From Yamato With Love--Part Five

For the rest of the day, Suya studiously avoided anywhere Mamoru might be. She guessed that the soft knock on her door late in the night had been him, and she had lain quiet as a mouse in the darkness of her quarters. After a restless night, she awoke early the next morning. Kicking off the blanket, she reclined against the headboard in tank top and underwear.

Her mind wandered to Daedalus, as it often had these past weeks. While training with the Doctors, she had never questioned her role there. Now, questions crowded her mind like an ornery bee’s nest. What, exactly, had been the Doctors’ purpose? They had kept her quite isolated from the rest of the crew there; she could see that now in retrospect. Clutching her pendant, she turned it restlessly around in her left hand. Was it just a coincidence that she was away when the base was attacked? But it wasn’t as if she never had duties at Icarus before. Suya wondered why the Doctors’ bodies had been so thoroughly gouged, and the lab ransacked. The answers to her questions were like ghosts: ever present but out of reach. She sighed. The Doctors had hardly been the demonstrative type, but she missed them.

Suddenly, Suya felt an indentation she hadn’t noticed before. Scooting to a sitting position, she bent over the pendant. She slid her finger along the edge, pressing gently as she went. When it opened, a miniature disc fell to the blanket. Her heart gave a leap. It was purple on one side, silver on the other, but otherwise unmarked. Suya put it down, then bathed and dressed as fast as she could. Got to find Norihiko, she thought.

Suya found him on a coffee break in a small lounge area located near his station. Ignoring the irritated stares of his colleagues, she nearly begged him to meet with her.

"I need to play this. In private," she told him once they were in his office, safely shielded from prying ears. She held the disc at eye level.

Arms crossed, Norihiko cast toward her a leery gaze. "Did you forget the Captain’s orders so quickly? You’re not to experiment with the ship’s computers."

"This isn’t about that! Please, Norihiko, help me out here. I just found this disc in my pendant. If the Doctors left it, it may hold some clues about the Plague!"

He pursed his lips, and the light bounced off his lenses, making his expression difficult to read. Turning abruptly around, he reached down to his console and tapped a few keys. Suya waited breathlessly, and wondered for a brief moment if he were going to contact the bridge and report her.

"You can use my station," he said, and took a step back. "You have two hours. When I return, you report your findings to me first. In full."

Suya nodded, and sank into the chair. The opening and closing of the door barely registered as she inserted the disc with a trembling hand.

She began the booting process, eyes glued to the monitor. There was a flicker, and then the images of the Doctors appeared. They were seated side-by-side in their office on Daedalus, apparently some time before the attack. She peered intently at the screen.

"Suya," Doctor Zuran began, hands folded primly on her lap, "if you are watching this, then we are either incapacitated, or dead."

"Preferably in a painless fashion," quipped her husband.

Doctor Zuran nudged him and continued. "If Daedalus has been compromised, we are fairly certain how it happened. We are here to tell you about your mission."

"Mission?" Suya echoed.

"Yes," Dr. Zuran said, and chuckled. "Do you think we’d have you flitting about in a fighter plane for the rest of your life?" He leaned forward conspiratorially. "You’re quite unique, Suya. Much too valuable to waste on mere test flights and battle drills."

"Go on, tell her!"

"Patience, Doctor, I’m getting to it!" He stood up, and adjusted his glasses. His bright eyes looked out at her from underneath his neat eyebrows and even, white bangs. "First, you should know a little something about this disc…"

The Doctor went on to describe the menu options, and his image shrunk as the file names scrolled out in red letters. Suya paid rapt attention to every word spoken, and to every piece of data that had been encoded. It took a full hour to review all of the files, and so she jacked in at the end in order to copy the information to her own CPU. The emotional impact of the Doctor’s revelations would require a much longer processing time.

When it was done, Suya leaned back in the seat to wait for Norihiko, and drew in a deep, steady breath. "Finally, it all makes sense!" she whispered.

