Tango

By Kerry McCommon

Part 5

Lazarus stopped by her quarters, quickly showered and changed into a clean tunic and leggings. She kept going over the revelation that her trusted friend was a spy. A spy responsible for quite a few deaths now, not to mention the end of her career. A spy who attempted to murder the person she was increasingly coming to realize was her soulmate. And now she needed to tell James DeForest. She rehearsed how she thought the conversation would go in her head. She knew the Commanding Officer would be shocked to hear that one of his most trusted inner circle was a traitor.

Hurrying around the corner to the CO’s office she was dismayed to almost run into Joan Warren. Not now, she thought. I don’t have time.

"Lazarus," Joan Warren was cool. "I need to speak to you."

"I don’t have time right now, Joan. Carter is better if that’s what you wanted to know."

"I heard. The medic let me know. But that’s not what I need to see you about," Joan looked unsure of herself. "I think I know who attacked her."

Kay Lazarus glanced around. "Let’s step in here, okay?" She walked into an empty office with Joan behind her. "What are you saying?" Kay cut to the chase.

"It’s a long story. I’m going to trust you even though it might be yet another mistake," Joan said quietly. She took a deep breath. "I am an agent of the Earth Security Force. I have been on Zebra for the last three years trying to uncover a spy."

Kay was astonished. The ESF was an elite group of agents who often went years gathering enough information to ferret out those who worked against the Federation. Their position was such that they never revealed their true jobs for fear of retaliation by the enemy.

"Why are you telling me?" Kay asked, not quite believing her.

"Because I don’t want Lt. Laughlin to get killed," she responded. "With you around her all the time, I can’t get close enough to her to protect her. I’m telling you so you’ll realize the danger she’s in." Kay said nothing, but waited for Joan to continue. "I think I’ve recently figured out who the spy is. I feel like a fool. He used me like a rank beginner against you."

"John Lyra?" Kay asked.

The surprise on Joan Warren’s face was only visible for a moment before her expression closed down. "How did you know that?"

"Actually Carter figured it out. I think that’s why she was attacked," Kay told her, not sure how far she could trust her.

"I’m sure it was why she was attacked. He’s gotten a little careless in the last couple of weeks," Joan said. "I’d suspected him for a while. He’s the one who led me to believe you were the spy back when you were stationed here. You left, and all activity stopped. Then I caught an outgoing transmission a while back, but couldn’t pinpoint the source except that I knew it came from the station. That’s when I knew I was wrong. He had misled me. Then I caught another transmission and traced it to security."

Kay blinked. "You thought I was a spy?"

"Yes," Joan shook her head. "He led me to believe it was you. Obviously I was wrong. I was angry with you and ready to believe the worst. Plus he was pretty convincing. All of the evidence was circumstantial, but it added up. Or seemed to at the time." She frowned. "I’m afraid he’s cornered. Laughlin is in a lot of danger, Lazarus."

"Does DeForest know you’re ESF?" Kay asked.

"Yes. And when I went after you he told me I was wrong, but I didn’t listen. That’s why he couldn’t do anything to help you. The agency was backing me up," Joan told her with obvious regret.

Kay let this information sink in for a minute and then made a decision. "Then go talk to him," she said. "We need his help to get John. And I need your help to keep Carter safe. I’ve got to get her away from the med center."

"Where will you take her?" Joan asked.

"I’m not sure," Kay said thoughtfully, although she had a pretty good idea.

*

"Can you sit up?" she asked Carter. "We’ve got to get you out of here right now." Carter slowly sat up in the med center bed, then waited for the dizziness to pass. Slowly the stars that were dancing in front of her eyes faded.

"I’m okay," she said, her face as pale as the sheet. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and slowly go to her feet, Kay holding her under one elbow. "I just needed to stand up." She fought back nausea.

Kay’s anxiety over Carter’s condition mounted as the smaller woman swayed on her feet. "If I didn’t think this was necessary, I wouldn’t make you go through this." She couldn’t tell Carter how it physically hurt her to see Carter in pain. The sight of this sweet woman suffering because of John Lyra brought up more anger than Kay could contain. She growled.

