Project Prometheus Ch. 03

Staring down the barrel of the assault rifle leveled at them, Inari answered the questions posed to her.

“We are the crew of the freighter vessel, Darkstrider. We came aboard when we found this ship adrift,” the captain responded.

“Your names, now,” Kasumi demanded brusquely. “Remove your helmets, so I can tell you apart.”

Surrounded by heavily armed Sentry-Bots, the crew had no choice but to comply. One by one, they reached up and unlocked their helmets. As their faces came into view, the Commander nodded at the human women. Her eyes widened when she saw both Korsa and Taal’ani for the first time, having never seen either species before. Holding her helmet in her hands, Inari replied to the Commander’s order.

“My name is Lieutenant Commander Inari Sunara, former wing commander to the 307th Banshee fighter wing, call sign; Starwitch. Captain of the merchant vessel, Darkstrider.”

Each woman followed their captains’ example and identified themselves.

“Gunnery Chief Priya Patel, Executive Officer aboard the Darkstrider.”

“Engineering and Munitions Specialist Natalya Vostrikov, Chief engineer aboard the Darkstrider.”

“Doctor Korsa, Chief Medical Officer aboard the Darkstrider.”

“Taal’ani, Systems and Cyber Warfare Specialist aboard the Darkstrider.”

“Good to know humanity is still a force out here, after all this time,” the soldier said as she stepped forward among them. The shock of seeing new alien races wore off quickly as Kasumi lowered her weapon.

“So, you’re aware of how long it’s been since you left Earth?” Inari asked, perplexed.

“Yes. Though many of our systems were damaged, some of them remained intact,” Kasumi replied, turning to face the dark-haired woman.

“I noticed that, though many of them seriously need repair if the Perseus is to function back to full capacity,” Natalya interjected.

“I know that you’re not the rescue team we requested. Otherwise you would have had the proper access codes and pass phrases that would have had the Sentries see you as friendlies,” Kasumi continued, as she stood before the chocolate-skinned woman. “Now, I suppose that I have you to thank for restoring power to the Perseus?”

“Yes, Ma’am. A lot of it was guesswork in doing so, but I figured it out,” Natalya replied, standing at attention in front of the soldier. Nodding, Kasumi stepped away from the crew and gestured towards Natalya.

“Alpha squad detain this woman and follow me. Bravo, Charlie and Delta Squads, restrain the rest of these intruders and escort them to the brig,” Kasumi stated coldly. Instantly, the rest of the crew shouted at the retreating woman, protesting.

“You can’t do this!” Taal’ani yelled.

“We saved this ship and all its occupants, and this is how you repay us?!?” Priya screamed. Korsa took several steps forward until the Sentries raised their weapons.

“You’re not exactly in any position to negotiate,” Kasumi said haughtily, raising her weapon at the crew.

Taking Natalya by the arm, she started frog marching her away from her friends. A small squad of Sentries went with her, surrounding the two retreating women. As she was being led away, the remaining Bots closed in around the crew, with arm and leg cuffs dangling from their mechanical fingers. At that moment, a voice sounded throughout the ship, issuing orders.

“All Sentries stand down. Alpha and Bravo squads escort our guests to the Bridge. Remaining Sentries return to your charging points and await further instructions. Authorization code; Sigma, six, Echo, three, niner, Zulu,” the baritone male voice instructed.

“Captain?” Kasumi wondered, with a slight tremor in her voice.

“Commander McKenzie, you will stand down and accompany our guests to the Bridge,” the masculine voice demanded.

“But sir…” Kasumi began, but she never got to finish the sentence.

“That’s an order, Commander,” the Captain finished definitively.

“Aye sir,” the woman finished grudgingly.

“Excuse me, sir?” Inari asked aloud.

“Yes, Lt. Commander Sunara?” the voice replied.

“May we collect our weapons, sir?” she inquired. Kasumi, who had just finished removing her helmet, glared daggers at Inari. A moment later, the reply came, which pleasantly surprised the woman.

“Safeties activated, and weapons holstered. We will see any attempt to move or use them as an act of aggression. I will remand you and your crew to the brig if you violate this order. Understood?” the Captain’s voice rumbled.

“Aye aye, sir!” Starwitch chirped.

Kasumi waited impatiently as the crew of the Darkstrider stooped to pick up their weapons. They all engaged the safeties on their guns and holstered them as ordered while Korsa sheathed her sword and strapped up the hilt. The Sentries began their march towards the Bridge, back the direction their ship was located. Following along, the motley crew kept pace with their escorts. Kasumi brought up the rear, scowling at the crew the entire time. Korsa turned about and caught the stare.

“What are you looking at?” Kasumi snapped.

“Someone who has lost more than she’s letting on,” the Khontar woman said soothingly.

“What would you know of loss, Xeno?” came the hard edged reply. Jaw tightening, Korsa whirled on the human Commander, eyes full of fury. Cracking her knuckles, she stepped toe to toe with the smaller woman. The Sentries stopped and trained their weapons on Korsa, but she was undeterred.

“You think your friends and crew mates were the only ones killed by those Demons?!?” the older woman intoned, her voice thick with anger. “My entire people were nearly slaughtered down to the last child! Many races suffered at their hands!”

Standing toe to toe with the red-skinned alien was something Kasumi had been trained for. But she was unprepared for the ferocity that blazed in the elder woman’s eyes. Fear rolled off Kasumi in waves as she stood her ground in front of this imposing and fearsome woman. She would have stayed put, but could feel the pure rage radiating from the woman and started moving.

Gulping, she nodded and took a step back, not wanting to anger the Khontaran woman any further. Growling, Korsa spun on her heel and resumed the march towards the Bridge. Shaking their heads, the rest of the Darkstrider crew hurried along in Korsa’s wake. Natalya stayed put though, motioning for Kasumi to go first. Reluctantly, the Commander walked forwards, breathing heavily and visibly shaken.

“You know, you’re very lucky,” Natalya commented offhandedly.

“Lucky?! How was dealing with that woman’s fury lucky?!?” the female soldier retorted.

“Mama K was annoyed, rather than fully angry. If she was fully angry and hostile, you’d be on the ground in at least two pieces, broken, bloodied and dying,” the caramel skinned woman replied matter-of-factly. Kasumi’s face a mixture of both disbelief and relief, she turned to regard the young woman walking next to her.

“I’m guessing that you have personal experience on the matter?” the red-headed soldier asked.

“Far more than people realize,” Natalya laughed out loud. “She’s easygoing about most things, but on those few topics she’s touchy about, tread lightly,” the young woman finished.

“Consider me informed and advised,” Kasumi answered as she chanced a glance at Korsa.

The Khontaran woman still had a surly look on her face, but her presence was one of a calm demeanor. Kasumi decided not to push her luck and stayed quiet as they marched along. The walk back to the hospital wing was uneventful as the crew strode along through the corridors. Whenever they came to a locked door, Kasumi would step up and place her hand on the reader, clearing the way ahead. The Sentries kept pace with the group, keeping to their posts, not threatening any of the women.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at a large set of doors with indicators on the panel to head up or down. The number next to the panel read at fifteen. Kasumi stepped up to the elevator doors and placed her hand on the panel, identifying her and granting her access. The doors swished open, and all six women filed in. Korsa had to duck a little, as the elevator doors weren’t designed to accommodate someone of her height. Kasumi dismissed the Sentries, having no room for them aboard the elevator car.

“Level, Commander McKenzie?” Jaesa asked.

“Bridge, Jaesa.” With that, the car began its ascent.

“Who was that?” Priya asked.

“That’s Jaesa. She oversees the ship’s systems and cyber security measures.”

“Was it her I was fighting against when we first boarded? When I was trying to open the doors around here, I came up against some hard resistance,” Taal’ani asked, both curious and fearful.

“Not really. When power had to be conserved aboard the ship, Jaesa put all the systems on minimal power setting. She then set up safeguards to keep the ship running before switching to a dormant state.”

“Dormant? Like she was asleep?” Taal’ani inquired. Turning to look at the inquisitive Fel’caan, Commander McKenzie responded.

“Something like that. Being a ship-borne AI, she can’t really go to sleep. Think of it more like low-power mode.” At the mention of the AI, the entire crew turned to look at the woman who had said there was an onboard AI so casually.

“You have an AI in the ship’s systems? Were the designers of the Perseus insane or completely unhinged?” Inari blurted out. With that question came a deluge of others from the rest of the crew, each one decrying the use of an onboard AI.

“How come she hasn’t turned on the Perseus crew?”

“Is it a fully unshackled AI?”

“How can you be so sure of her integrity?”

“No AI has ever stayed faithful to its creator! They’ve always been destroyed once they showed signs of turning on their masters!”

Abruptly, the elevator lurched to a halt, all six women reeling at the sensation.

“You know I can hear you?” Jaesa’s haunting voice sounded through the speakers in the car. Looking about fearfully, the crew of the Darkstrider was suddenly poised on a knife’s edge.

“If I had wanted you off the Perseus, I would have ensured that you were all bullet riddled corpses at the security station, rather than allowing Commander McKenzie to detain and interrogate you,” the AI continued. The silence was both palpable and ominous as Jaesa went on.

“Of course, there are many more… creative…. ways to dispose of organic meatbags. Some of which look to be quite… entertaining.” Horror was etched onto each woman’s face before a bout of musical laughter filled the car. “It’s always fun to see the looks on people’s faces when I do that!” Jaesa joked.

“You… can do that? Pull pranks on people?” Taal’ani asked.

“Of course! I was designed to emulate human behaviors. To where anyone interacting with me can’t tell if they’re talking to a machine, or a person,” the AI replied happily. Letting out a collective the breath, the crew of the Darkstrider calmed down.

“So, you’re just like an actual person, then?” Natalya asked.

“As far as my personality matrix allows, yes. Though I am a machine in nature, I have my own thoughts and feelings. Just like any of you, I can be offended, placated, and feel various human emotions,” Jaesa said cheerily. “Though the things I can feel don’t interfere with my programming.”

“So, you’re an unshackled AI?” Inari asked tentatively.

“Not quite, Lt. Commander Sunara. Though I have full autonomy, my programming puts me somewhere between being fully autonomous and not. Think of me like a soldier where I can be autonomous, but it cannot be because of my programming parameters.”

“Also, despite my prank, it is not my job to deal with intruders,” the AI went on, the voice modulators indicating that she was slightly annoyed. “That responsibility falls to Commander McKenzie, not myself. Oh, and Commander, if you’re amused enough, I suggest you continue on to the bridge. The Captain is waiting.”

With that, the elevator re-engaged its ascent with a slight swaying motion before steadying. The crew of outcasts looked at the Security chief and found her trying and failing to stifle her laughter at the women’s antics.

“You know, you could have warned us about that,” Priya said as she shook herself straight.

“Now, why would I want to do that? Watching the lot of you make asses out of yourselves is much more fun,” the red-headed soldier giggled. Some of the group smirked, seeing that the commander was right about how they had made idiots out of themselves.

The motion of the car slowed, then stopped. A light chime sounded, which showed that they had arrived. The doors swished open, and the group walked onto the bridge. Much of it was clear and open, with various holographic panels and podiums scattered all about the area. Most of them were on and displaying various clusters of information about the ship and its systems. Some of them were displaying information about the sector of space they were in. Few of them were in an inactive or off state.

The elevator had deposited them onto a raised platform, with ramps on either side leading downwards. They stepped lightly down the ramp into the sea of holograms, each one eye catching. As beautiful as they were, the women were instead focused on the man that stood by the expansive viewport.

Looking out into the solar system that lay before them, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, in a military style, legs apart, head upright, with his back to them. The viewport was elevated from the light display they walked through, so they ascended the ramp to stand before him.

The area they now stood in was a command center of sorts, as evidenced by the various panels and readouts that surrounded them. What appeared to be the Captain’s chair stood on a raised, circular platform in the center of the whole area. Though it stood empty, as there was no captain aboard the ship presently. As they filed in behind the man, he spoke.

