very loosely based on myself and a lady I met a long time ago. 'Delaara' is even a Romulan version of her name, as I interpret it. We were never technically enemies, but our instant connection is what I've based my main characters on in these stories. As in 'Love Thy Enemy', we had a pretty torrid eight day affair, and we still remain friends to this day. Anyhow, after long consideration, this will be the last of the Love And War series. I will be doing some one-shots set later in the Star Trek timeline that I've pretty much invented for future books, and they will star some of the children of current cast members. I hope you enjoyed reading these stories as much as I've enjoyed writing them. :) ------------------------------------------------- Into the Fire When they boarded the newly refitted and refurbished USS Nimitz, the pilots of Striker Wing, as well as the ship's officers and crew, found quite a few new features. A day care and school for children, refurbished and improved Hangar Decks, not to mention Doc having an expanded MedBay to play around in. He was like a kid in a candy store, according to Tanya Duran, Chief of Security, Weapons Officer, and Doc's girlfriend. Three months after boarding the improved Nimitz, Colonel Jason 'Cobalt' MacKenzie, Commanding Officer of Striker Wing and the 155th Interceptors: Skull Squadron, and his wife and XO, Commander Delaara, callsign: Demoness, were taking their son, Bryan MacKenzie, to the new daycare and nursery aboard the Nimitz so they could get some Simulator reps in with their Squadron. Lieutenants Jennifer 'Gem' Rozhenko, and her husband, Alexander 'Razor' Rozhenko, were also trying to get pregnant. So far, the daycare and nursery only had two customers. Bryan MacKenzie and Brandon 'Babyface' Rasher, who already had his callsign reserved for him by his father, Lt. Cmdr. Ryan 'Rash' Rasher. His mother, Rachael Thatcher, was Ryan's wife as well as the Captain of the USS Nimitz. "Ok, little champ. We'll see you after shift. Love ya." Jason leaned down and kissed his son's forehead, followed closely by Delaara, kissing her son goodbye until they came back to pick him up. She whispered to him in Romulan. "Be a good boy today, my son. Mother loves you." They turned, grinning at each other, and headed out to the Flight Hangar and the new and improved Simulator. "I love what they've done with the place!" Jason said to Delaara. "So do I, baby." She replied with a grin. "We don't have to worry about Bryan now, either!" "I know, right?" He chuckled. "So, we need to get our Squad ready for these Valkyrie Mk. IIs. I say we run Alex's Klingon program again and see how these babies increase our kill rate. What do you think?" "I was hoping for a little one on one... but that can wait for later." Delaara winked at him. "Mmmm, sweetheart, I love going one on one with you." He replied, stealing a kiss from his wife. "Hey, guys! Wait up!" Rash ran up behind them. "Just put Brandon in the nursery." "Hey, Rash! We're going to see how the Valk deuces stand up to Alex's K-Raptor simulation." Jason grinned as his best friend paled. He hated the survival test thrown in with his 'Kill Counters' as he called them. "Fine, but after that, we do a few Kill Counters so I can pad my record!" Rash grinned. "Ok, Rash. You got a deal." Jason laughed. They entered the flight hangar to find Bounce and his team already there, as well as Alex, Jenny, Roy, and his Angels, Gabby and Mari. "How's being a dad, mates?" Bounce asked his friends as they entered. "Why, Bounce? You and Marie going to get hitched and pop some out?" Rash asked, punching his buddy in the shoulder. "We've been thinkin' about it." He grinned back. "Well, we're holding off until polygamy is legal." Mariel said. She'd been promoted twice and was now a full Lieutenant, just like Gabby and Roy. Her work with Starfleet Intelligence during the extended refit of Nimitz had a lot to do with that, and Jason had been more than happy to promote her himself. In fact, most of Bravo Flight had been working with SI to take down several Orion cartels operating in Federation space. "Thatcher to Cobalt." Rachael's voice sounded over Jason's combadge. He tapped it. "Go ahead, Rachael." He said in reply. "We've just received a comm from Excalibur. We're going to warp now, and will be there shortly. You'll have a shorter training time for the Valk deuces, so get in your reps while you can." "Roger that, Rachael. Cobalt, out." He tapped his badge again and turned back to his squad. "Change of plans. We're all going to go in and just see what these babies can do. Oorah?" "Oorah, sir!" They replied in unison. It was still a bit strange to now be SFMC: Starfighter Division, but that was Starfleet's decision, mostly for rank and protocol procedures. However, they all liked and respected Gunny 'Big Lou' Gibson, so they adopted 'oorah' as their own. They all entered the simulator and climbed into the generic cockpit pods. Jason started the simulation, and they were sitting in the cockpits of the new SF-77-A Valkyrie Mark IIs and flying through deep space. The new simulator was much more than a modified holodeck, and had twelve pods instead of the four pods from the pre-refit Nimitz. It made Squadron maneuvers possible, which was great for the Skulls and the Strikers in the larger forward flight hangar. They could also link the simulators now for Wing maneuvers, which made Jason's job as Wing Commander much easier as well. "Skull Lead to Squadron, let's open these babies up!" He grinned as he punched the throttle forward and hit his warp burners. The new fighter shot forward even faster. He checked his payload, and found that the pulse phaser guns has been upgraded, and he now carried five each Photon and Quantum Missiles, instead of the four each the Mk. I had. "Damn, this fucker's FAST!" Rash shouted over the comm. "I love it!" "Well, it's got the Rash seal of approval." Delaara grinned. "I'm enjoying it as well." "Amen to that!" Came Bounce's voice. "I feel the need...." "The need for SPEED!" shouted Rash in reply. "Oh hell, not 'Top Gun' again!" Jason laughed. It had to be Bounce and Rash's favorite movie of all time. They flew through the simulated asteroid belt and Jason threw in a few more simulation parameters, setting them up against twelve Peregrine class Romulan interceptors. Donatra had shared the specs for them as a part of the new Federation/Empire alliance, and Jason had accepted gratefully. She and Cole had paid their respects to her new little cousin, and then had gone to Ireland with him to spend time with his family in Dublin. Skull Lead to Squadron. We have twelve incoming hostiles. Take individual and light 'em up!" Jason grinned as the Peregrines appeared on their scopes. He'd set the difficulty on them to Very Hard. "Bravo copies, Lead." Rash said as they sent their own targets' telemetry Squadron wide. "Charlie on it, Skull Leader." Bounce said as his flight did the same. "Alpha's on the rest. You wanted a Kill Counter, Rash. Well, you got it!" "Pew pew, boss!" Rash came back. The Skulls engaged and the Romulan interceptors were no match for them. The only one who took any damage whatsoever was Seraph, who had her wing peppered with disruptor fire during her individual dogfight, but had recovered and wasted the Peregrine using a split s maneuver. Her guns blazed as she lit the Romulan's engine up, fireballing it. ***** They exited the sim, grinning at their new fighters' performance. "I only set it on Very Hard, by the way." Jason grinned at them. "I thought it was Easy mode, baby." Delaara said as she grabbed him and kissed him. "Sweetheart, anything but Extreme mode is easy for you." He said and returned her kiss passionately, making both of their toes curl. "Striker Wing, mount up! Excalibur has reported hostiles exiting the wormhole, Mac and Elizabeth are holding them with help from the Eisenhower, but we are about to drop from Warp." Rachael's voice said over the PA. "You heard the lady. Mount up, Skulls!" Jason shouted as he and Delaara sprinted for their fighters. As their canopies closed, Jason got on Wing channel. "Strikers, let's do this right. We're backing up Eisenhower, Gryphon, and Excalibur. Stiletto will be assigned to Elizabeth and the Gryphon, Scorpion is assigned to Ray and the Eisenhower, and Skulls are supporting Mac and the Excalibur. "Roger that, Skull Leader." Replied his other Squadron Commanders. "CAG, do we have telemetry and enemy numbers from Excalibur yet?" Jason asked. "Enemy forces are confirmed at three battleships, three cruisers, and two battlecruisers, Skull Lead." Colonel Jerov said over the comm. "Roger that, CAG. Strikers, our primaries are the battleships once we drop from warp." Jason was already calling the shots, and each squadron acknowledged. "Secondary targets are the battlecruisers, and tertiary targets are the standard cruisers." More acknowledgments sounded over the comms, and Jason switched to Skull frequency. "Ok, Skulls. We know what we have to do. Let's go do it and kick some Jem'Hadar ass! Gloria ad mortem!" "GLORIA AD MORTEM!" The shouted replies thundered trough the comm, and Jason grinned under his helmet. It had been too long since their last engagement with the Dominion, and it was time to give them hell. "Exiting warp now. Striker wing, LAUNCH!" CAG shouted. "Go Skulls! No prisoners!" Jason shouted as he punched his throttle all the way forward and pulled up outside in a half loop over the top of the flight hangar and flew straight at the Dominion ships with his Skulls right behind him. "Two to Lead. I've got your wing, baby." Delaara said, and Jason grinned. He'd missed hearing her over the comm during a mission. She was telling him that she wouldn't let anything happen to him while they were in battle. "Battleship 1 is ours, Skulls. Prepare for alpha strike on my mark." Jason said. "Bravo copies, Lead." "Charlie copies, Lead." They armed all weapons and set their missile controls to launch all Quantums in the first volley, and all Photons in the second volley. "As soon as we enter missile range, fire at will." Jason commanded, to acknowledgments from his flight leaders. They hit warp burners and closed fast with the first battleship as it fired on the Excalibur. Excalibur was holding her own, but her shields were about to buckle. As they entered range, the Skulls fired their Quantum alpha strike and locked triggers to sticks as they opened up with their upgraded pulse phasers. Their attack, combined with Excalibur's phaser barrage, fireballed the battleship as they banked out and headed towards Battleship 2. Stiletto had knocked its shields out and were coming about for another pass as the Skulls alpha'd their Photons and once again fired an extended burst from their pulse phasers into the gigantic Jem'Hadar ship. Massive explosions rocked it as it heeled over and finally detonated. One of the cruisers had started firing at the Skulls. "Evasive maneuvers!" Jason shouted as he felt his Valkyrie rock from the force of a glancing shot from the cruiser. He checked his shields and systems, and he found he was down to 50% shields now. "That hurt. Get inside their tracking and take them point blank!" He shouted as he moved to skim along the surface of the Cruiser, strafing it. The Skulls all moved in close, strafing the shield generators and plasma turrets, punching holes in the Jem'Hadar ship. Scorpion had finished off their battleship and both battlecruisers, and the Stilettos had destroyed another cruiser when the Nimitz herself opened up with full phasers and Photon Torpdoes. The last Jem'Hadar cruiser exploded, and they were all clear. "Skull Leader to Stiletto and Scorpion. Casualties?" Jason asked. "Stiletto Lead here, no casualties, no fighters lost." Freya reported. She sounded much better now than the last time they'd faced the Dominion. "Scorpion Lead here, also no casualties or fighters lost, Cobalt. We had a good run today." Merlin also sounded relieved. "Skull Leader copies, Strikers. Great job all around!" Jason was ecstatic. The new Interceptors for Skull and Stiletto Squads were a blessing, and a huge boost for morale. "Skull Leader to Excalibur. We've got you covered, Mac." Jason grinned. "Excalibur to Skull Lead, Thanks for the