Season Five [Part Two]

- 5 -

Stephanie was beginning to wonder if her ship might be the most glorified taxi in the Milky-Way. She dismissed the idea, surely the Imperial Fleet had other Majestics saddled with consular duties. Their prestigious inaugural assignment was to ferry the entire wedding party of a Senator's cousin to Vish, a system on the spinward fringe of the Empire and the Human Bubble both. The Queentia Iactura Could handle the distance easily, her Hyperspace capabilities outmatching those of just about any other vessel known to mankind. Preparing for and executing the journey were of little concern to Captain DuHart, no trial whatsoever. But, the group of dignitaries and their families she had been saddled with, were proving to be.

There were Three Hundred and Fifty of them, the most modestly raised likely had no less than four nannies. Stephanie conjectured that they had likely enjoyed those nannies' services well into adulthood too. Captain DuHart sighed and shook her head, it was her duty to ensure they were protected and satisfied. Though she was unsure how polite she would be able to remain if another request for a small detour was followed by any more complaints about schedule keeping. It was not her place to mediate the discussions happening amongst the group of them, but she wished desperately that someone would.

The first Forty-Eight hours of the journey had seen less than half the progress they had expected. They had also seen Captain DuHart forcibly kept awake and on-duty by constant supposed emergencies coming from various parts of the first deck of the Hab-ring. These wealthy children wearing the bodies of adults seemed willing to escalate any dispute to her authority. She almost considered temporarily surrendering Command to Theo. A way to at least succeed in Babysitting alone, if unable to to continue Captaining at well. But Stephanie DuHart wouldn't dream of submitting herself to that.

In truth, though she was exhausted, well overdue for sleep, and frustrated beyond words. Stephanie didn't even feel the need to remind herself how pleased she was to be given such trivial things to worry over. In truth, Stephanie wasn't even aware of it yet. She was finally making her way through her corridor, approaching the door to her quarters, ready to collapse into her bed on an empty stomach. She could leave feeding herself for the morning, like she had left the bridge to the night relief crew.

The overwhelming scent of something salted and caramelized impacted Stephanie as the door slid open and she stepped through the threshold. The lights were dimmed, a recording of a quartet of cellos serenely wavering.

“Finally, I have been told thrice now that you have left the bridge for the evening. What chaos it must be.”  The girl had an apron over her linen dress, and a dishtowel tying back her hair. She also wore a broad smile, and a brightness in her hazel eyes.

“You've, cooked?” Stephanie's mouth was watering, she was forced to swallow before and after asking.

“Of course.” The girl giggled, to Stephanie her pupils appeared to flash with a verdant brilliance she did so. “Come and sit. Take off your boots.”

Stephanie was led to the small table inside the kitchen, the only purpose built eating space in her quarters. A chair from the office had been brought in and added to it, so two could sit there. The tiny table had been carefully set for both of them, with sides and wine. There was little area to spare between the cutlery and plates. The girl seated DuHart into the chair that was meant to be there, then she sat down in the one that was not.

“Do you say prayers, before eating?” She asked expectantly.

“No.” Stephanie said. She had done, as a child. But only when being minded, by a particular one of Them.

“Well, then I shall introduce your meal.” The girl had no gods. Should they exist, she already knew better than to trust them.

But she had grown quite accustomed to the routine ceremony of it, whilst paying lip-service. The girl felt uncomfortable eating without some form of pretense to the meal. She copied her tactic from the waitstaff she had witnessed, at finer eateries she had been taken to over the years. The Concubine stood and gestured at Stephanie's side as she spoke.

“A simple salad, the dressing no more than salt, citrus, and water.” She explained before gesturing at her main plate. “A vegetable purée garnish, though I believe one of them that I selected, may have been a fruit. I assure you it is delicious. The main itself is a Salt-Meat wrapped... Oh.”

The girl blushed suddenly, embarrassed deeply.

“Is everything alright?” Stephanie wondered, smiles has left both of their faces at the same time.

“It was a bird.” The girl admitted. “The recipe calls for avian meat, there are no issues with it... I have neglected to ask what kind of bird this is.”

Stephanie was about to laugh when she smelled how harsh the girl's embarrassment was. The girl had in fact asked, when she had been in communication with the galley, but couldn't remember the name of it to save her life. It was some small word she had never heard before. It had sounded sounded rude to her, she was sure it started with a C, or perhaps a D. Looking down at her hand, still hovering over the plate, Stephanie took it in her own. The girl looked to Stephanie and found kindness being projected from her intensely yellow feline eyes.

“It smells painfully good, you could have told me it was a fish, or a missing crewman. I would love to try it.” She squeezed the girl's hand. Relieved, the girl sat down.

They began to eat. Stephanie tasted her salad, she wasn't a fan of greenery, but was unfamiliar with the stringy leaves making up the content of the bowl, there was a sweetness to them. She was pleasantly surprised, initially intending to eat the salad first to get it over with, Stephanie found herself enjoying it to completion. She then cut a small piece of her main away and held it under her nose, on the tip of her fork.

It was Bacon wrapped Duck, Stephanie slowly chewed that first bite. The Fowl had been boiled in wine before meeting the Bacon under a dry heat. It was the single most delicious thing Stephanie had ever put in her mouth, thus-far. The garnish, as the girl had called it, was a healthy helping of buttery mashed Potatoes and Carrots. After trying some, Stephanie realized that the girl had mixed an Apple with the purée, it was wonderful. She had a dollop of the mash alongside another piece of the Duck ready to try the combination, when the intercom chimed. Captain DuHart sighed and put down her fork.

“Keep eating, I will deal with this.” The girl said in a small huff, as she stood up from her own plate.

DuHart's instinct was to stop her, but something inside of Stephanie picked the fork back up and prepared to savour what was on it, as she watched the girl. Stephanie's Concubine marched to the wall-unit, and hit the button on it to speak with the bridge.

“Yes, what is it?” She asked, forcefully.

“Captain DuHart is required on the bridge.” The Officer in command replied.

