CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tigh and Ginny came together in a long, cool, leisurely lovemaking that spoke without words of the love between them. She went to him as soon as they were alone in their suite, and he gave her everything she wanted…and more.

After the long day they’d had of ceremony and scrutiny, it was good to just relax and be free to be themselves. Together. Ginny asked for passion, and Tigh delivered, treating her like the empress she had just become.

Oh, she wasn’t going to let a fancy title and some formal rigmarole change her from who she’d always been, but Ginny had to admit, being in charge felt good. Natural, to her, after the years spent as captain of her own ship. Ruler of her own destiny. Head honcho in charge of figuring out what to do.

She tried not to think of the billions of jit’suku lives she now had influence over. She preferred to think of them the way she thought of her crew—as extended family that she wanted to look out for to the utmost of her ability. True, the number of people she was now responsible for had increased by several orders of magnitude, but she couldn’t think of that. She had to focus on the small ways she could improve the lives of those around her and, by extension, the rest of the empire.

In the aftermath of lovemaking, she lay awake in Tigh’s arms, thinking. Ginny had expected to sleep well after the rigors of the day. Though relaxed, she found her mind wandering down those paths, filled with jit’suku. All looking toward her for some sort of salvation. It was a serious responsibility.

“Still awake?” Tigh’s voice rumbled above her head. She was snuggled into his side, his arm around her from above as they lay side by side on the enormous bed.

“Yes. Thinking,” she revealed. “I want to be a good empress for your people,” she told him earnestly.

“Our people, love,” he reminded her, squeezing her shoulder for a quick moment. “Just keep on as you have been. The people will come to love you as I do. Already, they’re talking about the way you so obviously care for your pages.”

“I didn’t realize the news bots would be so close. I thought they’d be in front, focused on you,” she admitted.

“From what I understand, that’s evident on the recording. Popular opinion says that the gestures you made toward the children were not staged, but true gestures of affection. It’s a good start. As time goes on, we will build on this day and create a lasting peace for our galaxies.”

She could almost hear trumpets when he spoke like that, but she knew he was just saying what he truly believed. There was no need for pretense between them. Not ever.

“You’re a good man, Tigh.” She snuggled into him, placing a kiss on his chest, over his heart.

He rolled, unexpectedly, coming over her and joining their bodies as he looked into her eyes. She hadn’t realized he was ready again, or that such a little gesture would generate such a big response, but she liked it. Somehow, her body was always ready for this man. Her beloved. Her mate.

He set a pace, and her temperature rose almost instantly, along with her desire. Tigh knew just how to touch, how to arouse with just a glance. When he focused on her so totally, she was powerless to resist.

But there was no way she wanted to resist this. Not when it was so intensely pleasurable. So life-affirming. So real. Nothing had ever been as perfect in her life as when Tigh was making love to her.

And that’s what it was, she knew. For the jit’suku—according to the secret research she’d been performing, here and there, in her few moments alone—once a jit’suku male discovered the woman meant for him through the first kiss, the nij’ta, that was it. He was smitten. His whole being was engaged. His mind, his heart, his soul. That’s what all the reference sources said, and that’s what she felt from Tigh, every time he looked at her or took her in his arms and kissed her.

“I love you, Tigh,” she told him, unable to keep from speaking as her body rose in ecstasy. She started to babble, repeating herself as climax hit, but Tigh held her throughout, even as he shouted his own release.

As they came down from the heights of passion together, he held her tight, kissing her face, her hair, her lips. “I love you, now and always, empress of my heart,” he whispered, and suddenly, the empire didn’t matter. The war didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered to her in this moment other than knowing she had Tigh’s love.

*

A few months later, when the babies finally appeared, the birth of a male heir was met with joy that spread throughout the jit’suku empire. The fact that the second twin was a girl brought a special kind of hope to every planet of the empire and the human galaxy, as well.

While it was true that twins ran in both families, twins of mixed genders was a truly special event. It was the first such birth since Gruber’s virus had been unleashed on the universe. Since then, human females had been able to have mostly male offspring with the Sons of Amber. Jit’suku males had been out of luck with almost all their females gone, but the scientists had claimed female children would be the result of breeding with human women.

The fact that Tigh and Ginny had one of each had given hope to both races and proven that the two races could, in time, become one, ending the war forever. It would take a few generations and lots of work and understanding on both sides, but it could be done.

As Tigh and Ginny presented their twin miracles to the court on Solaris Prime, and the news bots that would stream the images of their tiny little faces all over the universe, their love was clear to all who saw the happy family. There was real affection between emperor and empress. Ginny had endeared herself to the jit’suku people and the many young orphans that had the run of the palace.

Ginny was grateful to the Goddess who had shown such an interest in her and acted so directly, and unexpectedly, in her life. Some of her friends had already found the same happiness she had, and for that, she was also thankful. It was good to see her crew and family doing so well in this new environment. Even her mother and aunt had suitors, which made Ginny want to giggle as much as her young cousin did.

She was grateful for it all. For peace. For a promising future. For the growing acceptance of her presence, and for the two small miracles cooing in her arms. But most of all, she was thankful to have captured Tigh’s heart…and, no matter what, she knew, she would never give it back. The stars would fade, and the universe go dark before she would stop loving this man who had given her a life she never expected but was coming to love more with each passing day.

Ginny had been truly blessed. As the people looked for the first time at their new prince and princess, Ginny sent a little prayer up to the Goddess in thanks for all that had happened. They’d been through tough times. They’d lost so many dear friends and family members. They’d been through hell and had come out on the other side.

She didn’t deserve to be this happy, but she was thankful to have had this second chance. This chance to heal the rift between two warring peoples. This chance to love and be loved.

And as Tigh revealed the names they had chosen for their newborn babies, a cheer went up in the great hall. They had decided to name their babies for two of their ancestors. Their boy would be called Tren, after the jit’suku emperor who had brought about the longest period of peace between their people to date. This Tren, they hoped, would oversee the peace that would last forever. Their daughter, they decided to name Magdelana, after Ginny’s ancestor, the galactic superstar and spy called simply, Diva, who had been such a daring and famous woman in her own time. Both babies were given Starbridge as a middle name, so as never to forget their human heritage.

As the High Priest pronounced a public blessing over the babies, their parents stood over them. Tigh had his arm around her shoulders, and he leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek, much to the approval of those watching. What they didn’t hear were the words he spoke near her ear that would live in her heart for all time.

“I love you more than I can say.”

She looked up at him, her heart in her eyes as their people looked on. It was clear to all who saw the way they looked at each other that love was possible between human and jit’suku. Love and marriage and children were not to be denied those who would take the chance for happiness embodied by these two.

In the years to come, many would remember this day and that look. The look of love that gave hope to the universe.

*

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