assist, Jay." Captain Calhoun said over the comm in reply. "Enterprise is on her way to close this wormhole down." "I was wondering when Starfleet would get around to that!" Rash said over the fleet comm. "Hey, Rash! Since you guys saved our butts, drinks are on me back at Starbase 1." Mac answered. "Woohoo! Mac, you're now my second favorite Starship Captain!" Rash's grin was apparent over the comm. "What? You mean I wasn't already?" Mac asked in a hurt tone. "Well, Elizabeth is easier on the eyes." Rash chuckled, and Mac laughed. "I heard that, and I'm telling your wife, Rash!" Captain Shelby said with a laugh of her own. "Oh, I heard, Liz. Don't worry, he's now in the no-nookie doghouse!" Rachael said with her own chuckle. "Hey! Baby, you know you're hotter than Elizabeth!" Rash said as he blew her a kiss over the comm. "Oh bloody hell, boy! I can't stay mad at you!" She replied, chuckling even more. Rash had a way of alleviating stress with his sense of humor, and had the perfect straightman foils in his friends and Starship Captains. As they landed back in the flight deck and shut down their fighters, Jason and Delaara once again embraced after a great mission, kissing each other lovingly. "God, I've missed that with you, baby!" Delaara exclaimed after they'd broken the long lingering kiss. "So did I, sweetheart. I love flying with you." Jason smiled warmly at his wife. She looked so beautiful in her flight suit, long black hair mussed slightly from her helmet. She let out her braid that she'd wrapped around her head and it fell to her back. She hadn't cut her hair significantly since she'd defected to the Federation, and it was nearly down to her perfect behind. He also noticed that after Bryan's birth, she'd snapped back into shape even faster than Rachael had after Brandon was born. "Jassonn, my love, I need you tonight." She whispered in his ear in Romulan. "Then you shall have me, Delaara, my dearest heart." He replied back in her native language. "We can leave Bryan at the nursery for a bit after we say hi, and finally have an evening to ourselves." She gave him a sultry smile. It had been hard for the first three months as their son was getting them up at all hours of the night, but they wouldn't trade it for the world. Delaara had gone back on birth control, though. He was also growing fast already. Being half Human, half Romulan, he aged a bit faster than Romulan children, and as Doc had noted, a little faster than Human children as well. He'd been fascinated, since half Vulcan, half Human children didn't have the same growth characteristics. "Now that sounds like a plan, sweetheart!" Jason agreed as he pulled her closer. "Get a room, you two! But first, Ready Room!" Rash shouted at them with his customary greeting after a mission. "Up yours, Rash!" Delaara shouted after him, then laughed. "I guess we'd better give Rachael our AAR and then go see our little bambino before we hit 11Forward for a few beers. Then back to bed for an hour or two." Jason grinned as she interlaced her fingers with his, and they walked to the turbolift. When the doors opened, the Nimitz Bridge crew cheered, and the couple could see on their friends' faces that they really needed a solid win after the pyrrhic victory their last mission had been. With eight Striker pilots KIA, and fifty Nimitz crew dead, it had been a massive blow, not to mention the one hundred sixteen crewmembers Enterprise had lost. This time around, only twenty-seven total lives had been lost on the Federation side. Those had been on Excalibur and Eisenhower. All in all, the mission had been a huge success. They chimed and heard "Come in, kids!" Rachael and Rash were grinning ear to ear when they handed her the AAR. She reviewed it quickly. "Well, Colonel, it seems that Striker Wing is back to full strength, and those new Interceptors are really working out!" "You got that right, Rachael!" Jason grinned. "The increased firepower, speed, maneuverability, and shields are a huge improvement over the mark ones." "Rash already told me. He's singing their praises!" Rachael laughed. "Jay, you've turned into the top field commander in the Federation, you know that? Your Wing has more kills and fewer casualties than any other Wing in Starfighter Division." Jason couldn't help the grin of pride that spread over his face. "With all due respect, I have the best damn pilots in the Federation, Rachael." "You also have the best drills and simulations that you, Delaara, and Razor write. I've taken the liberty of forwarding your simulations to Starfleet Command and the Eisenhower." Rachael said with more than a little pride in her voice. Rachael was proud of her friends, her crew, and her ship. Fresh paint, new features, improved armaments, shields, and armor made the USS Nimitz NCC-35023 the best damn Carrier in Starfleet Command. Not to mention her crew of roughnecks and mavericks that gave the ship her personality. "Rachael, I'm going to need a larger flight helmet if you keep that up." Jason laughed. "Yeah, Rachael. His ego is already nearly as big as his you know what!" Delaara grinned, and both Rash and Rachael blushed. "Hey, you two get a sex mind meld. No fair!" Rash pouted. "Blame my mother." Delaara shrugged. "Honestly, Jason is the only man it's happened with, and it caught us both offguard when it first happened on the island." "Well, you two have a special bond, so I guess it's only natural." Rachael smiled. "Now, out with you while Ryan and I have our after mission debriefing!" ***** Their next stop was the daycare, where they found Nurse Reilly. "Hi, Janet. Has Bryan been a good boy today?" Delaara asked with a smile. "He sure has! And I swear he's grown another inch since you dropped him off this morning." Nurse Janet Reilly laughed. It was a little running joke, since at only three months old, he was as big as a normal six month old Human baby. "Do you mind watching him for a few hours more, Jan? Delaara and I haven't had a free evening to ourselves for three months, and it's starting to wear on our... intimate life." Jason said with a smile. "I understand, guys." She smiled back at them. "Go have fun, and come get him when you're ready." "Thank you, Janet. You are the best!" Delaara hugged the Nurse, and they were off for 11Forward. When they got there, they spotted Bounce and Marie at the bar, and headed their way. "Well well! Took a night off from the baby?" Bounce asked with a grin. "Yeah, we needed an evening to ourselves to have a little fun." Delaara smiled at their friend. "Good, you two deserve some!" Marie said. "Yeah, we were just talking about Jenny and Alex's wedding reception, and Marie told me you almost did the same thing to her, Del." Bounce was chuckling. "Oh, after Jason suggested the solution to Admiral Nelson and Jean-Luc to end the Ferengi-Orion War!" Delaara laughed. "Yeah, I tend to have a bit of a jealous streak in me." Marie was blushing bright red. "I actually had no idea who I was grabbing at that point. I was pulling a double that night." Love And War Bk. 05 "It's ok, Marie." Jason said. He would never admit it, but she was actually a good kisser. Still not as good as Delaara, though. "Stop beating yourself up over that. It was years ago now!" Delaara laughed too, then hugged the First Officer. "Did you catch what Big Lou said about the reception, Delaara?" Bounce asked, barely holding back a laugh. "Oh, you mean 'Don't fuck with a Romulan Marine's man?'" She was grinning evilly. Bounce laughed. "Yes, ma'am!" "Listen to Big Lou. The man knows what he's talking about!" Jason said with a sage nod. "Well after thirty years in the Corps, I would hope so!" Delaara said. They got their beers and drank, and Delaara was in heaven. "Mmmmmm I never thought a beer would taste so good!" "From what Rachael was saying, not drinking while pregnant is God's way of punishing women for getting pregnant in the first place." Marie giggled. Jason laughed. "Guinan said it was murder." "It's true. All of it! That's why I'm back on birth control!" Rachael said as she and Rash took their normal spots at the bar. "Hell, I should see if I could hire Guinan away from Lou!" Jake looked at her and got a hurt expression on his face. "But Captain, you have me!" "I know, Jake. I was kidding." Rachael patted the bartender's arm. "Hey, Rachael. How'd your debriefing go?" Delaara asked with a wink. "It was very satisfying for both of us." Rachael winked back. Jason and Rash nearly fell off their barstools laughing, then noticed the perturbed expressions on their wives' faces. "Yes, I know it's juvenile and stupid. We realize this, but it's also funny as hell." Jason laughed. "Almost as much fun as mooning the Enterprise!" This time, the two best friends did fall off their barstools laughing, as did Bounce. "Wait... you three MOONED the Enterprise?" Rachael was aghast. "WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?" "When we were in orbit around Earth before being sent to the Wormhole the first time." Rash answered as he regained his seat, still snickering. "Then Jean-Luc commed me and asked what the hell we were doing." Jason laughed, and Rash fell off his barstool again. "Honey, we were going stir crazy, not knowing when we would get called, what our next mission would be, or even if we would be able to get some more shore leave. So we got some beers and got shitfaced in the aft hangar one night." Rash explained. "And then we bent over and mooned Enterprise." Bounce finished, and they all laughed, even Rachael and Delaara. "Sometimes we all have to blow off steam." Rachael admitted with a smile. "I knew you'd understand, bunny." Rash kissed his wife lovingly. "We hate to hit and run, but Jason and I have some intimate time tonight for a change. Jan was good enough to watch Bryan for a few extra hours." She grinned and grabbed Jason's hand. "We'll see you all later!" Jason said as he went willingly with Delaara. As they left the bar, Rash chuckled. "We know that feeling, don't we, honey?" "Yes we do, baby. The first few months are the worst for trying to sneak in some personal time." Rachael replied and kissed her husband. ***** Jason and Delaara stumbled through the door to their quarters, lips locked passionately and their clothes flying off as they undressed quickly. Delaara had the look in her eyes that said she needed him badly, and Jason was breathing heavily as the adrenaline shot through him. They fell onto the bed naked, kissing passionately as he reached down to feel her. She was wetter than he could ever remember, and he was so throbbing hard for her, he thought he might explode at any second. "Fuck, baby! I've missed your skin on mine!" She growled in her smokey voice as she pushed him onto his back. She had that look in her eyes that said she was in charge tonight, and he was going to lie there and take it. He watched as she slowly slithered down his body, kissing his neck, chest, nipples, stomach, and down to his hardness. She licked up his length before plunging her mouth down on him. They both moaned in pleasure as he went down her throat all the way, and she had swallowed him to his root. Her fingers went to her pussy, and she came as she took him all the way into her mouth. Jason could feel her shudder, and it was all he could do to keep from exploding in her mouth. Their mind meld took them both, and their pleasure centers were amplified as they felt everything the other was feeling. Delaara pulled him out and said "I need to taste you, my love." in a pleading voice. She took him in again and bobbed her head up and down on his thick shaft. Her amber-brown eyes looked up at his lovingly, pleading for him to come. Jason felt himself swell in her mouth, his balls tightening. He wrapped his fingers in her hair. "God yes, Delaara!" He shouted as he came. Delaara felt his cum hit the back of her throat, and she swallowed load after load as the fingers of her free hand were once again drenched by her own cum. Their bodies tensed for several moments, then released. She'd swallowed every last drop, but he remained hard as she crawled up and over him on all fours, moving slowly like a panther. Her eyes were still filled with the lust and hunger caused by their long deprivation of each other, and she was going to get her fill