A grainy image of Keith and Kolivan were spread across the main display. Coran was already hard at work prepping the Castle's systems. Nayni was right by his side. They were working on top of each other but she didn't care. The task before them was consuming all of her focus. She looked up from the control panel. She watched the five Lions and Lotor's vessel pass through the Teludav portal. They would be so far away from the five of them. Nayni's stomach churned at the thought of it. If they needed to get out quickly, Allura could open a small wormhole with the limited power from the Blue Lion. These Other Alteans had somehow managed to block her abilities before. Nayni hoped that wouldn't be a problem again.
It wouldn't just be an issue for Allura. She looked at Coran. The blue light of the display lit up the lines of his distinguished face. His expression was stern with concentration. He hadn't gotten much rest. If they needed to make a jump again, she didn't know if he could handle it. The thought of seeing him crumpled on the floor again, near death, filled her with fear. She needed to shake that off. The Marmora fighters swirled around the Castle like predatory birds. Nayni had seen what they could do in battle twice now but it only alleviated her anxiety by the slightest.
They'd be facing off with The Advisor again and possibly his Queen. He'd come for Nayni when she'd been at her most vulnerable state. It had been terrifying but now she was furious. Now she was out for blood. Coran grabbed her by the hand. Nayni's gaze flickered up the length of his arm. She looked into his violet eyes.
"Are you ready?" Coran asked.
His tone was gentle but he was just as determined as she was. Nayni nodded. If they managed to pull this off, she'd be facing another version of her dead wife. It was hard for her to even think about that right now. Coran started typing into the control panel again. The Castle bucked as it swerved around. She needed to get to her station but Nayni paused.
"Coran," Nayni said.
He craned his neck to look at her. He seemed so concerned for her. Nayni seized him by the collar and jumped onto her tiptoes. Their lips met. She kissed him with a hungry rashness. She kissed him as if it would be for the last time. Coran seemed very pleased with her new found boldness.
"So we don't get distracted," Nayni said.
She flashed him a wink before she headed for her station. Coran shook his head as he manned the Castle's helm. The tiniest of smirks was on his face.
"Now, I'm much more distracted than I was before," Coran said.
If Nayni was perfectly honest now she was too. But she wasn't going to admit that her little plan had failed. The stars flashed by them like streaks of paint on a black canvas as they barreled towards their destination. She could feel that familiar terror creeping in the closer they got to the Other Castle. The Blades ships flanked them on both sides. Now she had the entire arsenal of the Castle at their disposal. She would not let the Advisor get his claws on her again.
The Castle rumbled as Coran brought it's engines to full speed. His hands moved over the controls like a musician playing an instrument. The familiar visage of the twisted black and red Castle soared by them. A swath of crimson trailed behind it like a banner. The Marmora fighters broke formation. They swarmed around the Other Castle. Just as they fired off their violet-blue lasers the scarlet barrier erupted around the enemy vessel. The Other Castle wasn't returning fire. The last time they'd come upon it, they had not hesitated to attack. There were no combat drones. There was no red laser fire. There was just the sound of the Marmora rounds bouncing off of the enemy's particle barrier.
Static crackled over the communications system. The feeds from Kolivan and Keith's ships flickered until they vanished from the screen. Panic flashed in Coran's eyes for the briefest of moments. He started typing frantically into the control panel in an attempt to restore their communications. He managed to get the Blades back on their radar, though their voices were hard to decipher from the overwhelming static. It was nearly impossible to understand what they were saying.
The main display flickered and went black. Nayni felt a chill run down her spine. Everything on her control panel seemed to be operating. The Castle alarms weren't going off. They just couldn't see the main display. The ear-splitting static finally ceased. They watched the Marmora ships dancing around the Other Castle. The purple fighters weaved through space even though they had nothing to dodge. The main display flickered on again. All they saw was the standard blue startup image. The communications module came back to life with a soft hum.
"If you tell your insects to stop stinging, then we can talk."
