Supernova: Sci-Fi Romance (Far Hope Series Book 3) Page 2

  She could still hear his words playing on repeat in her mind: “This is a warning—a warning for the Terran Alliance Forces. Surrender the remaining T.A.F. personnel, turn over command of your forces to me, or there will be dire consequences for your inaction.”

  “Colonel Grimm has made his wishes very clear,” an announcer explained as the image of Grimm disappeared.

  The next image wasn’t much better, though. It was a short video caught during the height of the coup. The chaos and confusion could be felt through the viewscreen. Even Bron seemed to shudder back as the images flashed by.

  "He will not stop until he gets what he wants," the reporter for the Galactic News Network continued. "Top officials have assured us that they are doing everything within their power to contain the threat, however."

  “Everything in their power?” Dario asked, his eyes drifting over to Kira quickly. “Is it just me, or does it seem like no real plan has even been developed yet?”

  Everyone turned their attention from the viewscreen to their fellow crew member. Dario, soft spoken and wise, was showing signs of frazzled frustration, something very unlike him. Kira noted the way his hands remained balled up tightly at his sides and his jaw was clenched tight.

  “Dario, walk with me,” Kira said, moving away from the group.

  She heard his light steps following behind her but didn't slow her pace until they were well out of earshot of the others. When she finally fell into step with him, she waited for him to begin. She wasn't going to pressure him into anything but she also couldn't have perhaps the most stable, consistent member of their crew on the brink of a breakdown.

  “It’s true, what I said,” Dario began. “They don’t have a plan.”

  “They haven’t had time to make one, Dario,” Kira said calmly. “Until we returned from the mining colonies, Grimm’s plans and intentions were almost completely unknown to the High Command.”

  “Don’t you think we should be making our own plans and not just trying to figure out Grimm’s?” Dario countered. “Why are we always two steps behind him? Shouldn’t we be the ones calling the shots?”

  "Coups don't work like that. That's the whole point of a coup, to no longer let someone else call the shots. Grimm doesn't care what we're doing because it won't affect what he's going to do. He's had this plan in place for a long time. He's not going to change it just because the Terran Alliance wants him to."

  “Can’t we do something to make him have to change his plan?”

  “That’s what we’ve been trying to do. Dario, you know this. You know how all of this works. It’s not the process that’s frustrating you.”

  “It’s not,” he admitted.

  “Do you want to tell me what it is?”

  “I’m sure you know. If you don’t, you’re neither a good Captain nor a good friend.”

  Kira wrinkled her brow and glanced at him defensively. He smiled weakly at her and shrugged. She returned the smile and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

  “We’ll figure out how to save him,” she said. “You have my word.”

  “But how? What are our next steps? Where do we go from here? We’re working for the Terran Alliance now, but they haven’t given us any orders or laid out any plan of action.”

  “Artanis will think of something, it’s important that the TAF stabilize the home front first,” Kira urged.

  As she spoke, she pulled out the small, bracelet-like comm device that Artanis had given her before he dismissed them from their meeting. If he did need them, he would be contacting them on that. Part of her hoped he did contact them soon with a plan, while the other part of her hoped he took his time, giving them at least a few days to breathe and relax.

  Looking down at the small silver device, she saw that he had not tried to contact them.

  “I’ve known him for a long time,” she continued, placing the device back in her pocket. “He may not work at lightning speed, but that’s only because he’s ridiculously thorough. When he does present a plan of action, you can bet a million Galactic Credits on the fact that it’s going to work. He’s gotten us this far, hasn’t he?”

  “But every day that goes by means Thane is in more and more danger. It’s been far too long since I’ve heard from him. And with each passing minute of silence, my mind fills with more bleak, terrified thoughts.”

  “Dario, do you remember what you told me when Thor was in Recovery after the battle at the last mining colony?”

  “About relationships?”

  “About life and love and relationships and the reality we live in,” Kira replied. “You said that we can’t let the ambiguity of life weigh on us too heavily. Life is filled with uncertainties, you reminded me, and the only thing we can be certain of in this vast, ridiculously mysterious universe we live in is the people we share the experience with. You told me that holding those relationships close is what inspires us to work harder, fight harder, and live another day. What you’re feeling now, Thane is probably out there feeling the same exact thing. The only thing you can do with those feelings though is to use them as motivation to keep pushing forward.”

  “But without a plan…”

  “There will be a plan. And when there is, I need you to be as focused and driven as you always have been. Shit, the five of us need someone with a little sophistication to keep us grounded. So, I’m going to need you to keep being that person for us.”

