Transmission Lost (15 page)

Her foot came up, tracing along the leg of his fatigue pants. “Off,” she ordered, her voice husky. Jack was all too pleased to remove the now-uncomfortable garment. He lowered the zipper, pulling them down his legs. Aria's eyes locked on what lay below, her tongue flicking out to lick her lips again. Jack kicked his trousers aside and knelt beside her. There was nothing between them now.

Slowly, with just a hint of hesitation, Aria reached out a hand for him. Jack bit his lip as her fingers wrapped around him, the short, soft fur on her hand tickling his sensitive flesh. Her mouth opened a little, a growling purr heard as she breathed. She squeezed, not harshly, and moved her hand along him. Jack watched as she stroked him, small tingles of pleasure starting to well up inside of him. Her hand slid to the base of his cock, held there for the briefest of moments, and then came back up to the top, her thumb circling firmly over the tip. Jack let out a sigh, his eyes closing as he lost himself in the feeling for a while.

When his eyes opened again, he let his gaze slide down from her neck, over her breasts and down her trim, cream-coated stomach. Jack touched a hand to her lower belly, brushing it down even lower. She mewled softly, a strangely kittenish noise from the tall tigress. Jack's hand went between her legs, feeling warmth and wetness there. Aria arched her back, gasping, her hand faltering for a second before she regained her grip. She really wasn't that different from a human girl, at least not there. Jack rubbed softly in a circle, his fingers sinking in to her sex. He started rubbing up and down along her, the slickness coating his digits. He pressed deeper, and his finger went slightly inside, suddenly kissed by intense heat.

“Jack...,” Aria moaned, her voice sounding desperate. She let go of him, her arms coming behind her head as his fingers moved. Jack tore his gaze away from between her legs, looking up to her face. She was staring back at him with half-lidded eyes, her lips parted as she breathed in and out, her breasts rising and falling. “S-Stop...No more...”

He took his hand away, confused, afraid he might have done something wrong. Perhaps he'd made some mistake, done something an Ailian female would consider improper. But his fears were allayed a moment later. Aria sat up, leaning forward. She kissed him again, her hand coming up to fondly stroke his cheek. Then she leaned back again, turning away from him. She dropped forward to her elbows, drawing her legs underneath her and coming up on her knees. Lowering her chest to the floor of the tent, she rested her face on her bedroll. The Ailian raised her rump, lifting her tail, presenting herself to him. Jack's heart was in his throat as he saw her opened up to him.

“Please...,” she hissed softly. She swayed back and forth gently. “Need you...”

“Aria...” Not wasting a moment, Jack came forward on his knees. He moved between her legs, pushing them apart, and placed a hand on top of her rump to lower it a little. Jack came close, gliding his hands down her back and around her waist, taking hold of her. He pressed forward, slowly entering her. Jack leaned himself over her rear, lowering his face and kissing the small of her back. Aria's hand came around, brushing the back of his head, a soft cooing noise coming from her mouth.

Ever so slowly, Jack pushed against her, and he sank deep. He groaned aloud, his hands gripping her waist fiercely. The Ailian was incredibly tight, warm...she felt wonderful around him. Aria moaned softly, her tail curling around his back as he slipped inside of her. Neither of them had felt anything like it before. It was a deliciously sinful sensation, that of mating with one outside their own species. Her sex clenched around him, drawing him deeper, holding him firmly.

Jack pulled back, beginning a slow thrusting rhythm. He heard a quiet ripping sound, saw that Aria's claws were digging into her bedroll, tearing the fabric slightly. He had imagined how this might be; he could hardly have helped it, being in such close proximity to an attractive female. But his imagination was not as good as this. There was no way he could have predicted how perfect she would feel, the silky sweet warmth bathing his flesh.

Aria's head swam with pleasure, her body shivering as her claws hooked firmly into her bedroll. She'd not known that things would end up this way. Jack hadn't been what she'd normally have thought of when she thought of a mate, but then she never thought she would travel with a human, either. And right now she didn't much care what species he was, he felt wonderful inside of her. And he had said she was beautiful...Much the same that she had come to think of him.

“Kas'ne...ne sa'i ra...,”
she moaned, pushing her rump hard back against Jack's hips as he slid in and out of her. He was filling her up, deep inside of her, drawing her pleasure from her like water from a well. Aria pushed up on her arms, coming back to all fours. She rocked back and forth along with her human lover's rhythm, her firm breasts swaying beneath her. Aria curled her tail tighter around Jack's back, hugging him with it. “Faster...”

“As you wish,” Jack managed to gasp. He was all too happy to oblige her, and he sped up his thrusting, going as hard and as fast as he thought he could manage. It was almost too much for him to handle. Aria's body was overpowering him, the strength of her form accepting his efforts and giving them back to him threefold. She was more woman than he'd ever experienced, but even so she felt perfect for him.