There was no mistaking the sound of that voice. Coran and Nayni exchanged nervous looks. By now they knew this was going to happen. They had heard so little from Lotor but he had made it very clear just who they were facing. The voice coming over the speakers was deeper and huskier but it still was undeniable that it belonged to the other Allura. It belonged to the Queen.
The static returned and the images of the Bladesmen flickered back on the main display. Coran's hand hovered over the transmit button. He looked to Nayni. She let out a sigh and shook her head.
"We're supposed to be distracting them," Nayni said.
The memories of the mind meld came rushing back to her. She pushed those images and feelings out of her head. She had to. She took a deep breath.
"So let's distract them, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.
Coran still hesitated. He bit down on his bottom lip. Neither of them liked it but they needed to give Lotor and the Paladins as much time as they possibly could. Coran hit the transmit button. He shook his head slowly as he spoke.
"Keith-cease firing," Coran said.
There was a loud crackle and a popping sound that came over the speakers.
"Are you sure?" Keith pressed.
It was probably a horrible idea but they'd be at the ready.
"I'm sure," Coran said.
They watched the Marmora fighters peel off.
"We'll be ready," Keith assured over the transmitter.
The fighters pulled back towards the Castle and regrouped. Nayni stared at the Other Castle. It's twisted, jagged obsidian silhouette cut a swath of pure darkness through the starry spacescape. Every dobash they could waste was just more time for the Paladins to get to Tomyko. Coran and Nayni stared at the enemy vessel in silence. They were waiting for anything. They could be confronted with another transmission or an assault of laser fire. Nayni stood by Coran's side. She stuffed her hands behind her back to try and hide their trembling. Coran stood tall. There wasn't even a glimmer of fear in his eyes.
The main display flickered. A twitching and grainy image appeared on the screen. The interference was so intense they couldn't really make sense of what they were seeing. It was just a storm of grey, red and black static. Nayni didn't need to see anything. She didn't want to see what this warped version of Allura looked like. The laugh that came over the sound system made Nayni feel ill. It didn't belong to the Queen. It was the Advisor. Coran went pale.
"Well, well, well," The Advisor hissed. "You're gorgeous but, not nearly as gorgeous as me."
Nayni sneered. They heard the sound of the Queen letting out an irritated groan. The image on the screen flickered and for a tik and they got a glimpse of their nemesis. The Queen was barely recognizable as Allura. She looked so haggard and drained. Her hair looked dry and brittle and was so long that it was brushing against the floor. The Advisor was just the same. He had Coran's features, he possessed his voice, but he looked as if he'd walked through the realm of death and returned. Nayni was fixated on the curl of his white mustache before the imaged fizzled back to static again.
"Must you always toy with people like playthings?" The Queen sighed.
Nayni would give him something to toy with. She wanted revenge for what he'd done to her. The Advisor just cackled. Coran seemed deeply troubled by hearing his laugh coming out in that hoarse tone. The Queen snapped at him and he fell silent.
"Hand over your weapon—the giant warrior—and we will let you live," The Queen said.
Coran snorted. They didn't have a Voltron. But the fact that they were asking about it told them quite a bit. They had been impressed and maybe even frightened by it. Nayni hoped the latter was true. Coran twirled the end of his mustache and flashed an innocent grin.
"Um-yes, I'm afraid he's out getting groceries at the moment," Coran said. "I could let him know you stopped by though."
The Queen growled. A loud bang came from the speaker along with a string of curse words.
"He's just as stupid as you are!" The Queen seethed.
It appeared that some things were indeed universal across realities.
"You don't truly wish to die do you?" The Queen said. "Just give us what we want and you can live out your lives happily in servitude."
That offer sounded quite a bit like slavery to Nayni. Coran opened his mouth. He clearly was intending to say something clever in return but he was cut off. The Advisor spoke instead. His voice seemed to slither over the communications module.
"I know you'd like that, Nayni," The Advisor hissed.