"What’s the matter?" Carter asked alarmed. Her color was perking up a bit, and she seemed steadier on her feet. She took a few tentative steps toward the drawer that held her clothes.

"I’m going to kill him for doing this to you," Kay Lazarus spoke without thinking.

Carter stopped in her tracks. "Not on my account, you’re not," she told Kay, the old flash back in her eyes. "You promise me, you won’t hurt anyone on my account. Let the authorities handle him, Kay. I know you’re angry with him, but don’t become a killer for me."

"I already am a killer," Kay looked down at her. "I’ve killed in battle many times."

"That’s different," Carter said quietly. "Killing in battle is different from deciding to murder someone. Promise me, Kay." Carter’s gaze locked onto Kay’s icy blue eyes. "Promise me."

"I promise," Kay’s anger faded as her lover’s trust and kindness washed over her. Mushball, she thought disgustedly. "Come on. We’ve got to get going. Let me help you dress."

"Oooh, sounds like that could be fun," Carter joked wanly, but she submitted to Kay’s ministrations. Kay helped her step into her coverall, then Carter sat as Kay pulled her boots on for her. This time when she stood back up she felt the ground hold still beneath her feet. "Better already," she said.

Kay raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I think I’ll hold on to you anyway," she replied.

"Okay," Carter agreed a little too quickly. "Where are we going anyway?"

"To the Tango," Kay replied. "We’re leaving the station for the time being."

*

Kay sat at the controls of the Tango, Carter strapped in riding shotgun. She asked for and received clearance from the docking master and the huge airlock door hissed open. Suddenly the docking master said, "Halt disengaging procedure. Sorry, Tango, there’s been a security override."

"Oh no," said Carter, her hand to her forehead.

Joan Warren’s voice then came through on the comm link. "This is a level one override, docking master. The Tango is clear to leave."

Carter looked in shock at Kay. "How’d you work that? Or do I want to know?"

Kay Lazarus smiled humorlessly. "I’ll tell you when we’re away. There’s good news and bad news."

"Stand down, Lazarus," John Lyra’s voice came through. Kay ignored him as the docking door slid open. She began to slowly pilot the Tango out of docking. "Stand down!" Lyra’s voice took on an hysterical edge. "Stand down or I will shoot you out of the sky."

Kay continued to ignore him. Pulling free of the station, she banked the Tango and moved away. "Tango to bridge," she said.

"Come in Tango, this is Warren," replied Joan.

"Thanks for your assistance, bridge," said Kay. "We’ll be in touch." She adjusted a control and turned to Carter. "Hang on. Here we go."

The Tango shot into hyperspace. Carter became one with her seat until the G force let go after a few seconds. She looked at Lazarus who was grinning from ear to ear. "That makes you happy, doesn't it?" she smiled at Kay.

"It’s a rush," Kay said sheepishly. "I’ve never gotten tired of it." She expertly handled the Tango’s controls feeling more at home than she had in weeks. "You can unstrap yourself now if you want to. Do you need to go lie down?"

Carter unsnapped her straps. "No. Lighter gravity seems to alleviate my headache some. Where are we going? And am I AWOL?"

Kay smiled at her. "Sorry if it seems like I’m running your life. No, you’re not AWOL. DeForest knows where you are, or at least that you’re with me. You have permission to be gone as long as we need to be. And as for where we are going, I thought we might head in the direction of the Gamma colony. See what we can find out."

"Okay," Carter said. She thought for a minute then turned to Kay. "Did you check the Tango for bugs or trackers?"

"I ran diagnostics."

"Diagnostics didn’t pick up the last ones. Do you mind if I look?" she inquired.

Kay threw a worried look at her. "Are you sure you’re up for this?"

"Sure," Carter said. She scooted under the console. "Comm link will be down for a minute," she said.

"That’s nothing new," Lazarus responded. Carter fell silent as she worked. Every few minutes Lazarus would peek under the console and check on Carter who was intently checking every crevice for extraneous parts.

Finally she emerged. "All clear," she reported. She sat up slowly and rested her head on her hands until the room quit spinning.