from him. Jason looked into her eyes with a similar look in his. He pulled her up and kissed her deeply, tasting himself but not caring. He just needed to feel her mouth on his as her legs straddled his hips. He grabbed her hip with one hand and his cock with the other, guiding it into her and pulling her down onto him hard. She gasped as he suddenly entered her, her eyes going wide as she moaned out loud. Jason thrust up into her hard as he pulled her hips downward, and she placed her hands on his chest to steady herself. She started spasming on top of him as their combined pleasure rocketed through her body via their linked pleasure centers. She looked into his eyes as she rode him. Harder and faster with each thrust, her breasts bouncing with each movement. Deeper as he extended himself upward as much as possible into her. They moaned and gasped as they fucked, wordlessly telling the other how much they both needed this. They both felt her climax building, and she screamed a primal scream as she came around him, convulsing as her pussy contracted around his swelling cock. He hit her cervix over and over as he continued to thrust upward hard into her as she came. He felt his balls tightening again, but held back his own release as long as possible. Finally, she gave voice to her need. "Come in me, Jason! Come in me NOW!" She snarled as she leaned down and bit his shoulder. As her teeth sank into him, Jason yelled wordlessly and came harder than he'd ever come before. His seed shooting into her like a meteor shower, firing blast after blast of molten cum into her pussy as she massaged and milked him of every last drop. Delaara came again, screaming into his shoulder as her teeth continued to bite hard. Her body spasmed and convulsed, as did his below her. The mix of pain and pleasure was exquisite. Finally they fell still. Delaara unclamped her teeth from his shoulder, and leaned back on him with a glazed look in her eyes. A slight trickle of red ran down from the corner of her lips, and his eyes widened in shock. They were both breathing heavily, and her eyes cleared as she tasted his blood in her mouth. She looked at where she'd bitten him, and her eyes widened in concern at the beads of blood on his skin where her teeth had sank into his flesh. "Oh my God, baby!" She jumped off of him and grabbed the dermal regenerator as well as a few tissues. She wiped her mouth with one, then moved back onto him and wiped his shoulder with the others. She switched on the dermal regenerator and pressed it against his shoulder over the wound. "I am so sorry, Jason. I..." "It's ok, sweetheart." Jason said, smiling. "I think we both got a little carried away, there." He laughed. She laughed in relief. "I know I did." She blushed. She removed the dermal regenerator as it finished its cycle, and his shoulder was now clear. She wiped off a little excess blood from where the wound had been, and moved to the garbage chute, disposing of the tissues. She came back as he sat up, slipping into bed with him. "Sweetheart, for future reference, we will not go without for that long again, ok?" Jason said with a grin and a laugh. "I am in full agreement, baby!" She replied, snuggling up against his side. "This must have been like what Vulcans experience during their ponn farr. I've never felt a need like that before in my life. It was like my blood was on fire!" "I felt it too, sweetheart. Both erotic and primal. I'm glad I get to experience it more than just once every seven years, though!" Jason laughed and kissed her lovingly. He tasted the slight tang of his own blood in her mouth, but it didn't bother him. "I married a Romulan vampire." He winked, and she blushed some more. "Baby!" She hid her face in his neck, laughing quietly even as she blushed. She'd completely lost control, but it had felt necessary. Three long months of depriving themselves of each other for the sake of taking care of Bryan had been difficult, to say the least. But both of them agreed that it had been worth it. Just now, they would have to make sure to leave Bryan with a babysitter more often so they could make love more than once every three months. "Should we go get him now, or wait a few more minutes?" She asked in a sleepy voice. "We'd probably better go now. Otherwise, Jan is going to kick our asses up one side and down the other, since we're about to fall asleep. I don't think she wants to watch him all night long." Jason chuckled as they sat up. "You're right, my love. Let's go get our baby." She smiled and kissed him lovingly and lingeringly. ***** Janet was changing Bryan when they showed up at the nursery for him. She looked up and grinned at the looks on their faces. "As a nurse practitioner, I prescribe sex more than once every three months for you two!" Delaara grinned. "We agree with your prescription, Jan. Now, has Bryan been good on mommy and daddy's date night?" "He's been a good boy all day for his Aunt Janet!" the Nurse replied as she grinned at the smiling baby boy. She had a way with children, and had raised two boys of her own during her career. This was her first posting to a combat vessel, but with the divorce and her sons going to the Academy, she'd applied for the Nimitz, as her Captain and crew had a great reputation with a family type feel. When she'd first met Rachael and Rash during their long semi-sabbatical during the Nimitz's extended refit, she'd been impressed with them both, and had found them to be both fun and very nice. At 45, Janet was still beautiful, and reminded Jason a bit of his cousin Angelina Castigliano, now Captain of the USS Comanche and deployed on a long term mission to Klingon space as special liaison between Klingon Empire and Federation. As First Officer aboard the Comanche during the Dominion War, she had taken command of the ship after the death of her captain, and had saved the Excelsior class heavy cruiser, as well as most of the crew. Being reminded of his mother's niece, he realized he hadn't seen her in years, even longer than his parents had been kept as prisoners by the Orions. They were ten years apart in age, but had been fairly friendly growing up when his Aunt Kate had come to visit with Angie. The similarities would be apparent to anyone who knew them both. Janet had the same quiet strength and determination that Angie had, and Jason spotted that easily. Their physical looks were similar as well. The mediterranen complexion and features as well as the smile. Jason made up his mind to comm her as soon as they got back to their quarters. "Thanks, Jan. You really are the best, you know that, right?" Jason said as they took Bryan off her hands. "I try." She smiled at them both in a motherly way. They got in the turbolift as Jason held Bryan against his shoulder. He could feel his son drifting off to sleep, and smiled at Delaara as she heard the baby nod off too. She smiled back, and they were very quiet getting him back to his crib in the second room of their newly expanded quarters. Once he was down for the night, Jason told Delaara that there was one more family member she needed to meet. "Who?" She said quietly to avoid waking Bryan. "My cousin Angie. She's Captain of the USS Comanche over in the Klingon Empire as Special Federation Liaison." Jason smiled. "I haven't seen her in years, but Janet reminds me of her in several ways. I think you two will like each other." They went to the desk and sat down as he brought up the Comanche's comm frequency and place the call. "Colonel Jason MacKenzie to Captain Angelina Castigliano, USS Comanche." The acknowledgment went through, and he saw her on the Bridge of her ship. "Hey, cousin Jay! It's been forever!" She smiled at him. "Wow, a Colonel already, too! I've been following your career, by the way." Angie was ten years older than Jason, but always treated him as an equal when they were thrust together at family functions, as they were always the youngest two there. She'd joined Starfleet late, at 20, but had excelled at what she did. She was a full Commander by the age of 27, and Captain by the age of 32, thanks to battlefield promotions during the vicious Cardassian Conflict and the Dominion War on its heels. "Thanks, Angie. I've heard about your heroism during the Dominion war, and I have some news about Mom and Dad." Jason replied. "One sec, Jay. Let's take this a bit more private." She turned to her communications officer. "Brett, send this to my Ready Room." "Aye, sir." He replied and the signal cut for a moment. It came back up as she sat behind her desk. "There. That must be Delaara beside you." "Angie, I would like you to meet my beautiful wife, Delaara. Former CO of Gladius Wing, RIFFC, and current XO of Striker Wing and Skull Squadron. Delaara, this is Captain Angelina Castigliano, Commanding Officer of the USS Comanche, and hero of the Dominion War." Jason made the introductions. "It's an honor to meet you, Delaara." Angie smiled at her newest relative. "The honor is mine, Captain." Delaara replied. "Hell, Delaara. You're family now. Call me Angie!" She smiled. Delaara laughed. "Thank you, Angie." "We'd introduce you to our baby boy, but he's down for the night, Angie." Jason grinned. "I have a new cousin? Awwww, I bet he's a cutie!" Angie said as her gaze softened a bit. Delaara had noticed the edge to her immediately, and recognized a battle hardened veteran when she saw one. "But what's this about Uncle Bryan and Aunt Evelina?" She needed to know. "Well, it turns out they weren't KIA when the USS Stanford was destroyed by the Cardassians. They'd been taken prisoner by the Orions and held in captivity until a few months back. They were rescued by some Marines when an Orion estate was raided, and returned to Earth. While we were awaiting refit on Nimitz, we found out, but Dad died because of an Orion boobytrap inside him that released a neurotoxin into his bloodstream. Mom nearly died as well, but Doc Tavolk and Doctor Crusher were able to save her." Jason took a deep breath. Angie was stuck somewhere between grief and elation that her family had somehow survived. Except for themselves and the new baby, they were the only surviving members of their respective blood families. "Well, it's a relief that Aunt Evelina is alive, but I'm sad that Uncle Bryan died.... again." She gave a bitter laugh at the irony of it. "I know it's a lot to take in, but at least we have Mom back." Jason said with a wry smile. She nodded and smiled. "I'm glad she's back. We're going to rotate back to Earth in a couple days. Where's the Nimitz these days?" "Right now we're waiting on Jean-Luc to get here with his battlewagon so we can close this new wormhole that popped up from the Gamma Quadrant." Jason replied. Angie's smile disappeared. "I'd heard about your mission through there last year, and I'm proud of you, Jay." "Hey, Angie. I've always been proud of you, ever since I heard about you saving the Comanche against that Jem'Hadar battleship." Jason retorted. "I agree. You saved a lot of lives when you released and ignited your warp plasma right in the path of that ship. I flew off of the IRW Ravansior in that battle." Delaara nodded. "I wasn't aware of who you were, but everyone noticed your tactic there." Angie smiled warmly at Delaara for the first time. "Thank you, Delaara, but it was an act of desperation more than anything." "Angie, desperation is the mother of innovative tactics." Jason grinned. "I would recognize that saying anywhere. Captain Rachael Thatcher, unless I'm mistaken? Her words of wisdom are almost as well known as Sun Tzu." Angie smiled broadly. "That's her. She married Ryan, and they have a baby now, too." He grinned at her expression. "Wait! She married Roadrash?" Angie's jaw had just hit her desk. "I'm afraid to even ask how that happened." She laughed once more, shaking her head. "Nick found a loophole for them in Starfleet regs." Jason shrugged. "Does he still pass out for ten minutes and wake up completely sober?" She grinned. The last time they'd all seen each other was the day Rash had wrecked his Bike and Lou, newly retired from the Marines, had given him the nickname. Jay and Ryan had still been in the Academy at that time, and Ryan had made a pass at Angie after the ill-fated race. "Yeah, he does. The last