Chapter Eight

Among the Stars

As Trip moved in the slow dance with the astonishing woman, he tried very hard to keep from being completely overwhelmed. Finally he had to give in and admit that he had been 'overwhelmed' from the first day he'd laid eyes on her; and every day since! The woman he held in his arms was the same girl he'd known just a day ago, but still not!

"Selis tuy pon yintis?" She asked softly in that musically accented voice that was so much like ear candy to him. It was a question that made sense only in English, yet somehow it had 'adapted' itself to her, as so many things seemed to.

"My thoughts, right now, would not be worth a penny. They're just so scrambled."

"Your thoughts to me always worth much are." A second later she winced in sharp pain.

"Sorry!"

"Is fault your nyasi. It my new body is. Everything … not where I expect to be it is. Worse, I even see the floor can not!"

"No, it's my three left feet. You are dancing beautifully. You said you never did, but …" She glanced away guiltily.

"I flib did, but now realize flib not I did."

"Fib?"

"Daai. But like this dance, used to it not. Is how Aurans dance not."

"Well, how do Aurans dance? I'm game for anything, especially if it will make you feel more comfortable." He had been 'leading' in the human manner, but she released his hand, drawing very close to him, bringing her arms up under his to press to his back, holding them together. The lines of their bodies touched from feet to shoulders. "I think I like this style." He said softly into her ear. "Tell me, where do I put my hands?"

She looked up into his eyes, her golden orbs sparkling in the starlight. "Think I you that can for yourself work out." She whispered sensuously. Not trusting himself, he settled for placing them on her bare back, one hand holding the scarlet material in place on her shoulder lest their movements dislodge it and they discover just how tolerant of strangers and accommodating the Risans were. "In way this, know what one another's movements would be. Can as one move, with surprises no." He had to admit that surprises were the furthest thing from his mind! As it was, he had plenty of bare golden flesh under his hands, and could feel her movements, and more, perfectly.

She looked up at him, their eyes close and he could swear hers sparkled in the surrounding stars. "Missed this terribly have I, but only with you did want."

"I wish, Tia, that in this moment I could tell you what I'm feeling."

"Aurans do tell nyasi." She whispered softly.

"Then what do they do?"

She shook her head. "Use words we do not. Feel we do. Can you not … can you just this one time try … to feel as an Auran would?" Looking deeply into her eyes, tawny flecked in yellow and molten gold, Trip knew he had finally found his answer.

"Yes."

xx

They moved together slowly, sensuously, one song blending unheard into the next, time meaning nothing, place meaning nothing, just their closeness meaning everything, no need for words or thoughts or sight or hearing, just themselves and their closeness, and a communication that went beyond spoken, beyond heard, beyond felt.

Then awareness intruded as, out of the corner of his eye, Trip noticed something that drew his attention. Just an instant before, it seemed, there were dozens of couples on the dance floor, and the scores of tables were occupied. Now there was only one other couple on the 'floor' dancing among the stars, and only three tables held any patrons, and one of those couples was leaving even now. "Well, I'll be …" His eyes sought out a chronometer. "It's nearly 0530!" He looked at his lovely companion. "Didn't you realize it was so late either?"

"Nyas." She sighed happily.

He looked at the table where he'd last seen his shipmates. Of course, it was empty. "They must have left hours ago."

"Das plinta?"

He looked at her with mild 'suspicion'. "Is that Auran for 'who cares'?"

"Daai." She sighed, still holding to him.

"I should get you 'home', but I'm sure Hoshi and Liz will be asleep." He tried to disengage from her, but she held him fast.

"Qualsia. Want to 'go home' not."

Trip had to admit he felt the same way.

xx

They left the Paradise hotel, stepping out onto the street. The surrounding city, taking on more the aspect of a tremendous tropical resort, was not crowded, nor was it well lit or conspicuously technological. There was technology there; that much was obvious from the 'décor' of the Starlight club, but on the whole this was a world for getting away from the obviously technological, and back to the relaxation of nature.

Therefore, there was no road to speak of. The hotel let out onto a grassy expanse neither too distant nor too close to its nearest neighbor. Air cars, which did not damage the décor, provided transportation as needed. Tonight, however, there was little need.

It was like the 'city' was on a permanent 'vacation', and they could join it as much as they wanted.

They stood for a few moments, getting their bearings. There was a soft tropical breeze that ruffled the hem and drape of Tia's scarlet dress, but not enough to dislodge the drape from her left shoulder. She held her left hand up to her shoulder, just touching the material, just in case of an unexpectedly strong breeze. Trip, in his full dress uniform, found it comfortable indeed, but asked his companion; "Are you cold?" She shook her head with a smile. "Lets go for a walk, shall we?" She nodded, stepping out onto the grassy walkway. Trip, walking on her right beside her, put his hand to her left shoulder, just a touch, allowing her to drop her own hand from securing the silk. "Not concerned I'll get a peek, are you? I've never known you to be concerned about clothes." He said softly, almost teasingly.

"I am nyasi. But it such a pretty dress is; I do want it to fall apart not."