Another hour later, Suya burst onto the bridge and called out. "Kodai! Kodai! Where is he?"

"I’m right here," Mamoru responded, in a tired, bitter voice. He swung his head around, and made no attempt to hide the grief on his face. "What is it?"

"This," she said, walking up to him. She ignored his expression the best she could, and holding out her hand, showed him the disc. "It was in my pendant. The Doctors put it there. They told me about Orpheus."

Mamoru stood up and plucked it from her hand. "Orpheus?" he asked, and held the disc up to the light.

"The computerized fortress that attacked Earth!"

Now Suya had everyone’s undivided attention. "It’ll take too long to explain. I’ll show you. The answers we’ve been looking for are on this disc!"

Balaji surged forward and took it from Mamoru. "Where did you say you got it?"

"It was in my pendant." She looked around at everyone’s surprised and wary expressions. "I didn’t know it was there. Honest!"

Mamoru looked thoughtful. "This is something we can watch?"

Suya nodded eagerly.

"Then let’s go. Senior officers and cadets to the conference room! Call up your stand-bys!" Mamoru grabbed Suya’s arm. "You, too," he said, and led her forward.

A short while later, the group was seated in the darkened room. Balaji loaded the disc into a hard drive that connected to a large, wide-screen monitor attached to the wall. He handed Suya the remote, and she keyed the disc to present various files.

The Doctors’ voices echoed quietly throughout the room. The crew learned many details about Orpheus. They learned that it was nearly seven thousand years old. Linguists had also been stationed at the base, and had translated some of the written and visual material. As best they could determine, the race called themselves the Vorilhon. Some of the data collected from it alluded to a great war many eons past. Their home planet had been lost or destroyed. It was speculated that those who had attacked Daedalus had returned to reclaim Orpheus, an historic artifact of their past. How it came to be lost to the Vorilhon, they did not know. Many hypotheses were generated about its purpose; the most popular among Daedalus’ experts were that it was either a way of storing all of their history and culture, or it was used as a weapon. The crew couldn’t help but think the latter hypothesis had been borne out, due to Orpheus’ current position.

Much technology and many parts were scavenged from the fortress, and brought back to Daedalus to examine. A vast communications array had also been discovered aboard the citadel, whose power and reach could only be imagined at the moment. The Vorilhon themselves had appeared some years after Orpheus’ discovery in deep space by the EDF. Elite military units were regularly dispatched to escort the scientists, and to fend off attacks during boarding missions (Suya had trained with some of them). Other information followed, having mostly to do with blueprints and system schematics. When the narrative ended, Suya navigated through some of the vast quantities of interior and exterior images of Orpheus that had been amassed over the years. After about forty-five more minutes, Mamoru motioned for her to stop.

"The solar wind effect is surely its major defense mechanism," Balaji proposed, speaking into the deep silence that emerged in the wake of the Doctors’ exposition. He ejected the disc, and placed it in a protective case. "Fortunately," he continued after resuming his seat, "I’ve created a force field of our own, one that will enable Yamato to approach this Orpheus without her systems being adversely affected."

"Excellent job, Balaji!" Mamoru said with a grin, and clapped him on the shoulder. "How long will the force field last?"

"Indefinitely, as long as we don’t engage the Wave Motion Gun."

Mamoru’s grin faltered. "Oh."

"We can get near it, that’s great, but what do we do once we’re there? Fire a few missiles at it?" Tanaka asked. "No offense to your efforts," he added, nodding to Balaji.

The science officer nodded back, indicating that none had been taken.

"What if we warp into it?" Jun asked.

Cedro snorted derisively. "You’re nuts if you think we can do that. Did we graduate from the same Academy?"

Jun stuck her chin up in the air. "Obviously not, because it’s a tried and true strategy."

"No, it’s not, you idiot!"

"Hello, the war with the Comet Empire, ever hear of it?"