"Please go lie down for a while," Kay watched her. She engaged the autopilot and put a hand down to help Carter to her feet. "Come on." She hoisted Carter up on her feet and placed her arm around her waist.

"I think I will. I’m a little tired," Carter admitted. "Where should I lie down?"

"In my bunk," said Kay. She led Carter into the larger of the two personal quarters and helped her into bed. Kay leaned over her and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "Sleep well," she told the younger woman whose eyes were already fluttering closed.

Carter snaked an arm around the back of Kay’s neck and pulled her down. "Not good enough," she whispered, pressing her lips to Kay’s. Kay allowed herself to fall deeply into the sensations of the kiss. Her breath quickening, she pulled away. Carter groaned.

"You need sleep and I need to get us where we’re going. We’ll finish this conversation later," she smiled sweetly at Carter.

*

Carter awoke hours later in the dark, her arm clinched tightly around Kay’s bare waist, her leg thrown over Kay’s. She felt surprisingly alert as if she had slept for hours. Running her hand up Kay’s body she cupped Kay’s breast, and felt her lover wake up. Kay turned over to face Carter and pulled her closer. Carter leaned her head in and kissed Kay lightly several times before deepening the kiss, then pulling back and moving down her throat. She ran her tongue between Kay’s breasts, then kissed each breast while running her hands down the length of Kay’s sides and up her thighs. "Tell me what you want," she breathed into Kay’s ear.

"You," Kay whispered. "I want you. I want it all."

The next morning they were awakened by the comm link. "Space Station Zebra to Tango. Come in Tango." Kay pried her eyes open feeling she hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep, hopped up and trotted to the bridge.

"Zebra, this is Tango. Go ahead."

"Lazarus, this is Joan Warren," the executive officer’s tone was stilted. "A fighter has been taken without authorization from the station and John Lyra is missing. We have reason to believe he may be coming your way."

"Coming after us or heading to the rim?" Kay asked.

"We’ve had information from a ship who spotted him on route to the Gamma colony. All we know is a general direction. I wanted to let you know," Warren said.

"Thanks, Zebra. I’ll keep an eye out."

"How’s Lt. Laughlin feeling?" Warren asked. "The captain wanted to know."

"Tell the captain she’s much better. Thanks for asking, Joan," Lazarus ragged her a little.

A small pause from the other end. "Glad to hear it. Keep in touch. Zebra out."

Lazarus looked at Carter who had padded over and was listening to the conversation. They both laughed. Carter put her arm around Kay’s waist and pulled her close. Looking up into the eyes that could melt her, Carter said, "I need to hear everything. Especially how you and my XO are suddenly such good buddies."

"Good buddies may be a bit of an overstatement, but I think we’ve cleared the air about a couple of things." Kay filled Carter in on the conversation she had had with Joan Warren.

Carter was shocked by the admission that Joan had been duped into ruining Lazarus’s career. "Are you going to apply for reinstatement?" she asked Kay.

"I don’t think so," Kay said wryly. "Too much water under the bridge since then." Carter was looking at her seriously. "It’s been too long," Kay said again.

"I think you should think about it, Major," Carter took her hand. "Don’t dismiss the idea without talking to me about it anyway. If we’re going where I think we’re going, then it’s going to have an effect on my life too."

Kay couldn’t speak for a moment. "I hadn’t really thought of it like that. You’re right. I guess a career decision is a partnership decision, not just mine."

"Hmm. Partnership. I like the sound of that," Carter smiled at her.

*

Several hours from the Gamma colony Lazarus told Carter to strap herself back in for the fallout from hyperspace. "How close are we?" Carter asked as she strapped in.

"Not as close as I would normally get before fallout, but we don’t know what to expect. As far as I know, no one has heard from Gamma colony since the Ultharian attack," Lazarus responded grimly. "The whole planet could be gone."

"Maybe just their communications array was taken out," Carter said hopefully. "If they destroyed the whole planet, what was the purpose? The mining operation would be gone too."