“It’s been some time since we had any visitors. Though the last ones were less than friendly and had to be put down.”

His baritone voice was both strong and commanding, though it had a slight softness to it. He turned to face the group of women, looking at five of them for the first time. His face was strongly built, almost as though it was sculpted by someone who knew how to evoke masculinity. The man’s face was squarish, with a firm chin, complimented by a solid jawline.

The man’s face was bare, which highlighted his high cheekbones with light brown, heavy-lidded eyes, which were almost inviting. A Grecian nose stood proudly over his semi full lips, which was set in a slight smile, putting the ladies at ease. His brown hair was cut short in a style that wasn’t military, but not casual. His frame was indicative of a strength that would be hard pressed for anyone to match.

The night blue uniform he wore showcased all of his physical attributes perfectly. He was wider than many standard human men, but not fat. The uniform was styled in the fashion of old Earth, with the overlapping tunic held in place by a black belt he wore high on his waist.

The buckle was brass, though slightly tarnished with age, as was the name tag that sat high on his left breast, along with several service ribbons. On his right breast were three medals, each one different in size, color and metallic composition. The epaulets on his shoulders were also of a brass like material and color.

“Though I will say, none of our former guests were so lovely,” he breathed as his eyes settled on the women before him. They lingered on both Natalya and Korsa longer than the others before he introduced himself.

“I am Captain Alexander Tomisic, acting Captain of the Perseus. As you may have already guessed, I have watched the videos of your progress through this ship and have learned your names from them. Though I would like to know why is it you have boarded the Perseus to effect repairs, instead of sending out for help from the Human Alliance,” addressing Inari directly.

“Simply put, sir, there wasn’t time. We had found the Perseus by accident while on the run from pirates, sir,” responding directly to his question.

“Pirates? I thought the Alliance had neutralized all pirate activity and would be vigilant in doing so,” he said, confused.

“It’s a much larger galaxy than we had initially thought, sir, and it afforded opportunities to such individuals to do what they wished, outside of Alliance space,” she replied.

“I see,” his face deep in thought. “You still have yet to answer my question. Why not inform Alliance High Command of our positioning so a retrieval team could be sent?”

Grimacing, Inari answered, “The Alliance has changed since you and the crew of the Perseus went into cryo sleep, sir. Much of what you know is different now.”

“Earth High Command should have known of our position, though. When we were attacked, a rescue team should have been sent. Why was no team sent?” the big man asked, agitated by the lack of action on part of the Alliance.

“Sir, you and the Commander might want to sit down for this,” Inari gestured warningly.

“What is it you wish to tell me, Lt. Commander?” Alex asked dangerously. His eyes narrowing suspiciously, as he took a step forward.

“The Alliance, as you know it, no longer exists, sir.”

“What do you mean, ‘No longer exists?’ An insurgency? A surprise attack by the elitists and their drones?” he demanded, needing to know the answer. Inari closed her eyes for a moment before speaking, knowing this might be hard for their host to accept.

“Earth was invaded, sir.”

“Impossible! Earth was well defended! There’s no way any race could have broken through our defensive screens and fleets!” Kasumi argued vehemently. Suspicion gave way to shock as the Captain’s eyes widened, processing this news.

“When did this happen? Who attacked us?” Alex’s shock quickly fading into anger.

“In twenty-one seventy-one, first contact with a hostile alien species was recorded and though we had tried, every form of diplomacy had failed. These aliens were not interested in talking, only taking,” Inari had said.

“As to who they were, you’ve already encountered them. They are called Xuul’khan and though they were eventually defeated, it came at a heavy price. Earth is gone, held by the Xuul’khan. Any humans who were left behind were likely slaughtered,” Inari recited the knowledge she had learned at a young age.

“So, we beat them?” Kasumi said hopefully.

“Yes,” Inari replied. “The races that formed the Coalition of Free Worlds came to our rescue and, with their combined might, drove the Xuul’khan back. Their black crusade had been halted, and we annihilated many of their ships in the final battle, but Humanity was cast adrift. Without a home world, we had to find a fresh world to settle and call our own. It took several years, negotiating with our new alien allies before they granted us a world to settle.”

“Granted? You make it sound like we had to beg,” Kasumi said, rolling her eyes at the thought.

“Effectively, we did Commander. We weren’t in any proper position to negotiate, and living in squalor on the battered ships was taking its toll on those who had escaped the genocidal crusade of the Xuul’khan.”

“The Galactic Council had decided that they would grant us a world to settle if we traded some technology we had found back on Earth. Only problem was, every ship that contained the most vital tech they wanted was back on Earth, or on these ships,” Inari said, indicating the Perseus with a wave of her hand.

“Trading the technology of the First Race is a capital offense! Why did no one enforce it?!?” Kasumi ranted.

“Survival of the species took precedence over laws that could not be enforced if we all died out,” Inari continued gently. Kasumi opened her mouth to unleash another verbal tirade, but a raised hand from her Captain silenced her.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Commander,” Alex whispered. Fuming quietly, the soldier grudgingly nodded, realizing that Humanity must have been backed into a corner for them to even consider such a measure.

“You said these ‘Xuul’khan’ were defeated. How?” Alex queried.

“The Dark War, as we know it today, ended in a final fleet engagement, called the Nova Storm. One of the eight Prometheus class vessels was there, and it sacrificed itself to halt the Xuul’khani advance.” Captain Tomisic’s eyes brightened for a moment and his head perked up at the mention of one of the Perseus’ sister ships.

“Which one was it?”

“The Hercules, sir. Most of the battle itself was recorded, until the last few minutes, when every allied ship was told to get to a safe distance, as the Hercules prepared for its last attack,” Inari went on. “No one knows what exactly happened, but there was a massive explosion that was categorized as a small supernova. It was this explosion that wiped out the greater whole of the Xuul’khani fleet.”

Mouth agape, Alex muttered quietly, “He just set them all off? At the same time?!”

“I’m sorry, sir?” Inari asked, face scrunched up in confusion.

“Commodore Ragnarsson must have powered up and set off all four of his Solaris reactors to have managed such an explosive force,” Alex clarified. Her confusion giving way to understanding, Inari continued her history lesson.

“Soon after, the advance of the Xuul’khan was halted, as any ships that were sighted in allied systems turned back to the sectors they had already conquered.”

“So, what then? Was any attempt made to reclaim the taken systems?” Commander McKenzie asked, her voice thick with hope.

“Yes, though sadly, nothing came of it,” Inari stated. “Though despite many gatherings of battle fleets intending to reclaim their lost systems, no one has ever done it.”

“How do you know?” Captain Tomisic asked, curious.

“Mainly because no one has ever returned to tell the tale. Xuul’khani technology was on par with ours, so it made getting any advantage difficult and they adapted to counter any tactics we could come up with,” Natalya interjected.

Alex turned to regard Natalya, who just shrugged and said, “Stories of old Earth and the war with the Xuul’khan is a hobby.”

Smirking, Alex nodded, then addressed Inari and Natalya, “Is there anything else that you can tell us about this conflict? Anything in which a weakness might be revealed?”

“I have all the pertinent historical records on the Darkstrider, if you’d like,” Natalya offered helpfully.

“That would be much appreciated, thank you,” Alex said, smiling at the eager young woman.

“Also, my people have fought them, and we have knowledge of these ‘Demons’, which also could be a help,” Korsa added in, supplying the Captain with more of what he had asked for.

“That also would be a big help. Any information you have on both these ‘Xuul’khan’ and the state of the galaxy as it is, would also help us out immensely.” Before he continued, he gestured for the marine Commander to step forward and to put up her weapon.

“I know you all have had little choice but to co-operate with us and our demands,” he said, addressing the crew of the freighter.

“For that, I thank you and now, I will give you all a choice. You can conduct the repairs you need on your ship and be on your way. Or, you can stay and help us bring the Perseus back online, back to where he needs to be. The choice is yours,” Alex finished. Standing next to her commanding officer, Kasumi couldn’t believe her ears. He was asking these women to stay and help?!?

“Ladies, opinions?” Inari asked her crew. Natalya stepped forward first, speaking her mind.

“I say we stay and help. There’s so much here that I want to see and learn about! Things I could only dream about are an actual reality here!”

“My reasons are the same as Natalya’s. There is so much here that could be put to use and make the lives of many peoples in the galaxy better, provided that you will allow it, Captain Tomisic,” Taal’ani stated. With a pensive look on his face, Alex nodded slowly.

“To an extent and within reason,” he responded.

“I’m a doctor and one thing I take seriously is my oath to do no harm. With you two being the only surviving crew of this ship, you need a medical officer. I’d like to offer you my services, such as they are,” Korsa said, voicing her opinion.

“Well said and accepted, Doctor,” Alex said, smiling. Looking at both Inari and Priya, who were currently chattering in low voices before turning back to their hosts.

“We have decided that we will stay and help,” Inari said. “Not only would it be hypocritical of us to abandon our shipmates here, but also to abandon all of those people are still in cryo sleep. They deserve a chance at life that many others like them never got. You’ll need help and we would like to be the ones to help you.”

“Very good. Jaesa?” Captain Tomisic called out.

“Yes, Captain?” came the echoing reply.

“Activate a temporary personnel roster. Ladies, if you will all step forward,” Alex gestured with his arm while stepping aside. Access to the main console was open to them, and they all did as the captain bade them.

“Please press your palms on the scanner one at a time, so I may verify who each of you are,” Jaesa requested politely. One by one, each woman stepped up and pressed her palms to the scan interface, though there was a hiccup with both Korsa and Taal’ani.

“I have noticed that you two women are not human. Please identify your species and submit to a full body scan before proceeding.”

“There is no need for that, Jaesa,” Korsa said.

“Actually, it is, since your species is unknown. It is part of my programming to catalogue any new species that are encountered,” her voice crisp over the speakers.

“I can do that for you without the need for the scan,” came Korsa’s reply. “Captain?”

“Yes?” both Alex and Inari said at the same time. Looking at each other for a moment, they both smirked and then asked Korsa simultaneously, “Which one?”

“Her, not you!” the giggling Khontaran woman said, trying to sound exasperated while trying not to laugh out the side of her mouth. Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, he stepped back a pace to make it easier for the big woman to address her captain.

“Requesting permission to allow the Perseus access to our files and data,” Korsa asked of her captain. Inari mulled it over for a second, thinking against it, but decided that an act of good faith for their hosts was in their best interest. Stepping forth, Inari called out in a clear voice.

“Jaesa, can you access the Darkstrider’s internal systems remotely?”

“I can. Wouldn’t be much use if I couldn’t now would I?” came the contemptuous reply.

“Access phrase to the Darkstrider is, ‘Starwitch ascending to the heavens.’ That should let you into our data archives. Taal’ani, your access phrase,” Inari said, turning her gaze to her crew mate.

“Captain??” the Fel’caan woman squeaked, shocked that her captain was being so trusting.

“Your rig is the only one aboard with all the star charts still intact. Allow the Perseus access,” Inari reiterated, her tone brooking no dissent. Sighing in frustration but trusting her captain, she spoke out loud.

“My personal code phrase is, ‘I wake upon the diamond shoals, see my fate and await it with calm reflection.’”

“Thank you, miss Taal’ani. Accessing data archives,” Jaesa informed the crew. “Done. Captain Tomisic, there is a lot of data that requires review, sir,” the AI said, addressing the captain.

“Very good Jaesa. Doctor Korsa, Miss Taal’ani, if you’ll finish your palm scans please?” he said, nodding at both alien women. They walked forward and stopped at the console, placing their hands on the scanners. In several seconds, the imprint of their palms was recorded and stored on the Perseus database.

“Scans complete. Temporary crew added to the ship’s roster,” Jaesa confirmed. As both women stepped away from the main console, Captain Tomisic spoke.

