Outlaw Star Fan Fiction
Forgotten Embers
By Kraven Ergeist
A/N: Well, this is my shot at a Jim x Aisha fan fic. Enjoy.
Chapter One
Aisha Clan-Clan was not doing well. After fleeing authorities from planet to planet, she had finally found a relatively safe haven on Stratus, a class 5 planet. There, she took whatever odd jobs she could find to make ends meet. It was not a life suited for a proud C'tarl-C'tarl, but she had little choice.
But being a C'tarl-C'tarl, she was prone to excitement and violence, which, in turn, led to more problems with the authorities. By the end of the week, she was already on the run, with a 1000 wong price on her head, and bounty hunters on her trail.
Our story begins with this particular C'tarl-C'tarl on the run from just such a bounty hunter. He was good, she had to admit; she had managed to elude most of the hunters who had come after her without a confrontation, but this one was persistent. It was almost as if he had tracked C'tarl-C'tarl before.
She was being chased through hidden alleyways. It was the dead of night, the streets were empty, and the shadows provided her ample area in which to hide. But somehow, the hunter persisted, finding a way to discover exactly where she was hiding. Before long, she felt her pursuer catch on, and begin to strategize his movement. She suddenly began to feel like she was being led in a particular direction. Before she had even realized it, she hit a dead end. The walls were too high even for a C'tarl-C'tarl to jump, and her enemy was approaching fast.
Aisha turned in time to see him come into view. He was on a motorcycle, stopping it in front of her with his headlights blazing in her direction. Blinded by the intense light, Aisha covered her face. The bounty hunter parked a good distance in front of her, leaving his headlights on, and leapt off his vehicle. He began slowly approaching, knowing that he had the cat cornered.
But a cornered beast is more dangerous than anything.
In an instant, she attacked the hunter, lashing out at him with everything she had. The hunter made no retaliation; he just focused his attention on dodging. Aisha couldn't make out his face beneath the helmet. Not that it made a difference to her. He was just another puny Terran. What did it matter to a proud C'tarl-C'tarl if a human should be the one to die?
In a swift finishing move, she had him pinned to the ground.
Instantly, he drew a handgun and pointed it at her chin.
"Don't move," he hissed. "These are armor-piercing shells – they'll cut through C'tarl flesh like tinfoil."
Aisha blinked.
That voice…
"Jim?" she mouthed, unable to believe it.
"What?" the bounty hunter started. "How do you know my… Wait a minute…you look famil… Oh my God! Aisha!"
Instantly, the cat girl leapt off the boy, staring hard. "Jim! Is it really you! I never thought I'd see you again!"
The boy, now eighteen years old, got to his feet, removed his helmet, and returned Aisha's familiar smile. "Aisha… I can't believe it! Of all the places to have run into you! Wow!"
Aisha smiled, stepping closer, putting her hands on his shoulders. "My gosh, look at you! You've gotten so…um…you've gotten taller…"
Jim smiled. "You, on the other hand, haven't changed a bit. So you're the C'tarl-C'tarl who's been causing all the commotion?"
Aisha let go of him and let out a laugh. "Commotion? Hah! Aisha was just playing rough with the locals. I swear, you send two guys to the hospital, and the authorities go postal!"
Jim laughed. "Something tells me it was more than just two…" He twirled his gun in his hand and holstered it. "So…how'd you end up on Stratus? I would have thought that you'd have gone back to the C'tarl-C'tarl Empire."
Aisha wrinkled her nose. "And face jail time? Fat chance."
Jim blinked. "So how did you end up here?"
Aisha shrugged. "I've been bumping around from place to place. Couldn't seem to go anywhere without pissing off the local authorities. Got chased off every planet I've been to so far. Looks like Stratus is just gonna be the next one on my list." Aisha winked. "So, how about you? How long have you been here?"
Jim shrugged. "I've been here basically ever since Gene and I split up years ago."
Aisha cocked her head. "When did that happen? I thought you two were inseparable."
Jim looked away. "We were…until he and Melfina got married. With a family on the way, the last thing they needed was some kid lying around the house…besides, I've outgrown that business."
Aisha hid a laugh. "Those two got married? Jeez, it's only been…"
"Seven years?" Jim sighed. "Maybe for an immortal, that doesn't seem like a long time, but for Terrans, it's a bit of a while."
Aisha scratched her head. "Well, that's Terrans for you."
Jim shrugged. "Anyway, I've opened up an auto shop on the other side of town. It pays pretty well, but I still track down bounties to keep the cash flowing."
Aisha smiled, thinking. "So that's why you were after me. Wait a minute…how exactly did you manage to corner me? Aisha's outsmarted every bounty hunter that's come her way!"
Jim pointed a gun-shaped finger at her. "You forget; I've fought alongside you before. You know, I was always the observant one. In the back of my mind, I'd been keeping a tally on just what it took to bring down a C'tarl-C'tarl."
Aisha frowned. "In case I turned on you?"
Jim shrugged. "Or if we ran across another C'tarl-C'tarl. Call it a safety net. Anyway, finding you in shadows was no problem – I got a night vision visor in my helmet. Running you into a dead was simple too – I just memorized the layout of the streets. Taking you down, however, would have been a whole other story. The only method that I've ever seen work is to outlast you."
Aisha gawked, stupefied. "Outlast a C'tarl-C'tarl?"
Jim nodded. "Yep. Remember that time you came after Gene and me in Blue Heaven? After about half an hour of fighting on an empty stomach, you collapsed from sheer exhaustion. With a bounty on their head, it's doubtful that you've eaten well at all."
Aisha frowned. "Things were a little bit different back then…I was chasing after you."
