Chapter 12

Sakura darred not move. She couldn't, not when he was running his warm hands up and down her thighs as far as the dress allowed, and that was very high! He leaned closer and put his mouth on hers. She leaned towards him, but was starled when his mouth opened and she felt his tongue try to reach inside her mouth.
She pulled away and tried to catch her breath. She couldn't breath, not with Li running his hands up her waist, over her stomach and higher. His mouth captured hers again and she faught for control. He pulled her across the room, and she started when he pushed her down gently onto the the bed, stretching out beside her, resting on one elbow.
He looked down at her and put his mouth on hers again. He lightly flicked his tongue across her lips. He stopped and smiled down at her. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him and reached up and he bent down and kissed her again. This time she opened her mouth to him. He moved away from her mouth and went along her jaw, up to her ear and nibble on her lobe and she let out a soft moan of pleasure.
Li made his way slowly down her throat and then made his way back to her mouth. He undid the dress she was wearing and pushed it off her shoulders and his manhood tightened at the sight of her beautiful bare skin.
" Oh god help me. " he breathed and caught her mouth once again and kissed her fiercely, then buried his head in her neck and sucked warmth to the surface. Breathing hard, he backed off and saw the red mark that he had made. He took a deep breath reaching for control.
He carressed the side of her body, feeling the fullness of her breasts, the dip of her waist, the smooth curve of her hip, the taunt muscle of her thigh. She quivered under his touch. He ran his hands up thighs and took the dress with it and pulled it over her head and let it drop to the floor. Her underwear soon followed. Li ditched his clothes and let his hand brush over her stomach to her breast, and felt her nipple harden in his palm. He sought the other nipple and took it in his mouth. He looked down at her. Her eyes were dilated, deep and soft, glowing with hidden fire. Her eyes only held only trust and desire. He lay down beside her, filling his eyes with her beauty. Her hair, soft, rich, luxuriant, her magnificent body, waiting for his touch, waiting for him to waken those feelings he knew were there. When his eyes had there fill he closed them and leant down and kissed her once more. Her mouth parted, waiting. She drew his seeking tongue in and experimented with her own.
He traced his face, her neck, her throat with his soft touch. Kissed her ear and nibbled, kissed her throat and face wanting to know every part of her. He touched her arms and her shoulders and reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth, so he could kiss her palm.
Her eyes were closed given into the rythmic surges. His warm mouth traced her throat and his tounge traced a path between her breasts and curved underneath one. She gasped when he drew her nipple into his mouth, and felt a flush of heat throbbing in his loins.
His hands caressed her stomach, her hip, her leg, then reached for her inner thigh. She tensed then relaxed and seperated her legs. He cuped her mound and felt the damp warmth. The answering jolt in is groin caught him by surprise. He stayed as he was, fighting for control, and almost lost it when he felt another surge of wetness in his hand.
His mouth left her nipple and cicled her stomach and her navel. When he reaced her mound, he looked up at her. She was breathing in mewing gasps, her back arched and tensed with anticipation. She was ready. When his mouth found the top of her slit, she sprang up with a cry and then lay back moaning.
His manhood was throbbing eagerly, impatiently, as he shifted postion to slide down between her legs, The he spread open her folds and took a long, loving taste. She could not hear her own sounds as she was swept up in the sensations she was feeling at his touch as he explored her. With two long fingers, he entered her moist passage and applied pressure up, from the inside.
Suddenly she arched her back and cried out, and he tasted a new wetness. Her hands clenched convulsively in unconcious beckoning motions matched her spasmodic breaths.
" Li! " she cried out. " Li I need you . . I need . . "
As she arched up to recieve him, he let himself enter her. He pressed farther and felt her warm, mosit depths, opening and enfolding him until, she embraced him fully. He drew back and plunged into her again. She wrapped her legs around him to pull him into her. He withdrew again, and, as he pushed in once more, he felt her throbbing passage caress his full length. It was more than he could bear. He dived in again, and again, with urestrained abandon.
" Ying Fa! " Li cried out.
The tension was reaching it's peak. He could feel it in his loins. He drew back one more. Sakura raised up to meet him, every muscle taunt. He surged into her. They strained against each other, Sakura cried out his name, and Li filled her. Then with his release, he collapsed on top of her. For a long moment only their breathing could be heard.

