The Sunfire Read online

  As an automatic door it could not be slammed, but the kick that Sofia gave the door had a similar effect.

  Jon stared at the now closed door in despair, wondering how events in his life had managed to spin so quickly out of control. A few moments later the door slid open again and looking up Jon tried to explain. “Sofia—” But it wasn’t a Princess standing in the doorway, but a tall officer wearing the Imperial Navy uniform of a Fleet Captain. With his blond hair and bright cerulean-blue eyes, the officer looked like he belonged on the front cover of some modelling magazine, instead of leading a special forces task group and being one of Jon’s closest friends.

  Paul looked on with some bemusement as Sofia disappeared around the corner, still in tears. “What is it with you and women?” Paul asked exasperatedly. “They all seem to flock to you, but soon after head off in the opposite direction, in tears. Me, on the other hand, with my young, good looks, they seem completely immune. By the way, you look like shit.”

  “Thanks Paul, it’s good to see you again too. How about closing the door so that the whole planet doesn’t see how bad I look,” Jon replied irritably.

  “So who was the stunning redhead that just flashed past?”

  “That would have been the Imperial Princess Sofia Aurelius, daughter of the late Emperor Marcus Aurelius.”

  Paul’s jaw dropped open in disbelief. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Wow. She’s stunning, not at all what I had in mind when I pictured Marcus’ daughter.”

  Jon had to bite back his irritation at everybody constantly referring to the late Emperor as a distant uncle. “So what did you imagine that she looked like?” He asked curiously.

  “Older, and fatter,” he laughed. “So what did you do to upset the Princess?”

  “It’s a long and convoluted story, and you wouldn’t find it interesting,” Jon replied. Knowing for a fact Paul would find it completely hilarious. He would be sure to tell his wife and before Jon knew it most of the planet would be aware of what had transpired between the two of them. The Imperial Navy had yet to invent an information dispersal system as quick and effective as the navy rumour mill.

  “By the way, I just got out of a confidential briefing by Admiral Sterling. He is quietly moving the fleet in this sector onto an alert footing. He is obviously expecting trouble. I am sorry to hear about Marcus and your fellow Praetorians. If only my taskforce had been in the system at the time. We might not have been able to save Marcus, but at least we could have helped your squadron.” Paul frowned, well aware of the futility of playing the ‘what-if’ game.

  “Thanks Paul,” Jon replied honestly. It was good to have at least one friendly face around that he could trust. Eyeing the floor speculatively, with his feet still dangling several centimetres above it, he estimated the distance to the furthest wall to be around fifteen meters. “Do you have anybody here you could trust to man the door for the next twenty minutes?”

  “Sure. I arrived planet-side with one of the marine’s special operations teams, on rotation. The Master Sergeant is an old friend of mine. What do you need?”

  “Can you ask him to guard the door for twenty minutes, so nobody comes in?”

  “Sure,” Paul replied, intrigued at the unusual request and, using the communications equipment on the desk, summoned him. Several minutes later the Master Sergeant arrived, introducing himself as Patrick Reynolds, but everybody just called him Gunny. Observing the huge sergeant, Jon concluded Gunny was perfect for what he had in mind.

  “Could you man the door for twenty minutes, Gunny? So nobody disturbs us.”

  “Sure thing Commander,” Gunny replied, exiting the room and placing his imposing self in the doorway, back to the door, as it slid shut behind him.

  “So, now that nobody is coming in for the next twenty minutes, now what?” The bemused Paul inquired.

  “This,” Jon replied pushing himself off the bed and landing heavily on the floor. He kept his balance by firmly grasping the railing that ran along the length of the bed.

  “Are you crazy?” Paul hissed in disbelief, stepping closer, ready to catch him, on the off chance his legs failed him.

  “That’s not crazy, this is,” Jon said, releasing the bedrail. With his eyes firmly fixed on the far wall, pale-faced and fighting back nausea from the pain, he gingerly put one foot in front of the other.