  “You would be lost without me,” Dario responded with a crooked smile.

  “Completely lost,” Kira agreed, hugging him tightly. “I promise, Dario. I haven’t forgotten about Thane. None of us have. We will find and save him.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Dario whispered as he pulled back from her and nodded slowly.

  Kira saw the slight glistening of a tear form in the corner of his eye. He plastered a smile on his face and nodded again. His hands were no longer balled into fists, and his jaw was more relaxed.

  “I think I’ll go for a walk around the station, try to clear my mind a little,” Dario said.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Kira agreed. “I’ll be back with the others if you want to talk more.”

  With a slight nod, Dario turned and walked away. His shoulders were still hunched forward, but not nearly as much as they were before. Kira took in a slow breath as she watched him go. She did feel for him. She couldn’t imagine being in a situation like the one he was enduring. It was hard enough being locked in the midst of a Galactic coup, knowing the person you loved was caught in the middle of the wrong side would be nearly unbearable.

  Once Dario disappeared among the crowds, she turned. The instant she did, her eyes landed on Thor. He was looking right at her, his gaze locking on hers amid the bustle of the busy repair bay. He gave her a slow, easy smile, as he brushed a chunk of shaggy brown hair from his face.

  Moving toward the group, he was the only one she saw. After talking to Dario, the only thing she wanted to do was hold him close. Thinking about losing him, almost losing him, made her heart sink into her stomach. Remembering him, lying in the bed in Medical aboard the Curio made her chest ache with desperation. It was then that she knew she loved him. And since then, her apprehensions towards relationships had melted away. Her fear of commitment, her concern for balancing her work life and her love life seemed like a petty excuse.

  Thinking about what Dario was feeling made her appreciate what she had even more. They were together and they were free.

  “Hey,” he said, extending his hand to her as she approached. “Is he okay?”

  Alaria, standing nearby, hurried over. Her eyes were filled with a daughter’s loving concern. “Where is he?”

  “He’s fine,” Kira replied. “I think. He’s upset about Thane.”

  “Oh no,” Alaria sighed, her eyes scanning the busy repair bay.

  “He went for a walk,” Kira informed her.

  “Should I go after him?” she asked, her eyes still flitting about the room.

  �
�I think he wanted to be alone,” Kira replied.

  She could sense Alaria’s concern increase. The small, petite Telani woman wore her emotions clearly. She needed a distraction. The sound of Bron and Vinnie getting into yet another argument would provide just that.

  “You get the supplies. Why do I have to?” Vinnie quipped.

  “Because you’re the kid,” Bron said, crossing his arms over his large, brown chest.

  “You’re the one acting like one,” Vinnie replied.

  “I’m also the one putting a roof over your head.”

  With that, Vinnie looked up in sarcastic defiance. “Oh, I didn’t realize you owned the TFS Arbiter’s repair bay,” he said. “You’ve come a long way since you left the Bazaar. I must have missed all these big developments while I was busy saving your ass time and time again.”

  “You saved my ass?”

  “Okay,” Kira said, grabbing onto Alaria’s arm and tugging her toward the duo. “I think you’re going to need some supervising if anything is going to get done on the ship.”

  “We don’t need a babysitter,” Vinnie said, turning to face them with an expression of frustration on his face.

  Bron also turned to face them, but his expression wasn’t as annoyed as Vinnie’s. In fact, he seemed almost pleased at Kira’s suggestion.

  “We could use the help,” Bron said.

  “And I could use the distraction,” Alaria agreed, smiling weakly, first at Kira, then a little brighter at Bron.

  Vinnie huffed, rolled his eyes, and turned on his heel. As he marched toward the ship, he mumbled just loud enough to be heard, “I may end up having to be the babysitter.”

  Alaria giggled softly as the color of Bron’s face went from dark to even darker with a tinge of red. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and intertwined her arm with his, tugging him in the direction of the ship.

  Kira and Thor both chuckled as they watched the oddly adorable couple walk off. Thor wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Leaning in, he kissed her softly on the cheek, sending a shiver of chills running down her spine.

  “You know,” she said, spinning around to look up at him, “I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier, and you may have a point.”

  “Am I going crazy?” Thor asked sarcastically. “Is this a dream? First, I’m told I’m a free man again, and then Kira Winter admitted that I may have been right about something? This can’t be reality.”

  “Do you want me to continue or not?” she asked, nudging him softly in the side.

  "Hell yes, I want you to continue. I want to hear what I was right about!"

  Rolling her eyes, she laced her fingers with his and scooted in close. “We should enjoy this moment,” she said softly. “We should enjoy our freedom and we should be thankful that we can do so together.”

