~ * ~ * ~
The resistance began to see a change in their leader, Rafian VCA. There was a spring to his step unlike before; he was very accommodating, talkative at times, and actually friendly. His habit of disappearing for long periods of time increased, but instead of returning with dust and mud caked to his body, he would return clean, freshly dressed, and beaming.
It was rumored that the young commander had found love somewhere. Most of his fellows believed her to live in Divina to the north. This was the ploy Rafian made them believe; instead, he would fly from Aygis to Divina and then bounce from Divina to a private shuttle within the walls of Vyre.
From Vyre he would fly off to Cally and ride a Buraa mount northwest to the hidden cottage that he and Rienne had set up as their home of escape. With the danger of discovery looming, the two would do this ritual only twice a month but would stay together for three to five days before painfully separating again. This continued for a long time during the war.
Sometimes they would do foolish things in desperation of finding each other—or out of love. For instance, when three lone Felitian soldiers in a starport of Veece discovered Rafian’s identity, Rienne, who happened to be passing by, watched her lover take them down, but he was injured in the process. With little heed to herself, she ran to his aid in plain view. He scolded her, since it jeopardized her life for them to be seen together, but she promptly explained that she couldn’t help it.
Rafian himself had foolishly stormed a trooper garrison and destroyed it based on his discovery that a superior officer had slapped Rienne in the face. As their relationship deepened, the foolish mistakes increased, and they both knew they would eventually get caught. There were also bright times, when they would retreat for a week to a remote location. They would disguise themselves as Lord and Lady VCA and fly off to Vare XV, Chebe, and sometimes Lochte.
As dangerous as their relationship was, Rafian VCA was a happy man. To him, he was not in love with a Felitian woman; he was in love with Rienne, a lost soul stuck in the Felitian’s world.
One day Rienne received a strange vid-message asking her to fly immediately to a waterfall in the country of Vyre. Not knowing what to expect, she made herself battle-ready and headed out to meet her fate, fearing that her sleeping with the enemy had finally been realized. On arrival, an official in full regalia was waiting there with Rafian. He was handsomely dressed in his military uniform and he looked at her as if she were New Year’s Day.
“Will you?” he asked and extended his gloved hand.
Fully understanding, Rienne replied, “Yes.”
Rafian VCA, freedom fighter and leader of the covert rebel group known as the Aygis, was married to Rienne Laren, Felitian baroness and lady of the house of Laren, Tyhera. They both took a month’s personal leave and escaped to Lochte for their honeymoon. Lochte was run by the infamous pirate Samael, who owed Rafian a favor from a long time ago.
For the honeymoon, Rafian had contacted him, and he set up accommodations for the commander and his new wife. They were promised no outside interference, and with the pleasure of peace for at least a month’s time, they left behind all communication devices and settled down.
“So here we are,” Rafian said finally when they were settled in.
The accommodations were exquisite. Samael lent him an outlying palace of sorts with everything provided, fully maintained by an android staff with no questions asked.
The palace was shaped like a disc, with the walls transparent and the furniture made of Zeynic glass and painted in off-white, yellows, and earth tones. The color matched the hot desert landscape that was the planet Lochte, and its planes of Yuir held up the massive twenty-story spike on which the palace balanced as it slowly spun through technological magic that only Samael could explain.
The entire interior was a lounge lizard’s dream, and the bar had enough liquor to host a year-long party with a thousand guests. Rienne made herself comfortable and plopped down on a dais, staring at her newly acquired ring.
“Rafian, I can’t keep this hidden. I can’t see myself taking it off. There will be questions. I will have to tell them that a rebel stole my heart!”
Rafian placed his wine glass on the counter and walked over to his wife. Kneeling in front of her, he took her ring finger, slipped it into his mouth, and slid it out slowly. Rienne began to giggle uncontrollably. “Stop, I’m being serious. How are we going to do this?”
Rafian got up from his knees, sat beside her, and examined the ring himself. “It is beautiful,” he said matter-of-factly. “I had it crafted by a close friend. The ring itself is made from Ranalese Drake tissue, and those are bits of death crystal around it.”
Rienne looked as if she couldn’t draw breath. “This must have cost a fortune!” she yelled, and Rafian laughed.
“It did, but you’re worth it. Look, we can keep hiding as long as you wish, but there are other alternatives—”
Before Rafian could continue, Rienne kissed him to silence whatever he was going to say. “I know the alternative, Raf, but they would never let me go. For you, I know switching sides is not an option, so it remains a choice I would have to make. This secrecy we have—it’s getting old.”
Standing up and walking away deep in thought, Rafian pondered. “I don’t want you to sacrifice your livelihood, Rhee, and if the Felitians lay one finger on you…” He closed his eyes and sighed. “I’d blow up the planet. Let’s drop it for now and enjoy our time together. The future will play itself out as it wishes.”