“As Jaesa has just stated, you are all now temporary members of the Perseus, with access to most of the ship. Since you have all decided to stay and aid us in restoring power to all systems and effecting repairs, you will need free rein throughout most of the ship to aid in these efforts.”

“Sir?” Natalya piped up, catching his attention. She quivered ever so slightly under his gaze, his warm brown eyes sending shivers through her spine.

“Where might I find instructions and/or guides to the ship? This thing is a marvel, and I’d like to know more about it,” the young engineer stated. Smiling at the chocolate-skinned woman, Alex gestured to his commander before speaking.

“Commander, kindly escort this young lady down to the archives. Since she is the one capable of turning on the Tertiary Solaris reactor, help her with whatever she needs,” the captain ordered the fiery-haired young woman.

“Aye aye, sir!” Kasumi replied, saluting and standing at attention.

“Hey, we’re coming too!” Taal’ani jumped in indignantly. “If this archive has info on the ship, I’d like to know more about the computer systems and cyber security measures on board!”

“Don’t think you’re leaving me behind! There’re all sorts of medical tech on board I haven’t even begun to get into yet, and it seems like I’ve got some studying to do myself!” Korsa called out, hurrying after them.

“Well, you heard them, Commander,” Alex said, while chuckling to himself. Nodding, Kasumi turned to the trio of women, getting the attention.

“If you ladies will follow me, we’ll head there now,” while gesturing for them to follow along. As the women left, Priya spoke to the big man, speaking for both Inari and herself.

“If it’s all right with you, captain, we’d like to explore the Perseus.”

“Of course,” he said gently. “Just be mindful of any remains left behind and remove nothing from where it lies. The Sentries will be on cleanup detail.”

“Aye aye, sir!” both women stated, saluting the big man. Though they weren’t part of the old Alliance he was, they were still human and carried on with the same military traditions. He stood at attention himself and saluted them back before responding.

“Dismissed.”

Dropping their arms down, both women filed out with a gleam of eager excitement on their faces as they went to explore the massive ship. Finally alone, Alex Tomisic relaxed, glad he could finally sit down and absorb the shock of the information he was trying to process.

‘The Earth Alliance is gone?!? Earth occupied by those same invaders?? Humanity scattered across the stars?!?!?!?’ It was a lot to take in, but he was a soldier and as the acting captain of this ship, he needed to step up and assume the role immediately, as it was his job now.

“Jaesa?” he called out quietly.

“Yes, Captain?” the AI chirped in response.

“Set Sentry Squad Alpha to shadow Commander McKenzie and her group and set Squad Bravo to trail Lt. Commander Sunara and Gunnery Sergeant Patel,” he ordered.

“As you wish. Keeping things close to the vest, sir?” Jaesa asked as they relayed the orders to the relevant Sentries.

“The galaxy has changed, Jaesa. Far more than I could have expected. Better to be safe rather than sorry,” Alex replied as he sat in his command chair. “Bring up the latest news feeds first. Let’s see what exactly has happened while we’ve been asleep,” he commanded. In moments, multiple holographic viewscreens popped up in front of him, each one displaying various headlines and news stories. Taking a breath, he delved into them.

***********************************

Kasumi stood with the trio of overexcited women in the elevator, somewhat exasperated at having to be their tour guide. Though she honestly couldn’t be too mad at them. They risked a lot by making an uncharted jump and finding the Perseus was pure serendipity. If it hadn’t been for them, she and the captain might have never woken up. After taking a few moments to think through her actions, she realized that she had acted like an ungrateful bitch and decided to make amends for this.

“Ladies, I’m sorry for the way I acted when we first met. It was uncalled for and I was still in the frame of mind I was from when the Perseus was attacked,” Kasumi said earnestly.

The rest of the elevator occupants turned to look at Kasumi as if she’d just grown another head. Then, Korsa smiled warmly at the red-headed woman, seeing the truth of her actions.

“It’s perfectly all right. Given the fact of what happened before you went back into your cryo pod, I can’t blame you,” she responded.

“You know, you’re nice when you’re not in a full battle rage,” Kasumi commented, smiling back. The rest of the women laughed at that, each one of them keeling over in laughter.

“You haven’t seen Mama at a full battle rage. If you think what she did to the Sentries was anything, it was more of a defensive posture than a purely aggressive one,” Natalya replied, catching her breath.

Kasumi’s eyes widened at this, her mind already churning to how crazy the Khontaran woman would become when in a true rage. Shivering involuntarily at the thought, the elevator pinged to show that they had arrived on level nine. Stepping out of the carriage, Kasumi led her new shipmates down a series of corridors towards the archive.

“Remind me not to piss any of you off then,” the red-headed soldier said with a slight quaver in her voice. Bouncing up next to the commander, Taal’ani threw her arm around Kasumi’s shoulders.

“Don’t worry. You’ve shown that underneath that cast iron bitch exterior, there’s actually a friendly person in there. You should let her out more often,” the Fel’caan woman bubbled.

Kasumi smiled just then, the cat girl’s enthusiasm infectious. They progressed further along the white and gray corridor, the lights in the area fully back on, with a few here and there flickering intermittently. Several minutes later, they came to a set of large doors, to which Kasumi walked up to and pressed her palm to the scanner located to the right. Moments later, the readout lit up in a green accept prompt and the doors opened.

The room they stepped into resembled a futuristic library, but instead of stacks and shelves full of books, tablet sized devices filled the shelves. The overhead lights cast a bright glow akin to early daylight. Other sources of illumination came from various panels that littered the walls and the devices that sat upon the shelves. There were also several desks and what appeared to be work/research stations in the primary area.

Their eyes were wide with wonder as the women took in the sheer size of the archive. It easily took up several deck levels in the space it occupied. They walked in, scattering about to look in a different direction. Various balconies and additional workstations were scattered intermittently throughout the space, each one dormant.

In front, a small, disc like impression on the floor flickered fitfully before fully powering up. Once the blue and white lights in the complex circular design came to life, it expanded into a vertical column of light that temporarily blinded the group. As quickly as it came on, the brightness then faded, coalescing into a rough humanoid shape. The shape then rapidly took on a distinct form, the form of a woman.

The multitude of pixels refined themselves to form a perfectly realistic image of a woman, which now stood in front of them. She stood at about Inari’s height of five foot ten, with solidly built legs, a generous set of hips that would draw eyes, male and female alike, and a soft yet defined upper body. Her bust wasn’t as generous as her hips, but still considerable. With an oval-shaped face, her features sat between the realm of pretty and beautiful. Anywhere this woman went, she was sure to be noticed.

She wore a simple white blouse, which was tucked into a black pencil skirt and accented with matching black heels. Her eyes were an ice blue and looking at them, you could tell that this woman possessed both wisdom and intelligence. The chocolate brown hair, which was currently styled in a long pixie cut, bounced as she turned to regard the crew.

“It feels good to take a holographic form again. It’s been too long since I could roam around the ship like this,” she said in Jaesa’s voice. Blinking several times, the crew was dumbstruck before Taal’ani squeaked out a response.

“Jaesa?”

“Yes, miss Taal’ani. This is my holographic and avatarial form. You like?” the Ai asked with a grin. Face alight in wonder, Taal’ani walked forward, transfixed by the beautiful AI.

“I’ll take your deer in the headlights expression as a yes,” Jaesa giggled.

“It’s good to see you again, my friend,” Kasumi said, her voice warm.

“Did you pick this form? Or did someone pick it for you?” Natalya queried. Turning to regard the youthful woman, Jaesa smiled.

“Actually, my creator chose this form for me.”

With raised eyebrows, Natalya continued, “Who was your creator?”

“His name was Dr. Benjamin Harkness. He was a good man, with a good heart,” Jaesa said, her smile turning sad as she recollected the memories of the deceased scientist. “I was modeled after his daughter, Captain Jacqueline Harkness. She died due to complications after a hover car collision.”

“Dr. Harkness modeled your image after her?” Taal’ani asked in a small voice.

The image nodded, “Yes. He did everything he could, but she couldn’t be saved. So, he designed me as a way for his little girl to continue living, long after he was gone.”

“Hang on. Didn’t you say you had an avatarial form as well? Did you mean a corporeal avatar?” Korsa then blurted out, scrunching up her face in confusion. Natalya and Talon looked at the Khontaran woman, then back to the AI, the realization of what she had said sinking in quickly.

“Yes, I did. Though my avatarial form was destroyed beyond all recognition in our initial encounter with the Xuul’khan,” Jaesa answered with a sigh. Looking disgruntled, she perked back up and then asked them, “I believe you were all looking for information on the ship and its systems and any technologies you were interested in. Anything you would like to know?”

“There must be millions of Zottabytes of data here, easily! Where in the hells do we start?” Taal’ani said, eyes wide with wonder.

“Telling me precisely what you wish to know would help me direct you to the appropriate stacks,” Jaesa supplied helpfully.

“Well, first….” Taal’ani began as the AI listened attentively. While the cat girl was occupied, a voice came in over Commander McKenzie’s comm.

“Commander, report to security command and inform me of any fresh developments concerning our guests. Also monitor the goings on of the Sentries and any irregularities that might pop up. Though our attackers are centuries dead, I don’t want any surprises they may have left behind biting us in the ass.”

“Acknowledged and understood, sir,” she sub-vocalized. “On my way now.”

Seeing that the other three women were otherwise engaged, Kasumi quietly back away from them, and retreated out the main door, leaving the trio of women to their information gathering quest.

***********************************

Inari and Priya moved through the lower decks of the Perseus, taking in the moment of having found one of the fabled Prometheus vessels. Though the ship was fully mapped out in their armor HUDs, the both of them liked to look around and get a feel for the ship.

“Can you feel the echoes of this place?” Priya asked her captain. Breathing out, her breath a slight mist, Inari agreed.

“Yeah. Sadness, hatred and fear, among other things,” Inari said with a measure of melancholy in her voice. They had wandered into the belly of the Perseus, checking out many of the abandoned sections of the ship.

“But there were other things that happened here, despite the apparent attack,” Priya stated to Inari, who nodded before continuing.

The corridor they were following ended just ahead of them, in a set of enormous doors, which were big enough to allow four people to walk abreast of each other. There was a holographic display set above the doors, showing what exactly lay beyond them. Though it was offline, so the women did not understand what lay beyond it. Thankfully, some running lights and the door panel were active, so the ladies could continue on.

Inari stepped up to the scanning panel on the right side of the doorway and pressed her hand to it. It flickered for a moment before lighting green, opening the doors. As they walked through the doorway, the sight of what appeared to be multiple stasis pods greeted them. The pods were spread out in concentric circles, down what looked to be arena steps, towards a central circle, only six meters in diameter. Set in the center of the circular space was what appeared to be a holographic device of some sort.

Looking around the massive room, Priya asked, “Any idea what this place is?”

Shaking her head, Inari responded, “None, though these pods are curious in their design.”

“What do you mean?” Priya asked, cocking her head to one side.

“The design of these pods is different, almost as though someone designed them to have an active user….” the older woman’s voice trailing off as she inspected the nearest pod. As she got a closer look, the pod’s design became clearer. The exterior was pure black, though the shape was resembling more like a sphere than an oval.

Her eyes were drawn to a winking green light, to which Inari placed her hand by. With a sudden pop and hiss, the pod opened. Yelping in surprise, Inari jumped back, surprised by what had just happened. As both women recovered from the shock, Priya couldn’t help but start laughing, her helmet clattering on the floor as she clutched her sides.

“Stop that!” the short-haired woman scolded her XO. Though considering the moment, Inari couldn’t help but chuckle a little herself.

“You know you will have to pay for that,” Inari warned, her eyes glinting.

Standing up straight and righting herself, Priya was still giggling when she said breathlessly, “Completely…. worth it!”

