5 comments/ 27466 views/ 40 favorites Orbital Academy 01 By: Maddirose ********************** Edited by the wonderful Mr_owlow and the indomitable DeReve. Did you enjoy this story? Hate it? Want a sequel? Let me know in the comments! ********************** Halfway between a silver moon and a green-tinged planet, Jane shifted in her seat, adjusting uncomfortably. The cockpit was too cramped, filled with the faint smell of recycled air and old leather. They'd been flying for three hours now, her and her nine new students, cramped within their individual ships and maneuvering through exercises all afternoon. While the time had been very helpful to Jane, it was also somehow both nerve-wracking and boring. Putting the squad through their paces on the very first day easily showed her which of these rookies would need help in the future and which already had a feel for flying. On the other hand, the exercises were so basic that only a newbie could mess them up, and if anyone was so unskilled, they would cause catastrophic damage. "Marcus, Preston, ease up on the adjusters. It doesn't make much difference at these speeds, but if we were flying a surface run you guys would start to drift out of formation like that." "Sorry Miss A," Marcus' voice crackled over the radio as both offending pilots moved to correct their positioning, nudging the sharp noses of their cruisers back into formation. "This is a bunch of bullshit." Although Preston's radio was tuned to the rookie's private channel, Jane's ship was fitted with sensors that let her listen in, "She keeps scolding us for shit she hasn't told us about; are we supposed to read her mind?" "If I'm doing something wrong, I'd rather she told us than not," Marcus responded over the same private channel, levelly, "that's why she's the instructor, right? She knows her stuff and we don't." "Always an excuse for her," Preston scoffed, "you're a pussy, Marcus." *Yet you don't have the balls to complain to my face,* Jane thought with a dry smile, but she stayed quiet. It was far more helpful to have a silent way of keeping tabs on the rookie squad. She switched on the public com once again and addressed her fleet; the four boys and five girls that she would be training for the next year. "Alright ladies and gents, we've got one more grouping of drones a few kilometers away, and then we can head back and debrief. I know you're all probably ready to get out of these things." Jane flipped open a long range scanner screen to the sound of various murmurs of agreement and dropped her speed, letting the other nine boost on ahead. "I'm going to hang back and watch you, take some notes for this last run," she warned, "so if you want to impress me, now's your shot." She let herself relax a little bit as the rookies streamed on ahead, assembling in a rough "V" formation. Her eyes flicked between the screens of ship stats and positioning data as she shifted in her seat again, trying to get comfortable. It had been a rough day for her, making sure the squad knew what they were doing. The flight exercises should've been relaxing part of the day, but ever since the disastrous crash two years ago, Jane always felt nervous about what the Academy considered "flight-ready". "Approaching final drone swarm," Preston's voice on the public channel was official-sounding as the students caught sight of the quick-moving practice ships. "I really want to look good on this one guys," the quiet voice of one of her girls, Missy, fired over the rookies' "private" channel, "if we can prove we can handle this well, she seems like the sort of instructor who'll go a little easier on us." "Oh I want to look good too in front of Jane Appet, believe me." Preston's voice was sly, and a few of the other boys chuckled in response. Jane stiffened, her face stony even though there was no one around to see it. *And so it begins again*. "What do you mean?" Missy asked, curious and oblivious, "Why Captain Appet in particular?" "Oh haven't you heard about Captain Appet's reputation?" Jane could tell that Preston was taking great delight in Missy's naivete, and she ground her teeth as she listened. "It's a pretty well known fact in pre-Cad that you wanna get assigned to Jane Appet's squad in Academy. See she kinda has a thing for rookies who are grade-A flyers; they get her all weak in the knees." For a moment Jane considered speaking up, but she reminded herself that she wanted to know what her new squad were like when they didn't think anyone was listening. Even so, she hadn't realized that the rumor had filtered all the way down to the Pre-Academy. She flushed and scowled as Preston's voice carried on. "Word is, if you've got enough mojo in a cruiser, and you're in Cap-App's squad, you can pretty much rest assured that for the whole year she'll take you under her wing and give you some 'private docking lessons', if you know what I mean." A few guffaws from both male and female cadets told Jane that they did indeed know what he meant. "Preston, stop being disgusting," another of her cadets' voice broke in, then, after a pause, joked "but seriously, let's look good guys. I called in some serious favors to get assigned to Captain Appet, it'd be a shame if I lost my chance to tap that." Jane flicked the radio off to cut off the laughter, plunging the craft into the unnatural silence of space as she watched the screens tracking the rookies' flight paths around the drones. She breathed deeply and exhaled, trying to get rid of the burning feeling in her stomach. It wasn't as if the rumors were unearned; she *had* in fact taken a lover from her squads every year, but Jane liked to think it was nowhere near as crass as the rumors made it sound. Graduates fresh out of Pre-Academy were so used to thinking along such distinct lines, broken up into teacher and student. They didn't understand that things were different in the Academy...sure she was technically their instructor this year, but they might be teammates next year, or squad partners. The Academy assigned groups based on technical knowledge alone; it wouldn't even be unheard of if one of these rookies became her instructor next year, if they had some specialized knowledge she could do to learn. *It's not that weird for two adults to have a perfectly casual thing together,* she consoled herself sullenly, *and I'm not even the only one who does it, other Instructors...* she cast about for some excuse, *...are just better at hiding it, that's all.* Jane could feel the stress of the day pressing into her temples, the tension of keeping track of rookies as she herded them around the orbital base and through their initial tests. She slipped off one glove and stretched out her fingers, then rubbed them against her temples. Breathing in and holding her breath for a while before sighing, she tried to relax her entire body into the seat as she did so. It took a few minutes of staring past the screens, into the black expanse beyond them, but she finally began to calm down, emptying her mind of all thoughts except for the beauty of the void. She barely noticed that she was slipping her hand across her rigid flightsuit until she touched her belt, then she smiled at herself. *Another easy way to relax...* A glance at the screen told her the rookies wouldn't be done with the drones for another ten minutes, and the distance between them was so far that the ships were nowhere near visual range; she reached out with her other hand to carefully close each screen in turn. Jane gently let her fingers trail across the flightsuit's scaled pieces, while she watched the drifting moon in the corner of her field of view. Breathing a little more evenly in the silence, she let her mind wander as the tingling of her own touch traveled up and down her stomach. Slowly, lazily, she tugged the sealing tag of her flightsuit down her body, the small toggle letting the seam in the rigid material unseal and open from the neck all the way down. Without the warmth of the flightsuit sealed in, Jane shivered as she suddenly felt the cold of space against her exposed body. While she leaned her head against the back of her seat, she let her fingers drift along the bare skin, barely touching. Looking up into the stars that seemed just beyond her clear cockpit, each touch of her fingers seemed magnified, sending jolts of electricity. Tense, strained muscles finally relaxed against the leather chair. With a smooth motion Jane slid a thumb through her small patch of brown hair before pressing on her clit, shivering a little at the sensation. A single finger reached further, slipping between her lips as she continued gently rubbing. She was surprised at how wet she already was; it had been awhile since she had done this within her cruiser, and something about the darkness and stillness around her, about the utter silence and serene surroundings, made her able to let go in a way she couldn't replicate anywhere else. One finger was completely inside her now, moving in small circles to accompany the slick rubbing of her thumb across her clit. As the stars shone like tiny pinpricks all around her, Jane allowed herself the luxury of hovering on the very edge of release, holding completely still for several intense seconds before sliding her thumb back and forth, her finger in and out, then pausing once again. When her legs began trembling and her breath started to catch in her throat, she thrust her first two fingers within herself, as deep as they would go, while at the same time grinding her thumb against her clit. Her breath came out in a gasp, then a soft moan as her orgasm rippled through her as sharp as the pinpricks of light that lit space around her. Her entire body was shaking, pleasure crashing into her in waves with nothing between her and the beautiful majesty of the stars but a thin layer of the ship's canopy and a thousand layers of ecstasy. Leaning back, moaning as her fingers slid out of her and relaxing, Jane gave herself a few minutes to enjoy the ripples that still shivered across her skin. The small cockpit smelled of sweat and her own slightly sweet scent, and she closed her eyes for just a few moments longer. When she regained her composure, lifting the screens back into place, a much less stressed Jane saw that the rookies were just finishing up disabling the drones. They were all fairly skilled, she noted, and a good crop of flyers made her job much easier. She flicked the radio back on, and the sound cut into the tiny cockpit in the midst of an argument. "-because some of us are more concerned with learning to fly that getting into an instructor's pants. You're gross." Normally one of the quiet students, Jackson's deep voice was just wrapping up a lecture of some kind. "Seriously Jackson, maybe you should stop being such a teacher's pet and mind your own business," Preston's voice was starting to make Jane involuntarily clench her teeth when she heard it, "I paid the Academy recruiter five hundred credits to assign me to this team, if you think you're gonna convince me to just give up on some tasty Captian ass-" "Good work rookies," Jane broadcasted on the public channel as if she hadn't been listening to the private chat, taking a small bit of vindictive joy in cutting Preston off, "let's get back to the base, debrief, and call it a day; I know you're all probably looking forward to it." The squad transmitted a series of guilty affirmatives as the ten ships swung their trajectories around and began their approach back to the orbital base. Both private and public chat remained sheepishly silent for the five minutes it took them to travel back to the orbital base that housed the Academy, but as they approached the hangar and began slowly nudging the ships into their huge docking stations, Marcus broadcasted privately, his voice quiet as if he was afraid Jane would hear him through the walls, "Did you guys really pull favors and bribes to get assigned to this squad?" "Damn straight," Preston replied, "a little guaranteed action all year? That's worth some credits to me." "Better hope it pays off," one of his female squadmates commented, her voice filled with disgust, "'cause I guarantee none of the girls in our year are gonna want you." Jane could've sat and listened to the conversation, but as soon as her ship had docked she slid the small silver lever that dropped her from the seat and onto the hangar bay floor. She had heard enough. However the conversation had continued, it was obviously fascinating enough for the whole squad to listen to or weigh in on, because Jane had the debriefing room to herself for a full five minutes. She was glad for the small amount of time to gather her thoughts, to breath deeply and just stare at the ceiling of the large round room for a while. *It's the rumor that's the problem* she decided, letting her eyes follow the Academy insignia on the ceiling, *I'm not doing anything wrong, technically, the real problem is that I'm not known for training good squadies, I'm known for really good-* She drummed her fingers on her arm, listening to the sharp clicking of her gloved fingers against the rigid navy scales of her flightsuit. Her new squad began filing in, all in a group, some of them smirking, some with their heads downcast, murmuring and chatting about this and that, their conversation about her clearly over with. Jane couldn't help noticing that Missy was blushing furiously, and refusing to meet her eyes. For some reason that goaded Jane more than anything else. She could live with a reputation as the Academy's resident sex fiend...could live, even, with some of her rookies thinking of her as an easy lay; if she was being honest with herself, under the right circumstances she was an easy lay. But she would be damned if peoples' big mouths and a handful of jackasses were going to make sweet innocent little Missy stop looking up to her. Jane didn't mind a reputation, but she refused to give up respect. *Okay...if I have to have a reputation, then I'm gonna choose my own. A reputation that deserves...no, demands respect.* Her boots hit the ground with a sharp "click" that quieted the murmuring for a moment. She capitalized on that momentary quiet to stand up and start speaking. "Alright Rooks, now that you survived your first day and I'm satisfied that you'll all probably be sticking around for the rest of the year, I think we can settle into what I hope will be our normal mode of operations." Jane let the group settle into the chairs that surrounded the main speaking circle. The room was meant for a group of thirty or fifty to debrief, so the group of nine felt particularly cozy as they occupied just the first row, leafing through the folder of schedules and regulations that they'd been collecting throughout the day. "I know you guys will have noticed that a lot of those regulations seem a little extreme. You all can rest assured that what you've probably heard about me is true; I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for my squad, you won't be adhering to those." She gave the group a big warm grin, and she could actually see the cadets in front of her relax. One of the more gullible boys, clearly thinking she was openly admitting to screwing her rookies, even broke into a grin that matched her own. "For example," she continued, "the Academy-standard schedule says there's a mandated wake-up call at 0600 hours. Yours will be at 0430, so we can get in an hour of simulator training before breakfast." She knew she was being cruel, but even so she couldn't help but enjoy the looks on their faces as she continued, the widening eyes and the sudden frowns. "Academy-standard mandates a 2.7 accuracy rating before required extra practices. For my squad that's a 3.0 rating. Academy strongly encourages three tactical or strategic courses in addition to standard training but makes them optional; guess how many of those are optional for my squad?" "But Miss Jane-" one of the girls had recovered enough to stammer an interruption, and she was actually *raising her hand* like some Pre-Academy eighteen-year-old. Jane let the stupid grin still on her face settle into a hard look, one that would silenced teammates, let alone rookie squaddies. "Captain Appet," Jane corrected, her voice cold. "Sorry, Captain Appet, don't you think you could go easy on us for our first week-" "No, no, I don't think you realized how much you fucked up just now," a small part of her felt guilty for the rookies, as the girl lapsed into a kind of terrified silence. Another small part of her was enjoying herself far too much. *Every single year I want to say these things to them.* "I'm not 'Miss Jane', Rook. Not ever." *Every single year...why has it taken me this long to try this approach?* "I'm Captain Appet, that's my official title, that's how you refer to me officially. If you're feeling particularly friendly, you can use my official title like a nickname, 'Cap', just like I may occasionally call you all 'Rook'. If you decide to refer to me by some friendly, non-official term, you'd damn well better be sure we're friends." Jane realized that she was sort of looming over the girl, and she straightened and let her gaze take in all nine of the new recruits. Most of them seemed...well, cowed. Normally at this point of the first day she would be feeling nervous, wondering if her squad respected her, wondering if she would be able to control her more unruly members. She wasn't used to feeling so...powerful. Whatever else the rookies were feeling for her right now, they were paying attention. Now to just drive it home, and Jane was well on her way to beginning a new reputation for herself. "You were probably about to ask why my squad is being held to higher standards than all of the others." She let her gaze travel across each of the rookies, "whether you believe me or not, you'll be glad in a year's time when you're kicking the ass of every other rookie in your year, and you have teams clamoring for you. You'll be able to take your pick, which is a big deal in Academy life. And on the chance we get assigned to the same team after this year, I'd prefer to be with people who know what they're doing. This year, this squad is gonna turn out the best rookies this academy has ever seen. That experience should be well worth five hundred credits." Jane only stayed long enough to see the dawning horror on the squad's faces as they realized she had been listening, and then she turned to the doorway, turning her back on her room as she left so none of them would see the smirk she could no longer hide. "They open the simulation room at 0445 tomorrow, I expect to see you all there. Dismissed," she barked over her shoulder, before she made her way out of the room. She felt alive and energized, the entire stressful day almost wiped from her shoulders as she strode down the hallways of the Academy. *I might actually have a squad that is worth its salt this year* she exulted, smiling at the thought, *and even better, a squad that actually listens to me. Maybe even respects me...why haven't I done this before? Actually took a tough stance with my rookies? Damn it feels good, I feel like I'm on fire. I feel like I want to stand at the head of the grand stairway and scream and pound my chest...or fly my cruiser in a ring around the academy and say who cares about the fuel...I want to...* Jane's eyes narrowed as she spotted the doorway to an empty conference room in the side of the hallway. Glancing back to confirm she was in the hall on the way to the rookie dormitory, she slipped into the conference room and turned out the light, standing by the doorway but hidden in the dark. She hadn't been consciously coming this way, but clearly her subconscious had been more attentive than she; it knew *exactly* what she wanted. When, a few minutes later, the rookie squad walked past, heading towards their dorms, her pulse quickened. Just as she had assumed, Marcus was at the very back of the group, not interacting with anyone in the squad, simply following. When they passed, with a smooth motion Jane stepped out, hooking a gloved finger into the neck of his flightsuit and pulling him gently into the dark conference room. To his credit, Marcus didn't jump or make a noise as she grabbed him, or even when she pushed him against the wall next to the door. There, in the half-dark, she considered him for a moment. Orbital Academy 01 Marcus wasn't tall, shorter even than she was, but the way he held himself, his hair hanging in dreadlocks like a mane, and his broad shoulders and chest gave him a presence that she liked. In the dim light that filtered in through the door his dark skin seemed even darker, hiding most of his expression except for his eyes which met hers steadily. For a second Jane had a vivid mental picture of her own pale skin contrasted against his dark brown, and her smile bordered on the predatory at the thought. She knew that what she was about to do would make it harder to gain the reputation she wanted, but she also knew she didn't want to give this particular habit up. Besides, he had defended her to his more immature squadmates; she owed him a thank-you for that. "Marcus Acosta," she breathed, knowing he could hear her in the deathly still conference room, "I want to make it clear to you that regardless of how the next few minutes play out, I will be treating you no differently than the rest of your squadmates this year. You are entirely free to step out that door, and there will be no repercussions for doing so. But if you don't..." even as close as they were, pressed against each other, the hard scales on their flightsuits prevented her from feeling the heat of his body against her, but she pressed her hips forward ever so slightly, just enough that he would feel the pressure against his own, "...I'm prepared to give you a very *special* welcome to the Academy." Jane waited for a heartbeat, then a few seconds, to see if he would leave. Sometimes they did; true to her word she was always very careful not to let it affect her relationship with her rookies. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until Marcus lunged forward, pressing his lips into hers. Smug beneath his kiss, she reached out with a foot hit the motion sensor that slid the door closed, plunging them both into darkness and privacy. Jane almost smiled at the eagerness with which he kissed her; there was something so adorably awkward about it. It was clear the young man wasn't used to this sort of thing. She reached up to snag the zipper of his flightsuit, while the other hand snaked around his neck. Her lips parted as his tongue flicked at them, and she allowed herself a small moan as the kiss deepened and his arms move to clasp her. His hands, slightly fumbling in their gloves, slid along her waist, then up to her chest. Jane broke the kiss, staring at him with disbelief, even though he couldn't see her in the dark. *Is...is he trying to feel me up through my flightsuit?* She didn't want to embarrass him by pointing out that no one could feel anything through the rigid material, so half smiling, half shaking her head, she clasped both of the boy's wrists and lifted them above his head, pressing them against the wall. Holding his wrists in place with one hand, keeping him immobile and against the wall, she slid the seal downward. Jane's heartbeat quickened as his body was exposed, her eyes straining in the dark to see his smooth chest, his hard, dark abs. She left the flightsuit sealed up to the waist, loose enough that she could slip a hand within when she wanted. Brushing her lips across his, Jane could feel his breath quickening, and she ginned. Though there were some cons in an inexperienced man like Marcus, there was one benefit which she liked; they were always quite appreciative. Marcus' breath was warm on her lips as she slowly slid a hand into his flightsuit, her nails lightly scraping across his pelvis, down his shaft, and very gently across his head. His whole body stiffened and shivered, and for a moment she was worried he was about to cum, but instead he breathed a wordless moan and tried to move his hands down to clasp her again. Jane firmly banged his wrists back against the wall, holding him still while she cupped his member in her hand, gently stroking while she considered it in the dark. It was smaller than average, but she was sure that between his eagerness and her readiness, Marcus would be able to satisfy her with it. Very deliberately dragging her thumb along his entire length, Jane let go, enjoying his small gasp of disappointment as he couldn't see her unsealing her own flightsuit. She was pulling the fabric down to her thighs by the time he understood, quivering in anticipation as the cool air in the conference room wafted against her naked bottom, and she could only imagine Marcus' expression she moved closer to him. There was no uncertainty or hesitation in her movements as she slid his length from the restrictive suit, and her grin was wide enough that she had to stop kissing him for a moment, turning her head to let his kisses fall on her cheek and neck. She could feel his pulse pounding beneath her fingers as she slowly slid his head from her lower stomach across her mound, leaving a slick trail through her pubic hair along its path until she settled it between her legs, pressing against her clit and lips. Marcus' breath was so shallow she could barely tell he was breathing, and Jane almost wanted to keep still for a few moments, just to see what he would do. However, she too was beginning to ache in her core, all too aware of the wetness dripping onto the pulsing length that sat between her legs, so close... Hooking a finger beneath his shaft, Jane pulled it up while sliding her hips forward, taking his entire length inside of her in one glorious, heart-stopping moment. Marcus gasped out a cry, loud enough that Jane put a hand over his mouth, laughing a little under her breath. They stood like that for long, intense seconds, neither moving as they both revelled in the pleasure that locked them together. When she was sure no one had heard Marcus' outcry, Jane began to move, slowly sliding her hips back until only his very tip was within her, then slamming forward, pushing him into her until she couldn't any more. She tried to keep up the achingly unhurried rhythm for as long as she could, but Marcus' hips were moving as well, bucking forward and back at a pace out of sync with her own, sending unexpected spurts of pleasure through her at irregular times. Although his efforts were still fumbling and slightly counterproductive, Jane could feel the sexual desire pulsing and building inside her, could feel how wet the heat between her legs was becoming. Letting go of his wrists, she grabbed his hips and forced him to move in sync with her, speeding up so that he could thrust inside of her at a faster pace but forcing him into her rhythm. Her orgasm ripped through her so suddenly that it was all she could do to hold on to him, pulling on his hips to slam him into herself again and again, first her legs then her entire body quivering as it overtook her. Easing her hands up his body, Jane slowly came down from the high of her pleasure as she let Marcus take up his own pace, pushing quickly in and out of her as he approached his own climax. A second before he came, as she felt him tense inside of her, she placed a hand over his mouth again, just a second before he gave a shout that would've almost certainly been heard had it not been muffled. She pushed him against the wall with her hips, moving them gently as she felt him shooting inside of her, trembling and straining while he filled her. With a smile that was almost fond Jane carefully stepped back, delicately sliding the sealer over Marcus' spent member so that there would be no offending stains that could be seen. Only when she had carefully pulled her own flightsuit back up over her shoulders did she reach over and flick on the light. Marcus's grin was so genuine and enthusiastic that when she saw it Jane had to grin in response. "That was...that...." he struggled for words, still smiling, while she slid the seal back up to the neck, "...that was pretty fun, Miss Jane," he finished awkwardly. Jane looked at him, the very picture of an awkward boy, unsure of where to look or what to do with his hands, and decided to go easy on him. She reached over and flicked his nose with a rigid glove, hard enough to mark but not bruise. "It was a lot of fun Rook," she said, smiling to take some of the sting out of the reminder, or at least to take the bite out of her words, "but it doesn't make us friends." "Oh. I mean, sure, I didn't mean-" Marcus scrambled to recover, but Jane simply smiled again, reached past him, and opened the door. After considering for a moment, she kissed him quickly on the cheek so he would know she wasn't angry. "See you at 0445," she smiled, and left quickly enough that the door would slide shut behind her before he could fumble for a response. Her cravings satisfied for awhile, Jane walked up the hallway towards her own quarters, turning the day over in her head. *I think it's going to be a very interesting year...* Orbital Academy 02 (edited by DeReve) -------------------------------------------- Thanks to everyone who commented and voted on Orbital Academy I! Did you love this story? Hate it? Could it improve? Please let me know in the comments, or via the CONTACT tab on my profiel. -------------------------------------------- Every night before bed, Aimee set a personal alarm for a half-hour before her squadmates woke up. The plan was always to enjoy a quiet hour to herself, a respite from the busy schedule that ruled her life these days. Unfortunately for Aimee, every morning she would sleepily cancel the alarm as soon as it went off, so in practice she tended to be woken by the same alarm that shrieked the other rookies out of bed. She spit a swear word as her feet hit the cold tile of the barracks floor, and she wasn't the only one, as the rest of her squadmates dragged themselves from their beds and into the cold air. Samantha, sleeping across from Aimee, broke into a run as soon as she disentangled from her covers, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, yelling "First for showers! Dibs!" Aimee smiled, pulling her blankets around her like a makeshift cloak. "More time for us to get warm," she muttered sleepily to no one in particular. The Academy orbital station had many luxuries that the smaller civilian stations did not, but it didn't have the energy to waste on extra water or heating. The barracks was kept just warm enough to be livable, and its' two-unit shower only had the water for nine showers of exactly fifteen minutes each. Though the squaddies tried not to go over their time, the final two always had less water than everyone else. Aimee looked at the bunk next to her; Marcus still curled in a ball, and Li in the bunk above, awake but clearly not going anywhere. She cuddled into her blanket, confident that she wouldn't be last. Missy was already stripping off her loose longsleeved shirt by the time Aimee reached the shower, and she blushed and covered her breasts with an arm as Aimee came in. "Not looking, don't worry," Aimee smiled and resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she turned her back on her squadmate, "but you know...we're all gonna be on the same squad for a year. After that, we'll probably end up on squads together on and off for the rest of our career. I don't think there's much of a point being shy around your squaddies. 'Specially us other girls." She tried to put it delicately, but as she shimmied out of her own white sleep clothes she could picture the furious blush that was probably creeping across Missy's face. "I...I dunno," Missy stammered, "This seems to have been working so far." Aimee did roll her eyes at that, but kept her back to the other girl as she stepped under the showerhead and powered it on. "Sure, maybe for the last week," she breathed a sigh of contentment as the showerhead read her body signature and warmed the water to her preferred temperature in an instant, dousing her in water so hot it bathed her in steam. "But there's gonna come a day in the next five years where I might not be the one showering with you, and who knows if the other girls'll be ok with this whole 'don't look to the left' thing. Or one of the guys," she added slyly, for the sole purpose of the squeak of shock that came from Missy. "They wouldn't make us shower with one of the boys would they? Is that even legal?" Aimee grinned at Missy's suddenly high-pitched voice. "They so can't do that! They couldn't force us to be that...that intimate!" Missy was starting to splutter with a mix of indignation and panic, and she didn't seem to notice that Aimee had turned towards the frosted glass that separated them until she spoke. "Missy. Look at me," Aimee tried to convey reassurance and calm, "Nobody's going to make you do anything. You don't come from an Academy family, so you don't 'get' it...but your squad in the Academy, you grow so close to them that there's nothing hidden anymore. The nine of us are going to end up closer than siblings, closer than spouses. Maybe not this week, or even this year, but by the time we hit our second or third planetary mission? Or our fifth year together? There's not gonna be any secrets between any of us." "Really?" Missy's body language was the picture of uncertainty, but at least she wasn't blushing as far as Aimee could tell, "I just can't picture that amount of closeness with someone you aren't married to." "Are you kidding?" Aimee turned back to the shower, flipping on the sonic cleanser and relaxing as the invisible sound waves destroyed particles of dirt and sweat from her skin, "my dad has this squaddie named Sara who comes around for dinner three or four times a week. We moved to the city so they could be close, that's how much they mean to each other. My mom knows that she's not gonna compete with that. Not that my dad doesn't love my mom, he'd die for her, but..." she shrugged, "it's impossible to break that connection between squaddies, you know? It's one of the things you accept when you marry an Academy grad. My dad might take a bullet for my mom, but Sara actually *has* taken a bullet for him." Aimee could see Missy taking her words in, lost in thought, as she flicked on her own showerhead's sonic cleanser. She took the opportunity to give Missy a glance up and down through the separator. She was a very pale girl, Aimee noted, her faintly pink skin a stark contrast to Aimee's own caramel brown. Not that that was the only difference between them. While Aimee preferred to keep her jet black hair up in a ponytail at almost all times, Missy's curly brown locks fell in ringlets around her face. Aimee was taller, her shoulders more squared and her hips wide, while Missy's figure was diminutive and petite. Missy noticed Aimee looking at her, and covered herself up with an arm again. "What?" "You're just so porcelain cute it's disgusting," Aimee responded with a grin "What? I am not!" "You are. You're like a fuckin' china doll. It's ok, people like that whole girly look." Missy opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of voices just past the door interrupted them. Aimee glanced at the timer on the wall as Missy quickly stepped from the shower to the evaporator; their fifteen minutes were up. She half-sighed, half-swore under her breath. Missy, wreathed in steam from the water droplets instantly evaporating from her skin, managed to slip her robe around herself before Li and Marcus came in, but Aimee stayed under the hot stream of water. "It's so freaking cold out there and I'm so comfortable," she managed to plead and snarl at the same time, "I will give one of you an entire week's dessert vouchers if you let me take your shower time." Li was already shrugging out of his sleep gear, his eyes travelling up and down Aimee's body as he did so. She returned the glance unabashedly. Pre-Academy physical training had turned the skinny boy into quite a muscular man. Aimee's eyes roved across his olive skin, noting that it contrasted nicely with his black hair. He was just a few inches taller than her, and when her eyes finally met his a shiver ran down her spine. "Eh, not a huge fan of dessert," he smiled. Marcus was giving her an appreciative glance as well, but he seemed much more interested in getting into the warm water himself; he slipped out of his clothes and under the unoccupied shower in the space of a few seconds. Missy had already left the room, wrapped in her robe but still shivering. "You suck, I hate you, I'm cold," Aimee complained, stepping out of the water and instantly regretted it as goosebumps rose on her shivering skin. "Well I didn't say we couldn't work something out..there's no way I'm giving up my time, but we can share," Li wiggled his eyebrows at her with an exaggerated lewd expression, grinning as he stepped into the recently vacated shower. "I know you're joking, but *fuck* it's cold," Aimee wavered for about half a second, then stepped under the warm water with him, turning her back on his look of surprise.. "I should make stupid jokes more often," he chuckled, and he was close enough that she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. Even though she was no longer cold, the goosebumps stayed raised. "You can look but no touching," she said over her shoulder, sticking her tongue out. Li shrugged agreeably, "worth a little less space in the shower" he replied. The showerhead registered both of their body signatures and adjusted the temperature to an average of their preferences, raising the heat just a bit. "Ooooh my gooood" Aimee moaned out loud, as the heat and steam seemed to melt her strained muscles. As soon as she moaned she felt Li's member harden and press into her rear. "Hey there," she giggled, "I said no touching didn't I?" "What?" Li's voice was defensive, "There's not a lot of room for two people in here." "Well then maybe you shouldn't be swinging that thing around," Aimee smiled. Though she loved giving Li a hard time, she actually didn't mind the feeling against her bottom, warm and firm and slick with water, "maybe you should take care of that some time." "I wish," Li pulled his hips away, out of the water. Aimee felt slightly disappointed as warmth left and Li continued, "There's never enough time." "Ugh, tell me about it," Aimee agreed, "let alone enough privacy. It gets freaking frustrating, I feel like there's constantly a fire between my legs." "...you did that on purpose," Li complained, as his member pressed against her again, and she grinned. "Maybe. Maybe I like the warmth." "That's not a very nice thing to do when we've already established I can't jerk off around the other guys." "And the other guys appreciate that, believe me." Marcus broke in. "Well if we can't take care of ourselves, isn't that all the more reason to be nice to each other?" Aimee started slowly shifting her ass, taking advantage of the slickness to slide it up and down his length. Li sucked in a breath, and although he didn't say anything, she could tell from the slight trembling that he was stopping himself from pushing forward. "...and I can be very nice when I want to be," she added softly, shooting a suggestive look over her shoulder to gauge his reaction. "Oh come on! How is that any better?" Marcus complained from the next shower over, "I'm standing *right here*." "Your own fault for listening," Aimee laughed, but her conversation with Missy weighed on her. Much as it would be nice to scratch an itch that had been plaguing her for a week, It wasn't worth introducing tension into the squad, "it's fine, you've got a point. No being nice for an audience then." Li's disappointment was almost palpable, "Cockblocked by my own squadmate!" he groaned, half-serious, and leaned back, away from her. Stealing a glance at Marcus to make sure his back was still turned, Aimee stepped back as well, grinding her butt into Li, trapping his shaft between his stomach and her ass. "So are either of you finding it as rough to adjust as I am?" She asked, keeping the conversation going so that Marcus wouldn't look over his shoulder and note how close they were behind the frosted glass. "Oh you know, same as for everyone else in the squad I guess," Aimee was glad Marcus answered; Li's breathing was coming out in shallow pants as she ground against him, trapping his member between her butt cheeks and working them up and down. "It takes a lot of adjustment to get used to such a harsh schedule...but there's the luxuries too, the benefits of living on a better supplied orbital station." "Yea, I don't miss living on a civilian orbital, that's true. Worse food, less space, fewer amazing showers," Aimee enjoyed how casual and level she was able to keep her voice as she began moving her hips in circles, sliding smooth skin across Li's head as she moved up and down, from side to side, "and I think it's also helpful to have each other for support." "I agree, it's good to have squaddies to lean on." Marcus replied, then added after a moment "even the perverted ones." Aimee turned sharply to look at the divider, but Marcus' back was still to the glass, apparently oblivious. Li was thrusting against her now, all attempts at subtlety forgotten as he responded to her rubbing. The combination of friction and slickness was turning Aimee on, but even better was Li's clear desire for her. When he grabbed her hips, nails digging into sensitive skin as if he couldn't help himself, Aimee almost came, even though he hadn't yet touched her where she wanted it most. The timers above them made a small pinging noise, and the water cut off. Aimee bit her lip hard to keep from whimpering as the two of them separated, both breathing heavily and nowhere near satisfied. "Ooh, tough luck you two," Marcus grinned, stepping out of his shower, "gotta suck getting interrupted like that." "Interrupted doing what?" Aimee's face grew hot, but she grinned in spite of herself, "we were just having a conversation!" "Yea, well, I feel bad for you," he chuckled, stepping into the evaporator. "Any conversation that has you both panting and gasping like that probably won't be fun to have stuck in your heads all day." Aimee's grin slowly dropped from her face as she was suddenly very aware of the burning hunger between her legs. "Son of a bitch" she growled. "Jeez Aim, if I'd known you were whoring yourself out for some shower time, I'd've offered you mine," Preston joked as Marcus, Li, and Aimee re-entered the barracks. "It's funny that 15 minutes of shower time is all you think your dick is worth" Aimee replied. For some reason Preston's lascivious humor never seemed as cute as Marcus or Li's. Maybe because even though his words were lighthearted, it sometimes felt as if he weren't joking. "She didn't whore herself, nothing happened," Li pulled on his uniform as he spoke; Aimee was surprised at the disappointment she felt watching his skinny but muscled chest being hidden by its crisp grey lines, "we just shared a shower, Marcus can testify." "Marcus is staying completely out of this one," Marcus was already dressed and checking the screen by his bunk for new updates, "whatever sordid and X-rated things happened in that shower, it's between the two of them." "It's ok Li, you don't need to defend me," Aimee finished dressing and rose from her bunk, "if Preston thinks I'd do something just for a few minutes longer in the showers, nothing's going to change his opinion of me." She layered the guilt on a little heavily, but Preston's joke had uncharacteristically bothered her. To his credit, Preston looked a little ashamed of himself at her words. "Aw I was just poking fun, I didn't actually mean it," he muttered, a little sheepishly. Aimee made a mental note to stick to her own allotted shower time from now on. "Tactical III: Squad Maneuvers" was an optional class, which meant only about a quarter of the rookies in Aimee's year had signed up for it. Unfortunately for her and her squadmates, their instructor Captain Appet was dedicated to holding her squad to the highest of standards. For the four boys and five girls that made up her squad, the class was mandatory, making them the only rookie squad with every member signed up for the class. On the plus side, this meant they had an entire class session to themselves, twice a week. The rookies were seated now around the large circular table, the wide space in the middle of the table projecting a holographic sphere as its standby screen. Captain Appet and Tactics Instructor Yidra sat together on the far side of the table from the door as the squad filed in. Aimee sat a few seats down from the pair, and smiled when Missy took the one next to her; she was glad their conversation hadn't frightened the shy girl off. Preston took a seat on her other side, and after a moment Aimee turned to give him a smile as well. No matter how much he irked her, they would be squaddies. Love or hate him, he would eventually be closer than a brother to her, so she might as well make an effort. Marcus sat on Preston's other side, next to the Captain. Two other girls, Alex and Julia, sat on Missy's other side, followed by Li directly across from Aimee, Jackson, and Tess. "Welcome, Rooks," Captain Appet began, and Aimee's eyes narrowed. When the Captain was in a good enough mood to use nicknames, it meant either she was about to go very easy or very hard on them. "Today we're going to skip the theory and get down to the practical; we're going to set up a ten-way virtual squadron battle." As she spoke, Yidra had been fiddling with the virtual keyboard in front of him. As the Captain spoke, lights began to form above the table's surface; holographic fleets of spheres, in ten different colors. At the same time, a virtual keyboard glowed in front of each of the rookies and Captain Appet, their colors matching the spheres. "The keyboards will send orders to the holographic drones," Captain Appet explained, typing a few symbols and sending a green sphere plunging towards the table, then slowly raising up again, "we've scaled the size down quite a bit of course, but otherwise the holograms will respond and behave exactly the same as a real drone on a planetary run. Yidra is going to be taking notes on your tactics, which he'll share with all of you via the squad forum this evening." Aimee experimentally keyed in a few of the controls, testing the movement, figuring out how to send orders to multiple drones at once. From the bobbing and rotating of some of the other colors, she could see some of the quicker squaddies had the same idea. Captain Appet continued. "Now in real life these drones are bloody expensive, so to simulate the pain and loss you'd feel wasting money, the last person with drones remaining will get a full week of dessert vouchers...taken from the first person to lose all of their drones. Start!" In the space of twenty seconds, Aimee learned more about her squadmates as she had in the entire past week. Each swarm of drones separated into their colors and began moving tactically, and she was glad to notice that all of them moved with purpose. She would rather have a clever squadmate when the real action came, even if that made it harder to win this particular battle. Fifteen drones in red, lavender, and yellow immediately swarmed toward the middle of the table; Jackson, Preston, and Julia all had the idea to take control of the battlefield right from the start. *Aggressive, reckless...but really good for them if they can pull it off,* Aimee thought, drawing her drones back and low, keeping them out of the way and simply watching the conflict. Most of the others were playing it cautiously as well, spreading to give themselves coverage but not coming within range of any of the others until they could tell how the battle in the middle played out. The purple drones that belonged to Marcus were cautiously approaching the center, clearly planning to take advantage of the fight to score shots against the occupied forces, but his movements left his entire flank wide open to Captain Appet's drones. With a few easy keystrokes the Captain's drones speared forward viciously, splitting Marcus' forces in half and wiping them out with miniature holographic explosions while only losing a single one of her own. "What the hell!" Marcus spluttered, the light from his keyboard slowly going out in front of him, "I figured you'd wait until I did a little damage to them!" "Why wait?" Captain Appet laughed, pulling her drones back to a safe position, "What, did you think I was going to go easy on you Marcus?" "No, I just..." Marcus frowned and folded his arms, trailing off. "Well, you saved me from giving up my desserts at least," Julia sighed, as her final yellow ship burst into holographic fragments, "so thanks for um...trying to screw me over I guess," she winked. Orbital Academy 02 "Yea, yea," Marcus muttered, but he half-smiled back as he watched the rest of the battle play out. Jackson muttered a curse under his breath as the final red drone winked out as well. Preston's victory over the middle placed him in an advantageous position over everyone else, but the fighting had only left him with one drone; with no backup it was exposing its vulnerable rear no matter which way it pointed. "Aaah shit, I didn't think this one through," Preston chuckled, rotating the lavender drone in circles so that whoever made the first move would at least suffer a little damage. Aimee considered making a move for the middle, but she knew the second she moved that one of the remaining five would make her pay for it. While she wavered back and forth, Missy made her move. It happened suddenly and smoothly; the pink drones moving so close to the surface of the table that it looked as if they were skating on the surface itself. They were spread out far enough and moving fast enough that none of them made a particularly good target, and before anyone could decide on an action she had all five skitting across the table taking shots from below at everyone's drones. It didn't take long for the remaining drones to raise high enough from the table to get out of her range, but she had managed in less than a minute to destroy several, one of Aimee's included. "Now look at what you've done Cap," Alex joked, pulling her two remaining drones high only to lose them both to Captain Appet's waiting forces, "You've turned our sweet innocent Missy into a reckless monster!" The slow-mounting pressure at the table broke as everyone broke into chuckles, and Aimee hadn't realized how tense her hands had been until the tension was released. Even Missy laughed, although she stopped when the Captain's drones swooped down, capitalizing on the pink drones' low altitude by firing shots that nudged them down into the surface of the table, exploding into pink light. Aimee had been trying to play relatively defensively, keeping her drones in a group and firing en mass to drive off any drones that got close. It had worked well for her so far, and she was feeling good about her three remaining drones, the same number as Captain Appet had, until she glanced across the table. Five blue spheres of light hovered in front of Li's face, and he was grinning at her. "You're not even trying!" Aimee accused, and his grin only widened. "I already told you, I'm not a huge fan of desserts," he said, picking off the last of Tess' gray holographs. He shrugged, maneuvering his drones to carefully hover just out of range of danger, "plus it seems to be working out for me." "Okay, okay fine, what *are* you a huge fan of?" Aimee asked through her teeth, "Because full disclosure; I can't tell you how much I want to wipe that dumb grin off your face right now." Li didn't answer for a moment, carefully darting his drones back as Captain Appet feinted forward, trying to make him attack. "I'll tell you what," he finally said, his grin becoming a little more sly, "if I beat you, we finish the conversation we were having this morning." Marcus leaned his head back and laughed, while the other squaddies looked back and forth between the them, confused. Aimee's eyes narrowed, an expression of grim determination spreading on her face. "Alright asshole," she replied, "and *when* I win, we still finish the conversation, but I'm the only one who's allowed to...um....'talk'". "Deal." "Hold on," Captain Appet looked vaguely amused...