Audrey leaned over and gazed into his eyes. “You are my everything.”
Her deep, blue eyes dazzled him. They kissed.
“Keep it somewhere safe on your battle, and if you ever need to sell it, do. I’ll buy you more. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Will I do that thing you like?”
Timothy nodded.
Audrey began to kiss his chest, then moved lower as his heart raced.
They entered the residence where they were staying. It was quiet. Timothy shuddered at the thought of his fallen comrades.
His dad waited for him in his room, sitting on a sofa, reading a magazine. “Have a good time?”
Timothy nodded. “A fantastic time.”
“I’m glad to hear it. The two of you deserve it after everything you have been through.” He tapped Timothy’s shoulder. “Proud of you. Let’s get you into bed. You must be tired.”
Audrey had a bath while Timothy’s dad helped him with his nighttime routine.
Lying down, Timothy heard but couldn’t see her enter. “Check out the upper drawer. There’s something I got for you earlier. The thing I wanted to show you from earlier.
He hears the sound of the wheelchair motors as she moves.to the drawer. Then the sound of paper being removed.
“Oh my Emperor! She climbs into the bed beside him. “What is this?”
She held the blue diamond up for him to see.
“It’s from a Tamorian mine. A symbol of our love.”
Audrey frowned. “Was it expensive?”
Timothy smiled. “There is no reason for us to worry about money. You are my everything, and this is what you deserve.”
“That sounds lovely,” Audrey commented as she looked down at the menu once more. “I’ll go for it.”
“Yes, me too,” Timothy added.
“Great.” The waitress smiled and took back the menus before heading to the kitchen.
The delivery of the food was fast. Audrey helped Timothy to eat. It tasted unlike anything he had before. Different flavors swirled in in his mouth.
Almost a shame to swallow it.
“Enjoying it?” Timothy asked.
“Yes, it’s lovely. But would be nothing if you were not here with me.” Audrey rubbed his arm.
“I feel the same,” Timothy replied. “There is something I want to show you after we come back from the theatre.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see.”
A few hours later they are returning from the theatre going down one bright corridor after another.
Timothy frowned. “What did you make of it?”
She was quiet for a moment. “I was surprised that the Emperor had to kill so many. I never heard about all the worlds that were slaughtered. They never taught us anything about that.”
I was thinking the same.
“Yeah, but apart from that? I thought the acting was brilliant.” Timothy said.
“Oh, yes. They were brilliant and I’m so happy we went.”
Timothy had never seen anything like it before. It was full of cuisines with long, indecipherable names, from a slew of languages.
Audrey looked at him perplexed.
Timothy smiled. “I guess we’ll be taking a recommendation.”
They were positioned close to kitchen doorway of the kitchen giving them a good whiff of the aroma of the food.
It sure does smell good.
“So, what will we do afterwards?” Audrey asked over the chatter in the restaurant.
“Well, there is a thing they call theatre on this layer. It’s like a film except the actors are on what they call a stage right in front of your seat.” He paused looking for her reaction.
Her brow furrowed. “What about all the special effects?”
“Well, you have to use your imagination. This is an ancient art form that precedes technology. There is a play as they are called in three hours about the rise of The Emperor. What do you think?”
“Yea, I’d like that. Something different while we’re on this layer.”
The waitress returned and at Timothy’s request gave her recommendation of Cascadian shark with mushrooms.
“Have you ever been to that planet?” she asked. Timothy and Audrey shook their heads.
She continued. “It’s a large planet almost completely covered in pristine water. The high gravity leads to denser flesh. It is covered in the most exquisite of sauces.”
A few hours later they entered the Uisneach Beag Restaurant. Timothy wore a suit for the first time ever. His dad had insisted on him looking good for Audrey.
Audrey wore an immaculate pick dress and top. She looked suave and smelled of the best flowers of the planet Assisi. Timothy’s eyes had lit up on seeing her.
The restaurant itself was small, only able to accommodate forty patrons. One of the reasons why it was so expensive, there was no chance of Timothy affording this if not for his latest victory. Ornate pictures of spaceships in the Emperor’s fleet hung on the walls. Tables and chairs had to be moved so they could reach their table. The sound of aquatic life played in the background.
The other patrons chatted and pointed at them, to whispers of their great victory.
I am admired even here.
A female waitress approached. She was stocky with brown spots over her body and face – a Vulvian far from her home planet. She handed both of them a menu. “Have a look at these, I will be back to you in a moment. Let me know if you would like recommendations, or if there is anything else I can do.”
Dear readers, I need to build the relationship between Timothy and Audrey. All feedback welcome.
Their swords clashed once more. “You really need to mix things up,” Audrey scoffed.