“Why?” The girl drew her question out, bemused but scornful.

“Who am I speaking with?” He asked instead of offering an answer.

“This is Stephanie's Focariae. She is indisposed, I shan't interrupt her without a reason, Sir.” The girl spoke down to the Naval Officer. Stephanie had been given a few different meanings of the word, when she asked for them.

“There is no dire urgency, but her presence is being requested.” He explained quickly.

“Stephanie is in the shower, if you would like me to tell her that she has been requested naked on the bridge, then I would be happy to do so. What is your name and rank, Sir?” The girl rattled off.

“This is Lieutenant Eugene Briggs, acting Captain of the Night crew and... Wait no what, no. Don't do that. No.” His wall of protocol came apart from under him, as he realized what he was agreeing to. “Uhm, auh-uh... Could you, take a message... For her, instead?”

“Of course Lieutenant Briggs, what a wonderful idea.” The girl's sarcasm nearly had Stephanie burst into laughter while trying to chew.

“One of the dignitaries travelling with us had insisted that no more Eranin Pearl be served.” Eugene said.

“And?” The girl asked, again scornfully bemused.

“The... “ He coughed once. “Uhm, another of our guests has taken umbrage, with that.”

“Hm.” The girl sucked her teeth audaciously. “This is an issue for, The Captain?”

“She has been requested, My Lady.” By his tone it was apparent that the Lieutenant was so unused to being questioned thusly, that he had been blindsided by the situation and was answering the girl as if she was his superior.

“Has she?” The girl leaned against the wall, getting closer to the intercom, before not letting him answer. “Or has The Captain been requested, Lieutenant Briggs?”

“The Captain, has been requested, My Lady.” He answered a little more slowly than before, unsure.

“Are you not, the acting Captain?” The sound of him clearing his throat was her answer. “I am Sure Stephanie would be quite ecstatic to learn of the dispute, by reading your report in the morning of how it was deftly solved. Rather than in the midst of her shower, and during her very rare and very much deserved time off-duty, no?”

“No Ma'am. I will see to the dispute. Thank you.” The Officer in Command accepted his orders, embarrassed and sputtering, as he closed the channel.

“There, that takes care of that.” The girl said to herself, satisfied as she walked back to the table.

A madly broad smile had fought it's way onto Stephanie's face while she sat there, enjoying herself immensely. The girl sat down and continued to eat, focusing on her plate. Stephanie had finished her meal before she knew it, she had been unable to slow herself, so she put her cutlery down.

The girl quickly stood to clear Stephanie's side of the table, but DuHart noticed that she wasn't finished eating her own meal yet. Stephanie put her hand over the empty plate and the girl froze. They made eye contact, the girl was confused. But DuHart looked from her, to her unfinished meal, and gave a little nod. The girl slowly sat back down, and picked her utensils back up. She uneasily began once more to eat.

“I will clear our dishes, you've cooked after all.” Stephanie told the girl.

“I must hurry to eat, there is still desert.” The girl responded, trying to hide her smile.

Sorbet, served simply and perhaps in too generous a serving. The girl called it 'Ice-Cream' for some reason that Stephanie did not know. The Captain was having difficulty finishing her dessert, the girl had already devoured her own. DuHart offered was was left of hers to the girl, who took the bowl and a few spoonfuls from it, before a sly grin appeared on her face.

“Make some room.” She told Stephanie as she moved to sit in her lap.

Stephanie made room by sliding her chair away from the table, allowing the girl to seat herself across DuHart's thighs. A spoonful of the blue sorbet was brought up to Stephanie's lips. She held it there as she hesitated, but then very slowly Stephanie took the frozen dessert into her mouth. The girl took another scoop from the bowl and ate at far less hesitantly, then produced yet another and held the spoon back out for Stephanie. DuHart felt her pulse rise a little as she shared another bite, more eagerly this time. They finished the remaining sorbet that way, taking their time and nearly allowing it melt, but enjoying themselves immensely. Stephanie had already been satisfied with her meal, but the girl added something more to the course that DuHart had been prepared to leave behind.

The empty bowl had been deposited on the table, and the girl remained cradled in Stephanie's lap. After listening to her serene breathing for some time, DuHart stood up, making a seat for the girl with her arms and lifting her. She carried the girl to the bedroom, then laid her on the bed.

“Give me but a few moments, I shall return after I've cleared the table.” Stephanie told the girl laying on the bed, and nearly purring with excitement.

DuHart returned to the table and swiftly stacked their plates then bowls before depositing them into the dumb-waiter. She did the same with their cutlery, before finally sending it off. The bottle of wine and their glasses, Stephanie brought back to the bedroom with her. As she stepped through the door, DuHart was met with the sight of the girl kneeling on the bed. She had changed out of her plain dress into a translucent silken nightgown. DuHart didn't know if she had changed them as well or not, but the girl was wearing a startlingly skimpy pair of pink panties, with a purple heart on the front of them. Stephanie almost dropped the wine bottle.

- 6 -

“Strip.” The Concubine commanded the Captain.

“I should bathe before-” As she approached the bed, the girl cut her off by taking the bottle and glasses from Stephanie and discarding onto the side-table.

“No you shouldn't. Strip, or I shall remove your clothing for you.” The girl was starved, but not for food or drink.

Stephanie smiled and pulled her uniform jacket off, letting it fall to the floor. Then her pants were unclasped and she pulled them off of herself, freeing the calico fur covering her legs. She was stepping out of them as her hands started on the buttons of her shirt. The last button was undone as she finished the few paces to the edge of the bed. Stephanie slid her shirt off and made to pull her pearly arms out of the sleeves. The girl edged closer and embraced Stephanie, grasping the cloth and pinning her crossed arms behind her back.

The girl pulled DuHart close, and tied the sleeves of her shirt together around her wrists. She then reached up and began to lightly caress her lover, her orange-red mottled cheeks, white neck, then her shoulders where the colours met. Stephanie stood against the foot-board of the bed, beginning to tremble at the girl's touch. The girl's hands slipped over Stephanie's arms and down to the space between her shoulder blades.