*does she know what we're talking about?* Aimee wondered, embarrassed, "I'm still in this fight too, what do I get if I win?" the Captain finished, a grin on her face. *Well I guess that answers that. The Captain wouldn't joke like that.* Aimee and Li's eyes met across the table, and by unspoken agreement both swarms of drones moved at almost the same time. The Captain's drones didn't stand a chance as the two swarms pinned them on both sides, sending a spray of white holographic sparks as her drones were obliterated. While the Captain simply laughed, Aimee and Li immediately tried to press the advantage against each other, drones darting and wheeling aggressively. Though she wished it was due to confident skill and easy multitasking ability, Aimee had to admit as Li's final drone exploded that it was probably due more to luck than anything. Her squaddies cheered as Li bowed his head in acknowledgment; he was still grinning, but somehow Aimee didn't mind it so much anymore. "Alright, good class everyone," Captain Appet clapped her hands together to gain their attention, "this simulation will be available at all hours, just sign in. This is training for actual maneuvers we'll be running as a team, so I can't stress how important it is to get comfortable with these controls. From here on out I'll be requiring at least five games a week from each of you, either on your own or in groups. That said, I'm requiring a two-to-one win ratio for each of you, so you'll have to play on your own at least some of the time. The computer will play AI drones if you're on your own, and it'll track your stats as well. Okay, we wrapped that up a little early, so enjoy the free time before breakfast. See you in the mess hall." The rookies slowly dispersed from the room, chatting back and forth, leaving in groups of two or three. After Ydrida jotted down the last of his notes, he left as well, mumbling something about "excellent battlefield control". Eventually only Aimee and Li were left, a half smile on his face, a smug grin on hers. The room was quiet as the chatter drifted down the hallway outside, and the door slid closed behind them. "I'd just like you to know," Li broke the silence, "that after the shower this morning, you being the only one to finish now is exceptionally cruel." He stood and slowly walked around the table towards Aimee as he continued, "in fact I think there are some Academy laws against torture that this bet is about to violate." "Aaw, I didn't even think about how rough this would be for you..." Aimee's triumphant smile gave way to a look of concern, "now I feel bad" "You do? Really?" "Absolutely!" Aimee struggled, keeping the concerned look up until the last moment, "I guess I really don't know what it feels like to lose so so badly, it's hard for me to think of how that must feel." There was a pause as they stared at each other, him in stunned silence, her with the smug grin back and plastered on her face. "...you're a real bitch sometimes Aim, you know that?" Li asked, but his grin was so wide it matched hers. "Yep!" Aimee agreed cheerfully, "but I'm a bitch who's about to have a tongue between her legs." She leaned back and gestured downwards imperiously, clearly enjoying herself. Li made a face at her. Leaning over the keyboard in front of her, he hit the sequence of buttons Captain Appet had indicated. Aimee's eyes widened. "Oh no!" He said in apparent shock, as holographic drones rose from the table, "It looks like I just accidentally started a new game for you!" "You asshole!" Aimee shouted, lunging forward to punch at keys. Li was kneeling at the foot of her chair, still chuckling, "Oh dear! I hope nothing happens to distract you! It'd be a shame to lose and have to add more simulations to your schedule..." His hands moved to the waist of Aimee's pants and unsnapped the fastener at her waist. "OK..." Aimee gritted her teeth, pressing keys that arranged her drones in a small circle while she counted the white AI drones that circled around the table's surface. "Okay, you want to play, Li? Fine. I think there's something you should be doing with your tongue instead of mouthing off." Lifting her ass to let him pull her uniform pants down, Aimee focused on the simulation. As soon as she felt his tongue on her, Aimee knew she was in serious trouble. He hadn't dove right in, instead simply flicking the very tip of his tongue across her mound, running it through the dark bush she kept neatly trimmed. "How neat and tidy," Li murmured, and she could feel a pressure beginning to build inside of her, "I never really appreciate the attention to detail until I'm close enough to...well, appreciate it." His mouth was so close to her skin, but he wasn't touching her, just speaking, and she could feel his warm breath across places that she ached to have touched. "Still mouthing off, you really just don't know how to shut up, do you?" Aimee almost didn't notice when the computer's drones started moving, swarming forward aggressively. As it was she almost wasn't able to dodge their very first attack. *My reflexes are slow, damnit this isn't good.* Li could feel it too, the way her body tensed as she tried to focus on keying in commands. "Uh-oh," even though she couldn't see his face, Aimee could tell that he was grinning, "I'm not taking your attention away from anything, am I?" "Nope, not really," Aimee responded, gritting her teeth against the warring feelings of the warmth inside of her and the warmth coming from the man on his knees in front of her, "as a matter of fact, your annoying smugness is only spurring me on towards victory." She was trying to make it true, organizing her drones in a loose pattern that would let her stay defensive if she lost focus for a few moments. "Oh, is that a fact?" Li sounded like he was enjoying himself, "well let's see how long that lasts." Aimee opened her mouth to snap back a response, but Li suddenly *licked*, sliding the entire length of his tongue up across her clit, and it was all that she could manage to not make a noise. *Yep, definitely in trouble.* The AI drones were moving again, and belatedly Aimee moved her own in response. As she tried with all of her might to focus on the game in front of her, Li was showing similar focus. His tongue moved in slow, smooth yet unpredictable motions. Just when she thought she could follow the pattern enough to tune it out, he changed it. One moment he would be plunging his tongue inside of her, pausing only long enough to feel her quivering, and the next he would be flicking it lightly across her skin, not touching the most sensitive areas, barely making contact at all. As amazing as his tongue felt inside and on her, Aimee was taking deep breaths. Aside from involuntarily squirming when he happened to hit *just* the right spot, she was surprised at how much she could focus and calm herself. Her fingers were flying across the keyboard to deal with the strategies the computer was throwing at her, sending drones circling and spinning with her intuition. She had already managed to whittle them down to half their number, and she hadn't given Li the satisfaction of hearing her moan *once*. "Huh, looks like even with everything stacked against me, I'm *still* managing to win," she commented lightly, half smiling when Li looked up at her. His eyes, a light brown that was almost gold, met hers as he started flicking his tongue directly against her clit, without stopping, without mercy. Aimee almost lost both her train of thought and control of her drones. With a conscious effort she pulled her focus back to her taunting, "It's probably pretty embarrassing for you, me being so good at tactics that I can win even with you down there." Without any warning, in one fluid motion, Li slid two fingers inside of her, pressing her G-spot at the same time he pressed against her clit with his tongue. "Fuck!" Aimee gasped, her entire body tensing and twitching with the sudden unexpected pleasure that shot from his fingers all the way up her spine. Her hands clenched and she involuntarily dragged them across the keyboard, sending half of her drones crashing into the table and exploding. "Oh I'm sorry, you were saying something?" Li looked up innocently, while at the same time making small circles inside of her with his fingers. "Fuck fuck fuck," Aimee didn't know if she was swearing at him, at the loss of her drones, or at the shocks of bliss building up between her legs. Probably a bit of all three. She could barely form a conscious thought in her head as he went back to licking, now sliding his fingers in and out of her in a steady rhythm. Her hands went back to the keyboard, and with what little focus she could muster she looked at the lights that seemed to be spinning on the table. Her fingers seemed to fly of their own accord, sending the pink points of light flying in response. "Not yet, not ye-et," she panted, trying with everything she had to ignore how wet she was, how weak her legs were, how much she wanted to let herself go and release the sexual pressure that was so real she could feel it in her skin. She distracted herself with the game, spinning the lone drone in her control across the table, playing with a frenzy she didn't realize she had. The last AI drone exploded, and a half second later Aimee let herself go. Her legs had somehow gotten wrapped around Li, and she pulled him forward as she came. His fingers were deep, deep inside of her, and she could feel herself clamp down on them, feel the walls of her pussy trembling and quivering. Her nails dug into the seat of the chair, and despite how desperately she didn't want to give him the satisfaction, she couldn't help but let out a single, long, moan. "FUCK" she screamed the word as she reached the peak of her orgasm, her whole body shaking and bucking against his fingers and tongue. As the soft blue glow from the keyboard slowly went out, Aimee leaned back in the chair, spent. "You're still an asshole," she panted "An asshole who's pretty good at that?" Li leaned back on his heels, Aimee didn't deny it, but couldn't resist needling him as she hiked her uniform pants back up; "It's just too bad you're not as good at drone tactics. Plus, I have to point out, apparently not good enough at that to keep me from winning." She gestured towards the single blue drone hovering near the middle of the table. There was a moment of silence that could easily turn to awkwardness, but she stood and offered a hand to pull Li to his feet. "I'm thoroughly hungry now. Breakfast?" As the two made their way from the simulation room, she pondered aloud, "So you know we've got flight training this afternoon? I'll bet I score higher than you." "Are you kidding? I'll wipe the floor with your feeble efforts. What do you want to bet?" "Oh I'm sure we can think of something..." Orbital Academy 03 (edited by the near-clairvoyant DeReve) -------------------------------------------- Thanks to everyone who has commented and voted on previous Orbital Academy chapters! Did you love this story? Hate it? Could it improve? Please let me know in the comments, or via the CONTACT tab on my profile. -------------------------------------------- "Four minutes remaining." Missy was sure that the cold robotic voice was speaking directly to her. It didn't matter that she could look to her left or right to see her squaddies climbing the rock wall around her. It didn't matter that the other rookies were sweating, straining, and in pain as they scaled the surface just like she was. No, at this moment as her muscles screamed at her and her vision blurred Missy knew that the cold, metallic voice was aimed solely at her. *One hand up. Look for the hook. Grab. Pull up. One hand up.* She let the mantra repeat in her head, trying to ignore the fact that even the slowest of her fellow squaddies had made it to the top. Her arms stung, trembling whenever she pulled herself higher. The joints in her fingers were on fire. She tried to distract herself by doing the math; she was forced up this wall three days a week, and she had been at the Academy for three weeks. Ten times on this hateful surface. On their first attempt, Captain Appet had assured them all that the course would get easier, that they would soon be able to finish the whole course in the twenty minutes. She told them that someday they would find it easy to run the mile, scale the wall, and make it safely through the attack track to grab one of the nine pendants that hung on hooks at the end of the track. "Three minutes remaining," the emotionless voice droned, as Missy finally reached the top of the climbing wall, pulling herself up inch by agonizing inch until she was resting firmly at the top. Jackson had taken his pendant on his second day on the course. The rest of her squadmates had followed his example, eventually being able to get their pendants within the time limit as well. Boosted by the extra hours of physical training given to anyone who didn't win their pendant, even the weaker members of her squad had started finishing the course in twenty minutes. Missy dragged herself to her feet and began running, each breath burning her lungs. The track loomed in front of her, and she wobbled slightly. The first hurdle sprang, spring-loaded, from the track, and she jumped it purely from muscle memory. She forgot about the second trap, a small laser that slammed into her back after a small audio alarm. It sent her sprawling on her stomach. "One minute remaining." It was possible she missed the two-minute warning, but Missy was willing to believe that the voice was being vindictive, just to her. She wouldn't be able to make it. Her eyes filled with tears as she rolled over onto her back, staring up at the far wall, a row of empty hooks to hold pendants. Blinking away tears, she half-turned to check again, *shouldn't mine still be up there?* "Ten seconds. Nine seconds." As the final time began counting down, Missy's view was obscured by Preston, jogging down his own track. With his pendant already collected, the traps and attacks had been de-activated, and his pace was easy and light. "You look pretty beat," he had stopped next to her, hands in his pockets, a smile on his face. Missy tried not to swear, she simply groaned and turned her head away. A small weight fell on her chest, and she looked down to find her pendant, letters glowing in her name around the edge. "Thought you could use a break," Preston somehow managed to act both offhanded and smug at the same time, and jogged off before she had time to respond. "Time over," The robotic voice droned, and for the first time added "No pendants remain." Missy clasped her pendant in her hand, completely confused. -------------------------------------------- "I don't know, Missy, it's not like Preston is some monster, incapable of being decent once in a while." Aimee pointed out, as she spooned another bite of protein paste into her mouth and grimaced. "You have to admit, it's out of character for him," Missy spoke lower. She leaned towards her friend, more worried than Aimee that Preston might hear them from the other end of the table, "he's not the kind of person who just does something for nothing." "Well ok, maybe we haven't seen him do something for nothing, but so what? We've known each other for, what, a month?" "Is that really all? It feels like longer." "That's all. For all we know, Preston could have some hidden depths." "No," Missy shook her head, "we know Preston. He did it to get something, or maybe he just wants me to owe him a favor." She was even more sure as she said it out loud, even though Aimee was shaking her head. The more she thought about it, the angrier it made her. *How dare he make that decision for me?* She hadn't asked for his help, and she'd been handling her extra physical training just fine, although if she was being honest with herself, the prospect of her first day without the extra hour of physical training was wonderful. Missy lapsed into silence as she stewed for the entire length of the meal, and continued dwelling on the incident throughout the afternoon. She hated being the "fragile" one in her squad. Aimee had mentioned it before, how Missy's pale skin, tiny stature, and jet black hair made her look like a porcelain doll. In another life, she would've valued her delicate looks, but here it had become her bane. *My squaddies feel sorry for me...my friends feel like they have to carry me...and Preston thinks he can take advantage of me.* By the end of the rookies' final class she had worked herself into a fit of indignation. She stalked into the barracks bristling and ready to take offense at the slightest provocation. Preston was leaning back in a chair, tossing his pendant into the air and catching it again. Jackson and Aimee lay in their respective bunks, reading on their respective tablets. Tess was lounging at the card table in the corner, hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling. Julia and Li had linked their tablets together to play a game. Alex and Marcus were elsewhere, forced to spend their small amount of free time to make up for various failures in training. Missy technically should've been out with them, and she blushed when she realized it. The indignation and resentment that had been boiling inside her burst out before she could stop it. "How dare you!" She shouted, and the entire barracks suddenly went quiet. Her face went hot as the entire room of her squadmates stared, startled and confused. For a moment Missy tried to remember if she had ever raised her voice with her squaddies before. Preston looked the most shocked of all, his head cocked to one side inquisitively, and his look of innocence enraged Missy into continuing at the same volume. "What, am I just some charity case to you, is that it? 'Poor weak blushing Missy'?" she knew she wasn't doing herself favors by flushing, and she blinked away tears as she almost screamed the rest, "you figured you'd better carry me along so I stopped embarrassing the team?" "I'm gonna see if they've got something to snack on in mess," Tess stood suddenly and made her way past Missy, followed awkwardly and silently by Julia and Li. Ainee grabbed Jackson by the wrist as she too left. On her way out she mouthed something at Missy with a pained look, but Missy simply shook her head, too angry to process what her friend was trying to say. Preston was on his feet now, crossing his arms and lifting his chin in a look that was somewhere between confusion, defensiveness, and hostility. "What the fuck are you so mad about?" "You think I'm too weak to take care of myself? Or do you think I owe you now?" Now that Missy was alone with him the situation didn't seem quite so clear cut. The conversation had gone a lot smoother in her head, and she was starting to feel self conscious. "You weren't gonna get the pendant so I got you the pendant, what's the fucking problem?" Preston shot back, "why does it have to be some big deal?" "It is a big deal!" Missy squeaked, regretting the words even as they were leaving her mouth, "Maybe I wanted to get the pendant on my own! Maybe I don't want to be the weak little fragile doll that everyone has to take care of!" "I don't think you're a doll-" "And I don't want you lording it over me, acting like I owe you a favor now!" "Who said anything about a favor?" Preston looked so helpless and frustrated that Missy's anger was starting to fade away. "I just don't want to owe anyone anything," she mumbled, embarrassed and slightly ashamed now that her anger was wearing off. "Ok, you don't owe me anything," Preston placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her closely, "I told you already, I just did it 'cause you looked like you needed a break." Missy felt awful, and the kind action of the hand on her shoulder was so unlike Preston that she felt even worse. *I wouldn't think he's the type to be kind like this. I would expect him to make some horrible joke about giving him a blowjob to even the scales.* She blushed at the thought, and immediately hated herself for it. *I don't want to be the blushing innocent teammate. Just once, I want to be the smooth girl who's in control.* The thought came to her unbidden; a way to become the smooth woman in control and to not feel beholden to Preston anymore. "Um..can you..." *no, don't ask him to do it, tell him to do it.* "Sit down on the bed there," she commanded. She was already blushing furiously at what she was about to do, but she was also steeling herself up for it. To his credit, Preston had obeyed, sitting on the edge of the nearest bunk and giving her a confused look. That tiny bit of obedience gave Missy a little bit of confidence, and she knelt on her knees beside the bed. She reached forward and hooked two thumbs into his waistband...then stopped. *I can't pull his pants down, he's sitting on them...STUPID* she berated herself. "Stand up again," she ordered. "But you just told me to sit, you're being confusing." Preston was now looking at her so thoroughly puzzled that Missy felt foolish once again. "If you want me to suck your dick then you'll stand up and shut up and I'll be as confusing as I *fucking* want to be." Missy had never in her life said anything so dirty, and she rarely swore, but she was quite pleased at the effect her words had. Preston stood up so fast he cracked his head against the bunk above him, wincing slightly but staying silent. *That's more like it*, she thought with satisfaction, and without another word she reached up and slid his pants down. Missy didn't quite know why she had always assumed Preston had a small penis. Perhaps she just guessed from all of his blustering that he was compensating for something. Whatever the reason, when his member sprang from the fabric of his pants, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't small at all, about the length of her hand from wrist to fingertips. As she gently took his length in one delicate hand, Missy felt a surge of...it wasn't lust exactly, but excitement. He was so hard, just at the *suggestion* of what she was about to do. She looked up at him to see him staring down at her, his green eyes filled with such a ferocious lust that she was taken aback. The look on his face, the man's slavic features full of desire for her, and knowing *she* had done that, brought a grin to Missy's face. *Who's fragile now?* Very deliberately and delicately, Missy flicked her tongue out and slid it in a circle around the head of his cock. She could feel his pulse quicken against her slender fingers as she held him. Sliding those fingers up and down his shaft, she kept on swirling her tongue in circles, combining two motions and hoping it felt as good as she imagined. Preston's hips bucked forward just a tiny bit, as if against his will, and she felt a glow inside her. Missy began licking his member, long strokes of her tongue that slid from his head down his shaft, all the way to the base. The tips of her fingers brushed against his balls as she alternated licking and kissing, never in the same place twice, carefully holding his length exactly where she wanted it. He was breathing so hard, his whole body tense with enjoyment of what she was doing. She felt powerful and more in control that she ever had her entire time at the Academy. The others would be back soon; at the very least she had to worry about schedule bells ringing off the next shift. Missy didn't want the feeling of power to be diminished, she wanted him to remember this. She looked up, trying to catch his eye, but his were closed, his head thrown back. Instead, she leaned forward and took him in her mouth, still twirling her tongue in circles around his head. Preston moaned out loud, and his hands moved to her head, brushing against her scalp and pushing her towards him further. At the same time, his hips thrust forward, pushing himself even further into her mouth. Missy leaned back, smiling at the moan her actions drew from him, and slapped the hands that were on her head. "This is my repayment, no interfering," she ordered. Preston obediently placed his hands behind his back, and again Missy felt the surge of power in the control she had over him. She bathed in his attention, meeting his eyes again as she leaned forward slowly, carefully kissing him on the very tip. *This is...so much more fun than I thought it would be* she thought, watching his lips part as he sucked in a quick breath. She kept on kissing, trying to move so lightly that he could barely feel her lips brushing against sensitive skin. She felt and saw a shiver pass through Preston's body, and decided to finish him off. Missy took a deep breath, and in a quick motion took him in her mouth, grabbing his hips and pulling him forward, deeper, until his entire length was in her mouth and throat. Preston cried out in shock and pleasure, and Missy saw his hands move to grab her head again, but then move back behind his back. She was glad; it was harder than she thought to keep her throat relaxed, and if he had slammed himself forward like he had before, she didn't know if she could keep from gagging. For awhile she continued on like that, first taking him in her mouth as deep as she could, then slowly pulling back, trying to swirl her tongue around to vary the sensations along his cock. After a while she even got the hang of relaxing her throat, and she started increasing the pace of her bobbing, taking her cues from how his hips were moving and bucking. "Fuck that's good Missy" Preston breathed, and his hands moved to her head, but instead of pushing her, his fingers simply stroking her head, brushing against her scalp. His fingers felt surprisingly nice running through her hair, and hearing her name like that felt nice as well; she decided not to move his hands away as she felt his member pulsing against her tongue as he came. Her mouth filled with his salty fluid, and she was relieved to find it wasn't as disgusting tasting as some of her girl friends had told her it would be. Missy looked up, to find Preston fixing her with a look that was halfway between confusion and adoration. She found the look adorable, and she liked the feeling that the adulation in his green eyes was giving her. Leaning back, Missy pulled his pants up over his spent member, and stood, meeting his eyes. Her eyes never leaving his, she swallowed with an exaggerated motion. Preston made a small sound in the back of his throat that might've been an attempt at words, then a second attempt. "What was...why..." he stuttered, and despite herself Missy grinned "Now we're even, favor for favor," she pointed out, "you helped me on the track, and even though it's not what I wanted, you had good intentions. I felt like I owed you one." Feeling more confident than she had since she'd come to the Academy, she twirled on her heel and walked to the door. A thought occurred to her, and she turned at the door to point at him, "But if you grab my pendant again, I'll do something to you that you won't enjoy nearly as much." -------------------------------------------- The screaming alarm shook them awake, different in pitch and tone than their normal morning alarm. Missy stumbled out of bed, disoriented, and glanced at the clock above the door. *0132 hours...what on earth?* The lights came on, but a pair of red lights flashed above the door in addition. Adrenaline shot through her, waking her up instantly, and judging from the sudden rush of motion from her squaddies, she wasn't the only one. She jolted into action with them, yanking the next day's uniform from the drawer built into her bunk. The alarm stopped blaring, letting her string actual thoughts together in a tired mind, but red lights continued to flash. The squaddies had awakened enough to begin talking as they pulled on uniforms, grabbing additional gear as they went. "Red priority, shit, I can't remember what that means, which alerts count as red?" Li was asking as he struggled to put both shirt and belt on at the same time. Missy racked her memory, but the alarm codes had seemed so unimportant compared to the other things she had to learn. She listened as well as she pulled her sleepwear off and stumbled into her uniform. "Red is on-board invaders, Drake attacks, structural damage," Alex was rattling off the alerts from the edge of her bed as she slipped boots on, "pretty much anything that threatens to kill people on the Academy itself." Her words did little to reassure Missy. She slid the sealing toggle of her uniform up, and only then realized that her squaddies were giving her strange looks, especially the boys. It suddenly struck her that she had just stripped and changed without a care at all. For the rest of them, it had only taken a week for them to be comfortable changing around each other. For the nine of them to live and train together, constantly change between flightsuits, workout clothes, orbital uniforms, and maintenance gear, privacy was just too much of a hassle. Missy, on the other hand, had gone through the hassle every time; besides Aimee in the showers, none of them had never seen her naked. Even now, realizing that she had just shown everything from her small pale breasts to the neat patch of black hair between her legs, she didn't feel anything like the horrified embarrassment she always assumed she would. Instead, the confidence she had felt twelve hours ago made her look at her past reservations seem silly. *I've had Preston in my mouth, it would be silly to be embarrassed being just as naked as everyone else gets. It's not like they've never seen a nude girl before* With a mental shrug, Missy began slipping on her boots, ignoring the attention she was getting. "What, Preston, no skeezy jokes about Missy's boobs that make us want to punch you?" Jackson joked, clearly trying to lighten the mood in the quiet and tense barracks. He pre-emptively punched Preston playfully in the shoulder. "They're nice," Preston glanced in Missy's direction then back at the belt he was fastening around his waist, "but now's not the time." The attention of the room now turned to Preston, who had earned himself a reputation over the past month as a misogynistic jerk. "Well that's...out of character," Jackson began, clearly echoing the thoughts of the squad that was growing more and more confused, but before he could continue, the door to the barracks slid open and Captain Appet stepped into the room. The whole room seemed to calm when she entered, her gaze sweeping the barracks. "The other newbie squads are all still scrambling. Your response time is roughly the same as the corporals who are responding to the emergency. Well done Rooks." Captain Appet said, a grim satisfaction on her features, "remember that the next time you think I'm going too hard on you. It's working." Orbital Academy 03 "We won't be helping?" Missy asked, concerned, "What's going on?" "It's a Drake. Earth class," Captain Appet replied, shortly, "We plan on letting you Rooks handle emergencies that come up, but we can't have you on something this dangerous." The rookies relaxed a little bit, but remained uneasy. The Captain seemed to pick up on their unease, "Relax, the squads we're sending out have dealt with Drakes before, myself included. I won't say this is routine, but we're not anticipating any losses. That said, this will most likely take us all day, so classes are cancelled. Get some sleep, take a day to relax. Everyone except Missy." Missy's stomach dropped as her squadmates turned to look at her. The confidence she had been slowly building since the preceding day seemed to shatter as she quietly asked, "What did I do?" "Nothing too egregious," Captain Appet answered, sternly but not unkindly, "the pendants have fingerprint sensors embedded in them, that tell us which rookie grabbed them. I'll expect you to have a pendant for me by the time I return, and I expect you to get it yourself. No matter how long it takes." With that Captain Appet left, leaving the room full of awkward silence. "I, uh...I guess I owe you a favor now," Preston broke the silence sheepishly, rubbing his neck, "it's only fair, right?" "No," Missy snapped, turning her back to him. Her fists were clenched and she was shaking with embarrassment, "I didn't mind so much when I thought I owed you, but that was the first time I ever-" she broke off as she realized her entire squad was her audience, but she continued angrily "-my favor was way over the top and you know it. So no, right now I don't want any of your favors. But when I do, you owe me way more than just a favor. You'll owe me double...no, triple the favors I did for you." She could feel her face blushing bright red as the quickly hidden smirk on Li's face told her that she wasn't being quite as subtle as she meant. "That's bullshit, I was just trying to help you out," Preston retorted hotly, "you don't have to be a bitch about it." Missy saw out of the corner of her eye that Aimee was about to speak, but she stepped forward and jabbed her finger into Preston's chest. "I know you were," she said, her voice low, "but our entire time here your problem has been not thinking about how your actions affect other people. So I'm going to help you learn that. Every time you're an asshole, you're going to owe me another favor. And I'm going to make sure you pay up. And calling me a bitch makes it five." Without another word Missy spun on her heel and stomped toward the door. "Missy where are you-" Julia started, and Missy snapped an answer before the other girl finished asking, "If I'm going to get a pendant today I might as well get an early start." On her way out the door, Missy heard the room burst into chatter, highlighted with Tess' voice. "Fuck, Preston, how much of a dick do you have to be to get Missy to yell at you?" It was a bruised, sore and tired Missy that returned to the barracks, just after lunchtime. Her legs screamed with each step she took, and she could feel her pulse pounding in her head, the baseline to the raging headache she was nursing. She dragged her feet and absentmindedly ran a hand along her bruised left arm, but clutched in her hand was a sweaty pendant, and she felt a kind of fierce pride. The barracks were empty except for Preston, lounging on his bunk. The room was dim when she entered, lit only by the lights over each individual bunk and the screen Preston seemed to be reading from, and he looked up when she entered. "I told them we should keep the barracks dark when you got back, that you'd probably want to sleep," he said, setting the screen aside. "I do," Missy groaned, wincing as she slumped into her bed, "every muscle I have hurts." He was watching her cautiously, like she was a dog that might bite him, and she smiled tiredly, "and that was...quite nice of you. Thank you Preston." "Yea, whatever," Preston said awkwardly, "oh, and um...I know you'll be hurting too much to want those..uh..'favors' you mentioned," he shifted uncomfortably, not meeting her gaze, "but when you do, I uh, got this." He pulled a small cylinder from beneath his pillow. Missy sat up on one elbow, examining the item. It was a few inches long, with two tiny golden nubs on one side and a white button at its base. "What is it?" She asked, curious in spite of the soreness in the arm that she leaned on. "I spent two weeks of luxury resource tokens on it," Preston replied, still not looking at her, "It's a VTM." Missy gave him a blank look, and he clarified, "a ventral tegmentum manipulator." It wasn't that she wasn't impressed that he had gone to such lengths for her, but she was too tired to attempt to figure out what a ventral tegmentum was. "What is it?" She repeated "It's a...a relaxation and stress reduction tool" "What is-" "It's a sex toy." Missy stared at Preston's face for what felt like minutes, and then burst into a fit of giggles. "It's not funny!" Preston's face flushed, but his look of injured bewilderment only made Missy laugh harder. The whole thing was just so ridiculous; Preston, the very picture of alpha male swaggering, worried enough about fulfilling his 'favors' that he had spent their only tradeable commodity on a toy to make sure she was satisfied. It was so ridiculous, and in an odd way so strangely sweet that Missy felt bad for laughing at him, but the entire scene seemed too surreal for her exhausted mind to handle. She lay there exhausted, trying to stop the giggling, and Preston stood awkwardly with a toy in his hand, trying to bluster but coming off confused and embarrassed. She curled up as the laughing hurt her aching body, but it felt good to laugh. Preston stepped forward angrily, and pressed the golden nodes of the cylinder against the strip of bare skin between her boot and the leg of her pants. When her entire body clenched, every muscle suddenly tense, Missy thought he had tranquilized her. Her body started quivering, and then suddenly she felt like she was on fire with pleasure. She sucked in a sharp breath as her back arched, her fingers clawed at the sheets. It took her long, fiery seconds to even realize she was having an orgasm, but the word itself didn't seem to explain the chords of pleasure that were singing through her body. Preston pulled the cylinder away, and Missy collapsed onto the bed. The few seconds of contact had been enough for her to break into a sweat, and she was panting. It took a moment for her to pull herself together, to think about anything but the shivers that were still twitching in her lower spine and legs. The soreness that had permeated her body a few moments ago now felt more like the pleasant ache of a morning stretch. "What...was that?" She finally managed to gasp, and Preston gave a look not unlike a petulant smile. "Not laughing now are you?" He said, and he pressed the gold studs into her ankle again. Missy's legs spasmed, and she fell backwards into bed as the next orgasm hit her. It felt good, amazingly good, but knowing what to expect made it easier to think this time. There was a nervous flutter of fear that tainted each wave of pleasure, of worry. She knew Preston had been trying to be kind, and she knew she shouldn't have laughed at him, but was he getting some kind of vindictive kick out of this? Her stomach clenched and her breathing quickened, and she wanted to succumb to the pleasure that was pulling on every muscle inside her, but she was frightened of the way Preston was standing over her. "Preston, stop, please stop," she gasped, as soon as she was able to speak through the disorienting feelings of heat and wetness between her legs. To her surprise, Preston stopped immediately, stepping back and waiting for her to catch her breath. Grateful for the reprieve, she let her head flop down on her pillow, not caring that her sweat-drenched hair would leave a damp spot. "You stopped..." she said, uncertainty making it sound like a question. The surprise must've shown on her face, because Preston tilted his head, smiling like she'd made a joke. "Well yea you asked me to," he replied, "what did you think I wasn't going to stop?" The silence stretched between them, and as it continued the smile slowly slipped off of his face. "You thought I wasn't going to stop?" Missy wasn't entirely sure what to say. She had in fact thought that he wasn't going to stop, but she wasn't sure she wanted to admit the fact to him after seeing the horror on his face. Her silence was admission enough on its own, and Preston took a step back. "The fuck...is that really what you think of me? What you all think of me?" "I don't know..." Missy half shrugged, "you always come off as such a...well a giant douchebag, really. I thought you knew that." Preston was slowly shaking his head, "I knew people thought I was a jerk...I know I can come off that way sometimes...but I didn't know you think I'm the kind of person who would do that." He was sitting on his bed staring off into space, as if he was in shock. He looked so vulnerable, sitting there with that lost look on his face, that Missy's heart seemed to melt. "Hey," she stood, then almost collapsed as she put her weight on legs that were still shaky and weak, "look, you may come off that way, but that doesn't mean you can't change." "I wouldn't even know how. I wouldn't know what to do!" he suddenly looked up, "wait, you could help." "Me? What could I do?" "Well you managed to tell me what I was doing wrong. Twice. Plus you did it in a way that'll stick in my memory," he half smiled, and for an instant the old confident Preston was back, but he then slumped, "no one's ever called me out like that. I thought it was because I was cool...but maybe no one cared enough to correct me? But you're different." "What's so special about me?" Missy leaned against the bed next to him, awkwardly putting a hand on his shoulder because she had no idea what else to do. "I don't know," Preston shrugged, "You're fun to hang out with. And you call me on my shit. And you're good with your mouth. I want to hang out with you all the time." "Plus the stuff with my mouth, you want that all the time too" Missy smiled. He half-grinned in response, and didn't deny it. "Preston," she fixed him with a quizzical look, "did you just ask me to be your girlfriend?" "What? No." Preston shook his head emphatically, "I just want to hang out and screw you and spend time with you..." he trailed off, "...so I guess, yea, kinda. I just don't like the word 'girlfriend', it sounds so committed..." Missy started giggling again, and the blush creeping up Preston's cheeks made her giggle even harder. The giggling fit on her already shaky legs was too much, and she slipped to the ground, helplessly laughing and looking at him through tears in her eyes. Preston looked half embarrassed, half amused back down at her. "Stop laughing," he grumbled, abashed "or you'll get another hit of the VTM." Missy's giggling fit calmed down, but the smile on her face didn't leave. "Three hits," she said. "What?" "You still owe me three," Missy stretched out an arm, presenting her bare wrist to him from the floor, "and you wouldn't want to break the deal you made with your girlfriend would yo-" her taunting was cut short as Preston pressed the VTM against her wrist, reaching out and gently holding her arm so that the contact wouldn't be broken. The third orgasm seemed to tear through her, and she gasped and moaned as her entire body tingled and then released. She couldn't process a thing beyond the prickling across her skin, beyond how wet she was, beyond how much she wanted these feelings to never, ever stop. When Preston pulled the VTM away, she moaned in disappointment, her hips lifting from the ground in useless protest. "More," she breathed, arching her back on the ground, "I want more." Her body was drenched in sweat, and the work-out suit she was wearing seemed far too constrictive and hot. Missy slid the shirt over her head, gasping as the cool air flowed across her skin. The touch of the air alone was enough to send shivers down her spine; it felt as if she could feel each air current that ran across the skin of her stomach, against her pale breasts. Preston seemed fixated by the sight of the girl at his feet, topless and squirming with a mixture of pleasure and frustration. "Preston, more," she demanded, snapping him out of it, and with a wicked grin Preston leaned down, and pressed the golden studs directly against her hard pink nipple. Missy clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle a scream, as she ground her legs together and her mind caught on fire. Her entire body ached, her pussy ached, her skin ached, and she shook with the pure intensity of the feeling. She couldn't hold on to any thought but to pull herself closer to the man that was causing her such feelings. She came down from the high of her fourth orgasm and slumped to the floor, her muscles releasing the tension of weeks as she lay there, spent. The room seemed to swim for a moment, but eventually Missy's surroundings slowly slid back into focus. Preston was leaning over her, beaming. A grin to match his own spread across her face, and she reached out to run a finger over his ankle, the only thing she could reach without lifting her arm. "You about done there?" Preston asked teasingly. Missy glanced down at herself. Her pale skin was shimmering, and she had soaked through her underwear and left a damp patch on her work-out pants between her legs. Although she could barely lift her head, she gave a shy smile in response. "One more?" She asked. "It's potentially addictive, so it's limited," Preston replied, "only five charges a month. I figure I'll save the last one for some time I need to shut you up with an orgasm." "Aw, so I don't get my last one until you need to shut me up? Well, okay," Missy said innocently, then took a deep breath and started shouting, "PRESTON'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND! PRESTON'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND!" The last charge through the golden studs were applied on her stomach, halfway between her belly button and the waist of her pants. It seemed to tie her entire body together, every nerve alight. Missy felt each muscle she had; the orgasm wasn't just flowing through her between her legs where she wanted it, but in her legs, in her breasts, in her fingers, every centimeter of her given over to it. Each movement rubbed her soaked underwear against her already sensitive clit and lips, and she ground her legs together to send shockwaves through her hips as she came. Her entire body was utterly spent when the orgasm finally stopped. She was vaguely aware that Preston was lifting her into her bed, and she smiled at the feeling of his arms around her; strong and snug. She barely felt him covering her with her blanket, but she did register the surprising amount of tenderness. "Preston's got a girlfriend," she mumbled in a singsong voice, with a smile, closing her eyes. "Yea yea, shut up," Preston replied, and the lights in the room flickered out. As she drifted off into an exhausted sleep, she heard him add "I guess no one told me having a girlfriend would be so much fun." Orbital Academy 04 (edited by the indelible and inedible DeReve) -------------------------------------------- Thanks to those who have commented and voted on previous Orbital Academy chapters! -------------------------------------------- *I wonder if this is an abuse of power,* Jane idly mused, dragging her carbon scraper across the nose of her cruiser. She had been pondering the question for the past few hours, as the rookies complained and joked and chatted around her. *The problem is that on the one hand, I can't resist a man who knows his way around a cruiser and can keep it clean...but on the other, any pilot worth anything will have that knowhow...* Jane finally decided that these mechanic exercises were for the rookies' own good. Everyone appreciated a squadmate who knew how their ship ran, man or woman. *Thus,* she reasoned, smashing a chunk of charred carbon from the intake valve with satisfaction, *forcing the rookies to learn the ins and outs of their cruisers isn't an abuse of power at all. Well, no more than normal.* Although no one had actually accused her of overstepping her authority, Jane couldn't exactly say she had been easy on her set of rookies since they had gotten there four months ago. She couldn't even say she'd been fair to them. From the first day, she had been as tough on her rookies as she would have been on any of her pilot or captain friends in a squad. She had held her rookies to standards impossibly high, then gently advised and guided when they failed to reach those goals. The other captains frowned and tutted, timidly offering her advice. The rookies under other captains gave her rookies pitying looks in the hallways, and gave her terrified glances whenever they saw her. Her rookies complained to her whenever they had the chance...but... *They're good.* Jane thought with pride, *far better than I was as a Rook. Maybe better rookies than any of us were.* She glanced around the hangar, its huge space littered with the nine docked ships of each of her rookies in addition to the one she was sitting on. When she saw that Tess was using the wrong tool to clean the lower thrust drive, Jane waited for a moment, watching out of the corner of her eye. She didn't have to say a word; within a few moments Jackson tossed his mecaspanner from halfway across the hangar, calling out "Heads up Tess." With barely a glance in his direction Tess snatched the tool from the air, her extensive reflex training making the action second nature, barely worthy of comment. She looked at the instrument in confusion for a moment, then made the connection and started to work on the lower thrust drive again. *They really have no idea how impressive their progress has been,* Jane half-marveled, *They spend all their time together, they're clueless about how far ahead of the other rookies they really are.