Nayni shivered in disgust. She felt that terror creeping up again. It was seeping out from her very core.
"Well—the other you liked it," The Advisor teased. "She quite liked it when I tied her up."
Nayni gulped. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with that idea but it did not sound particularly appealing coming from his vile mouth. It was as if his words were winding their way into her brain. She felt as if she couldn't move or breath again. Nayni was shaking. She felt like he was invading her very thoughts. Her face was gnarled in anger. The rage within her was rising. She could feel it starting to smother out the fear.
"Just give us that weapon, Nayni," The Advisor cooed. "Give it to me. Give it to me and I will make you feel things that he never could."
Nayni stepped up to the control panel. She could feel the warmth radiating from Coran by her side.
"You're nothing compared to him, you dried up quiznacking bunghopper," Nayni snapped.
She slammed her fist on the control panel. The Castle's main cannon fired off. The blue laser pierced through the veil of space and slammed into the red particle barrier. The video feed cut as a barrage of red laser fire rained down on them. The Blades ships lunged forwards. The fighters weaved through the lasers with ease. The Castle bucked and jerked as the rounds smashed into their shields. Nayni lost her footing but Coran grabbed her by the waist before she fell. Coran flashed her that devilish grin.
"I thought we were trying to distract them?" Coran said.
Nayni scampered over to her station.
"He ticked me off. He was an idiot that talked far too much for his own good," Nayni said.
She started adjusting the dials of the panel and unleashed the combat drones. Coran seemed to be terribly amused by her comment. The Castle shook as another round impacted the particle barrier. Nayni watched one of the enemy drones explode as a Marmora fighter blasted it into oblivion. Coran was adjusting the Castle's targetting parameters. Nayni could hear the soft hum of the main cannon charging up again.
"You've said the same thing about me, Madame," Coran teased. "So how am I any better?"
This wasn't exactly the best time for a bantering session. Nayni fired off the secondary defenses and watch a trail of explosions erupt across the battlefield as the lasers sliced through the enemy drones. He was still one of the most infuriating people she had ever met. Nayni let out a sigh of frustration. They could die at any moment and Coran still felt the need to be a cheeky little quiznack.
"Thirteen times, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.
Coran waved his hand over the main display. His targets were illuminated in red.
"I believe it was fourteen, actually," Coran corrected.
Nayni slammed her hand on the trigger mechanism. The Castle's main cannon fired off. The vessel rumbled as the massive laser sliced through the battlefield and slammed into the enemy's barrier. The red particle shield flickered around the impact zone. Nayni glanced over her shoulder and shot him a dirty look.
"You may be the bigger idiot actually," Nayni snapped.
Coran glanced up from his control panel and smirked.
"Yes but my mustache is far more sophisticated," Coran said.
This was true. The Castle shook again and Nayni braced herself on her control panel. His stupid jokes were stripping all the terror away from the situation. She needed this. He wasn't just being an idiot. He was putting on a show for her. Coran was stealing away all her fears again. The pressure to succeed was so immense it had been crushing earlier. She'd looked their enemy in the eye now. It had been just a glimpse but he'd stood by her. They'd stood together.
Lance wrapped his fingers more tightly around the grip of his rifle. Pidge's cloaking system had gotten them on board the prison vessel with little effort. Their Lions were safely tucked away under a hidden nook of the ship's hull. Allura and Shiro were hiding on an asteroid, their Lions were poised and ready to jump in at the slightest sign of trouble. They all thought it was for the best that she wasn't present during their first encounter with Tomyko. From what Lotor had said, that could've made things get really ugly.
The Blue Paladin kept his back pressed against the wall of the hallway. Pidge was scrolling through her computer interface on her wrist. She'd been able to bring up a rough map of the ship's layout after they'd hacked their way through the airlock. Hunk wasn't exactly a pro at being stealthy but Lance felt better having the firepower from his Yellow Bayard with them. It was critical for them to go unnoticed for as long as possible. Once the guards were alerted, it would frankly become a shit show.
