History is Written by the Victor - Part 9
History is Written by the Victor
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Pairings: Jensen/Jared, Chris/Steve, Tom/Mike
Category: M/M, AU, Futuristic (i.e. it is set in space!)
Summary: The Core planets have declared war on the Rim planets. When Captain Ackles and his squadron are taken prisoner by the enemy, their jailer turns out to be a young man called Jared. What will Jared do when Jensen's interrogation begins?
http://lady-krystal-79.livejournal.com/25267.html
Part Nine
As soon as the door opened and Jensen entered, Jared knew that something was wrong. He didn’t get a chance to ask about it before Jensen was gripping his face in his hands and kissing the breath out of him. Jensen kept walking as he kissed, pushing Jared backwards until his knees hit the bunk and he sat down on it. Jared only had time to take a breath and query, “Jen?” before the older man was following him down, straddling his thighs and raining kisses over Jared’s mouth, face, neck, ears, and any other skin he could get to. Jared realised he was whispering something, over and over.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry. Jared. So sorry...”
Jared frowned and stopped Jensen by taking his head firmly in his hands. “Jensen. Wait. What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I told Kristin. I didn’t even think. And she told Spidaras. I almost lost you. They almost gave you away.” The distress was clear in Jensen’s eyes, but his words still weren’t making any sense to Jared.
“What are you talking about, Jen?”
Jensen took a breath, shuddered, and explained, “She told Spidaras that you are Rim. He asked that we hand you over to be tried as a traitor, as they had allowed us to do with Kristen. They were actually considering it...” He shuddered again, or maybe that had been Jared.
“But they didn’t allow it. Why not?”
“I told them about what he had done. He didn’t argue.”
Jared pulled Jensen close and kept his arms wrapped around him. They had nearly been torn apart, for the sake of politics. Jared wasn’t too sure how he felt about that, but as they had, in the end, not allowed him to be taken, he was willing to give them a little leeway. Jensen was clinging just as tightly to Jared, nuzzling and licking at Jared’s throat. The fact that such a strong, intelligent man could become this gentle, needy creature never ceased to make Jared grateful that they had found each other. He kept his strokes tender, rather than turning them into demanding caresses, and eventually Jensen calmed in his arms. Jared laid them down, squeezing them into the small space, and continued to hold his lover. Jensen sighed.
“I’ve never been so afraid, Jared.” Jared believed him, and that was humbling too.
“I wouldn’t have gone, you know.” Jared told him. “I would have fought them every inch of the way.”
Jensen shook his head. “They would have taken you one way or another.” Then, fiercely, he added, “I wouldn’t have let them. I would have gottten us out.”
“I know.”
After that, they remained silent; content to just be together. They drifted to sleep, but they never once let go of each other.
***
Surprisingly, after all the drama, everyone settled back into their routines with speed and ease. Jared began to work as an aide to Mike, which delighted the other man to no end. In fact, he had been so excited, that Jensen had felt it necessary to take Mike aside and warn him, “Don’t forget, Mike, your lover is under my command. Anything you do to Jared, I can do to Tom.” Mike had deflated a little after that, but everyone was just waiting for the moment when Mike decided it was worth the risk to tease the Captain.
Jensen and his squadron flew training exercises every day and, on those occasions that Jared was free to watch them on the screens, he came to understand just what a tight and talented unit they were. They seemed to enjoy constantly popping up, unannounced, in the middle of other squadrons during their training sessions, and Jared certainly got to hear the long list of complaints against the Black Squad. He found it amusing, but he feared it would culminate in further attacks. Jeff would just moan and placate the ruffled Captains before calling Jensen into his office and begging him to rein them in. Jensen would very seriously argue that it might save their lives one day, and they wouldn’t be complaining then. In the end, Jeff threw up his hands and announced to the squadrons at large that they were on their own and he didn’t want to hear about it.
Mack and Misha were spending increasing amounts of time together, which earned their female member no small amount of teasing. She would blithely tell them that they were all just jealous that she had scored the hottest guy in the fleet. Misha, who was aware of the good-natured ribbing, just played up to the hype. They had found, it seemed, someone as crazy as Mike, all neatly tucked away under the veneer of a respectable Captain. It made for some very interesting nights around the card table...or in the Officer’s Bar...or anywhere else the two men decided to try and out-do one another. Jensen turned a blind eye, not willing to try and curb this problem, while Jared looked on wide-eyed. Tom took on an air of weary resignation. Chris and Steve watched it all with wicked amusement. Mack decided that perhaps she deserved the flack she was catching for introducing the two to one another. Jeff took a page out of Jensen’s book; his door was becoming locked more and more often.
