Chapter 3-The Start

"Well this feels strange," Cale said as he carried her over the threshold that was the Phoenix. They had just arrived home that night from the wedding. Akima's dress was draped over Cale's arms. One arm held the back of her thighs while the other was curled around her back. "What's so strange about it?" she asked. She had both of her arms around his neck.

"It's just that we lived here before we were married," Cale said with that reassuring look she had seen on him so many times before. "Don't worry, the strange part isn't holding you." She continued that same smile she had all during the wedding. He carried her over to the bed that was protruding out of the wall. While freeing the hand that held her back, he straightened out a pillow and set Akima on the bed, gently. She propped herself on her elbows as Cale continued standing beside the bed.

Akima took off the elaborate veil that Stith had paid so much attention to and dropped it at the foot of the bed. She then shook her head, freeing the two unique, purple bangs. Cale shimmied out of his black tux and, with a carefree attitude, threw it onto a nearby chair. He then worked the red bow tie off his neck and threw it away in a similar pattern. "Here, let me get this for you," he said as he gripped one of her shoes and slipped it off. She enjoyed his delicateness as he slipped off the shoe. He then did the same with the other shoe.

"These things are killing my feet," Cale said while eagerly untying the knots on the shoes and ever so quickly tore them from his feet. He sat on the bed beside Akima who was lying on her back just behind him. Cale turned his head to kiss Akima who had slipped out off the bed from behind him sending him to kiss the pillow instead. Akima was giggling as she turned her back to him. "What's that all about!" he said in a playful tone.

"Can you unzip me?" she said as Cale sat up again.

"Please," he replied with a sense of gratification. He slowly pulled the zipper down while taking note of her smooth back until the zipper reached her curvature. She slipped off the shoulders of the wedding gown, causing it to drop onto the floor around her. Cale stood up and unbuttoned the first button on his shirt and quickly ripped the rest of the shirt off. She turned around, now only wearing thin, black underwear, and walked over to Cale. He stood there waiting, in only his pants, and put his hand around the back of her neck to engage her in a kiss. She came closer and locked her lips with his. He took his other hand and held her waist with it. Both their lips were exploring each other's. Akima then wanted more so she put both of her hands on the cheeks of his face.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Akima stated between kisses. Cale moved his hand from her neck to her back.

"I love you, Akima," Cale said while pulling himself from the kiss.

"I know. I love you too, Cale, but I never had dreamed of this night." said she as she ran her finger down his cheek and gazed deeply into his eyes. "I guess I don't know what to do."

"That's okay," he reassured once again, "neither do I. We can figure this out, just do whatever you want."

"All right," she said as took a step back. Then, she held both sides of her top and removed it. Cale's eyes explored every inch in satisfaction. Akima felt funny; she wasn't as embarrassed as she was the first time Cale accidentally walked in on her on the Valkyrie. This somehow seemed appropriate. Akima crept closer and engaged Cale in another long, exploratory kiss. They closed their eyes in this deep moment and wanted to revel in it. She turned with her back toward the bed and he with her. Cale led her over to the bed, and when her legs touched the side, they both collapsed onto it. They never unlocked from this kiss even though they were on the bed.

"Oh, Akima, you took 'do whatever you want' farther than I thought." Cale whispered into her ear as he broke loose from a tight kiss. She continued to kiss Cale as she lightly gave a muffled giggle. She had her arms wrapped around his neck as if she was holding his head to hers and was kissing anything that landed in the way. "Here, let me help you with that." she said with a playful tone as she reached for his pants and unbuckled them.

"We are nearing the planet," a Droheh said while walking toward Tigaj. Tigaj turned his head to look at the Droheh and then at D'amara. They had one objective in mind: to find out where the Orb was hidden, and since the theft was D'amaran, they went here first. "Good, prepare fourteen squads of slijah, we need to breach the Mizrate Armada."

"Yes," the Droheh replied and walked out of the room. Tigaj turned around to face Molalah and Lehedihir. They stood side by side to help Tigaj with the attack. "How are we supposed to get information if we destroy them?" Lehedihir asked with sarcasm.

"Once we annihilate a few, we can take prisoners and question them." Tigaj replied. Tigaj was a general, so he already had a few strategies in mind. The Drej warship, although smaller and less powerful than the Alahenena, was still threatening in appearance. It had a similar design to it, but was much smaller. It slowly spun on its axis as it coursed with energy. "The new technology has been downloaded into the weapons systems of all the slijah." Tigaj explained, "Just watch as this will be only a demonstration of what it can do."

Tigaj then sent some energy into a console he was standing in front of. This brought up a hologram of the D'amaran king. He stood there with great concern. "What is it you want? This is a peaceful planet and the war is over, what are you doing invading our space?" the king asked.