The interior of the ship was freaky. The structure looked so similar to the Castle. Lance hadn't really seen any other Altean vessels so he had nothing else to compare it to. It just all felt so off. The angles of the walls were sharper. The lighting was dimmer and everything just felt and looked so much darker. Lotor was the only one that seemed unphased but he'd seen this before. That guy was like a Goth Prince anyway so he was probably digging this aesthetic.
Two guards clad in dark red armor walked across the hallway. Lotor and the Paladins ducked into an alcove. They all stood rigid, holding their breath until the guards' footfalls drifted into the distance. Hunk let out a sigh of relief. You'd think after all of these missions they'd run that he wouldn't get so anxious but the big guy still got so worked up. Lance gave Hunk a reassuring pat on his shoulder. The Blue Paladin could see his reflection in Hunk's helmet.
"Take it easy, Hunk, we're almost there," Lance said.
Well, he was pretty sure they were almost there. That's what Pidge had said the last time she looked at her map. They all hovered around the tiny green display on her wrist. Lotor was so close to Lance he could smell the dude. Lance wrinkled his nose. Pidge was typing into her interface. Lance could read the map but everything else on the display just looked like gibberish to him.
"She should be just around this corner," Pidge said. "I'm just trying to gain access to a security code so we don't trip an alarm when we let her out."
This place was nothing like Beta Traz had been. It seemed smaller and more cramped. It definitely wasn't meant to hold prisoners for long. Lotor peeked around the wall to keep an eye out while Pidge tried to work. Hunk was fogging up his helmet from the deep, slow breaths he was taking in. The dude knew how to calm himself down. Lance just let him do his thing. He wondered how things were going for Coran and Nayni right now. Shit, he was worried about Keith too. They were probably in the thick of it right now. The transmitter in Lance's helmet crackled. It was definitely going to be Shiro checking on them.
"How's it going in there, guys?" Shiro asked over the communicator.
Lance smirked. The Black Paladin was so easy to predict but that's why he was a good leader. He cared about them. Pidge kept scrolling through her computer display. Her eyes were narrowed and the green light of the screen reflected off of her helmet.
"I'm just trying to get a security code-" Pidge said. "-and I've got it."
She smiled with a great deal of satisfaction.
"Let's go," Pidge said.
They waited for a moment to see if any more guard patrols would come by. They crept down the hallway. Lotor didn't make a sound as he moved. It was really freaking creepy. The Galra Prince had his sword clutched in his hand. He was ready to whip that blade through anyone that came in their path. Hunk wasn't exactly stealthy. He was trying his best but it was pretty hard for a guy that big to be sneaky. Lotor looked around the corner. The hallways were so dark it was hard to see. There were rows and rows of doors along the length of the narrow passage.
Lance could hear the muffled sound of tortured cries and sobs as they made their way past the cells. That was similar to Beta Traz at least. It was hard to think that these were Alteans. These were supposed to be the good guys but they were just as awful as the Galra. Pidge signaled for the Paladins to stop. They stared at the cell door before them. The thick metal looked impossible to penetrate. A series of numbers printed in Altean were crammed onto the tiny nameplate on the door. The only way to look inside was a small slit in the center of the door.
Lotor approached the door. Lance didn't like that he had to take the lead for this part of the mission but it made sense. He leaned in close to the slit. His hands were pressed against the surface of the cold, maroon metal.
"Tomyko," Lotor whispered. "Are you there?"
"Lotor, you escaped!"
Her accent sounded so similar to Coran's. Nayni's was a weird mix. It sounded Australian sometimes and almost British at others. Lance wasn't really surprised to see these alternate reality Alteans sounded so similar to the ones he knew though. Lotor nodded to Pidge. The Green Paladin held her computer interface up to the control panel on the wall. Her machine whistled and beeped as it input the security code she'd stolen. Lotor leaned into the slit again. He seemed to be struggling to see what was within the cell.