* Jane, on the other hand, was not clueless. In addition to her own memories of her awkward first year at the Academy, she had a bigger picture that let her compare. On the first morning of every week, the captains assembled in the Capitol Lounge, a huge and comfortable retreat only open to captain-level and above. Officially the weekly meeting was to schedule the station's facilities, to make sure that no room or equipment would be in conflict for the rookies. Unofficially, by this time the entire orbital had already settled into a routine, and there were few scheduling changes needed from week to week. The captains met to confer with each other about their rookies. It was up to each captain to determine what their rookies should be learning, and at what pace, but the truth was the captains often felt just as lost as their charges. Comparing and contrasting rookie groups was a good way to make sure they were doing alright, and to reassure themselves that their groups wouldn't be too far behind their peers when they graduated to pilot-level. Jane's rookies weren't too far behind. They weren't even in the same league. In every stat, everything measurable, they outstripped their yearmates by so far that the charts might as well have tracked them separately. The other captains had first viewed Jane's numbers with disbelief, then suspicion, and finally had simply dismissed her group as too out-of-the-ordinary to use as a model. Jane was both disgusted and amused by the varieties of excuses the other captains came up with to explain her rookies' successes away: "They're going to hate the whole Academy at this rate" "You'll burn them out by pushing them as hard as you do" "What good are top quality rookies that graduate as husks?" "You don't have to overcompensate Jane, no one really believes those rumors about you falling in love with your rookies." It had been Captain Leftrain, "Lefty", who had made the last comment, and Jane gripped her scraper tighter at the memory of it. His comment had left the room in an awkward silence, but no one spoke up in her defense, and he had just stood there with a smug look until someone had changed the subject. Since then, Jane had remained silent about the progress her rookies were making. The other captains hadn't pushed her on it, and she now came to the meetings to observe and take note. In private, she began comparing her Rooks' stats against pilot-level stats instead. Most of them were doing quite well even for pilots. Jane sat back and rubbed sweat from her grimy face with an equally grimy sleeve. She glanced over at Marcus, bending over the wing to clean their flaps, and mused at the irony of having such dirty thoughts about a man who was cleaning. *It's about being attracted to competency*, she decided, *that's what's so hot. That young man is going to take care of his ship. He won't be caught off guard by a part that sticks or a piece that rattles. He'll know every bolt on the vessel he's trusting his life to.* Some flyers were content with simply assuming the deck scrubs would handle that sort of thing. Some flyers paid for the assumption with their lives. "Remind me again why we have to do our ship cleanings ourselves?" Jackson grunted, jerking Jane out of her reverie. "The other captains don't seem to think it's very important," he was rubbing down his ship's canopy with ditric acid, keeping his hands clear as it ate away at everything but the metal fastenings and the clear plasticine canopy, "the other rookie squads just let the scrubs handle the cleanup." "The other rookie squads?" Jane leaned back on her heels. She noted out of the corner of her eye that Marcus was glancing at her rear as she did so, and she struggled to keep a smile from her stern face, "let me tell you something Jackson, let me tell you about the other rookie squads-" "Sure they do things differently," Aimee broke in, deepening her voice in a mock impression of the Captain, "but that's their captains' decision, not theirs, and definitely not yours..." "IF their captains," Julia and Preston had both joined in from their spots on the hangar, and Jane was fast losing her struggle against cracking a smile, "want to train up pilots that can't handle real flyin', that's their business. But I'm gonna train me the BEST. DAMN. ROOKS. This Academy has ever seen!" each word chanted in unison was accompanied by dramatic wavings of various tools and instruments, and Jane broke down and laughed. The three rookies struck exaggerated poses that were apparently supposed to be her, leaving the rest of their squaddies in hysterics around the hangar bay. "Alright, alright, you all know the speech so fuckin' well, maybe it'll actually sink in one of these days," Jane pretend-grumbled, a grin still on her face, as she turned back to her own ship and got back to work. By the time the speakers buzzed a muted tone that marked the hour, most of the rookies had successfully cleaned their ships, and the ones that had finished were helping the others. As Jane had hoped, most of them had encountered and noted several small issues with the cruisers along the way. They slowly drifted out of the hangar in pairs or threes, and Jane walked over to Marcus' ship, where he was putting his tools away very slowly, waiting for her. "You have the next hour free don't you?" She asked, plucking up a tool he had put in the wrong place and setting it in the correct slot in his tool panel, "do you want to stay around here and have some fun?" "Here?" Marcus asked, surprised, casting his gaze around the hangar. Jane affectionately watched his beaded dreadlocks click together at the motion, and turned to look at the familiar room with him. It was wide and open for multiple small ships or single large ships to take off and land. Clear plasticine walls on either end made the whole giant room appear as if it open to space, and made the hangar seem exposed and free. "Sure!" Jane grinned, "this is probably one of my favorite places to have sex!" Marcus looked shocked, as she knew he would, and she chuckled as he looked around, alarmed. The other rookies had already left, leaving them alone in the huge echoing room. "Maybe you shouldn't say that so loud..." He suggested, nervously "If you don't want me to," Jane gave him a quizzical look, "but I hardly think it's a huge secret. You don't think your squaddies have put two and two together by now?" "They might not have..." Marcus shifted uncomfortably. Jane was often surprised at how naive the young man could be. She had known many rookies over the years, but Marcus was the first to make her feel like she was dealing with someone *young*. The thought made her feel vaguely uncomfortable, but she pushed the feeling aside. "Come on Marcus, you disappear at the same time I do, and afterwards I'm in a good mood and you've got that 'I just had a woman' grin on your face, your squadmates aren't idiots." "So you've had sex in this room before then?" Marcus hastily changed the subject "Mmm," Jane smiled, walking lightly over to the clear plasticine wall, "there's just something about that vast, huge expanse, and all those beautiful sparks of light. It's so serene and beautiful, something about it turns me on like nothing else. That's why its my fantasy to have sex in a cruiser sometime." She didn't mention that she also enjoyed masturbating in her cruiser. She had learned the hard way that that particular bit of information led to more teasing than it was worth. "Well maybe someday we can do that," Marcus said, joining her by the see-through wall, "I mean probably not this year, since my off-orbital trips are pretty closely monitored, but sometime in the next few years maybe." That was another thing that had been putting Jane off lately, Marcus' newfound propensity to talk about the future, always including the two of them together in it. *Please, please by all that is holy,* she mentally begged, searching his face as if she could read his true feelings there *tell me I'm just paranoid and that this schoolboy doesn't have a crush on teacher.* "Come fuck me," Jane said finally, not responding to his comment but taking him by the hand. She led Marcus between one of the cruisers and the plasticine wall, so they were hidden from the rest of the hangar deck, and she was facing the stars. With a smooth practised motion she slid her uniform pants down her legs, watching him over her shoulder as he admired the curves of the backside he had been staring at before. She grinned as she bent over to give him a better view, leaning against the invisible wall and spreading her legs slightly until they were hampered by the pants pooled around her ankles. There was already a glistening patch between her legs, and she winked at Marcus, "we only have an hour you know, so are you going to stare all day or are you gonna stick your-" Marcus had yanked down his pants before she even finished speaking, and only waited long enough to position himself behind her. Jane enjoyed the young man's eagerness; she wasn't overly fond of being teased, especially when they were rushed for time. He slammed into her, rough and fast. She grunted as she was pushed against the plasticine wall. *This is what it should be,* she thought, her lips parting as she gasped, *just like this, no fluff or window dressing, just his warmth inside my wetness, over and over and over...* The clear screen was cold against her hands, but she didn't mind. She let out a breath as she pushed back against him, taking his last few inches inside of her. For a second they both stood there, completely still, Marcus buried inside of her, both of them looking out on endless expanse of space. Jane knew what he was feeling, remembered the first time she had looked into the void while bound with another person. It was dizzying, and the emptiness seemed to suddenly surround her and make every feeling much more intense. Marcus pulled away and slammed back into her, and she pushed her hips back obligingly again. She was so aware of the feelings in her body, so aware of the sensations, and above all so aware of the infinity that spread out in front of her, that when Marcus spoke she was almost startled. "I can see why you like this room," he panted, his thrusting growing faster and rougher as it always did. "Hush, shut up," Jane breathed, grinding against him and smiling as she tried to settle them into a rhythm, "listen to the silence." He had broken her experience, but she tried to ease back into it. Grabbing his wrists from her waist she stood straight, pulling him with her, so that her breasts and stomach pressed against the cold wall. His inexperienced hasty motions pressed her entire body against it, then away again, sending shocks of alternating cold and pleasure through her. Jane would've been able to tell that he had finished even if she hadn't heard his rough breathing in her ear. His warm length pulsed in her body, and she could feel him releasing inside her, the sudden hotness contrasting with the almost unbearable coldness against her breasts. She reached behind her and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him just a little deeper as his hips bucked. He started to pull back, but she held him fast. "Stay," she whispered, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his breath against her neck, "we have a while if you want to go for round two in a little bit." "I'd like that," he whispered back, and Jane smiled, eyes still closed. She leaned her head against the coldness, enjoying it as well as the warmth of his body pressing against her back and her butt, and from his soft cock still inside of her. "I didn't understand what you meant about the stars," Marcus said quietly, "but it makes sense now." "A lot of guys don't get that. I use words like 'void' and 'endless dark', and they think it's morbid and grim. It couldn't be anything farther than that, it's so, so beautiful." "It makes me feel pretty insignificant, compared to that." "A little I suppose. But that can be good sometimes. As a way to put all your problems in perspective. There's no drug or stimulant anywhere near as good as sexual release while surrounded by the stars." "There's more to it than just release though, isn't there?" Marcus asked, "I mean, you have a lot of sex." "I have a lot of problems." "Maybe...maybe I could help you with that?" Marcus' voice was just a whisper now, but Jane wasn't quite sure how to take his words. Did he mean what they were doing now? Or was he referring to something deeper? *Paranoid, or crush?* Her worrying was interrupted by a deep pulse of pleasure, as Marcus slowly hardened inside of her. "Mmm I think you could help too," she smiled, moving her hips in small circles that rubbed his length around within her body. Jane let herself drift off into the feelings of pleasure and depth, watching a far-off comet and taking in the spikes of light as Marcus pushed in and out of her unevenly. Her fingers slipped across the smooth wall as her legs started trembling, and her breath came out in gasps. The only sounds were their heavy breathing and the soft sounds of sex. The only thing that existed was her, Marcus, and the stars. She was close, so close, but Marcus's pace was so uneven that she couldn't quite finish. *Just a little more...oh god just a little more* He slipped all the way out of her, then moved his length higher, pressing in against her other hole. *Is he *trying* to ruin the moment?* Jane thought, annoyed, and she shot a curious look over her shoulder and lifted her hips higher so that he slipped back inside of her. As they settled into the same pace, she tried to adjust her mindset back into the blissful peace of the stars, tried to feel once again the all-encompassing all-embracing- He pulled out again and pressed against her ass. *Okay, that wasn't an accident. He's really going to try to go for this.* Jane straightened and took a step to one side, sending him staggering slightly off-balance. She turned to face Marcus, suppressing a whimper at feeling his warm cock slipping out of her when she was so close to orgasm. He looked up guiltily, as if wondering if he had made a mistake. Crossing her arms, pants still around her ankles, Jane fixed him with a blank look. "Hey." She said, her voice flat and neutral. When Marcus didn't respond, she repeated, "hey there." "Um...hi?" "That's my butt." "Um yea...I guess that's off limits?" He asked sheepishly. "Well, normally people ask me before they stick something in it." "Sorry, that's fair. I guess I just figured with where our relationship was at, you'd be up for it," Marcus shifted uncomfortably, clearly wanting for them to return to what they had been doing. Jane frowned. *Damn. So much for paranoid.* "I'll ask next time," he grinned. "Marcus, where exactly do you think 'our relationship' is 'at'?" she asked, *Come on Rook, don't make me do this with you, don't make me have this conversation...* "Well, you know," Marcus shrugged, "we're pretty much a couple, but you don't want it known all over the academy, which is cool." Jane passed a tired hand over her eyes, taking a deep breath. "No, Marcus, it's not cool," she turned her back to him and pulled her pants back up, "This whole time I've been absolutely crystal clear what this was. It's a casual thing. It's always been a casual thing." "Well sure you've always said that, but you have to admit it's grown to be more than that. Admit it, you think I'm a pretty good guy." "Of course I think you're a good guy Marcus, I always have! You're a good guy and a good lay, why else would I want to have fun with you like this? But that doesn't mean I want you as a boyfriend." Marcus stayed silent, and Jane turned to belatedly see the hurt look on his face. Her anger softened a little. It was hardly his fault that he had fallen for her. Just because she had been upfront with him didn't mean he could repress his feelings. "I don't want *anyone* as a boyfriend, Marcus," she clarified gently, "I like doing my own thing. I like being able to fuck who I want to fuck. I don't want to do the whole 'tied down' game. I thought I had made that clear when we started doing things together." "Okay, point taken," Marcus yanked his own pants back up, not meeting her gaze, "from now on, just casual. Nothing more." Although her sex drive cried out against it, Jane knew the decision she had to make. She looked at the young man in front of her, his face red, embarrassed and ashamed, and shook her head sadly. "I don't think we can keep doing this Marcus. It means something way different to you than to me, and I don't want to keep on doing this if it's going to hurt you." "It won't-" Marcus began to protest, but Jane stopped him with a finger on his lips, "Can you honestly tell me you'd be perfectly happy with nothing else out of this? Knowing nothing else will *ever* come from this?" She asked. Marcus' shoulders, sagging in defeat, were answer enough. Jane stepped forward and kissed him on the forehead, like she had the first time they'd been together, months ago. Orbital Academy 04 "It was fun, Rook," she said quietly, and then she left, making her way as swiftly as she could out of the hangar and towards her quarters, leaving Marcus to look out at the dark expanse of space. --- The F.A.C. room of the Academy was officially the "Forward Alert Counteraction" room, but in private Jane always thought of it as "Fuck, A Complication" room. She had never received a summons to F.A.C. for anything less than an emergency, so when the small display just under the skin of her wrist lit up with the letters, a seed of worry settled into her gut immediately. Minutes later Jane entered the small room, making her way around the horseshoe-shaped metal table. Built into the surface of the table at regular intervals, screens displayed vital statistics on the Academy's crew and residents, ships, and intelligence about the planet below. Although the information represented the life flow of the orbital, the screens were muted and unobtrusive. The focus of this room wasn't the data, but rather on how their minds could use it. Jane slipped into an empty seat next to Captain Winchest, trying to listen in on the low rumbling of conversation throughout the room to get an idea of what was happening. "Evenin' lass," Winchest said in a friendly rasp, nodding. Grey hair and a matching grey scar across the side of his head gave Winchest a singularly aged appearance, but he was one of the most spry and active captains on the orbital. "Evening Winchest. Any idea what this nonsense is about?" "Typically use the F.A.C. for red priority don' we?" The machinery in Winchest's throat booted up after the first two words with a quiet hum. It had been installed decades ago, after his throat had been ripped out on a planetary run, but it still ran perfectly. When he continued, the jagged rasp from his throat injury was smoothed out, and his voice was clear; "but I didn't hear any alarms. I'd think we would've heard about invaders or structural damage before bein' summoned here." "No alarms that I heard either," Jane agreed, scanning the faces of the assembled captains and majors for someone who looked as if they had a clue. In the open space of the table General Auspus stepped forward, and the room grew quiet. Auspus looked in his early twenties, with slick black hair tucked behind one ear framed his youthful face. The fact that he had been in the service for seventy years had caused much speculation, and rumors abounded of expensive surgery or biotechnology, although either would've cost far more than a typical citizen could afford. Since the man refused to comment or even acknowledge that there was anything odd about his appearance, the speculation stayed unconfirmed. "As you've probably surmised, we have a situation," Auspus spoke with the voice of a new recruit, but with the confidence of the commander of the orbital, "if you'll note the data from the terrestrial scanner, it appears we have an incoming Drake." The room immediately burst into quiet but urgent conversations, and Jane's eyes snapped to the screen in front of her to read the data Auspus was indicating. "That's impossible," she said aloud, "I was on the team that put the last Drake down, that was two weeks ago." General Auspus nodded, "I'm not questioning that, Captain Asset. I am aware of the mission and your contributions to it." "Drake's don't just show up that fast Major," Jane stated flatly, "no disrespect but they just don't. The planet can throw one Drake at us a year, that's all it's ever been able to do. Other things, maybe, not Drakes." The other Captains were nodding, thinking the same things, but they were letting her challenge the General. She might have had a lascivious reputation, but her record gave her words weight, and everyone knew it and listened. Rather than answering, Major Auspus nodded towards a man to his left, who stood without looking up from the personal screen in his hand. "My name is Telmach," he introduced himself, "I've been sent over from Orbital Techrider. As the equivalent to your 'captain-level' here, I believe you'll agree that I am qualified to interpret this data for you all?" The assembled captains nodded their assent, and Jane blinked. To have a tech shipped over directly from another orbital wasn't unheard of, but getting someone this qualified so fast must've cost the General dearly in favors and promises. Jane had to begrudgingly hand it to the Auspus, he was at least giving the situation the concern and attention it deserved. "Thank you," Telmach continued, "for the unfamiliar, the upper atmosphere of the planet contains a thick ring of unknown composition, you've probably heard it referred to as "the fog". We've been able to determine a few of the chemicals that makeup this ring, enough to confirm that the ring is what obscures any scans and data collection we do of the planet. The complete makeup of the fog, and whether it's naturally occurring or created by tech on the surface, is one of the main questions we deal with on Orbital Techrider. Either way, the surface has always remained beyond the reach of our instruments. That's why we have you do planetary runs." Jane nodded. It wasn't the only reason they made planetary runs, but information gathering was usually the reason Orbital Techrider requested one. Telmach began flicking fingers across his screen, sending an image full of numbers and charts to each of the screens along the table, "As you can see here, anything that moves about halfway up through the fog will show up, at incredibly low resolution, on our scanners. This is how Orbital Techrider has been able to provide Orbital Academy with warnings and alerts about threats incoming from the planet. The closer the incoming mass is, the more well defined a scan we can perform, but we can usually tell what is coming to greet us several hours before it actually breaks the fog's "surface". In this case the report is so unbelievable that Techrider sent me over to assure Orbital Academy that we are confident of our assessment." The screen split into two, displaying identical sets of numbers on each side. "On the left, the data from an hour ago. On the right, the data we recorded during the last exothermic Drake attack." There was a silence for a moment, before one of the newer captains cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I understand the significance..." he said hesitantly, "...sure any Drake is bad news, but it's not as if we've never dealt with a Drake before, right? And if it's a flamer Drake that's barely a threat at all right? Hell, we send pilot-levels out to handle flamers." Jane opened her mouth to explain, but Winchest leaned forward, his voice grave and gravelly even with the voice module. "The Drake isn't the problem son. It's the timing that's the threat." "Most Drake attacks pose an element of damage to our resources." General Auspus addressed the entire room, "with the exception of exothermic Drakes, every single Drake encounter has resulted in severe damage before we put it down. It's considered a victory if we can counteract the average Drake with a minimal loss of life and low-level damage to one or two orbitals. Our engineers already have their hands full at our current schedule of repair. Multiple Drake attacks in a year would wear us down faster than we can afford. So yes, this Drake is just as much a non-issue as any exothermic. What it implies is that we could have a situation, very soon." The silence stretched out longer this time, and the General spread both hands in a gesture that seemed helpless coming from such a young looking man. "For now that is all. I'll be in communication with the commanders of each orbital. Please bring any suggestions or comments on the situation to me, they will be welcome. For now, all that remains is to assemble a team to face this particular Drake. Captain Appet, I believe it's your turn to take point, I'll leave the team selection to you." A thought had been forming in Jane's head as the General spoke. *Things are changing. This lazy schedule we've been holding to, six years to take a group from rookie to captain...that's not going to work for much longer.* Her treatment of her rookies no longer seemed too intense, indeed, it seemed quite tame. *The orbitals are going to need a new influx of skilled new blood, pilots and engineers and technicians. The Rooks are going to have to advance faster. They can't do that sitting on their asses in the orbital.* "My current team will handle the Drake," Jane said casually. General Auspus stopped and turned in the doorway immediately, but it took a few moments for the captains to make the connection between her words and the team she was talking about. "You're on your teaching year," sitting across from her, Captain Doubl spoke as if Jane had forgotten, "your 'team' is just rookies right now." "My team can handle a flamer Drake," Jane repeated confidently, although her eyes flicked to the Major watching her with narrowed eyes from the doorway, "their rank doesn't matter, what matters is whether or not they can handle it." "We don't send rookies to fight Drakes, Appet," Captain Leftrain's voice grated on Jane's nerves, "it's possible that your emotional attachments have clouded your objectivity. If we really want to push our newer recruits, we should sent out pilot-levels. They both need the training and are able to handle themselves." Jane wasn't listening, flicking her fingers across her screen to pull up data in response to the arguments she knew were coming. She synced the various training records for the Academy to the screens along entire desk as she went, and soon the the captains were frowning down at the data in front of them. Training flight records, accuracy ratings, tactical scenario training scores; all of them showed her rookies ranked far above the rest, all of them somewhere in the middle range of the Academy's pilot-levels. Jane purposely didn't pull up the stats for areas where they were still at rookie-level; physical training, engineering tech, navigation and radar interpretation, but even so the statistics were impressive. She noticed with surprise that Alexandria's accuracy scores were actually some of the highest at even pilot-level, only a few spots away from matching the scores of the lower-level Lieutenants. In the silence that followed as the captains read the screens, Jane spoke. "I've been accused of being too hard on my rookies, and of being too attached to them. Now that we know about this Drake situation, I hope you'll be glad I've been so rough on them; they don't have as much catching up to do as all the rest. It sounds like we're going to need a lot of top-tier flyers soon. My Rooks have been held to a higher pass-standard than any rookie year in the past decade. They train for sixteen hours a day. They don't even know it's *possible* to set the exercises to 'easy' in most rooms. I've been pushing them to be the best they possibly can be, and they've lived up to every challenge I've set for them. They're ready to step up to the next challenge." The other captains stayed silent throughout her speech, though more and more glanced in the General's direction. He was staring at Jane, his steely eyes uncomfortably deep and aged compared to his face. Jane steadfastly kept his gaze. The others didn't matter; he was the only one who could technically forbid her from taking the rooks against this Drake. Without a word, General Auspus turned and stepped out the door, and Jane breathed a sigh of relief. Those gathered began collecting their things and standing, the meeting's business concluded. Jane was too elated to give much attention to the worried looks or the low muttering that followed her out the door. She was so excited that even the voice of Captain Leftrain didn't bother her as it floated from the room behind her, "We should decide on a backup team to send out once Appet's upjumped rookies make a mess of this Drake." Jane almost skipped into the barracks, but she focused hard on slowing her step into a measured, professional pace, adjusting her face into a neutral mask before entering. The Rooks were all there, enjoying the brief few hours they had before lights out, some reading and playing games with each other, some just talking. The room quieted the instant she entered, the rookies not snapping to their feet, but still giving her respectful attention. Jane allowed her gaze to rove across the room, feeling proud and fond of each one at the same time. She felt a momentary stab of disappointment meeting Marcus' eyes, knowing she wouldn't be able to have any celebratory sex, but she didn't let it show on her face. She took the whole room in as a whole, and took a deep breath. *This is going to be the most amazing, frightening, valuable experience they're likely to get...and they'll have no idea until it's over* "Alright Rooks," she said good-naturedly, "seems like the Academy has decided you all don't hate me quite enough yet. Suit up, we've got a new assignment..." Orbital Academy 05 (edited by the hip and groovy DeReve) -------------------------------------------- Thanks to those who have messaged, commented and voted on previous Orbital Academy chapters! You guys keep me going, so keep 'em coming! -------------------------------------------- "I spy with my little eye, something devoid of all light, sound, and life." Jackson's joke wasn't all that funny, but Julia and her squaddies all chuckled nervously. As if the vast expanse of space in front of them could be ignored, when in only a few minutes they would all be careening out into it on the most dangerous flight of their lives. Julia was shaking her leg up and down, venting nervous energy while her fingers drummed across the armrest of her cruiser. The hangar was filled with the noises of hissing steam and the voices of the scrubs below checking gauges and ticking off final flight checklists, but even so Julia felt very alone. She flicked her comms transmit button, keeping the channel open, "We should have flightsigns," she commented lightly, "in the stories pilots always have code names like 'Big Rig' or 'Hotshot' or 'Red Five' or something." "That's a good point," Alex's voice crackled across the radio, her light and chipper tone a dead giveaway that she was apprehensive, "Captain, looks like we'll have to scrap this mission." "Mission cancelled due to lack of necessary flightsigns," Jackson chuckled. "You'd better come up with flightsigns damn fast then," hearing the Captain's calm voice helped settle Julia's stomach a bit, knowing she would be flying with them. "I'm all in favor of giving Aimee the callsign 'Squad Pet' and making her our mascot," Marcus suggested, and the sqaddies chuckled again. "'Squad pet' or 'Li's pet?" Preston asked slyly. Julia grinned. Aimee and Li had been spending an awfully lot of time alone together. The whole squad knew about them, but only Preston would call them out on it. Julia also knew she would be the only one to find his quip amusing. She and Preston had the same sense of humor; one that tended to offend the other squadmates. *Bunch of pussies,* she thought. "Preston, a little much," Missy commented, her voice even softer than normal. "Alright, my bad Aimes," Preston apologized good naturedly. Julia still wasn't used to that, the swaggery young man taking the cue of the tiniest and quietest member of the squad. He had been much nicer to be around since the two of them had started dating, but Julia sometimes missed the swagger and bravado. That, and it was nice to have a squadmate who laughed at her snarkier jokes. While the apology had apparently satisfied Aimee, Li was apparently not as willing to forgive his crack; "Hey Preston I'm just curious, how does it feel to be whipped by Missy?" "What? Missy you've got a whip and you've been holding out on me?" Preston joked. "I'm saving it for a special occasion," Missy's timid voice transmitted, and after a moment of shocked silence the channel was full of genuine laughter. "Orbital A control to hangar bay, attention hangar bay. Bay doors are opening. All non-flight personnel please clear hangar floor." The announcement over the official channel quelled the laughter. Julia's stomach clenched as the scrubs moved out, leaving only the double line of cruisers stretching across the room. A slow moving ripple was the only indication that the huge clear wall of the hangar deck was moving, exposing the hangar to space. *This is really happening. I'm really doing this. We're about to take on a Drake.* She took deep, steadying breaths as the canopy of her cruiser clicked shut, sealing her up the ship. The steady hiss of air recyclers helped her regulate her breathing as she stared ahead at the back of Jackson's cruiser. "How is everyone holding up?" she asked, just to hear her squadmates' voices. Her foot kept tapping against the thrust pedal, too lightly to activate it, but enough to comfort herself with its physical presence. "Scared out of my skin, J, scared out of my fucking skin," Tess' voice answered back, and Julia smiled in spite of herself. "'J'? Are we seriously doing the flightsign thing?" Aimee laughed. "Roger that Squadpet," Tess imitated the clipped and official tones of Orbital A control, and Julia's grin grew even wider. "I can't tell you how much I want that to not catch on-" Aimee began, before the real Orbital A cut her off. "Orbital A control to squadron, attention squadron. Scanners show that the Drake has broken the fog surface. You are cleared for takeoff. Repeat, cleared for takeoff." The double line of cruisers lifted from the hangar floor in unison, and Julia let out her held-in breath in a whoop, her voice joining several of her squadmates'. They shot out from the hangar in twos, the takeoff smooth and perfect after their countless training runs over the past several months. As Julia's ship slipped into empty space, as smooth a takeoff as anyone could ask for, her nervousness began to melt away. She settled into formation with barely a thought, calmer than she expected to be. "Okay Rooks," in the stillness of space, without interference from the orbital's electronics, the Captain's voice came through crystal clear in Julia's cockpit. "This is going to be just like any training run. Navigate to the target, fire at the sweet spots, and take it out. Only differences are that this target can't shoot back, and we won't be navigating within a kilometer to it." "Plus, you know, the possibility of death," Jackson added. Julia's stomach lurched. "Not gonna happen," the Captain replied reassuringly, "Trust me, I personally know pilots who have taken down Drakes that weren't as good as you Rooks are. The academy wouldn't have suggested you for this if they thought you couldn't do it. Plus you get a pretty orange pin after your first flamer Drake kill, it'll really bring out your eyes Jackson." Julia grinned, reassured, as she punched a short range destination into her computer. The computer hummed while it compared her destination to those of her squaddies, and lit up 'ready' after it corrected to prevent collisions. "Alrighty Rooks." The Captain's voice was tight, excited, "I'm taking us in." Her ship strained, and Julia was slammed back into her seat and held there by the acceleration, as the cruisers made a jump that would've taken them five minutes at full speed to traverse. Suddenly the ships decelerated, and then they were there, within visual range of the Drake. "Hoooooooly fuck," someone breathed on the radio, but Julia was too awestruck and terrified to identify who. The Drake hovered just a little ways away from the fog, close enough that its tail still hung in the rippling waves of it. It was clearly waiting for them, and it noticed them the second they stopped accelerating, maybe even sooner. A pointed, reptilian head swung around to face them even as their engines quieted. The smooth silky movements of its long neck made it seem more like it was floating in liquid than in space, an illusion made even more confusing by the slow motions it made with huge stubby arms, as if treading water. Even at the distance Julia was holding, the things red eyes glowed so brightly in its head that it seemed like the creature was staring directly at her. The Drake's pale orange scales caught the light as it unfurled two huge wings, spreading them wide and exposing their dark orange leathery skin. "Okay, enough gawking," the Captain snapped, "you've seen it, now shoot it!" Her voice broke Julia out of her reverie, and a hundred jets of light shot across the dark star-filled sky as the entire squad opened fire on the creature. The Drake slammed its wings down in a sweeping motion and shot forward, propelled despite the lack of atmosphere by some mystery that the scientists still hadn't been able to explain to them. Against all logic or physics the Drake banked suddenly, twisting its body and soaring at a sharp angle away from the path it had just been on. "Alright ladies and gents," Captain Appet's voice was grim over the speakers, "you've seen the whole playbook. We fire, it dodges. Keep it up until you can land a shot or two, and stay a full kilometer away from it." Julia found it hard to believe that a few shots would be enough to bring the beast down; from wingtip to wingtip it was roughly the length of three of their ships laid end to end. As she squeezed the trigger and watched her shots fall wide, the Drake swinging around them effortlessly, she hoped the Captain was correct. *It's going to be hard enough to land just those few.* The cruisers had been jetting towards the beast at full speed, and Julia watched the console carefully as she unleashed her rounds, making sure the distance stayed outside of the dangerously close range. The creature watched the ships as they moved around it, giving it a wide berth. Its beady eyes seemed to size each ship up as they passed, and Julia shivered. There was too much deep and danger in those eyes; even from this distance she didn't want the thing looking at her. Julia broke away at the same time as the rest, swinging around and letting her squadmates in the back take potshots at the Drake. Faster than she would've thought possible, the creature whipped its body around and burst into motion again, following Marcus' cruiser as he swung around. "Marcus he's on you!" Julia kicked her thrust into full gear and broke formation, swinging to follow the Drake. Marcus' cruiser blew into full speed, but it slowly accelerated to match, wings moving awkwardly out of sync with its motion. "If someone could attract his attention..." Marcus' voice was tense, but he kept control of his ship, swinging it from side to side to buy himself precious seconds, "...I would be very grateful." "We're on him, we're on him, he's just not breaking off," Julia muttered through her teeth, as Tess, Alex, and Aimee fell into formation with her, taking brief shots when they were sure they wouldn't hit Marcus. "Marcus, if you can I need you to change course," the Captain said, and Julia marveled at how even and calm she sounded. "If you lead the Drake too close to one of the orbitals we risk him breaking off and attacking it instead." "Better me than the orbital eh?" Marcus' voice was glum, but still tight. "That's the job, Marcus," Julia said quietly, loosing a few more shots and mentally swearing when they went wide, "we all signed up for this." "Listen J, if I don't make it-" Marcus began, but before he could finish the sentence one of Alex's shots landed on the Drake's shoulder. The beast tumbled through space, no longer following Marcus as he pulled his ship off in a different direction. It's mouth was open wide as it spun in the air, releasing what would have been an ear-shattering shriek if it had occurred somewhere with the atmosphere to propagate the sound. "You got it!" Julia shrieked, "'Course I got it!" Alex laughed, "the Drake thinks he can mess with Appet's A squadron and keep both its wings?" Sure enough, as the Drake somehow stabilized, Julia could see that the shot had cleanly separated the creature's wing from its shoulder. It floated a ways off, knocked away by the tumbling. The Drake itself was still matching their speed in front of them a few kilometers off, but flapped awkwardly and turned to watch them. "Slow down, Rooks, you're gaining on it," the Captain warned, and Julia glanced at her instruments, startled to note that she was indeed coming dangerously close to the kilometer distance. She slowed her cruiser, widening the distance between her and the monster that was floating at roughly the same speed. Aimee, Alex, and Tess were following suit, so the four girls kept in the same formation. The Drake stopped. Julia's mind seemed to freeze as adrenaline kicked her in the stomach, and time seemed to slow down. In a handful of seconds, too many thoughts ran through her head to process. The first thought was that it simply wasn't possible. Objects in motion stay in motion, and out here in the void of space, with no friction and barely any gravity, it was incredibly difficult to slow down, let alone come to a complete stop. The second thought was to note just how big the creature was. She was so utterly dwarfed by this creature...they all were. It loomed, filling her entire view even as she slammed her thrusters in reverse. *We're within a kilometer,* Julia realized belatedly, redundantly. There was screaming over the radio, but she couldn't focus on anything but the Drake's eyes. They weren't the eyes of a dumb creature, or even a creature of instinct or learned cleverness. The eyes that looked down at her, with an amused wrinkle in their corners, were evil. They were malevolently intelligent. They were laughing at the squad. They were laughing at her. The creature lazily reached out an arm as the four rookies shot past, and closed its claws around the back of Julia's cruiser. With a horrible, wrenching feeling, the entire craft slammed to a stop. The restraints pulled tight, buffeting Julia so hard and suddenly that her breath was knocked out of her. Her vision darkened, but she dimly saw the other cruisers swerving to miss the monstrous beast, with just a moment to make the adjustment. It took a few horrible, painful attempts before Julia was able to gasp in an agonizing breath. Time no longer seemed slowed, but her head spun with the confusion of the moment. Her comm was screaming, her squadmates yelling at her to boost out of the thing's grip, shouting at each other to take a shot, asking what to do. Her stomach lurched as the cruiser was lifted up, and she could hear the metal behind her shrieking as the Drake's claws dug in with a tighter grip. Her mind slowly clearing, Julia began to panic, slamming her fist into the eject button even though she knew that the mechanisms would've been crushed already. The Drake had lifted her to face-level, watching her struggling through the clear but splintered plasticine canopy. Ignoring the creature watching her, Julia struggled to think of options. Without much hope she squeezed the trigger, but a faint clicking was all that resulted. *Nothing. There's nothing I can do. I'm going to die,* she realized. She looked into the Drake's eyes, trying as hard as she could to stop her shaking. With a deliberate and slow motion, the creature opened its jaws and spewed a jet of fire directly at the cockpit. Julia screamed, covering her face with a gloved hand and bracing herself for the searing heat, but the flame extinguished the instant it left the Drake's mouth, smothered by the lack of oxygen in the reaches of space. "Marcus, Jackson, Alex, swing to your left and take your shots," the Captain's voice, just as measured and even as ever, silenced the shouting over comms. For a moment Julia's cruiser was silent except for her panicked breathing, then Captain Appet's calm commands continued, "Preston, Missy, Aimee, fire from its planet-side. Tess, you and I attack from the direction of the orbital. Julia," Julia took deep breaths as she focused on the Captain's voice, "Julia, stay calm. Its flame can't hurt you, and it's too stupid to crush you completely. It won't be able to dodge attacks from three different directions." The creature suddenly swung Julia's ship around, so hard that the pull smacked her head against the chair. "Orbital Academy," the Captain's voice seemed suddenly strained, "if you have measures to take this thing out before it becomes a threat, now would be the time to enact them." "Orbital A to squadron," the reply seemed amused more than worried, and Julia's helplessness warred with a feeling of rage at whoever was on the other side of those coms, "just to confirm, your team cannot handle this Drake on your own?" "Captain Leftrain, this isn't the time," the Captain sounded tense, and Julia clutched the armrests of her cruiser to keep her hands from shaking, "We can handle it, but the Drake is too close to the orbital. I'd rather be over-cautious than leave ourselves open to orbital damage." Julia glanced to her right as the Drake adjusted its grip with claws almost as big as she was. It was true, the orbital was far closer than she had assumed. It wouldn't take long if the Drake decided to fly for it, and she hated to think what it could do with its claws to the mechanisms of the orbital. "We're in position," Preston's voice was just as calm as the captain's, and through the fear Julia felt a surge of pride in her friend. He had lost the arrogance, but the confidence and determination was still there. It helped to hear the assuredness in his voice. "Ready on this side," Alex sounded more worried, but Julia didn't blame her. Tess didn't say anything, but she must've given the Captain a sign of some sort. "Attack," Captain Appet ordered. From the corner of her eye Julia saw the jets brighten from the others' engines, but her attention was focused on the Drake. As if it had heard the order, the monster was staring at the Captain's ship. Its head was reptilian, but the twisting at the corners of its long mouth reminded Julia of nothing more than a cruel smile. It drew back its scaled arm, swinging her cruiser in a lazy arc, then hurled the entire ship at Orbital Academy. The tumbling motion was sickening, but Julia fought against the nausea and panic. The ship was moving slowly, but more importantly it wasn't being held by a monster, and she focused on the controls and instruments rather than spinning view through the cracked canopy. The distance between her and the orbital was roughly fifty kilometers. She wasn't moving as fast as if she had been using her engine, but it wouldn't make a difference if her cruiser ran into the orbital. Julia yanked the thrust forward, but the Drake had been holding her ship by the engines; she wasn't surprised when her trajectory didn't change. "Julia, can you hear us?" Aimee's voice was faint on the comms, but audible. "Engines damaged, non-responsive," Julia's voice was grim. A slight hiss told her she was venting air, and she pulled her respirator over her face. "I can't even use an airpush to change direction, I'm leaking." "Orbital A to squadron, attention Rookie Julia. You're on a collision vector with the orbital at 40 kilometers and closing, please confirm you are without propulsion," the voice on the communication *was* sounding worried now. Julia took a deep breath, calculating in her mind. A collision between her cruiser and the orbital would cause a pressure break, even if she assumed her fuel cells didn't explode. In the very best of cases, a crash would mean the loss of a dozens of lives, and the damage could cause hundreds more to be without food or water or vital supplies depending on where she hit. It wasn't really a question. "Confirmed, orbital," she took another deep breath, "you're going to have to shoot me down-" "No!" someone screamed over the radio, and cries and protests from her squadmates filled the comm. As she spoke again the chatter quieted, "Squaddies, my ship'll do too much damage to the orbital," she felt surprisingly calm, as her cruiser continued its slow spin. She glanced at the instruments; thirty kilometers. "Orbital A to squadron, attention Rookie Tess," the orbital's communication was beginning to crackle as she drew closer to the instruments, but Julia could still hear it through the interference, "Rookie Tess, your current vector will take you in range of our attack, please correct your vector." The spin of Julia's ship brought the Drake in her view just as several bolts of light clipped it, sending it tumbling. "Orbital A please hold your fire," Tess' voice was focused and tight, "I'm correcting Julia's course." "Orbital A to Rookie Tess, please re-transmit last message. How...how exactly are you going to correct the course?" Orbital Academy 05 "With a shove." Tess was speaking through gritted teeth, and Julia glanced at her radar, finding and following the pinprick of light that indicated Tess' ship. It was moving towards her fast. "Tess what are you talking about, what are you doing?" she asked weakly, glancing up to see the orbital looming above her. "Rookie Tess," Captain Appet's voice was official, her tone harsh, "this is a direct order, do not make the suicidal move you're about to make." Even though no one could see her, Julia shook her head, "Tess don't do this, it's stupid." "I'm not breaking off J," Tess' voice was clear, less static, "Captain. I'm sorry." The spinning was making Julia feel sick to her stomach, but she looked at her instruments. Less than twenty kilometers out. "Give her a shove and you'll both be done for Tess," the Captain's voice was gentle but firm, "I am ordering you to break off. I'm sorry Julia but there's nothing-" "It's alright, " tears sprang suddenly into Julia's eyes, but she felt serene, "it's okay Tess, really. Break off. I'd rather I die than the hundreds in the orbital. And I'd rather die alone than take a squaddie with me." "Just...I wanted to say something..." Tess' voice broke, "it's a cliche, but I don't think I can face this if I had to regret keeping it a secret." Black fog was swimming at the corners of Julia's vision, and a quick check of the instruments showed both that she was almost out of oxygen and that Tess hadn't broken off her course. "Orbital A to Rookie Tess, break off! BREAK YOUR COURSE!" "I'm ten kilometers away. Tess break off your vector or they won't be able to shoot in time." Her voice sounded thin in her ears, and Tess' response was even quieter through the dwindling oxygen that was fast being vented into space. "I love you Julia. I've loved you since the first week we set foot on the orbital." In a way it was helpful that Julia's mind was suddenly blank. It meant she didn't have the chance to respond in the last few seconds before the ships collided. There were shrieks of metal, sucking noises, something snapping so close that Julia wasn't sure if it was her ship or her body, and then there was sudden, blanketing silence. *** Julia woke suddenly. Her head was pounding, and her entire right side felt stiff and throbbed. She let her gaze shift across the pale blue metal of the walls above and around her. *Sickbay,* she connected sluggishly. She took a careful inventory of her body while lying as still as she could. As far as she could tell, everything was intact, although her entire stomach and chest ached, and a glance downward confirmed that her whole right arm and hand were wrapped in rigid black plasticine. "They're just broken," Tess spoke quietly from her bedside. Julia smiled, looking her squadmate up and down. The girl was standing, and besides the crutch she was leaning on she seemed in perfectly good health, "well, I think the word they used was 'pulverized', but they were able to put in some titrania replacement bones. After your body gets used to it, you'll be back to normal." "Not a bad outcome for a wrestling match with a Drake," Julia grinned weakly. "Could've been worse," Tess agreed, "by which I mean you could've been just a memory and some carbon scarring on my ship." Julia scanned the girl's face, trying to discern what Tess was feeling, and only then noticed why her hair was pulled forward across her face. "Your eye!" she exclaimed, sitting up and immediately wincing at the action. Tess raised a hand to the small black eyepatch over her right eye, the same color as her hair. "Could've been worse," she repeated, and smiled again, "for what we accomplished-" "Tess I can't tell you..." Julia's heart was racing, "I don't know what to say or what to do to tell you how grateful I am. How sorry..." "Of course, J," Tess sat on Julia's bed, taking her good hand in her own, "you're my squaddie, I'm not going to let them blow you out of space like a rogue comet." "I'm not angry at them. It was the right call for them to make." Julia leaned back again, the pounding in her head extending to her ribs, "but you...the call you made was so far beyond that. I hate to say it but you're probably going to be taking a lot of heat for that call. I-I owe you so much. I can't ever repay you for what you did." Julia closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of soft cloth and cool pillow against the pounding in her head. "There's nothing you have to do Julia," Tess squeezed her hand, "I would've done the same for any of them, really." The full memory of her last few moments before the impact came back to Julia, and her eyes snapped open. Tess was looking down at her, affectionate in a friendly, open way. Julia had never thought of Tess in a romantic sense, but now that the thought occurred to her she was surprised to find that it wasn't repellent at all. Tess was a little bit younger than her, friendly, quiet. She was even attractive in a dark and wiry sort of way. *Would it really be so horrible, starting something with her?