Of course, the pseudo-peace could not last. The whole battle cruiser was blasted out of sleep one night by the proximity warning alarm. Moments later, Jeff’s voice came over the comms. “All squadrons to your fighters! Enemy craft two minutes out and closing! Hustle, people!”
Jensen and Jared toppled out of bed, tripping over twisted limbs. They finally pulled themselves to their feet and started pulling on clothes. Jensen was ready first, his black flight suit zipped up. He stepped up to Jared and kissed him briefly. “Try not to worry. You have a job you need to concentrate on, okay?”
“Okay.” Jared answered softly, knowing it was a lie. “And don’t take any crazy chances out there.”
“I won’t.” They both knew that was a lie too. They shared one last look, and then Jensen was rushing out the door.
Jared pulled on the last of his uniform and took a deep breath. “Come back to me, Jen.”
***
It was times like these that Jeff remembered why he put up with the crap Jensen and his squad caused. While the rest of his fleet were in their assigned quadrants, defending the cruiser and attacking whatever came close enough, Black Squad were split up and everywhere else. They ducked and weaved amongst the other squadrons, taking out enemy fighters and protecting their own. Jeff watched them on the holo, directing the rest of his squadrons to move and reform as required. There was no point directing a squadron that rarely flew together to regroup, so he left Jensen to command his people.
Jared was standing at the edge of the room, staying out of the way while he waited for any instructions Jeff might throw at him. Mike was on one of the comms, relaying Jeff’s orders over the private frequencies in case a squad wasn’t tuned in to the general frequency. He could see the holo from his position, and his eyes flitted around manically trying to watch the black fighters across a while battlefield. He didn’t know which fighter was Jensen’s and, since all five of them flew with equal amounts of daring and foolhardy cunning, he couldn’t even say which one flew with Jensen’s ‘style’. Jeff knew what he was doing and ignored him. Mike knew what he was doing and smirked.
Suddenly, another squadron came screaming out of the enemy cruiser and towards the battle. Jeff yelled out a warning which Mike repeated over the various frequencies. Jared paled slightly and stepped forward. “Commander Morgan...that’s Spidaras.”
Jeff shrugged. “A squad is a squad, Jared.”
“No. We have Jensen and Black Squadron; they have Spidaras. He’ll be out to get Black Squadron, and Jensen specifically.” Jared was starting to sound panicky.
Frowning, Jeff told him kindly, “Battles don’t work that way, Jared.”
Jared shook his head, desperate to get his warning across. “You have to believe me. Spidaras is out there for one reason and one reason only. Jensen.”
Looking at the boy, seeing nothing but earnestness and fear, Jeff believed him. He turned to Mike. “Warn Jensen.”
***
Spidaras had stood, white-knuckled, watching the battle progress without him. He had received a vicious dressing down when he had returned from the trial and they had confined him to quarters. The sheer hypocrisy of it - they had all known how he gained the ‘cooperation’ of his prisoners, and had not cared a whit for the laws being broken - had made him swear vengeance. They would pay for this, but first he would destroy the man who had put him in this position. He had escaped his room, leaving an unconscious - possibly dead - guard behind him. Then he had rounded up his disgraced squadron and gone to their fighters. The tech crews hadn’t stood in their way. They knew the unpredictable nature of the men in Spidaras’ command; men who would kill without a thought if you got between them and something they wanted.
Now, as he flew quickly towards the battle, he searched out the black fighters of his enemy. He spotted them throughout the fleet, never in the same place for long. He relayed his orders to his men, and they scrambled to comply. Spidaras spotted one of his quarry and shot forward with a wide, perhaps demented, smile on his face.
***
“Jensen? Did you catch that? Please confirm.” Mike had passed on the warning to Jensen and his team, but so far they hadn’t acknowledged him. He knew they were all still in the air, but he was getting worried. “Jensen? Tom?”
“We got it, Mike.” It was Tom who replied.
“Bloody well answer next time!” Mike yelled, all signs of protocol gone.
“We’re a little busy.” Jensen growled. “Now, cut the chatter.”
Mike was about to respond to that when an unwelcome voice came over the general frequency. “Captain Ackles, is that you? How delightful! I’ve come to finish our little chat.”
Silence met Spidaras’ taunt, until Jensen finally replied, “Well, better late than never, I suppose.”