“Mmmm Jack,” Aria whimpered, her head drooping towards the tent floor, her fingers splaying out as her claws released the fabric beneath them. She was panting now, her mouth sucking in great gasps of air. “So close...Please...”

Jack didn't need her encouragement. He was almost there himself. He hunched over, plunging inside of her as far as he could, leaning over her until he was resting on her back. Jack hugged his arms around her middle, the softness of her fur caressing his skin. She was clenching around him, her inner muscles coaxing him along, trying to bring him over that edge.

“Aria!” he groaned, hugging her tightly as he rose to the peak. Jack held himself firm within her, releasing himself into her waiting form. He let the waves of bliss carry him off, his body trembling with the intense sensation. Jack felt as though two weeks of stress, tension, and fear were evaporating with it, replaced by pure satisfaction and relaxation. He slumped against her, his body vibrating with her thunderous purring.

“Gods, Jack...” Aria balled her hands into fists, squeezing tightly. She could feel the warmth flowing deep into her, the alien seed flooding her womb. The pleasure was incredible, like nothing she'd ever felt. It was not her first mating, far from it, but this time was different from all the others. She felt full, warm, and...happy. How strange, that a human could elicit that emotion...

Both of them spent, exhausted with the frenzy of their mating, they collapsed together on the floor of the tent. Feeling like he could barely move, Jack slowly rolled off of Aria's back, parting from her with great reluctance. For several long minutes he lay there, staring up at the canvass ceiling, just breathing. The enclosed space was hot, very hot, but he wouldn't have dreamed of leaving the tent for fresh, cooler air. Quiet gripped the night again, the only noise to be heard that of Aria's soft purr.

After a time she turned her body over, placing a hand on his bare chest. Jack looked over at her. Aria stared back at him, her face a mixture of disbelief, wonder, and something else that he couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it made him feel like all was as it should be. He leaned in and kissed her, reaching over to stroke a hand along her furred side.

“Well, that bath was a waste...,” Jack said, a grin spreading across his face.

With a brief snort of laughter, Aria clapped a hand across her mouth, her shoulders shaking in quiet mirth. She nodded, her tail waving peacefully behind her. Putting her arms around him, she pulled him close to her and curled her tail around both of them, enveloping him in the warmth of her body. Jack settled in, cuddled against the taller female, finally tired enough to sleep.

A small gust of wind ruffled the outside of the tent, but it did nothing to disturb the two as they went to sleep.

- 8 -

When Jack awoke, he felt a chill in the tent. His eyes still closed, he reached an arm out for Aria, intending to pull himself closer to her for warmth. But his hand fell on empty space, and he opened his eyes. Aria wasn't laying beside him anymore. Her bedroll was bare, the only sign of her former presence there being a slight indentation where her body had been curled around his. Jack sat up, slightly alarmed by her absence. He felt a breeze brush by his face, and realized that the tent flap was open.

Jack reached for his fatigue pants and pulled them on, then he crawled to the tent opening and poked his head out. The sky outside was still dark, with only hints of light starting to nibble at the blackness. The moon had sunk below the horizon. As his eyes adjusted, Jack could make out the form of Aria sitting on the mossy stream bank. Her back was to him, and she seemed to be staring out at the slowly flowing water.

The human stood and walked over to her. She'd dressed herself back in her flight suit again. He didn't say anything, a little confused by what he was seeing. He'd never seen her looking quite so contemplative. Usually, she was a lot more active than this, and he wasn't sure if he should interrupt her thoughts.

“You awake,” Aria said quietly, making Jack jump. She looked over her shoulder at him for a brief moment, then turned her attention back to the stream.
“Na ha'lani?”

“I don't...What did you say?”

“Sorry, forgot. What I say is 'you have good dreams'?”

“I...guess so,” Jack replied. He stepped forward and sat down next to her. “But when I woke up and you weren't there, I got worried.” He reached up and laid a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. Aria drew her legs up close to her, hugging her arms around herself and resting her chin on her knees. Jack was startled. “What's the matter?”

“Nothing, I...,” Aria started to say, but she closed her mouth. She twitched her tail irritably, though what was bothering her he had no idea. The Ailian shook her head. “It is...nothing.”

“I might not know a whole lot about Ailians,” Jack said slowly, “but I know enough to know that you're not upset about nothing.” He moved to place an arm around her waist, but thought better of it. “Tell me. You can talk to me.”

Aria buried her face against her knees. “Be silent!” she hissed, clasping her hands over her ears. “Leave me be...please...”