Jim smiled. "But like I said, I notice things. Notice how when I had you cornered, you lashed out at me? Well, that made me your target, right? And once a C'tarl-C'tarl picks a target, they can never let it go, am I right? The plan would have been to get back on the bike and try to gaud you along till you ran out of steam."
"Or you ran out of gas," Aisha snickered.
"That's why I filled this baby up to full before setting out," Jim winked.
Aisha let a sarcastic smile creep over her lips. "Sounds like you had the whole evening planned out. Gosh, Jim…you've become quite a resourceful bounty hunter. I better watch my back from now on."
Jim smiled back, letting his eyes wander a bit. "Guess so – cause I'll be doing the same. And then some."
Aisha blinked. Then she smiled, noticing his gaze. "Jim…are you flirting with Aisha?"
Jim smiled. "Can you blame me?"
Aisha winked. "Fair warning…the only reason I'm wanted on this planet at all is for starting bar fights after some self-centered Terran tried to hit on me."
Jim laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. So…where have you been staying?"
Aisha shrugged, shaking her head. "Well…I haven't. Ever since that bounty came up, I've been living on the streets."
Jim gawked. "What? That's no way to live."
Aisha shrugged. "It's not so bad. Unless you have any alternatives in mind."
Jim sighed, returning to his bike. He turned around, and threw Aisha a helmet. "Here, I got an extra one. You can stay at my place."
Aisha blinked. "Really?"
Jim winked. "Yeah! Who am I to turn down a friend in need?"
Aisha smiled. "Wow…thanks, Jim!"
Jim smiled, mounting his bike. "Hop on."
Aisha practically pranced onto the seat, before delicately wrapping her arms around Jim's shoulders.
Whoa, Aisha thought to herself, absently running her hands over the muscles in his shoulders. He's a lot sturdier than he looks. Aisha shook her head, recovering her wits. What am I doing? Am I…blushing? How in the…
"You ready?" Jim asked over the radio band between the helmets, snapping her out of her trance.
Aisha nodded. "Ready!"
Jim revved the engine. "Here we go."
xxxxx
Aisha had to admit: it felt nice to be riding behind Jim on his bike. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and her whole body was pressed up against his back. The fast repetition of streetlights whizzed by overhead against a black backdrop of a quiet night. The wind was rushing past, and the low, numbing reverberation of the engine through the soft leather seat practically lulled her to sleep.
She considered the boy she was holding on to. She had seen him last when he was eleven years old. She had admitted to herself that she had taken a liking to him. But this was the first time she had ever really given those emotions any serious thoughts.
This was a whole new Jim. Still just as quick, witty, and smart as before, but now with the mettle to back it up. She remembered tussling with him in the alley; he had put up a pretty decent fight - enough to give Gene a run for his money.
Why am I still blushing! She thought hard to herself, realizing that she was swooning. He's just a Terran! Sure, I'd glommed onto him before, but that was just…like, a sisterly love…wasn't it?
Aisha didn't have time to consider the matter any further as her ears pricked up. Under the helmet and behind the roar of the motorcycle, she had hardly heard it, but it was there.
Sure enough, a tank-sized pirate hover vehicle was fast approaching. It was surrounded by other motorcycles, and each driven by a flexi-pirate.
"Hey, Jim," she said into the radio band. "Expecting company?"
"Not really," Jim sighed, looking behind them. "Any company I can expect isn't here for a dinner party…"
The bike riding pirates behind them each drew a pistol and started firing at the cat girl and the boy on the motorcycle.
"Jim! Heads up!" Aisha warned.
Aisha then held onto the young man as hard as she could, as he dodged each of the blast, performing a dazzling series of evasive maneuvers that seemed impossible at the speeds they were going.
"Jim! They're shooting for the tires!" Aisha pointed out, noticing their enemies' tactics.
"Don't worry," Jim said. "They're bullet proof. The only thing we need to worry about is ricochet."
"NYOUCH!" Aisha suddenly hollered, as a sudden sting hit her backside. A stray bullet had bounced off the back tire, pegging her rear end.
"Aisha!" Jim gasped. "What's wrong!"
"They nailed me in the butt!" She gawked.
"Are you okay?" Jim blurted.
"I'm fine. And now, I'm pissed!" Aisha screamed. She glared hard at the pirate just behind them. "Don't worry, Jimmy," she said. "Aisha will be right back."
Before Jim could prod further, Aisha let go of her hold on the boy and back-flipped off the seat of the motorcycle, landing squarely in the seat of the pirate's cycle behind the driver.
The pirate fought for control, but Aisha had executed her move before he could even react. She wrung his neck and threw the pirate off, knocking into one of his comrades, sending them both off road.
Aisha braked her bike quickly, letting the pirates whip ahead of her. She then equilibrated their speed, and made quick work of picking off each of the pirates by driving up besides them and delivering a fierce blow, knocking them each off their bikes one by one.
Finally, only the big rig was left. It was still pursuing Jim.
Aisha pulled up next to the rig and pounded it with her fist. It didn't do anything to it; the hull was simply too heavily armored.
The big rig began to catch up with Jim, who was emptying clip after clip at the thing, while still keeping his bike on the road. The rig then slammed into his rear tire, lurching Jim forward. Aisha almost swallowed her tongue as Jim just barely regained balance from the concussion.
At this speed, a crash could kill him! Aisha thought to herself. He's not going to be able to take too many hits like that. I just got him back after all this time, and I'm not letting him die before I find out what my feelings are at least!
Aisha steered her bike behind the rig and with a feat of strength, cleared the handlebar and landed on the roof of the rig. With both feet firmly planted, and one hand giving additional support, she used her free hand, and, with pure unbridled C'tarl-C'tarl strength, began pummeling the hood of the rig until pieces of the hood began to fly off.