“Indeed, Captain. Indeed. Let’s dance, shall we?”
“My card’s a little full, but don’t worry, I’ll get to you eventually.”
And that was when things got a little crazy.
***
The man dared to brush him off? In a fury, Spidaras swooped into the fray and began firing at the first fighter that came into view. As a result of his rash action, he missed a killing shot, but the fighter was crippled, so Spidaras swung around to finish it off. Instead, a black fighter came screaming over the top of the crippled craft, scant inches between them, and fired at Spidaras. Swearing, he pulled out of the fire and pulled himself together.
“Well, Captain, it appears you found time for me after all.”
“Wasn’t me.” There was definite lack of interest in Ackles’ tone. “Maybe next time.”
***
Jensen remained above the fray, watching his people come under fire from Spidaras’ men. He trusted them to take care of themselves, but every shot was potentially lethal. He had pinpointed which fighter belonged to Spidaras and watched as he turned his cannons on anything black that moved. There was a mean smile on Jensen’s face.
***
Jared bit his nails as he watched nervously on the holo. He didn’t know where Jensen was. He only knew where Spidaras was, and that the man was determined. So far the squadron had outmanoeuvred Spidaras’ men, but it would only be so long before one of the enemy pilots got in a lucky shot. Jared feared he had jinxed it just by thinking about it when, a moment later, one of the enemy fighters exploded, but not before it had released a missile tracked on to the black tail in front of it.
***
“Damn it!” Mack swore over the comms. “It’s locked on. I can’t shake it.”
Another craft pulled up beside her, this one off-white. “Get out of here. Let me handle it.” It was Misha, and Mack looked with horror into the cockpit of the other fighter.
“Misha! Stop trying to be a hero and get lost before it locks on, or so help me...” Mack could feel her heart clogging her throat. If it was going to be him or her, she chose for it to be her.
“I said...”
“Oh, for the love of...can you have your little lover’s quarrel later?” It was Chris, who had come shooting out of nowhere and blasted the missile in mid-air.
***
Steve knew he was in trouble. His fighter had caught a glancing blast early in the skirmish, but the small damage seemed to be growing, especially with all the hard turns and defensive manoeuvres he had been using putting extra pressure on the hull. The controls were beginning to shake quite dramatically in his hand. And to top it all off, he had Spidaras on his tail. The man was a skilled pilot, Steve had to admit, and since he was struggling to control his craft, Spidaras definitely had the upper hand.
“Is that you, Captain? Limping along? Is that why you won’t come and faced me?”
Gritting his teeth, Steve jerked back on the controls, twisting about so he could face his attacker. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not your guy.” He hit the fire button, but Spidaras easily rolled out of the way.
“A pity. You’ll do for a warm up, though.”
The black fighter was fighting him every inch of the way now; the last manoeuvre had cost him too much. There was nothing he could do but wait for Spidaras to end it. He remembered the look Christian had given him before they had climbed into their fighters, the promise the other man had made that they would both return or neither would, and he hoped Chris wouldn’t keep to it, although he knew he would.
“Steve. No.” It was Chris, an involuntary whisper, but the other man was clear across the battlefield and could never get there in time.
“Steve! Get back to the cruiser now!” Jensen hissed, fury clear in his tone. “Heads up, you sadistic bastard!”
In his cockpit, Steve looked up, his eyes wide.
***
On the other side of the skirmish, Chris looked on with fear, surprise, hope and horror.
***
In the control room, Jeff and Jared stood silent. They watched a black fighter they had not realised was there diving straight down, a deadly arrowhead, at a reckless speed. It was Jensen; they knew it was. Although they didn’t realise it, they were both holding their breath.
***
Spidaras looked up and lost his calm for the first time. The black nose pointing down towards him, rapidly approaching, began to flash as Jensen hit his firing button. The barrage hit against Spidaras’ craft, but didn’t hit anything vital. He knew his adversary well enough to know that it had to be on purpose. So he veered, turning his craft side on to present a smaller target. Jensen swerved to the opposite side, shooting past him before he brought the fighter around again in a sharp turn.
“What are you trying at, Captain?” Spidaras growled.
“I’m sorry. Did you want me to make this quick?” Jensen’s voice was casual, completely unperturbed. Too late, Spidaras realised the mistake he had made; he had given up his playing field - the interrogation rooms and prisons - and flown onto his opponent’s.
Still, he was no slouch in combat, and there was no reason he couldn’t play his mind games here as well. “Not at all, Captain. I’ve come to enjoy our little...chats. I remember quite fondly how you screamed for me.”