Sakura drifted awake and her eyes slowly opened, revealing Li's suite. She remembered everything. She hadn't thought that it would end up the way it had. She'd have to thank Madison the next time she saw her again. She turned slightly to take in the wonderful man beside her. She knew then with startling clarity that she loved him.
She must have tensed; for Li groaned and pulled her closer to him. How could she love her enemy?!! Let alone a bounty hunter who would want her dead if he knew her identity?! Oh Spirit, she thought, how you end up in these messes! her mind wailed.
Li mumbled in his sleep and she stiffened when she heard ' slave '. It was like a bucket of cold water thrown in her face and she froze. She was his slave, and he could order anything from her, take anything from her if he so wished. What was it he had said earlier?

" You owe me so much that you can never repay me. Back from where I come from, that means I own you now. I own you, body and soul! You're mine to do with as I command. And if you value your welfare, and that of your lanrax, you'll do whatever I tell you. As a matter of fact, I plan on working what you've cost me off your scrawny hide. You'll be very certain that I'm comfortable and happy at all times. My every wish will be your duty. I hope this is very clear to you because your life depends on it. Do you understand me? "

Oh spirit! she thought. He was taking from me what he wished! He never thought me pretty, he just wanted to - wanted to - she couldn't finish it.

Sakura slipped out of his bed and starred down at him. " You just wanted me for your own selfish needs Li Showron. " she spat quietly.
She slipped her dress back on and left as quietly as she had come. " Damn you Li Showron " she cried as the panel slid closed after her.

The Next Day . . .

Sakura woke up and lay in the quiet listening to her heart beat. She fought back tears of hurt as she tried to forget about Li's betrayal. But the funny thing was, where once her mind had been clouded by this attraction, it was now clear as day. She had finally come to understand what she was to Li Showron - A slave - nothing more, nothing less. He'd take her when and where he liked and she would probably suffer a horrible and painful death.
Time was running out.
She sat up with new resolve.
" I will not give Captain Showron the satisfaction of watching me die! " she bit out. She stood up and dressed in her old, worn-out tunic. She hated the thing, but it was better than the dress. She didn't want that kind of attention again.
She walked over to Kero's plexishield and starred down at her only friend, snuggled up against Li's lanrax.
" It's time to make our own decisions Kero. It's time to get out of here, away from Li. Where're going to Sonoma. "

Li sneezed. He rolled over and sneezed again.
" What the blazing hell -? " he opened his eyes and starred at the lanrax. " Ahhhhhh! " he jumped back and landed with a thudd on the floor.
" What the -? No! Get off me damn it! " Li tried to fight the damn furball off him, but she clung to him like a second skin.
" SAKURA!! " he bellowed, and then sneezed again.

The panel slid open and he glarred up at the figure standing in the doorway.
" What the hell is this damn thing doing running free in my room?!! "
Sakura shrugged.
" I wondered how long it would be till I found her. "
Li stood up and wrapped the sheets around his waist and sneezed again.
" Damn it get it off me! "
" I can't. She'll only bite me. " Sakura replied nonplussed. " As it is, I'm in the middle of cleaning. So you'll have to deal with it yourself. " she said calmly, and closed the panel and Li cursed out loud.
He managed to wrestle the lanrax off him and threw her into his lav. Grabbing his clothes he put them on and raced out his door after her.
" Sakura! " he yelled. She didn't pay any head to him as she walked into the small dinning room, where she had been cleaning.
" Damn it, don't ignore me! " he spat.
She sparred him a quick glance before turning on the cleaning system.
Li switched it off and glarred at her.
She glarred at him and switched it back on and turned her back on him.
" Sakura! " he spun her around and glarred at her. " Did you put that damn lanrax in my room? "
She feined innocence.
" No. She escaped from the plexishield and I couldn't find her. I knew she'd turn up eventually. You didn't have to bellow like a Aruputhen Nastacia with a sore head. Anyone would think you had been attacked. "
" For your information I was! " he glarred coldly.
She shrugged and tried to pull away, but Li pulled her back.
" Where were you this morning? Why did you leave? " Sakura blushed and refused to meet his eye.
" I had too many things to get done and saw no point to lounging around in bed. "
Li couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Sakura took his distraction and broke free from his grip and walked out of the gallery without a backwards glance. She'd be damned if he saw how upset she was!