"No danger of that." His fingertips teased her shoulder lightly. At any other time he might have run a fingertip up and down her neck, but he sensed she did not want that, and he knew nothing spoiled a good romantic mood like getting horny.

They walked silently along the grass, having no place to go and all the time in the world to get there.

Tia looked up at the sky, her face bathed in the pale light of the irregularly shaped moon. Though it was just dipping low into the eastern sky, it was fully illuminated by the distant sun far below the western horizon. "When count Aura you do, six planets have I been on: Beta Aragorn III, Elanis IV, Caldis III, Eminiar VIII and now Risa. All them wonders had, but the others I did enjoy not. Risa I do."

"Well, you had pretty bad experiences on all the others. It's about time you got a break and set down someplace nice." She looked down from the sky to his face.

"With you, all are nice." She cuddled closer to him as they strolled.

"I feel the same way about worlds when I'm with you."

"Caldis III even?"

"Even Caldis III."

"The stars so lovely here are. Inside real they were not. On Enterprise … is the same not. How to the stars see properly this is."

"I've known many worlds, many skies. Some are so overwhelmed by the city you can't see much beyond a nova, some night-lit by the Milky Way even better than Earth."

"How this with them compare?" He looked up, considering.

"Peaceful."

"Peaceful." She agreed; then was silent for a few moments. "Shar-les, will Earth you me one day take? You me your home show?"

"I'd love to. I'd love to introduce you to my parents, my sister, show you Florida. You'd like it."

"Will me your parents, your sister, like?"

"They'll love you. Because they'll know I love you."

"Wish I you Aura could show." She said wistfully.

"Maybe someday. What's it like?"

"This like." She waved her hand expansively. "We with our nature live, build up overmuch not. But so much green not."

"What color is it?"

"Is –." She stopped, biting the word off and then shaking her head. He realized she did not want to continue, that the pain was still too sharp, too immediate. He knew that if things did not change drastically, she would likely never see her planet again in her lifetime. He cursed himself for letting the recollection lead to that memory.

"But you're right. It is a lovely night."

"Daai," She whispered. "The warm breezes, the night, the quiet… it I love." She turned to him. "Wondrous this is! Matter how long nyasi; an hour with you is an eternity like."

"I – what!"

She laughed gaily. "Anston! I mean …" But he stopped her.

"I know what you mean." He drew her into a hug, and she pressed against him happily.

She turned to look at the western sky, which was now brighter than just a few moments ago. "Sun's coming up." Trip told her unnecessarily.

"Wish would it not." She said longingly. She pressed close, as if trying to escape some foe.

"Can't hold back the dawn, honey."

"Wish could I." She held closer to him, as if by clinging to him she could escape the rising sun. "I this night last forever wish! Boan! Want with you to stay boan ne boan ne boan!" She looked again at the western sky like facing an advancing enemy. "Wish could I the dawn go away make; that this night with you end nyasura!"

"Your wish, my lady, is my command." With some little difficulty he would not trade for any ease, Trip managed to work his communicator out of the pocket of his left sleeve. "Tucker to Enterprise."

"Enterprise here." The relief Comm officer replied.

"Two to beam up. Tell the helm to prepare to break geo-synchronous orbit as soon as we're aboard. Take us to the terminus on the eastern hemisphere and set us down again."

"Acknowledged," The report came back a moment later. "Standing by."

"Energize." He just managed to get Tia disengaged from him in time.

x

The still novel effect of the transporter caught them a few seconds later, and when they materialized on the platform Trip was facing the operator, whom he greeted with a casual gesture and word. But Tia, facing him and therefore with her back to the mildly surprised and cautiously appreciative technician, had her eyes patiently closed. It took only half a minute for the great starship to realign itself and for a signal from the bridge to report the maneuver completed. "Beam us down."

"Have fun." The man offered a moment before they vanished.

x

Tia, sensing a difference in the atmosphere first upon her bare skin, opened her eyes to find them on the edge of a huge beach, the subdued sound of ocean waves not heavily influenced by the tide of the distant moon rising over the western sky providing a soft background ambiance. She turned, looking at a red sun just dipping below the eastern horizon hundreds of kilometers out on the ocean. The sky was painted in shades of red, pink and the purple of the once blue sky. She could look with ease at the swollen image of the apparently red sun now more than halfway below the horizon. Under her scarlet slippers the fine sand shifted slightly when she moved her feet. She turned to Trip, finding his features ruddy in the red-shifted and gradually dimming light.

She was sure her own features reflected the wonder she felt. "It… It masvool – miraculous is! When on Enterprise, know it these things do can, but to experim … um, 'experience' it wondrous is!" She flung her arms around him, hugging him joyously. "You so clever are!"

Trip, who would love to be able to take credit for so simple an idea, could actually not manage to bring himself to disagree with her. A few seconds later she laughed delightedly, as if realizing his quandary. "Well, you've another night." She shook her head on his shoulder.

"Nyas, the same one it is."

"All right, the same one." But when she pulled away, getting used to the feel of shifting sand under her feet, he thought he saw something hidden in her golden eyes. "But why is that so important to you?"