Cedro rolled his eyes. "Why don’t you shut up, and let us men do the thinking!"

Jun’s eyes flashed. "No, you shut up! I wouldn’t have missed half the shots I’ve seen you squander."

Cedro stood up, but Tanaka pushed him back into his seat. "Knock it off, both of you! This is getting us nowhere!"

There was an uncomfortable pause. Despite a warning grunt from the navigator, Jun and Cedro continued to fling angry glances back and forth. Balaji stared at his folded hands. Uchira drummed his fingers on the table, prompting Tokugawa to growl at him. Mamoru pushed himself away from the table, and began to pace. Kylie divided her gaze between him and Tanaka. This continued for several minutes. Then, Suya’s voice broke the silence.

"I know something we can try."

Mamoru stopped mid-stride and looked at her in surprise. "Let’s hear it," he said.

Suya tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She addressed everyone as she spoke, but avoided their direct gazes. "The Doctors told me about a way to defeat Orpheus."

"Thank you for speaking up so much sooner," Tanaka interrupted sarcastically. "I thought they were dead. When, exactly, did they tell you?"

"I understand your frustration," Suya told him. "It’s all on the disc. I just didn’t show you all of it. There’s a restricted section only I can access."

Mamoru sat down. "Please," he said quietly, "no more secrets. What can we do?"

Suya stared at him guardedly. She knew he wasn’t going to like it. "I have a virus. I can infect it. When its defenses are down, you can hit it with the Wave Motion Gun."

Everyone sat very still as they absorbed the information. Balaji glanced at Mamoru, then at Suya before speaking. "How do you plan on infecting it? It’ll wipe out the system of any computerized craft that gets anywhere near it!"

Suya took a deep breath. "The Doctors revealed that my plane was built with some of Orpheus’ technology. Many, many people died, and risked their lives to obtain the information that went into the creation of XL-5. But the end result is that I can fly to Orpheus, and it will recognize the fighter as part of itself. None of the systems will be affected."

Balaji nodded, impressed with the Doctors’ legacy.

Mamoru, however, was not so satisfied. "You only answered half the question. Where is this virus that we can use against it?" His tone betrayed a layer of concern.

Suya felt nervous about telling him, and debated even then to evade his question. But she knew he would see right through her. That part of him both scared and delighted her. Suya looked straight across the table at Mamoru while she spoke. "It’s…it’s in me. The Doctors implanted the virus. They created me as a weapon against Orpheus if it should ever become a threat to Earth."

A collective gasp reached her ears. Now her words came tumbling out in a rush. "EDF actually discovered it over thirty years ago. At the time it was completely inert, and after trial and error they were able to break through some of the electronic defenses. Engineers were sent to study it. The EDF hoped to use it for themselves—for what, I don’t know—but once they learned of its capabilities, they decided they needed some insurance against a worse-case scenario." Suya shrugged. "I guess this was it. My official orders are on the disc, too. The Vorilhon must have attacked Daedalus hoping to learn how to re-activate it. They found what they needed, and now they must want planet Earth. The Doctors knew of them. They knew all of it!" Suya bit her lip. "But they must have underestimated the risk." She looked around the room. "So you see, this is what we have to do. Orpheus is beyond our control. It has to be destroyed."

"Well you’re not going alone," Mamoru told her. "I’ll come with you for back-up, and we’ll devise a battle plan using Yamato and any other ship we can enlist. But if there’s another way, we should explore that first." He began to confer with the other officers to devise a strategy when Suya interrupted him.

"No, you don’t understand!" Words died on lips, and the others stared at her in surprise. The chair clattered behind her as she stood up, and she squeezed a hand into a fist for emphasis. "I have to do this alone. There’s no other way to get inside. Anyone else following will just slow me down!"

A stern expression saturated Mamoru’s features. "We work as a team here," he told her. "I want you to meet with Balaji to find out if the program you have can be transmitted to Orpheus by some other means. There’s no need for any one person to risk her life on this."