"I've brought friends. We're getting you out of here," Lotor said.
Lotor hesitated before he continued.
"Some of them may be quite familiar to you and not exactly in a good way," Lotor said.
The locks of the cell door clanked as they slid open. Lotor braced himself against the door and prevented it from opening.
"Try not to throw a tantrum when you see them," Lotor said.
Lotor pulled away from the door. The door screeched as the massive hunk of metal slid to the side. Tomyko emerged from the darkness. She was pretty hot, for an older lady, even after being locked up in a dark cell for a few days. Her long red hair was slightly unkempt. It ran all the way to the middle of her back. Her tawny complexion was flawless except for that pink scar that ran across the bridge of her nose. The wrinkles about her eyes and at the edges of her mouth weren't deeply defined. Her expression fell when she looked over the Paladins. She looked like she felt guilty.
"It can't be," Tomyko gasped. "The rebels from Earth?"
Lance and Hunk exchanged quizzical looks. Pidge just seemed fascinated. Lotor grabbed Tomyko by the hand and tugged her out of the doorway.
"The time for questions comes later. We need to leave," Lotor pressed.
They sprinted back down the hallway. Lance tilted his head as he spoke into the communicator.
"We've secured the package, Shiro," Lance said.
He smirked. He loved saying cool crap like that. It was like he was living out an action movie.
"Good! Hurry up and get out of there!" Allura said over the transmitter.
Tomyko's eyes widened. She skidded to stop. Her eyes darted nervously between the four of them.
"That's—that's the Queen," Tomyko stammered.
Lotor just let out a sigh of frustration.
"I said questions come later," Lotor said. "Just trust me."
Tomyko stiffened. She didn't hesitate for long before she just nodded. The only place she could run back to was that musty cell. No one would want to go back to that. They started down the hallway again. Their footfalls echoed off of the walls of the hallway. They just needed to get to the airlock. Once they were out, it would just be a straight shot back to the rendezvous point. Nothing ever came that easily though. Lance was just waiting for something to go wrong.
They slid around a corner and were met by a pair of Altean guards clad in black and red armor. They all froze in place. The Altean guards looked them up and down. They cocked their guns and pointed them at the Paladins. Of course, he was right. This one was one of the many times that Lance really wished he hadn't been though. Lance held up his rifle, Pidge and Lotor readied their weapons, and Hunk started to power up his gatling gun. Things were about to get really messy.
The Castle shook and the blue particle barrier flickered. Sweat was rolling down Coran's forehead. The view of the battlefield was nothing but a blur of red and blue laser fire ricocheting off of their particle barriers. The inky abyss of space was illuminated by the contrasting light. Somehow, the Marmora ships were still holding out. There'd been a few close calls but the expert pilots had managed to stay alive. But they were all running out of steam.
Nayni's hands were throbbing from manning the controls for so long. She couldn't give in now. It was more than obvious that this was going to be a stalemate. The only way this was ending was with someone fleeing from the battle. They weren't going to be the ones running away this time. The Other Castle ceased firing. Nayni furrowed her brow.
The scarlet particle barrier around the enemy vessel was faded and flickering. She couldn't imagine those greedy ruggleheads would ever retreat. The communications module on the bridge crackled.
"Somethings wrong!" Keith said over the transmitter.
Coran leaned over the control panel. His breaths were deep and desperate from exhaustion.
"I think they're going to make a jump," Coran said.
The last thing Nayni wanted was Coran powering a Teludav jump of their own. He was too drained from the battle. Nayni watched as the red beams of the enemy Teludav started to power up. They gleamed from the tips of the ship's cannons.
"We have to follow them!" Nayni said. "We can't let them get to the Paladins!"
Coran gripped onto the holographic levers of the steering mechanism. His eyes narrowed with determination.
"Hang close, Blades, or this isn't going to work," Coran said.