time he did it was right before he got married to Rachael." Jason laughed. "Geesh, Jay! I should have slugged him harder after he kissed me!" Angie and Jason both laughed at that. He turned to Delaara. "Right after the race where Rash wiped out and was limping back to the bar, Angie and I went to help him. He looked at Angie and said 'You're hot', then made a pass at her." He said, chuckling. "No!" Delaara's eyes went wide. "Yes! Then Angie hauls off and slugs him in the gut hard enough to bend him double." Jason and Angie were both laughing at that as they heard their door chime. "Come in, but be quiet. Bryan's asleep." Delaara said quietly, but loudly enough for the door speaker to pick it up. Ryan and Rachael entered with Brandon in her arms, and they noticed Jason and Delaara at their desk. Ryan's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped when he saw who they were talking to. "Oh shit," he said quietly. "'Oh shit' is right, Cadet!" Angie grinned at him. "How you been, Angie?" Rash asked with a smile. "Not bad, Roadrash. I hear you're still annoying my cousin Jay." She was enjoying his discomfort, but also had to admit that he'd been a damn good kisser even back in his Academy days. "More like saving his bacon by taking down Orion battleships with just my flight backing me up." Rash recovered with his usual shit eating grin. He was never going to allow anyone to forget that day when he and the rest of Bravo flight had destroyed an Orion war marshal without assistance. "Hello, Captain. I'm Captain Rachael Thatcher. Ryan is my husband, but I don't believe we've met." Rachael was smiling a very thin smile. "It's an honor to meet you, Captain. I'm Captain Angelina Castigliano of the USS Comanche, but call me Angie. Jay is my cousin, and Ryan is... well, let's just say I know how good of a kisser he is." She grinned, and Rachael laughed. "You slugged me in the gut when I was broken and bleeding!" Rash got a mock look of hurt in his eyes. "Oh shush, Roadrash. You were well enough to grab the back of my neck and lay one on me!" Angie was laughing outright now, and Rachael had joined in. Love And War Bk. 05 "I would guess that you were there at the race where Ryan got his nickname, Angie." Rachael said. "Yes I was. I was on Leave at the time, and thought I'd pay my surviving family a visit. Little did I know that little Ryan had a huge crush on me." She winked at Rachael. "He does have a thing for older women, you know." Rachael winked back. "Only for you now, bunny." Ryan kissed her lips. "Awww, is that baby Rash?" Angie asked when she noticed their son. "Angie, this strapping young lad is Brandon 'Babyface' Rasher, and yes, Ryan has already reserved that callsign for him." Rachael grinned. "Delaara came up with it." Rash grinned as well. "Ok, as soon as the Potemkin gets here to replace us as Liaisons, I need to come visit! Two more days, and we'll be at Starbase 1." Angie said. "Will you all be around?" "We should be. Enterprise should be here by morning with the... whatever it is they're going to use to close this wormhole." Jason said. Nobody knew what was going to be used, but whatever it was, they all hoped it worked. "Good. See you all then. I have to go, but I'll comm you tomorrow evening, Jay. Comanche, out." She said with a smile as the screen went back to the UFP flag. "Well, she seems nice." Rachael said. "I like her. Now, what we came by to say was that we'll be heading back in the morning after Enterprise gets here and closes the wormhole. I do want you both on the Bridge when they get here, though." "Sounds good, Rachael. Yeah, Cousin Angie would give you a run for your money in the toughness department." Jason grinned up at her. "Is that so?" Rachael raised an eyebrow. "I was there when she vented and detonated her Warp Plasma when the pursuing Jem'Hadar battleship flew through it at the Battle of Bajor, Rachael." Delaara said with a smile. "I was flying off of the IRW Ravansior at the time as a Squadron Leader." Rachael nodded in appreciation. "Good tactic. Probably born of desperation." Jason and Delaara both laughed. "As a matter of fact..." Jason said, leaving it hanging. ------------------------------------------------- Another One Bites the Dust The Enterprise warped in and slowly approached the wormhole. "Good to see you all," said Jean-Luc over the comm to the entire fleet. "We are beginning systems preparation for the release of the Unstable Warp Generator. Move back to five hundred thousand kilometers from the entrance to the wormhole." "Good to see you too, Jean-Luc." Rachael smiled at her friend, then turned to Ensign Carter. "Ollie, take us back to five hundred thousand from the mouth of the wormhole." "Yes, ma'am." Carter replied, punching in the course and speed. The Nimitz turned and moved back to the designated safe area. He checked his scopes. "Five hundred K and holding steady, Captain." "Thank you, Ollie." She said, then turned to Tanya. "Excalibur, Gryphon, and Eisenhower moving back as well, Captain." Lt. Cmdr Tanya Duran reported from her post at the Security and Weapons station. "Light it up, Jean-Luc," said the voice of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun over the comm. "Sit back and watch the show. This should be entertaining." Jean-Luc was smiling. "I've never seen a wormhole collapsed before." Delaara said quietly. "Neither have I, sweetheart. This SHOULD be entertaining if it works." Jason replied. "From the specs and data I received on it, it worked well in simulations." Rachael said wryly. "But then, simulations don't always reflect real life." "Very true, Rachael. I'm hoping it works just as much as you are." Jean-Luc said. It was audio only, since all the viewscreens were on the mouth of the wormhole itself. "Prep is complete, launching now." "Fire Torpedo Tube 1," ordered Commander Worf. The torpedo tube fire a blue glowing orb at the mouth of the wormhole. They watched as it closed the distance, and the mouth opened at the approach of the object. As soon as it reached the event horizon, it detonated in a brilliant blue explosion. As the glow of the explosion faded, a cheer went up as the wormhole had disappeared from view. "YES!" Rash pumped his arm. "Thank God!" Rachael agreed, standing and wrapping her arms around Ryan's neck, kissing him lovingly. "Scanning...." Lt. Cmdr Soleta said from her post aboard the Excalibur. "The wormhole is gone, Captain." She reported to Mac. "Thank you, Sol. Enterprise, we are clear. Beers are on me at Starbase 1!" Mac said as the Excalibur turned about with the rest of the fleet and entered Warp. ***** Jason and Delaara entered The Boiler Room on Starbase 1 to find Mac, Jean-Luc, and Elizabeth already there. Rachael and Rash were right behind them, and they grabbed chairs at the oversized table. The waitress came up and took their orders, raising her eyebrows slightly at the requests for real alcohol instead of the usual synthahol beverages. She walked back to the bar and rolled her eyes as she gave their orders to the bartender. "We should have gone to Big Lou's." Rash nodded sagely as he watched the girl's reaction. "True. They don't judge us there." Mac said with a grin for his old drinking buddy. "Hell, if you aren't drinking real beer at Big Lou's, you're either on the clock working for him, or you're a pantywaist." Jason agreed with a grin. "So you were just going to ditch me and go planetside? I see how it is." Angie said with her hands on her hips from behind Jason. "I know that voice!" He jumped up and hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around. "Put me down, Colonel! People will talk!" She laughed. "Not with you us in front of my wife, they won't!" He set her down and pulled up a chair for her. She sat finally, looking around at some unfamiliar faces and smiling. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is my cousin, Captain Angelina Castigliano of the USS Comanche, obviously back early from a two year tour as Federation Liaison to the Klingon Empire." Jason grinned, then turned to Angie with a confused look. "Why'd they let you go early, Angie?" "Potemkin got there ahead of schedule. The diplomat they were supposed to pick up on the way bowed out at the last minute, claiming a family emergency." She shrugged with an ironic smirk. "I'm not going to argue. I've had enough blood wine to last me the rest of my life." The beers arrived and Jason ordered another one for Angie, which arrived within the minute. She guzzled half the bottle. "Now THAT'S what I've been missing!" She grinned and sighed. "Angie, you know Jean-Luc. This happy couple here are Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and his wife, Captain Elizabeth Shelby-Calhoun." Jason introduced them. "Mac, Angie is the one I told you about that slugged Rash on Earth after he made a pass at her." He grinned. "Ah, the infamous Angie!" Mac shook her hand. "Good to meet you, Angie. I'm a fan of your work, both on Rash, and at the Battle of Bajor." He grinned. "Hey!" Rash shouted with a mock indignant tone. "You know you love me, Mac!" He grinned. Everyone laughed. "Yeah, we loves ya, Rash!" Mac agreed and clinked bottles with him. Angie turned and gave Rash a big hug, and gave Rachael a hug since she was family now, too. Jason realized he got his sense of Family from the Italian side. His Mom, Evelina Luciano-MacKenzie, was full blooded Italian, as was his cousin. The family resemblence could have made Angie his older sister to those who didn't know them. "Anyone else coming that we don't know about, Jay?" Elizabeth said with an amused smile. "Hey, Elizabeth. I didn't even know she'd be here this soon." Jason replied with a chuckle. "But since she's here, why don't we head on down to Big Lou's. Who was buying, here? Oh, yeah. MAC!" Jay grinned. "Yeah, yeah. Ok, I'll pay the tab and we can get down to Lou's place." He smiled. "On the bright side, Lou always cuts us a discount." "Exactly, Mac. Now you can buy Elizabeth something nice for your anniversary." Rash grinned at the blank look on Mac's face as he froze halfway out of his seat. Elizabeth saw it. "You forgot again, didn't you?" She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Of course not! I just didn't figure on Rash remembering." He grinned, and everyone laughed. "Good save, Mac." Jean-Luc said with a chuckle. He finished standing, walked to the bar, and paid his tab. When he returned, they hit their combadges and asked for site to site down to Big Lou's. ***** "WELL HOLY SHIT!" The familiar greeting thundered through the Biker Bar as they all appeared. "ANGIE!" Lou grinned as he rumbled across the floor and picked her up in his Bear Hug. "Ooooh! Gunny! I didn't know you liked me in that way!" She winked at him, and he set her down, laughing. "Shit, Angie! I got a wife and kid now!" He grinned, and Angie looked shocked. "Yes, and if you made a pass at Lou, she'd probably cut your head off." Delaara grinned at her. On cue, Kralla came out from the back room after putting Vinnie down for his nap. "Speakin' of which, Angie, meet my wife, Kralla. We got married after I retired from the Corps. Kralla, this is Jay's cousin, Angie." He introduced them. "Good to meet ya, hon." Kralla said with a smile and a nod. "You wouldn't be the one that was always flirting with Lou, would you?" Angie shrugged. "I was, until I found out he was married." She smacked Lou a backhand across his chest, and Kralla laughed. "She flirts with everyone, Kralla." Jason said with a grin. "Well, Vinnie's down for his nap and Suze is watching him." Kralla gave her husband the sitrep. "Oorah, baby." Lou replied and kissed her. They walked over to the bar and gave Guinan their orders. Jason introduced Angie to her as well. "Aunt Guinan, Angie here took down a Jem'Hadar battleship with nothing but warp plasma and a single phaser blast." He grinned. They shook hands. "Jay's exaggerating. We were nearly dead in the water, and I vented the plasma as a last ditch effort to get that thing off our backs." Rachael laughed. "Desperation... you all know the rest." "Yes we do, Rachael." Jay grinned and gave her a hug. "Pardon me, guys. I need the lady captain's room, if you know what I mean?" Angie said with a sheepish smile. "Through there, hon." Kralla