Suya grunted in frustration. "If the Doctors thought there was some other way, don’t you think they would have developed it? This is what I’m here for; this is my purpose! The Doctors must have known the attack was coming, so they sent me to Icarus for safety. Don’t let their deaths be for nothing!"

Mamoru shook his head. "No one’s letting that happen. Just sit down, and we’ll figure out a plan."

"Figure it out yourself! Every second we waste talking about it, Earth is in more and more danger." Her eyes flashed. "Do whatever you want; I’m going to Orpheus!" She spun around and bolted out of the room.

"Hold it right there!" Mamoru shouted. He sprung up from the chair and ran after her. "You’re not going anywhere! Suya!" Mamoru disappeared through the door.

Cedro sighed, and rested his chin in a hand. "Goodness me, a lover’s quarrel!"

The remaining crew lapsed into silence at the disruption. Cedro’s eyes shifted suddenly to Kylie, then Jun, and initiated a similar chain reaction among the others. Almost as one, they suddenly leapt from their chairs. Uchira slid over the table in an effort to beat the others as they scrambled out of the room after Mamoru and Suya.

They found the pair arguing heatedly in the corridor. Mamoru was yelling at her to get back in the room, and like a vigilant wolf, shifted his position back and forth to block her escape. Kylie led the way as the others crept closer to watch.

"It’s too dangerous, and I’m not letting you do it alone!"

Suya’s eyes narrowed. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips. "I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and you know it!"

"That’s not the point! We can’t afford to screw this up. I—" Mamoru paused, because his glanced had strayed, and he noticed the others hanging onto their every word. He grabbed Suya’s arm, and at a brisk pace led her in the opposite direction.

Kylie sighed in disappointment as they disappeared around the corner. "Fudge, where could they be going?"

"The Captain’s quarters!" Jun exclaimed.

Kylie grabbed Tanaka’s hand and drew him after her. "Come on!"

Tanaka stood fast, and frowned.

Kylie gave him an irritated look. "What, you think we’re going to get anything done around here with that kind of drama?"

He relented, and the group traced a reluctant path forward.

Mamoru pushed Suya through the door of the Captain’s quarters, and slammed it shut behind him. She charged across the room and stared defiantly out the observation window, arms folded in a huff. Mamoru leaned his back against the door.

"So," he began, "you’re not going alone. That conversation is over—"

"The hell it is," she snarled.

"Let’s come up with an alternate plan," Mamoru said, unfazed.

Suya half turned around. "What’s it to you, anyway, if I go alone?"

Mamoru stared at her in disbelief. "What’s it to me? Because I love you, that’s why! Is it not painfully obvious? How many different ways do I have to say it? I don’t want to lose you!"

Suya shook her head. "Don’t think with your heart, Kodai, it’ll just cause you trouble." She turned around and strode forward. Daggers flashed from her eyes. "Let…me…go!"

Suya was now standing before him, less than a finger’s length away. Their eyes locked ferociously, like gladiators of old in combat.

"Okay, fine!" But Mamoru pushed himself up against the door, and stuck his arm out sideways. "I’ll back off, but on one condition. Look me in the eye, and tell me you don’t have any feelings for me!"

Suya froze. Suddenly, the angry fire within her was squelched, and one of a different kind began to smolder. She glanced helplessly to one side. When she finally spoke, her words came out barely above a whisper. "That’s not fair; you know I can’t."

Mamoru nodded. "That’s what I thought," he said.

Suya looked at him. His eyes captivated her, melted her.

Mamoru bent slowly forward, and kissed her. His warm, smooth lips pressed urgently against hers. Suya’s neck tingled as his fingertips slid around it. Her hands were at his waist. Soon, she was clutching at his belt like a woman drowning.

