Genesis or Exodus

Chapter 8

Oh my! Her kiss is even sweeter than I imagined. Why was I resisting this woman again?

Lauren couldn't think as Bo pressed her body more firmly against her own, her buttocks making contact with the edge of her desk.

She made a sound of discomfort, which Bo mistook for fervour, at which she gripped The Matriarch's hips tighter and deepened the kiss even more.

Lauren was in a haze of sensations... from the intensity of Bo's kisses, to the tingles Lauren felt, as one of the Commander's hands moved up her side and grazed the side of her breast, ever so lightly, and finally to the pain in her ass as the desk continued to stab into her.

Lauren pressed her hands against the brunette's strong shoulders and shoved with enough force to separate their mouths and ease the pressure of the Commander's body against her own, thus also giving the blonde some much needed relief from the corner of the desk.

Bo frowned at her, "What's wrong? My tongue not long enough for you?"

And there is the reason you were resisting her, came the ever so helpful voice inside her head. It's that arrogance and entitlement that every member of the alliance seems to have.

Lauren's body still hummed from the kiss and her lips still tingled. Lauren flicked her tongue over them and tasted the Commander lingering there.

"Actually, the desk was poking painfully into my butt cheek, but perhaps it was a blessing in disguise," retorted Lauren snidely, her anger quick to flare. Because what she wanted to do was to sweep everything off of that desk and take advantage of the smoking hot woman in front her, right then and there. Lauren, however, knew that it was just her lust and not emotion that had her wanting that. Because evident in front of her, still breathing fast from their kiss, was that familiar challenging look in Bo's eyes and the smug, satisfied smile on her lips. That is what stopped The Matriarch and she squeezed her hands into fists where they now rested by her sides, her short fingernails pinching into her palms ever so slightly. The Commander knew that Lauren was attracted to her, however, Lauren doubted that the brunette realized how much her mouth often put a dampener on the burgeoning feelings. And Lauren could see that it was going to go that way again, by the spark in Bo's eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bo asked combatively. Why can't she just admit that she wants this?, the Commander thought, just nano seconds before she blurted it out... Before she could determine that this wasn't the smartest way to approach what had just happened between them. "Just admit that you enjoyed it, Lauren. That you, the all knowing Matriarch, had no idea what you've been missing these last months. Admit that you should have jumped my bones that night instead of choosing to go with your lizard tongued concubine!"

The Matriarch surprised the Commander as her hand flashed out and made contact with her cheek, slapping her hard. "Octavia is a friend as well as an occasional lover! How dare you disrespect her this way. You don't know who she is."

"She's a whore, Lauren. You payed her for a service. Something that I would have willingly done, for free."

Bo caught the Matriarch's arm firmly by the wrist when the blonde tried to strike her again.

"You know nothing, Bo. Nothing! Octavia is ten times the woman you are! I don't pay her for the sex. She would oblige me whether I paid her or not. Her sister was killed in the blitz of Tetra Prime at the hands of The Alliance and their thirst to rule the universe. The Alliance orphaned five children with the death of Deelia and I help Octavia put food on the table and clothes on the backs of those kids."

Bo's demeanour softened and so did the grip on the Matriarch's wrist, which she wrenched away. Lauren was furious and refused to let go of the anger she felt. She knew that Bo wasn't responsible for every atrocity committed by The Galactic Alliance, but The Commander was the embodiment of what they stood for. "You and your precious Alliance. Your arrogance and blind loyalty make it easy to resist you. Oh yes, you're charming, beautiful and a badass killing machine, but that doesn't mask the stench of Alliance Unity bullshit that they spout over every airwave and broadcast. The Alliance are conquerors, Bo. Forcing people to follow their laws and way of life, crushing any who try to resist and stand against them. And you are one of the leaders that does it. Following the council's decrees and orders without question."

"Lauren... I... Please," Bo stuttered, at a loss of what to say to diffuse the outraged and disgruntled woman, raging in front of her. She even thought about trying to kiss her again, but the Matriarch's hand was inches away from her laser blade and she didn't feel like regrowing a limb right now.

"BLIND!" Bo started out of her thoughts and focused on Lauren again. "How can you blindly follow them? And why out of all the Companies at the Alliance's disposal, why did they send you? The only woman to hold such a rank. Why did they send you? Did they send you to spy on me, on Genesis?" Lauren's eyes were wild, glassy with emotion. "To seduce me and take over my ship and all the resources and secrets that she holds?"

"What? NO! That's absurd. Crazy," Bo blurted, shocked and dismayed that Lauren could even think that. "Do you hate the Alliance that much, distrust them that much, that you could think that the connection we have found since we've come aboard Genesis, the feelings that I have expressed, are...are... just an elaborate ruse to steal Genesis from you?"

Lauren crossed her arms stubbornly across her chest, "That about sums it up. I WILL NOT RISK THIS SHIP. Not for a piece of ass. No matter how pretty the package is."