Li was sitting in the cockpit encrypting a message sent to him from Eriol. Sakura sat near him on the other computer looking up anything to pass the time. She was so absorbed in what she was reading that she didn't hear Li's intake of breath as he read Eriol's message.
She look up startled when the ship lurched. Li didn't bother shooting her a glance. He just said:
" Eriol's just recieved information on the where abouts of Nakaru. It would seem she's been hiding on Tarynimba. "
" So that's where we're going now? " she asked stunned. Did he have any intention of taking her to Zirak? "
" Tarynimba isn't that far from Zirak. A few cycles in distance. You'll still make it Pilgrim. " he said.
Sakura stood up clenching her fists.
" Of course! Is that before or after you decide to veer off in another direction on a hopeless search for someone who obviously knows how to make you chase all over the 'verse for her?! " she yelled angrily.
He turned to shoot her a quick glance.
" I don't think it's none of your business pilgrim. Remember that. "
" No! You remember your word Captian Showron! You promised to take me to Zirak, spirit knows how long ago now! You so far have not lived up to that promise and thus one would start to question you word of honour! " she said furious.
" Don't start with me Sakura. " he said coldly. " This is beyond anything you can comprehend. "
" Don't you dare tell me what is beyond my comprehension or not! " she spat. " You're a liar! And I'm want off this ship at Tarynimba. I'll find my own damn way to Zirak to honour the spirit, someone who knows how to keep a promise and knows all codes of honour unlike you! "
Li jumped out of his chair angrily as she stormed out of the cockpit, back straight, chin held difiantely.

Her panel slid open and she didn't bother to look up at him. She knew what she'd see. The same cold, detached person she always saw when he went on his missions.
" I've changed the codes so you can't get out again. Stay put. I'll be back before eighteen hundred hours. "
He waited for an answer but she wasn't about to give him one.
" Sakura we need to talk when I get back. " he said and she clenched her fists, but remained silent.
She sighed when she heard him leave.

She waited till she heard the hutch close and dashed toward the computer in the cockpit. She brought up her program and brought up all the codes. She wrote a message to Eriol preteding to be Li, asking him to come and help him on Tarynimba. The last thing she needed was for Eriol to bust her high-jacking Li's ship.
She sat in his chair and kicked over the engine. She got clearing from the terminal and took off into space, fighting back her tears as she left the one man she had ever loved behind. She had to survive, she had to prevail for her sake and for all the others.

This was the only way . . .

Li cursed. It was another dead end. Nakaru wasn't here. He sighed frustrated and turned around and ran into Eriol. Li looked surprised. " What are you doing here ?"
Eriol frowned. " Why else would I be here old man? You asked me to come, though I wondered why? You've never needed or wanted my help before. Finally giving into old age eh? "
Li glarred at him.
" I didn't ask you to help me. "
Eriol frowned.
" But the message . . "
Li stiffened and Eriol smirked.
" Sakura. " they said in union. Li cursed and strode back through the dark alley ways with Eriol following closely behind him as he headed back towards his ship.