pointed, and Angie nodded her thanks as she walked towards the restroom. "Where's the kids, guys?" Lou asked when he noticed they didn't have their babies. "They're in the daycare aboard Nimitz, Lou." Delaara said. "It was one of the new features we got with the refit." Lou nodded. "Sounds good, Del. Umm, could ya not tell the ladies about any more romantic things Jay does. He's makin' the rest of us look bad." He looked around with a conspiratorial shifty look. "Well, the last one he did was writing a poem in Romulan for my 64th birthday." She grinned wickedly. Everyone turned to Jason, who blushed furiously. "It was a dirty limerick." He confessed. "No it wasn't!" Delaara threw her arms around his neck. "It was the most beautiful poem I've ever heard!" Kralla looked at Lou with a smirk, and Rachael smacked Rash upside the head. "Hey! I don't even speak Romulan!" Rash complained, rubbing the back of his head. Delaara started reciting the poem, first in Romulan, then in English. "True love is what thrives, Through the trials of our lives. It never bends, It never breaks. Your heart is mine, My heart is thine. We shall always endure, For our hearts' love burns pure." Every woman in the bar was smiling with a wistful look in her eyes, and every guy in the bar looked at Jason as if he'd just kicked them in the balls. "Hey, I can't help it! I look at her every day, and I know that she's the perfect woman for me." Jason said defensively. Elizabeth looked at Mac. "I'm divorcing you so I can convince Del to let me marry Jay too!" She grinned. "So am I. Rash, we're done!" Rachael chuckled. "Hell with it. Lou, I'm gonna whoop your ass, divorce you, and marry Jay too!" Kralla laughed. "Well, I'm single, so I can marry him as soon as possible." Guinan said with a smile. "Shawn, I want a fuckin' divorce!" Julie said, as she and Shawn had entered while Del was reciting it. "Hey!" Jason said. "Sheesh! I just wanted to do something nice for Delaara." He grinned and kissed his wife. "Jay honey, you need to give these neanderthals a class on how to romance a lady." Guinan grinned, and everyone laughed. "Shit, Guinan. You know Kralla! If I write a poem that flowery, she'd kick me in the nuts without even givin' me some, first!" Lou laughed. "Damn jarhead!" Kralla grinned and kissed him. His beard had grown back out a bit since the wake for Jason's Dad, but he'd kept his hair short. All the ladies were revelling in their husbands' discomfort. Even Delaara for bringing Jason's obvious 'romantic superiority' out into the open. "Jay, you are NOT going to hear the end of this anytime soon!" Shawn said as he clapped his friend on the back. Julie hugged them both, and they ordered synthbeers instead of regular. They were only on lunch break from their swing shift. "Two Harleys Unleaded, coming right up." Guinan said to Shawn and Julie as she opened two bottles. "Put those on my tab too, Guinan." Mac said and raised his bottle to the two Detectives. "Thanks, Mac." Shawn said with a nod and a smile. "No problem, guys. We're celebrating the closing of the Gamma Wormhole, thanks to Jean-Luc and the Enterprise!" Mac toasted Captain Picard. "Thank you, but it's the scientists at Starfleet who deserve all the credit. They modified a photon torpedo with the unstable warp field generator in order to collapse the wormhole. We just shot the blasted thing!" Jean-Luc laughed. "You're too modest, Jean-Luc. Now I know where Jason gets it from." Delaara kissed the old Captain's cheek. "Thank you, Delaara." He said with a smile. "Angie!" Julie shouted as Angie came out of the ladies' room. "Julie! Shawn!" Angie ran over and gave her friends a hug. She'd watched them both grow up, and had been Julie's Maid of Honor at their wedding. "It's been forever! Where have you been?" Shawn asked. "The Comanche was on a two year tour as Federation Liaison to the Klingon Empire. You both made Detective!" She exclaimed. "Yeah, a few years ago. We heard about your maneuver at the Battle of Bajor." Julie said with a smile. "Yeah, nobody's letting me forget that. I got lucky!" Angie laughed. "Well, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good." Lou raised a beer to the Captain. "You have a point, Gunny." Angie grinned and raised her own beer in salute. "Gears and Reggie should be here soon." Mac told them. "And I believe both Excalibur and Gryphon will be giving out shore leave momentarily." "So is Nimitz. You ready for all the business, Gunny?" Rachael grinned at the big Master Gunnery Sergeant. "The more the merrier!" Kralla grinned. "Oorah, Cap'n." Lou nodded. Shawn and Julie had to leave to finish their shift just as the dinner rush hit. Once again, Jason, Delaara, Mac, Elizabeth, and even Jean-Luc were pressed into service for the crews of their ships and the Cadets from the Academy who'd been released for the day. Angie helped out by taking orders and clearing tables and got more than a few whistles from the Bikers who came in. Jason had to resist the urge to correct his friends, since he knew well enough that Angie was more than capable of handling them, herself. The IRW Valdore had been permanently stationed at Starbase 1 as part of an exchange program, much to Lieutenant Cole McBride's and Commander Donatra's delight, as they would be able to see each other more often. They beamed down together, along with a couple of her senior Bridge crew on the Valdore, and Lou put them all to work as well to give Jason and Delaara a break behind the bar. One of the local gangs came in, and Lou gave everybody the heads up. It was a pretty large group, flying colors and looking around the bar. They took several free tables and others moved up to the bar itself. They spotted Donatra behind the bar, and mistook her uniform for civilian clothing. "Hey, sexy lady. I didn't know Vulcan bartenders would be so hot." One of the tough guys said. Donatra laughed. "What'll you have?" "I'll have some of this!" He grinned, grabbed her breast, and caught an Irish right cross on his jaw, breaking it as Cole launched himself at the offending asshole. The tough guys jumped up, and moved towards Cole at the bar. "Ah shit. Here we go!" Jason got up along with Delaara, Mac, Jean-Luc, and Elizabeth. Lou hit the remote for the Jukebox and started a loop of 'Another One Bites the Dust' by Queen as the good old fashioned barfight really kicked off. The bassline started and Jason grinned, nodding his head in time to the music as he waded into the fight. Angie came running over from where she'd been taking an order and launched a flying kick at a Tough Guy's head, knocking him away from Cole. Starfighter pilots, Starship Captains and crews, Romulans, and Bikers all stood and fought against the larger gang of Tough Guys. The fight was quick and brutal. Jason launched a series of blows to the body and face of one of the gang members, dazing him and knocking him to the floor. He caught a glancing blow from one of the other Tough Guys, and was saved by a large fist thrown by a Valdore bridge officer, who nodded at him. Jason nodded back, and pushed the big Romulan down as he decked the Tough Guy behind him. "You fight like a Romulan!" Jason's new friend shouted in thanks. "I'm Sub-Commander Halak, Colonel. I've heard much about you from the Commander!" "I've heard that before. My wife says it all the time. Good to meet you, Hal. Call me Jay!" He grinned, and the Romulan laughed. Delaara was being hemmed in by three of the Tough Guys, and Jason moved to intercept them with the Valdore officer at his side. "Speaking of my wife!" Jason shouted as he grabbed the first Tough Guy, spinning him around and hitting him in the solar plexus, dropping him to his knees. Delaara struck like lightning as soon as one entered her range, and he fell with a broken nose gushing blood. The third was caught by Halak and slammed into the floor. They all turned and made their way towards Mac and Elizabeth, who were fighting off half a dozen gang members. The Xenexian Captain was moving quickly, fluidly, taking down one after the other until he was hit from behind by a barstool. He went down hard as Jason took down the offending idiot who'd clocked his friend. Delaara grabbed Mac and pulled him out of the line of fire as the two Starfleet officers and their Valdore ally moved through to reach Elizabeth. She had just dropped one when Jason and Sub-Commander Halak were suddenly at her side, fighting with her against the Tough Guys. Jason caught a punch to the cheekbone, but recovered quickly and launched a devastating series of blows to that Tough Guy's gut and nose. Halak was able to clear Elizabeth enough for them to get her back towards the bar where Mac was. Jean-Luc and Angie were fighting back to back, surrounded, and had dropped quite a few Tough Guys by the time Donatra and Cole fought their way to them. They broke through the Tough Guys and helped their friends back. Even the Cadets were getting in on the action, knocking several Tough Guys down with coordinated fighting moves. Lou was sacking the Tough Guys left and right, moving cleanly and efficiently. His large size belied the speed he still had in him and the short precise blows he was able to land. Kralla found him quickly, using a baseball bat like a batt'leth and knocking heads with it as she and her husband fought side by side. Gears, Charlie, Reggie, and Cruiser were fighting their own little war alongside Rash and Rachael. Rash was a brute force machine, throwing elbows and knees into his opponents' faces and groins. Rachael was more fluid in her movements, striking nerve points and making limbs go numb as she struck. The four Bikers were fighting smart as well, moving with economy of motion and using momentum to their advantage against the tough guys. Love And War Bk. 05 As the song ended, the tough guys were all laying strewn about the bar floor like litter, groaning in pain or unconscious. Lou hit the stop button as the first uniforms busted through the doors, followed closely by Shawn and Julie. They started rounding up the Tough Guys and had to call an emergency medical transport for several of them. They also had to call in more uniforms to corral the rest and get them downtown to a holding cell. "Well, hot damn!" Lou said. "Haven't had a barfight like that in nearly five years!" He was grinning ear to ear, as was Kralla. They'd been outnumbered against the local gang, but they'd won in a landslide. The assembled Bikers, Starfleet, and Romulans were all clapping each other on the back and congratulating each other. Cole grabbed Dona, kissing her hard and passionately. Jason did the same with Delaara, and Rash with Rachael. Elizabeth was pressing an icepack she'd been given by Guinan against the back of Mac's head as he swigged a beer and winced. "That was exhilarating!" Halak was grinning ear to ear. The big Romulan was more than happy to exhibit his prowess in helping to defend his new friends. Jason clapped him on the back. "Yeah it was, Hal. Haven't had a good throwdown like that since Rash and I were both in the Academy!" "True that, Jay!" Rash said, lifting his beer to his friend. "Hey, guys. We've already called Starfleet Security, but we need your statements about what happened." Shawn said as he came up to him with his padd and stylus. ***** "So you're saying the local gang started it?" Admiral Nelson had every one of them in his office, including Big Lou and Kralla. "I have five Starship Captains, a SFMC Colonel and Commander, a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant, a Romulan Commander and her bridge officers, and even Starfleet Cadets throwing down against local street thugs!" Nick was somewhere between angry and amused. "Who the hell threw the first punch?" Cole stepped forward. "I did, sir. When I saw one of the local gang assault Commander Donatra, I moved to defend her, and broke the local's jaw, sir." He couldn't suppress the grin that broke out across his face. "He was defending a diplomatic envoy, Admiral." Donatra said in Cole's defense. Nelson chuckled at that. He knew all about Cole and Donatra. "What about the rest of you?" He looked at the Captains and their crews. "We were defending the envoy as well, Nick," said Jean-Luc. "If it hadn't been for the quick intervention of Lieutenant