The look on Bo's face pierced Lauren's heart and she fought against the urge to take those words back. The Matriarch was in charge now. She was protecting Genesis. It was her birthright, her life's mission. She couldn't tell the woman before her that she felt that connection too. That she felt like Bo was the missing piece that she had been avoiding for years. That Bo could be her happiness, a true companion. Connections caused pain and despair, when they inevitably ended. Lauren lived on, endlessly, forever, while everyone she loved, dies. I can't allow myself to fall again. I just can't, Lauren thought to herself, the rage having left and now being replaced with despair.

"I don't believe you meant that. You're just trying to hurt me. Push me away. You are more than a mission to me Lauren, you must know that..."

I know that...

"I know nothing of the sort. I can't trust you, Bo. I've seen what The Galactic Alliance is capable of first hand. More than once, more times than I can count. You shouldn't have kissed me. You are meant to guard and protect me. Not bed me." Lauren's voice had lost its bite, but the words still stung like a dagger to the gut.

"You kissed me back," Bo responded inadequately. There was so much going through the Commander's head. It was all she could muster.

The Matriarch saw the struggle Bo was waging within herself. The struggle between loyalty and ... love? Lauren couldn't bear to think it. It hurt too much. Damn it! This is what she'd wanted to avoid. The blonde steeled her jaw, clenching it a few times before responding. The words were like bile rising in her throat. "I did. It was a mistake. It won't happen again." And with that Lauren turned to leave. She was determined to get back to her quarters before she cried. She would not appear weak in front of Bo, or anyone else for that matter.

"You have to leave. Nobody stays in this area if I'm not here."

Bo couldn't believe the coldness of Lauren's words and demeanor. Doesn't she feel anything? Maybe she's not capable of feeling anything besides bitterness and contempt, after a millennia or two. Bo forgot just how long The Matriarch had been around.

Bo was angry again, "Fine by me. I don't think I can stand to be in your presence for another minute."

The Commander saw something flash across Lauren's face, before being replaced by her practiced, icy cold facade. Bo knew there was something between them, but Lauren's distrust of The Alliance was absolute and the loyal soldier had no idea how to balance both her duty and the attraction to the woman she was charged to protect. The only thing she knew for sure, was that she would lay down her life for the scowling, distrustful woman and it wasn't just out of duty, it was out of love.

Bo took the lead heading for the lab door, the fight in her doused for the moment as she tried to process the information Lauren had shared about her friend Octavia's situation. She would check the facts about Tetra Prime and see what she could find out about it. Bo risked a glance back at Lauren, who was now back at her work station, near the scanning equipment and examination table where she had been laying, while The Matriarch had geeked out and examined her. Before it had all gone pear shaped. Bo shook her head, wishing for a moment, that being able to turn back time was one of her skill sets, but alas it wasn't and the distance that she saw in Lauren's eyes as she shut down her equipment, backing up the data as she went, saddened Bo immensely.

Lauren didn't notice Bo watching her, as she backed up the data she had gathered from examining Bo's nanomites. She wasn't even paying any mind to her connection with Genesis, as she continued to shut everything down and process her thoughts on what a complicated mess her life had been, since The Commander and her team had come aboard her ship. She was contemplating whether to get rid of her bodyguards as soon as she had finished her research and specimen expedition on Old Earth, and where the closest drop off point would be.

If Lauren HAD been paying attention to her link with Genesis, she would not have been taken by surprise when the ship suddenly dropped out of warp and started evasive maneuvers. Lauren tried to grab ahold of the desk as the ship banked hard to the left, sending the blonde flying sideways towards the storage cabinets. She cried out in pain when she connected with a bone breaking crash and watched in horror as her scanning unit of metal and glass came hurtling towards her, along with an array of other items and surgical tools clattering all around her. Not for the first time and certainly not her last, Lauren watched death approach her, everything seeming to happen in slow motion, as the floor continued to tilt, effectively pinning her to the cabinets, all the while hearing sounds of impact, as Genesis got pummeled by space debris. Lauren closed her eyes, unable to watch her final few seconds in this body, as more equipment followed the plummeting scanner. Her eyes flew open when a hard impact of force hit her side and rolled her out of death's way, the scanner missing her by barely an arms length. Genesis righted herself and came to a stand still moments later, after what was only a minute or two of chaos at best. The ruined equipment and scattered debris settled with a clutter and then there was silence, as Lauren looked into the deep, dark chocolate colored eyes of the woman laying on top of her. The woman who had just saved her life.

"Are you okay? Lauren? Talk to me?"

The blonde blinked slowly, and opened her mouth to speak only to close it again. The pain had started to penetrate her shock and she knew that while she wasn't going to die, there was going to be a bone or two that would need setting and re-knitting. "I'm alive, thanks to you, but I would be grateful if you'd get off me now. I think the danger is over and you're making it difficult to breathe," Lauren managed to respond hoarsely.