Jack was starting to feel angry. He grabbed her arm, heedless of the danger of doing so, though he well recalled just how much she could hurt him if she wanted to. “Not gonna happen. Not until you tell me what's wrong.”

Growling, Aria made as if to push him away, and Jack braced himself in preparation to be thrown to the ground. However, she stopped, the tension in her body draining away just a bit. She raised her head, but continued not to look at him. He waited, and just as he was about to say something else, she sighed a little.

“Is...Is difficult to explain...”

Jack blinked. “What is?”

“It just...” Aria sighed again. She glanced sidelong at him, not quite meeting his eyes. “We mate.”

Despite the apparent seriousness of the situation, Jack couldn't help giving a little snort of laughter. “I know. I was there.”

“Not laugh,” she muttered, looking away from him again. “Is nothing funny about this.” Aria wrapped her arms around her shoulders, rubbing them. She looked as though every word coming out of her took a considerable effort to force through her lips, and Jack got the sense that this might have been the most difficult conversation she'd ever had in her life. The feeling it was giving him was not very good.

“Sorry.” Jack rubbed his face, watching her. She was acting uncharacteristically awkward. “I apologize if I didn't measure up to your standards. It was kind of a new experience for me, so if I did something wrong...”

“No!” Aria said quickly. She turned her head back towards Jack, her eyes slightly wider than normal. “Not do anything wrong.”

Feeling a small measure of relief, Jack laid his hand on hers. Her larger hand enveloped his, holding on tightly. “So...You enjoyed it, then?”

Aria snaked her tail over, curling it around his waist. “Yes.” She stroked the back of his hand, finally smiling at him. “Was wonderful...” Aria leaned down, nuzzling at his cheek. However, Jack thought he could sense some hesitation in her actions.

“But...,” he prompted her.

She leaned back again, her smile faltering. The Ailian let his hand go, though she left her tail curled comfortably around him. She gazed back out at the stream, watching as the rippling surface glinted from what little light there was. “But...” Aria shook her head again. “Is difficult to explain. You...not understand.”

“Try me.”

Aria took a deep breath. She was silent for several minutes, collecting her thoughts. Jack could feel apprehension, the very same kind that she was surely feeling right now. He had a notion that whatever she was going to say, it would be rather troubling. Aria rarely held back with anything. If what she felt she needed to say was that difficult for her to put into words, Jack wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

“Well...Is like this, then...,” Aria began. Her voice was low, her words coming slowly. “You see my uniform.”

“...Right...,” Jack said, drawing the word out. He looked at Aria's flight suit, wondering what she was on about. The garment was the same as it had always been, though a little bit more worn by now. Her rank insignia were sewn onto the lapels, as the suit was adorned on the shoulders with what he assumed were unit and division patches. Sewn above her right breast was a line in stuttering, jagged Ailian script that he'd learned was her name written in their language. Jack couldn't understand why she would draw his attention to her uniform. “What about it?”

“I in Ascendancy military,” she said. Aria leaned back, laying herself out on the moss. Her tail slid from around his waist. She crossed her arms behind her head, her eyes turned up towards the stars fading in the dawn sky. “We taught from very beginning, in training...Enemy is enemy, nothing else. Is very important thing we taught.”

“Not surprised. That's pretty much what anyone in any military is taught, right? Fight the enemy, win against the enemy.”

“Is deeper than that, for us.” The Ailian looked over at him. “Our codes seem strange to human, perhaps. Very rarely take military prisoners. Taught never leave enemy alive, no matter what. Disobeying code mean discharge, imprisonment...even death, maybe, yes?”

“If you say so...,” Jack said. He rubbed the back of his neck. “But you don't think they'd execute you just for leaving me alive, right? I'm not military. Not anymore. And besides, I mean, you made that decision for your own survival. Your superiors would understand that, surely.” He laughed nervously.

Aria stared at him, her yellow eyes staring at his face with a piercing gaze. “Of course they would understand. Ascendancy strict, not stupid. My commander recognize difference between fraternization, survival.” She turned her head away, moving one arm out to grab a clump of moss. She crumbled it between her fingers thoughtfully. “Would not execute, but...when I return home, not get very good assignment. Command not likely trust anyone who partner with human, for any reason.”

“They'd really do that, huh?” Jack frowned. “Doesn't seem very fair. Well, I mean...But you made that decision even knowing that, so you must have been prepared for it.”

“Yes, but...” Aria growled to herself. “Is different now. Would have been fine if I only travel with you. But...” She closed her eyes, the words hissing between her teeth. “We mate...”

Jack still didn't quite seem to understand. “I'm not following you.”

Aria sighed as her eyes opened again. “Different now. Will be seen as...treason. What you humans call it? Heard once...” She was quiet for a moment, her eyes going distant as she searched her mind for the proper words. “Is called...'fraternization', yes?” She turned her head to look at Jack. “I violate military law. Serious one. When I return, will be charged. Death is penalty.”