Stephanie's brassiere came undone sending a shock of excitement rolling through her. The girl gripped the garment by it's middle, bunching the fabrics of the cups and pulling it's shoulder straps taught. She passed it over Stephanie's head and let it fall so that it hung from her wrists. Stephanie felt her bra settling against the top of her tail.

The Captain wouldn't have known to be proud, nor ashamed of the size of her breasts. The girl found them to be just slightly too large to rest comfortably in her hand, perfect. Stephanie leaned forward as the girl buried her face in the tuft of white fur between them, and began to run her fingers over Stephanie's nipples.

DuHart wanted to hold her, to wrap her arms around her and pull her tight, but she could only pull at her knotted shirt and moan. The girl pulled her face away and looked at Stephanie for a long moment, continuing to slowly draw her fingertips over Stephanie's nipples. The smell of the girl's lusting for her filled DuHart's nose, and she bared her teeth slightly in frustration.

The girl suddenly pinched both of Stephanie's nipples at once, causing Stephanie to draw in air sharply with her tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth. She made a hissing sound. The girl leaned back, away from Stephanie, pulling on her nipples slightly as she did.

“Kneel.” The girl's command was obeyed immediately. She had to lean forward towards Stephanie to keep her grip on her.

“This... This is so-” Stephanie was quieted with a twist of the girl's wrists.

“Shh. Be silent.” The girls unexpectedly harsh statement suddenly warmed Stephanie, giving rise to her pulse.

Still holding DuHart's nipples tightly, the girl slipped her legs out from under her and sat on the edge of the bed. Her legs were hanging over, one on either side of Stephanie. The girl suddenly let go of her breasts and began to gently caress DuHart's cheeks. The girl stroked Stephanie's whiskers, making her lips quiver. Then the girl moved on to her temples and over her ears. Stephanie let out a gasp as the girl ran her fingers into DuHart's tightly cropped red hair.

“I want to feel your tongue.” The girl told Stephanie as she gripped at her hair tightly and pulled her downward.

Her lips were pressed against the set of them beneath the pink cotton panties, so Stephanie hesitantly kissed the girl there. The grip on her hair was twisted in response. Stephanie slowly drew out her tongue and slid it up along the girl's labia. The Concubine mumbled quietly, laid down on the bed, and clawed at her underwear. As she pulled them down, she put one of her feet on Stephanie's shoulder for leverage and dragged her panties over DuHart's head.

Stephanie knew how much the girl loved her, and how much she longed for her. Stephanie could smell the girl's feelings coming off of her in waves, intoxicating as an in-rushing tide of wine. Stephanie slowly began to lean into her, but then the girl grew impatient and pressed her down with a foot foot.

She couldn't perceive a taste to the girl, Stephanie was overwhelmed by her instead. She had just begun to explore with the tip of her tongue, when Stephanie's legs shuddered. A tingle ran from her tongue into her face, and carried on through all of Stephanie until she climaxed. The girl wrapped her legs around the back of her neck and tightened down on her. It took all of Stephanie's will not to thrust her tongue into the girl as deeply as she could, to remember not to hurt her.

Very slowly and carefully, while rolling it to keep the barbs down, and using all of her will not to lose herself to the nearly electric feelings running through her body, Stephanie put her tongue into the girl. Her feet pressed against DuHart's back, and a subtle whine came from her lips. Stephanie raised the tip of her tongue and pulled it back into her mouth. She felt the girl contract slightly as she did.

“Prohibere tempus vastantes. Cur non stupri mihi?” The girl babbled to herself. Stephanie could only barely hear her, and couldn't understand her regardless.

Letting them stand out ever so slightly, Stephanie's barbed tongue ponderously re-entered the girl. She curled them down as she got as deep as she could and started to pull back out. The girl's thighs pressed together around Stephanie's head.

“Venio venio, ubi desinant. Venio, futuo venio.” The girl was speaking too frantically to be understood, Stephanie's ears had the girl's thighs pressed against them anyway.

Stephanie continued to carefully work her tongue, and drive the girl mad. She kept her pace steady and achingly slow. By the fourth time her tongue entered the girl, she let out a wail and bucked her hips into Stephanie. DuHart found the girl thrusting her hips forcibly into her face, her legs wrapped tightly around the back of her head. With her hands pressed against the mattress, the girl had raised almost her whole body off of the bed. After several shuddering moments, the girl slowly laid back down. Stephanie had only to take her first desperate panting breath once the girl loosened her grip, to share in her orgasm. Stephanie's chin was soaked.

They laid together panting and overhanging the bottom of the bed, the girl's legs resting idly over DuHart. After only a few moments, the girl sat back up. She leaned over and cradled DuHart's head in her lap. Stephanie looked at the girl, then made to get up. She had to duck under the panties still strung between the girl's knees.

Kneeling before the girl, Stephanie tugged at her bindings, Showing what she wanted. The girl slowly got off the bed in response. She found that with DuHart on her knees, they were about the same height, so she kissed her.

The girl could taste herself in Stephanie's mouth, feeling that tongue again with her own sent an ecstatic chill down the girl's spine. She took her time caressing Stephanie before bringing her hands to the knot and loosening it.

The moment her hands were free, Stephanie used them to grasp the girl. At first she did so fleetingly by the wrists. Then she let go with one hand and frantically grasped the back of the girl's head, running her fingers through her long black hair and pressing their lips together. DuHart let go of the girl's wrist, and brought her hand underneath her. She stood up lifting the girl into the air as they kissed, and as the girl wrapped her legs around Stephanie's waist.

Stephanie could feel the girl's underwear, wet and bunched up between their bodies. Letting her weight sit in the palm of her hand, Stephanie explored the girl with her fingers. She loosely wrapped her arms around DuHart's neck, then let her left drop to their side. She reached down between them and tried to get her hand inside of Stephanie's panties, but her reach was not enough. So the girl slid her hand all the way back up DuHart's body to her neck, ruffling the pearly fur the whole way. Once her hand was under Stephanie's chin, the girl wrapped her fingers around her throat.