"Terror. That’s the purpose of an attack like that. It’s to frighten other more profitable or strategic places into surrendering without a fight," Kay told her. "Besides, we aren’t sure where Lyra may be. I know he couldn’t have gotten here before us, if this is where he’s going, but he could have allies looking for us." Looking for you, she thought. And promise or no promise, I will kill to protect you.

"Oh," Carter said. "I never thought of allies. Do we have a plan?"

"I have a couple of ideas," Kay reassured her. She leaned over the controls and the stars changed from streaks to dots as the Tango fell out of hyperspace. Carter tried to control her lurching stomach. Kay shot her a look as Carter involuntarily groaned. "You okay?"

"Going in and out of hyperspace has never been my idea of a good time," Carter explained, the color slowly coming back into her face. She looked out the viewscreen. "Oh my god, we’re in an asteroid field."

"Yep," Kay laughed. "And you thought falling out of hyperspace was fun." She keyed in a command. "We’ll head to the edge of it and hide out for a little while until we get a little more information." Carter tried not to watch as asteroids streaked past the Tango trailing dust clouds. "Why don’t you raise the space station and see what the latest news is?" Kay thought the distraction might help Carter feel more secure. They were perfectly safe due to the Tango’s enhanced shields, computers, and warning systems, but the sight of asteroids shrieking at you could be a tad unnerving, she admitted.

"Good idea," Carter immediately turned to the comm link and hailed Zebra.

Come in Tango. This is Zebra," Annie Woo’s voice came back at her.

"Hi Annie. This is Carter."

"Carter! Feeling better?"

"Much, thanks for asking. What’s the latest? Heard anything from Gamma?"

"We heard that a ship picked up an emergency blip but couldn’t reach an actual person. They weren’t equipped to land so they couldn’t do too much about it."

"Has the Federation sent help?"

"They’ve been stingy because of the threat, but we heard that yes, they’ve finally sent a starship."

"Big of ‘em. Heard anything else about the appropriated fighter?" Carter asked cautiously.

"Hang on a sec, Carter. The captain wants to talk to you."

"Lt. Laughlin, glad to hear you’re feeling better," said James DeForest.

"Thank you, Captain," Carter unconsciously straightened up in her chair. "And I wanted to thank you, sir, for allowing me leave for a couple of days."

"Not exactly leave, lieutenant. More like running for your life," he responded grimly. "And it’s going to turn into a mission. Lazarus there too?"

"Yes, sir," Lazarus said.

"He’s on his way there, Lazarus. And we have information that he’s meeting the Ultharians. We don’t know what their intent is, other than bad news for us. I have an idea. A risky idea, but I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you could do it." He explained his idea to them. Carter watched Kay take it in and saw the glitter in her eyes at the idea of a confrontation. She sighed. Well, if she was going to be partners with a warrior, then she’d better learn to be a warrior herself.

DeForest signed off wishing them luck. "What do you think? Are you up for this?" Kay asked Carter.

"It’s a little scary, but yeah, I’m ready," she told Kay. "I trust you. I know you can do this."

"We can do it," Kay corrected. "I’ll need your help." She cast an appraising look at Carter. "Have you ever fired a gun in battle?"

Carter laughed nervously. "No."

Kay shook her head. "I can do it if you don’t want to. It’s a big deal if you’ve never done it before."

"Why don’t you teach me how and we’ll go from there," Carter suggested, remembering her earlier resolve to become a warrior. Okay, maybe a warrior’s sidekick, she thought. She moved to the weapons station and sat watching the screen.

Lazarus hesitated, wondering about Carter’s desire to learn to change spaceships into dust particles. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. "I’m not sure I want the responsibility of teaching you how to kill," Kay told her softly.

Carter looked up at her. "Just teach me, Kay. Maybe I won’t have to actually do it, but if we get in a jam and I need to, it’s better that I know how." Seeing Kay’s reluctance, she smiled encouragingly. "It’s okay, honey. I need to know what I’m getting into. Knowledge is a good thing."