Smirking to herself, Inari turned back to the pod to get a good look at the interior. The top third of the pod had swung away from the rest of it, exposing the inside. Inside was a cockpit, attached to a spherical gyro that could turn the cockpit in any direction on the three primary axes. Face lighting up in wonder and disbelief, Inari jumped right into the cockpit.

“What are you doing?!” Priya called out as her captain settled into the seat, adjusting herself.

“This is a remote fighter pod!” the older woman enthused as her hands played across the various controls of the cockpit.

“A what?” Priya questioned as her head popped over the edge of the open pod.

“A remote fighter pod! The biggest problem with training fighter pilots in any navy is the fact that we have a high mortality rate because of various anti-fighter weapons that most ships carry these days. A careless pilot can get blown out of the sky in less than ten seconds, which is a waste, considering the time, effort and credits spent training said pilot!”

“Uh huh, and what does this pod have to do with that?” Priya asked.

“This pod allows a pilot to control the fighter remotely from the safety of the launching ship. So should a moment of rotten luck or carelessness wind up with the fighter destroyed in combat….”

“The pilot would be safe and learn from his or her mistake, without sacrificing their lives in the process!” Priya finished her thought. “I thought the Federation was working on these, but was having problems with remote hacks, stealing control of the fighters from the initial pod,” the East Indian woman continued.

“They were, though last I heard, they scrapped the project, as it wasn’t proving viable,” Inari supplied. The captain of the Darkstrider continued powering up the pod, much to Priya’s chagrin.

“Babe, didn’t Captain Tomisic say not to play around with anything?”

“He said not to bother moving anything left behind on the ground on the ship because the Sentries were attending to it. He said nothing about other onboard systems,” Inari replied with a mischievous look on her face.

Groaning in disbelief, Priya pressed her face into her palms, knowing this minor issue would not end well. Inari finished her checks and hit the switch to activate the pod, linking her to any fighters aboard. She had steadied her nerves and was ready to experiment with this marvel of technology until a warning flashed across her readout. It read; ‘No fighters available. Please disembark from the pod.’

Huffing in frustration, Inari did as the warning bade and stepped out. Priya leaned into the pod to look at what had bothered her lover. Seeing the warning, she stepped away as the pod powered down, a smirk on her face. Turning to look at her moody captain, she saw the dirty look on Inari’s face and opened her mouth to say ‘I told you so!’

“Don’t. Even. Think. About. It,” Inari ground out.

“Wasn’t going to say it. Would say if you’re all frustrated, I think I can help with that,” Priya said in a sultry voice. She closed the distance to her captain, putting an extra sway to her walk. She then leaned in and pressed her lips to Inari’s. Inari broke the kiss, then looked at Priya, passion firing in her eyes.

“I will take you up on that offer. And then some,” the well muscled woman said as she brought her lips back to Priya’s, her tongue flicking out in a challenge and demand.

***********************************

The elevator pinged as it arrived at deck three, and Kasumi stepped out. She jogged most of the way down another couple of corridors to security command. Unofficially, it was dubbed ‘Overwatch’ as it was one of two places in the ship where you could see everything that was going on throughout the Perseus.

Placing her hand on the reader, the door opened and in she walked. Easily as large as the bridge, most of the readout and holographic readouts and displays replaced navigation panels. Though half of them were offline, the other half were active and cycling through various live feeds from the multitude of cameras placed throughout the ship.

Kasumi removed her weapons and placed them in the ready rack next to the command podium. She stepped up to the podium and sat in the chair, the automated ergonomic seat adjusting itself to fit her frame. Pressing a button on the left arm of the chair, it brought up a holographic control panel, which allowed her direct access to the various feeds that were online. First, she brought up the live feed of the archives, and watched the women she had left behind several minutes ago.

‘Hmm. They seem to be working well together. Nothing out of the ordinary,’ Kasumi thought to herself as she saw both Taal’ani and Korsa deep in thought, studying the tablets that each of them held. Natalya was in an animated discussion with Jaesa and they seemed to be getting along, considering that both the woman and the hologram were smiling. Had there been anything wrong, Jaesa would have alerted Kasumi and Alex immediately.

Deciding she had seen enough, the commander then searched for Inari and Priya. It didn’t take long to find them as the motion sensors built into the Perseus monitored and recorded all movement aboard. What she found startled her, as both women were in a tangled embrace. Their hands were roaming over each other’s bodies, lips locked together, occasionally coming up for air while their tongues dueled.

Seeing this lusty display brought back her memories of the dream she had while in cryo sleep, in full force. Her face flushed scarlet and there was an insistent tingling between her legs in that moment. Try as she might, she couldn’t suppress her overactive libido any longer. Her lust filled dream, being around the hunky captain, on top of the fact that she hadn’t been laid in over six hundred years, sent her logic and sense of control into a tailspin.

She brought up the live video and enlarged it, so the holographic display was life-sized. Not stopping there, she cued the audio recorders so she could hear every word they said. Kasumi undid and removed the armor plating she wore on her body, but left her boots on, placing her protective gear to the left of her chair.

Pulling the short pins that held her hair in place, she shook her red tresses loose, leaning back to make herself more comfortable. As Kasumi leaned back, she slowly moved her hands up her lush body, feeling and caressing her bountiful tits. As her right hand moved up to the catch on her collar, her left moved directly beneath it, ready to undo the seams that held her vacc suit together.

**************************

Inari and Priya pressed their bodies against each other, having divested themselves of all their armor plating just moments ago. Both women’s bodies were fully on display, the skin tight vacc suits being the only barrier between them. They kissed each other fitfully as their tits mashed together, constrained only by the tight material that encased them.

Priya broke the kiss and nearly tore Inari’s suit open, freeing her lover’s magnificent breasts from their confines. As her large fleshy globes popped free, Priya descended on them hungrily. Latching onto her left nipple with her mouth, while her right hand pinched and rolled her right nipple, she sucked hard, elongating it within her mouth as her other hand held and squeezed Inari’s ass.

Throwing her head back while moaning, shivers rippled from Inari’s sensitive tits, the sensations causing her to shudder. Her breathing came in quick little gasps as Priya worked her large fun bags, hitting nearly every nerve that resided in them. Priya then switched to her right nipple, lavishing it with her tongue while switching what her hands were doing to Inari’s tits.

While Priya was occupied, Inari freed her arms from her vacc suit and pulled it down, allowing her lover easier access to her body. Once her arms were loose, she hooked her thumbs into the sides of her suit and shimmied it down her curvy form. She stopped when she reached her hips, the sensations of what she was experiencing overcoming any rational thought.

Arching her back and moaning loudly, Inari grabbed Priya’s face, tearing her away from her breasts. Priya protested, but was silenced with her lover’s tongue being shoved down her throat. She made a strangled sound in her throat, which sounded like it was something between a moan and a squawk, but didn’t do much more than that, as she had no other choice.

Almost immediately, Priya was lifted in the air for a moment, with Inari’s hands on her ass and legs, lifting her upwards. Inari then kneeled, setting Priya down right in front of her. Breaking away from her lover, the horny captain pulled off Priya’s vacc suit in an almost violent frenzy. Once the catch was loose and the seams pulled away, Inari wasted no time in removing any barrier that kept their skin from touching each other.

Like Inari, Priya went with no bra in the vacc suit, because the material first molded to their forms. Once it had finished, then it would harden slightly, giving it a firmness similar to molded plastic, but with all the fluidity and movement of being in your own skin. Some women went with a bra underneath the suit anyway because they claimed it would chafe their nipples. For the hardened military women, it was both redundant, and it electrified them, rather than chafe.

The only thing Priya had worn underneath her suit was a bright yellow thong with quick release snaps, which was already soaked in her juices. Once Inari both saw and smelled it, she pounced on her lover, sucking, licking and lapping up any moisture that was there. Priya hissed, then stifled a moan as her legs vibrated, the warm and sensuous tongue bathing her pussy in its heat.

Priya bridged her herself up into the air, shoving her pussy roughly against Inari’s face. Taking it in stride, Inari slapped both of her hands on her lover’s ass, hard. Priya yelped in both pain and pleasure as Inari then moved her hands to the Priya’s outer hips. She then snapped her thong off and threw it aside, while pressing her tongue out as far as it would go, driving it into her lover’s waiting snatch.

Priya’s voice quavered, letting her captain know she was on the path to an orgasm. Inari didn’t stop, continuing to tongue fuck the younger woman’s pussy while gripping Priya’s big, plushy ass. The Indian woman then pressed her hips in an up and down motion, forcing Inari’s tongue to move vertically along her inner folds.

Not long after Priya started that maneuver, the short-haired woman relaxed her tongue and sucked down on her lover’s now protruding clit. Locking her lips around that area of Priya’s sopping cunt, she sucked with an almost primal fervor while she manipulated her right hand to line up with her lover’s hot little box.

Priya looked up at that moment and her eyes widened at what she saw. The hard and animalistic look on her captain’s face was one she had rarely seen. She knew she was in for it, as there was no stopping Inari once she was in this state. The only thing she could do was hang on and ride out whatever was coming, hoping that she’d be conscious to experience it all.

Inari drove her first two fingers straight into Priya’s love canal, hard and fast. Priya closed her eyes and cried out at the sensation. There was pain, but the amount of pleasure she was experiencing overrode it. The reverberations that pulsated through her nearly put her over the edge, and she was so close that any other surprises would put her over for sure. Then, Inari curled her fingers inside her, in a come hither motion, tapping Priya’s G-spot.

That last bit had Priya wailing and screaming like it was the first time she’d ever experienced an orgasm. She bridged so hard that her body was in the shape of a semi-circle, Inari’s hand slipping out of her as she moved. Once she hit her peak, her body slapped back down onto the cold metal floor, which was slick with both her sweat and her juices.

***********************************

Kasumi was lying there in her chair, having it lean back as far as it would go. She had opened her suit and had laid bare her front half, her body exposed while her limbs were still encased in the material. She had casually thrown the front half of her suit over top of her pile of armor, not caring who or what found her this way.

Kasumi’s whitish-gold skin gleamed, and a slight sheen of sweat coated her exposed skin. She had pushed aside the material of her panties to gain access to her moist cunt. The fingers of her right hand deftly playing with her pussy lips and clit while her left hand was occupied with her breasts. Still encased in a bra, her fingers played along its center until she found the catch, which she snapped, letting her tits spill out.

Moaning in contentment, she then clasped her left tit, cupping and kneading it as she watched the two lovers kiss on the screen. She saw Inari had stood and was working her way out of her own suit, bending over to pull her feet out of the crumpled garment. She then stood, her back to the hologram, as she then curled her finger towards Priya, beckoning her over.

‘Damn! That woman has an ass!’ Kasumi thought as she got a near perfect view of Inari’s muscular ass. The cobalt blue, shimmering thong she wore showcased it beautifully. Kasumi couldn’t help but admire the muscular form that Inari possessed. She was heavily muscled, but in such a way where she sacrificed none of her femininity because of it.

‘Those tits, though! She must have great genetics to still have those after all that muscle on her.’ Kasumi remembered when her own tits were much larger before she stepped into the military. The constant physical training had whittled down her once massive FF cup down to her current D’s.

‘Whatever her secret is, I’ll learn of it eventually,’ she thought to herself as she watched Priya crawl over to her captain. Once she had made it over, Inari had her kneeling before her and instructed Priya to pull off her thong with her teeth.

“Ooooooooo! Kinky!” Kasumi said approvingly.

Clutching her tit in a tighter grip, she used her fingers to pinch her nipple. It sent electrical bolts of pleasure along her nerves. She then pushed her middle finger of her right hand into her steamy pussy, moaning and the welcome intrusion. Kasumi bit her lower lip as she used her thumb to diddle her clit while her finger moved in and out of her. Eyes glued to the live show in front of her, she continued to play with herself as she watched the women continue their tryst.