***
Jensen shook his head. “Is that really the best you can do? Come on, Spidey, I expected more from you.”
He flipped the fighter around, almost playful, taking occasional shots at his quarry and then taking himself out of the line of fire. Jeff’s voice came over the Black Squad’s frequency, a low, annoyed rumble. “Jensen, stop mucking around and end this.”
With a tight smile, Jensen flicked off the private comm frequency, only leaving the general frequency that Spidaras had somehow hacked into. He muttered to himself, “Sorry, Jeff, but this guy has played with too many lives for me to simply take him out.”
“Really?” Spidaras’ reply came through, his voice intimate and smug. “Did you tell them all how we bonded? How you begged me to stop? Do you still carry my marks, Captain?”
Jensen thought about the bruises and burns all but healed on his body. He didn’t remember begging, but maybe he had? Maybe, as his grip on consciousness had begun to slide, so had his control over his tongue? A volley of shots that came a tad too close for comfort broke him out of his thoughts, and he wanted to curse himself for letting Spidaras make him question. The dull ache in his body right now had nothing to do with Spidaras. “I’m afraid you missed your chance, Spidey. I wear someone else’s marks now. And I beg real pretty for him, too.”
***
Jared stood in the control room, face flaming with embarrassment. Mike sent a wicked grin Jared’s way that promised there would be time later for merciless teasing. Jeff’s eyes were closed like he could block out the vision in his mind that way, his expression clearly stating that he had not needed to know that about one of his pilots.
“Well, well. Aren’t you full of surprises?” Spidaras had taken a tad too long to answer for his answer to be wholly unconcerned. He hadn’t liked that at all. Jared shuddered. Had the man wanted Jensen broken so he could own him? Had he been lusting after him all this time?
“More than you’ll ever know.” Jensen taunted. “But this grows tiring, as all things with you ultimately do. Let’s finish this, once and for all.”
***
He was dismissing him? How dare he? This worthless Rim pilot thought he could speak to him that way? With a snarl he whipped his fighter about to face the wildly twisting blur of his enemy’s craft. He just needed a moment to lock on, and the man would be no more. He focused on his tracking system, his finger above the trigger.
***
Jensen smiled when he heard that snarl. That was what he had been waiting for. Spidaras considered himself superior to everybody else, and the only way to peck at the man was by attacking his pride. As Spidaras’ fighter steadied in front of him, he knew the other man was preparing to shoot him down, so Jensen continued to roll and spin and move. He armed his missile and prepared to hit the trigger. He would only get one chance at this, and if he missed, he would die. So, he didn’t plan to miss.
Swinging his fighter around one last time, he ended up facing Spidaras, close enough to see the triumphant look on the other man’s face. Without waiting for his targeting system to give him the tone that he had locked on, Jensen hit his trigger.
***
Spidaras heard the long beep that signalled a lock and had pressed the trigger before it had even finished.
***
There was a brilliant explosion on the holo in the control room. Every eye was turned to witness it. Jared felt his heart catch in his throat, choking the air out of him. Jeff had a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the holo table, staring at the spot where a moment ago his friend had been.
It was Mike who yelled, “He’s there!”
And Jensen’s fighter was making a nearly perpendicular turn to avoid the missile launched in that last instant before Spidaras’ craft had exploded around him. The missile, confused by the debris and a target that had practically disappeared, floundered long enough for Jensen to make a sharp u-turn and blast it out of existence.
Jeff’s fingers uncurled, and he released his own pent up breath. He would give Jensen a good dressing down later, but for now he was simply happy that the fool was still alive. Jared had sagged against the nearest wall, panting harshly through the fingers he had covering his mouth. Jeff figured he might have to make that dressing down much later. And then he turned his attention back to the battle at hand, calmly relaying strategies to Mike once more. He didn’t have the luxury of relaxing just yet.
***
The battle, which had continued blithely on around the drama of Spidaras’ attack, was finally winding down. Though the enemy had the greater numbers and newer tech than Jeff’s crew, the Rim pilots were men and women who had been raised to fly rather than to privilege and wealth, so they were claiming victory when the Core fighters returned to their battle cruiser in lesser numbers than they had ventured out. They had taken two casualties on their own side, and had sustained plenty of damage and injuries, but the Core might think twice before they attacked again. Jeff had returned to his office as soon as he had given the order for his squadrons to return to the cruiser. He read the information coming onto his data screen and was glad to know that, for the most part, his people were coming home.
http://lady-krystal-79.livejournal.com/25616.html
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Pairings: Jensen/Jared, Chris/Steve, Tom/Mike
Category: M/M, AU, Futuristic (i.e. it is set in space!)