  “Praetorians are we,” Jon wheezed, taking another step forward. “The elite us be, unafraid of death are we, for invincible us be.” Jon gave a cry of relief as he finally managed to make it to the far side of the room unaided. Turning to face Paul in triumph, a startled expression suddenly appeared on his face. “Oh crap,” Jon uttered, as his left leg gave out beneath him and he tumbled to the floor. Fortunately the floor was thickly carpeted, which absorbed most of the impact, hurting his pride more than anything else.

  Laughing heartily Paul peered down at Jon with a smirk on his face. “So how is this invincible thing working out for you at the moment? I must say that while you could probably take out my three year old daughter, my five year old son would completely kick your ass.”

  “Paul?”

  “Yes?”

  “Shut up and help me get back up will you?” Jon asked, grimacing in pain.

  Hauling Jon once again to his feet, Paul glanced at the younger man with some considerable concern, as his face had gone completely white and rivulets of sweat were pouring down his forehead. Combined with the fact he did not seem at all steady on his feet. “So what now?” He asked with a hint of worry. “You have another fifteen minutes before the hordes get past Gunny.”

  “Now I do it again,” Jon insisted, gritting his teeth in determination.

  “You’re crazy you know that?” Paul exclaimed in disbelief. “You are going to kill yourself.”

  “That is a distinct possibility,” Jon muttered, taking another faltering step towards the bed, only a few metres out of reach but seeming like another world away.

  *****

  Sofia punched the pillow next to her in frustration. It was late at night, Eden Prime time, five days after Jon had first awoken and their heated argument. Afterwards she had wished she could take back her words, never really entertaining the possibility. Anyway who would willingly follow such an order? She had a feeling the only people actually capable of bringing Jon back in chains were far more loyal to him than to her.

  Jon had been discharged a few days earlier from the medical institute, much to the astonishment of the staff. For what they had predicted would take weeks of rest and physiotherapy to recover, Jon had completed in a couple of days.

  Sofia had not been able to talk to Jon for the past week, as he had been accompanied most of the time by an older, very handsome Fleet Officer. From what she had been able to ascertain, they were old friends.

  Sofia had therefore remained in the background while Jon thanked the doctors, when discharged from the hospital. She wondered if she was the only person who noticed how pale he looked and how each step looked like complete agony. Yet Jon had always been a master at hiding his emotions from others—except perhaps Paul. Sofia noticed he had kept close beside Jon the entire time and recognised the concern in his gaze, one that mirrored her own. Jon now occupied a similar apartment to hers, farther down the hall. He had made it clear to all that her protection was still his responsibility and therefore insisted on remaining close by. She was unsure what protection he could offer as it looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over at any moment.

  Glancing back at the chronometer, she observed it was now very early in the morning and it was not just her anxiety for Jon that had kept her awake these past few nights. If she was completely honest with herself, she had become accustomed to the reassuring drumbeat of his heart while he had remained unconscious. Ever since then she had found it impossible to sleep.

  Sofia once again glanced at the datapad resting on her bedside table—the other reason why she had been unable to sleep, for she had fin
ished working on her first draft on this device only a few hours earlier. It had been Jon’s comment about leaving politics to the politicians that had given her the seed of the idea. She had spent the past week in the Senate library researching historical records for inspiration. Hopefully, what existed on that datapad would solve all their problems and give Jon and her a chance to be together, something he had so painfully reminded her was not currently possible.

  Finally, recognising sleep would not be forthcoming and that there was no time like the present, she climbed out of bed remembering the first time she had sneaked into Jon’s quarters late at night. Looking back at the incident on the Imperial Star, many months earlier, Sofia giggled at the memory of Jon’s look of complete shock and disbelief when she had pushed back her hood to reveal her face. However, the strongest memory of that event was how her mouth had gone dry when she had, for the very first time, seen Jon in nothing more than a pair of shorts. She vividly remembered how, as she had gazed upon his perfect figure, his sculpted chest, an unexpected bolt of desire had hit her, leaving her breathless.