"All right. But if you want to stop, say so," Kay agreed. "Let’s shoot some asteroids. They’re excellent targets, with about the same intelligence and dexterity as an Ultharian." Carter laughed and took the weapons control. "There are two ways to shoot," Kay explained, suddenly all business. "For a larger ship, you let the computer target weapons or shields or life support, depending on your goal. For the Ultharians, we’ll target engines." She showed Carter how to program for those eventualities. "Fighting a smaller faster ship, like one of our fighters, you just shoot slightly ahead of where you think they’ll be. Any hit will take them out. That’s how we’ll shoot at the asteroids."

Carter listened to Kay explain the finer points and tricks she used in battle. Knowing she was learning from someone that was considered a master, she paid close attention and was unafraid to ask questions. After a thorough lesson, Kay decided she was ready to shoot. "I’m going to teach you the antimatter torpedoes. We’ll save the particle beam for later."

"Okay," Carter was anxious to try her hand. With Kay’s guidance, she took aim and fired a torpedo. Kay laughed as the asteroid sailed by unharmed. "Missed it by a mile," Carter was disappointed.

"You know how to get to Carnegie Hall, don’t you? Practice, practice, practice," Kay smiled.

Carter grinned sheepishly. "Let me try again."

"Sure. That’s what we’re here for." A few wasted torpedoes later, Carter made a hit and a small asteroid disintegrated into dust. "Way to go!" Kay cheered her. Carter had a grin on her face that stretched from ear to ear. Kay leaned down and kissed her. "I knew you could do it," she told her beaming lover. "I’m proud of you."

"Thanks," Carter said. "I had a good teacher." Several hours later Carter was hitting more than she was missing. She had done severe damage to any asteroids foolish enough to wander into her path. She turned to Kay. "I’m starving. When did we eat last?"

"This morning," Kay said. "I’ll go tear open a couple of S rations."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Carter said. "You know what the S in S rations stands for, don’t you? I can do better than that."

Kay smiled at the old joke that she had said herself not too long ago to someone she thought was a friend. "Okay, go ahead," she told Carter. "I’ll get us set up to take a break." Carter wandered off into the galley and soon Kay heard the clanking of kitchen tools she never used. Kay programmed the controls to move the Tango away from the asteroid field enough to place them out of any danger of proximity warnings, but close enough that they were still almost impossible to spot or scan. When she felt satisfied, she moved into the galley where Carter was putting food onto plates.

"Eat," she said, placing the plates on the table. Kay sat down and began to eat.

"This is great," she said after the first bite. "Where did you learn to cook?"

"I have many skills," Carter told her.

"I know," Kay purred. "But where did you learn to cook?"

Carter laughed. "My grandmother."

"Lucky you," Kay said. "I never knew any of my grandparents."

"Yeah, I was lucky," Carter said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

Kay’s heart wrenched. "You miss her, huh?"

"A lot," Carter admitted. "We were close. She died a few years ago." Kay watched her in silence. "She got that Mars virus that caused a form of senility. She had been so sharp. It was really hard to watch. We ended up having to put her in a facility for victims of the virus. One day I went to see her and we were sitting in the common area. I was talking to her, trying to remind her of the old days before she got sick, but I don’t even know if she knew who I was anymore. She hadn’t spoken in months. And then she suddenly perks up and points at an old woman sitting across the room from us and calls out ‘Mama!’" Carter’s eyes welled up. "I was shocked. Her mother had been dead for years, of course. She got more and more upset calling out ‘Mama’ to the old woman who was oblivious to the whole situation. I had to get her back to her room and put her to bed where she cried herself to sleep. Then I went home and cried myself to sleep." Carter smiled at Kay through her tears. "She died soon after that."

Kay had taken Carter’s hand and now pulled her over to sit on her lap. "I’m sorry, baby. I know that must have been hard." Kay was touched by Carter’s obvious love for her grandmother. "She was lucky to have had you, too."

Carter wiped her eyes and returned to her seat. "Eat,"she said. "I’m sorry I brought all that up. I don’t know why…" Her voice trailed off, obviously embarrassed at her emotional display.

Kay reached for her hand. "You don’t ever have to be embarrassed to tell me anything," she told Carter. "I love you. I would never think less of you or anyone for loving someone and letting it show."

Carter managed to smile. "I love you too. Hey, show me the particle beam."