* The thought idly floated through her mind. She hadn't considered the thought of being with a woman before. Reluctantly, she dismissed the thought, at least for the moment. Any relationship that started out of obligation wouldn't be healthy, no matter how appreciative she was. *But maybe it wouldn't be so bad to show her a little bit of that appreciation...* She slid her thumb across the back of Tess' hand, enjoying the smoothness of her skin. Her personal screen pinged from where it sat beside her bed, and Tess passed it over to her. The message that scrolled across it made her smile: "There are easier ways to get attention you know. -Preston" With a grin Julia tapped a response with her left hand, resting the screen on her legs. "Nah, this wasn't that much work. I'm lazy. -Julia" The response pinged back almost immediately: "Well we're all sitting here waiting to get chewed out for this, but I'm glad to hear you're awake enough to be a smartass -Preston" After a moment's thought, Julia tapped out another message. "Will they need Tess around when they scold you? Or can she stay with me for a while so I can thank her? -Julia" "'Thank her' eh? Woo woo baby. Yea they're leaving you two alone 'till you're healed up a little. I guess they don't realize you're healed up enough to bump crotches -Preston" "Dumbass," Julia muttered under her breath, but she smiled all the same. *That's the Preston I know.* Grinning, she looked up from her screen at Tess. The dark-haired girl was looking down at the screen, reading the messages upside-down. . "You don't have to do that, I didn't do it to be thanked," Tess said quietly, blushing, "I don't want you to get into anything because you feel indebted to me, that wouldn't be fair." "We can talk about what we'll get into later," Julia smiled, reaching forward and hooking her good hand around Tess' neck, "for right now I just want to be your friend. A friend who wants to show you how grateful she is." She pulled forward, until she had the other girl leaning over her. Julia shivered as Tess' hair brushed against the sides of her face. "You don't have to-" Tess breathed again, before Julia silenced her with a kiss. Julia was surprised at how soft Tess' lips were. Even though she had her pulled forward, nearly on top of her, the younger girl was hesitant, reserved. She let go, breaking the kiss and looking up at Tess questioningly. "Unless you don't want this-" Julia began quietly, but Tess had already leaned down again before she could finish her sentence, and this time there was no hesitation in her kisses at all. While she hadn't considered the possibility seriously, Julia had always assumed that if she ever did things with a girl, the experience would be somehow gentler, softer, perhaps more tender. She was surprised when Tess' hands snaked up, suddenly running through her long blonde hair and pulling her deeper into the kiss. *Not soft...but different. Very different,* Julia thought somewhat distractedly. Tess was kissing her as if she had wanted this for her entire life, and Julia had to admit to herself that the effect was much more enjoyable than gentleness would be. She was suddenly aware of her very faint scent, subtle, like flowers but with a dangerous bite. "I didn't realize you wore a fragrance," she murmured, under the kisses that were raining down on her lips and cheeks and forehead. Tess stopped and looked down at her, smiling, and Julia smiled in return. Her thoughts were so jumbled and unfocused, but she was finding the entire thing so much nicer than she would've imagined. Tess' good eye twinkled, a more bright and vivid green than Julia had ever seen before, but the eyepatch sent a wave of guilt that dampened Julia's enjoyment a bit. "No one realizes," Tess whispered back, her face inches away from Julia's, "which means right now? It's just for you." For some reason she couldn't explain, Tess' whispered words sent a tingle down the back of Julia's neck and spine. Her reservations gone, Julia reached up again, pulling her into another kiss. Tess shifted to lift one leg and straddle Julia on the sickbay bed, and Julia was very suddenly aware of the heat of the body pressing against her; more aware than she would have been if it had been a man on top of her. Fumbling with her left hand, she had to try a few times to get ahold of the sealing tab on Tess' flightsuit, but she finally got a grip on it and pulled it down as far as it would go, down to the waist. The flightsuit parted in the middle as Tess hovered over Amiee, letting her see down the other girl's naked neck, her full breasts, and her stomach with the tiniest amount of belly. To her surprise, Julia found the sight quite agreeable. She was used to men with muscles and straight lines, but Tess' body was all smooth skin and curves. Tess reached under the bottom edge of Julia's shirt, her fingers dancing as gently as possible across the bruised skin of her stomach. She braced for pain, but the feathery touches were light enough that all she felt were the fluttering sensations that the girl was causing to grow within her. Tess' fingers roamed a little higher each time they danced across her stomach, and Julia leaned back and closed her eyes. The caresses were so delicate and so careful that Julia couldn't tell when she had stopped just touching her stomach and when she had also started touching her breasts. The air in sickbay was just a fraction colder on her skin, and it was the only indication she had that Tess had lifted her loose hospital gown to look at her. Julia kept her eyes closed so that she wouldn't know where the next touch would fall, so when Tess grabbed a hard pink nipple between her lips Julia gasped at the unexpected pleasure. "You're...really good at that," she looked down at Tess, who had begun flicking her small pink tongue around Julia's nipple with a wicked smile. "You're not my first," Tess grinned, "Well you're mine, so...be gentle...?" Julia wasn't used to being uncertain when it came to sex, but Tess seemed not to mind being in control. She gently bit the nipple in her mouth, and Julia gave a small squeak of surprise. "How does it compare?" Tess' fingers were moving again, roving across her stomach, her other breast, gently at her neck, dipping beneath the hospital blanket to graze across thighs that were bare now that the gown had been pulled up. Julia was finding it quite hard to focus on the question, but she managed a response, "Different. Unexpectedly different." "Oh?" Julia's body tensed in anticipation as, without breaking eye contact or stopping her slow assault on Julia's breast, Tess slipped the blanket down until it was at her knees, "different in a good way or a bad way?" "Different in a different way," Julia smiled in response, "less impatient. And a guy wouldn't have done that without at least taking a look at the goods." "Oh I plan on taking a very good look," Tess had moved forward, licking and nibbling along Julia's neck, and she whispered her words directly into Julia's ear. The motion pushed the flightsuit directly against Julia's clit, and the direct stimulation combined with the teasing and the whispering were all too much. She tried to hold off, but the gentle teasing and the delicious sensations were overwhelming. Julia grabbed the girl on top of her as she came, her body tensing at the suddenness of the orgasm. It wasn't the hardest she had ever cum, but the quivering throughout her body was enough to make her feel sore even as she arched and gave a quiet moan. She was still pressed against Tess, and she ground her pussy into the rigid material of the other girl's flightsuit. As the heat between her legs slowly subsided, Tess chuckled softly in her ear as she held her close, "well that was fast. Maybe I know your body better than I thought." The whisper and the sensation of her tongue against Julia's ear sent her over the edge again, crying out as her hips lifted from the bed. She stopped trying to keep her focus and instead embraced everything; the blissful thrills of pleasure coursing through her, the warmth of the girl on top of her, the scent of sweat and sex and flowers, even the aches in her stomach and chest. Finally she relaxed, spent, nestling against the covers. "I swear it never happens that fast baby," Julia joked tiredly in an exaggeratedly macho voice, and Tess leaned back and laughed. "Good," she replied. She moved as if to slide off of her, but Julia grabbed her arm. *Where do you think you're going...* "I'm supposed to be thanking you, remember?" she said slyly, and she could tell that in spite of herself Tess wanted more. "You don't have to- Oh!" Tess gasped, as in a smooth motion Julia slid a hand into her flightsuit. "What if I want to?" Julia asked, enjoying the look of unhidden delight on Tess' face. She slid her hand further across the girl's small patch of hair. She could feel that it had been trimmed into some kind of design, and she made a mental not to ask or tease Tess about it at some point. In the meantime her hand went further, purposely rubbing it against Tess' clit as she gently and slowly explored between the other girl's legs. "Oh my god," Tess moaned, her hips slowly moving back and forth as if against her will to grind her clit against Julia's wrist. Although Julia had enjoyed herself before, this was an experience like no other. Her fingers rubbed slow circles around Tess' slit, and even though she hadn't slipped them inside yet all three fingers were wet. Tess' face was heavy-lidded with an expression of such unbridled lust and enjoyment that Julia couldn't bear to wait any longer. She slid first one, then a second finger inside the girl on top of her, and the gasp she got in return made her grin. Briefly considering what she would like, Julia curled the tips of her fingers, pressing them against the walls of Tess' pussy, and then slid them all the way out again. Tess whimpered, and Julia pushed them back in, just as slow. The cues in the other girl were easy to read as she moved her hips in time with the gentle thrusting of Julia's fingers. Her pace staying even and steady, Julia leaned up, ignoring the pain, and kissed the hollow of Tess' neck. Julia felt the girl cum, felt Tess' body trembling and felt her pussy clamp down on her fingers. For as loud as she'd been before, Tess orgasmed quietly, with a moan that was barely audible but left Julia with goosebumps all over. She felt thrilled at how wet her hand had gotten, at how well she seemed to know Tess' body without ever having thought about it. She slid her fingers out of the girl, surprised when Tess began kissing her again. The men she had been with were more the type to finish and roll over. it was surprisingly nice to have the small sensations, the tingles as her lips touched against skin that still tingled from the orgasm a few minutes before. The kisses continued, soft and light, as Tess gently and delicately slid her hospital gown down over her bruised body, and slid off of her to stand to the side of her bed. When she finally stopped, her smile made her entire face radiant. *I think I would do a lot to be the reason for that smile as often as possible,* Julia realized with surprise. "So..." she said awkwardly, unsure of what that experience had meant to Tess, or to herself for that matter. *What do I say now? What do I do? Is this how guys feels with me when I'm done with them?* "So...after months of fantasizing, I finally got to do you," Tess grinned. "Was it how you imagined?" Julia asked, unsure of how else to respond. In answer Tess leaned forward, close enough that Julia could smell flowers and a dangerous bite. "Everything I could hope for and more," she whispered, and the sound of it sent a shock from Julia's scalp all the way down to between her legs. Then in a smooth motion Tess slid her own sealing tab up, fastening the flightsuit back into place and grabbing her crutch from the bedside. With another radiant smile, the girl turned and walked out of the sickbay, leaving Julia panting, blushing, and entirely confused. Orbital Academy 06 (edited by the ever-present and effervescent DeReve) -------------------------------------------- Again my thanks to those who have private messaged, commented and voted on previous Orbital Academy chapters! Y'all are my reason for writing, so keep the praise (and the criticism) coming! -------------------------------------------- After four of the most intensive and exhausting months of his life, Preston had come to love his day off more than anything else in the world. He loved his morning shot of caffeine, he loved his weekly allotment of alcohol. Though he hadn't yet used the word, he loved his girlfriend Missy, and he would readily admit that he loved screwing her as long and as frequently as possible. Even with all of that, on some days, while drenched in sweat and still pushing himself on the training courses, or while biting his lip in frustration trying to outmatch the drone simulator, he would keep himself going by fantasizing about his next Sunday. This Sunday Preston had decided he would stay in bed until lunchtime...first sleeping in far later than he should, and then playing or reading on his personal screen until the buzzer intoned the lunch tone. The thought kept him going throughout the week, and he spent his entire free hour on Saturday making up his remedial reflex training just so that he wouldn't have anything to do on his beloved free day. Thus, when a pair of cold feet against his legs shocked him awake in the early hours of the morning, he was incredibly upset. "Freezing fucking bitch!" he mumbled reflexively, gazing through blurry eyes at the red lights that indicated it was 0407 hours. He turned to find Missy next to him, scooting between the sheets and snuggling down into the blankets, "your feet are frozen!" His plans had *not* included being woken up so early, and now that he was awake he knew it would take him forever to fall back asleep. He gazed down at his girlfriend crankily. "It's cold," Missy agreed, scooting next to him and nestling beneath his arm. She was already half asleep, and Preston frowned at the unfairness of it. "Hey, nuhuh, you woke me up, you don't get to just cuddle as if you're not sucking the heat out of my bed," he growled. "But I brought another blanket," Missy yawned, "and you're so warm and it's so cold." "You'd feel different if you had as hard a time getting to sleep as I do," Preston grumbled, and Missy opened an eye and observed him for a moment. "I'm sorry I woke you up, and for sucking the heat of your bed," she mumbled, "later today I'll suck something else to make up for it," she reached up and flicked him across the nose, hard enough that it hurt, "and don't call me a bitch." "You can't just use sex to get your way with everything," Preston began to protest, but a quiet snore told him Missy had already fallen back to sleep. *Lucky bitch.* The thought was angry, but as he looked down at her peaceful face he couldn't help but also feel affectionately amused. All things considered, his early wakeup wasn't as bad as it might've been. He slipped his personal screen from its pocket by his head and browsed the network for a few hours, reading a few guides on formation flight tips, despite his promise to avoid all things training. As rough as the lessons had been, Preston enjoyed flying, a carryover from being raised by a pair of mechanics. When he was a child he would "help" his father by handing him his tools to repair shuttles, or occasionally sit with his mother in her study as she worked on designs. Of his classes at the Academy, the ones that came easiest to Preston were the ones that had to do with ships. Although it was perpetually cold in the barracks, the extra blanket and the warmth of his girlfriend pressed up beside him left Preston quite warm. The heat was almost too much; in her sleep Missy shifted, pushing the blankets down to her waist. Preston finished reading and shut down his screen and, knowing he wouldn't fall back asleep, leaned back and enjoying the warmth and silence. Missy's shirt had ridden up her ribcage in her sleep, exposing a strip of pale skin up to just beneath her breasts. Resting his head on one hand, Preston began tracing a finger back and forth across her exposed skin, letting his mind wander. Despite his plans for laziness, he would probably wander to the shooting range or the firing simulator later in the day, perhaps try to beat Alex's shot record... His musings were interrupted by Julia leaning over the edge of the bunk above him. She had the sunny smile of a girl who knew she didn't have to work all day, and her gold-blonde hair was so long it fell almost halfway down to his bunk. Preston was reminded of some surreal fairytale character. "Morning Preston," she whispered. "Hey Leftie," he whispered back, and Julia made a face. Her right arm was still in its rigid plasticine case, so she extended the middle finger of her left, but she smiled. "You're up early." "Got an early wakeup call. A cold one," Preston nodded down, continuing to move his fingers across Missy's stomach. "Oh jeez," Julia gave the sleeping girl a look somewhere between amusement and pity, "she's got a little bit of 'clingy' in her doesn't she." "Yea," Preston halfshrugged, "a bit. I don't really mind. I've never had that in a girlfriend." Julia didn't reply, she just looked back and forth between Preston and the sleeping brunette, an amused expression on her upside-down face. "What?" Preston finally asked, defensively. "Nothing, nothing," Julia put her left hand up, still smiling, "I just really never would've guessed you two would get together you know?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "I don't know, she's just all innocent and cute and annoyingly sugar-sweet, and you're...well...you." Preston grinned, although he wasn't quite sure if his friend meant the sentiment as a compliment or an insult. Either way, he knew she had his best interests at heart. Julia was the only one of his squadmates with the same irreverent sense of humor and cynical outlook on life, and they had been fast friends since their first few weeks. Looking up at her frank but questioning (and upside-down) face, he reassured himself that she wouldn't mock him if he answered her statement honestly. "She's different from me, that's a good thing," he said slowly. Julia tilted her head questioningly, and Preston struggled to communicate his meaning, "if you spend all your time with someone who's the same as you, well how are you gonna change as a person?" "Why do you have to change for her?" Julia challenged. "I'm not changing *for* her, I'm just...I'm with her because I *already* want to change, you know? I don't want to go through my whole life being the same person, no one should. You gotta grow into a different person." *It always sounded so much better when Mom said it,* he thought, frustrated. He wished he had inherited her grasp of words instead of her green eyes. "I liked you just the way you were," Julia pronounced, putting finality into her whisper, "If you were that hard up for some action I would've thrown you a pity fuck or two if you had just asked," she was grinning, and Preston couldn't tell from the expression whether she was joking or not. Either way his frustration was growing. *Why is it always so fuckin' hard for people to understand what I'm trying to say?* "I'm not with her to fuck her. Not *just* to fuck her," he amended for the sake of honesty, "is it so hard to believe I actually think she's a cool girl?" He realized he had raised his voice beyond a whisper as his squadmates began to stir, and he dropped his volume "Is it really so difficult to imagine I might want to grow as a person?" "Alright alright, calm down, jeez," Julia whispered, "Date who the hell you want, it's your call. I guess I just always pictured you with a girl who could satisfy you." "I'm plenty satisfied," Preston whispered back, "Missy takes care of me." "Okay, then a girl you could satisfy without you changing yourself to do it. And really?" Julia raised an eyebrow, "she's just the perfect little minx who is dynamite in bed? *Missy* is?" Preston stayed silent, knowing his face was sullen and wishing he could hide his feelings better as Julia continued. "She's just the complete package huh? Totaly trying out one kink after another, bedroom so new and spicy it's like you've got a new girl every night? Not a single kink you have left untried? You've done that 'conference room' thing you told me about?" Preston internally cursed himself for ever telling Julia about his little fantasy. "I'm not just a talking penis you know, there's more to our relationship than just the sex," Preston knew that Julia would take it as an admission. The fact frustrated him, and her smirking face wreathed in blonde locks seemed a lot less cherubic. He tried to think of blonde fairytale villains. "I know you're not. I'm sorry, I didn't meant to say you were." The girl's apology surprised him? he couldn't remember Julia ever apologizing for as long as he knew her. She even *looked* apologetic, "I'm not trying to be bitchy Preston, really. Well, I kinda am, but I always get bitchy when I'm trying to talk about important things. You know what I mean. Missy's a nice girl, but she just doesn't seem right for you. You're more adventurous and less reverent, and it seems like you're doing a lot more changing for her than she is for you. I just don't want you to get hurt when things...*if* things goes south." "Fuck you Julia." "Look can you honestly say you're happy with how you've changed?" "Yes!" "Can you look me in the eye and tell me you're satisfied? Both sexually and all that other emotional bullshit too?" "Y..yes," Preston had to think about it for a moment, but he realized the answer was true. He was unused to thinking of himself emotionally, but the fact was despite the flaws, Missy made him happy. "Can you say things couldn't possibly be better?" Without waiting for an answer Julia swung back up to her bed, and Preston laid on his back, staring at the bunk above. "What kind of bullshit question is that?" He asked. The response floated down softly, "Just a question. If it makes you pissy maybe you already know the answer." "Of course things could be better, everything could always be better," Preston replied hotly, "we could have two days off like the other rookies. She could be a little more daring, a little less mousy. I could have double luxury credits and servants to wash my fuckin' feet every day. Just because something isn't the absolute peak of utter perfection doesn't mean you should give up on it." There was silence for a moment, and Preston silently swore. The squadmates all had a level of closeness, but Julia was his best friend on the orbital. *Why does she have to do this now?* "Doesn't mean you should give up on making it better," Julia said quietly, "if you stay with her, don't give up on making it better. For you or her." "You really are trying to help out aren't you." "Of course," she sounded surprised, "why else would I be saying it?" "Dunno," Preston admitted, "you felt your bitch skill rusting and needed some practice?" He grinned as her hand dropped over the side of the bed, middle finger extended again. His hand was still resting on Missy's bare stomach, and he noticed that her breaths weren't as deep or steady as they had been in the night. When he glanced up at her face, the slightest flicker of Missy's closed long lashes confirmed the seed of doubt in his stomach. *Fuck,* Preston's idyllic and stressfree plans for the day seemed to melt away as he became more and more certain, *she's been awake this whole time.* *** Preston wanted nothing more than to be alone. Breakfast had been hideously awkward, as Missy had been more upbeat and cheerful than she had any right to be, even on a day off. Preston brooded, angry at Julia for making him question things, and angry at Missy for pretending she hadn't heard. As soon as he could make an excuse to leave the table he stormed off, wandering down the hallway with no particular destination in mind. Promise or no promise, he found himself in the firing sim soon afterwards. The room was huge and quiet, and it was easy to lose ones' self in its expanse. Preston moved to the weapons locker by the door, flicking the double doors open and scanning the array of nonlethal training weapons within. Though his gaze moved across the double row of weaponry, but his focus elsewhere. Were his squadmates really commenting about his changed persona behind his back? Did it matter if they were? Julia's words were weighing him down, and Missy's chipper and cheerful demeanor made him frustrated whenever he thought of it. *She was awake. I'm sure of it. She heard us talking. If what Julia said wasn't true, if she really thinks we're both good for each other, why hasn't she said anything? And why hasn't Julia said any of these things before? Fuck, why is she saying them at all?* "Fuck women," he snarled, yanking a railpistol from the rack and slamming the doors closed. "Reaffirming your mission statement Preston?" Preston almost jumped at the voice that echoed from further down in the room. He peered at the end of the dimly lit expanse, only now seeing the shadowy figure at the other end, fiddling with a row of target orbs. As his eyes grew accustomed to the distance and light, he faintly made out olive skin and black hair tied in a loose long braid. "Alex. The fuck are- I mean, what are you doing here?" Preston grumbled, making his way down the long room to join her by the orbs. Though he still swore in his head and around Julia, he was trying to cut down on it when around other squadmates. Missy said it made him sound rough...the thought of changing for Missy made him mentally curse again. "I like it here, 's quiet," Alex said, not seeming to mind his language, "plus it's pretty clear no one's gonna beat my accuracy scores in a cruiser, so I thought I'd give y'all a challenge for your firing sim scores too." Preston, the current second in cruiser accuracy, repressed a scowl, pulling another set of four mechanical training orbs from the wall. *Come on Preston, gotta make an effort, gotta try.* "Um, same here," his voice sounded awkward even to himself as he input his name and password to each orb, "since we're both here anyways, you want to do some coop doubles training?" "You sure? It'll average our scores if we fight coop, pull ya down an' me up." "Yea it's fine," Preston cleared his throat, "you'll probably beat my score eventually anyways." "True," Alex joked, as the small spheres hummed to life, lifting from the table in front of them. The orbs floated motionless for a moment, taking readings of the room and their human targets, then shot off in different directions. They were only about as big as Preston's head, and the hoverjets installed in each were enough to propel them at a startlingly fast pace. Alex lifted her rifle and fired as they flew by, but her shot went wide, the EM bullet shattering on the far wall with a small electronic sounding "ping". "Soo," Alex said, as the two of them moved forward, "...'fuck women' huh?" *How about mind your own fucking business,* Preston kept himself from snapping out the first response that had come to his mind. "Um...yea, ignore that," he said instead, as they crept along the wall cautiously. The orbs were using the columns and walls scattered around the giant room to keep out of sight, waiting for the opportunity to strike. "M'kay," Alex responded, keeping her rifle raised and sweeping the room "It's just, I'm having issues with your gender today is all." "Hmm," was all Alex said in response. They remained silent for a few minutes as they moved forward, so Preston heard the hum of the sphere behind him. He spun around and squeezed off three shots in fast succession...the first and third went wide, but the second clipped its edge. With a small mechanical wheeze the orb lowered to the ground, neutralized. Before he could even turn back around Preston heard Alex's rifle go off twice, the pause in between letting him know that she had aimed more carefully. The two she had targetted gently drifted to the ground, and Preston gratefully noted that Alex said nothing about their relative accuracy scores. He was feeling much better. The exercise, running and twisting, combined with the visceral satisfaction of firing the heavy railpistol and feeling the kickback, had a calming effect on him. Another of the targets hit the ground with a small click, taken down in a single shot, and he began feeling truly at ease. "Thanks, by the way," Preston grunted, stepping behind a column for cover. "For what?" "Not pushing me on the whole thing. Letting me just get it out of my system." "You clearly don't want to talk about it." "Yea well, it was nice of you not to try to make me." "Hmm," Alex said again, thoughtfully, and then with a friendly smile she brought the rifle up, took careful aim, and shot Preston in the shoulder. The bullet was nonlethal, but it slammed into him with such force that it knocked him backwards, toppling against the column behind him. "FUCK," Preston yelled, as pain blossomed along his arm, "what the FUCK did you do that for?" "Well, you don't get along well with people who are too nice," Alex said calmly "I needed to even out my good deeds." "What do you mean I don't get along with nice people?" Preston flexed his arm as he stood to his feet, "in case you hadn't noticed, *Alexandria*, I'm dating Missy," he stressed her full name, knowing she hated it. "Yea, and then slamming things around and screaming 'fuck women' to yourself," Alex pointed out. Preston stared at her for a moment, and she casually fired off three rounds in quick succession, taking out an orb that had been cautiously moving forward. Much as he wanted to be angry for the sting in his arm...she sort of had a point. Even now, looking at the matter-of-fact face of the girl who had just shot him, he had to supress a grin. It *was* kind of funny. "So you shot me to be my friend?" He asked sarcastically. "Well, yea. It seemed the thing to do. Did it work?" "Kinda. That's pretty fucked up, isn't it." Alex laughed, and after a moment Preston laughed too. Two spheres swung out from behind a pillar, one to the left and one to the right. They both fired at the left one, but Preston's gun was light enough that he managed to squeeze off a second to send the rightmost careening off-kilter into a wall. "Okay since you're being all friendly, tell me this, why would a friend try to imply that your relationship is shit?" "If your friend thinks your relationship is shit, it makes sense to tell you." "Oh, so you think my relationship is shit too?" A target peeked out from behind a column, and Preston angrily squeezed off a few rounds that landed where it had been. "I'm just answering your question. I warn my friends when they're in a relationship that seems unhealthy." "Do you think mine is unhealthy?" "Hey Preston," Alex had been motionless, staring down her sight at the column, and when the orb peaked out again she took it down with a single shot, "it seems like you're dancing around a few questions you want advice on. We can continue doing that if you like, but if you want my advice, why don't you just ask?" Preston was surprised at the straightforwardness. He mulled it over for a few seconds, and after a moment's consideration, he shrugged. "Julia thinks Missy is changing me." "She is changing you. You already knew that, that's not your question." "Well yea okay she's changing me, but she's not perfect either! There are some things that she could change." Orbital Academy 06 "Like what?" "She could be more adventurous. She could be more sexual. A little less clingy maybe?" "M'kay. So what was her reaction when you told her this?" Preston scowled, pumping off four shots in quick succession at a sphere that floated near the floor. He was the only one of the rookies who had gotten the hang of using the heavy rail pistol; the delicate mechanics within would often lock up if the user didn't time the shots well. To Preston the machinery was fairly straightforward once it had been explained to him, but the rest hadn't been able to get the hang of it. *Too bad I can't figure women out that easily...* "Preston?" "Okay, fine, no I didn't talk to her about it," Preston snapped. He glanced over and saw Alex looking down her sights, but she was grinning. "Yea, okay I shouldn't judge her on things I haven't brought up, I get your point." Alex didn't say a word, but she continued to grin. "Okay, then explain this; this morning I was talking about it with Julia, and I'm pretty sure she was awake the whole time! So she *does* know, why wouldn't she bring it up at breakfast?" "Cover me?" Alex asked, and she ran forward toward the middle of the room, taking shots at orbs that had been hiding behind columns as she went. The movement caused the training spheres to reposition, navigating to remain hidden from Alex but exposing themselves to Preston in the process. "She should've brought it up," Preston repeated, focusing on aiming carefully rather than quickly so that each shot brought a target down. "Brought what up?" Alex asked, swinging her rifle around to hit the orb with the butt. The sphere ducked beneath her swing, and Preston took careful aim and shot it from the air. "All of this stuff!" he replied as it slowly lowered to the ground, "all the stuff she heard me talking about with Julia! Why wouldn't she talk about it once she found out I hadn't....been....bringing it up...." He trailed off. Alex was standing in the middle of the room, grinning at him. "You have a pretty smart-ass way of not saying anything, you know that?" Preston grumbled. "I get that a lot," Alex smirked. The screen on one wall began displaying stats for the completed training session. Alex hefted one of the orbs and began carrying it to the table as Preston watched the numbers scroll by. He hadn't done bad. "Your smart-ass silence helped though," he begrudgingly admitted, "so...thanks." "Careful there Preston, you're starting to sound too nice. You wouldn't want Missy to change you!" She chuckled as she lifted the orb up to its rack on the wall. Preston grimaced at her back, sighted carefully at her backside, and pulled the trigger. "OW! Preston you fucking suck!" Alex screamed, spinning as she rubbed her lower thigh. She was glaring, but the corner of her mouth was already quirking upward in a half-grin, "*and* you still suck at aiming, if that was meant for my butt." Preston shrugged and grabbed another sphere from the floor, a smile on his face. Alex stepped over and grabbed it from his hand, "Give me that. I'll clean up in here, you go talk to your girlfriend." "We should hang out more," Preston gave up the sphere, "you give off this big mysterious vibe, but once I actually talk to you, you're pretty cool." "Yea, I get that a lot too," Alex muttered as Preston headed towards the doors, "plus it's not all out of the goodness of my heart; if you're not around I don't have to worry about getting nailed with a rail pistol again." "Oh it's coming," Preston grinned, "you'll get nailed when you least expect it." "Preston, I have a favor to ask, and this can't be the first time you've heard a girl ask it of you," Alex responded with a deadpan look, "please don't nail me." Preston laughed. Between her and Julia, maybe there *were* other squadmates with his inappropriate sense of humor. "Oh that sealed the deal," he joked, "and next time, I'm nailing you right in the ass." He turned to the door to find it open, Aimee and Missy directly on the other side. Both looked severe. *Fuck fuck shit fuck,* he thought, stepping through and closing the door behind him to cut off Alex's laughter, *Why does shit like this always happen just when I've figured things out?* "That...wasn't what it sounded like-" he began, before Missy cut him off. "Of course it wasn't Preston, I know your sense of humor. Despite what you might think, I'm not some paranoid, clingy mess." Preston winced. *Okay...so I've figured things out, now how to fix this?* "Right...look, Missy, can we talk?" "I was just about to ask the same thing," Missy's look of severity softened a little, and she turned to Aimee, "thank you for the talk Aimes. It helped a lot. I'll catch up with you later." *'Tell you exactly everything that was said' later, you mean,* Preston thought, but he didn't say anything as Missy took him by the hand and led him down the hallway. *** "Where are we going?" Preston asked, as she led him past the turn to the rookie barracks. Missy didn't answer, and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign. They continued through the smooth metal hallways, following a path Preston didn't know. After a few minutes they arrived at a dead end hallway, and Missy thumbed the controls of one of the rooms, adjusting its light and tempurature, before gesturing for Preston to go inside. The lights came on as soon as the room detected a presence. It was a large conference room, spacious and comfortable, with a huge wooden table taking up a large portion of space in its middle. The door slid closed behind them, and Missy stepped over to the large table, moving a few chairs aside and then hopping up to sit on the edge. "I'm not mad at you," she said. "That's...good?" Preston said cautiously, putting his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to tell you that up front. I have some things to say, about our relationship, so I just wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't mad at you. I'll say my stuff, and then you say your stuff, and then we're going to work out our disagreements like adults, and *then*, we're going to have sex right here," she tapped the table beneath her, "which is *apparently* a fantasy of yours." "That sounds fine," Preston replied, *I'll get more brownie points if I apologize for something before she mentions it...* "except I want to say my 'stuff' first." "Okay," Missy agreed, "as long as we stick to the 'adult discussion' part afterward." Her chin was raised, and she was wearing an expression that seemed at the same time confident and terrified. She was clearly going to stick up for herself no matter what, and was *also* scared to death of doing so. The expression was so adorable that Preston smiled in spite of himself. "I shouldn't be expecting shit from you when I haven't told you what I'm expecting," he said, "it's not fair to act like you can read my fuckin' mind." Missy looked surprised, and Preston wondered guiltily how infrequently he admitted he was wrong that she was so shocked by it. "And," he added, "sorry for calling you a bitch this morning." "That one was understandable," Missy smiled, "it was really cold." "Yea well, that's my stuff. You go." "Um...that was pretty much my 'stuff' too," she said, a little uncertainly, "I wasn't expecting you to have realized what was bothering me. The only other thing that I have to say is that it really hurt to hear you talking so frankly with someone about things you'd never mentioned to me. Especially someone who thinks you should break up with me." Preston took a deep breath, "I'm not going to stop being friends with Julia. She's one of my best friends in the Academy, she's like me. I won't throw a friendship away like that." "I wouldn't ask you to stop being friends with anyone," Missy held up a hand placatingly, "I'm just asking you to...you know, talk to me. Let me know what's going on." "I can do that," Preston moved forward and wrapped his arms around her where she sat on the table. "I'm glad." They stayed in each others arms for a few moments, and all of the frustration that Preston seemed to have seemed to release from his shoulders. "So...a conference room table huh? What's that about?" Missy's arms slid down to his waist, and one hand cupped his rear. "Oh I dunno," Preston leaned back a little, embarrased, "when we had that orientation meeting four months ago, when we first got here...I just thought what a perfect height it was, where it would position the girl. And there's the thrill of doing it in a place we're not supposed to. And the chance that someone might catch us." "Just so you know," Missy leaned back as well, sliding her shirt up over her head and tossing it on the floor next to the door, "if that happens, I am going to be too mortified to have sex with you ever again." Preston grinned, taking in the sight of her bare breasts as she sat in front of him. The room was slightly colder than was comfortable, and her small pink nipples were hard. The sight of them made him harden, and the way she sat against the edge of the table meant his bulge pressed against her. Missy smiled, and he leaned in to kiss her, rubbing against her as he did so. Without breaking the kiss she began unclasping his pants with nimble fingers. His hands slid up her sides and over her naked chest as she pulled them and his underwear off of his waist, and when he gently pinched at her nipples, she made a small sound into his mouth. The sound and the cold air against his member were enough to make Preston's heart pound. He knelt and tugged at Missy's waistband, and she lifted to allow him to slip her pants and underwear off of her. "Cold table," she murmured sofly as Preston stepped back, admiring the view as he tossed both pairs of pants into the pile by the door. Missy kicked her legs back and forth over the edge of the table, fixing Preston with a shy smile while he looked her up and down. Her brown hair hung in curls to her chest, almost framing her small pale breasts. Her legs were pressed together due to the cold, but when she saw him looking she spread them apart to let him see the patch of curly brown pubic hair above her pink lips. Preston stepped forward again, yanking his shirt off, and she wrapped her arms around him as they resumed their kiss. Preston could feel every contact between them, and the feelings were warm and urgent. He felt Missy's breasts pressed against his chest, her arms around him, her fingertips gently sliding across his back, and her sex, hot and wet against his length. Her hips were making small motions that dragged her slit across his member, and he could feel her making quiet moaning sounds even as they kissed. His lips moved to a cheek, then near her ear. "What do you want?" He whispered, even as the grinding of her hips told him the answer. "You know what I want," she responded, breathless. "Tell me," he commanded. "I...I want you," she said, and Preston grinned into her brown curls. "But you already have me," he teased. "You're really going to make me say it?" Preston was sure he could feel the heat of her cheeks as she blushed, and he purposely pulled his hips away from her, his grin widening. "Goddamnit Preston," Missy whispered, "your cock, I want your cock, I want you inside of me right now." She was so wet that when Preston pushed forward he entered her with no resistance, just wetness and warmth. Missy cried out, fingernails digging into his back as she held him close. Just as he had imagined, the table was the perfect height, leaving her directly in line with each thrust. Each time he pushed inside of her it elicited a moan, which made the fire in him rage all the more. Preston forced himself to be careful, to push into her rather than slam his entire length as hard and fast as he could. With her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his back, she was pulling him into her body as rough as she wanted, and the pace was perfect for him. Missy let go of him and leaned back, and Preston was treated to the sight of her entire body. The blush on her face matched the sweet, quiet moans, and each time he thrust forward her breasts jiggled appealingly. He had passed the point where he could contain himself, slamming forward harder and harder on each thrust, as deep inside of her as he could go. Missy was clearly loving it, moving her hips back and forth to meet him blow for blow, and she threw her head back as she gasped with the pleasure. Her pussy began trembling as the orgasm hit her, and the tight feeling of her quivering sent him over the edge. He grabbed her as he came, pulling her close to him. Her breath in his ear, her nails digging into his back, and her skin against his skin was a backdrop to the pleasure that locked his whole body up, feeling the pulse pounding through his length. His body released, filling her up as they both cried out. Preston came down from his pleasure high slowly, relaxing and gently letting her back down on the table. She laid back, panting, and gave a small whimper when he slipped out of her. He looked her over as she lay on the table. Her eyes were closed, and he watched her naked chest rising and falling, a light sheen of sweat all over her body and a smile on her face. *I should grab my screen and take a picture,* he thought with a satisfied smile, but he didn't want to risk upsetting her. Instead he just stood there, enjoying the sight for as long as she wanted to lay there. The door began to chirp confirmation noises as someone outside set the room's temperature and light levels. Preston didn't even think, and judging from Missy's surprisingly quick reaction neither did she. He lunged for the pile of clothes, picking them up and sliding them across the desk to wipe up sweat and fluids, throwing them underneath the table as Missy opened a storage closet in the side of the room. They both slipped inside as the conference room's door slid open. The closet's door wouldn't close if it detected life forms inside it, and Preston prayed whoever it was didn't notice the small crack as Missy held the door as closed as possible with one finger. Someone stepped into the room, whose lights had dimmed. Preston heard muted footsteps, and the small click of an object being set on the desk, and he braced himself. Apparently the single quick wipe had removed any offending streaks or stains from the table's surface, or at least the dim light hid what was left. The figure sat down heavily in the chair at the end of the table, and Preston was finally able to see the man's face. It was Major Auspus, highest ranked pilot and commander of Orbital Academy. Missy must've recognized the man as well, since she stiffened. Normally the sensation of her bare butt sliding against him would be exciting, but in this circumstance he only hoped the tiny noise wouldn't be overheard by the Major. If it was, he made no indication, leaning back in his chair and passing a tired hand over his eyes. It was widely rumored that expensive surgery or illegal biomodification was the reason the eighty-year-old man looked no more than twenty, but even with his youthful face, his expression at the moment showed his age. No matter how smooth and fresh his skin, the man looked weary, weighed down and the picture of stress and worry. *But why come here? Doesn't he have his own quarters? Wouldn't they be more private? If he wants a nap, why keep it a secret?* Something out of Preston's sight on the table sparked with a small 'pop', sending a bright purple pinprick of light into the air. The spark settled on the Major's face, and as it slowly burnt out the Major showed no indication of noticing it. Another popping noise, and another spark drifted lazily through the air, this one landing on the hem of Auspus' sleeve. For several long minutes Preston watched, confused, as whatever it was on the table kicked off a slow and steady stream of the purple sparks. At one point the stream was so thick that it lit the Major completely, his face shining eerily with the purple illumination. Throughout it all the man simply stared off into space, acting for all the world like nothing out of the ordinary were happening. Eventually the flow of sparks slowed and came to an end. The Major stayed for a few moments longer, then leaned forward and collected the item, stowing it in a pocket. Heaving a sigh, he stood and moved out of sight of the closet, his footsteps moving towards the door. The conference room door hissed, there was a pause, and then it hissed again. Although he listened carefully, straining his ears, Preston didn't hear a sound besides the barest of whispers that were his and Missy's breathing. The room's lighting rose, moving back towards its default, and with a sigh of relief he followed as Missy opened the closet door and stepped out into the room. Preston's adrenaline kicked into overdrive the second he saw the terrified look of panic on Missy's face, her hands flying to cover her naked breasts and crotch. He didn't have to look towards the door to know what he would see, but his gaze was drawn as if by magnets, even as his hands moved to similarly cover up. Major Auspus stood inside the room just in front of the closed door, arms crossed, a blank look on his face. Preston opened his mouth to speak, but no words came to mind. *Say something, idiot. Do something, say anything, anything is going to be better than this stunned-fish silence, and it's not like you can make the situation any worse than it already is right now...