Months of repressed and thwarted desire suddenly came pouring out. They kissed each other fervently, with desperate moans and darting tongues. His hands grabbed her hips and pulled them tightly against his. One of them traveled up her side and palmed her left breast. Suya gasped at the sweetness of his touch.

Abruptly, Mamoru snatched back his hand. When his lips drew away, Suya felt the breath taken from her. She wondered if she had done something wrong.

"What is it? Why did you stop?"

Mamoru’s words came out amid ragged breaths. His cheeks were flushed. "I thought I was going too fast."

Suya reached down to unclasp her holster. It fell to the floor with a soft thud. "Go faster," she told him, and circled her arms around his neck.

Mamoru fell to her again like a bear to honey. He soon had her shipsuit unzipped, and peeled it down to her waist. Hungrily, his hands groped under her tank top for the bra clasp—there was none. He moaned, and sucked thirstily at her neck.

Suya stared languidly up at the ceiling as he roamed. Her mouth watered, and she was amazed at the excitement building within her. The Doctors must have done something, she thought, because she could already feel the contractions starting. A scorching heat was building between her thighs.

Mamoru stopped kissing her long enough to coax her down onto the bed. Suya leaned back onto her elbows and watched him. Dropping to his knees, he pulled off her boots and tossed them casually to one side. With a sharp yank, he removed her shipsuit entirely. Her eyes wandered upward as he stood up to take off his own uniform. Suya admired the rippling of his muscles as his undergarments came off with quick, fluid motions.

Mamoru stood nude before her. His excitement made his chest heave. For a moment, they looked at each other in mutual admiration. Soft, crinkly brown hair surrounded his member, which thrust out gorged and erect in her direction. All she could think of was her need to have him in her.

He reached down with both hands and pulled off her underwear. With an obliging lift of her arms, she let him remove her top. Her skin tingled wherever he touched it. Mamoru pushed her gently back, and lay on the bed next to her. His gaze riveted to her breasts, which were small, but fleshy and pert. He scooped up one of them in his hand and played with the nipple. It grew hard and erect. Sighing contentedly, Mamoru bent his head and dropped his mouth onto it. He kneaded her other breast with his free hand.

Suya ran her fingers through his hair, then across the warm skin of his back. Soon, she felt one of his hands meander downwards. His fingers parted first her legs, then the dark hair of her sex, and began to press at the engorged mound. Her hips arched in response. Suya moaned; her whole body felt hot now. She sucked in great gulps of air as the pleasure built. She felt Mamoru slide one finger into her, then two. Instinctively, her hand shot down to push against his.

Suya clenched her teeth as the orgasm hit. A fiery explosion of bliss shot out like a sunburst to the tip of every limb.

Mamoru looked up and smiled. "You’re soaking wet," he murmured. "I want to see what you taste like!"

Sliding off the bed, he positioned his knees on the floor and propped up her legs. His face dove into the still-shuddering mound of her, and he tasted. His tongue was strong and quick and ravenous. Suya fought the urge to squeeze her thighs together, for fear her excitement would crush him. But the concern faded quickly at the onset of a second climax. She bucked with frenzy underneath him.

Mamoru climbed back on top of her. He kissed her again, drenching her mouth with his tongue. She could feel the hardness of him against her hip. For a few minutes, mouths locked, they rubbed and pressed against each other. Perspiration clung to their skin like dew on berries.

Suya found his ear, and whispered to him. "Now, Kodai," she said. "Hurry!"

Planting an arm on either side of her waist, Mamoru positioned himself between her legs. Like a flower, she opened to him, and her name burst through his lips as he nestled into her. Suya gasped, feeling a delicate ache as he thrust. Her hands snaked down to knead at his backside. Mamoru moaned in rapture, his head tucked into the side of her neck. Faster and faster, he pushed himself into her. Wet and hot and joyful, their bodies rocked in melodic unison. Mamoru suddenly perched himself up on his hands. Spreading her thighs further apart with his own, he cried out.