"Okay," said Kay, secretly relieved at the change in emotional temperature. "You sure you’re not too tired?"

"Nope. Or I won’t be as soon as I finish eating." Carter picked up her fork.

"Great. Let’s do it."

*

"Zebra to Tango. Come in Tango."

"Zebra, this is Tango." Kay Lazarus answered the incoming call. Carter watched her from the weapons controls.

"Lazarus, we’ve got confirmed reports of Ultharian warships nearing your area. I’m sending last known coordinates," DeForest informed her. "Everything still a go?"

"Yes, sir," A smile tweaked one corner of Kay’s mouth. "How’s everything there?"

"We’re good to go, Lazarus," he replied. "Look after my crew member. And yourself."

"Not a problem, Captain," she signed off glancing at Carter. Carter grinned back. "The game is afoot," Kay’s excitement level was contagious. Kay pulled up the coordinates for the three Ultharian warships. "Start scanning for their location. I’m going to get us out of here and see if we can find them."

Carter began doing the job she had trained for, a little relieved to not be sitting at the weapons controls anymore. "Got them," she told Kay, locking the warships in on the scanner.

"Sit tight," Kay said. Carter felt her adrenaline rush as the Tango swung out of the asteroid field and streaked across the night sky. "We don’t have their firepower but we are more maneuverable and faster, although they wouldn’t know that to look at us."

"They can scan us and find out pretty quick," Carter said.

"But why would they? We’re going to tag along near them and be sure of where they’re headed before we do anything. As far as they know, we’re just a cargo ship minding our own business."

"There they are," Carter said looking at the screen. She adjusted the controls to lock in the Ultharian ships.

"Don’t scan their weapons or shields," Kay said. "Let’s not draw any attention to ourselves." The Tango fell in far behind the other ships. Kay looked over at Carter who was all business. "I was worried when we first started flying together that you would be a distraction to me, but I think I feel more focused than I ever have before. Having you on board the Tango has made me more aware of my surroundings than ever. Being around you makes me feel more… alive."

Carter stared at her for a moment. "Thank you, sweetheart." She knew from Kay’s expression that those words had not come easily. She also knew that Kay Lazarus was fiercely protective of her and that was probably what had made Kay’s focus and awareness even more sharp than it already was. She turned back to her job with a small smile. She was glad that her lover felt more alert than usual because she still found Kay Lazarus to be a big distraction. A huge distraction. She loved to watch the way she moved with her long legged grace. She loved the way her eyes could pin her to the bed. She loved the low rumble of her voice when she called her name. She loved the way her face looked when she wanted Carter so badly it was all she could think of. She loved…

"Carter?"

Carter realized that this was at least the second time Kay had called her. "I’m sorry. What?"

"Whatcha thinking about? You had a really interesting look on your face," Kay tried not very hard not to smirk.

Carter felt the heat on her cheeks. "I’ll tell you later." She forced herself to focus back on the job at hand and to ignore Kay who was snickering at her.

The next few hours passed without incident, the Ultharians ignoring them altogether. Kay and Carter worked quietly and efficiently together. At some point, Carter disappeared into the galley and returned with two steaming bowls of food. Kay ate appreciatively and then got up and returned the bowls to the neat galley. She looked at the area with new eyes. Just having someone use it made it seem cleaner somehow and more like…home. She smiled at the satisfying feeling and moved back to her station, settling back into the rhythm of the ship. She glanced at Carter who looked tired.

"Do you need to lie down?" Kay asked.

"No, I’m fine," Carter replied. "I probably need to exercise more than I need to lie down. Maybe I’ll walk around the ship for a minute." She looked up as a motion caught her attention on the viewscreen. "Look out!"

The shot caught them broadside as the fighter ship veered over the top of the Tango. "Strap in," commanded Kay as she banked the ship away from the fighter. Carter scrambled for her seat and managed to fasten her harness. "Open a comm link," Kay told her.