* "Rookie Preston Kalinowski," the Major spoke in a clear and clipped tone, "and Rookie Melissa Dorson." "S-sir," Preston said, instantly hating himself for the brief stutter, "allow me to explain-" "Did you know," Major Auspus continued as if Preston hadn't spoken, "that as the orbital's commander I can, at any time, restrict a Rookie-level from continuing their training on said orbital?" Preston didn't know how to respond. He was stunned, his thoughts were moving sluggishly, and he knew he should say *something*, he just didn't know what. "I don't even need to have a reason. I could prevent either of you from graduating to Pilot-level because I didn't particularly like your haircut." Preston vaguely noted that Missy was hyperventilating. *She's going to suffer just because she was trying to make me happy,* he realized. His stomach was already in knots, but a wave of guilt felt as if someone had punched it. *I can't let this happen...* "Sir, if I may-" he began, but again the Major spoke as if Preston hadn't started talking, "If I *did* need a reason to prevent you from moving on, and again I will stress that I don't, finding two Rookies buck-naked in a private conference room would certainly be reason enough, reason that no authority would question, let alone argue against." *Say something do something don't let her dreams be crushed because she was making you happy!* A voice inside Preston's head screamed. It occurred to him how horrible it would be if he himself were kicked out, returning to his parents disgraced and expelled, but he pushed the thought aside impatiently. This was about Missy, about keeping her from trouble; he was willing to pay for his mistakes if only he could keep her from punishment. "It was my fault-" he began, but he wasn't surprised when the Major continued. "Thus, it is incredibly lucky for you that neither of you made the staggeringly poor choice to be buck-naked in this private conference room." He gazed at the two of them impassively as they stared, confused. "It is astoundingly lucky that you both decided not to take a tryst here. It is amazingly fortunate that you saw nothing transpire afterward." "Because if anything happens to indicate you had...if any mention is made to a friend or a colleague...if any discussion circulates in any way about something you may have seen after that tryst...then obviously I would be forced to follow protocol and expel both of you from Orbital Academy. And if I were forced to expel you both, I would feel inclined to pass on my disgust to any potential employer, on any orbital in orbit." The room was silent for a long moment after the Major made his speech. With a sudden movement, Major Auspus turned and stepped through the door, his face never wavering from its neutral expression as it hissed shut behind him. Orbital Academy 06 Missy sunk to her knees as Preston stared at the closed door, dumbfounded. *What was that? He's just letting us go? In exchange for not telling anyone about the sparks?Why do they matter?* Preston stepped over to Missy, who had begun trembling. He wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned against him, still shaking. "I don't even know what that meant...I was so s-scared," she whispered, her breath catching. Although he wouldn't admit it, the prospect of being removed from his training, cast out and with little chance at a job, had rattled Preston far more than he would expect. Even so, he was more concerned for Missy, who was looking up at him with tear-filled eyes as her entire body shook. He went to grab their clothes from beneath the table, casting his mind about for some stupid joke he could make to take her mind off of their recent scare. "I'll tell you one thing: after that? I am *never* letting you have sex with me ever again," he said. Missy gave a strangled laugh as she took the pile of clothes he offered, and he grinned back, even as he felt sick to his stomach. "Oh really? I'm sure I can change your mind about that," she replied with a weak smile. "No way. I am resolute on this," Preston yanked his pants back on, slipping his shirt over his head with his other hand, "you'll have to try and try and try to get me to do so. Hell you'll probably have to fuck me for days before I agree to it." "Just for that I think I'll make you beg for it," Missy teased, and Preston noticed with satisfaction that she had stopped shaking, "but....n-not here, okay?" "No, let's go back to the barracks, not here," Preston agreed, and the two of them made their way from the room at a pace slightly faster than a walk. On their way out Preston cast a glance over his shoulder. As the lights dimmed, he caught sight of a small singed hole on the chair the Major had been sitting in, as if one of the sparks had landed and burnt right through. "Definitely not here." Orbital Academy 07 "Sir, can I speak freely?" Captain Jane Appet spoke through clenched teeth, staring across the desk at the commander of Orbital Academy. "Permission denied," General Auspus replied coolly. His fingers flicked across the screen he held, comparing it to a page of notes on his desk, the picture of distracted business. "Yes sir," Jane turned and walked toward the door, fuming, mind spinning. "This is why I like you Captain Appet," the General's voice stopped her at the door, "any other person to ask that question would give me a piece of their mind regardless of my answer. Of course that means, ironically, that I am far more willing to listen to your rants than theirs. Yes you may speak freely." "This is stupid, dangerous, reckless and entirely ill-advised," the General's compliment barely registered in Jane's mind as she turned back to him, "my squad is an excellent rookie team, but there's *no way* it's responsible to send them on a full planetary run!" "I must admit I'm surprised to hear you say that," the General smiled wryly at his screen as he spoke, "you spoke so adamantly at the last meeting. About the abilities of your rookies, about the need for the orbital to stop coddling first years, about how we faced a threat that would need a strong crop of pilots." "That was when they were going to be fighting a flamer Drake, this is entirely different!" "I see it simply as a natural progression Captain Appet. Your team is the model by which other rookie squads are measured, but right now everyone else is catching up. After the excellent way they handled the exothermic Drake, the next step is to get them experience with a planetary run." "Two of my squad almost died handling that Drake!" "Captain Appet," the General set aside his screen and turned to Jane for the first time. Even after a decade serving under him Jane wasn't used to the look of utter control in General Auspus' face. The age and wisdom of seventy years stared at her from a face that didn't look a day past twenty. He was usually so level-headed that it was easy to forget he could stare her down in a heartbeat. "Orbital Academy's pilots 'almost die' on every single mission they undertake," he continued, his attention fully on her, "we have an incredibly dangerous occupation, without question the most dangerous of any of the orbitals. The brave men and women who are here on this orbital have volunteered their lives towards the goal of keeping the entire orbit safe, and they have done so with the full knowledge that they place their lives at risk. To prevent the exceptional rookies in your squad from engaging in a mission because they might get hurt is a disrespect I refuse to show them. That is all, you are dismissed." Jane stared at the General. His words left her feeling cowed and immature, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow...wrong. "You're putting these kids in way more danger than they can handle General Auspus...how can you not see that?" "Captain Appet, I said you are dismissed." She left the room in a daze, head spinning, wondering how she would break it to her squad. *** "This is so awesome!" "I *knew* we impressed them with the Drake" "I wonder if they'll let us substitute this mission for our Pilot-level test?" "Does this make us the first Rookie-level squad to go on a planetary?" Jane stared at her nine rookies. Their reactions were doing nothing to help the feeling of disorientation that had been following her since her meeting with the General. *This is not how any of it was supposed to happen,* she thought vaguely, watching them chatter excitedly at the news. "You don't seem very excited Captain," Jackson noted perceptively. The others slowly settled as Jane tried to collect her thoughts. "It's...it's just a somewhat dangerous and difficult task, that's all..." she stammered. *No, that's no good, I can't slip back into the weakling captain I used to be.* Before this year Jane had spent a good portion of her time hating herself; with this squad things had been different. Better. She was proud of her rookies, proud of herself, and she would be damned if she changed back, even if the world felt as if it were turning upside-down. *What would the other Captain Appet say, the one that keeps them respectful and skillful and amazing?* "...and it's about time we have you Rooks exposed to some real challenge. So, first things' first, you all probably have some incorrect ideas about what's involved in a planetary run. We should clear up some misconceptions. Meet me in the lower ring conference room in ten minutes, and I'll give our first briefing as a squad." The ten minutes would give her time to collect her thoughts, and she could tell from the bright faces that most of them were excited about the prospect of a real mission briefing. Preston and Missy didn't seem as enthusiastic, but Jane didn't let herself dwell on the fact, instead turning and leaving the barracks with head high. *** The room was dark, and Jane sat at one end of the table, head resting on her arms. *Why would the General send these rookies on a planetary? He was nervous about letting them deal with the Drake, what changed his mind?* She snapped into an upright position as the rookies began filing in, thumbing the lights up to an acceptable level. "Alright Rooks, best to go ahead and lay it on me. What insane rumors are people spreading about planetary runs that I need to correct?" Jane had a pit in her stomach as she spoke, letting her gaze travel across the squad as they sat. She felt strangely guilty, as if she had no business talking to them and pretending nothing was wrong. Julia raised her hand, and Jane stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "For the last time, Julia, you're not in Pre-Academy anymore. Stop raising your hand." "I've heard that the atmosphere on the planet is so thick that you can't breath or fly a cruiser through it," Julia lowered her hand and spoke in a rush. "Partially true. The fog that you see surrounding the planet is toxic, but it only goes down to within a hundred or so feet of the planet's surface. Some of the higher hills can be dangerous, but you can breath on most of the ground. If a cruiser couldn't take off how do you think people would get back from planetaries?" "Just what I've heard," Julia mumbled, face falling. Jane softened. "It's alright. Back in my rookie year there was a rumor that the fog would eat away at our suits like acid..." *Of course we would have years to learn the truth about the planet before we were sent down there* "...but anyways. We should probably go over this from the beginning." The screens blinked to life, and Jane forced the doubts and reservations down into a hard pit in her stomach, pulling the image of the strict Captain around her like a protective shield. "A planetary run consists of two teams. The first team will be in a satellite recon skiff, a 'satflyer', about ninety feet above the surface, just below the fog. The second team will be on the ground, set up in a temporary bunker. The satflyer team will be relaying information, giving forward warning of dangers, and general topological data. More importantly, they'll provide relay extenders for the ground team, boosting their range. The ground team will be controlling a squadron of drones; the same drones you've been training with for the last three months. The drones will navigate to coordinates provided by the air team, collect resources, and destroy the nests." Even through the worry in her chest, Jane felt a bit of pride. Her students were all bent over, focusing on the diagrams in front of them. Focused, attentive, alert. "Who's on the different teams?" Jackson asked, leaning back and folding his arms. "Li, Aimee, Missy, and Jackson, you'll all be on the ground since you've got the best handle on drone control." Jane was grateful for Jackson's nudging; she was finding it hard to focus on the briefing, "I'll be with you on the ground. Marcus, Julia, and Tess will be up in the satflyer, due mostly to their tech, nav, and diagnostic scores. Preston, Alex, you'll also be up there, manning the satflyer's weapons." A chill ran through the room at the mention of weapons. Jane could see them all thinking the question, but it took a moment before one of them actually spoke it. "Captain Appet..." Aimee's voice was quiet, somber, "why will we need weapons? Everyone says planetaries are dangerous, but...I've never heard anyone talk about why. This seems...really simple. Just in and out with drones. I don't see what makes it so tricky, is that just me?" She looked up and down the table, but her squadmates were also shaking their head. Jane took a deep breath. It was the moment of truth; they had to know the full story. "On the smoothest planetaries, it is as simple as in-and-out. Unfortunately, they rarely go smoothly. There are going to be several obstacles that we can expect." She kept her voice dispassionate as she spoke, careful not to allow any emotion or quiver into it. "The reason we schedule planetary runs right after Drake attacks is so that we are assured of not running into one on the mission. Drakes are dangerous out of atmosphere, on the planet they are capable of shredding us within minutes. Now that the Drakes are attacking off-schedule, we might not be guaranteed to avoid them on this run." Jane watched the rookies closely as she spoke, paying special attention to Julia and Tess as she mentioned the Drakes. They both seemed sober, but not panicked, so she continued. "The smaller flying creatures though, those *will* most likely sniff us out before the mission is done. In every case where a flyer has reached a satellite without being shot down, one or more members of our entire air team has been killed. Don't let them get reach you." Jane's mental wall faltered for a moment, remembering how it had sounded. The screams had only filled the radio for a few seconds before she had shut it off. In her memory they had lasted for ten years. "Ahem," she cleared her throat, uncomfortably aware of the nine pairs of eyes on her, "it usually takes five to ten hours for the Terrans on the planet to locate the ground team. Usually the air team should be able to give enough advance warning to pull the drones back and pack them up. If not, the temp bunker has fuel and supplies enough to fire up into orbit to be picked up by an orbital rescue team, and the drones will self-destruct. We know very little about Terran weapon technology. Mostly because anyone who has encountered it has died. Data from the air groups indicates that it's either much better than ours, or the Terrans are much better at using them." Silence stretched through the room. The rookies' enthusiasm had deadened into a serious quiet. "How often is there an injury during a planetary run Captain?" Missy asked quietly. Jane had to clear her throat twice before answering. "Typically there are no injuries incurred on a planetary run. Those who sustain injuries of any kind are usually lost soon afterwards," Jane stared resolutely at the screen in front of her, refusing to meet any of her rookies' eyes but knowing she couldn't sidestep the question, "typically runs are made up of nine lieutenant-level and a captain level. There's a reason there are so few captains as opposed to rookie and pilot levels. We tend to...to lose a large portion of our lieutenants to planetary runs." She couldn't bear to look at any of them, to see the same question in their eyes as she had in her mind; *why us?* "It's a testament to how confident the General is in our abilities as a squad," Jane lied. *Okay, that didn't sound convincing even to me. If I'm going to keep my new reputation, I need to get out of here.* "I've uploaded a list of resources you'll all need to your personal screens, as well as a detailed breakdown of team duties. It will take us roughly a week to get the temp bunker and the satflyer ready to launch. In the meantime your other duties will be completely suspended." She let herself briefly scan the rookies' faces, to make sure they didn't think she was giving them a vacation. The assembled squad was focused, intent. Jane didn't have to tell them to spend the time focusing on training their individual job descriptions; their faces told her it wouldn't even occur to them to slack off. She nodded once to herself, and left the conference room. There wasn't anything more to say. *** Jane found herself wandering through the halls of the academy, running a hand along the polished cold walls and headed nowhere in particular. Lost in her own mind, she barely noticed the world around her; perhaps that's why her feet led her along a path that had been ingrained into her subconscious, never quite forgotten no matter how long it had been. When she arrived at the door to the Flying Mettle she looked up, surprised, as if she was waking up from a dream. She hesitated, but after a moment she shrugged and activated the door. *What better way to forget about all of this for a few hours?* The warm air and the noise hit her at the same time as she stepped into the well lit bar; the body heat and murmured conversation of fifty people that filled the room. Scent synthesizers worked in each corner to deodorize and sanitize the smells of human and alcohol, replacing them with something non-offensive: as Jane walked over to the bar she caught a hint of oak. *Same as ever.* Jane was already feeling better, and she hadn't even had a drink yet. For anyone living their lives on the perpetually cold orbital, the warmth of the room was a treat enough by itself, and the murmur of friendly chatter made her feel safe and comforted. *I've always loved this place,* she mused idly, waiting for the bartender to get to her, *Why don't I come down here more often?* Her eyes wandered across the clientele, different ranks, different professions, all gathered and drinking, smoking and laughing together. It reminded her of older times, times when it was easier to smile and laugh, sitting at the old table in the corner with the old group. As if drawn by the memories her gaze roved to the table in the corner...and there they all sat, as if they had never left. "What can I get you miss?" The bartender's question was barely enough to break her out of her reverie. Sure they were all older now, some a bit pudgier, some with unexpected speckles of grey in their hair, but the way they were laughing and smiling was exactly the same. "Nothing, thank you," Jane took a breath that hitched in the middle, watching them sitting there, and her answer to the barkeeper was quiet, "I was just leaving." For a moment, just a moment, she let herself pretend that things were how they used to be. She let herself pretend that she was about to walk over to join them, and they would all grin and budge around to make room for her, and they would talk and joke. She let herself pretend that Patrick would be joining them. "Sorry for the trouble," Jane's voice caught, but the bartender simply shrugged and turned to the man behind her. "An' what about you?" Jane turned to leave, tearing her eyes away from the table as if by force, head bowed to keep tears from forming in her eyes. A tug stopped her suddenly. The man standing just behind her had her by the arm, his grip gentle but firm. "I'll have what she's having, and she's having a plat-shot with ice," Jane didn't need to look up to identify the mellow voice. "Evening Professor," she smiled in spite of herself. Arthur Proferton returned her smile and then some. His grin was so wide it seemed to take up his entire face. As soon as he saw that she recognized him he let go of his grip, turning it seamlessly into a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Go ahead to the table," he spoke lightly, as if it had been nine days instead of nine years since they had last spoken, "I'll bring the drinks when they're ready." A strange feeling was building in the pit of Jane's stomach, half excited fluttering and half sick dread. "I would absolutely love to Prof, but I'm afraid I'm on a date," she lied smoothly, extracting her arm from his light touch, "but it was wonderful seeing you!" "Mmm," Arthur nodded thoughtfully, "makes sense why you were leaving then." "We're...um..." Jane blushed, "we're actually on the date somewhere else, I just stopped in here to get us drinks," she tried to save herself, realizing her mistake even as she stammered. "That's why you left without them. Makes sense, makes sense." "Well no, they didn't have the kind of drinks he likes so-" "Jane," Arthur said kindly, taking the small tray offered from the bartender, "even if you could lie worth a damn, you know you couldn't lie to me." He tapped his temple with a smile, and Jane thought she could hear the soft purr of the CPU in his head. "You know I fucking hate that thing right?" Jane lapsed into honesty with a growl, "it's unfair and I hate it. I always have." Arthur laughed aloud. "Of course I know," he chuckled, "you hate not being able to hide. You hate that I can read off your expressions to tell what's really going on in that secretive, closed off mind of yours. But I think most of all you hate that I know just how to make you forgive my sorry ass." He reached forward and flicked her earlobe with a grin, and just like that it was as if no time had passed between them, like he was the same mischievous and boyish friend who she couldn't bear to be angry with. "Fuckin' chip-head," Jane tried hard to keep from smiling, but she knew it was useless. Even knowing that his enhancements made it trivial for him to pick up on social cues, more than even the most perceptive of normal people, she still found it hard to resist his charm. She barely noticed his hand resting lightly on her shoulder again until he began lightly guiding her towards the corner table. "Seriously Prof, I really just want to be alone right now," Jane protested, even though she knew his chip would pick up on the lie as easily as she had spoken it. "Bullshit again. Something's hurting you Jane," Arthur grew serious, "hurting you enough to come here even though you knew you'd find us here, even though you're worried being around us will hurt worse. But we can help, I promise you." "I'm going to need about five more of those," Jane called over her shoulder to the bartender, but she reluctantly allowed herself to be led. The table's chatter faded when they reached it, and Jane's stomach did a flip. They were all there; Lily, Acren, Jack-pip and Center, along with another man she didn't recognize. Their expressions ranged from shock to pleased surprise, expressions on faces so familiar it was as if she had been kicked in the throat with nostalgia. Jane managed to keep from staring as the one she didn't recognize spoke, "Hey Professor, we were wondering if you'd gotten lost," he said jovially, "who's your friend?" "Oh you've definitely heard of my friend Sam," just as she had fantasized, the group budged over good naturedly to make room for Jane as Arthur introduced her, "may I present the long-absent and much-missed, Miss Jane Cripshaw." "Appet," Jane mumbled, as she slid into the booth next to Jack-pip, "it's Captain Jane Appet now." The mood at the table shifted almost imperceptibly. "You took his name," Lily murmured. Jane looked down at her drink to avoid the woman's gaze. Whatever was there...pity, sympathy, anger, Jane didn't want to see it. "Alright," Arthur broke the small silence, "we're not going to pretend we aren't thinking about him, so I'm going to make a toast. But then we're all going to talk and laugh and have a good time, like we used to, because we all know that's how he liked it." Jane was grateful to him. The mods may have let him see that it needed to happen, but that didn't make the gesture any less genuine. Arthur raised his glass, and the rest at the table followed suit. Orbital Academy 07 "To Patrick Appet. Hell of a pilot, hell of a friend, hell of a lover, or so he liked to say. Hell of a man." "Patrick Appet," Jane and the other five repeated. The emotion they filled the two words with caught her by surprise. There was a fervor there still, even after so long; the toast hadn't just been for her, they all still felt the loss. The knot in Jane's stomach loosened by the tiniest fraction, and for the first time all day she felt just a little bit better. "A *captain* now huh? Finally started fucking the right people I see," Center slipped easily into the friendly ribbing with his typical inappropriate candor, and Jane felt better still. "Took me long enough, didn't it?" She joked back with a half smile, "I suppose if you try enough people you're bound to find the right one eventually." "But the wrong ones are so much more fun," Lily winked, and just like that, they were all back together again, just like in the old days. When the bartender brought her tray of drinks around, Jane distributed them among the table to grins and cheers. The alcohol was loosening the worry in her shoulders a little, and the camaraderie that slipped back around her so easily was loosening it even more. She pulled her personal screen out and tapped out a few lines, setting them to send automatically later, then leaned back to enjoy the night. The banter and childish jokes, the sudden topic changes and the rapidfire teasing seemed to pull her out of time. Sure it was slightly different; she didn't know some of the inside jokes, and sometimes they had to backtrack in the conversation to fill her in on this detail or that, but as the hours passed Jane felt more at home than she had in many long years. "You have enough luxury chits to pay for all these drinks ma'am?" The bartender asked delicately when he brought the sixth tray of drinks to the table. "Paranoia is a fine qual'ty," Jane slurred cheerfully, fishing out her keychain and transferring enough to cover her tab and six more trays to receiver in the table. Jack-pip whistled, "They are clearly paying captains far too much these days," he noted, in the clipped and enunciated tone he took on when sloshed. "Eh, I don' use luxury chits hardly at all," Jane waved a hand vaguely by way of explanation, "don' need much, pretty content wi'out all that." Even half-drunk, Jane saw the look that passed between them. She knew they were about to ask, and that they'd let Arthur do that asking. "You've been pretty content, but you haven't exactly sought out your old friends for the last...oh, eight, nine years," he said. His tone was offhand and casual, but Jane could see the tension in the others that Arthur was hiding so well. "It's been amazing to hang out and catch up with you Jane, but I get the feeling it was the alcohol you came here to find, not us. What's happened?" *They're being careful, think they're gonna scare me away,* Jane realized through the liquor haze. She wasn't entirely sure when the change in her mind had happened, but the thought of never seeing her old friends again was unbearable. "Got assigned a planetary th's evenin'," she mumbled. Her typically demeanor, cheerful but always at arms-length, was being worn away by the alcohol. All she wanted right now was more liquor and perhaps hug. "Aw hey, that's always rough," Arthur murmured, throwing a sympathetic arm around her shoulder. *He always knows. Damn chip-head,* Jane thought, but she smiled and rested her head against his arm in spite of herself. "'s my first one since Patrick," she added, so soft it could barely be heard. She saw the reactions of sympathy around the table, the ones she had been dreading to encounter. Instead of making her angry it almost seemed...sweet. "No planetaries this whole time?" Center asked, and Jane didn't miss the warning look that Arthur shot him, "how'd you manage that one?" "Not hard," Jane shrugged and reached for the tray that had just been set down, "made captain-level as soon as I could. Volunteered to teach the newbie Rooks every year since then." "Probably what I'd do if I could stand busting my ass up to Captain-level," Acren had been nursing the same glass since the beginning of the evening, and he was nodding sagely, "so why send you down now? I thought they didn't pull instructors from leading Rooks mid-year." "They don't," Jane downed the entire glass in one swallow, and reached for another, "they're sending the rookie team down. I'm leading a team of rookies on a planetary." There was a moment of stunned silence, then a flurry of exclamations and questions, some outraged and some simply bewildered. Jane was too far gone to make any single question out among the cacophony, so instead she simply grabbed another glass. "Guys, guys, hold it down," Arthur's voice cut through the noise, and his arm tightened protectively around her almost imperceptibly, "it's pretty clear Jane doesn't want to talk about it alright. Yea she's pretty obviously getting screwed for some reason, but I'm sure she's doing all she can to get out of it, and she sure as hell didn't come to a bar so she could remember her problems. I think the more serious issue we need to address is that this woman still, to this day, carries a T-320 pistol instead of the clearly superior R-500." Jane grinned as the familiar debate was rekindled, Lily gesturing wildly with her glass with Jack-pip backing her up, while Acren dryly quoted firing stats and Center made random stabs at various randomly-selected arguments. "Thanks," Jane said softly, nestling a little closer into the crook of Arthur's arm. "Don't talk to me, T-320 user," Arthur replied snootily, with a dramatic sniff, but he grinned. *** Another few trays had passed by the time the bar had emptied and the lights were starting to go out. Everyone in their group but Acren and Arthur were completely drunk, and all of them were cheerful as they stood from their table and walked or stumbled away, shooed by the bartender in a good-natured but firm fashion. With mumbled and slurred goodbyes the crew parted ways, Center, Sam and Acren heading down one corridor and the rest in the opposite direction. "Don' be vanishin' off again, Jane," Center hicced on his way. "I won't. I won't again," Jane promised, the gravity of the words seeming to counteract the slur. The rest of them walked on in silence for a few hallways more. "It was really good seeing you again Jane," Lily smiled when she reached her door. "You should come by again some time," Jack-pip nodded exaggeratedly, "we missed you quite a lot." The two of them entered the room together. "Wha-?" Jane asked dumbfounded, "when did those two..." "They've been together for about a year now," Arthur replied, steadying her as they walked, alone, down the corridor to her room, "they're really good together. I think they balance each other well." "'ve missed a bunch, haven't I?" Jane said quietly. "You don't have to miss a bunch more." "This's me," Jane indicated the door to her room. She stared at the door for a moment, reluctant to give up the strong chest she was leaning against. "Listen," she said carefully, "you wanna come in for a shot o' coffee or synth or somethin'?" "Mmm, I'm not particularly thirsty after this evening," Arthur replied. Jane squinted at his face; even if he had been a normal man he would know what 'come in for coffee' meant, but his modifications should've made it obvious what she wanted even before she had asked. He was grinning down at her, and Jane blushed as she realized that he was perfectly aware of what she wanted, he just enjoyed teasing her. "Oh, okay," Jane said innocently, "well in that case you wanna come in to fuck my brains out or somethin'?" Arthur threw his head back and laughed, and Jane chuckled along with him as he palmed her door open. To her surprise he let go of her, leading her in with one hand but staying outside the room himself. "Much as the offer sounds tempting, I'm afraid not Jane," he said gently. At her look of confusion mixed with a little bit of hurt he continued, "you're intoxicated right now. Having this," he tapped his temple again, "makes consent a bit of a tricky issue at the best of times, but alcohol makes things pretty clear-cut." "Are you kidding?" Jane pouted, "'m offering some no-strings-attached, come-and-take-me, any-hole-you-want-it wild sex and you're turning me down?" "You're drunk Jane. Very very drunk." "Well sure," Jane winked, "I'd only offer two holes if I were sober." Arthur grinned, but shook his head. "I want very much to say yes Jane, but-" "Wait!" Jane remembered and pumped a fist in the air, "Yes! I am a genius!" "That's debatable. What am I waiting for?" Arthur leaned against her doorframe, an amused smile playing on his face as he watched her. "Oooh jus' you wait. 'ts gonna be awesome. Gonna be amazing," Jane crowed. A few minutes dragged bye, but just as Jane started pondering whether or not she had set the message to send, Arthur's screen pinged an alert. Jane did a small drunken victory dance as Arthur read the message. *If I'm timing this about right with the time the bar closes, I'll probably be throwing myself at you about now. And if memory serves me right, you'll probably be being a stick-in-the-mud about it. Consider this advance-consent, so you'll know I actually want this. You have my express sober permission to engage in whatever crude and disgusting acts I'm drunkenly proposing to you right now. ~Jane* "I'm'a genius," Jane slurred again, while Arthur chuckled and stepped inside her room, closing the door behind him, "and I'm'bout to be a happily fucked genius." "I'm still not fucking you, genius," Arthur smiled, and Jane cocked her head in surprise. "Wha? Bu' you saw th'text," she mumbled. Suddenly she was in the air, Arthur was carrying her. *To the bed? That's good, that's where it should happen,* she thought vaguely, as her stomach lurched for a moment. First heavy blankets and then strong arms wrapped themselves around her, warm and reassuring. *So comfy. His arms are really strong. But why isn't he taking my clothes off? How's he going to bang me if we're both dressed-* *** A steady pounding in her head was counterpointed by the pleasant aroma of coffee, providing an oddly mixed wakeup. Jane smiled, keeping her eyes closed as she listened to the sounds of Arthur moving around the room. She typically set the lighting in her room to remain pitch-black when she awoke, but he had overridden them and bathed the room in a soft natural level, like sunrise. She stretched, long and luxuriously, revelling in the quiet noises, taking stock of each muscle as she stretched them. *I'm surprisingly non-sore for the morning after. Did good old Arthur lose his touch in the last few years?* Nestling back into the pillows, she began slowly restringing together the memories from the night before. They had gotten to her room...she had pleaded a little more than she liked to admit...he had taken her to bed...and then... Jane's eyes snapped open. "Did you drug me without fucking me you asshole?" She asked, outraged. Arthur set two metal cups down on the table at her bedside, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. He was shirtless, and Jane was slightly distracted from her outrage by his heavily muscled chest. The speckled grey on his scalp was also present in his chest hair, and she couldn't help but picture her fingers running through it. "If you count the truly impressive amount of alcohol you had, I would say you did a perfectly good job of drugging yourself," he grinned, handing her one of the cups, "drink this, it'll help." "What kind of guy are you, turning down a perfectly good girl who's throwing herself at you like that," Jane grumbled, taking a sip and wincing at the bitterness of the black coffee, "I hope you're happy, preventing me from getting my drunk satisfaction." "Pretty happy," Arthur took a long drought, "especially since I'm sure we'll both enjoy your sober satisfaction much more than we would've the sloppy half-conscious drunk version." "Oh?" Jane lifted one eyebrow as she gazed at him over the lip of her cup, "You turned me down when I was vulnerable and horny. That kind of thing can make a girl self-conscious. Are you entirely sure you'll get the chance to give me sober satisfaction?" "'Course I am," Arthur tapped his temple with a knowing smile, and Jane leaned back on her pillow with a sigh. "It's not fair," she groaned, "taking the mystery out of everything. Have I ever told you how much I hate that chip?" She closed her eyes. Even though she griped, her mouth curved in a half-smile. Complaining aside, Arthur did have a way about him; half mischievous boy, half charming gentleman. A girl could get in trouble with a guy with that sort of power. Even now, she wanted his lips on hers, and she knew that he would be able to read that desire all over her face. All she had to do was wait and... *Oh,* a small shock ran through her when she felt his kiss, light and feathery on her neck, *that's...unexpected.* The surprise caused a tingling in her chest that wasn't going away, as further unexpected fingers brushed through her hair. Jane kept her eyes closed, but reached up and ran her fingers across Arthur's chest. He made deep rumble of approval, one that curled Jane's toes, and then suddenly he was on top of her, his body warm and firm against hers. Breathing fast, Jane opened her eyes, pulse quickening. His fingers were still running through her hair, brushing along her scalp as he leaned forward. The room was still except for their breath, and Jane swore she could hear his heartbeat. Smiled up at him, she met his eyes, inches away, her expression coy and playful. Of all the games she played in bed with all her partners over the years, there was one she could only play with Arthur, and the anticipation was making her giddy. *I think I want his hands to run from my chin to my belly,* she decided. She had no clue what had changed about her body language, what imperceptible cues she had given him, but Arthur shifted almost immediately. His hand traced down the side of her face, fingers resting gently on her chin and then sliding down her neck. Fingertips caught on the edge of the blanket on their way down her collarbone, dragging it off slowly as they made their way down between her breasts, down to her stomach. The cool air against her bare body made her smile. "Oh, you won't nail me when I'm drunk but you'll strip me naked in my sleep?" She teased. *I want kisses all over my face,* she decided at the same time. Arthur didn't answer her, but he leaned forward, lips grazing against her cheeks and forehead and softly on her lips. The motion moved his chest against hers, and the warmth against her skin after the cold air felt more amazing than it had any right to. *Now lower...my neck and chest,* she thought, but the kisses continued to rain down on her face. She enjoyed them for a few moments more, but then gently pushed upward so that he stopped and leaned back, so he could see her face. *My boobs need attention,* she thought again, meeting Arthur's eye. With a wicked grin he leaned down, and Jane gasped as he took a hard nipple gently in his teeth. His other hand skimmed up and down, from her navel all the way up, over her other breast, to her neck and then back down, swirling in intricate meaningless patterns is it went. His tongue flicked back and forth distractingly; as soon as she got used to the feelings on one side he sent a shock of pleasure down the other. *No more foreplay,* the thoughts were so intense that her lips almost moved along with them, *no more teasing, fuck that. Fuck me. Now.* Arthur's lips pressed against hers with ferocity, and the blankets were ripped from her legs with a suddenness that made Jane shiver in anticipation. She arched her back to press against him, lifting her hips off of the bed. Somewhere in the teasing he had gotten rid of his loose uniform pants. She could feel him, warm and hard, pressing on her leg. He shifted, and Jane shivered as the movement pushed him against her, between her legs. Her arms were wrapped around his back, and she rocked her hips back and forth, the feeling of him rubbing against her slick wetness driving her crazy. She broke the kiss with a gasp, catching his eye again. Arthur was making almost imperceptible movements of his hips that rubbed his member against and over her clit with an achingly slow rhythm. One motion away from filling her completely, sliding across her opening, just one shift away. *Stop teasing,* she thought, *thrust in, thrust in hard.* Arthur lifted his hips, and Jane braced herself to feel him inside her...and then gasped out a whimper when instead he slid back down again. The feeling of him grinding against her clit, moving against her but not inside, felt so good but at the same time so frustrating. She yanked her head back, fixing him with a look full of lust and longing. Leaned up on her elbows, Jane focused on her thoughts so hard that she felt like she was mentally screaming at him. *Fuck me Arthur, fuck me! Your foreplay duties are complete, I'm ready, take me!* Jane distractedly wondered if his mods just couldn't handle her anymore, even when it was painfully obvious what she wanted. *I could always ask out loud I suppose,* she thought, but it felt like a shame to lose out on their special game. She decided to try one more time, placing a hand on his chest to still him as she stared right into his eyes. *Shove. Your. Cock. Into me,* she thought, giving him a look that even a robot could understand. Arthur's hand came up and cupped her chin, then moved gently down to brush at her throat. His voice, quiet as it was, broke the silence. "Don't. Tell. Me. What to do." His hand clasped around her throat, and he suddenly slammed her back into the pillows, holding her against the soft material. Jane was paralysed with shock, heart racing, the heat between their bodies intense and pleasurable and frightening. When she felt him hard against her opening again her body stiffened. His hand was still wrapped around her throat, holding her beneath him. Was he going to take her whether she wanted it or not? Was he about to take her by force? As soon as the thought crossed her mind Arthur froze. His hand was still at her throat, but his stillness was complete and clear. She didn't even need to tell him to stop, he would be able to tell the instant she wanted him to. The adrenaline still coursed through her, but the fear subsided, and she took the opportunity to gather her thoughts for a moment. *What the hell was that?* Jane wondered, trying to ignore the aching just beneath her mound and think clearly. She was normally the one in control, she called the shots. For Arthur to pin her like this, holding her gently but firmly around the neck, pinning her to the bed, dominating her body, was... *...really fucking hot,* she realized with surprise. She wouldn't have guessed that she would be intrigued by that sort of thing, but the way he was subduing her was making her pulse pound. Even though she knew he would stop if she wanted him to, the thought of him taking her like that, in control, using her body however he wanted...she was very, very turned on by the idea. As soon as that thought crossed her mind Arthur began moving again, his hand releasing her throat and instead grabbing a handful of her long brown hair, much rougher than he had before. He yanked her head back, and Jane cried out at the slight pain and the unexpected thrill of lust it drew from her. He moved, shifted himself up her body, and suddenly his member was against her lips, his grip on her hair holding her head in place. She took him in her mouth with relish, mind racing at how much she was enjoying herself. The intensity as he thrust into her mouth was sending electricity coursing through her. His warm length tasted of her own juices, and the dirtiness of it was exciting. He reached behind him, sliding two fingers into her without warning. Slick with her wetness they went deep into her body with no resistance, the heel of his hand pressing into her clit as they entered her. Orbital Academy 07 He was forcing himself deeper and deeper down her throat, pulling her head by the hair while rubbing circles against her g-spot with the other hand. Jane could never remember feeling so dominated, so thrilled and restrained, so utterly lost to desire. When his member left her mouth and his fingers left her pussy at the same time, she gave a strangled cry of disappointment, *no no no please I'm so close...* Her thoughts were disorganized and disordered, but after all this if she didn't get to finish Jane thought she would explode. She gave a tiny shriek when he lifted her bodily off the bed. Involuntarily she grabbed at him, wrapping arms around his shoulder and legs around his waist without realizing what she was doing. Arthur's hand was firm on her right butt cheek holding her up, while the other held her pressed against him from behind. Jane barely had time to process the feeling of his hard member between her legs before he thrust into her. It only took the one, glorious, hard thrust to make Jane cum, and it was all she could do to keep from screaming into Arthur's ear. She squirmed and shook, her whole body shaking with the pleasure. She felt so full, so wonderfully used and stretched and satisfied even as her pussy quivered around his length. He drew back and slammed into her again, and the orgasm seemed to envelop her all over again even as her body tried to adjust to the waves of heat and intensity of the first. He was releasing while buried within her, she could intimately feel it, and the twitches of his cock inside of her felt deep and acute and somehow so *right* that Jane stopped thinking and simply rode the wave of orgasm until its very end. Words like "tired", "satisfied", and "worn out" barely described how she felt as Arthur gently laid her back down on the bed. She lay limp, pleasantly sore and weak, looking up at Arthur who seemed to tower above her, a smug smile on his face. Her head was no longer pounding, but she could feel her pulse in her fingertips and her nipples and between her legs. "You know, you're not the hot shit you think you are," Jane panted. "No?" Arthur asked, unconcerned. He leaned over her, planting a kiss on her mouth. Jane struggled to stay silent, until he pressed a single finger against her tender and sensitive clit. She moaned into his mouth, softly, but loud enough that he grinned before he pulled away. *This would be the perfect time for a late morning nap,* Jane thought, closing her eyes. The lights dimmed within a few seconds, and the bed shifted as Arthur crawled between the covers with her. "Fuckin' chip-head," Jane yawned, already feeling herself fall asleep as she nestled back against him. His bare skin against hers felt warm and delightful. "Why yes," she could feel him smile against the back of her neck, "yes, I believe you are." Orbital Academy 08 ------------------------------------------ Isn't it funny how long the holidays sounded... at the beginning of the holidays? Hopefully this puts some zing into the end of your holidays! Thanks to everyone who has messaged, commented and voted! ------------------------------------------ It should've been boring, watching the roiling green fog break against the windows, but it had captivated Li since they had entered it hours ago. Even with the impending danger of the planetary mission, the mesmerizing patterns on the window combined with the low rumble of breaking atmosphere was almost soothing. His squadmates were on their screens or restlessly trying to sit still; the atmosphere in the room was too tense for the normal chattering. *Not sure what all the fuss is about,* Li thought as he watched the fog through drooping eyes, *nothing's been able to challenge us yet, why do you all think this'll be anything different?* He let the hum of the ground pod's engine lull him in time with the slow rocking of the craft, watching the green fog billow and puff. *** "Looks like that's it, we're through. About ready to touchdown. Aimee, sound off to the air team." The Captain's voice broke the silence and woke Li with a start. *Finally...let's get this started, get some action going already!* Despite the tone of his thoughts, Li's stomach jumped. "Ground team to satflyer, come in satflyer," Li smiled at Aimee's voice as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. *So professional, so on top of things,* he thought approvingly. With Aimee on the comms there wasn't much for the rest of them to do. In theory they would be checking their gear one last time, but the squad had been far too nervous, they'd done final check an hour ago. Li settled back down and waited, hands folded behind his head. "This is satflyer team," Li didn't miss the tension that left the Captain's shoulders when Julia's voice crackled back over the comms. *She's thoroughly freaked out about this planetary,* he observed, *bad experience? Or is she still not as confident in us as she should be?* He mused as Julia continued; "We've just broke fog as well, ground team. We're activating thrusters now, slowing our descent. We should be in position at one hundred meters exactly by the time you set down." Li's gaze travelled around the room, taking in the attitudes of his squadmates. Jackson was calm and collected as usual; Li had never seen him rattled in their entire time at the Academy. He vaguely wondered what went on beneath that large dark brow that kept him so collected at all times. Missy was twitchy, of course, her leg shaking up and down and her fingers nervously tapping a pattern onto her readysuit. Li returned his gaze to Aimee, looking her up and down. *She looks good in that getup,* he noted, watching the armored pieces shift against each other silently as she reached out to tune the communications, *in her element, confident, mature. Hot.* "Copy that satflyer, we'll set down in less than a minute," Aimee noticed Li watching her, and stuck out her tongue at him. Li grinned in response. *Alright, in her element, confident and hot. Three out of four ain't bad.