Li starred in disbelief. It wasn't there. His ship was gone.
" Oh this is good. " Eriol smirked. " I do believe your dear pilgrim has taken off with your ship. "
" If you ever want the chance to reproduce, I'd shut your damn mouth. " Li threatened fighting down his rage.
He looked around in case it had been moved for some reason, but he didn't see it.
" How is it possible? " he demanded. " She doesn't know how to fly a damn ship! Let alone pilot one! "
" It would seem that she knows a lot more than you give her credit for. I told you you should have done as she had bid. ' Take her Zirak,' I said. But you wouldn't listen. "
" Shut the hell up! " Li ground out, turning to glare at him. " I changed the codes. How could she have known them?
They were encrypted! " he seethed.
Eriol continued to smirk.
" What's done is done. Come aboard my ship and we'll trace her. There's only one place that she'll be heading too - if, that is, she was telling you the truth about going to Zirak. "
Li cleanched his fists and nodded, not trusting himself to open his mouth. She had played him like a damn fool. He ran his hands through his messy hair and strode after Eriol, who was leading them towards his own ship.
" I'm going to ring her scrawny neck when I get my hands on her. " he muttered angrily.
Eriol could only smirk.

Later that Night . . .

Sakura starred in the mirror in the her lav, her face losing all colour, when she saw the faint tinge of the bruise on her stomach.
It was the first signs of Orana. She had just gotten out of the shower and had been toweling herself dry when she had turned and noticed it near the scar on her stomach.
It had begun. . . .

" Oh Spirit. " she breathed horrorfied at the thought that she was in fact running out of time!
She touched the spot gently and cringed at the pain it inflicted. If such a small bruise could hurt so much? She didn't want to think about it. She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it fast.

Throwing her clothes back on, she hurried to the cockpit. She sat down in Li's chair and typed furiously away. She'd have to boost the turbines to maximum power. She hated doing so, any more strain and they could blow, taking everything with in a small radius with it, including her and Kero. But she hoped the Spirit was with her and confirmed the power boost. She slammed back in her chair as it shot forward.
She checked the destination and changed it to match with her course. She hated leaving Li in the lurch like that, but she had given him plenty of time to take her. It had been him that had risked her life and all those people that she knew and loved. That was why she taken his ship. Her time had run out.

She continued typing away finding out exactly what Li had installed in his ship. And thankfully, from all of Tori's training, she knew what most of it was. He had some inpresive stuff.
But think about what he is and done to get such things. her mind reminded her.
Sakura sighed painfully remembering all those that must have suffered before her, most probably cursing the day that Li Showron ever crossed their path. She could somewhat relate to them.
She yawned and knew that it was getting late. So she locked the controls and headed towards her room, where she lay down, and fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

Eriol's Ship . . .

Li leaned over Eriol's shoulder as he typed away at the controls.
" So? Where is she? " Li demanded scanning all the words that were flying down the screen.
" Well, it's kinda hard to say really. " Eriol said frowning. " I get a lock on her and then it disappears. It's like a scattered signal. "
Li frowned. " But how could she do that? I know I have devices to help me lose people who are following me, but nothing that causes a scattered signal. "
Eriol sighed and rubbed his stiff neck. " Whoever your pilgrim is, she desperate to get where she's going I'll give you that. "
Li pulled back and starred at him. " What do you mean Hirragizawa? "
" I mean old man, the reason behind us not being able to get a proper location, is that fact that she's moving too fast for us to get one. "
" But that would mean - "
" She's gunning your ship, as fast as she can. "
" She'll blow my ship! " Li raged. " The little wrench is paying me back big time! Vindictive minx! "
" Not necesarily old man. " Eriol smirked. " Even though the thought of you being the one who gets his due is hilarious and long time forth coming, but - "
" When I want your opinion Hirragizawa, I'll ask for it. " Li bit out glaring at him coldly.
" But, " Eriol continued unphased, " Have you ever considered that there was something more important that you for once? It would seem that this young woman is quite unaffected by your charms and dark appearance. Something is adding speed to her heels as she flocks away from you and your little love nest. "
Li scowled darkly.
" Just think about it old man. " Eriol said and got up tiredly from the chair. " There's nothing more we can do tonight. Get some rest. You're old bones need it. "
" Go to the blazing hells Hirragizawa. "
Eriol laughed all the way down the corridor.

To Be Continued . . . . .

BW2 PLZ, PLZ, PLZ REVIEW!