  Perchance the same cloak she had worn that night was resting on the back of a chair in her apartment, one of the few articles of clothing she had brought with her. Giving the datapad one more thoughtful glace, a naughty smile spread across her face. I wonder what Jon is wearing tonight?

  Putting on the cloak and grabbing the datapad, she hurried from her room to find out.

  *****

  As had become his habit of late, Jon awoke slowly, clinging to the edge of a dream about Sofia. He was still half asleep and caught up in the strangeness of the dream, when something halted his progress. Something warm and soft, something that, when he reached over to drape an arm around to pull closer towards him, murmured a quiet, satisfied sound. His eyes still closed, he moved his hand leisurely down the length of it, only to have it stretch lazily and curl its bare legs with his.

  Slowly, it dawned on him he wasn’t alone in his bed. So he opened one eye slowly and, in the thin morning light that floated into the room, he saw Sofia and heard the soft sigh of her breathing. He smelt the musky fragrance of her hair and felt the heat of her body pressed intimately into his. His fingers wandered through her hair, skimming lightly over the silky strands before winding a single bright red coil around his finger.

  “Sofia,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. “What are you doing in my bed?”

  She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled sleepily. Her eyes were closed, but her mouth was open, curling into the hint of a naughty smile. “Hmm,” was all she said in reply. Her eyes remained closed.

  “What are you doing in my bed?” he repeated more urgently. “How did you get here?”

  “I climbed in, silly,” she yawned. “I sneaked into your room earlier, as I wanted to tell you something, but you were already asleep.”

  Jon could hear the irritation in her voice. “You sneaked into my apartment while I was asleep?” he asked. Surprised at how calm he managed to keep his voice, not to mention himself.

  She wrinkled her nose a bit. “Hmm, considering my current position, I prefer to think of it as sneaking into my apartment.” She yawned again and brushed her hands through her hair.

  “So did you sleep well?” He asked, considering this was the second time they had now slept together, he decided it was not worth the trouble to argue about it.

  “Hmm,” was all she said in reply. Her eyes remained closed.

  “So can I ask you why you sneaked into my apartment in the middle of the night?” He asked, genuinely curious. Anyway his body was starting to react to her closeness, as he could feel the warmth of her, pressed firmly against his bare chest, though her short, thin, white silky nightgown. Talking was a good idea; it stopped his mind drifting to other things.

  Finally opening her eyes, she stared into Jon’s beautiful grey eyes, only inches from her own. She could feel the warmth of his breath, but her gaze kept being drawn to his soft lips, so close to hers. Trying to focus on what he was saying, she finally remembered the purpose for her visit. “I’ve found a way for us to be together, for me to overcome my father’s burden. Please believe me Jon, it’s all on this datapad.” She motioned to the device she had slipped onto his bedside table, prior to climbing into bed with him, having been unwilling to wake him.

  Rolling over, so he was hovering over her, he stared into her sparkling emerald eyes, seeing the honesty of her words reflected in them. He didn’t even glance at the device on the table, for in truth he cared little for what the device might hold. All he ever wanted was right in front of him, here, now, and he finally gave into his long held desire for her. “Good enough,” he growled, a husky note clearly audible in his voice as he leaned forwards to kiss her passionately.

  Sofia had no chance to escape, and had no desire to do so. She suddenly found herself within his embrace and only had time to gasp with surprise as his mouth descended on hers. The touch of his mouth once again caused her whole being to explode into a thousand pieces of light. With a moan, she wound her arms around his neck, kissing him back with a passion that was causing her head to swim.

  Hearing him groaning, the sound so full of need as to feed her own desire at that moment, she felt his hands move over her body, the warm touch of him raising such need so deep within her. Sofia groaned back, moving in even closer against him, and felt his arousal against her leg through the thin shorts he wore in bed. She could feel herself sinking under the desire he was raising within her and her fingers moved shakily against his naked chest.