Out of the top hatch, a pirate emerged, baring a gun at her, just in time to catch a chunk of metal that creamed him with in the face.
Aisha took the opportunity to make the top hatch just a little big bigger, before ripping the entire rig in two.
Jim skidded his bike to a halt when he heard the sound of screeching metal. He turned his head just in time to see the rig explode, lighting up the night in a fiery inferno.
"Aisha!" he screamed into his helmet. He got back only static, so he removed his helmet and called into the wind. "Aisha, are you alright!"
Jim watched, desperately, searching for any sign of her. He dismounted his ride and tried approaching the wreckage, but the heat was too intense. All he could do was stand there, staring, hoping to catch so much as a glance…
A touch on his shoulder just about sent him bounding. "Whatcha looking at?"
Jim jumped about ten feet. "Aisha!"
Aisha was standing with her arms crossed, perfectly fine. "Were you expecting someone else?"
Jim threw his arms around her, without thinking. "Aisha! You're alive!"
Aisha just blinked as the young man held her tightly. Her ears began to turn red, before she managed to shake it off. "Of course!" she declared, feigning her old arrogance. "It'll take more than that to take down an immortal C'tarl-C'tarl!"
Jim was actually trembling. The fear he had felt once when she had nearly died in the past had suddenly resurfaced. He didn't know why it still hurt so much, but he was sure that he didn't want to have to experience it again.
"So…are we gonna get moving, or are you not finished hugging me?"
Jim let her go, looking away, embarrassed. He slowly began to realize what he had just done, and sheepishly got to his bike. "Um…yeah…let's get going…"
Aisha frowned, not knowing what had just went wrong, but obliged nonetheless. She hopped onto the leather seating, gingerly wrapping her arms around him. She was surprised when he flinched at her touch.
Why is he acing so skittish all of the sudden? She asked herself. Is it…something I did?
Very little was said between them as they made their way to Jim's shop.
xxxxx
"'Fraid I don't have much to eat, but you're welcome to it," Jim said, sleep already present in his voice.
Aisha eyed the shop, poignantly. They were in a small but cozy lounge, bordered by an inlaid desk that covered an entire wall where Jim conducted his business. On the side of the room to the left of the desk was a room that, upon later inspection, led to the garage, where there were no less than a dozen cars, trucks, motorcycles, and everything in between.
Jim led Aisha upstairs where the living area was. Aside from a few stray articles of clothing that had been neglected, the living area was relatively clean. A lumpy couch sat at one end, two doors stood ajar on the far wall, and the room opened into a kitchen on the other side. Everywhere there were posters, which either contained fancy looking cars, pretty girls, or both - mostly, the latter of the three.
In fact, Aisha noticed, more than one of the girls posing with the cars were C'tarl-C'tarl.
"That's absurd," Aisha said, voicing her first reaction. "A proud C'tarl-C'tarl would never display themselves like this, especially in a media viewable by Terrans!"
Jim laughed. "There're a lot more C'tarl-C'tarl like that then you think. Heck, eight out of ten of the local strip clubs feature C'tarl-C'tarl dancers."
Aisha leered. "Strip clubs, eh Jimmy?"
Jim blushed, shrugging. "Hey, I'm guy, you know?"
Aisha paid the posters one last heed. She toyed with the idea that maybe the fact that he had so many posters of C'tarl-C'tarl was due to an interest in one that he's known beforehand.
Aisha shook her mind clear of those thoughts, noticing Jim cleaning out one of the rooms – the door on the right.
"You can have my room," he said. He pointed to the door on the left. "Here's the bathroom. It's clean, don't worry."
"Where will you sleep?" Aisha queried.
Jim nodded to the couch, and began grabbing pillows and blankets and tossing them on top of it.
"Aw, Aisha doesn't want Jim to give up his room for her," Aisha whined.
Jim shook his head. "It's only proper that I do. You should appreciate it; Gene wouldn't have even considered giving up his room."
Aisha sulked. "I do appreciate it, Jim…it's just that…"
"You don't like depending on others?" Jim offered.
Aisha shook her head. "It's not that…it's just that…well…it's your room…I don't want to take away what's yours."
Jim shook his head. "It's mine to give, Aisha. Just take it as a favor."
Aisha's continued sulking only gave rise to a more diminished mood.
"Look, if it means so much to you," Jim winked, "I'll come in and sleep in there with you."
Aisha blushed profusely. "Wh-wh-what are you suggesting!"
Jim burst out laughing. "Jeez, Aisha…it really doesn't take much to get a rise out of you, does it?"
Aisha just pouted. "It's not nice to toy with people's emotions."
Jim stared back. "Oh, now I'm the one toying with people's emotions?"
Aisha blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Jim shook his head. "Nothing."
"Jim?"
"I said it's nothing," Jim blurted, stumbling over to the couch. "Look, I'm tired, let's just go to bed already."
Aisha's ears drooped, as a sullen frown crept over her face. "Okay…" She walked over to Jim's room, and halfway entered the door. "…Goodnight, Jim…thanks for taking me in."
A hand rose from the pile of blankets covering the couch. "Don't mention it. Night, Aisha."
Still not satisfied, Aisha shut the door.
xxxxx
Aisha woke the next morning to the smell of sausage, bacon, and French toast steaming from the kitchen. Aisha followed her nose and saw Jim with chefs hat on, a spatula in his hand, flipping flapjacks on a griddle.
"Good morning," Jim smiled, noticing Aisha's approach.
Aisha smiled, widely, eying the food. "Good morning. That food sure smells good…can Aisha have some?"
Jim winked. "No, I just cooked it up to taunt you while I eat it."
Aisha blinked. "Wha-!"