“I know, but I like keep you on edge, can’t be showing you all my moves. What happens if we meet in one of the arenas?”
Audrey smiled. “You die, that’s what.” She drives her chair forward, catching Timothy off guard, who powers backwards.”
I love it when she gets feisty.
Audrey laughs. “We need better weapons. It’s too short to really you open you up.”
“I’m really feeling the love.”
She lowers her sword. “Ah, you know I don’t mean it. Not going to go easy on you thought, that will only make you weak. And I can’t have that.”
“I know my love.” With that, they drive their chairs close and they embrace.
The hall they were training in was very different to the ones on a lower level. The walls were all bright whites blues and greens. Everywhere was clean, ordered. The weapons were smaller and blunt.
“How do you feel about going to a restaurant? A proper one? My Dad said there is one close to here. It’s supposed to be the best in the star system.”
“Are you sure? You could have any woman go with you?”
Timothy looked into her eyes. “I only want you.”
She smiled and nodded.
Their dead bodies had almost reached the ceiling. Still, they continued onwards, slithering through the gaps. Luke tried to put the thought of the guns jamming again out of his mind.
A few minutes later, Lisa shouted out, “Stop firing!”
Luke took in a deep breath. Then rhey listened. There was no sound.
The attack is over.
“They sat.”
“What now?” Lisa asked.
“I spoke to Timothy before the battle. Due to the use of nuclear weapons, he will be leaving the planet whatever the result of the battle. There is a tracker on his, and myself and John are to meet him at a rendezvous point, when he leaves the command center. I’d love for you to join us.”
They hurried behind the sandpacks and readied their weapons. The thunderous noise made it apparent in what direction they were coming. Still, he told John to keep an eye on the rear. In an urban warzone like this, you need to think three-dimensionally.
This time, there was no subtlety to their assault. It was full frontal and continuous.
The plan worked perfectly. They went into the line of fire. Each one cut down, one after the other.
Luke’s machine grew hot. It needed to cool. Then it stopped. From his training, before becoming a Trooper, he knew that it would take at least thirty seconds. John’s gun fell quite. The heavy machine gun kept firing, but now the horde grew close.
John and Luke took the grenades they had in their pockets and threw them into the oncoming mass.
The explosions rocked them from their feet. All except for Lisa, who kept the heavy gun firing at its targets.
What a woman.
The rest get back to their feet. The grenades had the desired effect, pushing them back.
Luke felt his machine gun. It felt more temperate now. He once more opened fire, with John following suit. The Alachins were struggling now to climb over their dead.
Lisa turned to her dead friend. “We did it, Yvonne.”
The stench of dead Alachin bodies filled the air. Luke tried to wipe some green blood from his arm. “We should clear the bodies away from the fortification and instead put them to the sides to ensure we have a clear line of fire. A perfect kill zone”
John set to work. “Good thinking, Luke. It won’t be long till more arrive.” The others joined in.
“So, how is the overall battle going?” Lisa asked as she pulled an Alachin carcass by its legs.
“It’s very difficult to tell but I thought we were getting the upper hand. The nukes did a lot of damage.”
Lisa dropped the legs and faced him. “I thought the nukes were not to be used.”
John smirked. “That’s true, but Timothy ignored them.”
“The planet will be desolate,” Lisa replied.
“I think Timothy’s thoughts are they fixed it once, they can do it again,” Luke added.
She picked up the legs again. “He’s not going to be too popular afterwards, even if they win.”
Nobody argued with her.
For the next thirty minutes, they toiled away, sweat dripping from their brows.
Then the floor rumbled. Luke shouted out, “Take your positions!”
Lisa lifted up Yvonne’s blood-soaked head and cried. John’s eyes welled up. Luke’s hands covered his face.
She didn’t deserve this.
An Alachin shriek brought Luke back to the present. It was standing on the bodies of its fallen brethren, a large monster even by Alachin standards. More appeared behind it.
Lisa put Yvonne’s head back down and turned to face the enemy, her facial muscles tensed. “We must not let them pass, if they reach the fusion reactor they could jeopardize the orbital defense. Yvonne died defending it, her death will not be in vain.”
Nobody argued with her.
The Alachin charged as the machine guns opened up. Bullets ripped through its torso, still it propelled forwards.
Luke stopped firing and aimed in between its eyes, before opening up again
The creature crashed to the floor.
Smaller ones sprinted over its body. They were close. An Alachin lurched forwards, grabbing the feet of one of the Troopers, pulling her away, screaming.
Luke heart throbbed as he continued to fire. There could be no retreat, as they would be cut to pieces once they turned to run.
He exhaled as the last one fell.
An eerie silence.
What next?
“Where are the rest?” John whispered.
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