  His eyes, always deep and penetrating, fixed on hers. “What’s on your mind?” he asked.

  He was the only person she knew that could do that—read her that way. He could tell when she was happy, sad, angry, or bothered.

  “Dario’s worried about Thane,” she replied, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “And you’re worried about Dario?”

  “Yes, but that’s not all,” she replied. “It just got me thinking about what happened back on the last mining colony, and how hard it would be for me if I didn’t know that you were okay, and…”

  His eyes narrowed as a look of pleasant surprise crossed his face.

  “I know,” she groaned, “what have you done to me?”

  “I don’t know,” Thor replied, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers fiercely, “but I like it.”

  She laughed and pushed him back. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m thankful that I have you here with me,” she said. “I really don’t know what I would do if I didn’t know that you were okay.”

  “It would kill me to be separated from you right now,” he said, nestling his face close to hers. “I can’t even think about it.”

  “Then, let’s not think about it,” she said, pulling back and taking hold of his hand. “Let’s just enjoy being together.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  On a ship like the TFS Arbiter, rooms were easy to come by. Merchants, military personnel, soldiers-for-hire, whoever it was that spent any extended time on board the large Terran Forces vessel would need a place to sleep.

  Although, sleep wasn’t what Kira and Thor had in mind when they tumbled into the room they had rented.

  “Maybe we should tell someone where we are,” Kira said as they tripped over each other’s feet, their arms wrapped around each other and their lips pressed together.

  “Why? So they can give us shit again?” Thor asked, leading her over to the bed.

  Besides the small, attached bathroom, the bed was basically all there was in the room. The heavy metal walls emitted a soft light that seemed to seep through them, coming from nowhere in particular, but illuminating the space just enough to give it a soft but fluorescent feel.

  “No,” she said as she undid the clasp of her gun belt and tossed her Phantom and holster to the side. “They might need us for something, though.”

  Thor, too, tossed his sidearm to the ground before slipping the loose-fitting white shirt he was wearing up over his head. Her eyes flitted over him—his perfectly sculpted body, his chiseled chest and defined abs. Her gaze landed on the intricate tattoo that covered most of his left pec.

  Reaching up, she dragged her fingers along the lines, tracing the designs in his skin. She could feel his heartbeat against her hand, strong and steady, and accelerated with excitement.

  “The others can survive without their Captain for a while. I need you right now,” Thor replied, leaning in and pressing his lips to her neck.

  A shiver of chills ran down her spine as his right hand drifted down her side. Her stomach turned with anticipation as he reached the edge of her shirt and slid his hand up between the fabric and her skin.

  When he pushed her back onto the bed, she went gladly. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him down with her. As they tumbled back, Thor lifted the shirt up over her head. The second she felt his skin pressed against hers, her entire body shivered with desire.

  “Fine,” she said, her words coming out in soft, excited sighs. “Maybe they’ll be fine for a while without me.”

  Her hands once again drifted over him. She never grew tired of the shape of him—strong, defined, broad shoulders, and muscular back. Everything about him made her want him more. The assuredness with which he moved, reaching down and undoing the clasps of her pants. The way his hands drifted over her with a soft sort of power, a tender roughness that only he could embody.

  When he slipped out of his pants, she felt her stomach begin to flop excitedly. The second their bodies came together again, she let out a moan of both longing and frustration. She wrapped her legs around his waist; he leaned in further. She felt him pressing against her, his member prepared to slide inside of her.

  Her body shook with excitement.

  When he pressed his hips forward, her hands flew down to her sides, her fingers clinging to the sheets. Feeling him like that, being connected to him that way, had always given her a level of pleasure she hadn’t experienced before. The way he moved, the way his lips found hers with a force and passion that caused her to become completely lost with him, the way she could feel his heart racing in his chest, pressed tightly against her—it all made her want him more.

  His lips drifted away from hers, finding her neck, sending shivers running up and down her spine. Her back arched, the combinations of feelings he was sending surging through her making the room spin.

  He was firm in his movements, his hips thrusting up and down with passion and lustful desire. But, his kiss was soft, his lips just barely grazed over her skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

  She wasn’t sure how long they spent there, lost toge
ther in their ecstasy. It felt like forever and yet, it was over all too fast. When she felt the orgasm wash over her, she wasn’t ready to separate from him.

  He always left her feeling that way—completely satisfied yet longing for more.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  She wanted to stay there forever. She wanted to lie in bed with his arms wrapped around her and forget about everything that had happened before and everything that would happen after that very moment.

  Because that moment was perfect.