Page 21

Chapter 21

Lynn

A week in Hawaii with Chris and the guys was great, but the week following was even better as we booked short flights to each of the other islands for what we called our “Island Taster Tour”. On Maui, we visited Halekala National Park where we rented a Wilderness Cabin and hiked one day through a volcanic landscape and the next through lush rainforest, as well as did some stargazing from the peak. The Big Island, we stayed in a hotel by Hilo Bay and enjoyed visiting the Imiloa Astronomy Center as well as more star and nebula gazing, this time from Mauna Ulu Lookout, before returning to our hotel. We also squeezed in some fun time trying out paddleboarding at the Hilo Bayfront Beach Park. Kauai saw us booking a boat tour with Captain Andy for a stunning view of the Na Pali Coast, followed by a lovely dinner back at our hotel and stargazing on the beach. On Lanai, we visited the cultural center and went horseback riding the first day, squeezing in some beach time where we were lucky enough to see some honu on the shore and breaching whales in the sea.

“I wish we could stay longer or come back as there are so many things we didn’t get to see or do,” I sighed as we waited for the shuttle to land at Lanai airport to take us back to the Fleet.

“We can return, though perhaps it would be best to do so multiple times, selecting a different island for a two week visit each time,” Yorix suggested.

I stood up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “You have the best ideas.”

“I hope you still think so tomorrow,” he replied cryptically, just as our ride arrived.

“It’s all yours,” the pilot said, coming out of a much larger saucer than I’d expected, appearing as if it was a double decker.

“What’s this?” I asked him.

“Our ride,” Yorix replied simply.

“Enjoy your flight,” the pilot said, walking into the airport building, pulling a suitcase.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, he's here on vacation so I’m flying us.”

“Right.”

Yorix wasn’t up to answering any more questions at the moment, it seemed, as he walked up the ramp and went inside, pulling our suitcases behind him. I followed him in and stared. Since when did a saucer come with bunks and a seating area with a replicator?

“Oh!” I said aloud as the answer occurred to me. “He flew a long range shuttle here, didn’t he?”

“It is a longer range craft, yes” he called from the cockpit area.”Stow our cases in some of the lockers under the bunks, then strap in.”

I left him to it, as he was busy doing preflight checks and talking to the tower. When I returned a few minutes later, he helped me with my harness as I still hadn’t quite caught the hang of it, then spoke to the tower once more. They gave him clearance to take off. Unlike the smaller shuttles I’d ridden in before, I couldn’t feel the air cushion disengage but the engines? There was a definite low rumble to be heard and not simply felt.

“Do you think Charlie will be super mad at me? He used to ignore me for a couple days when I returned from Astronomy Camp.”

“He’ll probably be angry with both of us and demand a lot of belly rubs, ear scratches, and catnip treats, as well as extra Tiki Cat servings in place of some of his kibble,” he replied.

Not only was this ship bigger, it was also faster, as evidenced by the fact that we’d shot out over the water and began a vertical climb already. I could see the flames already starting to lick the hull.

How much sooner will this get us to the Flet?”

“We’ll reach them in about fifteen minutes.”

“Are you serious?”

“Very.”

We broke through the atmosphere as he spoke, and then we were surrounded by the stars, with the earth behind and beneath us.

“Holy shit balls, this thing has some get up and go,” I marveled.

“It is not as fast nor as agile as a scout ship, but yes, compared to a shuttle, it is much quicker and more responsive.”

I sat there, looking at the view in front of me, spellbound.

“Wait a minute, isn’t that the Fleet?” I asked as I spied the ships in the distance, which was growing large instead of smaller.

“It is. We have a side trip to take first.”

I grew excited. Was he taking me on a cruise around the solar system before we headed back?

“You can unbuckle yourself now,” he said, removing his own harness, “and if you go upstairs, you can let Charlie out of the pen.”

“He’s here?”

“He is.”

I quickly divested myself of the straps holding me in, and hurried to climb the ladder that led to the upper deck.

“Hello, baby,” I cooed, pressing a button on the wall to release the clear floor to ceiling door of the pen.

Charlie wasn’t angry at all, or at least, had not yet remembered he was supposed to be. Instead, he meowed at me excitedly, rubbing up against my ankles until I bent down to pick him up. As I did so, I took a good look around the room. The ceiling was domed, the material set to seem as if it were transparent. In fact, the room looked as if it was made to be an observation point, with a pen to keep animal specimens where Charlie had been.

“They need seats up there,” I said, climbing down with a Charlie parched on my hip. “The view while traveling would be fantastic.

“”It’s customizable,” Yorix replied. “The space is designed to be adaptable.”

“Ah, I see. So, a multipurpose vehicle, huh?”

“Indeed. In this case, it’s a small research vessel, with scientific equipment not installed.”

I felt as if he was being evasive.

“Yorix, what’s really going on?”

“Surprise!” he replied. “Commander Gundar loaned me this so I could take you on a two week trip to the newly discovered system known as XR-492. It’s a pretty nebula with a system in it that has a habitable moon we can spend a day on if you wish, or we can spend the few days we are there admiring the nebula. Only a few days, I’m afraid, as it’s a five day trip each way.”

“You got the Fleet Commander to loan us this as a private space yacht to go see a newly discovered nebula and the system they found within it?” I surely had not heard him right.

“Yes,” he nodded and I squealed. Charlie jumped out of my arms, annoyed, but that was perfectly fine as this big, slightly scaly, cat eyed warrior had just arranged the sweetest, best thing ever for a space nerd like myself so I had to hug the ever loving hell out of him.

“So, you like it then?”

“Oh, me likey. Me likey very, very much.”

“That’s good,” he replied hoarsely, his cock now rock hard against my stomach through his pants. “Um, I need to get back to the cockpit. I am not comfortable relying on manual autopilot in-system.”

“Xeranos can’t pilot this?”

“There’s no AI here on board, save basic computer functions.”

“I see. You best get back then.” And while he was up there? I was going to see if I could find some spare blankets or pull some off some of the bunk mattresses and drag them upstairs to make a place we could lay under the stars. Among other things.

He kissed the tip of my nose. “As soon as I can, I’ll engage it on the course I had programmed in.” He hurried back to the cockpit and I watched as his tight leather pants flexed deliciously with every step he took. Mm…his ass. And his abs…

“I can smell your desire, my Bride. I will tend to you once the autopilot is on!”

Damn it, I needed to get moving then, hadn’t I? Single sleeper bunks, even if Mylos sized, were not going to cut it.