"Hello, Johnny," Kay said calmly. "What took you so long?" Belying her calm attitude, her hands were quickly moving the controls to adjust the shields and ready the weapons array. A small dangerous smile had appeared on her face, intensified by the glittering in her icy eyes. She looked happy. And sexy. She was in her element with no doubts and no fear. Carter pushed her own fear aside and decided to trust Kay. To her surprise she felt an edge of excitement rise to the surface and she grinned in anticipation.

"I wanted you to have time to contemplate your death, Lazarus," John Lyra’s voice came back over the link. "And your girlfriend’s too. It’s a shame you had to involve her. Now you’ll have her blood on your hands too."

"Oh, she’s not going to die, Johnny," Kay actually laughed at him. "You’re the one who’s made a mistake here." She swung the Tango and fired a shot at his ship that he narrowly avoided. "In fact, it’s the biggest mistake of your life." She fired the particle beam at his ship forcing him to back off and take evasive maneuvers.

"Kay, the Ultharians are turning about," Carter informed her.

"You notice things just got worse?" John Lyra sneered. "The folks I work for aren’t too happy with you right now."

Kay fired the particle beam again at the fighter ship keeping Lyra at bay. "Here we go. Hang on." She shot off two more quick blasts at the fighter then turned about and threw the ship into hyperdrive. Carter fought her nausea for a moment before her equilibrium balanced. "Are they following us?" Kay asked Carter as soon as soon as she looked as if she could speak.

Carter forced her hands to work the controls. "Yep," she said. "All of them."

"Good," Kay grimly said. "Open an encrypted link to Zebra. Tell them we’re on the way." Carter did as she was asked, sending the agreed upon message to the deep space station.

"They’re gaining on us," Carter said.

"I want them to. I want them overconfident," Kay told her. "I won’t let them hurt us."

"I know," Carter said, the trust and confidence in her voice making Kay glance over at her in wonder. She wasn’t sure what she had done to earn this woman’s trust but she would do everything in her power to make sure it didn’t disappear. Carter caught her eye and smiled at her. Now is not the time, thought Kay. Don’t get distracted.

"Here we are," Kay said. "This is going to be a rough fallout so prepare yourself." Carter braced herself in her seat leaning forward slightly to help stabilize her stomach. The Tango screamed out of hyperdrive and Carter swallowed hard. The Tango was falling out fast and spinning about at the same time. Carter looked at the viewscreen and was relieved to see the space station with weapons at the ready, fighters in formation all around, and best of all, a Federation starship bristling with armor and weapons. The Tango backed into place alongside the rest of the contingent. "Afternoon boys," Kay Lazarus failed to contain the glee in her voice.

"Nooo!" John Lyra’s voice came clearly through the comm link as his fighter and the Ultharian ships fell out of hyperdrive. As soon as the starship came into view, he knew he had been ambushed.

The battle was over quickly. The three Ultharian ships were quickly disabled and destroyed by the combination of the space station’s weapons and the overpowering size and force of the starship. Kay Lazarus took on John Lyra’s fighter herself after he refused an offer to surrender. His ship was disabled by the first shot that nicked it. Kay locked the particle beam on and repeated her offer to surrender. He responded by attempting to fire at her. She was on the verge of turning him and his crippled ship into space dust when she felt Carter watching her. She hesitated, then went on her link telling the fighter ships to capture him. They quickly disabled his weapons and subdued him. The fighters and their captured ship returned to the station. The starship continued on its mission to Gamma colony satisfied that the current Ultharian threat was contained.

Kay Lazarus’s eyes still glittered with the lust of battle as she turned to Carter Laughlin and grinned. "You did good." Carter nodded, unfamiliar with the feeling that overwhelmed her. Kay however was not unfamiliar with it, and recognizing it in her lover she locked her icy blue eyes onto Carter’s green ones. "Take your clothes off," she quietly insisted. Carter reached for her coverall and unsnapped it, kicking off her boots and pulling her coverall down. Her eyes never left Kay’s as she reached over and undid Kay’s clothes, pushing them down to the floor. Kay pulled her close, the fierceness of the passsion overwhelming the moment.