Gripping a handful of the girl's hair in one hand, and finding her clitoris with the other. Stephanie began to run her middle finger in a circle around it, and pulled the girl's head back. The girl moaned and placed both of her hands on DuHart's shoulders, pulling herself down onto Stephanie's palm. DuHart had to let go of the girl's hair to support her better.

Stephanie had one hand wrapped around the girl's left thigh, while the girl thrust against her other. The girl ran her fingers through Stephanie's hair, then down her neck into the fur covering her back. She leaned close and pecked her lips onto Stephanie's in a short kiss, a gesture she repeated with DuHart's pink nose. Then another kiss on her forehead, where the mottling began. The girl slipped her lips around one of Stephanie's ears as her hips continued to thrust. As her ear was softly chewed upon, Stephanie made her way to sit on the bed, her knees were weakening.

As she sat, the girl told her to lay, so Stephanie obliged. This left the girl kneeling and straddling Stephanie's waist. She ran her hands down Stephanie's body, flattening her fur, massaging her breasts. Stephanie sat up to kiss her, but the girl deftly put her index finger between their lips. Then she used that finger to push Stephanie back down to the mattress.

Stephanie's Concubine shimmied down, pulled her panties the rest of the way off, and slid one of the mottled legs out from under herself. The girl wrapped both of her hands around Stephanie's thigh and turned the woman under her. Pressing her body against the inside of her leg, the girl worked her hips against Stephanie.

DuHart reached over and grabbed a pillow. Pressing her face into it to silence her moans as she shuddered with orgasm. Her Concubine was slowly dragging her fingernails downwards, against the grain on DuHart's leg. The girl's right hand moved back up Stephanie's leg to do so again, but her left hand remained and began to caress Stephanie, her fingers making their way lower.

The girl slipped her hand under the waistband of her panties and her middle and ring fingers into Stephanie, while continuing to thrust herself against her, and comb the fur on the back of her thigh. DuHart's moans became less controlled, the pillow was being pierced by her teeth and fingernails. Stephanie didn't think of them as claws, she thought of her hands as ending in fingernails. Most others she met would have begged to differ, should they ever have been asked. Her fur failed to cover a small round spot on the tip of each of her fingers, and a larger oblong one on each of her palms. Her fingernails were much thicker than normal, grew more aggressively. They naturally found themselves working to a sharp edge. Normally though, Stephanie was able to expunge a mote of concentration and keep her fingernails mostly retracted. Stephanie climaxed again but the girl made no signs of stopping, the pillow would need replacing.

- 7 -

They fell asleep in each-other's arms, panting and exhausted. The morning arrived for Stephanie long before it did for the girl. She was careful not to disturb her as she unravelled herself from her limbs and got out of bed. Stephanie shook her head at herself when she found she was still wearing her socks and wildly askew underwear, their haste now seemed shocking to her. She quietly made her way to the en-suite and ran a shower.

The booth could operate as a sonic one if necessary, and would use a short blast to dry you anyway. But Stephanie preferred actual water for bathing, no matter what she learned about the superiority of a sonic shower, she never felt like she was clean unless she had to dry herself off. This booth's function to do so nearly instantly was well appreciated, though their claims of time-frame were an underestimate for a Trans-Human like DuHart.

She stretched, her joints ached. Their antics of the night before had been wonderfully exhausting, and fortunately the Captain would not be tasked with much that would strain her today, she thought to herself. Once showered and dry, Stephanie returned to their room and procured a fresh uniform from the closet.

She opened her dresser next and took a set of underwear, followed by fresh socks. There was a chair next to the dresser, Stephanie sat down and slipped the socks on first. Much liker her hands, DuHart's feet had elongated nails, though not nearly as pronounced. She deftly avoided snagging her socks on her largest toes, their nails were the longest and their placement on her feet was more awkward than the rest of her toes.

She put on her brassiere, then shirt before standing up and taking her selected panties into her hands. Stephanie stopped moving, started staring at her underwear. The hole she had cut in them for her tail had been repaired. Not patched, but hemmed skillfully to make the opening permanent and prevent it from fraying. Stephanie looked over at their bed, her Pallaca was still sleeping serenely, like an angel of ancient myth.

DuHart turned to her dresser and noticed the small sewing kit sitting on the top. A half spent spindle with a needle stuck into it was still at the ready. She opened her drawer again and looked inside, properly this time. Almost half of Stephanie's pairs of panties had been repaired in this way, tailored to her. The other half were apparently awaiting the girl's next chance. They had been sorted, the fixed pairs brought to the front for DuHart to find. Stephanie had never felt excited to wear her panties before.

The newly dressed seam in her underwear fitted comfortably around the base of Stephanie's remnant tail. Unlike the frayed cut she had previously accepted, the hemmed edge didn't tangle frayed threads into her fur. The girl's hand with a needle and thread was finer than the machine that had originally assembled the panties.

Once she was dressed, Captain DuHart took a packaged breakfast bar from the kitchen, and left for the bridge. Storming through the halls of the first deck as she consumed her food, she hoped she would be able to make her way unnoticed. None of the passengers knew where her quarters were, and there was great distance between hers and theirs. But only a little more than two days had passed with them aboard, and there were many of them.

Stephanie was startled by a child running through the corridor, chasing a small lizard with a tiny hat stuck to it's head. The child was giggling, and payed DuHart no heed. The lizard was startled by her though, and scuttled away down a branching corridor. The child's hand was tied to the animal with a ribbon, so she followed gleefully. The Captain was unsure what to do about the situation, when a large short woman wearing an expensive casual outfit and too much makeup arrived.

“Have you seen Lazarus, and Becky?” The woman asked DuHart, quite sternly.

“A small girl, and a smaller reptile?” The woman nodded impatiently in reply to DuHart's question. “They have gone that way, quite quickly.” The Captain gestured.

“Could you get them for me.” Was the woman's answer.