* *** The landing was entirely automated, and smooth enough that the jostle didn't even knock the squaddies off their feet. Li was almost disappointed. Captain Appet stood and joined Aimee, helping her at the large control panel. It was really made up of several control panels arranged in a ring that took up much of the ground pod's single room. The rest of the squaddies stood, stretching, glancing out of the small and sturdy window. "Alright Rooks," the Captain said, a rare smile gracing her face, "I didn't mention it before, but there *is* a little treat to planetary runs." She flicked the comm switch open again, "satflyer, can you give me readings on the fog? Confirm we are in safe atmosphere?" "Yes ma'am Captain..." Without any technological interference Marcus' voice was crystal clear over the comms, "there's a lot of information here...give us one second to...yes, we can confirm, you are in breathable space." "Excellent," Captain Appet smiled, and input routines from her station. With a hum, the panels that made up the four walls of the pod slowly lifted, sliding up and locking to form a huge overhang, leaving the room open and exposed to the surface of the planet. It was almost too much for Li to take in all at once, and in his peripheral vision he vaguely registered his squadmates similarly stunned, dropping their various equipment and gaping; even unflapable Jackson's mouth had fallen open. "It's so...green," Li stammered, "so green and so *bright*." "All of their light is generated naturally by the star," the Captain was looking around her, hands on hips, the faint smile still on her face. "Do you smell that? It smells like perfume!" Missy was breathing deeply; Li hadn't noticed until she mentioned it. "The flora that grows on the surface gives off those scents naturally," Captain Appet explained. "I don't like it," Li decided, "it's weird...there are too many colors all over the place. And do you feel that air? Feels like I've got my face stuck up against a vent." "Wind. Naturally occurring differences in pressure drag the air in currents all along the planet's surface." "Get a grip, Li," Aimee snapped. It was clear she was enjoying the colors, the smell, the air that slipped quietly by, "I think it's beautiful." "Hard to look at," Li grumbled, "I'd much rather work with the walls down and locked into place." "That's too bad," Captain Appet had suddenly returned to her normal businesslike demeanor, "the walls don't cut the drone's range by much, but every bit helps." Her clipped tone pushed the squad into action again. Missy and Jackson pulled four heavy drones from their protective cases, adjusting antenna and feeding in volatile power cells. Li flicked a few switches, and in the center of the ring of controls a holographic display slowly hummed to life. When he was satisfied with the clarity, he moved back and forth between the drones and the ring, linking the drones and hooking them up to stream holographic data to their pod. Li glanced over to see Aimee slightly pale, fingers drumming lightly and nervously on the controls. *Cold feet already? Come on Aimes, you're better than that.* "It's just like the drones back home," Li reassured her aloud. "'cept now I don't have your tongue distracting me," Aimee shot back with a smile, quietly enough that only he could hear. Li grinned and activated the setup. *Don't know why everyone's all quivery. This is fun.* The drones buzzed, crackled, and lifted from the ground. Missy and Jackson backed away hastily as small arcs of electricity slid across their sleek back surfaces. "They look evil," Missy muttered, "like little dangerous flying creatures." "Good," Li said decisively, letting his fingers slide across his controllers without thinking about it, "they give us Drakes, about time we give them something to be afraid of." One of the drones moved in perfect response to Li's commands, making a slow circuit around the room. A holographic representation of the room and the squaddies within appeared in the center of the pod, accurate to scale, filled in with the data from Li's drone. The other drones sprang to life as his squadmates joined him at the wide control panel, booting up their own drones. "They've got our preferences keyed in already," Li grunted appreciatively. His drone moved tentatively out of the overhanging lifted walls, into the sunlight that lit the clearing where their pod had landed. Missy and Jackson were splitting their attention between the drones, the holographic display, and their controls. *Beginner's mistake. You've gotta learn to key the controls without looking, and tune everything else out. Huh...* Li mused, *Aimee and I must've learned more than I thought during our little private training sessions.* The drones belonging to the two of them had already moved into the trees and out of sight of the pod. Handling a single drone was laughably easy to Li when he was used to controlling five of them while 'distracted' by Aimee. "Keep together you four," Captain Appet cautioned, "Li and Aimee slow it down, Jackson, Missy, a little faster please. Air team," she spoke into the comm console she was sitting at, "start talking. We should be getting a pretty steady stream of info, anything you think could help." "Roger that captain," Tess spoke clearly, obviously the spokesperson for the air team. Her voice was overly official, but Li liked that. *Good for everything to sound official, on an important mission like this.* "Marcus has pinpointed the target, definitely artificial buildings about a hundred kilometers west of where you touched down..." Li only half listened to the conversation between the captain and the air team. His drone was behind Aimee's, and as long as she was listening he could just follow her. The time passed, uneventful and somehow incredibly relaxing. The surface of the planet was so warm, and despite himself Li was starting to enjoy the wafts of warmed currents that brushed past his face, even though they felt odd. He was so comfortable with the drones that barely had to focus on controlling them, instead letting himself get caught up in the scenery that they were streaming back to the table. *The trees are the unnerving thing,* he decided. Alive but not conscious, similar to flowers but huge, thick, gnarled. The unevenness of the ground was utterly unfamiliar, the few bumps and inclines were the only things that occasionally made him have to focus on his drone. The sharp sudden movements of birds and small mammals was distracting and startling. Jackson almost opened fire on the first one he saw, but the Captain barked a warning and they let the creature pass unharmed. An hour passed by and Li barely noticed. "You're about three kilometers out ground team," Tess's voice sounded excited, "we've got signs of activity in the buildings but we can't pin down exactly what they're doing, so go in prepared to start fighting. Alex says give 'em hell." "Tess," the Captain barked, slammed her fist onto the communication button so hard that Li jumped, "Alex is NOT supposed to be on the scanners! I said two people on weapons, TWO!" She actually shouted the last word into the comm. Li had never heard the Captain so much as raise her voice before. *Just how rattled is she right now?* "We have Alex and Preston on the weapons Captain, she just yelled that comment from the gun station," Tess sounded a little more uncertain, but she kept up her professional demeanor, "Marcus is covering heat sensors, Julia is handling topography, I'm monitoring the area surrounding your pod and providing communications. Alex and Preston haven't stopped watching the skies since you've left Captain." "I...I'm sorry," Captain Appet stammered, "um...carry on." The squaddies exchanged glances over their controls. Li was sure the same question was passing through all of their minds, but he put a voice to it. "Everything okay Captain?" He tried to keep his voice casual, avoiding her gaze by staring intently at the holographic display. "Yes. I'm sorry," Captain Appet was speaking more like a squadmate than a captain, and somehow that rattled Li even more than her yelling had, "we've been really lucky so far, no attacks, no nothing. We've been on the ground for what, an hour? Hour and a half? Planetary runs rarely get that lucky. It makes me nervous." "Maybe we're just that good...they don't want to fuck with Captain Appet's A squad," Li tried to cheer her up with humor, and was rewarded with a half-smile from the Captain. "Such a fucking stupid name," she muttered, still smiling. "If it makes you feel any better captain," Tess' voice broke in through the comms, "I've got all sensors up and tuned, and I'm not seeing any life around your pod. Well, I see birds, but nothing that might be threatening." "Birds?" Li was surprised, "You're sweeping at that fine of a resolution?" "You may be handy on the drones, hotshot, but Julia and I have scanning down to an art form," Tess' voice was even and confident. After a short pause, the comms clicked on again, "Marcus would like it to be known that he too has scanning down to an art form." Li chuckled, his foot tapping impatiently on the metal floor of the pod. *About five minutes before contact. Five minutes away from my first Terran firefight. Kickass.* "This is excellent," Aimee's nerves had apparently settled, she too seemed excited at her controls, "at this rate we're going to have the smoothest planetary run the academy has ever seen." Captain Appet sucked in a breath through her teeth at the same time that Tess groaned on the comms, "Aaaw squadpet, why'd you have to go and say that?" Li grinned at the use of Aimee's hated unofficial call-sign. "You realize that now you've jinxed us, we're going to have the worst luck, or some outlandish and horrible fre-" Tess' voice cut out. The lights along the paneling cut out. The holographic display flickered and faded, throwing off just enough display to show the drones lowering to the forest floor before the holograph died. Li blinked, unsure of what to do as the light from the controls beneath his hands faded. "W-what..." He stammered, pressing and tapping on the blank screen. The Captain was already moving, yanking out the emergency comms from beneath one of the control panels. "What's going on? The fuel cells should've been good for another twenty four hours shouldn't they?" Li moved forward to help with the generator, but Missy and Aimee were already at the Captain's side, connecting leads and adjusting cables. "Should've. Clearly aren't," the Captain snapped tersley, "it's got to be some sort of attack. We lose power, it cuts our communications and our drone control. That's too much of an advantage for me to assume it's a coincidence." Li drew his pistol and peered up the hills that surrounded them, his squadmates doing the same. Behind them the emergency comm hummed to life, instantly filled with static. The Captain was speaking almost at the same time, "Air team come in, are you all right? Air team come in." "This is the air team, we read you," Tess' voice was hard to hear through the miserable connection, but it was clear enough that they could make out her words, "are you okay? We read a massive power spike and now nothing..." "Power failure of some kind," Captain Appet visibly relaxed, opening one of the blank control panels and pulling out the fuel cells within, "my guess would be forced power failure." "Understood ground team. Are we pulling out? We've got you on sensors but we're not seeing any Terran activity nearby." "No, I've got some chargers for the fuel cells, it's just going to take us a bit to get them up and running," the Captain gestured and Li jumped to follow her command, sliding his pistol back in its holster before rooting through the bags that had been set in the corner. "That's...not standard gear for a ground team, is it captain?" Li couldn't tell if Tess' tone was cautious or just curious, but he listened closely to the captain's answer as he pulled the bulky chargers from the bag. "Not standard gear at all," the captain admitted, "but I take every precaution I can think of. In this case it's come in handy." "Captain did you expect something like this to happen? Has this happened before on a planetary?" "I..." Captain Appet seemed to be struggling for words, and Li studiously avoided her gaze as Missy helped him plug the four heavy fuel cells into the chargers, "...something doesn't feel right about this planetary run. This hasn't happened before that I know of, but...I can't explain it, but I'm paranoid about this planetary, and now I'm glad I was. We'll be up and running in about an hour, so I suppose all of us on the ground will just sit tight until then. Sorry air team." "Preston says 'these things happen'," Tess relayed, "er...not in those exact words. We'll continue monitoring up here." "This extended timeline is going to mean you'll almost certainly have to deal with flyers air team. Make sure Alex and Preston keep a sharp eye on the skies." "Roger that ground team. Air team out." "Stay within shouting distance, but other than that," the Captain waved vaguely, "you all can explore the surroundings if you like. Normally the ground team is too busy to enjoy the sights and sounds, so take advantage of it. Souvenirs are fine, but make sure to run anything artificial-looking by me first. I'll give a shout when we're charged up again." Aimee grabbed Li by the arm and pulled him out of the pod, into the open air of the planet. It was...spacious. Too open. There was no ceiling, no tight hallways, just a sky that stretched on forever and trees and grass on every side. "It's like being in space," Li realized aloud, "like being in space if everything were too colorful and too bright." "I know, isn't it amazing?" Aimee smiled, "smell that, smell the air, doesn't it smell so...fresh, somehow?" "Not really. Where are we going anyways?" They had reached the top of a small ridge, and Li looked down into the valley at the pod, then at down at the empty and silent forest on the other. The trees were thicker there, and somehow menacing. "I'm going to *force* you to like being on the surface," Aimee grinned. She pulled him a little ways down the ridge, just far enough that the pod was no longer in sight. Li followed begrudgingly. As much as he disliked the trees around him, he liked what Aimee's grin meant. "You've got your work cut out for you," Li grinned back as Aimee paused a little ways away from him, pulling her shirt over her head with her back to him, "the planet sucks, and all I see here is more sucky planet." "Oh?" Aimee tossed her hair as she looked at him over her bare shoulder, "maybe you just don't appreciate beauty when you see it." "Maybe," Li sat down in the spongy green moss casually, but his mind raced. She was playing a game with him, same as always. Aimee wasn't coy, no, she wasn't showing her front because she wanted to win. *So the game is, she wins if she can get me to say it's beautiful before she fucks me* Li rested his arms on his knees as he thought *...I win if I can get into her pants before I say it's beautiful...game on....* "Maybe I'm just spoiled 'cause I get to see you naked all the time," he finally said, "maybe that's skewed my appreciation for beauty." "Oh please," Aimee turned, but she kept her arms crossed over her chest, rolling her eyes in exasperation as she walked over to join him, "are you even trying?" "Okay so that was a little cheesy," Li agreed. *I'm no good at this one...new tactic...* "I guess it's just more of the same to me. Here or back at the pod, it's all just green, green, more green. And blue." He glanced up, facing the unnervingly space-like sky. A vast stretch of unbroken blue, marred only by the air team's satflyer. The airborn command station hung in the air as if it had been hung on the sky, although four huge hover jets quite clearly supported it. Its base was wreathed in clouds from the steam vapor the jets' caused, and the sight was much more natural looking to Li than anything here on the surface. "What's the planet got that beats the orbital?" He asked. "Look at it you clod!" Aimee swept one hand out to indicate the trees, grass, forest and flowers around them, but Li was more interested in the skin she had exposed by the motion. Privately the planet was definitely growing on him. It was warm and bright, and in its own wide-open way, it was beautiful. On the other hand, pretending to hate it had rewarded him with the sight of more of Aimee's smooth brown skin. Her other arm was only covering her nipples, leaving the tops and bottoms of her breasts exposed. Aimee saw him looking and grinned, placing her hands on her hips and letting her boobs bounce free. "Can you at least appreciate that it's something new, when you've spend your whole life in plasticine and metal hallways." Orbital Academy 08 "I dunno," Li leaned back, half closing his eyes, "I'm definitely appreciating the sights, but the only view I like right now is one I first saw up in the Academy." "Hmm, I can see your point," Aimee had stepped closer, standing right next to where he sat, so when she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her pants and shimmied them down, he was given a close look at the neatly trimmed black curls between her legs, "I suppose the only solution to that is make sure you have a fresh, new experience here on the surface." The sight of her naked body so close to him was enough to make Li hard, but her words made him sit up and fully open his eyes. *Something new eh?* He scanned her body up and down, enjoying how unabashed she was about her nudity. He could swear that mingled in with the smells of flowers and plants he could smell her scent...she was certainly close enough. When she suddenly bent down over him, pulling at his clothing, he was sure of it. *This is how it always goes,* Li thought, grinning as he let her yank his pants off with her characteristic ferocity, *we play our games until neither of us can stand it any more, at which point neither of us give a fuck who's won.* Aimee clearly wasn't in the mood to be teased for even a second longer; she squatted down until his member rubbed against her, and with a single motion slammed herself down on him. In spite of himself Li gasped, partly at the unexpected suddenness, and partly at the feeling of his entire length spearing into her body all at once. She was wet and the motion had been fast, a deep penetration in less than a second, and it took Li's mind a few moment to catch up. *So fucking good...not exactly new, but so fucking good.* "Is this what you wanted?" Aimee whispered, pressing her forehead against his but otherwise sitting completely still. "Yes...very much yes," Li breathed. He could feel the pulse in her pussy throbbing against him, and feel his heart beating almost in time. *Not entirely what I wanted...but close enough* "You are so fucking bad at lying," Aimee chuckled, and slowly raised her hips, sliding off of his aching member. Disappointment stabbed through his chest, but Li didn't show it, keeping a straight face as his tip slid out of her. "Or maybe you're just bad at lying to me," Aimee grinned, her face a few inches away from his face, "which is kinda cute actually. I said 'something new', and you've had my puss before haven't you? Not exactly satisfactory." Li opened his mouth to reply that it was actually *quite* satisfactory, when Aimee arched her back just a little, sliding the tip of his cock a little further until it was pressing against her asshole. "Now *this*," she whispered, "*this* is new." Li's eyes widened. Very occasionally, even with their game discarded, Aimee somehow managed to win. "Okay. You're going to remain *absolutely* still, because I've never done this before," Aimee instructed, her hips moving in slow circles, rubbing her ass against the tip of his penis as she spoke, "and we're going to take it very slow, and if it hurts too much we're going to stop and get off some other way." "I think I can live with that," Li murmured. "And when we're done, you are going to sing this planet's fucking praises," Aimee grinned, before she pressed her hips down. There was a little bit of resistance at first, but his tip finally slipped into her asshole with a gasp from the both of them. She had been wet before, and his entire length was covered in her juices, making it easier to slide in, but even so Aimee lowered herself very slowly onto him, inch by inch. Her hole was tight, tighter than anything Li had experienced before, and it felt so good that he gripped her hips hard to keep from involuntarily thrusting the rest of the way. "Oh god, Li," Aimee gasped with a shuddering breath, and the soft sound combined with the tightness of her ass almost sent him over the edge. She was shaking, actually shaking, and when he looked into her face he saw she was blushing. *She likes it...fuck, she likes it as much as I do...* Aimee took a breath, and then pushed herself down hard, taking the last few inches of Li's cock inside of her butt and digging her fingers into the sleeves of his shirt. Li had to strain, but he kept completely still as she panted. He watched her breasts rise and fall, as the tiny motions of her breathing sent shocks of pleasure up and down his entire length. Aimee was biting her lip, her eyes clamped shut, and he couldn't tell if her face was contorted in pleasure or pain. "How you doing?" He finally asked. "Fuck, Li, fuck it hurts and it feels so fucking good at the same time," she gasped. "Do you want to stop?" *Please say no, please say no, please say no,* Li kept his mental begging off of his face as he watched hers. Aimee opened her eyes, meeting his with one of uninhibited lust. "I don't want to stop," she said fiercely, "it feels so fucking good I want you to...I want you to fuck me as hard as you can." Somehow Li's cock stiffened even harder inside of her. "It's gonna hurt more," Li moved his hips a little, just enough to feel the tight walls of her ass pressing against him, and enjoy the tremor it sent through her body. Aimee grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and stuffed it between her teeth, her eyes never leaving his. Muffled through the fabric, Li could still understand the two words she growled: "Hurt me." Even if he wanted to he could no longer resist. Li grabbed her hips and pushed her away, sliding out almost all the way, and then yanked her back down, thrusting his hips upward at the same time, slamming his cock into her asshole as deep and hard as he could. The fabric muffled Aimee's scream of pleasure, but she wrapped her arms around him so tight it almost hurt. He didn't have to lift her again, she pulled her butt up and slammed it down on him again, only pausing a moment before she lifted for another thrust. Each time she pushed back down was better than the last, and each muffled gasp and moan made it that much hotter. The tightness of her ass squeezed hard at his entire shaft, and he could feel how much she was loving it by the slippery feeling of her wetness rubbing against his lower stomach on every blow. He reached down and slid two fingers effortlessly inside of Aimee's pussy as she impaled her ass on his cock again, and she almost tore the fabric of his sleeve as she came. Li felt the orgasm ripping through Aimee's body, both in his fingers and in his member. Her slit clamped down on his fingers hard, but her ass squeezed and tightened enough that it sent him shuddering over the edge himself. The orgasm build and spurt out of him, filling Aimee's ass even as she twitched and quivered. She was still riding him, lifting up and slamming back down on him, and the feelings of tightness and warmth were so intense that the pleasure almost hurt. Just when Li thought he couldn't take another thrust, Aimee finally slowed to a stop, slumped against his chest. Aimee didn't get off of him as much as she collapsed next to him, crumpling into a naked, grinning heap. "Hot damn," she panted. "Hot damn indeed," Li grinned back, pulling his pants back up leisurely, "planet still sucks though." "You fuckin' dealbreakin' sack of shit," Aimee grumbled. "Kidding. The planet is awesome. Fuck, it didn't matter where it happened, any place I get to take your anal virginity is officially the most awesome place in the universe." "That's more like it," Aimee rolled over to her back, staring into the air, while Li took the opportunity to enjoy the sight of her breasts. "Fuck." "I know," Li agreed, "Holy fuck!" "I know! That was quite the-" "No...Li...look," Aimee was pointing at the sky, face pale, and when Li followed her arm he paled as well. The satflyer still hung in the sky above them, but every light was out, and the angle seemed wrong somehow. One by one, the fire in each of the four jets died as they watched in helpless horror. Slowly tilting in the air, the satflyer seemed to hover weightless for just a moment. *The satflyer lost power.* Li thought dully, as he watched the vessel full of his squadmates fall from the sky. Orbital Academy 09 ------------------------------------------ The latest installment of your favorite space-academy-based fantasy! A special shoutout to all of the lovely comment-leavers, and message-senders (even the anonymous ones) for whom I write these! ------------------------------------------ Tess wished she hadn't woken up the second did. She was surrounded by pitch black, and there was so much pain she had trouble for a moment identifying where it was coming from. Blinking, she shook her head a few times, trying to remember where she was. *The satflyer...we were on a planetary...* She sat up at the memory, and the sudden motion caused a wave of further pain to wash through her, making her almost vomit. *Leg...the pain is definitely coming from the leg.* After the Drake attack Tess' broken leg had been healing at a rapid rate, but the mind-altering pain indicated that her two week healing process had been for naught. Careful not to move the damaged limb as much as possible, Tess adjusted her seat, trying to make out her surroundings, hoping that her eyes would adjust to the darkness soon. She could hear faint muffled noises, but no matter how she strained all she could see was blackness around her. For a heartstopping moment she wondered if she had lost her other eye...but no, the pain pulsing in her leg told her she wasn't numb, and her head felt just fine. *Disoriented or not, I'd notice the pain from a missing eye.* Even in the haze of pain and the disorienting darkness, Tess recognized Julia's voice when she started scream, even though it was muffled. "Oh my god, Tess? Tess! Where are you!" "I'm here, I'm okay!" she tried to respond, but her mouth was so dry her voice came out somewhere between a croak and a cough. Sounds of metal and plasticine shifting echoed through whatever chamber she was trapped in, and a shaft of weak light broke in. "Tess? Please god Tess can you hear me?" Tess could hear the others calling her now, but Julia's voice was frantic. "I'm fine, I'm okay. I think I rebroke my leg but I'm alright." "Oh thank god Tess, hang on we're going to dig you out." It took the efforts of Julia, Marcus, and Preston to carefully remove pieces of rubble and broken walling from where Tess had been trapped. She barely recognized the twisted pieces of wreckage as the radar station. Alex stood a little ways off, clear of the junk, scanning the trees around them with a pistol in her hand. "Alright," Preston spoke as the three of them set her down with care, "we're all safe at least, that's something to be thankful for." "Thankful?" Julia's panic seemed undiminished, but Tess tried not to take it personally, "thankful? We've been planetside for two hours, and we're *stuck* planetside! You were at the briefing Preston, Terrans attack the ground team within the first handful of hours, and the ground team doesn't have a fucking satellite crash to broadcast their location! We didn't survive the crash, we just postponed our deaths!" Tess reached up to take Julia by the arm, but Julia shook her off, jostling her leg in the process. Wincing and gritting her teeth hard, Tess spoke. "We're not dead yet Julia. The calmer we can stay, the greater the chance we'll have to survive." "That's fucking stupid," Julia spat, "the Terrans won't spare us because we're calm." *Don't let it get to you,* Tess took a few deep breaths in the face of Julia's attitude, *she's not angry at you, she's lashing out due to stress.* Shaking her head and keeping the hurt from her face, she turned to the others. "She is right on one count though. The crash is going to attract them; we need to get as far away from her as possible, as fast as possible." "Agreed," Preston nodded, "Marcus and I have been salvaging what we can get from the wreckage, but I think it's time to make tracks." "Did you find a crutch?" "We found pieces. If your leg is rebroken one of us is going to have to carry you." "I don't want to slow us down," Tess looked around her, but there was nothing in sight that would support her weight. Reluctantly she let Marcus lift her onto his back, not complaining when her leg was banged in the process. Alex led the way, silently, followed by Marcus carrying Tess. Julia and Preston brought up the rear, carrying two heavy packs of supplies. The ground was uneven and rough, and every ten steps or so Marcus would stumble, sending Tess' leg cracking into his back, but she didn't voice her pain. Thick trees surrounded them, cutting down their visibility, and Tess tried to gauge how far away they would be able to see an attack coming. They had been hovering almost directly over the ground team, but their scanners hadn't picked up any Terran activity before they had crashed. If hostile forces had started moving as soon as the satflyer's scanners went down, they had about an hour from the crash before they could expect company. "How long was I out?" Tess murmured quietly. "Took about a half-hour to find you," Marcus grunted, hoisting her to a more stable position on his back. "Supplies?" "All the sleeping bags, three pistols, food and water for a few days, emergency flares, a tent. Not much." *Not enough,* Tess interpreted his grim tone, *not unless rescue is right on our heels.* *** They traveled in silence for an hour before they had to take a break, ears straining to listen for sounds of pursuit the whole time. Even with Preston, Julia, and Marcus carrying burdens, they had been able to keep up a jogging pace, and Tess silently thanked Captain Appet's required physical training routine. It had kept them ahead of their pursuers. *For now.* "We'll take a three minute break, then get moving again," Preston panted as the squaddies removed their loads and caught their breath. "We should take it in shifts to keep track of time," Tess commented lightly, as Preston checked the time on his subdermal clock, the numbers lighting just under the skin of his wrist, "since we won't be able to charge them until we get back." "We're not fucking getting back," Julia snapped, and Tess winced. She knew they were all thinking it, but she had been trying to keep spirits up. "Look, Julia I understand alright? I'm just as scared as you are, and even less mobile." Julia crossed her arms and leaned back against a tree, but she wasn't interupting so Tess continued, "but we can't just give up. If we're done, we're done, but I'm not just going to lie down and die, I'm going to fight for as long as I can." Julia didn't respond, but she did seem a little calmer. Tess counted it as a win. "We should get moving," Alex had been pacing around the area they rested in, peering into the trees. It was the first sentence Tess had heard her speak since they had crashed, and the tension in her voice was almost palpable. *I guess we're all displaying fear in our own way...* "Take my pack Marcus," Julia said brusquely, "I'll take over." Grateful as she was to Marcus for carrying her as far as he did, Tess was more comfortable as the group started moving again. Julia held her closely pressed against her back, and being able to bury her face in Julia's golden hair was somehow comforting to Tess. "I'm sorry," she whispered into the other girl's ear. Even though they hadn't talked about what they were, and had only slept together a handful of times, Tess liked to think of Julia as her secret girlfriend, and she tried not to do anything that would upset her. Some of her squadmates found Julia prickly or bitchy, but Tess could see through the act she put on. Julia's defensiveness was to hide how fragile she could be at times. Tess tried to keep that in mind as she spoke, "I'm sorry Julia but I just don't want to see us giving up here. Not when there's still a chance." "It's fine," Julia's response was terse and tight, clearly not 'fine', but Tess didn't argue. There was no incident for the rest of the day, moving at a fast pace through seemingly endless forest. The silence was oppressive, but none of the rookies dared speak too much. *If we're really going to die, it would be horrible if these were our last moments.* Tess thought glumly, *Silent. Afraid.* "We should probably make camp before we lose too much light," she finally broke the silence. "I was thinking the same thing," Preston agreed quietly, glancing up at the dimming sky. Marcus slung the pack from his back and began rummaging inside for the tent and supplies, while Alex and Preston started a slow patrol around the clearing that would become their makeshift camp. Julia set Tess down near the closest tree and began fiddling with the sealing clasp on her pants. "What are you doing?" Tess winced as Julia's motions nudged her leg. "We have to do something about this," Julia replied shortly, carefully pulling Tess' pants down and off. The cool air felt good against her swollen leg, even though Tess noticed Marcus glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She leaned back as Julia wrapped her leg with sealant bandages that would harden overnight, and tried to ignore that she was sitting on the forest floor only wearing panties. "You know I love you, right?" Julia said quietly. Tess looked at the other girl in surprise, but she was focusing very hard and avoiding her gaze. "I...I mean, I suspected..." Tess stammered, "Well now you know," Julia kept working, efficiently and quickly, "and I know I act like a bitch, and I don't want us to die without telling you how I feel." Tess felt her face grow red, even though this was not how she pictured this conversation happening. "Julia, we're not going to die," she began, but Julia leaned forward and silenced her with a kiss. "I love you," she whispered, and Tess didn't argue any further. The tent was small, but it held the five of them. Julia set up the sleeping bags, attaching hers and Tess' together with a defiant look as if daring anyone to make a comment. No one did. "We'll keep watch in shifts," Preston was slowly starting to take command of the group, but Tess didn't mind, "I'll take first watch, then Julia, Alex, Tess, Marcus." "Tess shouldn't be taking a watch," Julia protested. "Sitting still with a gun? It's about the only thing I *am* good for," Tess replied. "We might as well conserve our energy," Julia sighed, "If the Terrans attack when we're asleep we'd probably be better off just dying without the moments of fear beforehand." Despite Julia's vote of encouragement, the squaddies crawled into their sleeping bags while Preston stepped outside to keep watch, a pistol in each hand. *** Tess woke up suddenly to Julia crawling into the bag, her skin cold against Tess'. "Sorry," Julia whispered, "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." "Why are you so cold? It was so warm earlier," Tess wrapped both arms around Julia, shivering as she tried to warm her. "That's what I thought, hence the decision to stand watch in my sleep gear," Julia whispered, "but it really drops in temperature during the night." She nestled her head under Tess' chin. The action warmed Tess in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature, and she haltingly began running her fingers through the other girl's blonde hair. "Mmm that feels nice," Julia's breath on Tess' collarbone was making it very hard to fall back to sleep. "I can hear your heartbeat," Julia murmured, "it's pounding." "How long is Alex standing guard before it's my shift?" Tess asked "Enough time," Julia said, a smile in her voice. When Tess looked down questioningly the other girl's lips met hers, cold and firm. Tess melted into the kiss, all stresses and worries forgotten for a time. Julia's mouth opened too eagerly, and Tess smiled through the kiss. She lifted a leg over the other girl, meaning to climb on top of her, but the action sent a burst of pain through her leg, and she winced, drawing a sudden sharp breath. "Don't," Julia gently pushed her back down on her back, "just let me." Cold hands ran through her hair as the kiss resumed, Julia leaning over her and pressing her body against her side. Tess closed her eyes and relaxed, and Julia's kisses moved down her neck and over the loose shirt she wore. It was pleasant, the feeling of cold hands roaming up and down, caressing a clothed shoulder, sliding across an arm, lightly scratching against her bare stomach. Even so, Tess couldn't help but think of how much more she wanted. As if reading her mind, Julia lifted Tess' shirt, pulling it up to her shoulders in one motion, then stripping it off when Tess rose. The younger girl's hair, faintly shining gold in the dim light of the tent, brushed back and forth across Tess' naked breasts, and the light touches made her nipples grow hard. "I don't want you to think that I..." Julia started, her face showing more emotion than Tess could remember seeing before, "...I don't want you to think I don't care about you. I love you. I love you more than...more than I thought I could love someone." "I love you too Julia," Tess murmured, reaching up and running a finger down the side of Julia's face, brushing a lock of long hair behind an ear. *I'd die for you,* she thought, but the other woman had bent down, kissing gently between her breasts, then lower on her stomach. Her gold hair disappeared beneath the edge of the sleeping bag, lips pressing lower and lower on Tess's stomach. Tess glanced around the tent as the kisses reached the edge of her panties. The others were all sleeping soundly, most even facing away from them. If they were quiet, it would be alright to relax and enjoy themselves. Just as she made the decision, Julia slid a finger through the leg of her underwear, tugging it aside as if she couldn't wait to get at what was underneath. Tess bit her lip to keep from gasping when she felt the tip of a tongue flick across her lips, quick and fleeting. Her fingers clutched at the sleeping bag while she waited for the flicking to continue...but it didn't. She could feel her pulse pounding in her own ears, and much more distracting, she could feel Julia's warm breath against the exact place it should be going. Tess ached and bit her lip harder, squirming her hips, and was suddenly rewarded with another lick, long and slow, starting at her mound and moving downward, swirling around her clit, ending just around her entrance. Again the pause, and Tess almost whimpered, lifting her hips off the ground. Julia moved away, keeping her teasing mouth the exact same distance from Tess' aching pussy. From beneath the fabric Tess could swear she heard a faint chuckle, and in spite of the torment she grinned. "Bad girl, have you no mercy?" She whispered. She tensed as she felt Julia lean in again. "No. Mercy. At. All," Julia responded in a soft whisper, flicking her tongue against Tess' clit with every word. For long minutes they continued, Julia teasing, Tess hating and loving every second of it. Tess laid in glorious agony while Julia alternated between lying perfectly still, then suddenly licking, sucking, and flicking her tongue places Tess wished it would stay. She could feel an orgasm building inside of her, but every time it felt as if she was going to spill over into ecstasy, Julia would stop, and Tess would breath a shuddering sigh of mixed disappointment and pleasure. Her legs were shaking, ever so slightly, and she bit down on the edge of the sleeping bag to keep her ragged breathing from becoming too loud. Finally, Julia had mercy. This time the assault was unrelenting, her long tongue swirling in patterns up and down, across Tess' sensitive clit and then back again. Tess prepared herself for the sudden stop, but instead Julia slid her tongue inside of her sex, moving the tip up and down. After twenty minutes of teasing, the feeling of Julia's tongue moving just inside her sex made Tess cum so hard that her head swam, so hard that she saw stars. Her pussy was on fire, her entire body was shaking, and the pleasure kept going, Julia kept licking, and every second Tess felt the other girl's tongue was like another mile of lust unravelling inside of her. Tess didn't even realize that her back was arched until she collapsed back onto the bed. Her leg throbbed achingly, but in the afterglow of the teasing orgasm she hardly cared. Julia was gently kissing her thighs and her mound, and it was incredibly soothing. Tess was startled when the kisses continued on, the sensation dipping lower to brush against her outer lips. She would've stiffened again, but the bed was suddenly so soft, and the kisses felt so amazing that it was easier to simply lay back and enjoy them. Julia was more gentle with her tongue this time, slow and steady where before she had been quick and intense. It wasn't teasing, it was like a relaxation gone nuclear. The pleasure wasn't just sexual, it was as if every movement tickled in her core. It was as if Julia had kept the first orgasm from ever ending, sustaining it into a long note. More mellow but just as intense, when the second orgasm gripped Tess simply let it wash over her. Her muscles burnt, but to lay still as she felt it roil within her was the hottest thing Tess had ever felt in her life. "Bad girl," she panted in a whisper, "you are a bad, evil, naughty girlfriend." She felt her forgotten panties moved back, covering her hypersensitive sex. Julia's head popped up from beneath the sleeping bag, a half-grin on her face. "We're girlfriends now?" Julia asked, her tone casual enough that Tess knew the answer was important. She mentally cursed. "If...if you don't like it we don't have to be," she breathed, "whatever this is, I like it, I don't want to change it. You can ignore what I just said, I talk all clingy after an orgasm like that." "Oh really?" Julia's fingers pressed suddenly against Tess' panties, probing through the drenched fabric at an area that still rang with sensation. Despite herself Tess gasped as Julia continued, "what if I like you talking like that? Should I keep being mean?" "Oh God I don't know where you learned how to do this but I'll say anything you want," Tess whispered in an incoherent babble. Julia's hand slid beneath the hemline, and Tess spread her legs apart to let the other girl have access. "Say it again," Julia whispered so softly that Tess could barely hear her, at the same time slipping a finger inside. "O-oh you're my girlfriend you're my girlfriend," Tess whimpered, as Julia made small circling motions inside of her. After two orgasms, it felt as if the blonde girl's finger were made of sex and lightning; every motion sent an almost painful shock of gratification through her body. "I think like that," Julia's face was close, her mouth was close, her chin dripping with Tess' juices. When they kissed Tess tasted the sweetness of her own fluids and could hardly bear to stop. Another finger joined the first, gently probing and stroking, and Tess threw her head back silently. Julia kissed her in the hollow of her neck, and Tess moaned. "Oh Julia, Julia I'm yours, I belong to you," she breathed, and Julia looked up with the same evil half-grin. Her breath was warm and smelled like sex as she leaned in close and whispered in Tess' ear; "Cum for me again, my love." Tess would've orgasmed again even without the third finger that Julia slid inside of her. Her body was no longer in her control, bucking and shaking as Julia's fingers pushed deep within her, grinding against her g-spot, penetrating deep, stretching her sex. It took a few dizzying, disorienting moments before the trembling aftershocks of the orgasm finally faded way, and Tess looked around to find Julia grabbing Tess' sleep pants from where they were sitting by the bed. "These are loose. They'll be a little cold, but you can slip them on over your cast," she whispered. Orbital Academy 09 "But what about you?" Tess panted, "you think I'll let you give me three orgasms like that and not return the favor?" Julia grinned and held up an arm. On her wrist, glowing faintly under the skin, the clock showed three minutes till the hour. "Almost your shift," Julia said smugly, wiping Tess' cum off of her chin, "you'll have to owe me one." *** The shift was boring, but time passed faster than it might have with the memory of her orgasms to keep Tess occupied. Even as she scanned the forest where Terrans could emerge, she couldn't keep the smile off of her face. Although she knew the planet's moon would reflect light from its star, she didn't know quite how pretty the reflected light would make everything look; soft and blue and beautiful. Even in this dangerous and frightening place, it was strange how such little things, orgasms and reflected light, could leave her feeling almost...happy. Content, anyways. They had been on the surface for long after the supposed timespan of danger, and they'd managed to avoid the Terrans so far. Maybe they'd continue to avoid them until a rescue party was set down. At the very least, they had survived longer than any planetary ground team had before. Tess' mind drifted from topic to topic as her gaze slid across the treeline. *I'll have to give her four orgasms, next time,* she thought, idly running her thumb over the butt of the pistol she held, *make her in MY debt. Maybe I could buy a toy, I wonder if she'd like that?* It wasn't quite a twig snapping, or a blur of motion, but Tess was suddenly sure she wasn't alone. She rose to her feet with a wince, mind racing, resting her weight on one leg. The forest remained still, and she wondered for a moment if she had imagined it...there was no sound or sight that would indicate the forest was any different than it had been a few moments ago. *What has me so rattled...* Tess tried to nail it down, even as she held her pistol at the ready. It took a brief rustle of wind through the leaves of the trees for her to connect her intuition to her reasoning; the quiet but steady drone of animal life that had been constant all night was hushed. No insects, no rustling from forest creatures, no call of birds. Tess was already turning to sound the alarm when she saw the figure emerge from the trees in front of her, a little ways off. Before she could yell, the figure raised both hands and spoke first. "I shall not harm you." The voice was surprisingly young, and female. Her accent was so thick and strange that Tess couldn't process her words for a moment, simply staring dumbfounded, pistol pointed at the girl's chest. "I don't want to harm you," the girl repeated, taking another step, carefully and slowly. Tess was breathing hard, adrenaline pumping through her, but she wasn't sure what action she should take. If this girl was acting alone, shouting an alarm could alert others who weren't so friendly...but what if she wasn't acting alone? The thoughts pounded through her head as the girl took another step. "Stop! Don't come any closer!" Tess hissed, and the girl tilted her head questioningly, but still stepped forward, into the moonlight. Her hair was a shock of bright green, and the robes she wore were dark enough in color that she could've blended into the background of the forest simply by raising her hood. The thought made Tess uncomfortable; she wanted to glance around to see if there were others, but kept her eyes locked on the girl, who was looking at her questioningly. "You speak," the girl said falteringly, "but you have strange words." "I said don't come any closer! Stay away!" Understanding bloomed on the girl's face, and she immediately stopped edging forward. "I mean no harm," she said, "I am FRE." The word was strange and unknown to Tess, but it seemed to echo inside of her skull, shaking her brain and forcing itself into her mind. She was sure she had never heard the word 'fre' before, but it settled and forced itself into meaning with a feeling that was sudden and unpleasant. *fre, friendly. Helpful. Harmless. Won't cause me pain.* the words were barely hers, even though they appeared in her mind. Tess blinked and shook her head. "What was that? What did you just do?" The girl was smiling, smiling in a knowledgeable way that made Tess' scalp prickle. "I am simply SPE" *spe, speaking. Communicating, both verbally and non-verbally. Passing on information.* Tears sprang into Tess' eyes. Hearing the words was like having a swarm of hornets in her brain, as if her very mind were being forcefully impregnated with information. "Stop that! Stop talking like that, whatever you're doing, it bothers me!" Tess was beginning to panic, her ears were ringing. There was something wrong, something horrifying and unnatural about this girl with the green hair. *I should wake the others up...* "This is how speech works," the girl replied, her stillness almost as disconcerting as her language, "it's not my fault that it bothers you EX" *ex, exiles. Outcasts. Cowards. Forsaken.* It was too much, the words ringing in her head as if some spiteful ghost was screaming the definitions into her mind. She lifted her pistol and squeezed the trigger, the shot ringing out into the night and breaking the silence. The girl seemed to blur and lifted her arm, and Tess' pistol burst into green flames, scorching her hand before she could think to drop it. "TERRANS!" She shrieked, turning to the tent, but suddenly and impossibly the girl was there, shoving her to the ground. The noises of her squadmates waking up came from the tent, but even as she watched Tess could see it was useless. She was surrounded by Terrans, robes swirling, different shades of green and purple and blue hair brushing against the tent's door as they rushed inside. Tess pulled herself to hands and feet, but a rain of green sparks slammed her back into the ground. The girl with green hair was standing over her, watching the tent. As if she felt Tess looking up at her, she glanced down to meet her gaze. "Till we reach town, none of you will be HA," the girl said reassuringly. *ha, harmed. Caused physical hurt. No torture, no pain.