McBride, I believe the assault on Commander Donatra may have escalated to her being physically harmed. "Is that your official statement?" He looked at all of them in turn. Each person nodded. "Sir, if it wasn't for the brave actions of the Starfleet crews, Cadets, and Marines in the bar, the Romulan delegation would have been left to fight alone. The Romulans more than acquitted themselves during the melee as well, sir," said Big Lou. "If I may, I would just like to say OORAH!" "Semper Fi, Gunny." Nick grinned. "Oorah, Nick." Lou said, nodding to his friend. He'd known Nick Nelson since the Admiral was a pea green ensign. "Now, before you all un-ass my AO, I just want to say that officially, you did a good job of defending the Romulan delegation from attack by a local gang with superior numbers. Unofficially, Outstanding job busting some heads!" Nick grinned ear to ear. "Now, get back to Lou's while I file this under 'averted diplomatic incident.'" "Yes, sir!" The unanimous reply sounded as they all smiled, then turned and left. He shook his head and laughed outright. He'd read the reports of each individual, as they'd been dictated to the SBPD, and had laughed then as well. ***** "And another one bites the dust." Lou grinned ear to ear as they sat around the bar. They all raised their glasses to a successful bar fight. "I haven't been in a melee like that in... well, more years than I care to recall." Jean-Luc said with a chuckle. He'd accounted for several unconscious thugs in the fight. "Cap'n, you did a great job, and accounted for five enemies down." Lou nodded in respect to Jean-Luc. He then turned to Angie. "As for you, young lady! You fought like a Marine!" Kralla and Lou both grinned at his assessment of her skill. Angie had busted up seven thugs during the battle. There was nothing like a good barfight to bring people together in a common cause. "The thug who grabbed me thought I was Vulcan!" Donatra laughed. "I got that too on my first time here." Delaara agreed, laughing with her cousin. "Well, Dona. As long as I'm around, no man's gonna get away with gropin' ye, unless that man is me!" Cole grinned and kissed her. "Cole is a Skull. Skulls look out for our own. Dona, you're one of us now, and so are your crew." Jason lifted his bottle to her and grinned. "Thanks, Jay. As far as we're concerned," she indicated the other Valdore Bridge crew, "you're now a Romulan!" "I told you he was!" Delaara said with a wink as she draped her arms over Jason's chest from behind. "Rash, I didn't know you could fight like that!" Angie was looking at her friend with a grin on her face. "Angie dear, Ryan here beat the hell out of Q a few years back." Rachael said, and Angie's grin disappeared. Angie blinked rapidly a few times, then said "Bullshit." "No bullshit, Ange." Jason said. "Q interrupted Rash's sleep, and got his ass handed to him... after Rash got a double espresso, medium hot from the replicator." "What was Q doing there, by the way?" Jean-Luc asked. "He wasn't mentioned in any of your mission reports." "Oh, he stopped by to mess with us. Not sure why, but he interrupted our sleep, and I'd had enough in record time." Ryan shrugged. It would be pointless to tell them about a four year cycle that would never happen now, due to quantum reality. "I'm still not sure how he did it, but Rash rung his bell pretty good." Jason added. "Well, if Q ever shows up on the Enterprise again, I'm going to have a double espresso, medium hot." Jean-Luc grinned as he chuckled. "Did someone take my name in vain?" A voice said from the entrance. They looked and saw a middle aged man with short curly dark hair, wearing sunglasses, jeans, boots, a 'Continuum' t-shirt, and a leather jacket. ------------------------------------------------- Continuum Q and A Rash stepped forward. "This one's on me, guys." He cracked his neck from side to side and loosened up his shoulders. He started towards the man in biker gear. "What did I tell you, Q?" He reached him and slugged the godlike being across the jaw, staggering him back. "I'm sick and tired of you interfering in our lives!" Rash decked Q from the right this time, causing him to drop to his knee. "It will be a cold day in hell before you go anywhere near my wife or my son again!" Rash threw a straight punch right into Q's nose, breaking it with an audible snap. Q held up his hands. "STOP! I'm not here to hurt you or anyone! I'm here for a social visit! Please, Ryan, I don't want any trouble." Rash stopped and stepped back. "What? No 'Universe in Peril' bullshit this time, douchebag?" "Ryan, I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I'm sorry about that." Q sounded sincere, and Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow at the tone of the godlike man's voice. "Ryan, back off, Let the man speak," said Picard. "Fine. But if you try ANYTHING, Q, I will break your face way more than that!" Rash turned and walked back to where Rachael was sitting and hugged her protectively. Angie was standing with her eyes wide and her jaw halfway to the floor as she witnessed what should have been impossible. "Thunk yu," Q said through his broken nose. He placed his hands on either side of it and a tiny flash of white light set his nose back to the way it had been. He held up his hands in the signal of surrender. "Thank you, Jean-Luc. As much as you all may detest me, or even admire me..." He looked at them all.. "Ok, as much as you may detest me, I am really just here to talk with you, if possible." "About what, Q? You haven't always been this polite, but you have to want something." Jean-Luc said. "I do, Jean-Luc. I want certain perspectives on Love, in case you were wondering." Q looked at them all soberly. "For example, the love that Ryan and Rachael have for each, or the love that Jason and Delaara share. Or even the love shared by Collin and Donatra." Cole bristled at that. "Yer not my mom or dad, Q. I'm Cole to you, boyo." "Very well, Cole." Q acknowledged with a polite nod. "Seriously, Q, you have to have an angle. You always do," said Jason as he stood protectively in front of Delaara. "Q, the last time we met, you stole four years of our lives." Delaara said as she stepped around her husband. Then she did the unexpected and hugged him. "Thank you for giving us the re-do." Q was taken aback by Delaara's show of affection and thanks. "Umm, you're welcome, Delaara." He said as she finally released him. She smiled at him and returned to where Jason was standing. "What four years?" Jean-Luc asked. "Oh, hell. We might as well tell them." Rachael rolled her eyes. "Jean-Luc, it was the past nearly four years and a bit more, only much different. Ryan, Jason, and Delaara were fighter pilot trainers at the Academy, Starfighter Command was still under direct Starfleet control instead of attached to the Marines, and neither I, nor Delaara had our children yet. Q found us aboard a ship that might never be built now, and convinced us to give up those years of our lives to save the galaxy from a Borg invasion. The bloody twit saved us all, or so he says, but I have to admit these last nearly four years have been better than what we experienced in the alternate timeline." Jason and Delaara were both nodding, and even Ryan was looking at Q a bit differently. He walked up to him. "Q, sorry about the broken nose. You did do us a favor, and you have my apologies." Ryan smiled and held out his hand. "Accepted, Ryan. You were acting out of love for your wife and son, and I cannot fault you for that. In fact, that is one reason why I need your perspectives on Love in all of this." Q said as he shook Ryan's hand. Ryan nodded and returned to Rachael's side. "I owe you an apology, Q," said Jason. "You're still a douchebag, but not quite as big of a douche as I thought you were." Now that he thought about it, these past four years had been much better than the original four. While they had enjoyed being flight combat instructors, it hadn't been as satisfying as when they'd been flying against the enemies of freedom on the frontiers of space, as they had these past four. And even then, most of the past year had been spent as flight instructors anyway due to the extended refit of Nimitz. "As do I, Q." Rachael walked over and shook his hand. "I would have missed the command chair on Nimitz. That ship is more of a home to me than any other, as long as my husband and son are with me." "Thank you, everyone. Now, if I may, I would like to ask you some questions." Q looked around at the nodding and shrugging people. "Hello, Q." Q's eyes went wide as he recognized the voice of Guinan, and he remembered the fork through his hand. "Guinan, always a pleasure." He smiled at her. "I am not here to cause anyone any trouble." "Good. As long as you come in peace, you won't leave in pieces." She smiled serenely at him, then turned to Lou and Kralla. "Lou, if you don't mind, I would like to take a few hours for an extended lunch. I would not be much use around here, as I would be most likely to kill Q as look at him." "Sure thing, Guinan. I think me and Kralla will join ya." Lou and Kralla didn't like or trust Q, or any other powerful entity for that matter. Angie was still just looking at Ryan with a weird expression somewhere between fear and respect. Mac sat back and enjoyed the show with his arm around Elizabeth. Q looked at Rachael first. "Captain, how did yours and Ryan's love start?" "From loneliness, and the fact that Ryan was there and more than willing to fulfill my needs." Rachael squeezed Ryan's hand, and he smiled at her. "For you, Ryan? How did it start for you?" Q asked her husband. "Infatuation more than anything. I was attracted to Rachael from the first time I saw her." Then after spending a lot of time sleeping next to her, it grew into real love." Ryan kissed her lovingly. "I see," said Q. He turned to Jason and Delaara. "Colonel, and Commander, how did your love blossom?" He asked. Jason smiled. "It started for me before we even crashed on the planet surface of NZ8-257. It started as respect. We hadn't even met yet, but she shot me down. Then once we crashed, and I met her, it was an instant connection. At least for me." "For me, it started when I awoke on the beach with Jason breathing air into my lungs after I nearly drowned. But even before that, the respect was there. He was deadstick going into the atmosphere, but he managed to flip his fighter one hundred and eighty degrees and shot my wings off. To me, in addition to loving him, he's the best fighter pilot in the galaxy." Delaara kissed Jason then, With more love and passion than most there could watch without blushing. "Very interesting," said Q as he nodded. Then he turned to Cole and Donatra. "And how about you two?" He asked them. Donatra smiled. "Respect and being horny. When I first spotted Cole, I wanted to f.." she looked around the room and censored herself. "..Have sex with him. But when he finally left after that Liberation Day, I found myself missing him more and more, and not just for the physical contact." "Aye, it was the same for me. I missed the feel of her in my arms, and I missed the touch of her lips. Then I missed her smile and her laugh. I missed everything about her." Cole kissed her and whispered "Do ye have any Irish in ye yet, luv?" "No, but I would like some, Cole. If you would like to share yourself." Donatra winked. "Aye, I would. Your ship or mine?" Cole said with a grin. "Yours, honey. Some of my crew are getting jealous." She grinned back. Cole nodded with his trademarked grin in place and hit his combadge. "McBride to Nimitz. Two to beam up." They disappeared in the transporter beam. Q cleared his throat. "Well, then. Captains Calhoun and Shelby. How did yours start?" "Us? Oh hell, Q." Mac said. Then he sighed. "Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you. It started for us back in the Academy. We fell in love after some very torrid sex, if you must know." "That was when it started for you? For me, it was my attraction to the savage warrior who was now civilized by the Federation." Elizabeth chuckled, and Mac kissed her. "I can still be a savage sometimes, baby," he said to her with a hint of a snarl in his voice. "Ooooh, Mac! Your ship or mine?" She winked. "Mine, baby. Let's