Stephanie took a few steps towards it, then activated the nearest intercom unit mounted on a wall. She sighed a little as she did so.

“Captain DuHart to Security, send someone to the Hab-Ring, Deck One, Sector Alpha. A young girl and her pet are lost, they are headed towards sector Eridani. Once they have been found, take them back to their suite. It is...” DuHart looked expectantly at the woman, after a moment she gestured at the wall-unit.

“Oh um, apologies. Suite Theta, it is in sector Chi. Thank you.” She spoke quickly, slightly embarrassed, a rare occasion.

The Captain closed the channel once the security office responded positively. Her security teams were well drilled, and there was limited space on the Hab-Ring, it would take them only a few minutes to locate the girl, and another few to whisk her off to her quarters using internal security's fleet of electric two-wheelers. Stephanie wondered if the girl would enjoy the ride, she was sure the lizard would not.

“Thank you, Captain.” The woman said, much more politely than she had spoken before. “I didn't realize it was you.”

“No trouble, whatsoever. I assure you.” Stephanie's crew consisted of roughly twelve percent other Trans-Humans, an expected ratio within the Imperial Navy. DuHart still did not believe the woman though, she had simply not been paying attention, or was trying to be rude before she had received aid. But Stephanie knew that was what served as an apology from such a person, so she accepted it.

“My husband has been speaking quite highly of you, and one of your officers. Oh dear what was his name.” As the woman pondered, DuHart was bemused. The Captain was happy to be interrupted thusly, though quite unprepared for it. “Lieutenant Briggs, that was his name. Yes, my husband has been singing the man's praises all night long. Please Captain, though he has insisted on not mentioning it, I've found you. It must be a sign, please I would love to have this Lieutenant receive some commendation for his work.”

“What has Mister Briggs been up to?” DuHart wondered aloud, almost to herself.

“My husband insists that he has shown magnificent character and poise. Though to be honest, I am somewhat spotty on the details. Perhaps your Officer himself may give a better account.” She smiled toothily for the Captain.

“I shall keep what you've said in mind. Thank you kindly.” DuHart replied, still curious as the woman turned to leave the way she came.

The Captain's arrival on the bridge was punctuated by Theo calling out her presence. Then he, and the rest of her bridge crew stood and saluted her. DuHart glanced at each of them, spying their fists held against each of their chests. The Captain returned their gesture, and they returned to their stations.

“Report, Mister Theo.” DuHart said, as she sat in the Captain's chair.

“Very little this morning, all routine. The reports from the night crew are waiting for you to review, Ma'am.” He replied.

She brought the reports up on the small console built into the arm of her chair. One was pushed forward automatically, it had been flagged as priority. DuHart narrowed her eyes at it. The galley was requesting a resupply, they were being petitioned.

“How close are we to Geras?” The Captain asked her bridge, her tone darkened and humorless.

“Over One-Hundred light years. We are also travelling away from Geras, Sir.” Her Operations Officer replied from his station at the helm.

Stephanie struck the first requested item from the list before her. As she considered the rest she clenched her teeth and decided to at least make some show of obliging this request, though a mundane substitute for nearly every item would have to suffice. She asked how close The Queentia Iactura was to any agriculturally inclined system.

“There are several in this area of space, Sir. Shall I plot a course to one?” He said.

“Yes. We shall be resupplying the galley. Our guests are thirstier than Naval logistics expected.” The Captain quipped.

There were no facilities for the Interdictor to dock with the Coriolis, that was to be expected as they had been able to give no warning. The Captain ordered The Queentia Iactura brought into a parking orbit alongside the Starport, and to maintain a distance of two kilometres. Her Operations Officer opted to align the ship so that the Hab-Ring would match the system's orbital plane.

It would take an hour to complete the transfer of cargo. Captain DuHart knew that her guests would most likely not be satisfied with the available choices of beverage, regardless. Without incident, but not without delay, the alcohol was loaded. The INV Queentia Iactura began the process of moving away from the starport, in search of a safe distance to spool up the Hyperspace engines.

“Captain, we have received a Distress call.” Cael Theo suddenly announced.

“Via what means?” DuHart queried.

“The local network, Sirs.” The Communications Officer explained as Cael gestured to her. “A vessel arriving must have picked it up while en-route, it has just filtered to us.”

“Where has it come from?” DuHart's eyed narrowed slightly.

“It appears to be, on the shipping lane between here and the parent star, Sir.” The Communications Officer's answer worried Stephanie.

“All ahead, Full. Prepare for Hyperspace. Triangulate that signal.” This was looking like the type of trap she would have laid, before. “Mobilize internal security, get all of our guests into their quarters.” But, the Captain couldn't allow her paranoia to potentially allow innocents to die, not while within her grasp.

“Yellow Alert!” Theo declared.

The INV Queentia Iactura had managed to drop back into real-space very close to the origin of the signal. A shock of lightning punctuated their arrival, a slit was cut through the fabric of space. The Majestic slid in from outside, and began to bask in the deep red light of the local star. The vessel would have been quite the sight to anyone inside the Lakon Type-Six floating a few hundred meters off their port bow, if it were not abandoned.

“No response from hails, only the distress signal repeating itself.” The Communications Officer said.

“Could be an old wreck.” The Officer at the helm added.

“Prepare to deploy a fighter squadron. We may need to recon that hull.” Theo ordered.

“Bring the vessel up, on the main view-screen. Magnify it.” DuHart said.

The ship wasn't old, most of it's paint was still there and holding its color. Stephanie could see the green and some insignia. It had been hit with laser-fire, it's canopy breached. Stephanie squinted and couldn't see any shards surrounding the ship, but she could make out the corpse of the unlucky Commander who had been flying it.

“Spool the Hyperspace engines, this is a trap.” DuHart declared. That dead Commander hadn't activated any distress signals, what was left of them was only identifiable as human by context.