Jim laughed. "Come on, Aisha, of course you can have some. I went out early this morning and splurged on food, since I know you must be hungry."
Aisha smiled. "Yay! Thank you, Jimmy!"
She needed no further coaxing as she descended on the platters of food on the table. Aisha had consumed just about everything on the table (the flatware had been fortunate enough to elude her ravenous maw) before sitting back and patting her belly.
"Ahh…" she sighed, content. "That sure hit the spot. I can't remember the last time I had a meal like that!"
Jim smiled, finishing off his share, which amounted to about one sixteenth of the amount of food consumed in all. "Glad you liked it…anyway, now that we're done with breakfast, I was wondering if we could talk?"
Aisha blinked, sitting cross-legged on her chair. "Nya-nya? About what?"
"About your bounty," Jim said. "I was thinking all night about a way to get you off the hook. The only thing I could think of is to go to the bureau of internal security and present something that would convince them that I'd killed you. They'd remove your name from the bounty list, and we'd be a thousand wong richer."
Aisha blinked. "Hey, that doesn't sound like a bad idea!"
Jim nodded. "The only trick is getting something to make our story convincing…something to prove that I got you."
Aisha retrieved something from her back pocket and handed it to Jim. "How about this? It's my I.D. badge for the C'tarl-C'tarl Empire. That's irrefutable proof – a proud C'tarl-C'tarl would never be separated from it."
Jim glanced the badge; it was thin and sharp, made of fiber-steel – a nearly indestructible material – with a picture of Aisha and some C'tarl-C'tarl writing on it that Jim couldn't understand.
"But you're willing to part with it?" Jim asked, giving her a clever eye.
Aisha winked. "Aisha's spent enough time away from the empire to realize that pride can more often be a hindrance than an advantage."
Jim nodded, smiling. "A wise observation – I'm impressed that a C'tarl-C'tarl could come up with it."
Aisha glared. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"
Jim sighed. "Calm down, Aisha, I was only joking. Anyway, I'll stop by the bureau right now. You just sit tight; I'll be back in about half an hour."
Aisha waved goodbye. "Thanks again, Jim!"
xxxxx
"Wha-!" Jim wailed. "What do you mean I can't collect on the bounty!"
The officer behind the desk in front of him shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir…the warrant clearly says that Aisha Clan-Clan of the C'tarl-C'tarl Empire is wanted alive. I'm afraid with her dead, her bounty is made void by default."
Jim gawked. "You can't be serious!"
The officer glared back. "Just be glad I'm not charging you for second degree murder – after all, criminals still have their rights too."
Jim fumigated, but kept his mouth shut out of interest of not being arrested. "Thank you for your time, Sir."
Jim dejectedly returned home.
xxxxx
Aisha was busying herself with Jim's home game system, when said young man returned.
"Jim!" Aisha piped, happily. "Did it work?"
Jim sighed. "The good news is, I got the bounty off your head. The bad news is, you were wanted alive apparently, so 'killing' you means we can't cash in the bounty."
Aisha smiled. "That's okay, Jim – it's only a thousand wong. Besides, you still helped me out. Thanks a lot!"
Aisha placed a quick peck on his cheek before scampering back to her game.
Jim rubbed his cheek, his ears on fire. "Uh…any time."
xxxxx
The next few days were a lot more enjoyable for the two of them than their previous ones had been. Aisha had not wanted to be a freeloader, so she opted to help Jim around the shop. She busied herself polishing the chrome coverings of the customers' cars and giving them each a scrub down.
One day, Jim was busy in the garage when a call came in.
"Aisha, can you answer that?"
Aisha looked up from her polishing job. "What should I say?"
Jim shrugged. "Thank them for calling my shop, and ask if they can hold."
Aisha nodded, stepping out to the desk and picking up the phone.
"Thank you for calling Hawking Auto Mechanics, can you hold please?"
From there, little by little, Aisha slowly started to become Jim's personal secretary.
"The repairs on the '32 Sheller? Those will be in on the twelfth."
"You say your engine's broken down? Mr. Hawking will be with you right away!"
"I'm sorry sir, our company does not handle water vehicles."
"Those parts for the '46 Ohami came in. What time can you pick them up?"
"Would I be interested in a year's subscription to 'Space Pirates Monthly?' What kind of sick twisted salesman are you!"
And so on and so forth.
"I'm surprised how well you work with the customers, Aisha," Jim said to her one day after work was over. "I thought you'd have started yelling at customers at this point, but you've really been doing a good job."
Aisha flexed her arm. "You better believe it. One of my majors at the C'tarl-C'tarl academy was in diplomacy – that's why I was given the assignment of off-world representative before we met."
All the help Aisha did for the desk job gave Jim a lot more time to handle his job in the garage. His usual work got done in less than half the time it took originally. This led, eventually, to higher revenue, which meant more food for Aisha.
"Yippee!" Aisha said, as she and Jim made their way to the ice cream store after a long day. "Aisha loves ice cream!"
Jim sighed, though he couldn't prevent a smile from broaching his usually contained demeanor. "You earned it. This has been the best week my business has ever seen. At this rate, I'll be able to expand my company within a year."
Aisha blinked. "A year?"
Jim nodded. "Yeah. Unless you had other plans."
Aisha thought about that. She had been completely unbound for the past seven years, making her way from place to place. It was not a lifestyle she had been too happy with, but it had become such an integral mindset. To have to live somewhere permanently…it would change everything. But it would mean a life without having to be on the run from the law, a place where she could return to…and some living there to welcome her with open arms.
Aisha nodded to herself, her decision made. "That sounds like a great idea."
Jim smiled. "Awesome. What flavor do you want?"
