My heavy eyelids won't raise despite my best efforts. The heat is almost unbearable. It is so warm that I am sweating profusely. It puzzles me at first. I am used to the cold air in the morning, if this can be called a morning at all. The sun is surely rising over Japan right now, so yeah, I'll call it an early morning, too damn early for me to wake up. It always takes me a while to work up some courage to lift the covers and run to the bathroom for a hot shower. Not today. I feel as if I have fallen asleep in an oven.

   "Captain! Come on, get up!" Aurora's voice is as energetic as ever, showing no particular emotion. It seems braking the rule not to disturb me in my bedroom is becoming a habit these days. I pretend I don't hear her. The danger alarms haven't gone off, so nothing too terrible is happening, and I really have no desire to move an inch away from the hot body, glued to mine in a tight embrace. She is persistent, though. "Haru, you lazy..."

   "Not again," I whine and finally manage to open one eye. "Is it Darth Vader this time? Because if it's not, you better..."

   "You can say that alright. Not only one at that, but as many as five... Oh my!" My cheeky ship squeals, paying no attention to my grumbling. "Hi Adam! So nice to meet you at last. Now I understand what Haru meant when he said 'big'. There's a lot to see down there, isn't it? I.AM.IMPRESSED!"

   "Shut up!" I screech, instantly turning bright red. "I didn't program anything like that in your speech control unit."

   "Auditory learning," Adam laughs out, pulling me closer with his arm wrapped around my waist. I sigh happily. It's heaven to wake up like this - strong thighs, pressed against mine, hard muscles and velvety skin under my cheek. His chest is vibrating, shaken by his amused chuckle. "Every computer has the function. You shouldn't be surprised, if you don't watch your language. Sooo, you talk a lot about me at work, huh?"

   "Shut up, both of you," I hiss in embarrassment. 

   "Aww," Adam keeps chortling. "Don't pout, Commander. I am glad you think about me all the time. I do it too, mostly about your handsome face and sweet personality, though..."

   "Really?" I raise my head and gaze into his eyes, letting the joke at my expense slip past my ears. "Even when there was no active protocol and you were in your chamber?"

   "It's complicated," he shrugs. "I don't really know how to explain..."

   "Cough! Cough!" Arora interrupts him. "Don't want to intrude, but I'm not here for no reason, ya know. Speaking about Darth Vader... Ugh... Code 1 on steroids."

   "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I grumble. "Report clearly, girl. Use comprehensible language. I shouldn't have messed so much with your settings."

   "The blacks. They are more than before and keep coming," she states. I instantly sit up, groaning at the sharp pain both out and inside a certain part of my body. Aurora starts coughing deliberately again, pretending that awkwardness means anything to her. "Umm, you better get dressed this time, Captain. The whole Military Defense Board has gathered. There is a video link to the cockpit. They requested your presence urgently."

  "I'm in awe they didn't establish the connection directly to my quarters," I mutter, carefully sliding out of bed under Adam's apologetic stare. I wink at him, "Don't worry, Daddy. It was worth it. I'll survive a board meeting, although, the suffering it usually causes is much grater than a spanked, soar ass."

   He snorts through laughter and shakes his head, "I don't believe you, Haru."

   "I do," Aurora says. "I have seen it. They wanted to call you directly here by the way. The Commander-in-chief stopped them. He said they might... Cough!... interrupt something... and disturb your privacy."

   "Oh, stop coughing already," I grin, pulling on some clothes as fast as I can. "We both know you have no shame." 

   "And whose fault it is?" she giggles.

   "Commander Hinode," Mbabazi's voice suddenly booms, making me and Adam jump in surprise. "What's taking you so long? The admirals are losing patience."

   "I'll be with you in a minute," I mumble.

   "More like twenty," he grunts. "Get going this instant. Oh, that must be him. Remarkable! Hello, Adam! I'm really glad to meet you. Admiral Mukasa Mbabazi here. How's everything?"

   "Pleasure is all mine, Sir," Adam replies courtly, quickly wrapping himself in a sheet like a cocoon. "I am very well, thank you. I apologize if in any possible way I have hindered the work of the Space Fleet and..."

   "Drop the formalities, boy. We're all a family here... Haru, I don't see you moving," The Admiral barks authoritatively, quickly changing the soft, friendly tone he used when addressing Adam. "Briefing starts in precisely fifteen minutes. You better be there."

   I cast one last glance at my gorgeous, startled lover and run out of the room.