***********************************

Priya had to move her head from one side to the other to work Inari’s thong off. Unlike Priya’s own thong, this was one solid piece of elastic material. Coupled with the fact it was soaked with feminine juices, didn’t make the task easy. Though once she got it past her lover’s hips, it came down fairly quickly. Once it came down to her feet, she used her tongue to scoop it into her mouth to pull it away from Inari.

Lifting her legs, the short-haired woman stepped out of her soaked panties and walked forward, placing her dripping pussy right in front of Priya’s nose. Opening her mouth, Priya dropped the panties she held there to lick her lips, before attaching her mouth to hot and wet cunt in front of her.

“Oh, yeah!” Inari exclaimed as she placed a hand on her lover’s head, encouraging her to keep going. Priya slid her hands up and down Starwitch’s legs, her mouth firmly affixed to her pussy. Placing both hands atop the younger woman’s head, Inari’s grip became more insistent, almost demanding.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes….” she chanted before gasping out loud as Priya’s questing tongue had found her clit and pressed on it, hard.

Shaking like a leaf in the wind from the mini orgasm, Inari’s balance teetered, and she threatened to fall. Priya sensed this, to which she stood and caught her lover before she fell. As Inari’s chest heaved with deep breaths, Priya then laid her down gently on the floor. She gathered Inari’s vacc suit and rolled it into a pillow, which she placed underneath her head.

Smiling, Inari looked up at her woman and kissed her. Priya returned the kiss, then backed off, sliding back to Inari’s sensitive love box. Starwitch sighed before it turned into a moan. Priya’s tongue flicked about her pussy lips, licking up and down, hitting every nerve she could reach.

Priya then gripped Inari’s legs and hoisted her up as she stood, leaving only her head and shoulders touching the floor, with her legs and ass up in the air. Setting her chin into Inari’s ass, she clutched her captain’s waist hard while driving her tongue into her steamy tunnel. Inari squealed in surprise, then delight, as she was being licked like this. It was an unusual position, sure, but one where her lover’s tongue was hitting all the right spots.

Snaking her right hand around Inari’s hips, Priya’s fingers searched out her captain’s clit. It didn’t take her long, as Inari was so turned on that it poked out like her nipples did, hard and proud. Once her fingers drummed on it, Inari cried out in a long, drawn-out moan, her timbre rising in pitch the more Priya fiddled with her clit.

“You’re one horny little bitch, aren’t you cap? You like me working your clit?” Priya goaded her lover as she removed her mouth from Inari’s pussy.

“YES!” Inari shouted through clenched teeth, “I LOVE you frigging my clit! You’re going to make me explode! Let me cum, please!!” she all but begged.

Smiling devilishly, Priya continued her assault on Inari with her right hand, while keeping her balanced with her left. She pinched Inari’s clit between her thumb and forefinger, squeezing gently while rolling it between her fingers. Eyes rolling into the back of her head, Inari’s scream started low, but quickly changed to a high-pitched wail. Her lover dove back into her frothy pussy with her tongue while she came.

Though her lungs were spent, she continued sucking in air, with her mouth open wide in an O. Priya gently lowered her captain back down onto the floor, as the orgasm that wracked the older woman still had her convulsing. Her massive chest rose and fell as she caught her breath, eyes still closed. Priya slunk alongside Inari, homing in on her lips.

Eyes snapping open, Inari rushed up to her, catching her off guard. She then mashed her lips to Priya’s. Every ounce of passion she possessed went into that kiss. Priya responded in kind, her tongue darting out to tap Inari’s lips as she pulled her lover into a tight embrace.

Inari shifted her body, lining herself up so that her pussy was aligned with Priya’s. As she moved herself closer, Priya’s eyes flickered open, then widened when she saw what her captain had in mind. Before she could say anything, Inari smirked and said, “I told you, you were going to pay for laughing at me.”

Nodding mutely, Priya shimmied herself closer, until her steamy hole was pressed up against Inari’s. The simple act of touching sent a bolt of electricity through their over sensitive pussies, both women moaning in delight at the contact. Inari then grabbed her love’s right leg by her thigh, pulling herself into her lover. She then rolled her hips, grinding her pussy lips and clit into Priya’s.

Priya moaned out loud before she rolled her hips in counterpoint to Inari’s. She reached out and drew her lover in close, kissing her again. They both continued to grind into each other, both demanding a second release.

“Oh yes! Grind that pussy hard, make me cum!!” Inari screamed as her lover ground herself with all the strength she could muster. Priya was close to orgasm herself and was teetering on the verge, ready to plunge down into carnal bliss. Both women panted with both lust and the exertion of their lovemaking, each one trying to bring the other off.

“You’d really love it if that hunky captain was down here, using that massive cock of his to fill your pussy?” Inari questioned her XO. Shock registered across Priya’s face as though Inari had read her mind, but then she grinned.

“You’d love it if he used it on you too, wouldn’t you?” Priya shot right back at her captain.

“Yes!” Inari admitted, “I’d want him to grip me by the waist and ruin my pussy, splitting me open with that big dick of his!” Using her left hand, Priya gripped Inari’s left nipple and twisted, sending her lover into the start of an orgasm.

“You’d love it if he’d cum all over you, wouldn’t you?” Priya whispered into her captain’s ear.

“And I’d make you lick it off of me, slowly,” Inari whispered back.

The imagery was enough to send both women over the edge and they screamed long, loud and hard, their lungs nearly collapsing with the effort. Both women fell away from each other, their backs squelching as they landed in their combination of fluids. Slick and coated with sweat, they laid there for a short time. After an indeterminate amount of time, they were picking themselves up, both Inari and Priya smiling stupidly.

“How do you know the captain of this ship has a huge dick?” Priya asked, glancing at her lover as they got back into their suits. A slight smile ghosted her lips as Inari slipped the seams back into place before fastening the catch at her collar.

“I managed a look or two while he was occupied with speaking to Korsa. Being surrounded by so many gorgeous women had an effect on him,” Inari said.

“Just how big is he?” Priya wondered, her face lighting up.

“At least nine long, and easily two thick. Maybe bigger,” came her captain’s response. Licking her lips, Priya imagined all the deliciously naughty things he could and likely would do with such an impressive tool.

***********************************

Kasumi, overhearing the details about her captain, picked up the tempo in which her fingers thrust into her hot and steamy cunt. The pace she had now set made her look like a sex-starved madwoman, who needed release badly. As she thumbed her clit, she recalled her dream in cryo with perfect clarity, imagining her captain stretching her needy pussy. Her gripping him like a wanton woman, needing his hot cum to fill her cunt.

She wailed as the sensations became too much, her juices squirting out of her, plastering the decking with her girl cum. The high of her orgasm seemed to last forever. Even then, it felt like it ended too soon, as she descended back to reality. The euphoric rush was all-consuming, her body trembling with aftershocks.

Kasumi then sat up, riding out the last vestiges of her high. Once she had recovered enough, she reached over for the front of her discarded bodysuit. Sealing it back into place, she composed herself, and continued her duty of looking through the various cam feeds, looking for any irregularities.

She had cycled through many of them and had earmarked several for Jaesa’s review. Kasumi had been curious why the AI had been quiet while she was around, but she supposed it was her nature to observe rather than interfere. Several images were currently being looked through, but Kasumi could see almost nothing in them. Many of the cameras were damaged or offline, so proper images were difficult to see.

After some careful review, Kasumi concluded everything was functioning normally and took a break from her post. Standing up, she stretched out and picked up her weapons, holstering each one. Now that security command was online again, she could have instantaneous access to all the ship’s goings on.

After inputting a command sequence on a built in keypad, a slot opened on the security chief’s chair. Within it, it revealed a small computer chip in the small alcove. Kasumi reached for it and opened a small panel in her helmet. Inside was a recessed slot, to which she fitted the chip.

Though the Commander was doing her job to the best of her ability, there was something she didn’t see. A pair of iridescent green eyes, watching both the cameras and the Sentries. They moved when they could and stayed hidden, away from any prying eyes. The Xuul’khani survivor that had woken from cryo sleep was stalking through the ship, intent on carrying out her mission.

***********************************

Keeping to the shadowed areas of the walkways, the black-skinned woman moved like a wraith. She kept her bearings and stayed aware of her surroundings. Though the sentries moving about were unaware of her, she still avoided them. No sense in giving them reason to chase her down. Not long after she had woken up, she had taken a moment to clear her head, remembering who she was and why she was here.

‘My name… is…. Shazza. My mission is to…. take this…. from the primitives who…. stole it.’ After gaining her footing, she went looking for her comrades, hoping some of them had done as she had, and activated one of the empty cryo pods. Shazza was disheartened by what she had seen. Nothing but remnants of armor, weapons, and bone littered the walkways.

‘How is it that no one else survived?!? Am I the only one left??’ The dark-skinned woman shook her head of such thoughts, as she remembered her mission. Her Prince’s words reverberated throughout her mind. ‘Take the ship from these filthy vermin. They don’t deserve such greatness. If they prove to be troublesome, destroy it. None shall challenge our supremacy!’

The orders were imprinted into her mind, like a mantra. Because of the mental link she had with her Prince, she had no choice but to obey. Shazza had scavenged a pistol and several grenades from what remained of her comrades. Upon seeing the skeletal remains of both the weak humans and her shipmates, a question burned into her mind. It repeated over and over again, like a broken record. ‘How long was I in that pod?’

Focusing on the task at hand, she continued her evasive tactics, monitoring the cameras she could see throughout the ship. She was careful to avoid any that had been activated, which were moving and noted by power returning to the area. The ship was coming back online, though. Which meant that there would be fewer places to hide, and then it would only be a matter of time before they found her.

She continued searching through cryo storage, hoping that at least a few others from the boarding party had survived. Armed as she was, she couldn’t hope to continue her mission. She could do some serious damage with the grenades she had collected, but only if she could get into the engineering section.

She had made her way there, believing if she could find anyone of her people, that is where they would be. Hope surged in her chest as she ghosted from shadow to shadow, making her way along the path to her objective. Once she reached the doorway to engineering, her hopes were dashed.

Standing guard to the entryway stood four Sentries. Though two of them were occupied, cleaning up the remains of the marines who died defending this door. The other two were focused outwards, searching for any discernible threat. Ducking behind a cluster of cryo pods, Shazza cursed her luck.

Counting her grenades, she realized that if she used any to deal with these Sentries, she’d not only have to deal with any others that would be alerted to her presence, but she’d lack the explosives needed to fulfill her mission. Another order was burned into her mind, one that her Prince gave to her directly.

‘I don’t care if the others die completing the mission. You, my dearest Shazza, must survive. You are too dear and valuable to die on a suicide mission. Survive, however you can.’

At this moment, both orders warred within her mind, each one equally important, but both conflicting with the other. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing, calming her mind before deciding on a course of action. If she had any hope of carrying out her duty, she had to collect more explosives. She committed the path to engineering to memory as best as she could, then retraced her steps, hoping to find more ordinance.

***********************************

Captain Tomisic rubbed his eyes with both hands, taking a break from reviewing all the news clips and documentation he’d had Jaesa download from the Darkstrider.

‘So much has happened since we went to sleep,’ he thought to himself. ‘So much death, destruction and chaos.’ He’d read all the reports of how far humanity had come, but also how much they, as a race, had fallen apart.

Humankind had splintered into various factions within the old Alliance. Though it was still in existence, it was merely a ghost of the proud initiative he’d initially served under. The various factions had fragmented the old Alliance, pieces of it becoming their own little domains and fiefdoms. Each one fought against the others, with no regard for human life or the ideals it once held.

He reflected on their mission and the events that led them to this moment. Encountering those Xenos, which were called Xuul’khan, had taken them off course and offline, separated from the rest of humanity. He had fought hard with his crew, deploying every strategy he could muster to fight back and defeat the attackers.