Aisha glanced up at the list. "Hmm…let's see what they've got. Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, caramel, peanut butter, cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, pistachio, almond, and sherbet."
Jim nodded. "Yep, that's about all they have."
Aisha shook her head. "No, that's my order."
Jim just sort of blinked. "Um…okay."
xxxxx
With what could only be described as an armful of ice cream cones (The soda jerk had double scooped one of each flavor into one cone and still ended up with five cones), Aisha, along with Jim, made their way through a park.
"Well, I was rolling in dough…" Jim sighed.
"Did you say something Jim?" Aisha asked, a dab of green ice cream on her nose.
"Nothing," Jim said, wiping the bit of ice cream off her nose with the end of his little finger.
Aisha just giggled. "What can I say? Aisha loves ice cream!"
Jim smiled. "Well, you've been a really big help so far, so I'm willing to treat you from time to time."
Aisha smiled back. "Thanks, Jim. Anyway, don't forget, you were the one who saved my fur in the first place. I'm just trying to make it up to you."
Jim shook his head. "It was no problem at all. Besides, if you hadn't been there when those pirates attacked, I might not be alive right now."
Aisha crossed her arms. "How could I let them kill you after you had been so nice to me and everything? As a C'tarl-C'tarl…as a friend, I couldn't have allowed it!"
Jim smiled. "Well, thanks, Aisha. I'm glad you still consider me a friend after all this time."
Aisha nodded. "You said yourself seven years isn't long for an immortal."
Jim nodded. "Just the same…I'm glad we can still hang out after all that time away from each other."
Aisha nodded, smiling in agreement. "Nyao!"
They passed by a water fountain, and decided to sit down on the rim, finishing off the last of their dessert. As soon as Aisha was done, Jim took the opportunity to clean the gooey mess off of Aisha's face.
"Jeez, Aisha…for a proud noble warrior, you sure do eat sloppily," he said, after wetting a napkin in the fountain and dabbing at her face.
Aisha smirked. "You're one to talk, Jim…you smudged up your face pretty well too."
Jim just laughed as he finished off wiping her face. "There," he said, retracting his arm and crumbling up the napkin. "That's looking better."
Aisha leered. "Good. My turn."
Before he could stop her, Aisha decided to clean off Jim's face too. Being a C'tarl-C'tarl, however, she had more direct means - by licking it clean.
"Ah!" Jim exclaimed, laughing. "Aisha, stop that!"
Aisha just giggled, grabbing him by the shoulders, licking his face. "Aw, come on, don't fight it, Jim."
"I mean it, Aisha!" Jim shouted, his face red as tomato. "That really tickles!"
"Oh, so little Jimmy's ticklish too?" Aisha gleamed.
Jim gulped, realizing what he had just gotten himself into. "What…no, I…wait a minute! Don't you dare! Gah!"
Outmatched for strength, Jim was absolutely helpless as Aisha pinned him to the rim of the fountain, tickling his ribs.
"Ah!" Jim laughed. "Aisha, stop that!"
"Give in, Jimmy!" Aisha commanded.
"What – ah-hah! – What do you want!"
"Surrender and be my slave for the rest of the week!" Aisha ordered, a big joking smile on her face.
"Fat chance!" Jim declared, trying with no avail to wrestle free.
"Have it your way, then," Aisha said, straddling his waist and tickling him under the armpits.
"GAH!" Jim shouted. "No, wait! Stop! I can't take it anymore!"
"Do you surrender then?" Aisha laughed.
"Let me go!" Jim said, abruptly, catching her off guard, and grabbed her ribs.
"Hey!" Aisha said, leaping back. "You're not supposed to fight back!"
"Try and stop me!" Jim taunted, going for her ribs once more.
The two of them horsed around for the better part of an hour, until they were both tired and exhausted, throwing themselves onto their backs atop a grassy hill.
"Call it a draw?" Jim panted.
"A draw? Are you kidding?" Aisha gasped out. "Aisha's just getting started!"
Jim laughed. "Sure, Aisha…hey, is that a flying pig?"
Aisha blinked. "Huh?"
Jim shook his head. "Never mind – Terran humor."
Aisha tussled Jim's hair. "No matter how long I live with you Terrans, I'll never understand you."
Jim smiled. "Well, that's okay…sometime, we don't even understand ourselves."
Aisha ventured no reply, as she laid back, her gaze fixated on the evening sky.
Stratus' two moons hung lazily in the sky, the last few wisps of daylight fading away in the distance. Aisha crossed her arms behind her head and sighed.
"Jim, you know something? I'm really glad we ran into each other after all this time. My days were all boring and empty before you came along. Now, it's like my life is back on track."
Jim looked at her in wonder. "Really?"
Aisha returned his gaze and smiled. "Absolutely!"
Aisha casually placed her hand in Jim's hair, tussling it around. But this time, it was more affectionate than it had been before. What began as a tussle became a gentle caress, as she stroked methodically through the shaggy strands, teasing his scalp with her nails.
Jim let his mouth curl into a tiny smile. He returned the sign of affection with a soft caress of her cheek, running his calloused fingertips over her soft skin.
Aisha shivered as his fingers struck the slightest of nerves in her skin. There was no denying her feelings now. What she felt for this boy was far more than the sisterly affection she had originally placed with him. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the simple obvious truth: that this Terran had seized her heart.
The heart of a C'tarl-C'tarl.
The heart of an immortal C'tarl-C'tarl.
An immortal C'tarl-C'tarl who would outlive any Terran by about ten thousand years.
Aisha sat up. "It's getting late. Let's go home."
Jim blinked, surprised by her sudden withdrawal. "Um…okay… Is something the matter?"
Aisha heaved, ever so slightly. She could only pray that Jim had not seen it.