A scant moment later two ships dropped down from luminal speed in rapid succession. A Gunship and a Corvette. Before Theo had finished shouting for battle stations, five more had joined them. By the time the lights lining the halls of The INV Queentia Iactura had finished turning from yellow to red, fighters were already launched from both sides, racing to put the front line as close to their enemy as each could.

In a rapid series of flashes, six Condor single seat craft, and eight of DuHart's GU-Ninety-Seven counterparts were gone. The furball of remaining fighter craft started working those numbers ever higher. The first Gunship to arrive managed to do so by refusing to form up with it's wing, and payed the price for it. Three of the twelve port-side lance turrets crossed their beams on the encroaching vessel as it hastily attempted it's attack run, the Gunship barely withstood a few seconds under that magnitude of firepower.

The next attempt on their part was better, two Vultures and another Gunship ran effective blocking for the Corvette. They made a close pass, firing at the turrets along DuHart's port side. They managed significant damage to several of them.

“Roll to port, full yaw as well.” Stephanie ordered. “Bring our Starboard weaponry to bare!”

The capital ship put the enemy wing above itself, and the full wrath of Captain DuHart's Queentia Iactura was unleashed. They had just come about for another attack, when they came into her optimal firing arc.

“All turret batteries, open fire.” Captain DuHart spat the command.

Only the Corvette was able to hold out against the lasers that tore it's wing apart. The shields on Core Dynamics' second most impressive combat ship held, but ony until there were no targets left but them. But once the batteries focused on it, the Corvette's shield collapsed suddenly. To their credit they did show the feverish, suicidal devotion Stephanie knew the Federation preferred to see in their field personnel. The Corvette made a vain attempt to ram them, the Majestic was unaffected by the smattering of debris peppering them after the Corvette was annihilated.

“Where is that last vessel? What type of hull is it?” DuHart demanded of her bridge.

“Not seeing them, they may have jumped out.” Her Operations Officer noted.

“No new wakes visible, Sir.” Her Communications Officer added.

“Where could they have gone?” Cael wondered out loud.

A distinctive, and terrible sound answered his question. The bridge was on deck Ten of the Hab-Ring, the only part where the plating above their heads also represented an exterior facing wall of the ship. The sound of something clamping magnetically against the other side of the ceiling rang through the bridge.

The final vessel was just a Hauler, built by Zorgon-Peterson for light transport, not even a military vessel. It had clamped itself onto the inner face of The Queentia Iactura's Hab-Ring, expertly targeting the Command section. The marines inside had aimed a mining laser attached to an improvised mount, down through the cargo hatch at their target: the bridge.

To be fair, DuHart was impressed with their aptitude, they had clearly been forced to make-due with what was at hand. She would have been proud to execute a boarding action so well. She even wondered fleetingly if they had modified the Hauler to run colder, allowing for such a stealthy approach. Captain DuHart refused to accept her next thought: That their aptitude had already won them the day.

The Captain scanned the ceiling furiously with her eyes, looking for the warmest spot. She knew it would become much easier to see in less than a moment, but by then it would be too late. Out of the corner of her eye she made out the square patch giving off the most infra-red light and pointed at it, already preparing to dive away.

“From there! Take cover!” Stephanie turned around and leaped over her chair, tackling Theo to the ground behind his console.

The roof caved in, for only a moment the exploding bulkhead was caught in place, just a suspended bubble of debris. Then differential pressure took hold and that debris was thrown back out through the hole, as was every molecule of air on the bridge. Her helmsman had been nearly directly underneath it, the mining laser had remained active for a nanosecond or two after it did it's job. His station had been half burned away with him. DuHart's Communications Officer's grip failed her and she was dragged out of The Queentia Iactura alongside the air she was screaming. The Officer smeared blood across the ragged opening as she was ripped through it.

The remaining members of the bridge crew were protected from the vacuum by their Remlok visors and ability to quickly hold onto something, but when Stephanie's mask automatically sealed around her face, she had failed to flatten her ears in time. Her left one was caught painfully in the seam, air squirting out through the gap this made in the seal.

Stephanie didn't have time to deal with this, and she found her hands shaking too much to try. Stephanie was sure she would be able to keep herself together, if she could just get her damn ear out of this forsaken trap. The pressure around her head was dropping, she felt like she was drowning. What was wrong with her hands, why couldn't she get her fingers to grip properly? She hadn't broken down in the simulator, she would keep it together here. She just had to fix her fucking ear.

Cael's boots clamped to the floor in front of her as he stood up. His Captain's Remlok mask wasn't working properly and he had just run out of time to help her with it. The boarding party had just dropped into the bridge. Cael's mag-pistol killed the first one before they'd touched the ground. The second came onto the bridge firing a Shard-gun, Cael ducked behind the console. He popped back to his feet and put a round through the Marine's head.

As a third and fourth assailant came aboard, Theo drew his Epee and threw himself over the console at them. Before they had a chance to level their weapons, Theo ran one of them through, the other he felled with a shot from his pistol before he'd withdrawn the blade. He looked down at the belt of the man he'd just killed, where Theo found a fragmentation grenade. Thinking fast, Cael let go of his sword and wrenched the device from the dead man's belt. Pulling the trigger on it, Theo threw the grenade up and out of his Captain's Ship. It landed on the floor of the open cargo-bay, inside the Hauler.

Only one of the boarding party's second team survived, she did so by diving out of the Hauler and onto the capital ship, casting aside her weapon in the process. Theo saw the attempted assailant struggling with her suit where she'd landed, she'd torn it against the hole they'd made and gashed the side of her abdomen badly. In the vacuum, her entrails were fighting for escape. She saw him and tried to put out her hands, but her panicked gesture just opened the wound. She recoiled, clutching at the parts of herself bursting outward. Theo put the tip of his sword down into her heart from where her collarbone met her neck, killing her as instantly as he could.

Stephanie could feel the ice forming on the outside of her nictitating membranes. She hadn't noticed, but she could no longer see in color. Her diaphragm desperately pumping for air that her lungs were not receiving. Her fingernails lightly dragged over the visor, had she any strength she might have torn it.