go." He tapped his combadge, and initiated site to site directly to his quarters. Q was amused. "Anyone else want to leave?" "Well, I think I had better go as well." Jean-Luc stood up and pulled down on his uniform top in his patented 'Picard Maneuver' and turned to the two couples still there. "Have fun with Q, everyone. I'm just happy to not be his main focus this time around." He smiled and tapped his combadge, also disappearing to the thrumm of a Federation transporter. The door opened and Alex and Jenny walked in in their Biker gear. Alex took one look at Q and his jaw dropped open. "Son of a bitch." "I've been called worse." Q shrugged. "But since you're here, come on over and tell Uncle Q how you two lovebirds got together." He smiled. "Is that THE Q?" Jenny asked. "The one that usually fucks with people, yeah." Jason nodded. "Come on over. He's actually got a good question this time." Alex and Jenny walked over hand in hand. Q turned to Alex and asked how he fell in love with Jenny. "First it started as attraction. I mean look at her. She's beautiful. Then respect for her skill and a mutual love of flying." Alex shrugged. "And you, Jennifer?" Q asked. "Wow. I never thought I'd be talking to you. But anyway, I fell in love with Alex in much the same way. He's sweet, caring, and very good in bed. Also, his skill at flying is excellent and he can write some great combat programs for the simulator." She kissed Alex, and he smiled. Q nodded. He turned to Angie. "Captain, why haven't you found someone yet?" "I'm not sure. I've put my career ahead of everything else. To me, love isn't that important right now." Angie replied. "Angie, when love hits you, let it in. Trust me on this," said Rachael as she squeezed Ryan's hand again. Angie nodded and smiled. "You know, Rachael, I might just do that." Then she looked at Q. "We done? I think I have a call to make to someone I haven't seen in a very long time." Without waiting for his leave, she hit her Combadge to get transported back to the Comanche. Q sighed, then turned to Alex, Jenny, Jason, Delaara, Ryan, and Rachael. "Thank you all. I meant what I said before about not meaning any harm. I thank you for your insights into love and how it works. It seems that I a few different perspectives to consider." He bowed, snapped his fingers, and disappeared. "Well, that went better than expected." Jason shrugged as he walked behind the bar. "Who wants a beer?" ***** Cole and Donatra were all over each other as soon as they entered his quarters aboard Nimitz. Her padded tunic hit the floor first. "No bra, luv? Aren't ye a naughty lass?" Cole grinned as he admired her high firm B cups. Her nipples were already erect, and he lowered his mouth to taste them. Donatra groaned in pleasure as his mouth teased her and bit gently at each bullet hard nipple. "Yes, Cole! Yes, baby! Suck my titties!" Cole went from one breast to the other, licking, sucking, tasting, and nibbling. She pushed him back on the bed and shucked the lower half of her uniform as he shucked his boots and flight suit in a hurry. "Yes, baby! God, you look so damn hot!" Cole said as she stood naked before him. Her shaved pussy looked so good. "Get over here, Commander. I'm gonna make ye come like never before." "Yes, sir." Donatra replied as she pounced on him. She was straddling his hips when he leveraged her over onto her back. Cole kissed her hard and deeply. His tongue invaded her mouth as she moaned and squirmed beneath him. He broke the kiss and whispered in her ear: "Dona, I'm goin' to lick yer pussy until ye beg me to stop." "Oooohhhh Godddsss Cole! Do it, please!" Her fingers entwined in his hair and she pushed him down toward her spread thighs and her sacred treasure between them. Cole kissed slowly down her beautiful body. He loved exploring her every time they were able to be together. As he reached her pussy, he stiffened his tongue and slowly slipped it into her cunt. "OhFUCK!" Donatra yelled as his tongue slipped into her like a little prehensile cock. He twisted it inside her, tasting her sweet wetness as she moaned loudly and gripped his hair harder. "That's it, baby! Lick me! Eat my fucking pussy! Ooooohhhh Fffffuuuuuuuucccckkkk!" Donatra moaned and screamed as she came. Cole gulped down her nectar as if he was dying of thirst. In a way he was dying of his thirst for her. Even as her first climax abated, his tongue didn't. He sucked her clit between his lips and flicked it with his tongue. That set her off again, and she screamed his name loudly. Her ejacuation this time was powerful as he sucked and licked her pussy of all her cum. "Ohgods... Stop, Cole. Please stop. Ohmygods!" Donatra was breathless after coming so hard. Cole raised his head from between her thighs with his grin in place. "I take it ye liked that, luv?" "No, you phaserbrain. I fucking LOVED it!" Donatra grinned back breathlessly and pulled him up to her. Love And War Bk. 05 Cole kissed her passionately and lovingly, then broke the kiss to pull back a bit. "I love ye, Dona," he said softly. "I love you too, Cole. No man has ever made me come like you have." She grinned and pulled his lips to hers. She shifted her weight and moved on top of him again, straddling his waist and hard cock. She reached down and grabbed ahold of him. "Dona needs this, darlin'. I hope ye don't mind." She winked and grinned as she did a very passable Irish brogue. Cole's grin widened as he heard her. "Then take me, Donatra my love. Take me and make my yours forevermore," He replied in Romulan, which made Donatra speechless as she sat down all the way on him and leaned forward, kissing him lovingly. "I will take from you and give you all that I am, my darling Collin," she replied in Romulan back to him. Cole silently thanked Jason and Delaara for the Romulan language lessons. It really was a beautiful language. She began to move slowly on top of him, grinding back and forth as she made love to him. "Oooh God, baby!" Cole moaned as she moved slowly, lovingly, closing her eyes in pleasure as he filled her. He moved below her in time with her motions, making love back to her as they both approached their climaxes "Yyessss, darling. Love me. Let me love you. Take me as I take you. Give to me as I give to you," she said in Romulan above him. Cole felt his balls tightening as he swelled inside her. "Donatra, sweet love, you are about to receive all of me!" Cole declared as he felt his cum rising. "Yes, Collin. Give me your seed, my sweet one. Give me your love. Ooooh GODDDSSSSSS!" Donatra screamed out as she came around him. Her pussy grabbed ahold of him and held him deep inside her as she felt him swelling and pulsing. "FFFFuuuuccccckkk!" Cole exclaimed as he blasted his cum deep inside her hungry pussy. She milked him, squeezing every drop she could out of him. Dona shuddered and shook on top of him as the aftershocks continued to ripple through her from her pussy outward. Her breathing was ragged as she cradled his head to her neck as she lay out on top of him. Her breasts crushed into his chest. Cole's arms were around her lovingly, stroking her hair and her back. He felt her pussy convulsing around him in the aftermath of her climax. He was still hard inside her, even as he felt their combined juices flow out of her around him. "Dona, I think I want to marry ye." Cole grinned as he said it, realizing how true it was. "Collin, I think I might let you." Donatra grinned as well. She kissed him lovingly and tenderly, and he returned her kiss just as sweetly. "Darlin', ye've more than earned the right to call me Collin." Cole said. "Good, Collin. I like your name, and I love you, you blasted Irishman!" Donatra grinned and kissed him again. "Well, if we're gonna have an Irish weddin', we're both gonna get plastered along with the rest of the guests. It's an old tradition to get drunk." Cole laughed. "I like that tradition. It sure beats the hell out of Romulan weddings. Boooorrrriiinnnnggg!" They both laughed at her assessment. ***** Lou, Kralla, and Guinan got back within the hour of Q's departure to find Jason, Delaara, and Alex running the bar for the dinner crowd from the Academy. Jenny was doing short order cooking, and Ryan and Rachael were taking orders at tables. "WELL HOLY SHIT! I knew I could count on you guys once dipshit left!" Lou shouted as they walked in and up to the bar. "Hey hey, guys!" Delaara grinned as she placed the credits in the register for the beer she'd just served. Kralla moved around and counted the transactions and food/drink served. "Wow!" She exclaimed, then hugged Delaara. "Del, honey, I dunno what you all did, but we're about a hundred credits up from our usual dinner rush this time of day on a Friday!" "It's called 'Legends Servin' Drinks and Food' babe." Lou laughed. Jason handed a drink to a Cadet and laughed at his friend. "Yeah, Lou. You aren't the only living legend around here anymore." All had gone to get on Biker gear before returning to help out. They'd left at least two people there at all times. "Oh, Lou. Del and I and Rachael and Ryan brought our kids along. Suze is in the back watching them and Vinnie." Jason informed them. "Good deal, Jay." Lou grinned. The dinner rush finally died down at about 2000 when Shawn and Julie came in looking beat. Jason handed them both a beer as they came up to the bar. "Tough day?" He asked. "You might say that." Julie laughed. "Remember that park kidnapper from a couple years back?" "Yeah, didn't you guys catch him or her?" Jason asked. "We thought we did. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough evidence, and more bodies have been turning up lately. We could use a hand if you have any Starfleet Security personnel available. We're at our wits' end on this one." Shawn looked defeated, and he was one of the best Detectives on Earth. Jason looked over at Rachael. "CAPTAIN! I'm going to call Tanya and have her get down here with her team to help Shawn and Julie!" "Have any Starfleet personnel been affected?" She asked as she came up to the bar. "A Cadet went missing the other day, according to a report from Starfleet Academy and a request to keep an eye out for her." Rachael nodded and turned to Jason. "Do it, Colonel." Jason tapped his combadge. "Cobalt to Duran. Care to help out some local law enforcement on a serial kidnap/murder case?" "Hell yes, Colonel! Let me get my team together and we'll be right down!" Tanya confirmed. "We're bored to death up here." "Beam down to Lou's Bar and Grill when you're ready. Cobalt, out." Jason turned to Shawn and Julie. "Done and done. Tanya and her crew are damn good at what they do. Mostly because half her guys are ex-criminals." "Awesome! The best cops are ex-crooks." Shawn laughed. "True. Look at Shawn here." Julie winked, and Jason laughed. "Want to let me take a look at the file?" A voice said behind them. Donatra and Cole had returned in Biker gear, and both had very satisfied smiles on their faces. Shawn turned and saw her. He raised an eyebrow. "You have law enforcement experience, Dona?" "Praetorian trained law enforcement, Shawn. I might be able to at least give you a fresh pair of eyes on it." She shrugged. "Praetorians are the best, guys. I know, I'm one of them." Delaara winked at them. "I'll vouch for that." Jason smiled. Shawn shrugged. "Ok, I'll be right back. I got a copy of the file in the car." He got up and jogged out to the parking lot, returning a moment later and handing the padd to Dona. "Hmmm. Let's see what we have here. Delie, can you take a look too?" She looked at her cousin. "Sure, Donie." Delaara moved out and over to the table where Donatra was sitting. They looked over the evidence and witness reports. On site photos helped a lot and they were able to triangulate where the kidnapper/murderer was striking from. She showed them on the map of the park. "Set up your sensors here and here. Have units standing by here and there. She pointed to each spot on the map. Each place she pointed to offered cover and concealment as well as an unobstructed view of the spot where they determined the perp was hiding before striking. Shawn and Julie both nodded at that and smiled. "If this pans out, you're both going to be in for a Public Service medal! I'll see to that myself." The thrumm