"Turn around," Kay’s smoky voice told her. Carter shuddered and complied, allowing Kay to push her gently toward the console. Kay’s weight on her as she lightly bit her back and kissed her neck found Carter leaning over the console. Kay’s leg between her own pushed her legs apart and Carter was surprised that the groan she heard was coming from her. Kay’s skillful hands reached around and cupped Carter’s breasts tweaking them enough to make her breathing rapid and erratic. Kay pressed her thigh against Carter’s spread legs, causing Carter to push back shamelessly against her.

"Oh please, Kay" Carter moaned. She reached to her breast and took Kay’s hand, pushing it down toward her open legs.

"Please, what? Tell me what you want, baby," Kay teased her, her voice a curious mixture of laughter and desire.

"Touch me. Go inside me," Carter insisted, her breathing rapid, pressing herself hard against Kay’s thigh again. Kay let go of Carter and dropped to her knees behind her. Her hand slipped in the soft folds that willingly parted. She found the spot she was looking for and began a slow circular motion that left Carter melting down onto Kay’s hand. Kay moved her other hand up and slid it into Carter, feeling her turn from silk to corduroy. "Oh yes, oh by god yes," Carter babbled as Kay moved her hands, knowing instinctively what Carter wanted and giving it to her. She nipped her lightly on the thigh as Carter finally arched back in release, staying inside of her lover until the aftershocks quieted.

Carter turned to Kay, still on her knees, and pushed her back on the floor of the Tango. Her eyes narrowed with desire, Carter reached down and pushed Kay’s legs apart. Her eyes raking down her body, she whispered, "By the gods, you’re a beautiful woman." She bent forward and kissed Kay, her fingers splaying out over Kay’s breasts. She ran her hands down Kay’s sides and back up the inside of her thighs. Kay reached up and ran her hand through the back of Carter’s blond hair grabbing it lightly and pulling her down to kiss her. The lust of battle and sex combined like their tongues, fighting for dominance. Carter pulled away first, pinning Kay down with the desire in her eyes. She moved her mouth down to Kay’s breasts, tugging at them making them stand at attention. Kay suddenly felt as if her heart would actually beat through the wall of her chest. The intensity of her feelings for this woman was so unexpected that it almost frightened her. Carter sensed the shift in her lover and looked inquiringly into her face.

"I’m okay," Kay assured her. Carter watched for a moment to be sure then continued her journey down her lover’s body. She nipped lightly at the convex of Kay’s body causing her to arch and moan. Kay spread her legs further and allowed Carter access to her most private parts. Carter breathed in the damp musk that belonged to Kay and moaned. Spreading her with her fingers, she reached her tongue in and found the hard spot she sought. Kay lifted up her hips and pressed against Carter’s mouth, her hands reaching behind her head looking for something to grab hold of. Finding the pedestal of the chair she clamped onto it with both hands as she arched into Carter who had slid her fingers into Kay. She rocked hard against Carter and felt as if the top of her head was flying off with the sensations her lover was causing. When she felt the release of her body from the delicious tension that had built, Kay cried out Carter’s name. Trying to catch her breath, she clamped down on Carter’s hand when she tried to withdraw. "Not yet," she pleaded. Happy to oblige, Carter stayed where she was until Kay’s breathing and heartbeat had returned to normal. She stroked her lover’s belly and legs, memorizing the creases and shape of her lover’s body. Finally Kay allowed her to move back up to her shoulder where Carter lay her head.

They lay in silence, both emotionally overwhelmed by the intensity of the past few hours. Carter lay in her usual position, her arm wrapped around Kay’s waist, her leg thrown over Kay’s. Finally she lifted her head and looked at Kay. "I’m cold. And hungry. I need to move," she said reluctantly. Kay smiled at her, the look of love in her eyes as blatent as anything Carter had known. Carter pulled her as close as she could. "I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love you too, Carter. From the moment I saw you," Kay whispered back. Their eyes locked onto each other and they both knew that there was a bond between them that was unlike anything either of them had even hoped for before. Reluctantly Kay let go and stood, then helped Carter to her feet.

The comm link chimed and a voice asked, "Everything all right out there, Tango?"

Looking into her lover’s eyes, Kay responded, "Yes. Everything is perfect."

The End