   I stop for a minute in front of the command bridge glass doors and take a few deep breaths to calm down after yet another sprint across the ship. The real-time holograms of the five Military Board members are seated around the broad, round, conference table. All eyes are focused on a huge projection in the middle, giving an outside view of my ship. I gasp. Poor Aurora looks like a bunch of ripe, sugary Kyoho* grapes.

*Kyoho - a Japanese variety of grapes, distinctive with its spherical shape, blackish-purple color and the size of a plum

   Admiral Dirk Van der Hayden spots my fidgeting figure and waves for me to come in. 

   The Dutch military strategist is probably the main reason why half of the cadets who signed for space pilots failed in the first year. His cunning ways to find everyone's weakest spot and use it against his poor students are legendary. The fifty years old, handsome man always said that either I would do something exceptionally great or something so terrible that, in both cases, it would remain in human history. He claimed he was too curious to see which of the two it would be to kick me out of the program.

   "First Rank Commander Hinode, the trouble magnet," Van der Hayden grins when I hesitantly slip through the door. "I had no doubt it would be you involved in a Code 1 situation. It just couldn't be anyone else." 

   "I did absolutely nothing besides minding my own business," I retort, straightening my posture and raising my right hand to the side of my head to salute my tutors.

   "But of course," he grins wider. "At ease, Captain. Please, take a seat. And what exactly was that business of yours?"

   I settle on the only empty chair and desperately look around, having no idea how to answer the question.

   "Let the boy be, Dirk," a mountain of a man, sporting a long white beard and an impressive, classic handlebar mustache, chuckles. He would make the perfect Santa Claus impersonation, if he was wearing a red coat instead of the perfectly smoothed, navy blue suit. "Relax, Haru. We are not here to discuss your personal life. Are you holding on, considering the circumstances? You can always tell us, if you need anything. Each of us came to support our best student."

   "All is under control, Sir." I return the smile to Admiral Mikhail Orlov. The Russian IT genius is personally involved in designing Aurora's and the other nineteen spaceships' software, but more importantly has always been everyone's favorite mentor, good-natured and kind to each of his graduates. "We are all composed and in good health."

   "Meaning you, Aurora and...?" Admiral Hassan Al Amin raises a brow questioningly. 

   The young, Libyan physicist pins his inquiring, dark brown eyes on my face. No one could ever cheat in his classes. We all became experts in physics and space theory. There was only one way to pass the exams - hit the books and work like a dog. He is no more than ten years older than us, but defended the Reduced Spacetime Distortion Theory, base for all interstellar flights, when he was only fifteen. 

   He thoughtfully runs his fingers over the black stubble, covering his prominent, square chin and adds, "We were informed that you have become quite close with your Universal Companion."

   "Y-yes, Sir," I stutter, hoping that the blush on my heated cheeks is not too obvious. It would be great if my aching ass didn't remind me every single second of the things I did last night. I make selfless efforts to say something articulate, "He... We..."

   "Adam, right?" the last Board member chimes in, flushing a staggering smile which has made more than one cadet feel butterflies in their stomachs. "Interesting name. I am curious to learn why you chose to call him exactly this way."

   It's Admiral Hwang Chul-Moo from Korea, the world's top weapons expert with the looks of someone who has flown among us directly from heaven. Military equipment is being developed only to fortify our defenses against the unknown. Its use has been strictly prohibited on Earth long ago. The Admiral is faced with a tough challenge. He has to prepare us for meeting potential enemies, not having even a vague idea of their capabilities. The heavy burden, however, in no way affects his undeniable charm.

   "Yes, Sur," I nod. "He is unique. This is why I decided to name him Adam. I admit that we have deepened our relationship. He is very important to me."

   "Thank you for being so frank, Commander. Enough personal questions," my friend, Mbabazi finally comes to the rescue. He points to the hologram in the middle of the table. "The pressing problem is not Haru's boyfriend, but the five hundred black spheres, surrounding his ship. We need a strategy, ensuring the spacecraft's normal functioning and everyone's safety. Gentlemen, shall we begin?"

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A/N

Hello at the end of Chapter 17.

Thank you so much for reading, voting and commenting! ❤❤❤

The spheres are five times more than before. Did you expect it?

What are your first impressions of Haru's tutors?

Are the Military Board members broad-minded enough to understand how special Adam is?

Share your thoughts, ask questions and criticize and I will respond as much as I can.

And don't forget to vote, if you liked the chapter.

Love: Anny