* "What happens when we reach the town?" Tess shook her head savagely to clear the buzzing information from her head. The girl said nothing. Orbital Academy 10 "We can't leave them Captain, please, we can't leave them behind!" Jane didn't trust herself to respond to Missy's pleading. She continued her task, working calculations to determine the planet's rotation since they'd landed. Jackson sat next to her, doing similar calculations to determine the vectors of the orbitals around the planet. The work was going slowly since the rest of the ground team was refusing to help. "You know that Missy is right Captain," Aimee backed up her friend, "if the positions were reversed, the others would come for us." "They probably would," Jane's voice was hoarse, but it didn't waver, "because I'm not there to stop them. I'm with you, and later you'll realize that keeping you from rushing off is saving your life." "Captain," Missy's voice was steady too, Jane noted with a touch of surprise, "I will knowingly risk my life if there's even the slightest chance of-" "There isn't the slightest chance," Jane cut her off, flicking the switch to prepare the pod. The open walls around them slowly closed, switching from an open command center to an airtight spaceworthy craft. "The chance of rescue is zero, Missy. I know you don't want to hear that, and believe me, I know how much it hurts, but they're gone. They're done." "Their beacons still show up on scanners. They're not dead." Jane kept her back turned to the girl, adjusting the takeoff angles according to her and Jackson's calculations. It was hard to think straight, the faces of her rookies floating through her mind, but she knew she was making the right choice. She also knew, vaguely, that she should be supportive for the rookies who were still with her, but she was still too dull with shock to even begin to support someone else. Her voice came out too flat, too blunt. "They *are* dead. They may've survived the crash, but the Terrans will get to them before we can." "Maybe not. You said the Terrans would find us in a few hours, and they haven't attacked us yet. Maybe the Terrans just aren't coming." "Rookie Dorson," Jane tried to throw her authority behind her voice, but it just came out tired and worn, "your squadmates have been killed in action. We will miss them, and we will mourn them, but if we do not get this pod off the ground as soon as humanly possible we will join them in death." Some of Jane's former students had been killed in planetary runs before, of course. Enough of the Academy's Lieutenant-levels were lost that it would be a miracle if she hadn't. In theory this should've been no different, but Jane couldn't convince herself of that. Hearing about a KIA former student was different than being on the mission with them. These rookies were under her direct command, and even though there was no way the satflyer's loss of power could be her fault, she felt personally responsible for their deaths. She had been steeling herself since they had broken through the fog, knowing that according to the odds she would either lose some rookies or die herself. Even prepared, it hurt on a level so deep that she found it hard to breath. The loss was somehow so much greater with this squad...not just Marcus, but Julia, Tess, Preston and Alex. All gone. All because she had been so confident in boasting about their abilities. "Fire it up," she said quietly to Jackson, "I'll get us in the air." She turned to the flight panel, but was stopped short by the barrel of a pistol. "I'm sorry, Captain Appet," Missy stood a few feet away, her aim steady, "I can't leave them behind." Jane stared wearily at the pistol aimed at her chest. *At least she's not aiming for the head,* she thought, dispassionately, *not risking a miss if I suddenly dodge one way or the other. Good form, at least.* The other three rookies were watching the situation, silent and still. Jane noted that they weren't helping her, but she hardly cared. Missy was still talking. "Jackson, power the engines down and open the panels-" Jane moved in a smooth motion, closing the distance between them with a single step, left hand swinging up to grab Missy's gun hand, right hand stabbing forward to jab two fingers into the vulnerable tendons in the girl's wrist. Missy didn't cry out, although she did pale at what Jane knew was excruciating pain. Typically Jane would follow up with a vicious elbow to the elbow to snap the bone, or into the throat if she wanted her target incapacitated. This time she refrained, and the pistol was already clattering to the floor. Why bother? Missy would already be unable to move the fingers of her right hand for awhile. Who could even say if the girl was wrong for trying to force her to rescue the rest of the squad? She moved on to the flight panel without a word, leaving Missy to hold her temporarily ruined wrist as the pod shuddered to life. Through the hum of the engines starting up Jane could hear her break down into tears. "She was under duress," Aimee was standing with an arm around Missy, Li hovering nearby, "please, don't hold this against her..." "Missy wanted to help her squadmates," Jane said, without emotion, "I can't let her throw our lives away, but I can't fault her for loyalty." "I l-l-love him!" Missy's face had been buried in Aimee's shoulder as she cried, but she whirled to scream the words at Jane, "I love him more than anything, more than being alive! If I could trade my life for his I would do it in a heartbeat! You can't understand that kind of love! Not loyalty, love!" Jane let the girl scream, her face blank. When Missy turned back in a fresh burst of tears, she turned to the window, looking past the surface that fell away. *** "I swear I don't usually do this kind of thing on a first date," Rookie Jane Cripshaw panted, leaning back to break the deep kiss. "I didn't think you did," her date said respectfully, but there was a glint of a grin in his eye. "Patrick! I mean it!" Jane smacked him on the shoulder, a motion made more bearable by the fact that she was sitting on his lap, straddling him. "Ooh, your boobs jiggle when you're violent, do it again," Patrick teased, leaning forward and planting a kiss between her naked breasts before she could hit him again. "I just want to make it clear that you're lucky, that's all," Jane leaned back, letting him tease her skin and raise goosebumps along the back of her neck. "Mmm," Patrick agreed in a muffled voice, nuzzling first one, then the other, as his hands slid along the waistband of her pants. He was taking his time, and Jane was grateful for the fact. She liked the sensations so far, but she wanted to enjoy this little adventure. When he pulled back looked up at her, his expression was so intense that she shivered again. "So if this isn't your normal first date, what is making you behave so delightfully out-of-character then?" He asked, his tone incredibly casual as his fingers followed the curve of her back down beneath her pants. "It's the uniform, probably, I'm a sucker for a guy in uniform" Jane grinned, lifting ever so slightly to allow his hand to cup her ass. Patrick squeezed and made a low appreciative noise in the back of his throat. She rose from his lap, smiling at the disappointed look on his face, and took a step back. "I guess it just seemed...like it's the right time, you know?" She gave his question more serious consideration as she shimmied out of her pants. They got caught around her ankles awkwardly, and blushing Jane stumblingly extracted herself from them as Patrick watched. She kept on talking to try to save face, "I mean my entire life is going to be dedicated to the Academy starting tomorrow, that's the kind of thing that makes a girl think hard about what she's done with her life so far." "Makes sense," Patrick replied thoughtfully, removing his shirt with one smooth motion, his pants with another. Jane was shocked, first by the rippling muscle that had been hiding beneath the loose clothes, then at the realization of just how easily he had slipped out of them. "You're...really practiced at that," she stammered. "Like you said, girls like the uniform," Patrick's grin was charming and mischievous at the same time, "it's not my first time." "Um..." Jane took a faltering step forward, then stood in front of him, naked and awkward and uncertain. "It's....it is mine, sort of." Patrick's eyebrows shot up, and he looked her up and down again, as if he was both appreciating her nude body and also trying to discern something about her. "Really?" "Well, that's why I'm doing this. I don't want to go to the Academy a virgin, and you're hot and a pilot, which I really like, and we probably won't be interacting at the Academy much, so there's no risk of drama...sorry, I sound really manipulative right now..." Jane bit her lip to stop her own babbling. Patrick reached forward suddenly and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back onto his lap where she straddled him again. "You've put a lot of thought into this," he teased, pulling her forward even further so that her forehead rested against his. "I probably sound pretty crazy," Jane murmured. She could feel his penis, surprisingly warm, against her thigh, and the feeling made her heart beat quicker. "You don't have to worry about it being super special or anything, I just want to know what it feels like, before my whole life is swept into chaos." "Understandable," Patrick's voice was quiet, "and I like that you're trusting me with your first time. Believe me, doing this with you *is* special." Jane blushed harder at his words than at the fact that she sat naked on top of him. Her hands slid across his broad chest, and she tried for a moment to forget about the warmth that was building between her legs. "You don't have to say things like that," she whispered, "I told you, it's fine. I'm awkward and it's my first time so I'm probably going to suck at it, you don't have to pretend." Patrick's hand was around her waist, the other sliding up and down across her stomach. "I assure you," he replied, "there is nothing pretend about this." His lips pressed against hers, and Jane relaxed and leaned into the kiss. His hands were so strong, and everywhere they touched seemed to light a brief fire of sensation. He barely touched her where she ached for him, instead grazing in unexpected places and somehow turning them into erogenous zones. His fingers brushed along her shoulders and made them buzz, his touch on her stomach sent tingles into her, and when he brushed his fingertips along her cheekbone and down her neck it made her toes curl. His tongue flicked over hers, and everything was too much, too mean, too intense. Jane didn't want to cum yet, but he was turning her entire body into a sex organ, and she couldn't stand it any longer. She shifted her position on Patrick's naked lap, moving so that his member pressed between her legs. He seemed surprised that she wanted him so soon, but he grinned, shifting his hips a little so that his head pressed against her opening. Jane braced herself, but the shock of penetration didn't come. Instead he began kissing her again, and the onslaught of sensation from his hands continued. It took her a while to realize that he was letting her proceed in her own time, giving her pleasure but letting her decide when she wanted to go ahead. Jane continued kissing, but let her kisses travel down from Patrick's lips to the side of his neck. She was wet, her pussy throbbed and with each heartbeat she was more and more aware of his hardness pressing against it. As she flicked her tongue over his neck, he made a small feral sound of approval, and the sound was enough to make up her mind. Holding tight to his shoulders, Jane slammed her hips down, impaling herself on Patrick's cock. She let out a cry of surprise and pain. In hurt much more than she had expected it to, but it also felt so good that she wasn't quite sure how to process the feeling. Although he had grunted when she pushed down on him, Patrick held absolutely still, watching her with a small smile on his lips. Slowly the pain began to fade, but the feelings of fullness and pleasure hadn't dissipated. Jane experimentally moved her hips a little, and was rewarded with a flush of ecstasy, a rush of pure sexual pleasure. There was no hesitance after that, she began moving her hips in earnest, moving his length around inside of her body and loving every sensation. His arms were wrapped around her, making her feel safe and warm as she rode him. The sensations pulsing through her wet sex were unique and powerful, building an orgasm up faster than she would've thought possible. It was like nothing she had felt before. He was stretching her further than her fingers, stretching her so perfectly and filling her so deep. He was warmer than a toy, with his arms around her and his chest pressed against her breasts. He was hotter than a fantasy, with his fingers continuing to stroke and caress in ways that wouldn't even occur to her to fantasize about. She rocked her hips back and forth, gasping as he hit places she hadn't discovered on her own. Even without experience Jane could tell when he came. She was surprised at how minutely she could feel the twitches and spasms of his cock, at how sudden and hot it was when he released inside of her. She kept on riding, chasing her own orgasm as she slid up and down him, pain forgotten. Her sensitive pussy felt the second when he started to grow soft inside of her, and she whimpered. *No, not yet, I'm so close...* Patrick leaned back with a confident grin, reached down, and gently flicked her swollen clit. Jane threw her head back and sighed as she came, the unique feeling of a cock inside of her making the experience that much better. Even with him growing soft she felt full and satisfied, sitting on top of him shaking and coming, his arm around her waist. When she finally slid back, letting his spent member slide out of her slit, she wore a grin that matched his. "So, about us not interacting at the Academy..." Patrick said. "Well...maybe we could interact a little bit..." Jane sighed, leaning her head against his strong chest. *** Captain Jane kept her eyes closed, even as she awoke. She made sure to listen the deep breaths, punctuated by occasional shuddering, that indicated Missy was asleep before she opened them. Li and Aimee were also asleep, Aimee's head in Li's lap, holding hands in their sleep. At the window, Jackson stood alert and attentive, looking down at the planet's surface. "What are you doing?" Jane asked quietly. "Marking out positional data." Jackson didn't seem startled, and his eyes never left the window as he answered, "in case the Terrans clear the satflyer away by the time we return, so we'll know where they went down." "Jackson I already told you all, we're not-" "Captain, with all due respect." Jackson interrupted her, turning eyes towards her that were intense, unblinking. Jane was startled at that look. *Has he always been that intense?* "I understand why you gave the order that you did," Jackson continued, "You are bound by rules, as are we all. As an Academy trainee I understand that there are correct and incorrect ways of getting what you want. Missy's way was incorrect. When we reach the Academy I plan on forwarding an HCJ report, requesting an official rescue operation under the provisions. All HCJ reports go straight to the General, and since he reccomended our squad for this mission, he's the most likely to approve a rescue." Jane blinked. "That's very...practical of you, Jackson," she said, unsure of how to respond to her Rookie's cool-headedness. "Thank you, Captain." "But there's no way the General will approve a rescue mission. And even if he did, there's no way our air team will survive long enough to be rescued." "Either way, insubordination won't help them, and identifying how to reach them will," Jackson replied calmly, "if the official routes won't work, I'll just have to come up with another course of action." Jane found that vaguely ominous, moreso when it was delivered in Jackson's quiet, deadpan voice. "What exactly is it that your augments do, Jackson?" Jane asked. The only other person she knew who had a CPU in his head was Arthur, and Jackson acted very different. He wasn't charming or magnetic, he was simply...solid. Solid and quiet, always unrattled, like a stone. "Didn't your files fill you in Captain?" Jackson didn't seem offended or worried. "They just said that you had them, and a little bit about why," Jane admitted. "Then I would prefer to leave it at that ma'am," Jackson turned back to the window. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that I got us into all of this, truly. I'm sorry I lost them." "I don't blame you, Captain. None of us do, or at least they won't once they've calmed down. We know you care about us." "Some would say I care about you too much," Jane half-smiled, then frowned. *Not that it matters anymore...now that Marcus...* She suddenly didn't want to talk about this subject anymore, not when the thought of Marcus felt like an emotional punch in the gut. "People care too much about trivial things," Jackson seemed thoughtful, "it's not as if we're all children. Only busybodies think sleeping with your rookies is inappropriate." "I suppose," Jane said briefly. *** "Sleeping with your rookies is completely inappropriate!" Jane Cripshaw squeaked in dismay. She squeaked quietly, even though the room they were in was completely deserted, as if the walls themselves would spread rumors. "Why is it suddenly inappropriate?" Lieutenant Patrick Appet grinned, "has something changed between now and say, a week ago?" "I didn't know you would be my instructor a week ago!" Jane tried to lower her voice, but it still came out a squeak, "you didn't tell me, you asshole!" "Hey, that's not fair," Patrick grew uncharacteristically serious for a moment, "they didn't even tell me I'd be teaching a rookie class until I got back to the orbital; apparently they didn't have enough free captains. And for the record, I didn't get my class roster until the evening before the ceremony. I found out a whole twenty four hours before you did." "Oh..." a little of the righteous anger retreated from Jane, leaving her able to speak without squeaking, "...well I...retract the asshole comment then, I suppose." "Excellent." "But we still can't have sex!" "Why is that? Are you a virgin?" Patrick teased, stepping forward, and Jane skittered backward, away from him. "You're still my instructor! It's not appropriate!" He searched her face, as if only just now realizing she was serious. When he seemed to have convinced himself, he looked a tad disappointed, but he shrugged. "Alright then, I suppose. You're missing out," he winked, "but you're allowed your reasoning." "I know I'm missing out," Jane said, *fuck do I know it...* "but I just wouldn't feel right about it. Not with you as my instructor." "I won't pressure you then," Patrick reached out and chucked her under the chin affectionately, "even if you're being a naive moron." "I'm sorry," Jane really was, "being with you is fun...a lot of fun. But right now, I'm not comfortable being anything but friends." "I'll take friends," Patrick smiled, already opening the door of the empty room. "And I swear," Jane added mischieviously, "the day I graduate and you're no longer my instructor, I'm hunting you down and fucking your brains out." "I'm totally holding you to that, Rooke Cripshaw." *** Jane barely even noticed when the pod broke through the green fog. It was the second time she had seen the windows suddenly clear, evil fog changing to beautiful stars. It was the second time she hadn't been in the mood to appreciate the sight. *** "Ladies and gentlemen!" Center stood unsteadily, one foot on the chair, the other planted firmly in the middle of the table. His shout had garnered attention from the entire mess hall, and he drunkenly smiled at the upturned faces around him. "Today, my squad an' I have *hic*, 'scuse me, graduated to Lieutenant-level!" Even the strangers at the mess joined them in a cheer, a celebratory shout that echoed off the walls of the room. Center clearly had more to say, but his squaddies pulled him back down before he could use up the room's collective patience. Orbital Academy 10 "Lieutenant Center, you are drunk," Jane laughed, grabbing his drink from him as he groped for it. "I think we've all earned a good drunkening, Lieutenant Cripshaw ma'am," Center pulled off a perfect salute that melted into a awkward muddle at the end, sending the whole squad into laughter. "He's got a point Lieutenant," Lily grinned, lifting her hand to indicate another round of drinks. "This 'calling each other Lieutenant' crap is gonna get old real fast, knock it off," Patrick growled good naturedly. "Aw c'mon Patrick," Jack-pip elbowed him, "do you know how fuckin' miserable those exams were? We worked our asses off for the right to call each other Lieutenant." "And anyways, we're Lieutenants too now! You no longer outrack us, *squaddie*" Jane teased. The rest of the squadmates burst into laughter again, and for the rest of the meal took great delight in refusing him every time he asked for a chip or another drink. The squaddies chatted and talked long past the mess hall's normal closing hours, until one by one they wandered off towards the barracks, going to sleep early in preparation for the big day tomorrow. "How long we known each other now, Rook?" Patrick asked thoughtfully, after Acren had left, leaving the only Jane and him alone at the table.. "Come on Patrick, when are you gonna stop calling me that?" Jane whined, "it's been two years since I was a rookie." "I've been your teacher for those two years, I'm allowed," Patrick puffed up his chest, "I can call you whippersnappers whatever the hell I want." He grew serious again,"but listen Jane. We've gotten close, over these years, yea? It's not just me who feels it?" "Course it's not just you," the serious tone was sobering, and she didn't like it, "what kinda question is that? You're my best friend, you know that. What's the deal with you this evening?" "I know that. And you're the best friend I have Jane-" "Your only friend," Jane muttered, but Patrick made an impatient motion as if brushing her smartass comment aside. "I just think...things can be different, now that I'm your teammate instead of your instructor. Can't they?" "Patrick," Jane rolled her eyes, "if this is about my promise to fuck you when you weren't my instructor anymore, you don't need to worry, I haven't forgotten. I mean, if you're still interested..." "Need I remind you that *you're* the one who's been forcing us to wait this long. I would've dropped my pants for you the first day." Patrick grinned, but he still seemed hesitant. "What?" Jane asked. She was starting to get worried, self-conscious, "you *do* still want me too, don't you? Or has getting to know me better soured your feelings about me?" "What? No!" Patrick seemed startled, "the opposite, actually. The more I get to know you, the more I enjoy your company." "Then what's the problem?" "I'm just interested in more with you. More than just the fucking." Jane blinked, trying to gauge if he was being serious. "What do you mean...'more' like dating?" Patrick spread his hands in response, clearly waiting to see what she thought of the idea. Jane sat stunned for a moment, hope and disbelief warring inside her. Before the academy Patrick had simply been a hot guy in a uniform, someone convenient. In the first year with him as her instructor she had developed a schoolgirl crush, one that she only resisted because, true to his word, Lieutenant Appet had never made another advance to her. In the second year, Pilot Cripshaw's crush had matured into a fierce loyalty and friendship, a relationship somewhat deeper but plagued by sexual tension. She knew he saw her as a good friend, and she was fairly sure that he looked forward to their promised fucking almost as much as she did...but that he felt the same affection about her had never crossed her mind. "I think..." Jane said slowly, "that that would be alright." The grin that broke across his face was instant, warming her from the inside out. "Just as an experiment, to see how it works out," she warned, "I'm sure I'll fuck it up eventually, so be prepared for that." "Oh I'm sure you will," Patrick teased. In spite of herself, Jane grinned back at him. The warm feeling wasn't going away...there he was, her schoolgirl crush, her hero, her first, and he looked as happy about having her as she had ever seen him before. *Not to mention how fucking hot he is...* Jane mentally added. The warmth in her heart was spreading to other areas...areas that needed his attention. "So...how about that fuck?" she cut straight to the point, not bothering with coyness or subtlety. "Believe me when I say how much I want it," Patrick chuckled, "but we've got a planetary to run and not a lot of time to sleep for it. We've waited this long, let's give it one more night." Jane wanted to argue, but it *was* her first planetary. She would need to be at the top of her game tomorrow. "One more night," she growled, rising from the table, "after that I'm coming for you, Appet." "Oh you definitely will be," Patrick grinned. Shocked that she had left him with such a clear opening, Jane turned up her nose and walked away with a sniff. *** "Attention temp pod, this is Pilot Gammon, we are within range and ready to latch tow lines," the comm crackled. The others were awake, and Captain Appet could feel their eyes on her as she walked across the small pod to reach the comms. "Roger that Pilot Gammon," she said without feeling, "bracing for impact." The pod shuddered as the towlines his, and the entire room jerked as Gammon began pulling them towards the orbital. Jane held onto the desk, staring blankly at the dull lights to avoid turning and meeting the gaze of Li, Aimee, Missy and Jackson. Her four surviving rookies. Pulsing blue indicators on the dash showed that the others were technically still alive, somewhere, or at least alive enough that their bodies were still powering their subdermal computers. Jane turned her back on the display. She would rather meet the others' gaze than be watching when the lights went out. None of the rookies met her eyes. *They're never going to forgive me,* Jan realized, *hell, I can't even say that I blame them.* *** "GET INTO THE FUCKING POD," Jane shrieked, her fingers hovering over the red button, eyes wide with horror. Lily stumbled as she ran down the hill towards the ground team's temp pod, but miraculously was able to turn the stumble into a roll. To Jane's left, Arthur was taking shots at the Terrans whenever they showed themselves from behind the trees, but the blue-haired combatants were using some kind of shielding; sending the shots wide or absorbing them. Lily lost her footing yet again, which saved her life as a gout of blue flame flew past where she had been standing a moment ago. With a final burst of speed, Lily threw herself into the pod, and Jane slammed the button down. Arthur continued suppressive fire until the walls of the ground pod closed completely, while Jane flicked the switches to set the engines began spinning. The pod shook as it slowly rose from the ground, hammered from the outside by blue fire, but the damage wasn't enough to keep them from taking off. Jane glanced around the room, confirming that Arthur and Lily were safely inside as the pod rose slowly into the air. "It's alright, we're all inside, we're all okay," Arthur said soothingly, reading her distress with the help of the CPU in his head. Jane slumped to the ground, shaking. "They came so fast!" She said with a shuddering breath, "how did they find us so fast?" "Ground team come in, are you safe?" Patrick's voice sounded strained on the comms. "We're safe, just took off," Lily gasped, holding her side, "everyone accounted for, we'll hit the fog layer and be away in a few minutes. How about you?" "We're...we're not doing too well." Jane identified a tone that she had missed the first time and sprang to the window. With the rising motion of the pod, Jane had to scan the sky for a moment before she caught sight of the satflyer. There were creatures swarming the satflyer. Though they were hard to make out at distance, Jane thought she could count about six or seven of them. They flitted back and forth, first hovering, then moving quickly in sharp, straight angles of flight. The satflyer's guns were firing off in brief but constant bursts of fire, seeming more focused on keeping the creatures at bay than at hitting them. "Air team this is ground team," Jane could hear Lily trying to keep calm, "we're away! Get out of there!" "Roger that ground team," even as Patrick's voice sounded over the comms, escape pods began firing out from the top of the satflyer, leaving long columns of smoke in their wake. Jane counted them as they flew up into the fog. *...two...three...* "Everyone's out!" Lily was no longer using proper transmission protocols, but no one cared. They were all transfixed by the sight of the satflyer, and by the tiny specks that were attacking it. "Patrick, take off! Everyone's safe!" Lily's voice had risen to a high pitch. "We're not safe," Jane said quietly, with horror. The temporary pod had risen quite a ways before the creatures noticed it, but now they were beginning to group up into two separate swarms. Four of them continued harassing the satflyer, swooping in close and then ducking back in the air when the guns opened fire. The second group of four had swung around, and were heading towards the ground pod. "They know we don't have weapons," Jane realized aloud. The pod had grown deathly silent. "Patrick, those...things are coming at us," Lily said, her voice grim, "they know we can't keep them away." "Copy that, ground team. How much longer before you hit the fog?" "...one and a half minutes." *Too long,* Jane felt herself slipping into a strange sort of morbid calm. The creatures would reach the defenseless ground pod before they hit the fog. The flying things were close enough that Jane could see their features now. They were naked women, or at least partly so. Their arms were warped and twisted, forming wide feathered wings. At the knee their skin became tough and leathery, ending in three-toed claws. Their mouths were a little too big to seem human, their eyes a little too wild. Although she'd never seen a Harp in person, Jane had heard enough to know what they were capable of. "Ground team..." Patrick paused for a moment. *He'd better finish his sentence quick,* Jane thought dully, *it won't take the Harps long to rip through the walls once they get to us.* "...listen, Arthur, you know me better than anyone, with your chip. You know what I'd have to say." "Don't you fucking dare," Arthur roared into the comm, but Patrick was still talking, his speech rushed now. "Lily, that thing we talked about last week? The answer is yes, of course yes. You've always been strong enough, and I've always known that." Jane looked confusedly back and forth between her squaddies. Arthur looked furious, Lily's eyes were watering. *Why is he bothering to tell us things like this now?* she wondered, *why does it matter when he knows we're about to die?* "And Jane...listen," she had never heard him sound so deadly serious, which was appropriate, she supposed, "it would've worked. You weren't some experiment to me. It would've worked all the way to the end, all the way until you were Mrs. Lieutenant Appet." The full realization of what he was about to do hit Jane just as the first shots grazed the pod. The Harps that were attacking them were caught completely off-guard; Jane could see the shocked expression on the face of one as it was blown away. The other three spun, trying to dodge and spin out of the way of the barrage that the satflyer was firing. A second Harp was blown out of the sky, and the other two broke off, spinning in quick dives towards the surface to escape. Jane's attention wasn't on them, it was on the satflyer itself. As soon as the guns had turned to assist the temp pod, the first group of Harps had swung in, using sharp claws and oversized tough teeth to rip away strips and bites of metal from its sides. Jane couldn't cry, couldn't look away, as the specks disappeared from sight, crawling through the holes and into the satflyer. The windows of the pod were suddenly obscured, covered by roiling green fog. "P-Patrick no," she gasped, "no no no no." Her mind seemed fractured somehow, broken into pieces that refused to carry a thought from beginning to completion. "Patrick no," if she said it enough times, it wouldn't be true, "no, I love you, no" The comm crackled, his voice staticky through the distortion of the fog. "I love you too Jane." The screams only filled the radio for a few seconds before she slammed her hand down on the switch, shutting it off. She wasn't sure when it stopped and when it was replaced with her own screaming. In one of the fractured pieces of her mind she thought his scream might never stop. *** Captain Appet tried to ignore the ten-year-old scream, as fresh in her memory as if she had heard it a few seconds ago, as the doors of the pod hissed open. Behind her Li and Aimee stood on either side of Missy, Jackson a little ways off but still clearly supporting the group. Jane was grateful for that, at least. Knowing that the rookies would be able to lean on each other took a small portion of the weight off of her mind. She realized with a start that the door was open, and the hangar in front of them was relatively packed with people. *They don't know,* Jane realized, *none of them know yet.* It seemed perverse, that such a horrible thing had happened and these people didn't know about it. Her eyes wandered over the assembled people for a few moments. Her old team were there, Lily, Arthur, Jake-pip and Center. Arthur was frowning, stepping forward; he had already read the entire mission on her face. There were several teams of scrub, some Captains and Lieutenants. There was a healthy portion of Rookies there as well. *Do my rooks have friends in their year?* she thought with surprised. General Auspus was directly in front of the pod, one eyebrow raised in a question. Jane cleared her throat, and spoke to the entire group. She already knew the words, Lily had spoken them when she, Arthur, and Jane returned from their last planetary run. "There was trouble on the mission. We're the only survivors." Orbital Academy 11 Inside of Jackson's head, a small reminder alert pinged, and he took a breath. The ping was vaguely musical, and for the nanosecond it lasted Jackson enjoyed and appreciated the fact that he had a snapshot of music that only he could enjoy. The breath ended and he returned his focus to the problem at hand. Very occasionally Jackson would wonder what it would be like to have a normal human brain. He would probably be lazy, perhaps absentminded, maybe talkative. Perhaps he might've even had a say in how his personality developed. His mother had taken that choice away from him with her extensive use of cocaine and critz and alcohol. When he was born his mind was so malformed there were only two options; augmentation or no augmentation. Without a CPU he would be a ward of Orbital Minera, his brain running a single function where a normal human could handle several, barely classifiable as alive much less intelligent. So really, the social worker hadn't had a choice either, giving the techs and medics permission to use him as a test case for their latest augmentations. The alert pinged, and Jackson took a breath. There were a lot of items stored in his long-term hard drive, but the currently focused goal was to get food. In theory he could switch goals, thumbing through the items in his mental to-do list, but choosing a different goal wouldn't help him obtain food, so he dismissed the thought. If he ever bothered to inform them, the techs would probably be embarrassed about that serious flaw in their design. A chip designed to force his single-function-brain into achieving a goal wouldn't ever allow him to willingly choose a different one. The only time a goal changed was due to outside factors, like someone talking, or a change in the environment. Jackson stepped down from the pod's ramp, absentmindedly helping Missy and Aimee off as well. The crowd parted for him as he made his way towards the doorway leading to the mess hall. They think I'm mourning my fallen comrades, the information registered to him, but he couldn't empathize with it. What possible use could moaning and wailing have in accomplishing any of his goals? Of course, they're important, Jackson admitted, mentally scrolling through his tasks to make sure goal 11125 still had a high priority, but who can spend so much time not doing something? He had reached the mess and was filling a plate when the goal priorities shifted with a click, goal 87546 stashing away like a satisfying piece in his mind's puzzle as soon as he successfully acquired food. While he looked for a table, he enjoyed the leisurely process of flipping through his tasks to select his next goal. Goal 11125 was one of the highest priorities at the moment, since the sooner he mounted a rescue attempt the more likely it would be to succeed. That one will have to be divided into several subgoals though... He set his tray down and browsed through for smaller goals that he could quickly complete before tackling that one, pausing only to breath when the alert ping reminded him. "Jackson!" Even in the crowded and bustling mess hall Jackson recognized Cynthia's voice; it was one of the most attractive things about her. It was silvery and light, almost musical. Like the breathing alert, he realized, I wonder if that's why I like it so much. Her voice was concerned now, and he liked the thought that she worried about him. Deeper, more instinctual feelings stirred in him at the sound of her voice, and goal 71609 slid upward in priority by several places. Part of him was slightly ashamed as he selected it, that he was prioritizing such a animalistic goal over saving his squadmates, but it had been a few weeks since he'd last satisfied those urges, and he always planned better when they were satisfied. He almost winced when he turned. Just behind Cynthia, Samantha was also approaching, glancing at the other girl with confusion. A guy just can't catch a break around here, Jackson mentally sighed, as the CPU in his head whirred with the incoming data. His goal split into subgoals in a picosecond, and he immediately felt disoriented until he could translate them into words. Seeing the two girls next to each other highlighted their differences and brought them into sharp contrast. Cynthia had clearly just come from the hangars, since her face was still smudged with carbon stains and engine grease. Her red hair was tied back with a piece of black ribbon, and Jackson spared a moment to appreciate the single strand that had fallen out of the tie. Samantha had also clearly come from the hangars as well, but her work was far more clerical. Smooth unblemished skin and soft hands set her about as far apart from Cynthia as she could be, but with the proximity Jackson realized that the ringlets around her face were almost the exact same shade of red. I guess I have a type after all, he pondered, cute red-haired scrubs. The alert ping reminded him to breath, and refocused him on the task at hand. Right. Don't want to end things with Cynthia. Don't want to end things with Sam. Don't want to lie to either. You can never give me a simple goal, can you? Jackson scolded the chip. On the next ping, he took an extra deep breath. "Cynthia! Sam!" he gave a small smile and stepped forward, putting one arm around Sam's waist and using the other hand to pull Cynthia forward. He kissed Cynthia on the forehead, Sam on the cheek, and then turned back to the table, "Fuck have I missed you! Come on and join me, please!" He indicated the empty seats at his table, smoothly sitting and hoping the ice in his stomach wouldn't show on his face. To his relief, both girls sat, though both now looked unsure of themselves. "I heard about your planetary," Samantha said cautiously, breaking the slightly awkward silence, "Jackson I'm so sorry." "They're not dead yet," Jackson began eating as he spoke, "their beacons are still lit." "Jackson..." Cynthia reached across the table to place a comforting hand on his, an action that Jackson noticed made Samantha frown. "It's okay, I'm not in denial or anything," Jackson chewed thoughtfully, trying to decide how he would handle his current goal, "if their beacons go out I'll deal with it at that point, but until then there's still hope." Samantha opened her mouth, and the highest priority goal demanded that he interrupt her. If he could stop them from addressing the elephant in the room, there was a chance that he could simply keep them both by pure inertia. Both girls were a little off-balance, and the chip was telling him to keep them that way. Instead he kept quiet, letting her speak. He knew it was his imagination, but he sometimes felt like he could hear his CPU screaming and grinding as he ignored the route that would technically work the best, but he would much rather opt for open communication than for manipulating his way to his goals. "Jackson, I know this probably isn't the best time," Samantha said, unaware of the conflict in Jackson's CPU, "but...who is this?" "I'm sorry, that's rude of me," Jackson apologized, "Sam, this is Cynthia, she works in fuel processing. Cyn, Samantha, she's in ship transfer admin." He took another bite as he waited for the inevitable follow-up questions. Cynthia's hand was still on his, which was a good sign, and he idly ran a thumb back and forth over it as the girls exchanged glances. "Pleased to meet you," Cynthia murmured, looking at Jackson instead of Samantha with narrowed eyes, but a half smile playing around the corner of her lips. "Likewise," Samantha sounded unsure of herself, and Jackson's CPU informed him that his chances of goal completion would increase vastly if he simply played to her unsureness. "You two are my two best friends on the entire orbital..." Jackson continued. The techs told him the chip couldn't actually form commands, that it simply allowed him to focus better, but he could swear he heard it talking to him; "Confuse her! You're so close if you can just keep her on her toes! Lie!" "...and in answer to the question neither of you are asking, yes, I'm sleeping with both of you." Jackson powered through the chip's instructions. Samantha's mouth dropped open in surprise. Cynthia folded her arms and leaned back, but she was grinning. "The balls on this one," she chuckled. "You...you're just going to say that? Just admit it to both of us?" Samantha spluttered. "Course, why not?" Jackson took another bite, "it wouldn't be very nice to hide that information would it?" "But it's 'nice' to sleep with both of us at the same time?" Samantha almost exploded. Jackson shrugged, "I suppose I didn't assume we were exclusive," he said, "that's why I didn't mind you banging your co-worker on the side." Samantha blushed bright red, and Cynthia threw her head back and laughed aloud. She not only didn't realize I knew... But she also thought we were exclusive at the time? Jackson considered whether or not to be offended, and finally shrugged it off. "I didn't...I wasn't..." Samantha stammered. She turned to Cynthia, no doubt hoping to find someone to back her up, "and you're okay with this? With him just going back and forth between the two of us?" "I never made an assumption about what we were," Cynthia raised both hands, "Jackson's fun to talk to and he's a good lay, we never put expectations on each other beyond that. Although," she reached forward and grabbed Jackson's spoon, pointing it menacingly at Jackson, "last month when I needed help cleaning the capacity core on your cruiser, and you said 'oh I've got physical training to catch up on', I swear to god if you blew me off to get some action from her..." Jackson grinned, "Actual PT, I swear," he said, truthfully, "I like to think I'm a little more respectful than ditching one of you for the other." Cynthia used the spoon to steal a bite of chocolate paste from his plate, and he didn't stop her. Samantha seemed completely out of her element and bewildered, but she wasn't leaving. His CPU stopped screaming at him, and he felt his shoulders imperceptibly relax. "I guess it's just...different...to me," Samantha finally mumbled, "I'm not used to this kind of situation. It seems weird." "Weirder than when you thought you were both cheating on each other?" Cynthia asked brightly around a mouthful of chocolate. Samantha blushed again. "You'll have your hands full if you get with these admin types Jackson," Cynthia grinned, "full of strange expectations." "No call for that kind of talk Cyn," Jackson broke in before Samantha could respond, "Sam's a fine lady, and alongside you she's one of the people I care about most on this station." "You're right, that was uncalled for," Cynthia agreed, "I'm sorry Samantha." "I'm not a prude or anything," Samantha said defensively, "I just don't like the thought of sharing Jackson back and forth." "Well..." Jackson said thoughtfully, carefully, "if that's the way you feel, we don't have to do this back and forth." Samantha looked at him uncomprehending, but Cynthia clearly saw what he was implying almost instantly. "Jackson Carter Rade," she leaned back in her chair, fixing Jackson with a stare that was halfway between incredulous and impressed, "let me get this straight. Your two girlfriends meet each other, and even though you managed to stretch your luck enough to avoid a major blowout, you now think you're smooth enough to turn the situation into a threesome?" Jackson carefully finished his last bite, considering how to answer. In the end, he opted for honesty. "Yep," he said. Cynthia and Samantha looked back and forth between him and each other. Jackson had to admit that the stunned looks on their faces was amusing enough to be worth whatever answer he got. "Well, say what you will about him, the boy's got stones," Cynthia finally said. Samantha was opening and closing her mouth like a fish, but she finally managed to stutter, "What...what...what?" Jackson tried to gather his thoughts for a whole several alert pings. His head was beginning to hurt from the strain of the CPU, and he was painfully aware that several goals were slowly creeping higher in his priority list. He looked up to meet the eyes of the two girls. "Look, I've had...the most hellish few days I can ever remember," he admitted, "I've just about fried my brain by keeping it running too hot for the past few days, because there's just too many tasks to get done. I've got another rough patch coming up, so right now, in this brief bit of quiet before the storm, I'd really like to do something that will let me relax and forget about all the shit that has come before and is coming up." He shrugged, "I meant what I said earlier. You two are my closest and best friends here, and I'm really glad we still have that," he raised his eyebrows to make it a question, and was relieved when both girls nodded. "I like having you for friends, that would be true even if you both weren't as good in bed as you are. I mean...damnit I'm normally smoother than this..." The sound of gears grinding in his head was makinh it ache. The chip doesn't even have fucking gears, he mentally grumbled, rubbing his temples. "Aw, honey," Cynthia said sympathetically, standing and rounding the table to give him a hug. She took his hand and pulled him up from his seat, turning and moving toward the door. "Come on," she said over her shoulder, and Samantha rose with a confused look. "Where...what are you doing?" she asked. "I'm gonna help this fuckin' idiot relax," Cynthia replied with a smirk, "and you're going to help me." *** Cynthia's room wasn't far from the mess hall, within easy access of the hangar. As a "scrub", one of the valuable mechanics on the Orbital, she had the luxury of a private room. Jackson smiled wearily as he stepped inside. Though it was slightly cramped, a single large room and adjoining bathroom, Cynthia had made it her own. Small gears and wires, twisted into pieces of art, decorated the walls, and hand-made blankets and quilts lined anything that could be used as a bed or seat. The entire effect was one of instant comfort and coziness, an effect that Cynthia herself had on Jackson. Samantha looked around the room curiously as Cynthia pulled Jackson towards her strange bed that sat in the corner, made up of a pile of layered blankets and pillows as high as her waist. "This place is...really nice," Samantha sounded surprised, "comfortable." "What better place to comfort someone?" Cynthia untied the fastenings on her rough mechanics jacket, shrugging it off and tossing it in a corner. She always seemed at ease, but Jackson noticed she was a little more herself when she was in her room. "Um...about that..." Samantha was blushing, looking down at her feet. "You don't have to do this, Sam," Jackson watched her face carefully, looking for signs of hesitation. It didn't matter how helpful his CPU could've been in convincing her; if she wasn't willing to do this, he had no desire to force her. "No," Samantha seemed startled, "no, that's not it at all, I really do, it's just I...I don't know how." Jackson shot a look at Cynthia, hoping she wouldn't make fun of Samantha's embarrassment, but the mechanic was looking at her kindly, almost affectionately. "It's not so hard," Cynthia smiled, reaching out and hooking a hand around Samantha's neck. Samantha blushed harder, but Cynthia gently steered her towards the bed where Jackson was sitting, "do you like kissing our jerk of a boy here?" "Yes," Samantha answered hesitantly, and Cynthia gently pushed Samantha's head forward to meet Jackson's lips. Jackson held the moment in his mind as the kiss deepened. It felt like so long since he had touched her, touched either of them, and he wanted to savor the sensation of every moment. Samantha's kiss tasted like strawberries, and her tongue darted playfully across his lips. He ran his fingers through her bright red curls as he lay back on the bed, pulling her with him. "Good," he heard Cynthia say approvingly. As if encouraged by the other girl's approval, Samantha straddled Jackson, sitting on his upper stomach and bending down to keep on kissing him. "Now," Cynthia murmured, and Jackson vaguely registered the sound of clothing hitting the floor, "we'll see if you're a good enough kisser to keep his attention during what I'm about to do." She is a very good kisser, Jackson mused, as Samantha gently tugged at his lower lip with her teeth, but I have an idea about what Cynthia is going to do... As if on cue Cynthia's fingers deftly unfastened his pants with a practiced ease. Samantha broke the kiss, panting, to turn and watch as Cynthia pulled his pants off and threw them into the growing stack of clothes by the bed. "You're wearing too much," Cynthia said. Samantha was blocking Jackson's view of her face, but whatever expression Cynthia was wearing must've been enough to allay Samantha's reservations. Samantha slowly slipped her shirt over her head just as Cynthia wrapped warm nimble fingers around Jackson's shaft. The combination of Cynthia's fingers and the sight of Samantha's breasts dropping free was enough to make Jackson's hips involuntarily buck, and Samantha giggled she almost fell off of him. He couldn't see what Cynthia was doing, which made each touch unexpected. Instead he was treated to Samantha's large boobs hanging over his face as she leaned down again to pull his shirt off. He didn't mind in the slightest. Her strawberry-flavored kisses resumed again, keeping his attention as