Cael was holding her suddenly, shouting something she couldn't hear. She kept clawing at her visor, weak and desperate. Cael shouted at her again, but his voice was locked behind his mask. Then he caught her wrists, pulled her hands away, and pressed his visor against hers.

“-m down Stephanie! Calm down! Let me see to your mask!” His voice suddenly carried through her visor to her, muffled but understandable.

She stopped clawing when his voice cut through the near silence. Stephanie suddenly realized that she was buried in tinnitus. When she tried to focus on his face, she noticed how much she was shaking. She couldn't tell if the tremors were running through all of her, or just her eyes.

“Close your eyes and hold your breath.” Theo shouted through his visor into hers before he pulled away.

She exhaled the only scrap of breath she had, then did her best to ignore the burning in her chest. Stephanie didn't need to close her eyes though, and she could still mostly see through the frost. Cael Theo pulled her visor apart, letting out the scant few molecules of air it still contained. He deftly tucked Stephanie's ear down, and let the visor snap itself shut. Atmosphere filled the helmet immediately, followed in kind by desperate gasping breaths. The icy crystals clinging to Stephanie's third eyelids melted quickly and she blinked the moisture away. Her throat and lungs ached, her head felt light, her arms felt heavy. Cael was still telling her everything was okay, when the Captain lost consciousness.

- 8 -

A security team managed to arrive on the bridge only a few minutes too late. They would have been in time to retake the bridge, had that been necessary. Damage control would have the room serviceable in only a day or two. It was decided to finish the journey to Vish quickly, and regroup once they were assured a friendly port. The very moment the Chief Medical Officer cleared her to leave the primary medbay, Captain DuHart ordered the fighter squadrons to assemble their pilots. She had only been awake for twenty minutes, the skirmish had ended two and a half hours earlier.

DuHart and Theo stood before the blocks of pilots. The cargo bay made an excellent place for them to assemble. DuHart examined the neat rectangles of people, subdivided by their divisions. Evenly spaced otherwise, with no gaps between them.

“No funerary rites have been enacted yet, have they?” DuHart suddenly turned to Theo and asked.

“No Ma'am. We likely won't be able to send off our fallen until we arrive in Vish.” He answered.

“Well then...” DuHart turned her head and glanced over at the pilots before her. “Why have you formed up?!” The Captain suddenly shouted at them.

They took only a moment to break up and leave the places for their comrades. DuHart glared at them, doing her best to take a glance into each set of eyes before her. A monumental task in the cargo bay filled with soldiers, but Captain DuHart would not shrink from a challenge. An aching fistful of minutes minutes pondered by.

“Mister Theo. Present your sidearm for inspection.” The Captain's order was followed immediately.

His Cologne was nearly enough to mask the rank trepidation DuHart could smell. It filled the cargo bay as the Captain examined Cael's weapon. His magnetic accelerator pistol looked to have about half the life of it's barrel left, maybe more. The bare metal was notably blued by the few shots it had sustained. The action would survive the firing of many more rounds, but the barrel would only be able to loose the content of a few more magazines before it would need replacing. Cael had restocked his weapon with rounds after the skirmish, Stephanie knew not what method he used to keep track of maintenance intervals.

She charged the weapon and pointed it into the crowd, her finger was on the trigger and the safety disengaged. Some of them flinched, a few did not. After a tense few moments she began to speak, slowly withdrawing her aim.

“I have called you all here to compare my assets. It has come to my attention that the pistol in my hand may or may not be a more effective system of defending my vessel, than the entirety of my fighter escort!” The Captain raised the gun and loosed a round over their heads for emphasis.

A wave of their fear washed over her. The Captain considered this good, though she hadn't a good reason to. In the Imperium, Naval personnel were rarely executed and never summarily while in the field, but rumours of the Federation's differences found their ways through the ranks. Stephanie was aware of the situation, and had decided to use this lack of concrete information to her advantage. She had been trained to do so, though under different circumstances. They had also taught her the best place to aim when performing an execution. She only made use of the smallest fraction of her old training here.

“You are all on board this vessel so that this pistol need not be fired!” DuHart considered firing it again, but did not. Her point was more than made. “Mister Theo, Please provide the definitions of the words Voracious and Vehement.”

“Voracious is to attack with abandon, viciously. Vehemence is to move forward with force of will and tenacity. Ma'am.” He answered, almost as if they had prepared this.

“The difference between them, how would you define it?” The Captain added.

“Intelligence.” His curt answer put a tiny satisfied smile on her face for a moment. “Animals are Voracious, while People are Vehement, Ma'am.”

“Are all animals, in your opinion, Voracious?” She asked him casually.

“Yes, Ma'am, when they need or want to be.” He answered, just as casually.

“Are all people Vehement, Mister Theo?” The Captain added another question, turning her gaze back to the assembled pilots.

“Evidently not, Captain.” Her Tactical Officer replied, eyeing the crowd before them as well.

“Thank you Mister Theo.” The Captain returned his weapon. “There are no shortage of skilled pilots here. I was told I was also being given Command of a group of Soldiers, it would appear not.”

They were cowed, DuHart could tell. She gazed at them, with no shortage of disappointment and anger. Stephanie wasn't entirely sure how upset she was with them, or herself.

“Haste, undue and unwarranted. Every supposed soldier in this cargo bay has wielded this weapon of haste, and made an attempt on the lives of their own Command staff.” DuHart fought a tremor of rage. “You should all be proud of yourselves, you've killed two of them!”

A pilot standing a few ranks from the front, in one of the squadrons to DuHart's left, broke eye contact. He looked down at the floor, an empty place was to his side, another in front. Stephanie almost considered ending her tirade, but only one of them was not enough to have learned.

“Ensign Delores Vasquez, She was my Communications Officer. Petty Officer Spurius Plinius, my Helmsman.” The Captain stood silently for a moment, before gesturing lightly towards her Tactical Officer. “The only people with us here who are not responsible, are either represented by an empty space, or are Cael Theo. Your mission is to protect your vessel, but today a single craft... A Fucking Hauler?!”