"Your highness, we seek the Orb. If we do not receive what we came for, we will destroy your fledgling fleet." Tigaj said with a pompous attitude.

"We do not have the Orb. It was relocated to the humans. What they did with it I do not know." the king said while stepping closer to the hologram. This caused Tigaj to become upset.

"For this, we will destroy your Armada. Ready your craft." he said as he turned off the hologram and turned to face Molalah. "Send the message to attack, leave as many prisoners as possible." Molalah nodded and sank through the floor.

The Mizrate Armada, D'amara's fleet of ships, were preparing for battle. The ships hummed and floated up to meet the slijahs just outside the atmosphere. They had a fleet about half the size of the Drej's, but their ships were more powerful. The Drej strategies relied mostly on overwhelming by numbers. The ships careened out of the atmosphere only to be outnumbered by hundreds of slijah. The Drej crafts fired without mercy upon the D'amaran ships who returned their fire.

The countless Drej hordes swarmed the fleeting ships. It was difficult for one fighter to aim at any single slijah. The endless amounts of them surrounded the fleet and soon they were all around. A slijah hit one of the Mizrate ships, but strangely, it didn't blow up. "My targeting system is off," the D'amaran pilot yelled. His craft had been hit by a few Drej ships as the hordes came toward them and then veered away.

"They didn't make crosshairs for no reason, yeehah!" another replied. He had just vaporized two slijah. The first was hit by him and it ran into the second, causing it to spin out of control and eventually disappear. "No, I mean it's on, but it's not responding to me," the D'amaran pilot explained with frustration, "It's as if the Drej were throwing it off somehow!"

Just then, two laserblasts from a slijah hit another D'amaran ship, causing blue energy to run in thin ribbons all over it. "Something's happening," the pilot screamed. The ship then turned toward another D'amaran ship and shot it down.

"What in the Spiral Arm are you doing!" a D'amaran pilot yelled.

"I don't have control over my ship! I guess the Drej have somehow taken it over!" the pilot screamed back. Just then, his ship turned and faced the pilot that had questioned him. "Look out!" he cautioned as his ship fired upon the friendly ship and blew it to oblivion. "No!" he cried.

Another slijah shot and took over another ship, and another, and another. Soon, all of the Mizrate Armada had been either destroyed, or assimilated. All the craft returned to the Drej mothership. The pilots of the Armada had no choice but to sit tight in their craft and await imprisonment.

"Interesting," Lehedihir said with amazement, "I wonder, can this new technology be used on anything?" he asked while walking toward the window. Tigaj shook his head, "Not yet. We are developing ways that we should be able to, though. Patience." Lehedihir turned around to face Tigaj. He slowly crept closer to him until he was within arm distance. "I want it." he said, "Do you realize the power that we hold? We can turn entire armies against themselves, entire races could be our slaves, entire civilizations' technologies could be ours if this were a reality!"

"This technology could also be used against the humans, once we have a queen to rule, of course." Tigaj added. "Have any of the other ships found the Orb?" Lehedihir asked.

"No, it's all right," Tigaj reassured, "We'll find it before they do." Lehedihir turned around and stood farther away now. Tigaj took his unfocused eyes from the ground and focused them on Lehedihir. "The technology will be researched." he said. Lehedihir nodded and fell through the floor.

"Wow!" Cale said as he laid there staring at the ceiling above the bed. It was the next morning and Akima's arms were still around him. It had been a long night and he had been awake for awhile. She was still asleep and he didn't care to wake her, he was enjoying just being there with her. Her cheek was resting on his shoulder when she finally awoke.

"Uh," Akima tiredly yawned as Cale had his arm around her back. "Good morning, Mrs. Tucker." he said. She didn't really move all that much, she kept her grip on Cale. She saw that Cale had the biggest smile on his face as he looked at her and she him. He was stroking her back as she laid still. She had the sheet around her underarm and her right leg over both of his legs.

"Wow," she quietly whispered, it was just loud enough for Cale to hear it. "That's what I said," Cale told while stroking her back.

"Whatcha' want to do now?" she asked. Her hair covered a good portion of her face with the tilt of her head. Cale laid there in her arms for a moment. One word came across his mind.

"Breakfast," he said, "I can make it, but I'm not guaranteeing it'll be any good."

"Don't worry, I can cook," she explained while sliding her unclothed body out from the blankets and stood, "I used to be a cook on New Merrakech. I can take care of it." She walked over to her cloths and put on a black pair of pants that had a green stripe up the sides and a green shirt.

Cale laid there in bed thinking about the last night. He couldn't dismiss the feeling he had for Akima. It was somehow self-gratifying and yet, he cared the world for her. He made a commitment to himself that he wouldn't let his affectionateness wane over the course of their marriage. He was going to strive to make her life the best it could be and in turn make his the best as well.