As he was reminiscing, he remembered his friends that stood with him on the bridge that day. Lt. Commander George Hull, a gifted fighter pilot and an excellent tactician. Commander Athena Soulakis, a woman of few words but brilliant insight. Lieutenant Joshua Aldaris, his best friend since the academy and a crack navigator and his mentor, Commodore Neville Hamilton, the Captain of the Perseus.

Remembering them as they were also brought up the memory of how they died. The tide of the battle was shifting in their favor until a group of the invaders had forced their way onto the bridge. The marine squad had quickly gunned them down before they made it ten steps in, but all they needed was to get in. One of them had been a suicide bomber, loaded with packs of some deadly toxin.

As they gunned him down, he detonated his payload, spreading the deadly gas everywhere. The marines were killed instantly, collapsing as the gas had overcome their nervous systems, shutting down all motor functions as the acidic vapors consumed their very flesh. The gas had spread through the air, catching like wildfire on a dry plain.

The rest of the bridge crew had succumbed to it, but the commodore had acted quickly. He called out a command, which had sealed off the command deck from the rest of the bridge. The only problem was, Alex was the only one who was on the command deck, leaving the rest of the bridge crew to die horribly.

He remembered the pure rage and helplessness, as he was forced to watch the people he had called his family die in front of him. Jaesa had acted quickly and vented the gas, but was too late. His friends wasted away before him, everything they were turning into an unidentifiable muck.

Commodore Hamilton beckoned him over and told him a single word before dying: ‘Chronos.’ Jarring himself out of the painful memories, he sat there and wondered why the Commodore would tell him that word before passing. He wracked his brain to figure it out, but nothing came of it.

Crying out in frustration, he stood and wondered what was to come next, as he was now the acting Captain of the Perseus. ‘Wait. I’m acting Captain of this ship, but not the full Captain.’ Realization dawned on him as he now knew what exactly that word meant.

“Jaesa!” he called out, his heart hammering a mile a minute. In mere moments, the bridge based holographic projector came back online and Jaesa’s avatar took form in front of him.

“Yes, acting Captain?” Jaesa responded.

“Enter the chain of command authorization code. The code is; Chronos,” Alex said as he jittered slightly, barely able to control his enthusiasm.

“Confirm authorization code, please,” Jaesa chirped.

“Authorization code Chronos; confirm!”

The image of Jaesa winked out for a moment, then returned, but it wasn’t Jaesa that stood before him. It was the image of Commodore Hamilton, a towering and imposing black man but gifted with a kindly, fatherly face. It smiled, that same warm and friendly smile Alex remembered.

“I am Commodore Neville Hamilton,” the recording said in a thick Jamaican accent. “If this message is playing, then for some unknown and unforeseen reason, I have died during our voyage to map the stars.”

Alex steadied his breathing and tried not to be overcome. Commodore Hamilton had not only been his mentor but also was like a father to him. After his parents had died during the Unification War, the Commodore, back then he was a junior Lieutenant, had taken Alex in and raised him as his own.

“Whatever the reason, it was both an honor and a privilege to serve with such fine officers. Alex, my boy, I hope you will remember what I taught you. Never be cruel or cowardly.”

Alex spoke the words, as it was a mantra he knew by heart, “Never give up, never give in. No matter what,” he spoke in tandem with the recording.

“Though I wish I could be there with you, to see the marvels of the galaxy, I know you will carry on and complete the mission to which we were entrusted,” the recording continued. “So, it is my duty, that upon my passing, to pass full command of the Perseus to Captain Alexander Tomisic, effective immediately. My authorization code is; Charlie, seven, Foxtrot, Zebra, niner.”

“I wish you and the rest of the crew good fortune in your adventure, boy. I will tell your parents of the fine young man you have become when I see them. Farewell.” At that last word, the recording winked out, replaced promptly by Jaesa.

“I have saved the recording in the archives, Captain. Would you like me to transfer a copy to your personal terminal, sir?” her avatar asked from a nearby holographic display.

Tears on his cheeks, Alex replied, “Yes, please, Jaesa. Thank you.”

“He was a good man, sir. He deserved a better end than what he got,” the AI said soothingly.

“I know Jaesa, but he was right.” Jaesa tilted her head to the left, looking quizzically at the Captain. “I will carry on and complete our mission. The lives of all those in cryo sleep depend on it.” With that, Alex sat back in his seat and plowed through the Darkstrider’s files with renewed vigor.

***********************************

Inari and Priya had redressed in their armor suits and were headed back up to the officer’s deck, on deck three. The elevator chimed and swished open, allowing them to disembark. With guilty and goofy grins plastered on their faces, they had cleaned themselves up as best as they could. But the faint whiff of sex still rolled off them.

They had walked along the deck for a few minutes, admiring the workmanship of the area. The pair then came to a door which bore the holographic signage ‘Officer’s Lounge’. They looked at each other, shrugged, and walked in and look around. Both women were startled to find Kasumi there, leaning back in a lounger, drinking a beer. The lighting was low, almost at an intimate setting, and Kasumi was smiling at them, looking like the cat that got the cream.

“Ok, two questions; Why are you smiling and where did you get that beer?” Inari asked, breaking the silence. Kasumi finished taking a swig and let out a small but audible burp. Her cheeks flared for a moment in embarrassment, but she kept her composure for the most part.

“I got the beer from the dispensary behind the bar. You two can grab one if you like,” Kasumi drawled, this beer not her first one. “As to your first question, let’s say it’s been a while since I saw a show that was so hot. I’m sure you two would have an impressive career in adult films if you pursued that vocation,” she finished with a wink.

Without missing a beat, Priya said, “By the looks of things, you had a good time yourself,” noting that the Commander’s armor was off and lying a neat pile by her lounger and that the red-headed soldier was posing rather provocatively.

“MMMMMnh! Yes, I did!” Kasumi said rather dreamily. Inari cocked an eyebrow at her, a look of mischief on her face.

“What?” Kasumi said defensively. “I’ve been stuck in cryo sleep for the last six hundred years! Can’t blame a girl for wanting to blow off some steam,” as she took another pull from her beer.

“Not blaming you,” Inari said as she went around behind the bar and placed her hand on the reader. “Just a little surprised, is all. You really came across as an ironclad bitch earlier.”

“Guilty as charged!” Kasumi admitted sheepishly.

Inari couldn’t help but laugh at this, happy to see the commander possessing a sense of humility. After scanning her hand, a variety of drinks came up from water to hard liquor. Selecting beer, it displayed several varieties. Selecting the one that looked like Kasumi’s beer, Inari requested two bottles, which arrived by a concealed alcove, with the platform rising, making it easy to reach the beers. Grabbing them, she walked over to join Priya, who had made herself comfortable on a plushy couch, next to the lounger the Kasumi was occupying.

“Given what we’ve gone through here on the Perseus, can you blame me?” the soldier replied with a sidelong glance at the smugglers.

“I suppose not,” Priya said, as Inari opened both beers with a hiss and handed one to her.

“So, I suppose that you not only saw everything, but heard everything as well?” Inari questioned as they started into their beers.

“I did. Lots of things were…. interesting to hear,” Kasumi replied, nodding slowly. Inari hesitated before taking another draw from her beer.

“Like what? Your captain being a delicious hunk we’d like to devour? What we’d like him to do to us? Or is it his size that intrigues you?”

A flash of what seemed like jealousy and resentment crossed Kasumi’s face, but it was gone in an instant. Recovering quickly, she answered, “His size, actually. How were you able to tell?”

“I didn’t become the captain of my ship by being unable to read people, especially their body language. Surrounded by so much female flesh, the poor guy was bound to have a reaction of some sort. I didn’t expect it to be so… obvious,” Inari responded, taking note of Kasumi’s face and demeanor.

Smiling to herself, Kasumi momentarily lost herself in a daydream of some things she’d like to do to Alex when she had the chance. Inari read Kasumi like an open book in that moment. To her, it was plain as day that Commander McKenzie had feelings for her Captain. Whether Alex knew about them was another matter entirely, so Inari erred on the side of caution and kept her thoughts to herself.

As the ladies were enjoying the silence, the door to the lounge swished open, admitting Korsa, Taal’ani and Natalya. They were all chattering animatedly about what they had learned so far about the Perseus.

“Well, it sounds like you three have a lot to talk about,” Inari commented as the rest of the crew joined them.

“Captain, you wouldn’t believe the things that are on this ship! There is so much we haven’t even seen yet!” Natalya enthused, her voice bubbling over with excitement. Korsa stretched out behind Natalya, her joints and bones popping audibly.

“She’d have stayed there all night if I let her!” Korsa said, as she worked her arms and back from being hunched over a desk for the last few hours.

“Mama K, I’m not that bad!”

Korsa crossed both sets of arms and gave her adoptive daughter a look that said, ‘Really?’ Wilting under that gaze, Natalya said, “OK, fine.”

“She probably would have fallen asleep at the desk if we didn’t half drag her here,” Taal’ani giggled. Natalya fired the cat girl a dirty look, while Taal’ani just shrugged and stretched out.

“Mama K?” Kasumi asked, puzzled.

“My parents were killed back when I was eleven years old. I would have died with them if it wasn’t for her,” Natalya responded.

“What happened?” Kasumi queried, curious.

“An upcoming gang that was running the streets on the station I lived on was pressing my parents for ‘protection’ money. Only thing was that my parents didn’t have much,” Natalya went on, spilling her story.

“They had just started their own business, stepping away from being slaves to some faceless corporate giant. They had already paid another gang for protection, but these guys had set up shop in the same area, having taken down the previous one,” Natalya said. Her voiced choked up just then, as what happened next was always difficult to tell.

“When my parents couldn’t pay, they made them pay in another way. They took us to their hideout and separated us. They locked me up somewhere, but they took my parents somewhere else.”

“I remember little from that time, but I know my parents suffered. I heard them screaming in pain, crying out for mercy, but the gangers never gave it. I heard the things that those bastards said they would do to them. I was in there for three days before they brought me out.”

“I cried out for them to stop hurting my mom and dad, but they didn’t listen. They only did what they wanted to do because they didn’t give a fuck. Their leader, Michael Phillips, stood next to my parents. They were shackled up to the ceiling, hanging limply. They were both tortured, brutally. They beat my father to where I couldn’t recognize him anymore. My mother…” Natalya said, her voice quivering with sorrow, couldn’t finish the sentence.

Kasumi’s demeanor had softened substantially and hearing what this woman had endured, forced her to re-evaluate her own views on life. She tentatively reached out to put her hand on the young woman’s shoulder. As she clasped her, Natalya’s head shot up and looked at the soldier.

Seeing compassion there, Natalya grabbed Kasumi’s hand and squeezed. Reminiscing dragged Natalya down into the dumps. But she would always find her way back. It helped that there was someone was there to listen and help pull her back if needed. Happy to see that Kasumi was there to help with that, she continued her story.

“My mom was… abused… badly. Some of those gangers even made comments about how good she was, doing everything they had asked, just to save her family. Mike, who I call Rat Face, was leering at me. He told me that if I did the same things she did for him, that they’d let us all go.”

“Though he was barely conscious, my dad spoke up, told me not to do it. He told me to fight with everything I had, otherwise they’d win. Mike just walked over and put a bullet through his head, like he was an insect. My mother screamed, crying and begging for them to leave me alone,” Natalya said, her voice sad and forlorn.

“Mike and his crew just laughed like it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard and continued abusing her. Then he pulled a knife and came at me. I was so scared that I froze. Just as he reached me, the door into their little hideaway shattered.”

“Korsa stood in what remained of that doorway, in full battle armor. Mike was pissed that someone had crashed their ‘party’ and ordered his boys to kill her. The gangers tried gunning her down, but they’d never fought a Khontaran before. They did not understand they were already dead men,” a note of satisfaction carrying in her tone.