of a Federation transporter heralded the arrival of Tanya Duran and her security team. Jason introduced her to Julie and Shawn, and gave her the lowdown on what was going on. "Sounds good, Jay." She turned to Shawn. "Where do ya need us, Detective?" Shawn pointed to a spot on the map. "Here. I'll have two other teams here and here. Go ahead and switch your combadges to Santa Barbara PD, and I'm hereby initiating Emergency Deputization Protocol." He tapped his own badge and gave the order for the Nimitz security squad to his Station Chief. They left the bar shortly thereafter, when Shawn gave them the Rules of Engagement for the attempted capture. "Whoever is doing it won't know what bloody hit 'em." Rachael chuckled. "Ye got that right, Captain." Cole said. "I went toe to toe with Tanya while sparrin' once. She cleaned me clock!" "In that case, I'm putting her in for promotion." Rachael smirked at her friend. "Har bloody har har, Captain. Ye know ye luv me." Cole gave her his most disarming grin. Rachael chuckled. "Bloody well right, Irish." "I still don't get this 'feud' between you two." Dona said. "Oh, it's just a joke now, Donatra. But centuries ago, Ireland and England hated each other." Rachael explained. "We just like to give each other crap." "Like Romulus and Remus?" Donatra asked. "Luv, the battles fought by Irish and English made the Romulan Reman battles look like barfights." Cole told her. "That's how the Irish view everything. Barfights!" Rachael rolled her eyes. "It's our culture, Captain." Cole nodded sagely. ***** After everyone was mostly gone, Jason and Delaara finally found a little time for a slowdance on the dance floor. The song was 'Where Eagles Fly' by Sarah Brightman and Eric Adams. Cole and Donatra also danced close for that one, as it had special meaning for them. The door flew open and Tanya came in with her team, as well as Shawn and Julie. "WE GOT HIM!" Shawn let out a yell of pride. "Del and Dona, you're getting medals along with Tanya and her team! Also, if you guys want to ever retire or resign from Starfleet, you have a permanent offer of employment from the Santa Barbara Police Department!" "Nice!" Jason let out a sigh of relief. "Everything went according to plan, I take it?" "Close enough. The perp grabbed our decoy as planned, but he ended up taking her hostage at knife point. Tanya shot him with a stun blast from her phaser right in the hand, causing him to drop the knife, and we stunned him for capture." Julie explained. "Outfuckingstanding!" Lou grinned and slapped Tanya and Shawn on the back. "Oorah, Gunny!" Jason grinned right along with everyone else in the room. They closed down finally and Jason collected Bryan while Rachael collected Brandon. They said their goodbyes to their friends from different ships, and beamed up. Cole and Donatra took a bit longer to say their goodbyes, and then beamed up to their own ships in Starbase 1. -------------------------------------------------- Night of the Hunter The USS Nimitz and IRW Valdore left spacedock at the same time the next morning, one followed closely by the other. Admiral Nelson was on comm with both ships. "USS Nimitz and IRW Valdore, your assistance is requested near Delta Gamma IV. USS Comanche is under attack by six Orion battle raiders, and is requesting assistance. Since your ships are the most combat ready at the moment, we need you there ASAP." Admiral Nelson was calm as usual, but there was an edge to his voice. "We're on our way, Nick." Rachael replied with a smile. "As are we, Admiral." Donatra acknowledged. "Good to go, then. I expect nothing but perfection here, people. Make us and the Empire proud. Nelson, out." He cut the comm. "You heard the man, Dona. Are you ready for some fun with the Orions?" Rachael asked her friend. "Always, Rachael. Let's go introduce our new alliance to those pirates!" Donatra grinned back. They cut the comm and went to Warp together, courses set and ready for war. Jason turned with the implacable look on his face. "Rachael, I'm going to scramble the Wing now. We're going to launch as soon as we come out of Warp." Without waiting for a reply, he and Delaara sprinted for the turbolift up to the flight deck. Jason tapped his combadge. "Cobalt to all Strikers. Scramble now. ALL pilots to the flight decks and mount up!" "Stiletto Lead copies." "Scorpion Lead copies." As soon as the turbolift opened, half the Skulls were there already and waiting. They knew what was at stake here, and were mounting up as Jason kissed Delaara and they ascended their boarding ladders. As soon as helmets were on and canopies were closed, they prepped and were ready. "One minute until we exit warp. All fighters prepare to launch." CAG said over the comm. "Skull Leader to CAG. Long range sensors able to pick anything up from Delta Gamma IV yet?" "Roger that, Skull Lead. Comanche is holding her own, but still has four battle raiders hounding her. We will be dropping from warp in 45 seconds." "Skull Lead to all strikers. As soon as we launch, I'll send telemetry and target assignments." He heard the acknowledgments from his Squadron Leaders and made ready. "Skulls, this one is personal. Angie is one of us, and my cousin to boot. Let's save her ass out there, and let's come back alive. Gloria ad mortem!" "GLORIA AD MORTEM!" Jason grinned. "Exiting warp... NOW! Striker wing, LAUNCH!" CAG gave the order. Jason punched the throttle forward. "GO SKULLS!" The fighters shot from the flight decks and Jason pulled up in a half loop to shoot over the top of the flight deck and the Nimitz itself. He adjusted for angle and called the shots and marked the targets for each Squad. "Skulls on 1 for. Stilettos on 2. Scorpions on 3. Valdore on 4. Light them up, disabling only, everyone. We don't know if they've kidnapped anyone from the Comanche." "Two to Lead. I've got your wing, baby." Demoness sounded off. "Roger, Two. Ok, let's see how the Orions like our new toys. Striker Wing, ATTACK!" Jason banked the skulls towards battle raider one and they began disabling the ship in record time. Tubes were down, as were phasers and engines as they went about the clockwork disabling of the enemy vessel. Stiletto also scored a rousing success, and Scorpion only lost one Sleipnir. The pilot went EV and was towed back to Nimitz by his wingman. "Skull Leader to USS Comanche. You there, Angie?" Jason asked over the comm as the Valdore finished disabling the last battle raider. "Commanche here, Skull Leader. Good to see you!" Angie's voice rang loud and clear. "Glad we could make the party before you destroyed the rest of them." Jason laughed. The war marshal exited warp and began launching fighters. Before she could even blink, Delaara took massive damage to her Valkyrie, and had to punch out. The war marshal tractored her EV pod immediately and took it aboard, followed by the EV pods of Seraph, Razor, and Arrow. Its fighters then retreated back aboard before the Skulls could retaliate. "War marshal! Skulls, attack and disable warp drive first!" Jason commanded. "OCS Buccaneer to all Federation ships! If you attack us, we will terminate your pilots that we have just captured. You will all surrender yourselves to us, and return with us to the Betelgeuse system. Do you copy?" The Orion commander said over the open comm in an oily voice. "OCS Buccaneer, this is the USS Nimitz. We are standing down and will follow you into Warp." Rachael said in a strained voice. "Sonuvabitch!" Jason shouted. "If he hurts her, I will kill him piece by fucking PIECE!" "Stand down, Colonel!" Rachael's voice came over the comm. "Return to Nimitz immediately! All Strikers return to your flight decks!" "It was a fucking trap! We lost four fighters in all, Rachael. They got Arrow, Seraph, Razor, and.... Demoness." Jason said. "Nimitz copies, Skull Lead. Get back aboard, and we will go after them. But right now, the Orions are holding all the cards." Rachael said. "Roger that, Nimitz. Landing now." Jason had the implacable look again, and Comanche was now coming alongside Nimitz and Valdore. "Valdore, do you have anything that can help?" Jason asked over the comm from his fighter. "We do, Jason. We have four Night Owl class stealth fighters aboard. Can you fly them?" Donatra said soberly. She knew her cousin had just been captured. "I'll need all four. They're two seaters, right?" Jason asked. "Affirmative, Skull Lead." Donatra said. "Good. Can you send them over cloaked as soon as we exit warp? I would appreciate it." Jason kept his voice calm, even as he prepared to visit the wrath of God upon the Orions' heads. "We will, Jay. We're going to help you get Delaara back." Donatra assured him. "Thanks, Donie. Skull Lead, out." He cut the comm and popped his canopy. As it rose, he vaulted onto the flight deck. He started towards the Bridge turbolift. Nobody stopped him once they saw the look in his eyes. ***** "Well, well. The infamous Commander Delaara, Lieutenant Alexander Rozhenko, Lieutenant Roy Harper, and last but certainly not least, Lieutenant Mariel Evans. You may call me Hunter, and I command the Orion Confederation Ship Buccaneer. I was also married to Captain Sulina, commanding officer of the OCS Havester before her very untimely demise. I will not lie to you, ladies and gentlemen. Your deaths are very much assured unless all of my demands are met." He regarded all of them with a disdainful smirk on his face. Delaara's blood ran cold. She knew what he wanted. She stood up. "Let them go, Hunter. I'm the one you want." He raised his eyebrows at that. "Oh, I know, my dear. You and your husband, Colonel Jason MacKenzie. You will both pay very dearly for my wife's death. The rest of you are leverage. You see, I don't plan on just killing you. What I have in mind is more... fitting." "What do you want besides revenge, Hunter?" Delaara asked. She thought of her son, their son, and she vowed to herself that Hunter would never touch a hair on Bryan's head. "It's not revenge, Delaara. You misunderstand. It's justice. Justice for what you and your husband did to my wife and my brother, who commanded a war marshal during what you call the Ferengi-Orion war? Yes, I believe that's what your Federation called it. It doesn't matter. All that matters here is that you are all going to die, and there is nothing your Federation can do about it. Now, I will leave you all to make peace with your preferred deity or deities." He bowed and left, walking purposefully out of the holding area aboard his flagship. "You knew his wife, Del?" Alex asked. "In a way, Alex. She was commanding the battle raider that landed on NZ8 when Jason and I were stranded there. I shot her in the back while Jason distracted her and her crew." Delaara said. "Well, we need to find a way out of here." Roy said. "Honey, can you hand me that bowl? I have an idea." He motioned to the bowl by Mariel. "Sure, sweetheart." She passed the metal bowl to Roy, who looked it over and looked up at the ceiling. "Roy, what are you planning?" Alex asked. "Just doing some calculations for a bank shot." He replied, looking at each wall. He looked at the shallow bowl again and did a little test flick of his wrist, not releasing the bowl. "Getting the feel for it as a weapon. When they come back, I'll bank it off the wall and distract them. Then we all rush them at once and overpower them." "And go where, Roy? We're in Warp now, and when we drop from Warp, we won't be able to do much." Delaara said. "Let me handle this. Ok?" "Commander, if we play along with him, we're all dead. If we don't, and we fight back, at least one of us might make it out." Roy shot back. "Roy, let Jason and Donatra work on it. If I know them, they're already planning a rescue mission." Delaara smiled at her friend. "Ok, Commander. But I'm keeping this bowl ready just in case." Roy smiled back at her. ***** Donatra looked at the plan. "Here." She pointed at the schematic of the war marshal. "This should be their prisoner holding area. They'll be held here." She stood with Rachael, Rash, Bolter, Bounce, and Cobalt in Rachael's Ready Room. Jason traced the route they would need to take from the shuttle bay to the detention area and back. It would be brutal, and would require a full platoon of the Marines stationed aboard Nimitz.