They were met with crackled responses but nothing really indicating an affirmation. Nayni braced herself on her battle station as the Castle lunged forward. The red Teludav portal ripped through the vacuum of space. Coran steered the Castle so closely to the enemy vessel that the nose of the ship was being singed by their engine's exhaust. The Castle bucked as they slammed through the enemy's portal. The two Castles weaved and swirled around each other as they plummeted through the portal. Red lightning crackled around them and danced along the sleek hull of the ships. Nayni gritted her teeth as they raced down the wormhole. The vessels were so dangerously close to slamming into one another.
Coran pushed forward on the throttle. The Castle's engines roared in protest but the massive vessel plunged toward the wormhole's exit. The Castle was jerking and rumbling so violently that Nayni thought the ship was going to fall apart. They pushed past the Other Castle. Their vessel bucked as it slid through the portal's exit. The ship swerved and jerked as they spilled out into another battlefield.
Coran's muscles were flexed and tense as he struggled to regain control of the Castle. The spacescape before them was lit up with explosions and laser fire. The prison vessel was firing off rounds at random and combat drones were swirling through the asteroid field like wasps. Only the Blue and Black Lions could be seen. The Other Castle thundered out of the portal. The red chasm was swallowed up behind them. The Blades ships were nowhere to be seen. Nayni brought up the particle barrier as Coran steered the vessel back around to face their nemesis.
"The Blades?" Nayni pressed.
Coran shook his head.
"They must've not made it in before the wormhole closed," Coran said. "We'll have to make due without them."
Hopefully where ever they had gotten spat out was safe. Nayni deployed more of the combat drones as the enemy Castle started firing upon them relentlessly. They would have to turn her into a cloud of ashes before she let them lay a single finger on her Paladins. The communications module crackled to life again. The voices coming over the speakers were garbled but they could still make out what they were saying. It was Shiro.
"Nice timing, guys, things were starting to get a little hairy," Shiro said.
The Black Lion sliced through a cluster of enemy fighters with its jaw blade. Coran seemed rather titillated now.
"Can I make a pun about shaving, Nayni?" Coran teased.
Nayni just shook her head and smiled. The Castle jerked as a round from the enemy cannons slammed into the barrier. They fired off a flurry of rounds in response. She was starting to feel a twinge of fear when the other three Lions finally arrived on the scene. Lotor's ship was hot on their tails and making a b-line for the Castle. The orange and purple vessel swerved as it dodged the red beams that were flying past it. Nayni prepared the hangar doors for their arrival. She knew who was on that ship. There was only one reason for Lotor to immediately make a run for it. The monitor lit up like a bonfire when Lotor's ship slid into the landing bay.
A chill ran down Nayni's spine as she heard Shiro's command come over the sound system. She held her breath as she watched the five Lions soar in formation. They danced around each other, weaving like swirls of colorful ribbons in the wind. That familiar and comforting explosion of light erupted in the midst of the battle and Voltron was formed. The superweapon dove straight back into the fray.
The massive yellow cannon formed on Voltron's shoulder. The robot shook as the cannon charged up. The blue rounds exploded from the barrel of the cannon. They split off and weaved through the battlefield slamming into each target with such precision and power that their enemies had no hope of dodging the attack. The asteroid field became aflame with the glow from the fresh explosions. Debris soared through space like confetti.
The Other Castle began to focus all its firepower on Voltron. The robot held up its massive shield and the red rounds bounced off. With each impact Voltron took, the robot was pushed back. Shiro's voice came roaring over the sound system again.
"Any chance of getting us out of here?" Shiro pressed.
Nayni and Coran were firing off everything they possibly could at the Other Castle. The transmission module crackled from interference.
"They're stopping me from using the Teludav again!" Allura seethed.
They were so much closer to the enemy vessel than they had been last time. Nayni didn't know if Coran could pull it off either. He looked so exhausted. Coran's hands moved over the main control panel. The Castle's alarms were blaring in protest but he continued to prep the Teludav for a jump.