For a long time after that, the both of them were quiet. All that could be heard was the gentle rushing sound of the stream, the rustling of a breeze through the nearby trees, and the distant sounds of the mountain birds starting to awaken. The air was warming slightly, but Jack still felt a chill.

“So don't tell them,” he said. “They can't find out if you don't say anything...right?”

Aria shook her head, her ears twitching as the moss tickled them. “Is not that simple.” She laid a hand over her face, taking a shuddering breath. “I must file report regarding all this. All of it. Is not easy to tell lie to Ailian. If they think I leave anything out, they put me through interrogation. One way or another, they find out.”

Jack blinked. “You still want to go home, even knowing you could face that kind of treatment?”

“Of course.” Aria uncovered her face, her eyes blazing with a passionate heat. “My honor depend on it. I am Ailian, it is who I am.” Her expression softened a little. “And...want to see family again. Sisters, brothers...My father. Need to get home for them, even if just see them once more. Did not want it that way, but...is how it is.”

“I see.” Jack stood up abruptly, turning away from Aria. He put his hands in his pockets. A hundred thoughts were racing through his head now, and he felt heat rising to his face. “You sound as though you regret what we did.”

Aria sat back up, sliding her feet in towards her body and setting her chin on her knees once more. She stared down at the mossy ground. “Yes...I do.”

Jack exhaled sharply through his nose, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. He hung his head. He suddenly felt used, tossed aside, dirty, like a worn-out rag. Feeling that way, on first glance, didn't seem to make any sense. He logically knew that what had happened between them was driven by a moment of passion. They'd both survived something intense, something that not a lot of people had the occasion to go through. Jack knew it was foolish to think there could be anything serious there, but he'd felt they had a little more between them than just the convenience of a temporary alliance, after all they'd been through. Even if it wasn't anything more than simple friendship or even just mutual respect, regret was something he felt he didn't deserve.

Perhaps Aria could sense what he was feeling just then. Jack felt her tail brushing against his leg. “I offend you?” she said.

“Yeah,” Jack said, a rueful laugh escaping his lips. He pulled his leg away from her, at the same time brushing a hand through his blonde hair. “Yeah, a little bit.”

With a slightly crestfallen expression on her face, Aria drew her tail back. “I...sorry...Not mean to do that, just...” The Ailian bit her lip, then spoke again, her voice quieting to barely a whisper. “Sorry...”

Jack spun on his heel, striding back towards the tent. “I'm going back to bed while it's still dark.” He thought about adding a nasty remark, but his heart wasn't in it. Leaving Aria sitting on the bank, he went back into the tent, zipping the tent flap behind him.

******

Nearly an hour later, Jack heard the tent flap unzip behind him. He hadn't been able to fall asleep again, and it was growing lighter outside. The whole time he'd been lying there, he'd been thinking about what Aria had said. He could understand where she was coming from, but it still hurt. With all they'd been through, everything that had happened since the crash, he'd come to consider her something of a friend. And hearing those words that she had said had hurt. Maybe he had been stupid to think that friendship was something that was on the table, but that didn't change how he felt about her.

He cursed at himself. If he'd had a little self-control, he wouldn't have allowed himself to do what they'd done, though it had felt right at the time. But that was the thing, wasn't it? Neither of them had been thinking straight. They'd let the heat of the moment take over, and the possibilities of what might have resulted had seemed inconsequential. Of course that wouldn't have been true, and he'd been an idiot for thinking otherwise.

A shuffling sound told him that Aria was crawling into the tent. A moment later, he felt her hand lightly touch his shoulder. “Jack...”

“I'm still angry, Aria,” he muttered. “I wish you hadn't said those things.”

“I know...” Aria settled down next to him on the bedrolls. “I sorry, but...not want to lie to you.”

Jack rolled over to face her. “You could have said something before it happened,” he said. “If you'd told me what the consequences could have been before, I might have...I dunno...” He rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. “I don't even know what I'm trying to say right now, I-”

“Jack,” Aria cut him off, putting a hand to his cheek. “However I feel about what happen...I like you. And I not regret that part.” She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “We still friends...yes...?” There was a hopeful note in her voice.

Rolling back over, turning his back to Aria again, Jack closed his eyes. His anger was subsiding. He had to remember where Aria was coming from, how they had been with each other at their first meeting. Jack knew it was a miracle they could even stand to be near one another, let alone that they could have possibly done what they did the night before. They'd been caught up in the heat of the moment then, he knew. Whether that heat was past or whether it was just simmering, Jack needed to let the anger go. There couldn't be any animosity between them if he and Aria were going to make it out of this alive.