He had just flipped off the controls when he heard it.

  Tick.

  Tick.

  Tick.

  "Drygok," he muttered.

  That was not a good sound.

  He ran toward the rocks where Bianca was waiting. And of course, she'd climbed down and was not that far from the ships herself.

  "What are you doing down here?"

  "There was nothing up there," she said.

  "Come on. Now." He grabbed her arm and started to run.

  "What are you going on about? Why are you pulling me like that?"

  "The ship's about to--"

  Ka-boom.

  They both went flying forward, his ship and her escape pod exploding.

  Debris flew everywhere. It was a tidal wave of snow and ship parts raining down on them.

  He pulled her close to him and covered her as best he could from the pieces.

  The echo of the blast radiated off the landscape and sounded like it rolled on for kilometers. He held her underneath him and kept her as protected as possible, her little frame like nothing underneath him.

  "What--what was that?"

  "A bomb," he said, his ears throbbing.

  "Who did this?"

  "I can only speculate--"

  He didn't need to speculate anymore. A hum filled the cold air, and in a moment, he had his answer.

  Hoverbikes zoomed around their location, three in total, with Terrans on the back, and every one of them had their weapons on them.

  "Shall we do it now?" one asked.

  The leader landed his speeder bike not far from Harbin and Bianca.

  "I wanna see who we've got here." He started to cross, a very large blast rifle aimed at the two of them. "Up, you two. I need to call in who we've found."

  Harbin whispered in her ear. "Trust me."

  "I trust you," she replied.

  Harbin raised up, and when he did, he yanked Bianca to him, blocking her from the others. They backed up toward the stone wall they'd had to cross before.

  "You cannot have this. This Terran is mine," Harbin said.

  The Terran stopped. "I think you're a little outnumbered, there, mech."

  Harbin shifted and held out his hand where the blaster was. "I do not think so."

  "We are not all that is here," the Terran said.

  "Neither am I."

  The Terran laughed. "Yeah. We saw your comrades. They're all dead now. We took care of them. It was pretty easy. They didn't' see it coming." He waved his rifle around like it was a toy. "Never seen anything like this," he said, letting the weapon hang low in his hand.

  Harbin gritted his teeth, a rage pouring through him. He had to bury those men before while Bianca had slept. He'd seen enough of his fellow Rhimodians dead today. He did not want to see someone gloat about the senseless killings.

  "Yeah, they weren't even armed!" one of the companions yelled as he landed near the leader.

  The other one landed as well. All three were armed with blast rifles, the kind that worked best for long-distance kills.

  "So, what are you waiting for?" Harbin asked. "Take your shot."

  The Terran leader shrugged. "Fine by me."

  At the moment he brought his blaster back up, Harbin raised his weapon.

  And fired.

  It hit the Terran square in the face.

  The other two Terrans opened fire.

  With one arm he blocked, and the other arm, he fired at the one on his right. Took out the target. Shifted to take out the mark on his left when he saw a blade fly through the air and embed into the male's forehead.

  He turned to Bianca, whose hand was still in the throwing position.

  He touched her hand, which was trembling, and pulled her close to him.

  She pressed against him, and her teeth chattered.

  "You did not tell me you could throw knives," he said.

  "You didn't ask." She was chattering in his arms.

  "Cold or adrenalin."

  "Yes," she said.

  "Come, let's get you out of here." He led her toward the nearest hoverbike. Plenty big enough for them and the bags to ride back up to the caves.

  "Get on," he said.

  She nodded.

  "Let's get you warm."

  "Yes. Warm."

  The hoverbike was much faster. Harbin was pleased it only took them minutes to get back to the cave where they had some protection from the elements. Bianca shivered as she hung onto him, her dress flowing around them like an odd cape.

  "Soon," he said. "It won't be long."

  "I know," she said and buried her face into his back.

  They were up the mountain quickly, and a secondary benefit--he could see where the others in the party were. According to the hover bike's systems, no one was in the vicinity. Instead, they all had positions on the far side of the moon.

  He drove the hoverbike directly into the cave and parked it near the fire. The bike's engine had not even powered down when Bianca leaped off and ran to the fireplace. The fire had died down since they had left, but it still radiated some heat.

  Harbin shut down the bike and crossed to stoke the fire. Immediately, the cave got warmer. He added a bit more fuel to help it burn. The fuel shined bright, giving the cave a sharp white glow briefly, and he glanced at Bianca.

  Her eyes went wide, and a smile of joy spread over her face. "Pretty," she said, holding her hand out to the fire.

  "Yes, very." Harbin wasn't looking at the fire, though. She was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. The way her face was shaped, the angle of her chin. The point of her nose was beautiful and artfully crafted. The way the ear jewels she wore sparkled in the light, and when the fuel flared, it made the stones shine even brighter.

  She looked like a precious gem, herself. She still shivered, and her lips trembled from the cold, but she still seemed more special than the lysteel they used in their cybernetic enhancements.