"C'mon! There's gotta be something we can do!" Lance pleaded over the transmitter.
Nayni could hear Allura let out a low, frustrated growl over the transmitter. Voltron pushed forward as it fought off another barrage of laser fire.
"I've had my fill of this," Allura snapped.
Voltron pulled back. The Blue Lion started to shake. They could hear the sound of Allura's voice straining over the speakers. Allura let out a desperate gasp and a wave of quintessence erupted from Voltron. They could actually see it. Nayni was in shock. The wave of blue lightning slammed into the enemy Castle. The black vessel tumbled backward and slammed into an asteroid. Chunks of rock and metal were flung in all directions. The Paladins cheered and Nayni found herself hollering too. Whatever the Princess had done, had cleared up all the interference to their communications.
Allura didn't hesitate to power up the Teludav. The firing mechanism hummed as the Teludav charged up. The violet-blue portal erupted before them. Voltron and the Castle dove into the wormhole and it slammed closed behind them. They'd done it. They'd actually done it. Nayni's heart was racing and she couldn't wipe the smile away from her face. She was so revved up that she barely felt any nausea when they emerged from the portal. They were galaxies out of reach now.
Nayni couldn't stop laughing. She scampered over to Coran and leaped upon him like a giddy teenage girl. She engulfed him in her arms.
"They did it! They did it!" Nayni cheered. "Did you see what she did?! It was incredible!"
Coran didn't get a chance to respond. She smothered his sweat-drenched face with kisses. Coran grabbed Nayni by the back of her neck. She felt his long fingers slide through her damp brown hair. His red mustache scratched against her olive skin. This situation had escalated rather quickly. Maybe it was from the rush of adrenaline or the thrill of their hard-won victory but she was so hungry for him.
Coran muted the communications module and the voices of the elated Paladins were cut off. He pushed her against the main control panel and Nayni wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed along the curve of her neck. He gently bit the flesh of her neck like a ravenous animal. Nayni let out a gasp.
"Lockdown the bridge—lockdown the quiznacking bridge," Nayni stammered.
Coran typed into the control panel. Red lights started to flash on the bridge. The metal shutters crept around the dome that looked out on the spacescape. Another set of thick steel doors slammed over the archway to the bridge. The lights dimmed and an alarm started to sound. They weren't doddling this time. It was quick and sloppy but so satisfying.
They both took in deep hungry breaths. The scent of his sweat filled her nostrils and he was radiating so much heat she thought she was going to melt. Coran cupped Nayni's round face in his hands. His mustache tickled her cheeks as he planted gentle kisses on her face. Her skin still tingled from that blissful release. Her head felt clear for the first time in days. They glanced at the main display and saw that the Lions had returned to the hangar. Nayni felt a mild twinge of panic.
She slid off of the control panel and yanked her pants back on. How could she have let her impulses get the best of her? They had just finished a critical mission and her first instinct had been to have her way with him. Coran finished buckling his belt. He was still red in the face and panting. It was going to be difficult to hide this encounter from the others.
Coran ran his fingers through his damp, fiery hair and typed into the control panel. The alarms fell silent, the red lights ceased flashing. Nayni fumbled with her hair and tried to tuck the loose brown strands back into her bun. The lockdown lifted. The security doors retracted and the shutters pulled back. The twinkling stars of the surrounding system were revealed again. Nayni tugged on her shirt until she felt she was back in a presentable state.
Coran flashed that devilish smile and raised a brow. He looked so deeply satisfied with himself. He was dripping with a smug air of arrogance.
"Do you think my doppelganger could've satiated you that well?" Coran teased.
It was a most inappropriate and awful comment to make. Why he still insisted on testing her patience was a mystery to her. Nayni just took a deep breath and shook her head. She found herself smiling anyway.
"No one compares to you, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.
He was her favorite idiot across all of the infinite possibilities of every reality and she knew that Coran was well aware of this.