Page 19

VARNOK

I stride through the crystal doors of The Celestial, the most expensive restaurant in Christmasville. The maitre d' steps forward to intercept me, his eyes widening at my size.

"Sir, do you have a reservation?" His voice quivers slightly.

I flash my teeth in what humans call a smile. "I'm joining a friend."

Before he can protest, I spot Kallus at a corner table, surrounded by Christmasville's elite. His scales gleam under the soft lighting as he raises a glass of amber liquid, basking in his victory.

Perfect.

I move through the dining room, ignoring the hushed whispers that follow me. Vakutans aren't typically seen in establishments like this unless they're providing security. I'm providing something else entirely tonight.

Kallus notices me approaching, his expression shifting from surprise to amusement as I pull out a chair across from him and sit down. The delicate furniture creaks beneath my weight.

"Well, well. The famous Annihilator graces my table." Kallus gestures expansively. "Please, join me. I'm feeling generous tonight."

"I bet you are." I lean back, making myself comfortable. "You got everything you wanted, didn't you?"

Kallus signals a server, who places another glass of the amber liquid before me.

"We all got what we wanted, Varnok. The Solari get their compensation, the Coalition avoids embarrassment, and the Alliance maintains its industrial interests.

" He raises his glass. "A triumph of diplomacy, wouldn't you say? "

I don't touch the drink. "Except the Solari. And me." I lean forward, my voice dropping to a rumble that causes nearby diners to glance nervously in our direction. "There's still the matter of you trying to kill the woman I love."

The smile doesn't leave Kallus's face, but his eyes harden. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Perhaps the Ambassador's ordeal has affected your judgment."

"My judgment is fine." I pull my compad from my belt and place it on the table between us. "Go ahead, Quinn."

Kallus's expression doesn't change, but I notice his hand tightening around his glass.

Suddenly, every holo-display in the restaurant flickers. The soft music cuts out. Then Quinn's voice fills the space, clear and authoritative.

"Citizens of Armstrong, this is Ambassador Quinn Gellar."

Outside, through the crystal windows, I see the massive public displays in Christmasville's main square light up with the same transmission. Pedestrians stop to watch.

The displays show Kallus in a private room, speaking to two Vakutan mercenaries—the same ones who tried to kill Quinn and me.

"I want them both eliminated," recording-Kallus says, sliding a credit chip across the table. "The Ambassador first, then her bodyguard. Make it look like an accident if possible, but I need them gone before the negotiations conclude."

"And if we're caught?" one mercenary asks.

"You won't be. But if the impossible happens..." Recording-Kallus smiles coldly. "You don't know me. You've never met me. And there will be no evidence to suggest otherwise."

The real Kallus lunges to his feet, knocking over his chair. "This is a fabrication! Computer-generated nonsense!"

I remain seated, watching as Armstrong Security officers enter the restaurant, their uniforms crisp and their expressions grim.

"The beauty of QE recording devices," I say casually, "is that they're impossible to detect. Quinn had one installed in her brooch after the first assassination attempt. Seems you got sloppy when you thought you were winning."

Kallus looks around wildly, then makes a break for the kitchen. He doesn't make it three steps before security officers tackle him to the ground.

Quinn appears at my side, her blonde hair gleaming under the restaurant lights. She places a hand on my shoulder as we watch Kallus being cuffed and read his rights.

"Looks like justice to me," she says softly.

I cover her hand with mine, feeling the warmth of her skin against my scales. "His head on a pike would be justice," I grumble. "I'll have to be satisfied with him being imprisoned."

Quinn leans down, her lips brushing my ear ridge. "Compromise. It's what relationships are built on."

I laugh. My jalshagar. My diplomat. My Quinn.

I lead Quinn through the twinkling streets of Christmasville, her small hand tucked into mine.

The city lives up to its name tonight—holographic snow drifts down between buildings, landing on Quinn's golden hair before dissolving.

Storefront displays flash with multicolored lights, and costumed elves distribute sweets to passing children.

"Where are we going?" Quinn asks, her blue eyes reflecting the lights around us.

"Patience, Ambassador." I squeeze her hand gently. "Some battles require strategy."

She laughs, the sound warming me more than any plasma rifle ever could. "Is this a battle?"

"The most important one of my life."

We turn a corner, and the Great Memorial comes into view.

The massive fountain stretches nearly a hundred feet high, its waters cascading in precise patterns that catch and amplify the lights beneath.

The monument was built after the Centuries War ended, dedicated to all who died fighting and to the peace they never lived to see.

Quinn's breath catches. "It's beautiful."

"They say it represents the tears of all mothers who lost children in the war," I tell her, guiding her closer. "Both Alliance and Coalition."

We stop at the edge of the fountain. Hundreds of small flames burn on floating platforms across the water's surface, each representing a major battle in the Centuries War.

"I fought in seventeen of those battles," I say quietly, pointing to the flames. "I was proud of it then. Now I wonder what it was all for."

Quinn leans against me. "It was for this. For peace."

"Maybe." I turn to face her, taking both her hands in mine. "Or maybe it was to lead me to you."

Her eyes widen. I'm not known for poetry or sentiment. I'm the Annihilator, destroyer of Coalition forces, breaker of enemy lines. But for her, I find words I never knew I possessed.

"Quinn Gellar, I've spent my life fighting. It's all I know. All I'm good at." I take a deep breath. "But when I'm with you, I want to build something instead of destroying it."

The water behind us shifts patterns, casting us in a soft blue glow. Quinn's eyes shine with unshed tears.

"I love you," I say, the words feeling strange yet perfect on my tongue. "I didn't know what that meant before. I thought it was weakness. But it's not—it's the greatest strength I've ever known."