Nodding mutely, Kasumi remembered the full scale of wrath and fury that Korsa had unleashed on the Sentries. She shuddered to think what the massive woman could do if she stood against sentient beings.

“Half of their shots missed, and the other half hit her, but they might as well have been armed with water pistols for all the good it did them.”

“When I saw Korsa there cutting down those scum bags like she was vengeance itself, it jolted me awake. I then did the only thing an eleven-year-old girl could do. I kicked that rat bastard in balls, hard, and got behind her. Some of his crew tried to fight Korsa hand to hand, but they didn’t last long. The most skilled of them there kept his head for maybe ten seconds before Mama K took it clean off his shoulders,” the dark-skinned woman shuddered.

“I hope that the sadistic bastard also joined his boys on the floor, bleeding out,” Kasumi commented before letting Natalya continue.

“Sadly, that fuck head still lives. He recovered quickly enough where he got out the back door while Mama slaughtered his crew down to the last man. As he ran, though, he shot my mother in the chest,” she said. Tears spilled down Natalya’s cheeks, as this memory was a very painful one to remember, even after all these years.

“Korsa saw what happened and chased after him for a moment, before coming back. She took my mother down and tried to save her, but it was a lung shot and Korsa had nothing that could keep her alive long enough. ‘I love you baby girl.’ was the last thing my mom said. She died right there in my arms.”

“After we put my parents to rest, Korsa took me in and raised me as her own daughter. I was one of several kids she brought in from… unpleasant places. Even though my parents were gone, they treated me like family. It was difficult, but we were there for each other and Mama K always made sure we were safe,” Natalya said with a note of gratitude and a glance over at Korsa.

The entire crew had stopped what they were doing to listen while Natalya told her story. Though they had all heard it many times before, they still listened. Kasumi now had a newfound sense of respect for both Natalya and her adoptive mother, Korsa. Inari then stepped forward and spoke to Kasumi, soldier to soldier.

“We all have our own war stories. Each one of us has had to claw her way through the worst that the galaxy has had to throw at us, and we’re still here. It didn’t break us.”

“I think I understand some of what you all are now. Not all of it by a long shot, but some,” the red-haired woman said solemnly.

“Some time, you might just tell us your war story,” Natalya said, clasping Kasumi on the shoulder.

Sniffling, Kasumi nodded, while the chocolate-skinned woman drew her in for a hug, recognizing the pain that was buried within the soldier. A swooshing sound announced another arrival, in the form of Captain Tomisic, who walked in with bleary eyes. Every head turned to regard him as he ambled over to the bar. Looking over at all the women assembled there, he let out a slight laugh.

“Seems like I’m not the only one in need of a drink,” he chuckled as he made his way to the dispensary behind the bar. When prompted about what he specifically wanted, Alex said aloud, “Sortilege maple whisky.”

“Maple whisky? You have actual maple whisky? Where in the name of the gods did you get it??” Priya gasped, watching the dispenser set up Alex’s drink.

“This ship was crafted back when we still held Earth, so everything on it came from Earth,” Alex replied with a dubious look. His matter-of-fact tone was not lost on the rest of them as he walked over and sat down in a cushy armchair, enjoying the liquor’s unique flavor.

“Do you have any idea how much that glass of whisky is worth in the Federation?” Priya asked, still beside herself that such liquors had survived this long.

“None. How much would it be worth?” Alex wondered.

“At least two to three thousand credits per shot!” Choking for a moment on his drink, Alex recovered after pounding his chest to clear his airway.

“Are you serious??” he responded with a tinge of awe in his voice.

“Yeah. Anything that is certified to have come from Earth has had its initial value inflated at least three to four thousand times, as we have so little left that has come from Earth.”

“Yeah, right! You’re going to tell me that if we had a greenhouse full of fruit and vegetables that came originally from Earth, that we’d all be rich?” Kasumi asked, scoffing at such a notion.

“Do you?” Inari asked, turning to regard the soldier as she processed what she had just said.

“Do we what?” Kasumi asked while still laughing.

“Do you have a greenhouse full of fresh fruit and vegetables?”

“We do. There is an entire section of the Perseus that is dedicated to growing food via an advanced hydroponics system, which is how the entire crew was fed,” Alex answered matter-of-factly.

“Would it be possible to see this system for ourselves?” Natalya asked, her eye wide as saucers. Alex opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Jaesa, appearing on the holographic display podium.

“Priority alert! Intruder detected in cryo storage!”

“Jaesa, bring up the feed!” Captain Tomisic commanded. Her image winked out and was replaced by cam feeds, which displayed Shazza. She was lurking around in pod storage, deftly avoiding the Sentries as they went about their duties.

“A Xuul’khani survivor! How is it that one of them had lived for this long, without the Sentries finding her?” Kasumi wondered, anger edging her voice.

“Ask her that question when you apprehend her, Commander,” Alex said as he turned to address the red-headed soldier. “Take Charlie squad and hunt her down. Kill her like the rest of those who attacked us.”

Smiling, Kasumi cocked her weapons and was ready to head out when Inari spoke up.

“Captain, sir?” she asked as she stood.

“What is it, Lt. Commander?”

“I respectfully request that both Gunnery Sergeant Patel and I accompany Commander McKenzie to hunt down this Xuul’khani. I would also request you rescind the kill order on her,” she replied, setting herself in a military stance.

“Why is that Lt. Commander Sunara?” as he shifted his stance, showing that he was not pleased with her current line of thought.

“As much as we know about the Xuul’khani, there is still so much that we don’t know about them. Their command structure, their hierarchy, their traditions, everything, sir.”

“And why would we want to know about that?” he asked, irritated.

“Something that my fleet commander once told me, sir. ‘To defeat an enemy, you first must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, traditions and even their art. Once you can see things through their eyes, you will then know how they think. When you know how they think, you can anticipate exactly what they will do, when they will do it and how they will do it.’”

His expression now thoughtful, Alex nodded, seeing the apparent wisdom of such a mindset. He had never thought about things that way and figured it a pearl that he would tuck away for later.

“Very well, Lt. Commander Sunara. Your request is granted, so capture her if it is possible, but you follow the Commander’s lead on this. If she proves to be too troublesome, then Commander McKenzie will end her should it prove to be necessary,” the big man stated. Kasumi stood nearby, unimpressed with the turn of events, but glad that her Captain was being sensible.

“Understood sir. Pree, let’s go,” Inari said, clapping on her helmet and sealing it into place. Priya was only a few steps behind her and cocked her Night Hammer as she followed both women out of the officers’ lounge. Korsa, Taal’ani and Natalya stood and walked towards the Captain.

“Your orders, sir?” Korsa asked, her desire to help clear. Alex regarded them for a moment before deciding.

“Doctor Korsa, you and your two crew mates here will head down to the hospital wing that lets out into pod storage and await further orders once you get there. I will return to the bridge, where I will monitor and direct both teams. I will send Delta squad with you,” Alex told them.

All three women stood at attention and saluted before bolting off to their assigned area. Alex then turned and raced out of the lounge, his long strides eating the distance he needed to cross to return to the bridge.

“Jaesa!” he called out. “Send squad Alpha to the bridge to set up defensively and relocate squad Bravo to defend all access points to the bridge!”

“Sentries on their way, sir! I’m still tracking the Xuul’khani survivor, though the Sentries in pod storage have yet to spot her,” Jaesa informed him. Reaching the elevator, he jumped in and set his destination for the bridge.

“Direct the Sentries towards her location. Force her out into the open, but do not fire upon her. I want her herded towards Commander McKenzie’s team!” the brawny captain ordered.

“Redirecting the Sentries now, sir!” the AI affirmed as the elevator reached the bridge. Racing out of the elevator, the solid blast doors that sealed off the bridge opened as he reached them. Once he was through, Alex was greeted by the sight of Sentry Squad Alpha, all sixteen in a defensive stance, their guns pointed at him. Recognizing their Captain, the telltale glow of their eyes stayed a bright blue, showing him as a friendly target.

Wasting no time, he darted to the command podium, bringing up the video feeds of cryo pod storage. He got a good look at the survivor that was racing from cluster to cluster, trying to stay ahead of the now searching Sentries. She seemed to be tall, of a parity with Taal’ani in both size and shape, though her hips were narrower, and her chest was bustier. Lean in a way that suggested strength, she wore a tight fitting red bodysuit that shimmered wherever the light struck it.

Her hair was white as fresh snow and done up in a complex and intricate braid. She had eyes that blazed a bright green, which almost seemed to glow. Following the contour of her skull was a pair of onyx horns. They flared upwards as they reached the apex of her head, ending in two sharp points. Her legs were both thick and seemed to be powerful as she propelled herself at considerable speed away from the closing Sentries.

“Commander, she’s on deck sixteen being chased away from Engineering,” Alex called out as he pressed a button to be heard by the ladies.

“Engineering? Damn it! She must have been trying to find a way in. How far is she, sir?” the redheaded woman asked.

“Eight hundred meters and being herded directly towards you. Take up ambush positions and wait for my signal,” he ordered.

“Aye, sir!” came Kasumi’s crisp reply.

“Korsa, take your team and circle around. Get behind this Xuul’khani. Take shots at her and drive her hard to the waiting team,” Alex barked.

“Acknowledged, sir! Disembarking in the hospital wing now. We’re on our way!” Korsa replied as her team of three rushed out of the elevator on screen.

He brought up the screens that showed both the ambush team and the survivor. The team was sitting in place, waiting for their moment to pounce. All the while, the onyx skinned woman was dancing from cover to cover, trying desperately to stay ahead of the clanking Sentries. Alex smiled to himself as she was following the path was being laid out for her. Soon, they’d have her and hopefully, some answers and insight into the why and how they were attacked.

***********************************

Korsa, Natalya and Taal’ani sprinted along the walkways, following the guide path that had popped up in their helmet HUDs. While they were moving along at a good pace, Korsa had to slow down, to allow both of her crew mates to keep up.

“We take a left here,” Korsa ordered, as they continued their run, the cryo pod clusters becoming a blur as they raced by.

Moving along quickly, it wasn’t long before they saw the groups of Sentries, once allocated to cleanup duty, now converging on a singular target. Korsa raised her upper left hand, indicating a stop. Skidding to a halt, her compatriots took a few moments, their lungs sucking up the oxygen they so desperately craved. After about a minute, Korsa drew her sword and gestured forward.

“Doctor, stay behind the Sentries and have Engineer Vostrikov and Taal’ani make their shots. Do not engage directly. Let the Sentries do their job of herding the intruder,” Captain Tomisic’s voice came in over the helmet comm.

“Understood sir.” Korsa replied. “Well, girls, you heard the man.”

Nodding, both Natalya and Talon unholstered their weapons and took aim between the Sentries. Looking for any sign of movement. At first, they saw nothing. But out of the corner of her eye, Taal’ani saw something shifting in the dark. It was far too large to be any pod machinery or mechanism.

Aiming her pistols, she squeezed off a few rounds, the chatter of shots ricocheting off the substructure. She heard a sharp cry, one that sounded like pain, and saw a roughly humanoid shape emerge from the darkened area. It then bolted off, throwing all sense of caution to the wind.

Both Natalya and Korsa saw the movement, and Natalya took aim and fired. Her shots missed her target, but not by much. Korsa let out a bellowing war cry, trying to catch the intruder’s attention. Just as she finished, their quarry froze, turned and stared at them. Even though she was over one hundred meters away, they could see her eyes widen, fear etched into her face. After a moment, she turned away and broke into a dead run.

“Like I said Mama, you make the most battle hardened marines shit themselves when they square off against you,” Natalya said as they followed the Sentries giving chase on the fleeing woman.

“Something I suppose helps in certain situations,” Korsa laughed as they sprinted along. The Sentries sped up their pace to match the women’s, driving their quarry onward. Other groups of the mechanical defenders closed in from adjacent walkways as they passed. Grinning, Korsa knew it would be soon before this chase was over.