Stephanie did not intend to, she surprised herself a little. Her shout echoed inside the cargo-bay. The first few rows of pilots edged back minutely. Their Captain burned holes into their ranks with her eyes as she tried to catch her breath and regain composure.

“One ship. That is all that was let through, and it was nearly enough. Whether any of you find yourselves being transferred off of my ship or not, consider what letting only one through almost did.” The Captain metered her words through bared teeth.

DuHart and her Tactical Officer left the assembled ranks of pilots to stew, they would be dismissed eventually. DuHart had only been venting at them, she wanted them worried but none would be sent away. There would have been no point in teaching, if she meant to cast them off.

Once outside the cargo bay, the Captain and her Tactical Officer began to march through the halls of The Queentia Iactura together. After only a few minutes Stephanie was forced to slow her pace, a stitch had caught her side, she needed to breathe. She refused to stop moving forward though, just slowed to a walk. Theo tried to put his arm under her, for support. DuHart put up her hand to halt him.

“I will be fine, thank you Mister Theo.” DuHart gasped. Her doctor had been concerned with her marching about the ship so soon, let alone screaming for a few minutes.

“You will be Stephanie, but you are not as of yet. I aught to relieve you of duty.” He replied, deeply torn between knowing he was right, and how impressive her tenacity was to him.

The Captain would never let him do that, he had already done far more than expected of him. He was right though, and she knew it, she was blinking to try and clear tiny dancing lights from her peripheral vision. Stephanie suddenly found that more than her duty, more than keeping a brave face for her crew, more even than not leaning on Cael any more; Stephanie wanted to be in her quarters. For the first time in a very long time that did not mean to be alone, it meant that Stephanie wanted to go Home. What had changed was that she had one to go to now.

“I'm giving you Command until we make it to Vish.” Stephanie's words left her winded. “Thank you Cael, thank you.”

“Aye Captain. You don't have to thank me Stephanie.” He replied with a salute, she returned it. Stephanie knew she'd made the right choice, when she almost gave him the wrong gesture.

Stephanie managed to make it into the lift before she had to sit down. On the floor, alone in the corner of the elevator, DuHart felt like a child and along with that she felt shame. Stephanie's chest still hurt, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. The Captain felt a pang of horror as the lift came to a stop other than her own. If she had been paying attention she might have had a chance to stand in time. Tiny hurried footsteps came into the lift, DuHart opened her eyes.

“Becky? Are you lost again?” It was the same girl as before, she did not have her pet but did carry a bright smile.

“No...” She looked at the control panel, then back to Stephanie. “But... I could use some help reaching the buttons... Please.”

“We are already on our way to the First Deck.” Stephanie explained with a small gesture.

“Okay.” The child sat down next to DuHart.

“Is your lizard not with you today?” Stephanie asked after a moment.

“No, I'm not allowed to bring Lazarus out of our suite anymore. In case I get lost again.” She lamented quietly.

“Your parent's are right to want to keep you safe. There are places far less dangerous to explore than my Ship, you know.” She told the child, with a little smile.

“Yeah but, that's why it's so much fun.” Becky's answer was something Stephanie already knew well.

“I apologize if you were frightened during the skirmish.” DuHart said, as she moved into a more comfortable position.

“We were in a battle?” She had wonder in her voice when she said it.

“How long have you been lost, Becky?” DuHart asked, suddenly becoming slightly stern with the child.

“... Most of the day.” Becky admitted.

“There was indeed a small battle.” Stephanie seighed. “Your parents will be very upset. I can't imagine they have any idea where you are right now, do they?”

She shook her head, a tear working its way out of her eye. She had been so wrapped up in her adventure, with the hallways swaying and the lights changing colors, she hadn't thought about that morning since storming away from the common area. Becky had been prepared to regale Lazarus all night with the story of the adventure he had been forced to miss, she no longer felt proud of what she'd done though. Becky had suddenly realized that like them, she had no idea if her family was safe.

“It is all-right, Becky. I will take you to them.” Stephanie said, doing her best to reassure the child taking a series of deep breaths beside her.

She walked with Becky to Sector Chi, Stephanie was too tall to hold the child's hand, so she let her hold onto the Captain's coat-tail instead. The common area had several people occupying it, the Captain looked about for any sign of the child's parents but found none. She began to lead Becky towards the hallway that led to the suites.

“Captain!” A voice called out. “Captain, I need to speak with you.”

“Yes?” DuHart strained herself not to show her disdain when she addressed the man.

“I would like to lodge a complaint against one of your lieutenants.” He said. “One by the name of Eugene Briggs, I feel as though his behavior is completely-”

He stopped talking as soon as he saw the child hiding behind DuHart's leg.

“Becky? Are you not in your suite?” He asked, suddenly very concerned.

“No mister Duvalerae, I am not.” Becky answered sullenly.

“Oh my goodness.” He pulled his P.A.D. from his pocket and flitted at the screen, calling her parents. The connection's establishment was signalled by someone screaming at him through the device. “Yes, yes. I know, listen she's here. No listen. Hrm... Becky is in the common area!”

His shouting ended theirs, he repeated his statement quieter when asked too, then hung up. In only a short moment the woman DuHart had spoken with before, and the man who was her husband came from the hallway and ran to their daughter. The woman picked her up and embraced her.

“Vix essemus, nescimus ubi es. Paenitet me ad te clamantium.” The woman sobbed, her daughter sobbed back apologizing as well.

“Did, you find her?” Becky's father quietly asked mister Duvalerae.

“No no. I simply let you know she was here. I believe the Captain did. I didn't know she was lost.” He said, and extradited himself from the conversation.

“Thank you Captain, I am indebted to you.” Becky's father turned to DuHart to say.

“No sir, you are not. This is my duty, and I simply happened across her in the lift before someone else did.” DuHart told him, happy to have helped, but eager to leave.

“Nonetheless, I shan't forget. Thank you Captain, for all you've done.” Was his reply.