  Harbin got closer to her. "Can I. May I wrap--"

  "Shut up and hold me. Cyborg or not, your body runs hotter than mine. Help me warm up."

  He smiled. "As you wish." He put his arm around her and felt how wet the outer layer of her clothing was. "We have to get some of these layers off you."

  She smirked. "I am probably suffering from a mild concussion because I'm pretty sure that's the funniest thing I've heard all day."

  She tried to undo some of the clasps, but her fingers were not working. The tips looked a bit cold-burned.

  He took her hands and blew steam from his breath on them. "Why is that?" He asked.

  "Because I've been admiring you pretty much naked all day."

  He raised his eyebrow. "I am not naked. I am fully covered from my neck to my feet." He was, and quite warm, in fact. His flight suit protected him from any environmental stresses, including extreme cold like on this moon.

  "Yes, but do you not realize how tight your clothing is?"

  "It is for the most flexibility, so we are not hindered by the fabrics. Unlike you." He tugged at the robe that billowed around her.

  She smiled. "You have me there." Together they pulled off a few of the outer layers, unfastening them, and he tossed them over part of the seating ring around the fireplace.

  "See, there you go," she said.

  "What?" He wondered if she needed more nanos. She seemed to be behaving unusually for her. Or perhaps this is just the true her, and she had been careful of what she showed the galaxy. Hard to be certain.

  "Do you not understand that I can see everything. Like anyone who looks at you can see everything. And I mean everything, Harbin."

  "So?"

  She sighed, but it was a sound of contentment, not annoyance. "You are most impressive."

  “I had heard that before,” he said.

  “Where?”

  “On Disguised Serenity. The female humanoids would tell us.”

  “The prostitutes?”

  He shrugged. “They told it to everyone, so we did not think it meant very much.”

  “Take it from me. You are very impressively equipped.”

  “As you like.”

  “I like. That’s the problem, I think.”

  What was this interesting feeling? The Craving for certain, but there was more to it—ego, maybe? Mixed a bit with arousal? The fact she was obviously attracted gave him pause. And appreciation.

  And more desire to experience physical pleasure with her.

  He slipped the very soaked red dress off her shoulders. "Wait, did we not remove this already?" he asked as he peeled back another layer of red fabric.

  "I have a lot of red layers on. Adds to the design, all the red."

  "It is confusing."

  Her fingers trembled as she tried to undo some straps around her midsection.

  "You wear the strangest layers," he said.

  "All in the name of creating that perfect silhouette," she said as she tugged at the lines.

  "Here, let me."

  He pulled.

  And they snapped.

  "I broke it."

  She shrugged. "I don't care. Throw them on the fire."

  He raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure you are well?"

  "I am fine," she said. "A little hysterical because now we really are trapped on this planet."

  "Moon."

  "Whatever. We're stuck here for at least two more days. And there are people out there who want to kill me. I'm guessing because the Emperor wants to create a way to get the Terran Empire behind him again."

  Harbin shook his head. "He would sacrifice his own people to prolong a war."

  "Yes, he would. So he can have his final push and remove you from the Sol system." She peeled off another layer, her skin was looking a little less pale, and he helped her get these last bits off. "There's one thing I've never understood, though."

  He helped her remove the fabrics, taking extra care because if she could see every bit of him, she would see how much the undressing her was affecting him. "What is that?" The Craving throbbed under his skin, and he kept his voice low.

  She glanced at him for a second. In a way, suggesting she was analyzing him.

  Or perhaps her own Craving was starting to manifest.

  She waved her hand. "Why your people didn't just leave. Like in the beginning, when it first started. Why didn't the Rhimodians just wash your hands of it and leave Sol and find another system to settle in." She wasn't really looking at him, more at the clothing as she undressed.

  Good.

  Hopefully, she would not notice.

  Part of her dress had fasteners in the back, and he stepped behind her to unhook them.

  And answer her question. "It was considered when the war started. We had a group that started searching for planets and systems that had what we needed. Unfortunately, there were very few in this quadrant. A few that it would have taken us at least another generation to reach, with difficulties to push through to get there. We were lucky to be allowed by the Galactic Alliance to settle on Sol."

  She looked over her shoulder at him. "But we were in the process of annexing it for the Terran Empire. I never did understand how you were able to settle there if we were in the middle of annexing it."

  He pushed her head back so he could get to some of the clasps along her shoulders and neck. "According to the records I have seen in the Galactic Alliance archives, the Terran Empire had not done any kind of survey of the worlds in over three decades. At the time, the Sol system had been ruled a wasted system and best ignored. When we were looking, the Galactic Alliance gave us the system because they only had the Terran Empire's old survey records. They had no idea what the potential was there. We did. We jumped on the system. Felt that Sol with its moons was a good option. It was far enough away from most of the other controlled sectors, had access to the primary travel routes and space stations. It had the pieces we needed."

  "Your people did a lot to make this system valuable."

  "It took a long time."

  "How long were you here when the Terrans first decided to claim the land."