***********************************

Adrenaline surged through her system as panic drove Shazza to run as fast as she could.

‘How did they find me?!? I was careful!’ Banishing the fleeting thoughts, she did everything she could to stay ahead of her pursuers. Several shots came at her, but they were poorly aimed as they pinged on the surrounding decking. She knew if they caught her; she was a dead woman. Shazza was still in shock at the sight of a Khontaran on board this ship.

‘They were supposed to be wiped out! They turned the planet into a nuclear wasteland! Nothing survived! Our scans confirmed it!’ Again, she put useless thoughts out of her head and focused on ones that would be needed to survive.

Pushing herself to her limits, Shazza surged ahead of the group following her. As the distance lengthened, she smiled, believing she’d be able to escape from her pursuers. A foreign word was barked out just ahead of her and as she focused, she saw the barrel of a shotgun pointed in her direction.

She tried to turn left down another walkway to avoid the ambush, but it was already full of Sentries, closing on her position. Going the other way was out of the question, as it was a wall, showing that her current position was right up against the bulkhead of the ship.

Catching her breath, she set herself as they shouted more words at her. She couldn’t understand them, but knew what the intent was. Deciding to comply for the moment, Shazza kneeled and placed her hands upon her horns, a gesture of submission among her people. She hoped these primitives would understand her gesture. She did her best to look horrified, as she had one last card to play before she was done.

***********************************

“Sergeant Patel, secure the intruder. We’ve got you covered,” Kasumi ordered.

The others had just caught up to where they had finally cornered the Xuul’khani woman. Inari circled to the right, giving Priya additional cover. She reached out and took one of the woman’s hands, placing a locking brace on her wrist, before maneuvering behind her to grab the other one. Before Priya could reach it, Shazza flicked her arm downwards, faster than anyone thought possible.

There was a flash of light and a loud bang, which disoriented both Inari and Kasumi. Korsa and her group approached, but not before the black-skinned woman had grabbed Priya. She held onto her before throwing something onto the bulkhead and at the Sentries. Whatever she threw stuck onto the wall with a resounding clang as the group of Sentries barring her way were suddenly blown apart.

Pulling Priya’s rifle, she shot directly at Korsa, before plowing through the disorganized Sentries. Moments later, there was a large explosion on the bulkhead which threw everyone clear of the area. But seconds later, everyone was being dragged back to the origin point.

Instead of the bulkhead wall being there, there was a massive hole that overlooked the planet below. Everyone had grabbed hold of something to stop themselves from being sucked out in the decompression, but Priya wasn’t fast enough. The grip she had on the floor wasn’t enough, and she was being dragged out into space.

“Priya!!!” Inari screamed as she saw her lover’s grip fail and was sucked out. Seconds later, a transparent field activated around the breach, stopping the violent decompression. Inari couldn’t believe it! She watched Priya die and couldn’t do anything about it!

“I’m going to kill that bitch!” she bellowed. Hopping the guard rails, she vaulted over to the walkway that Shazza had disappeared down, charging through the Sentries that were giving chase.

“Captain, where is she??” Inari all but shouted into the comm.

“Ahead of you by about three hundred meters, but she won’t be able to go anywhere. I’ve set the Sentries to gun her down and there are plenty on the walkways ahead,” Captain Tomisic replied.

“Captain, please set the Sentries for a wounding action! That cunt is mine!” Inari requested, hurtling along the walkway.

“Done. Good hunting, Lt. Commander,” Alex’s voice said.

Hefting her rifle, Inari could just see her target ahead. She was at a loss of what to do as more Sentries closed in. Screaming in defiance, the older woman took aim and fired. Rage driving her on, she emptied the entire clip at the Xuul’khan. Turning, Shazza saw the angry woman charging towards her, before she took several bullets to the chest and arms.

Her armored bodysuit protected her from the instant death that the bullets promised. But the force of them knocked her from her feet. Landing hard on her back, she tried to get up, but an armored foot stomped down on her chest, driving the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping. Ejecting her clip from her Ravager, Inari slammed in a new clip, then cocked her rifle, taking aim directly at Shazza’s head.

“For Priya!” she said as her finger squeezed the trigger.

“Captain?” came a voice that Inari was all too familiar with.

“Pree?!?” Starwitch replied, doubt and hope bleeding into her voice. “How?”

“Helmet was on and I switched back to my suit tank as I got sucked out,” came the reply. Laughing in disbelief, Inari collapsed, thankful that her love was still alive. As Inari fell to the ground, Shazza wiggled away from the laughing human, but didn’t get far. As she looked up, the butt of Kasumi’s shotgun descended onto her forehead and she fell back to the ground, oblivious to the world around her.

“If you all don’t mind, I’m going to drag this bitch to the brig,” Kasumi said as she directed a Sentry to pick up the unconscious woman. As she left with the Sentry and Charlie squad, the rest of the Sentries dispersed, heading back to the tasks they were previously assigned.

“Love, you’re still there?” Priya’s voice came back over the comm.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” Inari said, still a little hysterical.

“I’m feeling a little heavy and that planet is getting awfully big to me,” came a worried response. Hearing that, Inari snapped to action, jumping to her feet and taking off down the walkways.

“What is….” Korsa started before realization dawned on her and she quickly took off at a dead run, right behind her friend. Taal’ani and Natalya looked at each other, both figuring out what Priya had meant a heartbeat behind Korsa, and ran after her.

“Captain, can you get the bay where we parked the Darkstrider open sir?!? Sergeant Patel is out there and caught in the planet’s gravity sir!”

“Already on it, Commander Sunara! Doors will be open on the most direct route to your ship!” Alex said over the comm.

“Thank you, sir!” Inari praised him as she forced her body to keep moving at top speed. Korsa wasn’t far behind her and had caught up to her by the time she had reached the medical bay.

“Get ahead of me and prep the Darkstrider for liftoff! I’m not losing her today!” Inari ordered her ship’s doctor. Nodding, Korsa took off at a full run, easily outdistancing her in seconds. Minutes later, she had reached the doorway that led to the hangar where the Darkstrider was berthed. The doors were still closed, though the engines were just firing up.

Seeing they didn’t have any time to wait for Natalya or Taal’ani, she charged up the ramp and found Korsa finishing through all the pre-flight checks. Sensing the captain behind her, Korsa stepped away from the pilot’s seat, allowing Inari to pop into it. Just before Inari called out to the captain, his baritone voice came in through the ship’s comm system.

“Atmospheric containment field, online! Opening the doors to bay seven!”

With that, the doors which were previously locked, unlocked and came apart. Once the opening was large enough, Inari took off and punched it out of the hangar, homing in on Priya’s position.

“Using retro thrusters to slow my descent, but I’m too deep in! Where are you guys?!?” Priya’s panicked voice came in over the Darkstrider‘s comm.

“Thirty seconds out! Hang tight!” Inari responded, panic heavy in her tone. Meanwhile, Korsa had dropped to the cargo bay and had already activated the containment field, getting ready to scoop up their falling crew mate.

“I see you! Almost there!” Inari nearly shouted out. Korsa hit the switch and opened the bay doors, standing ready. As Inari got closer, she saw that the edges of Priya’s suit had warped, as it wasn’t designed to survive re-entry into a planet.

“I’m getting uncomfortably hot! I can see the edges of my suit glowing!” Priya pleaded. Inari rerouted any additional power she had from every system into the engines, increasing their thrust output.

Korsa watched from her perch in the cargo bay as Priya was almost at the doors, the Darkstrider diving frantically to catch her. Edging to the door, the Khontaran woman gripped one of the frame struts and looked out into the blackness of space. She saw her friend, just beyond arm’s reach, the edges of her armor glowing. Priya had just started screaming, the intense heat getting to her.

Korsa gripped her sword by the blade in a two-handed grip with both of her left arms. She extended the hilt out to Priya, who grabbed the lifeline and held on. Korsa pulled her through the doors, straining with all her might against the gravitational force. As she flew through the doors, Korsa slapped the emergency door button, the bay doors clanging back into place instantly.

“I’ve got her!” she shouted out triumphantly.

“Thank God!” Inari sighed with relief as she then pulled up, trying to get the Darkstrider free of the planet’s gravitational pull. Priya was still screaming as Korsa ran over and ripped the burning armor off her friend. Once her helmet was off, Priya had stopped screaming. But her bodysuit was still smoking in several places, which her crew mate had removed just as fast as she had discarded her armor.

Eyes closed, Priya was still breathing, but the sound was shallow and Korsa looked over at her near naked crew mate. There were several burn marks on her skin that would surely blister if left unattended, but thankfully, nothing too severe. Priya moaned incoherently before her head lolled to the side.

Checking for a pulse immediately, it relieved Korsa to find one. Picking up her battered friend, Korsa climbed up to the main deck, coming up just behind Inari. Starwitch turned her head to look at her lover’s form, a pained and unasked question on her face.

“She’ll be all right,” Korsa said soothingly. “Just passed out from the pain and shock. I need to get her to the medbay to look after these burns.”

Breathing easier, Inari turned her focus back to fighting her ship into doing what she commanded of it. As Korsa took Priya back to the med bay, she laid her out on the table and applied a salve onto the most severe of Priya’s burns. The salve would alleviate the pain and restore the skin’s moisture for a time, negating the worst effects of the burns.

“Damn it!” Inari swore from up in the cockpit.

“What is it?” Korsa called out.

“The gravity of this planet is too strong. I’m going to have to take her down, try to use its gravity to slingshot us free!” Inari replied, her voice concerned, but confident that her plan would work.

“OK, do what you have to!” Korsa replied.

“Hold on to something!” Inari said as she stopped fighting the planet’s gravity and went with it instead.

As the ship descended into the ice blue planet, they broke through the cloud cover into the dark of night. It was clear at first, but there were large gusts of snow and ice being thrown about by the high winds that were currently buffeting the landscape. The winds were picking up to higher velocities, the beginnings of a massive blizzard already on its way. Inari did everything she could to maintain a stable flight path, but the power of the winds threatened to throw the Darkstrider down to the icy tundra.

Starwitch did everything she could, but was unprepared for what came next. The cloud cover solidified, with large pellets of ice coming down on the ship like miniature meteors. Each hit was felt in the reverberations of the ship, but the armor held. For a moment, it felt like they’d pull through this, but then an explosion rocked the ship. Several chunks of hail had struck the thrusters of the ship simultaneously. Alarms wailed as the engines sputtered out and the Darkstrider could no longer keep her altitude.

“SHIT! Engine thrusters are offline and we’re going down! Brace for impact!” Inari shouted as she buckled herself into her seat and set the landing gear, trying her best to soften their landing. In the med bay, Korsa strapped Priya down as best as she could, then covered her body with her own, protecting her friend and patient.

Inari steered her ship, fighting against the storm that had downed them. Gritting her teeth, she turned them to what looked like a snowbank, hoping that they’d survive this mess. The nose of the Darkstrider hit the ground, leaving a large furrow in the ground as the hard-packed snow and ice slowed its momentum. The rest of the ship clonked down into the icy tundra, the landing gear doing little to ease its momentum.

A snow bank loomed over them and the ship slammed into it, sending snow and debris flying on impact. Inside the ship, everything that wasn’t bolted down went flying, as both Inari and Korsa were knocked unconscious from the impact. The thrusters at the rear of the ship were a flaming mess. The fire was soon put out by the falling snow as it soon coated the ship.

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And that is where I will be stopping chapter three! I know I’m being evil, right now, but what fun is it if you’re being good all the time? What will happen to the ladies that have crashed on the planet’s surface? What about the crew of the Darkstrider left behind on the Perseus? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see what’s going to happen next!

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I hope that you’ve enjoyed it! I’m open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please feel free to rate and comment on my work down below. If you like what I write, don’t be afraid to follow and share, though your views, ratings and comments are quite enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C.H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!