  As she moaned gently, she felt the rough hair of his chest under her fingers. Continuing down, they brushed along his firm stomach. With a deep masculine groan he pulled the top of her nightgown down in one quick, simple action. Sofia shuddered, her firm breasts revealed, the nipples so hard, as his hands cupped one, gently nipping the stiff centre before his mouth descended, his tongue teasing it so exquisitely. As she groaned, he pushed the thin garment down farther, allowing it to pool at her waist as he once more pulled her in tightly against him. Now their bare flesh was crushed together, sending shock waves through both of their bodies.

  With a deep, husky sound he swept her into his arms, gently laying her back down onto the bed, his mouth kissing her, keeping her head spinning, before moving away as she whimpered, wanting him back. However, she watched him with dark, passion-filled eyes as he quickly pulled off his shorts, his eyes moving down to admire her slender figure, all of which was quivering with such a need for him.

  Sofia watched him, gasping as he finally lay next to her, completely naked. She saw how aroused he was, how he devoured her with eyes which were glowing with such fire within them, as he once more lay over her. He saw the hesitation enter her eyes, along with the need in them. He kissed her neck, moving down to her breasts, taking each in turn, his tongue causing such sensations to travel through her as her back arched against him. As she writhed under him, her fingers ran down his side so gently that he shivered violently, once more consumed with the need to fill her, burying himself within her. As he raised himself over her, looking into those large emerald eyes, he saw such passion in them, watched as they fluttered closed, her legs automatically opening for him as he prepared to enter her.

  As he slowly began to thrust within her, she gasped loudly, her eyes flying open as he felt the resistance, the tear within her. Jon groaned, the realisation of her untouched state coming to him even while unable to stop his body’s determined advance. He kissed her stunned mouth, continuing to push more slowly as she stayed motionless. The sudden shock of his penetration stilling her before once again, with a small shudder, she began to move under him, as he finally felt his whole length filling her.

  Feeling the tightness all around him made him groan, as he felt the waves building within him. Stopping, panting gently, he held back from his need to thrust hard within her, his whole body shaking with what it took him to resist, as the sweat broke out on his brow. Finally, he was able to
begin moving gently as she gasped below him, her hands moving along his back, causing him to moan even louder.

  Sofia felt the pain as he took her, but it was a sweet pain, soon replaced by the wonderful sensations his movements were raising within her, as he rocked so gently. With each thrusting action she could feel the most amazing tremors running through her body, until with a cry, she felt herself erupt from the very core of her being. The waves of pleasure ripped through her entire body as she gasped, her head thrown back, unable to stop herself with the power of her orgasm which continued to hold her as she quivered, her whole body shuddering.

  Feeling the waves beating around him, Jon groaned with relief as he thrust deeper and faster, keeping her rocketing through space. When he came, such blessed relief filled him, the sensations so intense he heard himself crying out, becoming momentarily separated from his body, floating with her. After what seemed an age he fell limply over her softness, his weight pinning her as they both fought to steady their ragged breathing.

  Finally, in a state of euphoria, he gently kissed her, seeing the happiness in her eyes at what had just happened between them. At last he experienced the emotions he had been missing for so long. He looked down at her wonderful face, her expression showing the depth of her emotion and, for the first time since his sister’s death, he felt happy to be alive.

  Moving from her, he lay on his side, spooning her back against this chest, his fingers softly raking through her hair, before whispering into her ear. “Sleep, we can talk more about your idea later.”

  Sofia looked over her shoulder drowsily, nodding and giving him a tender kiss on the lips before her eyes fluttered shut.

  Jon waited until her breathing evened out, ensuring she was sleeping soundly, her naked form firmly wrapped in his arms, both of them covered by the blanket, before allowing his own eyes to slowly close, contentment overwhelming him.

  *****

  Jon awoke slowly, worrying for a moment that everything had just been a fantastic dream, but glancing at the sleeping angel in his arms, he was reassured that it was indeed no dream. Comforted that Sofia was fine, he slowly stretched his tired muscles, trying not to wake her, idly wondering what it was that had awoken him.