"No," Aisha said, bluntly. "I'm just tired, that's all."
Jim gave no response, as the two of them trudged home.
Very few words were spoken between them from that point on.
xxxxx
The remainder of the week went slowly.
Aside from tallying orders, Aisha hardly ever spoke to Jim. Jim, for his part, just gave the occasional favor demand. Both said their good mornings in the morning, and goodnights at night. Beyond that, very little went on.
Then came the weekend, when there was little if no work needing to be done. The two of them were left to themselves, with nothing to distract them from the ever-building tension between them.
Aisha was sitting on the floor, playing a video game that she'd beaten twenty times over already. Jim was lying back on the couch, reading a magazine. Both of them knew that the awkward silence between them wouldn't last forever, but neither knew just what to say to break it as easily as possible.
Jim was the one who broke it first. "How much of Stratus have you seen?"
Aisha glanced up from her game. "Huh?"
Jim shrugged. "I was just thinking…you want to go for a ride? I just read about this restaurant in the town next to ours that serves really good seafood. Now, I know you're not going to turn down seafood, Aisha."
Aisha looked away. It was an appealing idea. A very important part of her had wanted to spend more time with Jim ever since that night in the park, and seafood was sounding pretty good too. But she knew all too well that if they kept this up, it would only get worse.
Still…what could one night hurt?
"Sure!" Aisha said, trying as hard as she could to smile.
Jim smiled, sitting up and stepping into his shoes. "Alright, let's go."
Aisha got up. "Right now? Isn't it a fancy restaurant?"
Jim nodded, noticing just as Aisha was that they were both dressed rather shabby. "Don't worry about it. We still have about an hour before dinnertime. Why don't we stop by a department store so we can pick something out for the both of us?"
Aisha had to stop herself from salivating. Ever since she was a little girl, she had always loved shopping, but she never had much money. So, she joined the military, and made plenty of money. She discovered, however, that she had no time whatsoever to shop anywhere. After she left he military, she had the necessary time, but once again, found herself lacking the money. Now, finally she had both money and time. The idea was too good to pass up.
"Can we really!" Aisha blurted, genuine happiness in her voice.
Jim smiled. "Sure. We've got enough to splurge a little bit."
"Yippee!" Aisha shouted, as she scampered downstairs and to the garage.
Jim followed her and handed her his spare helmet, before strapping on his own.
Once again, Aisha was sitting behind Jim on his motorcycle, as they sped out to the city.
xxxxx
"How's it going in there?" Jim asked, as he eyed his new suit. It was dark blue, with a tan silk button down underneath. He wore it without a tie, with the top two buttons undone, leaving plenty of room to breath.
Aisha pulled open the curtain. "Well? How do I look?" She turned around to show off her new dress.
It was an emerald green Chinese brocade dress with shiny golden trim. It went down to her knees, with the left side cut dangerously high up her leg, revealing the lacy trim of pale green stockings that went down to golden-yellow sandals. Her hair, rather than the long braided ponytail, was rolled up into two Chinese buns. Her headband was missing, but her neck was adorned with a golden chain that ended in pendant that she had bought earlier that evening. Her nails and makeup were also outstanding, enough to accentuate the beauty underneath, but conservative enough not to make her seem anything less than who she was.
"Catching flies?" she joked, noticing Jim's slack jaw.
Jim shook his head, putting a leash on his thoughts. "You look…beautiful…"
Aisha smiled, pointing a finger in jest. "Are you suggesting that I wasn't beautiful before?"
Jim started. "No! No, I…um…"
Aisha clutched her side as she laughed. "Hahaha…payback is fun!"
Jim rolled his eyes. "Can we just get going? We're already late."
Aisha nodded, and went to the front of the store to pay for the items, keeping her old clothes in the store bag.
They rushed outside and walked the rest of the way there – the department store had been in the same town as the restaurant.
They got in after a ten-minute wait, and sat outside on a sandstone balcony, which overlooked the coastline. The sun was just beginning to set, and overall, the setting was just perfect.
Aisha and Jim sat at the table, and glanced (or, in Aisha's case, drooled) at the menu. They decided to split a lobster tail, while Aisha ordered a large helping of fried clams and shrimp to hold her over. They each ordered their drinks, and sat back to watch the sunset.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Aisha commented.
"The sunset? I wasn't really paying attention," Jim smiled, his eyes staying fixed on the girl before him.
Aisha, taking a second to deduce his meaning, just smiled back. "Now, now, Jimmy…no drooling over the cat girl."
Jim winked. "Why not? You were drooling over the menu."
"Well, that kind of appreciation is allowed," Aisha retorted.
"And admiring a beautiful woman isn't?" Jim shot back.
Aisha blushed, looking away. "Oh…why must you…?"
Aisha suddenly nearly swallowed her tongue as she felt Jim's foot creep up her calf.
Aisha promptly stood up. "Excuse me…I need to use the restroom."
Without giving him another look, she promptly left to the sanctuary of the lavatory.
Supporting her weight on the sink, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Why is he being so impossible! She thought to herself. Can't he see what he's doing to me!
Aisha caught her breath, straightened her hair, cleaned up her makeup, and untwisted the annoying bunch that had been forming in her underwear since leaving the department store.
Somewhat less frazzled, she left the restroom and returned to her table.
Jim offered a helpless look. "I'm sorry if I was being too forward."
Aisha shook her head. "Forget about it."
Jim nodded, and decided to change the subject. "So, anyway…where else have you been besides Stratus? Sounds to me like you've been quite the little nomad recently."
Aisha smiled, happy to relate her travels. After seven long years with no one to talk to, chattering about her past exploits was a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.
"Well, I started off on Hirano IV. You should have seen the people there! No manners, no respect, no decency, and no hygiene! It was a nightmare!"