"This my luuruna is. The fight night of my …" She shook her head. "I do know how to explain it not. Told Hoshi earlier at dinner, or tried to. It Auran legend is, for a woman the first night of her luuru is. She understood said she did, but I know not. Said she humans have similar, but can think of the words she me told not. Spoke she of 'sweet sixteen' and 'prom' and 'beau' and 'corsage', and words I do know not. What meant she?"

"Well, if I were to guess…" He answered, suddenly uncomfortable and not really knowing why. "Those are all pretty romantic images."

"'Romantic' word she use is did."

"I have no doubt. But Tia, I have to confess, I'm really not a flowery kinda guy."

"Flowery?" She asked, mystified.

"You know, 'hearts and flowers'?" There was no lessening of her mystification. "Well, in human society, a man has a woman he really likes, he might give her flowers."

"Why?"

Now it was his turn to be mystified. "Well, it's kind of a tradition, you know. A man gives a woman a bouquet of cut flowers to show his love for her." She thought about it for a moment.

"I do think I would like that not. Would rather you … declare them mine but in the ground leave them, than kill them for me do."

"I agree."

"But what 'hearts' have to do with love." He thought about that one for a moment.

"Whoo boy! That's a tough one." He squatted down, not kneeling in the sand but resting on his heels, and with his finger traced a heart shape in the sand. She came down as well, still facing him, her hand on his arm balancing herself. "It's a symbol. A heart indicates love." She laughed gaily.

"That a heart is not! Neither human nor Auran! I a glistni am; I know do." Reaching down she drew with a golden fingertip, next to his, a hasty but he was certain highly accurate sketch. "That an Auran heart is." Next to it she drew another sketch, this one more familiar, though at least twenty percent smaller. "That a human heart is. See the four chambers rather than six, while you a single aorta have…"

"It's a symbol, not biology!" He protested, feeling an irrational need to defend … something.

"Nyas!" She said firmly, but with a somehow still teasing tone. "Will discuss biology with you not!"

"Huh? Why?" He demanded, feeling like he was losing more and more grip of this conversation by the moment. She looked up from the drawings to him, her eyes glinting mirthfully, though she made no move to stand up.

"Because when biology with you start, often logler in my sulyas I have."

"Logler in your sulyas?"

"Semen in my -." He held up a hand, cutting her off.

"Never mind, I get it."

"Nyas, it to me you give! Unless I kasplis."

"What?" She grinned slyly, putting her three fingers on the small silver rank studs on his uniform.

"Swallow." Suddenly she pushed him, toppling him backward on the sand. He landed easily, but when he looked down the length of his body she was up and running away along the sand. Between having to hold the top of her dress and with the complete lack of traction she had from her scarlet slippers in the shifting sand, she was making no speed at all.

Grinning, he was up and sprinting after her, overtaking her in barely five seconds, passing her before turning and stopping, Tia colliding with him an instant later, her laughter high and gay as their arms encircled one another, and his lips on hers silenced her laughter.

For a long, quiet moment their bodies pressed together, their lips stroking. Finally she leaned back enough to see him, her chest and all below pressed to him. "Will keep me you?" She whispered. "On this luuruna, will keep me you?"

"Yes!" He whispered. She clung to him ecstatically, feeling like she was going to explode in pure joy!

"Xu ti tuvi li mrunion zilyn vestal kir! Ti tuvi li mrunion kilra vestal kir! Ti tuvi li mrunion au-ra' vestal kir! Ti tuvi li mrunion kilris vestal kir! Klais ne seelna, nik qui va li kilri ouu!" She kissed him deeply, as if she were going to crawl into him. It was not a human gesture, but it seemed to fit the moment, and she had to admit that over the months she was starting to find it really appealing. It was some moments later before he could come up for air.

"Tia, honey, what was that?"

"That the Malyn su Salyuun, the 'Pledge of Salyuun' is!" She kissed him again, even more deeply. She was now quite certain that she did like this human gesture very, very much.

"Salyuun?" He asked, the next time he managed to breathe.

"Daai!" She answered breathlessly, seeking more. "Klais ne seelna, an ne boan!" She kissed him again, muttering indistinctly and unintelligibly into his lips. "Now and always, ever and forever!" It was a long time before either could speak again.

"How does it go?" He asked the next time he was able to come up for a gasp. She rushed through it breathlessly, the formal words tripping over one another in their haste, not wanting to be parted from his lips for so very long.

"'Then to you I my body offer do, to you I my breath offer do, to you I my soul offer do, to you I my life offer do, now and always, so long as I live shall!" She pressed her lips to his with deeper fire almost before she finished the last hurried whisper.

Tia Anlor was happier in this moment than she could ever remember being, than she had conceived of herself being. The legends of the luuruna had come true for her, as she'd known they would; that the first man that she knew in the night in the way of an adult would be her destined bondsman, one with her for all time! She'd endured the luuru, and within the night she was together with her bondmate, the one she'd never ever doubted! She'd given the Pledge, and promised herself to him in body, breath, soul and life! She'd pledged herself his forever!

But quite lost in that ecstatic rush as she kissed him, giving in to a bliss that knew no bounds, was any realization that she had not received an answer.