Suya felt his hardness peak, followed by a delightful spurt of warmth. She clung to his shoulders while his excitement slowly ebbed, and as he collapsed on top of her.

After a few minutes, Mamoru pulled out and lay on his side. He threw his arm over her chest, and kissed her cheek. "That was easily the single best moment of my life!" he exclaimed. A flicker of worry darted across his face, and he softened his tone. "Uh, was it okay? Did you like it?"

Smiling, Suya tugged playfully on his fingers. "I came more times than you did!"

Mamoru laughed. "God, I’ll bet the guys at Daedalus were knocking each other out just to stand next to you."

Suya slowly shook her head.

Mamoru’s eyes widened with surprise. "You mean…this was your first time?"

"First kiss, first everything."

His face melted with understanding when the impact of her statement sunk in. "Well," he breathed, "I’m honored!" Cupping her cheeks, he kissed her. Mamoru could feel himself stirring again.

But Suya pushed him back. "Kodai, we have to get on with the attack."

Groaning, he reluctantly drew away. "Shit. I know."

Suya rolled off of the bed, and bent down to collect her clothes. She smiled shyly back at Mamoru as she went to the bathroom to clean up. He was already dressed when she emerged, and had straightened the bedding. He motioned for her to step closer, and reached out a hand to smooth her hair.

"That was really nice," he murmured. Clearing his throat, he let his hand fall to her shoulder. "Now, about this mission…"

Suya shook her head. "You can’t go with me!"

Mamoru’s face collapsed into a distraught expression. "What’s it to you if I go?" he asked, echoing her earlier sentiment.

Suya stared at him earnestly. "Kodai, the Doctors groomed me as a weapon against Orpheus. EDF had given them a directive years before to develop a countermeasure when the potential threat was first discovered." She took his hand. "This is my destiny. Yours is with Yamato, to destroy Orpheus with the Wave Motion Gun after I upload the virus. It’s the best way, and you know it. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment." Her lips curved up into a gentle smile. "It’s only because you care so much that I have the confidence to make it back alive. At first, I didn’t care what happened to me. I just wanted to avenge the Doctors. But it’s more than that now." Her voice quivered. "I have you to come back to!"

Mamoru blinked back the tears that threatened to slip down his cheeks. "See that you do," he said softly. He gave her hands a warm squeeze, and they left the cabin.

A round of applause greeted them when they emerged.

Singly and in pairs, standing and sitting, the senior officers had draped themselves up and down the stairs. For the past hour, they had been waiting patiently for Mamoru and Suya to come out. The pair blushed furiously in the dim light of the landing.

"Well, it’s about time!" Cedro exclaimed. "You two lovebirds have been driving me nuts with your unrequited passion!"

"You heard?" Mamoru said in disbelief.

Tanaka snorted. "He heard nothing of the sort!"

"But it was a good guess," Cedro said with a saucy wink.

"Oh, my bum aches!" said Jun as she stood up.

"Well, nobody told you to wait here," Mamoru scolded as he led Suya down the stairs. "Come on, everyone, let’s go! Suya’s going to lead the attack. Let’s start warp preparations."

The others exchanged surprised, but resigned glances. They were just happy that a resolution had been reached. The crew filtered back down the stairs, and into the corridor.

Despite the decision, however, Mamoru couldn’t let Suya’s hand go when she turned to separate from the others. It felt like two blocks of cement were attached to his feet. He stared at her miserably, as one caught in a drenching rainstorm, but was too choked up to speak.

"It’s okay," Suya told him. "I’ll radio you when it’s time." She frowned as his grip tightened.

Guessing his distress, Kylie and Tanaka came forward. They eased him around, and helped Suya untangle herself from his grasp.

"I’ll be back soon," she said, before sprinting nimbly away.

With a sad expression, Mamoru allowed himself to be led up to the bridge.

 TO BE CONTINUED...

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