Summary: The Core planets have declared war on the Rim planets. When Captain Ackles and his squadron are taken prisoner by the enemy, their jailer turns out to be a young man called Jared. What will Jared do when Jensen's interrogation begins?
http://lady-krystal-79.livejournal.com/25267.html
Part Nine
As soon as the door opened and Jensen entered, Jared knew that something was wrong. He didn’t get a chance to ask about it before Jensen was gripping his face in his hands and kissing the breath out of him. Jensen kept walking as he kissed, pushing Jared backwards until his knees hit the bunk and he sat down on it. Jared only had time to take a breath and query, “Jen?” before the older man was following him down, straddling his thighs and raining kisses over Jared’s mouth, face, neck, ears, and any other skin he could get to. Jared realised he was whispering something, over and over.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry. Jared. So sorry...”
Jared frowned and stopped Jensen by taking his head firmly in his hands. “Jensen. Wait. What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I told Kristin. I didn’t even think. And she told Spidaras. I almost lost you. They almost gave you away.” The distress was clear in Jensen’s eyes, but his words still weren’t making any sense to Jared.
“What are you talking about, Jen?”
Jensen took a breath, shuddered, and explained, “She told Spidaras that you are Rim. He asked that we hand you over to be tried as a traitor, as they had allowed us to do with Kristen. They were actually considering it...” He shuddered again, or maybe that had been Jared.
“But they didn’t allow it. Why not?”
“I told them about what he had done. He didn’t argue.”
Jared pulled Jensen close and kept his arms wrapped around him. They had nearly been torn apart, for the sake of politics. Jared wasn’t too sure how he felt about that, but as they had, in the end, not allowed him to be taken, he was willing to give them a little leeway. Jensen was clinging just as tightly to Jared, nuzzling and licking at Jared’s throat. The fact that such a strong, intelligent man could become this gentle, needy creature never ceased to make Jared grateful that they had found each other. He kept his strokes tender, rather than turning them into demanding caresses, and eventually Jensen calmed in his arms. Jared laid them down, squeezing them into the small space, and continued to hold his lover. Jensen sighed.
“I’ve never been so afraid, Jared.” Jared believed him, and that was humbling too.
“I wouldn’t have gone, you know.” Jared told him. “I would have fought them every inch of the way.”
Jensen shook his head. “They would have taken you one way or another.” Then, fiercely, he added, “I wouldn’t have let them. I would have gottten us out.”
“I know.”
After that, they remained silent; content to just be together. They drifted to sleep, but they never once let go of each other.
***
Surprisingly, after all the drama, everyone settled back into their routines with speed and ease. Jared began to work as an aide to Mike, which delighted the other man to no end. In fact, he had been so excited, that Jensen had felt it necessary to take Mike aside and warn him, “Don’t forget, Mike, your lover is under my command. Anything you do to Jared, I can do to Tom.” Mike had deflated a little after that, but everyone was just waiting for the moment when Mike decided it was worth the risk to tease the Captain.
Jensen and his squadron flew training exercises every day and, on those occasions that Jared was free to watch them on the screens, he came to understand just what a tight and talented unit they were. They seemed to enjoy constantly popping up, unannounced, in the middle of other squadrons during their training sessions, and Jared certainly got to hear the long list of complaints against the Black Squad. He found it amusing, but he feared it would culminate in further attacks. Jeff would just moan and placate the ruffled Captains before calling Jensen into his office and begging him to rein them in. Jensen would very seriously argue that it might save their lives one day, and they wouldn’t be complaining then. In the end, Jeff threw up his hands and announced to the squadrons at large that they were on their own and he didn’t want to hear about it.
Mack and Misha were spending increasing amounts of time together, which earned their female member no small amount of teasing. She would blithely tell them that they were all just jealous that she had scored the hottest guy in the fleet. Misha, who was aware of the good-natured ribbing, just played up to the hype. They had found, it seemed, someone as crazy as Mike, all neatly tucked away under the veneer of a respectable Captain. It made for some very interesting nights around the card table...or in the Officer’s Bar...or anywhere else the two men decided to try and out-do one another. Jensen turned a blind eye, not willing to try and curb this problem, while Jared looked on wide-eyed. Tom took on an air of weary resignation. Chris and Steve watched it all with wicked amusement. Mack decided that perhaps she deserved the flack she was catching for introducing the two to one another. Jeff took a page out of Jensen’s book; his door was becoming locked more and more often.