Jim smiled, content to listen to Aisha's stories. Most of them were pretty interesting.
Eventually, the food came, and the two of them continued the conversation between bites of seafood.
"So, I'm at this bar, right?" Aisha said, between mouthfuls of fried clams. "And these two guys…they're, what, 250 pounds of blubber? They start pushing me around like they owned the place! Well, they certainly won't be making that mistake anymore!"
The night went on, and eventually, Aisha's reminiscing fell silent. The two of them watched Stratus' two moons rise as they both casually slurped strawberry sherbet.
"Wanna get going?" Jim offered.
Aisha blinked. "Why? The night's so young."
Jim rolled his eyes. "That certainly did stop you that night at the park."
Aisha looked away, a guilty blush on her face. "Well…"
"Anyway, I'm not saying we leave town yet…just the restaurant. I'm feeling a bit restless. Wanna go for a walk?"
Aisha gulped down the rest of her sherbet. "Okay."
xxxxx
Aisha wanted to go shopping some more, but Jim pointed out that, while her help at the shop had increased their income, their earnings weren't unlimited. Still, that didn't stop Aisha from window-shopping.
"Wow, look at those earrings! They've got to be 24 carat gold, at least!"
Finally, Jim found something that piqued his interest: A karaoke bar.
"Jim, are you joking with me?" Aisha said, a blush forming on her face. "You're not suggesting that I…?"
Jim shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just saying we should check it out. It might be fun."
Stepping inside, the two of them were fraught with the smell of fried food and the sound of bad singing, as customers took turns standing up on stage.
"Do these people have no pride at all!" Aisha demanded, incredulously. "I mean, that last girl was missing half the words!"
Jim nudged her. "You wanna go up there and show her how it's done?"
Aisha blushed. "No way! I'm not gonna go up there and embarrass myself!"
Jim chuckled, knowingly. "Aw…is Aisha too chicken to sing in front of a bunch of people? Come on, Aisha, I had such respect for you!"
Aisha's ears twitched. "You…Aisha is not chicken!"
Jim smiled. "Then go up there and prove me wrong."
Which was how Aisha somehow found herself up on stage, holding a microphone, a look of absolute terror on her face.
The crowds were wild with applause, glad not only to see another woman but a beautiful woman, singing on stage. The applause must have had their affect, as Aisha's dry throat began to moisten again as she heard the music begin.
"Donna toki demo – Yume!
Kanaeru tame no – Yume!
Karada juu
Kakemeguru
Atsui kimochi wa
Hajike tonde iru yo!"
By the time Aisha had finished, the entire karaoke bar was out of their seats singing along, applauding after she was done.
Aisha bowed over and over again; waving to her audience, before stepping down, back a smiling Jim.
"See? See? Didn't I tell you!" he said, laughing aloud.
Aisha slapped him behind the back hard enough to knock him out his chair. "Oh yeah! That was awesome!"
Jim got up from the floor. "Easy now; some of us are just Terrans."
The crowds were cheering for an encore, but Jim'd had enough, and insisted that they go.
"Aw, come on, Jim! You were the one that wanted to come in here in the first place!" Aisha whined.
Jim sighed. "Another time, Aisha…it's late and I'm tired, and I've got to work tomorrow."
Aisha kept whining until they were out of earshot of the bar. At that point, she let out a huge sigh.
"Whew! Thanks a lot, Jim…I wouldn't have been able to think of a decent excuse to leave!"
Jim sighed, smiling. "Well, I'm glad I was there to help."
With that, they made their way home.
xxxxx
The next week went by a bit smoother.
Aisha was still helping Jim in the shop, taking calls, tallying orders, yelling at telemarketers, and basically staying busy.
Jim, for the first time in years, actually had time to work on some of his own vehicles for once. And after a bit of late night tinkering, he had finally released his latest project.
"Aisha," a proud Jim Hawking said, smiling his oil-smudged face. "I'd like to introduce you to…"
Jim yanked the brown sheet off of his new car.
"The Efrau II!"
Beneath was a pristine maroon colored three-wheeled vehicle, much semblant to the original Efrau.
Aisha blinked. Then she blinked again. "What is it?"
Jim just gawked. "'What is it?' You're looking at a newly revamped, completely restored Thunderhead Tri-skid Classic Model 7! This baby's got a supped up SR6 engine with all the latest parts to make her run as sweet as a nut! And I even slipped in and H-2 turbo charger – those things aren't even out on the market yet!"
Aisha was still unsure of what to make of it.
"Well?" Jim said, expectantly. "What do you think of it!"
Aisha felt like a third grader being called on by her teacher. "It's…um…nice?"
Jim groaned. "Oh…some people just have no appreciation for my craft."
Aisha held up her hands. "No, no, really! It's really nice!"
Jim sulked, looking away. "You're just saying that to appease me now."
Aisha shook her head. "No, no! Aisha likes it! See?" Aisha wrapped her arms around the car as best as she could, petting its hood. "Nice little car," she said, as thought talking to a pet.
Jim just sighed. "It's okay, Aisha."
Jim walked out of the garage to clean himself off.
"Hey, Jim!" Aisha called out.
Said person ducked his head back in the shop. "What?"
Aisha rocked on her heels. "As long as you're in the mood for making cars…I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."
Jim cocked his head. "What?"
Aisha glanced at Efrau. "As much as I enjoy riding behind you on your motorcycle…I was wondering if there was a car around here that Aisha could use…you know, to drive on her own?"
Jim shrugged. "Gee, Aisha…I wouldn't have thought you'd be interested in owning a vehicle. Well…I know you probably want to do things on your own, but you still have to keep in mind that you're legally dead now. If you start popping up places, people are going to notice, and that bounty will be as real as it's ever been. But if you really want a car…well, I guess I could help you."