"Right! Of course." Bo pressed up on strong arms, her legs and pelvis remaining for a second, as she gazed intently at Lauren. "Are you sure it's safe to move?"

The injured woman gazed back, lost in the fierce intensity she found in her savior's eyes. "I'm connected to Genesis, remember. We are clear, no more danger. The Orai are already beginning repairs and there is no damage to any of Genesis' main functions."

"I'm just not sure about this connection of yours..." Bo said, her voice trailing off.

"Get off, Bo," Lauren tried futilely to push the Commander off, with the arm that wasn't broken.

"I'm serious. Why did I have to save your life a few moments ago? You would have been squashed flat, if I hadn't got to you in time. I think your link or whatever, is on the fritz." Bo said as she complied and climbed off of Lauren, throwing a metal tray aside so she could rest comfortably beside her, her eyes fixed squarely on the blonde while waiting for an answer, a small smile of pride on her lips.

Lauren grimaced, "Can't this wait? I may not be squashed, but I do need some medical attention." Lauren's utility bracelet beeped at her. "I can't move my arm, Bo. Could you answer please?"

Bo compiled without a word and Hale's voice came through loud and full of concern. "Matriarch, are you all right? Is Bo with you? You two are the only ones unaccounted for, besides the Orai, that is. We lost a few Lauren."

Bo spoke before Lauren could, "We are both alive and well, Hale."

"Speak for yourself," Lauren muttered as she pushed herself up into a sitting position and cradled her broken arm. "I'll need some medical assistance. Do you think you can get Vex to meet me in the infirmary. I'll need his help setting my arm and possibly a couple of ribs."

"Shit! Do you need some transportation, it's a bit of a trek from your lab?"

"I'll get her there, Hale. Be there in a jiffy."

"Just concentrate on getting Genesis fixed and ready to go. What did we hit exactly?" Lauren asked.

Bo bounced up onto her feet as if they hadn't been flung around the lab like pinballs and pulled out her hover disc. "Think this can hold us both?"

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, should be fine," Bo said, answering herself and stepped alongside the hovering disc. The Commander bent down and swept Lauren in her arms as if she weighed nothing, being careful of her injured arm. And with unbelievable strength, agility and grace, Bo stepped aboard her hover disc and began to travel slowly towards the door, which opened automatically, giving them access to the long corridor beyond.

"Get comfortable and use your good arm to cradle the bad one. I've got you. Don't worry," Bo said with much more empathy and concern than she had shown since saving her life. "We're on our way, Hale. Have Vex be standing by."

"He's already en route."

"Okay. Good. Now tell us what the hell we hit!"

"Genesis' sensors detected a debris field of spacecraft parts and a distress signal. Genesis found a lone life sign amongst the destroyed vessels in a small life pod. Genesis' dropped out of warp to avoid hitting the pod. It is now in the hangar behind a level 5 containment field. Genesis has scanned the pod and determined that the humanoid survivor inside is stable, albeit unconscious and is in no immediate danger. So you have time to get your injuries taken care of, before you check in on our newest guest."

"Why don't we just get Bruce and Kenzi to crack open the egg and see who's inside?" Bo suggested as they cruised smoothly along the interior sections of the ship towards the infirmary.

Lauren responded through clenched teeth, mostly from the pain and a little in annoyance at the woman cradling her, "Because it's still my ship, not yours, and I will be the one to greet our newest arrival."

"Yes, your Majesty," Bo said with a wry smile.

"Thank you, Hale. Have Genesis keep monitoring the pod, will you?" Lauren responded, ignoring Bo's comment completely and closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at her anymore. She felt humiliated and weak, being at the mercy of the Alliance soldier and she hated it. Worst of all, was she knew that Bo was enjoying being the hero and would probably never let Lauren forget, that she would have been flattened beneath her biometric scanner, if it wasn't for her.

Gods help me, she thought to herself. And she pondered whom she would find inside that pod in the hangar, as she listened to Hale sign off communications.

"As you wish, Matriarch. Hale, out."

Author's Note: Hello to those of you who hadn't forgotten about me. :) I know it has been an excruciating long time. My health has been absolutely shit and I just haven't been able to focus on my writing, but the urge to create and immerse myself back into this universe of Genesis and the Alliance could not be denied forever.

I am determined to finish this story no matter how long it takes me. So if you all can be patient with me, I will try not to disappoint.

I need to thank Rafi for being a constant source of support, kindness and inspiration. She truly is a ray of sunshine in a world of grey skies.

Also, thank you to GG for editing this chapter and her support and friendship.

And to all of the rest of you who have followed me and read my stories, bless you. I would love to hear from you if you have the time to drop me a little review. Thank you.

Doccubus21 xo