Of course, the pseudo-peace could not last. The whole battle cruiser was blasted out of sleep one night by the proximity warning alarm. Moments later, Jeff’s voice came over the comms. “All squadrons to your fighters! Enemy craft two minutes out and closing! Hustle, people!”
Jensen and Jared toppled out of bed, tripping over twisted limbs. They finally pulled themselves to their feet and started pulling on clothes. Jensen was ready first, his black flight suit zipped up. He stepped up to Jared and kissed him briefly. “Try not to worry. You have a job you need to concentrate on, okay?”
“Okay.” Jared answered softly, knowing it was a lie. “And don’t take any crazy chances out there.”
“I won’t.” They both knew that was a lie too. They shared one last look, and then Jensen was rushing out the door.
Jared pulled on the last of his uniform and took a deep breath. “Come back to me, Jen.”
***
It was times like these that Jeff remembered why he put up with the crap Jensen and his squad caused. While the rest of his fleet were in their assigned quadrants, defending the cruiser and attacking whatever came close enough, Black Squad were split up and everywhere else. They ducked and weaved amongst the other squadrons, taking out enemy fighters and protecting their own. Jeff watched them on the holo, directing the rest of his squadrons to move and reform as required. There was no point directing a squadron that rarely flew together to regroup, so he left Jensen to command his people.
Jared was standing at the edge of the room, staying out of the way while he waited for any instructions Jeff might throw at him. Mike was on one of the comms, relaying Jeff’s orders over the private frequencies in case a squad wasn’t tuned in to the general frequency. He could see the holo from his position, and his eyes flitted around manically trying to watch the black fighters across a while battlefield. He didn’t know which fighter was Jensen’s and, since all five of them flew with equal amounts of daring and foolhardy cunning, he couldn’t even say which one flew with Jensen’s ‘style’. Jeff knew what he was doing and ignored him. Mike knew what he was doing and smirked.
Suddenly, another squadron came screaming out of the enemy cruiser and towards the battle. Jeff yelled out a warning which Mike repeated over the various frequencies. Jared paled slightly and stepped forward. “Commander Morgan...that’s Spidaras.”
Jeff shrugged. “A squad is a squad, Jared.”
“No. We have Jensen and Black Squadron; they have Spidaras. He’ll be out to get Black Squadron, and Jensen specifically.” Jared was starting to sound panicky.
Frowning, Jeff told him kindly, “Battles don’t work that way, Jared.”
Jared shook his head, desperate to get his warning across. “You have to believe me. Spidaras is out there for one reason and one reason only. Jensen.”
Looking at the boy, seeing nothing but earnestness and fear, Jeff believed him. He turned to Mike. “Warn Jensen.”
***
Spidaras had stood, white-knuckled, watching the battle progress without him. He had received a vicious dressing down when he had returned from the trial and they had confined him to quarters. The sheer hypocrisy of it - they had all known how he gained the ‘cooperation’ of his prisoners, and had not cared a whit for the laws being broken - had made him swear vengeance. They would pay for this, but first he would destroy the man who had put him in this position. He had escaped his room, leaving an unconscious - possibly dead - guard behind him. Then he had rounded up his disgraced squadron and gone to their fighters. The tech crews hadn’t stood in their way. They knew the unpredictable nature of the men in Spidaras’ command; men who would kill without a thought if you got between them and something they wanted.
Now, as he flew quickly towards the battle, he searched out the black fighters of his enemy. He spotted them throughout the fleet, never in the same place for long. He relayed his orders to his men, and they scrambled to comply. Spidaras spotted one of his quarry and shot forward with a wide, perhaps demented, smile on his face.
***
“Jensen? Did you catch that? Please confirm.” Mike had passed on the warning to Jensen and his team, but so far they hadn’t acknowledged him. He knew they were all still in the air, but he was getting worried. “Jensen? Tom?”
“We got it, Mike.” It was Tom who replied.
“Bloody well answer next time!” Mike yelled, all signs of protocol gone.
“We’re a little busy.” Jensen growled. “Now, cut the chatter.”
Mike was about to respond to that when an unwelcome voice came over the general frequency. “Captain Ackles, is that you? How delightful! I’ve come to finish our little chat.”
Silence met Spidaras’ taunt, until Jensen finally replied, “Well, better late than never, I suppose.”