Jim put the cover back on top of the Efrau II.
"Thing is…most of the cars here aren't even mine. Just the bike and now this one. But I'll see what I can do. I'm just telling you now, though – cars aren't cheap. You'll owe me a favor after this one."
Aisha smiled back. "Sure thing. I'd really appreciate it! Thanks, Jim!"
xxxxx
After another grueling week of hard work, Jim had salvaged a body frame of an old Windflyer 1900. The paint was rusted, the doors were missing, and the engine wouldn't even start. But Jim hadn't yet found a car that he couldn't fully restore, and this one wasn't destined to be the first.
Aisha's eyes glowed at the vehicle. It was now an iridescent red, with a D-20 overdrive accelerator and swooped back airfoils. It even had the little dice dangling in the rear-view mirror for added touch.
"Well…whaddya think?" Jim asked, proud of his work.
"Nyao!" Aisha hollered in amazement. She rushed over to ogle over her new car. She moved almost faster than Jim could catch, popping up all around the car's frame, admiring every aspect, and playing with the hanging dice.
She then promptly went over to hug Jim. "Thank you, Jimmy! It's awesome!"
Jim smiled. "Glad you like it."
They both wandered back into the lounge, and Jim shut the door behind him, preparing to lock up for the night.
"Just remember, you owe me big," Jim said, pointing a joking finger at the cat girl.
Aisha smiled. "And just how am I ever going to repay such a thing?"
Jim shrugged. "Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something."
Aisha thought for a moment, before a very cat-like grin appeared on her face. "You know…I think I just did…"
Before Jim could even react, Aisha grabbed his chin and placed a short kiss on the lips.
Jim blinked, trying his hardest not to blush as Aisha stood back, giving her usual devil-may-care smile. "How about that, huh?"
Jim licked his lips, smiling devilishly. "Aw, come on…for what that car's worth, you could give me a better kiss than that!"
Aisha rolled her eyes in good humor. "Oh, fine…"
Jim hadn't expected her to oblige him. Before he knew it, Aisha had his head in a deadlock with her tongue halfway down his throat.
Jim gasped into her mouth at the sudden intrusion. He had never expected her to do anything like this! But here she was, kissing him as passionately as he had ever imagined, her hands enclosing around the back of his head.
Aisha quickly regained control of herself, not realizing how much she had been enjoying it herself. She let him go, staring back almost as surprised with herself as Jim was. "Jim, uh…heheh…I…"
Jim tried to smile, his cheeks a brilliant red. "Wow, I…Aisha, that was…that was amazing…"
Aisha inhaled sharply, a blush forming on her face. She turned her eyes away in embarrassment. She bit her lip, not knowing what to do next.
I just kissed him! She said to herself as though saying it would make it any more believable. I just kissed Jim!
Aisha was so distracted by her inner thoughts that she barely even saw Jim approach her again.
"Jim!" She said, startled.
"Aisha…" he muttered, his eyes drifting shut, his voice on the verge of disappearing. "I want…another taste…"
Aisha's blush suddenly covered her entire face Jim suddenly pinned her to the lounge couch. Jim's tongue was pushed all the way into her mouth. Both her wrists were in a deadlock grip, and Jim's entire weight, though still not much at 120 lbs, held her solidly on her back.
"Mmh!" Aisha complained as Jim's tongue tickled the roof of her mouth. She suckled on his tongue eagerly. Her legs were uncomfortably open as Jim's ever-present self nudged itself between her. Aisha tried to struggle, tried to somehow force her body to resist him. But she couldn't help it. She wanted him so badly. Even if it was doomed to fail, she wanted for this to go on.
Her eyes flew open.
No. This had to end.
She broke off the kiss. "No…Jim…stop."
Jim looked at her, aghast. "Huh?"
Aisha looked away, looking ashamed of herself. "We need to stop, Jim."
Jim looked like a boy whose mother wouldn't let him stay up an extra hour on a school night. "Why!"
Aisha just sighed. "We can't…do this, Jim. It's not going to work."
Jim blinked, his jaw slack with disbelief. "No one's asking for it to work, Aisha! I know it might be an awkward relationship… But Aisha…I've been holding back for so long. I just can't…resist it any more."
Jim tried to restart the broken kiss, but Aisha just pulled her face away. "No, Jim, stop this! This can't go any farther!"
Jim's face was a look of pain. "And why the hell not!"
Aisha looked equally pained. "Because, Jim, look at us! You're a Terran! I'm…a C'tarl…"
Jim gawked, aghast. "That's what this is all about? A racial difference!"
Aisha glared at him. "Jim…"
"Aisha, you know just as well as I do that race doesn't mean anything, especially not when it comes to the way people feel about each other!"
Aisha glared furiously at the boy. "It does when the difference means that one of us is going to die centuries before the other does!"
Jim was halted in his tracks. Instantly, he saw Aisha's logic. How had he missed it? How had he been so stupid! How had he, the most observant crewmember of the Outlaw Star, not seen the painfully obvious truth?
He knew the answer of course. Because hadn't wanted to.
"Aisha…I…"
"No, Jim," Aisha said, holding back tears, her ears drooping. "This has to end…now."
Jim reluctantly got up off of her, and sat at the far end of the couch, looking away. "I'm…I'm sorry Aisha…"
Aisha got up from off her back, readjusting her disheveled outfit, and sat down, turned her eyes away. "I'm sorry too, Jim…"
Jim couldn't even look as she got up and walked up the stairs.
xxxxx
A/N: Okay, it'll take me a while to figure out where to go at this point, so I'll leave you guys with this.
I'm so mean.