A single tear slides down her cheek. "I love you too, Varnok. I think I have since you carried me out of that station."

I lift her chin with one finger, marveling at how delicate she is, how much strength exists in her small frame. "Stay with me. Always. We'll figure out the rest—your career, my... whatever I am now. But we'll do it together."

Quinn rises to her tiptoes, pressing her forehead against mine in the traditional Vakutan gesture of devotion. "Of course," she whispers. "I'm yours, after all."

I capture her lips with mine, tasting the sweetness of her mouth, feeling the warmth of her body against me. Around us, the Great Memorial shifts again, its waters forming a heart shape that pulses with light.

I pull back just enough to speak. "Jalshagar," I murmur.

"Two bodies, one soul," she translates, her fingers tracing the ridges on my face.

For the first time in my life, I understand what peace truly means. It's not the absence of war. It's this—this moment, this woman, this love that burns hotter than any battlefield fire.

I am Varnok the Annihilator no more. With Quinn, I am simply Varnok. And that is enough.

The chill of the night air clung to us as we made our way back to the Superior Gardens, our hands entwined.

The city's festive lights cast a kaleidoscope of colors upon Quinn's face, painting her in hues of joy and contentment.

I squeezed her hand gently, my heart thrumming with a newfound sense of purpose.

We entered the hotel, the opulence of the lobby a stark contrast to the simplicity of the moment we had just shared at the Great Memorial. The staff, led by the ever-meticulous Odex, Roleach, afforded us a wide berth, sensing the gravity of the connection between us.

In the privacy of the elevator, Quinn leaned into me, her head resting against my chest. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. The ascent to our suite felt both an eternity and a fleeting instant.

Once inside our room, the door closing behind us with a soft thud, I turned to face her. Her eyes met mine, a silent invitation hanging between us. I stepped forward, my hands finding the zipper of her dress.

With deliberate slowness, I peeled the fabric away from her body, revealing the soft, creamy skin beneath.

I kissed the nape of her neck, my lips trailing down her spine as the dress pooled at her feet.

My hands explored the curve of her waist, the swell of her hips, committing every inch of her to memory.

She stood before me in her undergarments, her body a testament to the beauty and resilience of all life.

I knelt before her, my fingers hooking into the waistband of her panties, sliding them down her legs.

My lips followed the same path, pressing kisses to the inside of her thighs, feeling her tremble beneath my touch.

I parted her gently, my breath hot against her most sensitive area. My tongue darted out, tasting her, savoring the sweetness that was uniquely Quinn. She let out a soft moan, her fingers threading through my hair, guiding me, urging me on.

I explored her with a tenderness that belied the strength in my hands, each flick of my tongue eliciting a gasp or a whimper from her lips.

I reveled in the power I held over her body, the ability to bring her such exquisite pleasure.

Her hips bucked against my mouth as I brought her closer and closer to the edge, until finally, she shattered, her cries of ecstasy echoing off the walls of our suite.

As she came down from her high, I stood and gathered her in my arms, carrying her to the bed. She looked up at me, her eyes glassy with satisfaction, a contented smile playing on her lips.

"Your turn," she said, her voice husky with desire.

She sat up and reached for the clasp of my pants, her fingers deftly undoing the fastening. I shrugged off my shirt, standing before her in all my Vakutan glory. Her eyes roamed over my body, taking in the sight of my ridged abdomen, the broad expanse of my chest, the thick muscles of my arms.

She pulled my pants down, my cock springing free, fully erect and aching for her touch. She wrapped her delicate hand around me, stroking me with a confidence that sent shivers down my spine.

Leaning forward, she took me into her mouth, her tongue swirling around the tip before she took me deeper. The sensation was exquisite, a dizzying combination of warmth and wetness that threatened to undo me.

I threaded my fingers through her hair, not to guide her, but to feel connected to her in every possible way. She increased her pace, her hand and mouth working in unison, driving me wild with desire.

I could feel the pressure building within me, a volcano on the brink of eruption. But I wanted this moment to last forever, to bask in the intimacy we shared.

"Stop," I said, my voice barely more than a growl.

She released me, looking up with a question in her eyes.

"I want to be inside you," I explained, my need for her overwhelming every other thought.

She lay back on the bed, her legs parting in silent invitation. I crawled onto the bed, positioning myself between her thighs. With one swift motion, I entered her, filling her completely.

We moved together in a dance as old as time, our bodies perfectly in sync. Each thrust brought us closer, not just physically, but spiritually, emotionally. With every passing second, the bond between us grew stronger, more unbreakable.

I felt her tighten around me, another orgasm building within her. I increased my pace, driven by a primal urge to claim her, to make her mine in every sense of the word.

She cried out as her climax hit her, her inner walls convulsing around my cock. The sensation was too much for me to bear, and with a roar, I joined her, spilling myself inside her.

We lay there in the aftermath, our bodies slick with sweat, our hearts pounding in unison. I rolled onto my side, pulling her close, never wanting to let her go.

"Jalshagar," I whispered into her hair, the word carrying the weight of our shared destiny.

"Two bodies, one soul," she repeated, her voice soft and filled with emotion.

In that moment, I knew that everything I had ever done, every battle I had ever fought, had led me to this woman, this moment, this perfect union of two hearts.

We drifted off to sleep, our bodies entwined, our souls intertwined. And as the first light of dawn crept through the windows of our suite, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, we would face them together.

For I was Varnok the Annihilator no longer. With Quinn by my side, I was reborn—a warrior of peace, a protector of love, a partner in the truest sense of the word.

And as we awoke to a new day, a new future stretched out before us, filled with promise and hope.

Together, we would build a life that transcended the boundaries of our past, a life that would shine as brightly as the twin moons of Armstrong, a testament to the power of love and the enduring spirit of jalshagar.