“Indeed, Captain. Indeed. Let’s dance, shall we?”
“My card’s a little full, but don’t worry, I’ll get to you eventually.”
And that was when things got a little crazy.
***
The man dared to brush him off? In a fury, Spidaras swooped into the fray and began firing at the first fighter that came into view. As a result of his rash action, he missed a killing shot, but the fighter was crippled, so Spidaras swung around to finish it off. Instead, a black fighter came screaming over the top of the crippled craft, scant inches between them, and fired at Spidaras. Swearing, he pulled out of the fire and pulled himself together.
“Well, Captain, it appears you found time for me after all.”
“Wasn’t me.” There was definite lack of interest in Ackles’ tone. “Maybe next time.”
***
Jensen remained above the fray, watching his people come under fire from Spidaras’ men. He trusted them to take care of themselves, but every shot was potentially lethal. He had pinpointed which fighter belonged to Spidaras and watched as he turned his cannons on anything black that moved. There was a mean smile on Jensen’s face.
***
Jared bit his nails as he watched nervously on the holo. He didn’t know where Jensen was. He only knew where Spidaras was, and that the man was determined. So far the squadron had outmanoeuvred Spidaras’ men, but it would only be so long before one of the enemy pilots got in a lucky shot. Jared feared he had jinxed it just by thinking about it when, a moment later, one of the enemy fighters exploded, but not before it had released a missile tracked on to the black tail in front of it.
***
“Damn it!” Mack swore over the comms. “It’s locked on. I can’t shake it.”
Another craft pulled up beside her, this one off-white. “Get out of here. Let me handle it.” It was Misha, and Mack looked with horror into the cockpit of the other fighter.
“Misha! Stop trying to be a hero and get lost before it locks on, or so help me...” Mack could feel her heart clogging her throat. If it was going to be him or her, she chose for it to be her.
“I said...”
“Oh, for the love of...can you have your little lover’s quarrel later?” It was Chris, who had come shooting out of nowhere and blasted the missile in mid-air.
***
Steve knew he was in trouble. His fighter had caught a glancing blast early in the skirmish, but the small damage seemed to be growing, especially with all the hard turns and defensive manoeuvres he had been using putting extra pressure on the hull. The controls were beginning to shake quite dramatically in his hand. And to top it all off, he had Spidaras on his tail. The man was a skilled pilot, Steve had to admit, and since he was struggling to control his craft, Spidaras definitely had the upper hand.
“Is that you, Captain? Limping along? Is that why you won’t come and faced me?”
Gritting his teeth, Steve jerked back on the controls, twisting about so he could face his attacker. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not your guy.” He hit the fire button, but Spidaras easily rolled out of the way.
“A pity. You’ll do for a warm up, though.”
The black fighter was fighting him every inch of the way now; the last manoeuvre had cost him too much. There was nothing he could do but wait for Spidaras to end it. He remembered the look Christian had given him before they had climbed into their fighters, the promise the other man had made that they would both return or neither would, and he hoped Chris wouldn’t keep to it, although he knew he would.
“Steve. No.” It was Chris, an involuntary whisper, but the other man was clear across the battlefield and could never get there in time.
“Steve! Get back to the cruiser now!” Jensen hissed, fury clear in his tone. “Heads up, you sadistic bastard!”
In his cockpit, Steve looked up, his eyes wide.
***
On the other side of the skirmish, Chris looked on with fear, surprise, hope and horror.
***
In the control room, Jeff and Jared stood silent. They watched a black fighter they had not realised was there diving straight down, a deadly arrowhead, at a reckless speed. It was Jensen; they knew it was. Although they didn’t realise it, they were both holding their breath.
***
Spidaras looked up and lost his calm for the first time. The black nose pointing down towards him, rapidly approaching, began to flash as Jensen hit his firing button. The barrage hit against Spidaras’ craft, but didn’t hit anything vital. He knew his adversary well enough to know that it had to be on purpose. So he veered, turning his craft side on to present a smaller target. Jensen swerved to the opposite side, shooting past him before he brought the fighter around again in a sharp turn.
“What are you trying at, Captain?” Spidaras growled.
“I’m sorry. Did you want me to make this quick?” Jensen’s voice was casual, completely unperturbed. Too late, Spidaras realised the mistake he had made; he had given up his playing field - the interrogation rooms and prisons - and flown onto his opponent’s.
Still, he was no slouch in combat, and there was no reason he couldn’t play his mind games here as well. “Not at all, Captain. I’ve come to enjoy our little...chats. I remember quite fondly how you screamed for me.”