  "Eight years."

  "What about the other planets in the system? There are several that are closer to the sun and a couple more distant ones. What are your plans there?"

  "Master System has not told us," he said.

  "Master System? Your network?"

  "Yes. The network weighs the options and gives us the best outcome for what our goals are."

  "And what are the Rhimodian goals?"

  "Today? To conduct peace negotiations with the Terran delegates and end the war between our two people."

  She smiled. "After that?"

  "That is a matter of what Master System wants to do."

  "What is the further plan, the goals beyond war?"

  "To find a way to grow our population. Become a people again."

  "Not be cyborgs?"

  "Not be ruled."

  Silence spread between them as she fiddled with the last bits.

  He laid the last layer on the rocks to dry out. A white tunic gown clung to her form, the thinnest layer she wore. He could see many of her curves and lines, and the Craving burned inside him.

  She rubbed her arms to warm herself.

  He wanted to yank her to him. To feel those curves pressed against his body. The sensation overpowered him, and it took a great deal of restraint not to move.

  Not to pull her close for his own wanton cravings.

  She moved closer to the fire. "All those layers, they really did stop the cold, even wet."

  "Yes, I believe it." He ran his hand over his head and looked around the cave. He felt strangely at a loss for words, for he knew what he wanted was for selfish reasons, but it would also benefit her. That's what he believed, anyway. To help remove her chill. "Come here, would you--"

  "Yes,” she said and stepped into his embrace. She pressed against him. "I hoped you would ask. You may need to take off your shirt for the full effect."

  He glanced down at her and saw the bit of a smile on her face. "Is that for the heat, or is that for you?"

  "Yes?"

  “To both?”

  “Yes.” Her cheeks flushed, and she bashfully looked away.

  He did not mind, for he knew skin-to-skin contact would be better for warming someone. Besides, the Craving liked that idea. It pleased him that she seemed to feel the same way. Maybe, if he were a lucky soul, he'd be able to do more of the kissing again.

  He very much enjoyed that.

  He closed his eyes and told the suit to come off. Then, back down to a pair of shorts only, so his legs and upper body were exposed. The excess skin would help her get warmer.

  She pulled away from him and gasped.

  "What?"

  She held out one hand and caressed his skin, following where the trail of the lysteel went back into his body. "It really is like water, just pulling into your skin like that."

  He gestured to his back. "There are nodes on my back that control it." He twisted so she could see the gray-black circles on his back.

  Her finger slid over his chest, along one of the lines of the muscles there. "So, is this pale gray your natural skin color, then?"

  He shook his head. "This is the programming. It is still adapted to the suit. My skin is actually just a little darker brown than yours." He closed his eyes again and turned off the ability to morph to match his surroundings. It felt strange when he did because he rarely turned off the power. Almost like his skin was suddenly out of energy.

  "So pretty," she said. Her hand so small, and a few shades lighter than his skin, seemed to sparkle in the low light of the cave.

  "Why does your skin sparkle?" he asked, taking her hand and holding it against his chest.

  He loved the feel of her skin touching his.

  She pulled her hand back and rubbed it like she was wiping it off. "It's the glitter. It gets everywhere."

  "What is glitter?"

  "It is something that we, females, add to our skin through our lotions and makeup to make us prettier. They are supposed to highlight the natural shapes and make us look more appealing to males."

  "It is a mating tactic?"

  "I suppose if you wanted to see it that way."

  "Are you looking for a mate?"

  "I, well, um---"

  "I vol--"

  "Do not say it," she said. "Do not volunteer, do not offer, do not do any of those things. Our people are at war. Let us at the least get through that first, please. We can determine the legalities of bringing the two species together at a later time. Let us stick to what is in front of us now." She stepped into him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

  "As you like," he said. The warmth of his body touched hers. Her arms and legs mingled with his, and it felt so...

  Right.

  It felt right.

  Like he was supposed to be here in this moment. Which was such a strange feeling--for him to feel at all, because he did not usually register emotional connections, but with Bianca, he felt them.

  Strongly.

  Sincerely.

  Truly.

  That he was supposed to be here, with her. Connected to her.

  Touching her.

  How he savored the touching.

  "I like how you feel against me," he said.

  "I like how warm you are," she said. "If we're going to be stuck here for several days, I think we need to be stuck together like this for most of it."

  "I agree."

  He met her gaze.

  There was a smile on her face. Her eyes were hooded, and he knew in his gut that it was time for him to kiss her again.

  He leaned down, and she seemed to raise up. He put a hand on her cheek, cradling her face, and leaned down so they could kiss. Back to the moment they had before. Their lips touched, and everything moved to an instinct and a feel.

  It was a mesh of sensations he could not fully process all individually. When he was honest with himself, he did not want to. Instead, he wanted to savor this moment, to appreciate it for all that it was.

  Like she said, they had so many obstacles in front of them. Anything beyond this moment was hard to imagine.

  So, this was what he would focus on. This.

 

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