***
Jensen shook his head. “Is that really the best you can do? Come on, Spidey, I expected more from you.”
He flipped the fighter around, almost playful, taking occasional shots at his quarry and then taking himself out of the line of fire. Jeff’s voice came over the Black Squad’s frequency, a low, annoyed rumble. “Jensen, stop mucking around and end this.”
With a tight smile, Jensen flicked off the private comm frequency, only leaving the general frequency that Spidaras had somehow hacked into. He muttered to himself, “Sorry, Jeff, but this guy has played with too many lives for me to simply take him out.”
“Really?” Spidaras’ reply came through, his voice intimate and smug. “Did you tell them all how we bonded? How you begged me to stop? Do you still carry my marks, Captain?”
Jensen thought about the bruises and burns all but healed on his body. He didn’t remember begging, but maybe he had? Maybe, as his grip on consciousness had begun to slide, so had his control over his tongue? A volley of shots that came a tad too close for comfort broke him out of his thoughts, and he wanted to curse himself for letting Spidaras make him question. The dull ache in his body right now had nothing to do with Spidaras. “I’m afraid you missed your chance, Spidey. I wear someone else’s marks now. And I beg real pretty for him, too.”
***
Jared stood in the control room, face flaming with embarrassment. Mike sent a wicked grin Jared’s way that promised there would be time later for merciless teasing. Jeff’s eyes were closed like he could block out the vision in his mind that way, his expression clearly stating that he had not needed to know that about one of his pilots.
“Well, well. Aren’t you full of surprises?” Spidaras had taken a tad too long to answer for his answer to be wholly unconcerned. He hadn’t liked that at all. Jared shuddered. Had the man wanted Jensen broken so he could own him? Had he been lusting after him all this time?
“More than you’ll ever know.” Jensen taunted. “But this grows tiring, as all things with you ultimately do. Let’s finish this, once and for all.”
***
He was dismissing him? How dare he? This worthless Rim pilot thought he could speak to him that way? With a snarl he whipped his fighter about to face the wildly twisting blur of his enemy’s craft. He just needed a moment to lock on, and the man would be no more. He focused on his tracking system, his finger above the trigger.
***
Jensen smiled when he heard that snarl. That was what he had been waiting for. Spidaras considered himself superior to everybody else, and the only way to peck at the man was by attacking his pride. As Spidaras’ fighter steadied in front of him, he knew the other man was preparing to shoot him down, so Jensen continued to roll and spin and move. He armed his missile and prepared to hit the trigger. He would only get one chance at this, and if he missed, he would die. So, he didn’t plan to miss.
Swinging his fighter around one last time, he ended up facing Spidaras, close enough to see the triumphant look on the other man’s face. Without waiting for his targeting system to give him the tone that he had locked on, Jensen hit his trigger.
***
Spidaras heard the long beep that signalled a lock and had pressed the trigger before it had even finished.
***
There was a brilliant explosion on the holo in the control room. Every eye was turned to witness it. Jared felt his heart catch in his throat, choking the air out of him. Jeff had a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the holo table, staring at the spot where a moment ago his friend had been.
It was Mike who yelled, “He’s there!”
And Jensen’s fighter was making a nearly perpendicular turn to avoid the missile launched in that last instant before Spidaras’ craft had exploded around him. The missile, confused by the debris and a target that had practically disappeared, floundered long enough for Jensen to make a sharp u-turn and blast it out of existence.
Jeff’s fingers uncurled, and he released his own pent up breath. He would give Jensen a good dressing down later, but for now he was simply happy that the fool was still alive. Jared had sagged against the nearest wall, panting harshly through the fingers he had covering his mouth. Jeff figured he might have to make that dressing down much later. And then he turned his attention back to the battle at hand, calmly relaying strategies to Mike once more. He didn’t have the luxury of relaxing just yet.
***
The battle, which had continued blithely on around the drama of Spidaras’ attack, was finally winding down. Though the enemy had the greater numbers and newer tech than Jeff’s crew, the Rim pilots were men and women who had been raised to fly rather than to privilege and wealth, so they were claiming victory when the Core fighters returned to their battle cruiser in lesser numbers than they had ventured out. They had taken two casualties on their own side, and had sustained plenty of damage and injuries, but the Core might think twice before they attacked again. Jeff had returned to his office as soon as he had given the order for his squadrons to return to the cruiser. He read the information coming onto his data screen and was glad to know that, for the most part, his people were coming home.
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