she made complicated motions to remove her own pants. Sudden warmth and wetness around the head of his member informed him that Cynthia had started using her tongue, and Jackson dug his nails into Samantha's naked back at the feeling. Samantha was rocking her hips back and forth, grinding her sex against his stomach while she kissed him and clearly enjoying his nails. He could feel how wet she was growing, and the heat of her cunt pressed against his body felt almost as good as Cynthia's tongue, which was sliding up and down his shaft at a steady, maddening pace. "God," Samantha broke the kiss again with a gasp, turning to look back at Cynthia, "I want him," she panted, "I need it, please?" "Mmm I can see what you see in this one Jackson," Cynthia purred, "she begs so prettily." Samantha squeaked as Cynthia's arms wrapped around her, squeezing her generous breasts and then yanking her backward onto the bed. Jackson leaned forward as Cynthia stood, both looking down at the naked woman as she blushed furiously. Jackson let his gaze travel back and forth between the two of them, appreciating the uniqueness of their bodies. Cynthia's breasts were quite small compared to Samantha's, but her body was harder, rougher. The smudges of oil and dirt made patterns on Cynthia's skin that showed exactly where the lines of her clothes had been, and where there was no dirt her freckles showed clearly, speckling her cheeks and tiny breasts. Samantha's mound was smooth, while Cynthia had a patch of flame-red hair between her legs. Like night and day, these two, Jackson mused, so how are they both so hot? "I'm feeling very self-conscious right now," Samantha murmured under their stares. "Jackson, for god's sake fuck the poor thing before she bursts into flames," Cynthia laughed, hopping lightly up onto the bed. She straddled Samantha, scooting back so that her pussy was rubbing against the other girl's mound and leaning forward. "Is this alright?" Jackson could hear Cynthia murmur, and the girl beneath her nodded. Samantha squirmed as soon as Jackson touched her, sliding a finger up and down across her slit. Cynthia's small ass moved in the air as she rubbed her clit against the her, and for a moment Jackson was mesmerized at the sight of the two perfect pussies so close together, both pink and wet and inviting. The scent of their juices mingled and combined into a heady aroma that sent shocks of lust through him even as he looked. "Samantha's too embarrassed to say it," Cynthia grinned over her shoulder, "but she would very much like your cock inside of her now." Her words snapped Jackson out of his trance, and without further hesitation he positioned his member at Samantha's opening and thrust inside. Samantha threw her head back on the bed and gave a long moan, cut off almost instantly by Cynthia's tongue. The sight of Cynthia kissing her made Jackson so hard it almost hurt, and he struggled to keep a steady pace as he slammed into Samantha over and over again. Even through the kiss he could hear her moaning, and the sound drove him to push into her even harder. Orbital Academy 11 Jackson pulled out completely, moving his hips so that when he next thrust forward his cock slid inside of Cynthia's waiting cunt. His breath was coming out ragged as he thrust faster and faster, first slamming into Cynthia then switching back to Samantha. Even their pussies were different, gripping his member in different ways, and he couldn't tell which he liked more. He was already feeling the orgasm building in him when Cynthia came, her sex clamping down and quivering around his length as her whole body shook. Samantha murmured something in the other girl's ear, and whatever it was it made Cynthia cum even harder. The tightness around him was bringing him close, and without thinking he pulled his member out and slid it between the bodies of the two girls. Both of them obligingly rubbed against him, sliding their mounds and clits over his wet cock. The stimulation was enough to send Jackson over the edge, moaning as he came. Neither girl stopped their rocking grinding, and the sticky wet contact made his orgasm last longer than any he could ever remember. He grabbed Cynthia's ass and Samantha's thigh as he shot his load between their bodies, his mind blanking out at the pleasure. Jackson leaned back with a sigh, catching his breath, as Cynthia sit up. Samantha's hips were still rocking as if against her will, and a slight whimper escaped her lips. "Oh you poor thing!" Cynthia murmured, "we had all the fun and left you frustrated! Let me help you with that." Jackson watched with a smile as Cynthia moved downward, burying her face between Samantha's legs. If Samantha had any more reservations they were gone now; she reached down to run her fingers through the other girl's hair as Cynthia worked her magic with her tongue. Jackson's eyes drooped, and he yawned. Even as he enjoyed the sight of his two girls playing with each other, the CPU in his head flipped through his goals without being directed. Goal 72999 was selected and locked in. Jackson was surprised, but shrugged...it had been nearly 48 hours since he had last slept. He settled back as Samantha started moaning again, watching the pair with a smile. Cynthia had started to play with herself as she ate Samantha out, Jackson's cum dripping off of her stomach to land on her wrist as her fingers slowly slid in and out of her own pussy. With the explicit scene in front of him, Jackson closed his eyes... *** Jackson was told that he slept differently than other people, the process more akin to defragging a computer than typical sleep. He didn't really know how it compared, but he knew he felt refreshed in every way after sleeping. It felt like only an instant later that he opened his eyes, mind fresh and sharp. Cynthia was asleep on his right, her red hair mussed and spread over his shoulder. Samantha lay on his left, awake, dragging a finger back and forth across his chest and looking pensive. "Something wrong?" He asked quietly, taking advantage of the brief moments he could focus on everything around him as he mentally flicked through his tasks. "That was...a lot nicer than I thought it would be," she replied thoughtfully, "I thought it was going to be all nasty and kinky and a little gross but it was...I dunno, more tender. She's sweet," she nodded at the sleeping girl on his other arm. "I think so too," Jackson replied. Goal 11125 clicked into place, and Jackson sighed when the alert ping reminded him to breath. "I think I like this. It's better than with Aaron. The co-worker," she clarified at Jackson's questioning glance. "You don't have to give him up you know," Jackson assured her, "I was serious about that. We don't have to be monogamous." "I just...I think I want to do this all the time," Samantha said carefully, "Just the three of us. Not monogamous but...tri-nogamous." "I think I would like that too," Jackson smiled, sitting up. It was what the CPU told him to say, but happily it was also the truth, "we should talk about it, the three of us." "Where are you going?" "I have to save my squadmates." "Is there anything I can do to help?" The offer was made without hesitation or reluctance, and Jackson smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, there is." *** The conference room was small, but even so the empty seats were clearly gnawing at his squadmates' minds. They all sat at one end, Jackson at the head of the table, Missy, Aimee and Li on his left, Cynthia and Samantha on his right. "I should start by letting you all know that what I'm going to propose is probably stupid and definitely dangerous," Jackson didn't mince words. "You two," he indicated Cynthia and Samantha, "could lose your jobs. The four of us," he indicated his squadmates, "could be killed." "We're going down to rescue them," Missy murmured. Jackson was gratified to see the hope spring so instantly into her eyes. One recruit accounted for already, he thought. "We are. There's more to it than that, but yes, we're getting them back." "Jackson, Missy," Aimee began, awkwardly, "you know we want to get them back too, but even Captain Appet won't let us go, let alone the people we actually need clearance from." "No, they wouldn't," Jackson agreed, "which is why we're not going to clear it." Before the protests or arguments could start, Jackson had pulled displays up on the screens in the table, historical data from planetary runs. "Do you know why we use a complicated systems of a satellite and drones to run planetaries, instead of just flying through with cruisers?" He asked. "Drones are easier to replace than human life," Li responded, but Jackson shook his head, "If they were worried about human life we would've come up to an alternative to planetary runs altogether. No, the difference is the fuel. Cruisers burn jet fuel, and satflyers use hover thrusters." His squadmates gave him blank looks, and he forced himself to hold back and keep calm. He sometimes forgot how slowly normal brains were at following a path, sometimes you had to spell it out for them. "Back when we used cruisers for planetary runs, according to the records, it took an average of five minutes before winged opposition engaged them. Ever since switching to satflyers, the fastest an air team has been attacked is fifty minutes," he selected numbers, pulling them to the forefront so that his squaddies could follow his train of thought, "this is true even though the satflyers are bigger, slower, and less armed." There were still blank looks, and Jackson clenched his fist. Don't lose your temper, the subgoal is to get them on your side, he cautioned himself. "However the Terrans find our aircrews, it's not by sight or radar," he patiently explained, "it's by the fuel traces somehow, or maybe the noise." "That seems like a really inefficient way of finding us. Why wouldn't they just use radar?" Aimee asked "I don't know, but it's clear that they don't. The air team can identify Terran movement on the ground, but on every single planetary that encountered resistance," another data set flitted up onto the screens, "the Terrans on the ground attacked out of sync with their aerial units. As if they have to find the ground team and the air team independently. They can't see us as well as we can see them, that's the only answer that makes sense. Everyone assumes the Terrans have better technology, but what if it's not better, it's just different?" The room was silent at the suggestion, as his squadmates pondered the question. "Even if that were the case," Li said slowly, "and that's a big fuckin' 'if', by the way...how does that help us get our team off the ground?" Jackson grinned. He was rather proud of this part. "We land on the planet in cruisers." Blank looks again... Jackson mentally sighed. "Right, from step one then..." He ran through the plan once more in his head, fine tuning it on the spot before he presented it to his squadmates. "Cynthia fuels and preps four heavy cruisers. Samantha clears them for takeoff," he turned to them, "If you get into hot water later, you can say I manipulated you into doing it. It's on my record that I'm augmented, they'll believe you." "What, you be manipulative to get what you want? Nooo..." Cynthia grinned, absentmindedly rubbing her shoulder where Samantha had left a small bite mark. "Wait, Jackson you're augmented?" Li looked shocked, but Samantha interrupted. "We'll do it, for you Jackson." She may have been hesitant about their relationship at first, but Jackson appreciated her loyalty now that she was committed to him. That was another difference between her and Cynthia; once Samantha decided she was on your side, nothing would get in her way to help you. Night and day, he thought affectionately, before re-launching into his explanation. "The four of us squaddies will boost towards the planet in the heavy cruisers. The Orbital might yell at us, but they won't shoot us down. As soon as we hit the fog, we cut engines." "That's insane," Aimee looked incredulous, but Jackson powered through, "By my calculations, we turn the engines back on at about halfway between the fog and the ground and hit the thrusters full blast, pointed down. The fuel vapors won't kick up until we're past the treeline, whatever tech they're using to detect fuel vapors can't find them beneath the treeline. I know this," he held up a hand to stop the interruption he knew was coming, "because the drones use jet fuel, just like the cruisers, and we've never had a planetary in which the Terrans found the drones. Not one. Now, even with the cruisers at full thrust we'll hit the ground pretty hard, but from there we'll be in position to mount a rescue, well supplied and with the element of surprise on our side. The heavy cruisers can accommodate a second passenger, so we'll have enough space to get everyone back off the planet, with a little squeezing. We head back to the orbital at full speed, and a heavy cruiser at top speed can outrun anything the Terrans have ever thrown at us in the past." Jackson stopped, and waited for the objections. He himself had a couple, but he wasn't going to volunteer the information while the others were still on the fence. "I'm in," Missy stated flatly, as he'd known she would. "That's...a really good plan, Jackson," Aimee sounded impressed, "why don't we take that plan to the General? Maybe, if he heard how well you've thought it out, he would okay the mission?" Jackson shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I...don't think that's a good idea," he said. The others looked at him curiously. Jackson had to think about it for a few moments, a few breathing reminders pinged by as he put his words in order. The thought had occurred to him as soon as he'd woken up, his freshly defragged mind making the leaps necessary. Now he had to explain it to normal brains. "The air team wasn't being attacked when it went down. Terran forces didn't attack the ground pod either," he tried laying out his thoughts sequentially, "but we both lost power. There's no common technological link between the two, there's no simple explanation for why they would both fail on the same mission. At least, no explanation for an accidental error." "Are you saying someone sabotaged the planetary?" Missy's eyes were burning, and Jackson was startled at how much venom was in her voice. "Not only that, but someone in the Academy. No one on the ground would risk their own lives like that-" "And one of us wouldn't do that to our squaddies," Aimee interjected, "-right, that too. So assuming someone on the orbital wanted some or all of us to die on this mission, who is able to make that happen?" "Are...are you saying it was one of the scrubs?" Aimee asked uncertainly. Jackson was about to sigh again when Missy's voice, cold and quiet, cut him off. "General Auspus," she said, her voice iced with rage. Jackson nodded, "General Auspus. He had no logical reason for sending us down in the first place, it surprised everyone, Captain Appet included. The sabotage must've been a just-in-case measure. The only problem is that I have no clue why he would want anyone on our squad dead. We're good students, and if he didn't want us here he could just expel us-" "We saw him." Missy's voice was still cold, but there was a dullness there, like an ache in the depths of it, that sent shivers down Jackson's spine. "We saw him, Preston and I did, in a conference room. He was using some kind of tool that was covering him in purple sparks. He told us if we told anyone he would expel us." Tears streamed down Missy's face, and Jackson had no clue how to respond to what she was saying. Instead he turned to the scrubs, who were watching the proceedings silently with wide eyes. "Two of us knowing this almost got all of us killed," he said quietly, but earnestly. Cynthia nodded her understanding, but Samantha looked confused. "Please, for your own safety, don't ever tell anyone about this," Jackson clarified. Samantha's eyes widened even further, but she nodded her understanding. "We'll use your plan then," Li awkwardly patted Missy on the shoulder, and the others murmured agreement. "Good. Let's get some gear together and plan on taking off early tomorrow morning," Jackson stood. "Even after we rescue them, won't we be back in the same position?" Aimee asked tentatively, "won't General Auspus still want to silence us? It would probably be good to have a plan to not die after we rescue everyone." Jackson mentally scrolled down to that very goal, 48657, increasing its priority. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said grimly. Orbital Academy 12 "AWA" *Get up, pull myself into consciousness, stop sleeping* It was the worst possible way to wake up, the buzzing headache and the forced knowledge that was crammed into the charged word, but Alex grit her teeth and acted as if it hadn't bothered her. Over the past few days she had learned to become incredibly good actress when it came to ignoring the Terrans' forceful way of speech. She yawned and blinked with a vague smile, as if looking forward to a free day instead of sitting alone in a stone cell. It had worked for the old guard, once he realized his charged words didn't bother her he had stopped using them unnecessarily. The guard on the other side of the bars was new, and his face fell at her lack of reaction. His dark purple hair poked out awkwardly from beneath his helmet to frame the crestfallen face, and the overall effect made him look young. "They said you didn't like PO," he said disappointedly, as the word's definition rattled around in her head, *words infused with might and power*. Very careful not to wince, Alex shrugged and shook her head. "It not bug me," she said. That had taken some getting used to as well, speaking like a child using single-syllable words. Terrans' language was almost identical to her own for single syllables, but they used their charged words for anything more complex. Since they didn't understand multi-syllabic english, and she couldn't infuse her words, Alex compromised even when it made her sound like an idiot. "Hmm," the new guard muttered, watching her suspiciously. He suddenly started speaking rapidly, firing off a string of charged up, painful words, "SU, LI, DE, HO, " Alex hadn't taken multiple words at the same time before, and her hands, still under the blanket, gripped the sheets. *Manipulative and scheming, my words unbelievable, he doesn't believe my words or actions, he thinks I cheat and lie, there's no point in resisting it.* She made herself smile, even as she struggled to catch her breath. The sudden meaning faded, but the pounding in her head stayed behind, as if the charged words had burrowed through her skull to get to her brain. "I like you," she grinned, even though it hurt, "what's your name?" "Pho," the new guard seemed unsure of how to take his new charge's attention. Alex mentally filed the name away. She wasn't yet sure of exactly how the hierarchy worked, but she knew that those without a charged word for a name were fairly low on the ranking. "I like you Pho. You're a fucking asshole bastard and proud of it." "What means this, 'fuck king ass hole bast tard'?" Pho asked quizzically, sounding out the multi-syllabic words as if they were separate. Alex just shrugged and lay back on her cot, hands behind her head. *** Another day with nothing to do passed by slowly, and Alex settled into her new daily routine. She first folded the homespun blanket into a neat square which she placed on the cot, using it as a cushion as she meditated. There hadn't been the time to continue with her meditation at the Academy, and she found that re-establishing her childhood habit had a much needed calming and stabilizing effect on her. She kept up the meditation until the guards brought her the morning meal. Today it was a wild rice with chunks of spiced meats and vegetables, a small loaf of bread, and a large jug of water. "Why do you give us such luxurious food?" Alex asked as she wolfed the meal down. Her captor's largess was odd, considering how sparse her accommodation had otherwise been. Pho seemed startled that she would talk to him, and shrugged. "You eat what we have," he shrugged, "no point in two meals being PO" *prepared, cooked, handcrafted* Alex had taken to the habit of bracing herself whenever a Terran opened their mouth, and she didn't flinch. After she drank enough to quench her thirst, Alex carefully removed the rough black shirt and pants she had been provided with, using the remaining water in the jug to clean them. Out of the corner of her eye she noted the guard, not even attempting to hide his attention. "You give all your guards such a show?" He leered. Alex gave him a blank look and continued washing her clothing, careful to make no move to cover herself, but also not trying to titillate. Different guards reacted differently to her routine; some enjoyed the view and some treated it with disinterest. Either way, her display wouldn't hurt as long as she made it clear she wasn't trying to seduce him, and having clean clothes helped her mental stability as well. She wrung them out and put them back on, enjoying the feeling of the damp cloth against her skin in the humid air. Settling cross-legged on the cot, Alex looked around her cell, trying to view it with fresh eyes as she had for the past few days. Three walls were made of tan stone, solid and windowless. The bars that made up the fourth wall were a dark wood, but Alex doubted she could break them. If she could splinter the bars the Terrans would have more than one guard to stand by her cell, even though she was a small asian girl. *Better to not try, give off the air of a model prisoner. It's worked for me so far. So,* she considered, forcing herself to breath deeply as she gazed around, *The walls would take a weapon to break through. The bars are better, but the guard needs to be taken care of...still no solution. Same as yesterday. I'm not escaping from here.* She sighed, and waited for the guard to arrive to summon her. He arrived before the second meal was brought. "She is to be brought to the Prince," the new guard pointed at Alex with his chin. Pho narrowed his eyes at the guard. "I wasn't told of this," he said suspiciously. "The Prince won't want it talked about...er, talked of," Alex said from her cot, "but new guard, he say the truth. The Prince wants me to come to him." Pho seemed begrudgingly satisfied, and he fiddled with the intricate lock on the cell, stepping aside. Alex kept her head high as she passed, and pretended not to notice Pho's eyes travelling up and down her body, taking in the shape that the damp clothes did nothing to hide. He was probably worthless, but it didn't hurt to keep his attention in case she needed something from him at a future date. *** "Ah, it is good to see you ALE" *Alexandria, beautiful, adorable, unique.* Alex disliked that the Terran's used a charged word to refer to her. Although it was an honorific, she couldn't quite get over the feeling that she was being mentally raped with her own name. She forced a smile and bowed her head, "And it is good to see you too, Prince," she replied quietly. Although his name was Ashahosta, the Prince didn't seem to mind her calling him by his title. Alex had learned a few days ago that to attempt a charged name without charging it was akin to an insult. "Though it has been but a day, I find I have missed you. Is that strange?" Ashahosta asked earnestly. This time Alex's smile was genuine. She wasn't quite used to the Prince yet, but his boyish naivette amused her. When she and her squaddies had first been brought to their prison, heads in bags to prevent them from identifying their surroundings, Alex had spent the time thinking hard about what her best course of action should be. She knew that rescue was out of the question; once the satflyer had crashed she harbored no illusions that the orbital would allow a rescue mission. Even if they did, Alex also doubted the Academy had the firepower to mount a decent rescue attempt. Her thoughts had focused mainly on the squadmates there with her in the compound, and to that end she began thinking about what she could do to improve their lot. Perhaps even save their lives. "Come, ALE," *Alexandria, special one, exotic exile* "I've just had some fruits brought in, you must try one." The Prince gestured across the wide luxurious room to indicate a bowl of small purple fruits. He moved fluidly despite his size; not fat but large and muscular and tall. Loose robes trimmed in furs made him look even bigger than he was, and his long locks of thick purple hair contributed to the effect of size, as if he had a mane around his head. Yet, even for all his size, the Prince struck Alex as small somehow. Young. Unsure of himself, with a lack of confidence and a nervous disposition. She watched him in silence as he brought her the fruit, trying to reconcile Ashahosta's huge stature with the impression she had of him. It seemed like so long ago now that she'd decided to seduce her captor, not the mere handful of days in had actually been. She had been expecting to do whatever depraved and degrading things that were required to gain his attention, prepared for the risk that he would simply take what she had to offer and more. It was a risk she had taken willing for her teammates, and when she had been taken to her captor Alex thought she was ready for anything he might be. She hadn't been ready for just how easy it would be to seduce him nor, unfortunately, for just how little power the Prince actually had. Alex had him in bed in the space of a single evening, gasping and panting over acts that had been frankly tame for her. It was only afterwards, when Alex had tried wheedling her way into better accommodations than the bare cells, that the Prince told her he wasn't in charge of decisions having to do with the prisoners. While in most areas he had power and control, she had cuddled up with the wrong man. Some nebulous power over his head, "the Dukes", had final say over the prisoners. *I suppose I should feel used,* Alex thought idly, biting into the purple fruit. It was hard to muster up any anger when she had been trying to use him in the first place. And it wasn't as if there were no benefits to their relationship...he might not have been able to free them or move them, but she knew that the relative comfort, plentiful food, and the lack of guards harassing them were things she could thank the Prince for. Alex snapped out of her reverie to find him watching her closely, and she purposely let a little of the sweet juice dribble down her chin. His eyes followed its path down her neck with utter lack of guile, and she smiled. It also helped that the Prince was so very, very easy to wind up. "Do you like its taste?" he asked eagerly. "It's very sweet, very nice," Alex commented, but she tossed the sticky fruit to one side where it hit the ground with a small thud, "but I don't want the fruit, I want you, my prince." The effect of her words on Ashahosta was immediate and obvious; his eyes widened, and an incredulous grin crossed his face. Alex tried not to laugh as she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips hard against his and wrapping her arms around his waist. It was an odd balance she walked at times like these. She kept waiting for the horror of it all to hit her, for her to be stricken with revulsion and dismay. It hadn't come so far, and the Prince seemed perfectly content to let her take the control she needed to keep her calm. Besides, when it came to pure pleasure and skill, Alex had fucked worse. The Prince was very eager and appreciative of the smallest things, which was a bit of a fetish of hers. She kept on kissing as she gently pushed him backwards, not breaking their contact as they moved towards his bed. At the last minute Alex twirled them, so that she landed on her back on the rich fur-covered bedspread with the Prince on top of her. He barely seemed to notice, continuing to kiss her all over her face with a passion. *You would think he hadn't touched a girl for years,* Alex idly thought, enjoying the attention and the kisses as they glanced across her forehead and cheeks and lips, *which is strange considering he did a lot more than touch me yesterday...* It was flattering, really, and when he began fumbling with her still-damp shirt she willingly lifted her arms to let him pull it over her head. She looked down with interest at his dark purple mane as his kisses moved down to her breasts. All of the Terrans she had seen had hair of purple, blue, or green in varying shades, and Alex had wondered over the past few days if it was simply a custom to dye them. Now that she was this close she decided it was either a very good dye job, or some technology she wasn't aware of. She was distracted from her thoughts when the Prince began tugging at the waist of her pants. Alex detachedly took stock of her state of arousal. Sometimes the Prince's hasty ministrations were enough to get her wet, and on those occasions she was happy to take him, but on this occasion he just wasn't doing it for her. Luckily it was quite easy to distract him into another route. Alex reached a hand down between them smoothly, brushing the Prince's hands aside and slipping it beneath his furs. The man froze as her palm slid across the skin of his stomach and then down into his pants to grasp his firm rod. *So, so easy,* Alex smiled at the Ashahosta, and felt him stiffen even more at even that small action. He grunted as she slid the pants off of him, pausing for a few moments to run hands across his firm ass appreciatively. Gently stroking his shaft up and down, Alex slowly shimmied down the bed until he was straddling her stomach. With a suggestive smile she released him, and instead pressed her breasts together. Although she wasn't well endowed in that area, something she blamed firmly on her asian heritage, her boobs were big enough for what she had in mind. The Prince looked down at her, still lusty but obviously confused. For an awkward moment Alex thought she would have to walk him through how to tit-fuck her, but a sudden smile on the face above told her he had finally gotten the message. He pressed his member against her chest, a little tentatively at first, but Alex wiggled up and down to rub against him, and the action was apparently enough to motivate. At first it was uncomfortable as his length rubbed dryly between her breasts, but on each thrust she leaned forward and flicked a tongue across the head, and soon her saliva made the motions smooth and slick. The Prince growled with each motion of his hips, his member sliding back and forth between her firm boobs, slick with spit and the trails of precum he was leaving. Alex herself was getting hot from the obvious pleasure he was getting from her body, leaving her wet enough that she was she he could be inside of her without discomfort. His fingers digging into her shoulders told her that he was close to finishing, and she decided to let him cum first. Deliberately she looked up at him, met his eyes and whispered, "I want your cum on me, my prince." *Too easy,* Alex smiled at the shocked look on the Prince's face just before he came, shooting a trail of semen across her chin and lips, down her neck and leaving a sticky mess between her breasts. She wasn't particularly turned on by cum, but she licked her lips knowing it would leave the Prince awestruck. The Prince rose, his limp member flopping awkwardly. Alex leaned back on her elbows, knowing that they weren't done. Ashahosta made a complicated gesture towards his cock, and a flash of purple light shone from his fingertips. Alex watched with interest as his member grew stiff and straight again, pulsing with the same faint light. The first time he had done it she had been startled, but now she simply looked at the process with curiosity. She didn't have long to look, since as soon as the Prince grew hard again he moved towards her again predatorily. Alex smiled slipped her pants off, spreading her naked legs for him as the Prince barely slowed to climb onto the bed. Her legs wrapped around him and he speared her without preamble or foreplay. She gasped as her slit was penetrated by the hard member that tingled and flared inside of her, too warm but still strangely comfortable. The feeling of the cock enhanced by purple light was unnatural, not unpleasant but too strange for her to orgasm. Ashahosta thrust roughly, looking down at her with the same lust that had lit his eyes before, barely hanging onto the pleasure without finishing embarrassingly quickly. Alex closed her eyes and leaned back, smiling at the ceiling. *It's not bad, this seduction thing,* she thought. The sensation was different from normal fucking even though the motions remained the same, his humping moving the whole bed on each thrust. Numbing feelings aside she enjoyed the pleasure as he took his fill of her body. After a while the tingling sensations in her pussy grew a little uncomfortable, and Alex decided it was time for the Prince to get off a second time. She opened her eyes and started moving her hips in small circles, stirring his member inside of her. "My prince, you've already wasted so much of your cum on me," she ran hands from her stomach up to squeeze and play with her breasts. She knew he wouldn't understand words like 'already' or 'wasted', but she was sure her hands smearing his semen across her breasts and nipples would send the right message, "I want the rest in my cunt." The Prince roared as he came inside of her, his fingernails digging into the skin of her hips where he held her. The tingling in her slit was making Alex's sex numb, so she couldn't feel his second load shooting inside of her, but for his sake she pretended she could, gasping and moaning and continuing to grind her hips against his. *I may as well give him some material for his fantasies...* The Prince kept on thrusting even as his arms shook, and Alex found the sensation of him thrusting as he slowly grew soft to be strangely endearing. He pulled away with a gasp, and Alex flopped back with a sigh. Ashahosta rose to pull a small towel from the table, offering it to her for her to clean herself with. Alex considered him for a moment, conflicting emotions warring in her. On the one hand, the prince was certainly satisfied enough with her, she didn't need to continue being mischievous...but on the other, she couldn't resist. He was so innocent and single-minded, and teasing him was so easy. If the stakes weren't so high she might've called it fun. She took the towel from Ashahosta and tossed it away. "I want to feel your cum in my snatch for the rest of the day," she said lightly, "I love the feel of it." The Prince looked at her dumbfounded. Alex was delighted at the reaction, at the thunderstruck look that melted into a grin of his own. "Perhaps I can give you some more to feel then," he growled with a smile. Out of the corner of her eye Alex noticed his member twitch, and she wondered if he could perform the same hardening purple light twice in a row. He was approaching her again, and she braced herself hopefully for another pounding. Maybe this time she could ignore the tingling enough to actually finish... A knock at the door interrupted what Alex was sure would be the Prince's third go 'round. "What?" he barked sharply. "The Dukes are here, Prince ASH" *Ashahosta, second highest, leader, lord* Alex winced at the unexpected charged word, glad that her prince was facing the door and didn't see. "They are?" Ashahosta's entire demeanor changed, his dominant bearing shrinking back again. He grabbed at a fur on his bed and used it to hastily wipe the smears of cum off of Alex's chest, fumbling for her clothing at the same time. Halfway between amused and befuddled, Alex helped, pulling her clothes on and shivering at the damp of the cloth. "They say you are to bring one EX," *exile, forsworn, race-traitor* "to them at once," the man on the other side sounded nervous himself. Ashahosta turned to meet Alex's gaze, almost pleadingly. "Will you be CO?" he asked. *Helpful, cooperative, willing and obedient.* She considered the question. Of all of her squaddies, she was sure she had laid the groundwork the best. Perhaps she could use her reputation for being 'CO' to gain something from the mysterious Dukes. At the very least, she had a better chance than squadmates did. Orbital Academy 12 "Of course I will," she responded with a smile, leaning forward to kiss the Prince on the forehead. When he smiled, the expression was so anxious and tense that Alex wondered if she had made a huge mistake. *** When the bag was removed from her head, it took Alex a few moments to re-adjust to the lights. When she did, her stomach dropped. She had hoped she would be taken to some small and comfortable room, somewhere private where she could perhaps work her seduction on someone with actual power. This was as far removed from those hopes as possible. The room was small, but it was also ornate and official. In front of her sat a large wooden table, three austere older men sitting behind it and watching her with serious expressions. They seemed representative of the three colors she had seen throughout the Terran's world, one with faded blue hair, one with mint green, and one with lavender, all staring at her inscrutably. The table between them was empty, except for a large silver bowl that shone with multicolored light. To the right of the table stood what she assumed to be three princes, Ashahosta among them. On the left a spindly, thin man with a small stone tablet was watching her with a startling intensity, as if he was ready to take notes if she so much as scratched her nose. "Please take one of the spheres and eat it," the thin man broke the silence. Alex glanced at the bowl on the table. On closer inspection, she could see that the source of the light came from a collection of glowing spheres that filled the bowl. They were small, and looked like glass with tiny fires trapped within, fires of green and blue and purple. *If nothing else, they're consistent with their color schemes,* Alex thought, reaching forward and selecting one. She chose purple in honor of the man she had come to think of as 'her' prince, and vaguely wondered if she was passing or failing a test with her color choice. When no one said anything at her selection, she popped the sphere in her mouth and bit down. The sphere crunched and her mouth was full of grainy powder; it clearly didn't just look like glass, it was made of glass. Alex spat it out and gazed at the impassive three across from her. Did they really think she would simply kill herself as they all calmly watched? "These spheres are hideously expensive in both time and manpower," the thin man said calmly, "if you waste any more of them like that, you will guarantee your execution." With the threat of death, it took a moment for Alex to process the significance of what he had just said. "Did you just say multi-syllable words without charging them?" She asked. The thin man made a sour face as he responded, "I am one of the few who has bothered to learn to speak the tongue without magic. It is quite distasteful, but on those rare occasions when it is needed, it makes me invaluable. Now please, the sphere. It will not kill you." *Magic? They think their technology is magic? What kind of backward creatures are these Terrans? Did they get their tech from someone else, so they don't understand how it works?* Alex took another purple sphere, trying to ignore the gritty crunching as she ground it in her teeth and swallowed. Instantly she felt a fire burning in her stomach, along with a vaguely unpleasant pressure. The older man in the middle nodded as if satisfied, the action sending his tuft of mint green hair wobbling. The thin spindly man spoke again. "Exile. You have been brought before the Dukes of the three great tribes to answer their interrogations. While your safety is not guaranteed, if you cooperate the fate of you and your companions will be better than if you do not. As you seem unable to speak normally, I will be acting as translator between you and the Dukes using low speech, speaking to you by tongue and to them by mind." Alex nodded her understanding. The pressure in her stomach was uncomfortable. The translator paused for a moment, not taking his eyes from her, and then spoke again. "We are informed that your name is Alexandria. Have you ever attempted to kill one of our number Alexandria?" Alex opened her mouth to protest, and although she could feel her lips shaping the word 'no', her voice rang in the small room, "Yes, when they came for us in the tent I tried to shoot one of you in the head." She covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide, as the pressure and heat instantly dissipated from her stomach. The translator simply nodded his head and waited, clearly conversing with the three men behind the table in his mind. "Please eat another sphere," he said finally. *This is unfair,* Alex hesitantly took a blue sphere and slipped it into her mouth, *I can't lie, can't even spin the truth...what kind of compound is this?* "How many of your Exiles' moons now orbit about our planet?" The translator's voice seemed dry and lifeless, and Alex was reminded of a ventriloquist's dummy. She focused on the exact wording of the question. *I've never been exiled anywhere, so I don't consider myself an exile,* she reasoned, *and since a moon is a planetary body, technically the orbitals don't count as moons.* "There are five of them, we refer to them as 'Orbitals'," Alex's traitorous mouth seemed to move without her permission, and even as she felt the pressure in her stomach lessen, a knot in it was growing. *I'm giving away everything....anything they could possibly ask...I'm helpless...* even as the panicked thought crossed her mind she kept on talking, against her will, "their names are Academy, Techrider, Minera, Pivot, and Basura." The translator carefully made notations on his tablet with a thin writing instrument, and Alex felt more nervous and helpless than she had ever felt in her life. *I can only pray that they don't ask the right questions.* At the translator's indication, she took another sphere, but this time she held it under her tongue and pretended to chew and swallow. "What is the goal of your balls of death and lightening? For what purpose do they attack?" Alex opened her mouth to answer, but the translator cut her off sharply, "please swallow the sphere before answering." Defeated, Alex swallowed the ball. There was nothing left to do. A thin sheen of sweat made her skin feel sticky in the too-hot room, and she could feel the Prince's semen dripping out of her to dampen her pants. She regretted her decision to make him happy as she shifted uncomfortably, her mouth running on autopilot. "The drones find a location where Terrans are situated, then clears the village out. Pockets of crysium can always be found just underneath the village, and the miners in Orbital Minera can harvest the crysium from orbit, as long as there are no Terrans in the way to interrupt the mining drones and beams. We've also found that a successful attack against a village will delay the next Drake attack by a few months." Even through the feelings of helplessness, Alex could tell her words surprised them. Until then, the old men sitting across from her hadn't changed their expression, but their faces now registered surprise. Maybe that could be capitalized upon. "Why do you Terrans attack us with monsters?" Alex challenged. The surprised looks turned to looks of shock and outrage. "You and yours have attacked and hounded us for far longer than we have sent Dracori to respond, Exile," the translator spat. He hadn't paused to mentally consult with the three before answering, "are we now at fault for defending ourselves against your blind aggression?" He stopped speaking suddenly, as if he had been silenced, and as he clearly worked to regain his composure, Alex pondered his words. It hadn't ever occurred to her to wonder who had started the war between the Orbitals and the surface. It was simply something that always had been. "Do you mean that if we stopped attacking...you would stop sending invaders and Drakes to attack us?" She asked carefully. To demonstrate her cooperative nature, she took a sphere and ate it without being told as she waited for an answer. "The Dukes know that you do not have the power to stop your moons' attacks on our people," the translator answered after a pause, "each of our villages have already attempted peace. It is you exiles that lust for war, not us. Now," he waited until Alex swallowed, smiling quite unpleasantly, "in what way might we destroy the Exiled moons?" Alex blinked, horror settling in her stomach. She was so shocked by the question that she couldn't even think of the answer, the sympathy that had been slowly building for the Terrans disappearing. *So much for us being the war-lusting ones,* she thought bitterly. "I....I don't really know," she admitted, relieved that it was the truth, "maybe if you could send up five or six Drakes at once, or if you could get someone already on the inside to infiltrate and destroy the orbitals' inner workings? Terrans can certainly hurt our orbitals, but I haven't seen anything you could do that would bring one down, let alone all of them." The Dukes seemed very displeased with their answer, and Alex was glad. She took another sphere and popped it into her mouth somewhat smugly, which perhaps was a mistake. The duke with lavender hair barked a question, his dusty voice breaking the silence for the first time, "Why do you shift in your seat so ONC?" *shiftily, suspiciously, as if uncomfortable or hiding something* *Shit,* Alex blushed as the pressure in her stomach seemed to force the words through her throat, "Because I let Prince Ashahosta cum inside me and it's dripping out now." Ironically, the dukes seemed far less shocked at this answer, although the one with lavender hair glanced to his right at Prince Ashahosta, who was also blushing and looking straight ahead. "Did you do this to convince him to free you?" The translator asked as if only curious, but he indicated the bowl as well. Alex took one and chewed slowly, her entire face flushed. This was almost worse than before. She refused to meet anyone's eyes as she answered. "I knew I wasn't going to be freed, I just wanted to see my squadmates and help them be better off however I could," she answered quietly, "And at first it was just about getting something from him, but after a few days I..." Alex struggled hard to stop talking, but whether it was magic or chemicals in the glass pills, it certainly kept her lips moving, "...I actually kind of like him. He's kind and sweet. The kind of guy I'd sleep with even in other circumstances." The room was quiet for a very long time after that, a mental conversation occurring that did not involve her. Alex processed what she had just said as they carried on their silent talking. It was just as unexpected to her as it must've been to the dukes, but she knew the spheres forced her to speak the truth, even if she hadn't wanted to admit the truth to herself. Glancing over at Ashahosta, she mentally shrugged. Why not? There was nothing wrong with enjoying the seduction of one's captor. At least, she didn't think so... "The Dukes have decided upon your fate," the translator broke the silence, and Alex stiffened. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she had no clue what the quiet men across from her would decree. The translator didn't say another word, but the door to the room opened and guards entered, clearly silently directed by the dukes. Gently but firmly they each took her by an arm, and escorted her out of the room. The problems of betraying the names of the orbitals or revealing embarrassing details of her sex life seemed disgustingly trivial as the guards walked her down the hallways. It was the first time that Alex had seen her surroundings without a bag over her head, and she tried to calm the fluttering in her stomach by taking it all in. The halls were the same sandy stone that her cell had been made of, but every few feet there were glassless windows that looked out onto a village. Alex had assumed she was being kept underground since her cell wasn't lit by sunlight, and she tried to catch glances outside at each window she passed. The village was a little smaller than her classes said an average Terran village ran. She could see glimpses of forest on the boundary, but the buildings themselves made a large ring that was clear of plant growth. People milled busily back and forth across the clearing in the middle, and Alex noted that every single one had hair of purple, blue or green. *Are they letting me see all of this because I'm going to die soon?* A small forlorn voice asked in the back of her head. She wasn't entirely sure how to answer. The guards stopped next to a large double door made of a heavy dark wood. On either side stood two more Terrans, and they glanced at the three with half-hearted curiosity. Alex's heart hammered in her chest as the guard on her right knocked on the door. She contemplated making a break for it, but the Terrans had proved they were a match for pistols and weaponry; they would have no problem gunning her down before she reached the end of the hall. The door swung open slowly, and a familiar voice flooded Alex's chest with relief. "God damn Alex, who'd you have to fuck to manage all of this?" "Preston, you fucking douchebag asshole..." Alex was so overwhelmed she couldn't even finish the insult, rushing forward and wrapping him in a bearhug. The other squaddies gathered around to join as she laughed and cried at the same time, and the guards closed the door behind them, leaving the squadmates alone. The room was huge and comfortable, as far from the jail cells as could be. Each of the squadmates had a small bed covered with furs, although from the multiple furs piled on one indicated that Julia and Tess had decided to share. A separate room contained facilities, including a bath made of a single piece of carved wood. As soon as she could extract herself from her squadmates she closed herself in the room and filled a steaming hot bath, surprised to find running water in the primitive compound. As the room filled with steam and she lay in the water, Alex finally let herself relax, shaking with nerves and wondering what the future would bring for her and the rest of the rookies. Orbital Academy 13 Another chapter of the epic space opera Orbital Academy, thanks to the wonderful encouragement of all you guys! ************* Missy was surprised at how well she was holding up. During her first day at the Academy, on her first jog, she had collapsed in a heap after three minutes of steady running. Now here she was, on an uneven and dark jungle floor, and she'd been jogging for an hour. She wasn't even the most out of breath of her teammates; Aimee was huffing and puffing just ahead of her. *It's because of how resolved I am to save Preston and my squaddies,* she thought valiantly, but in reality it was probably more due to the fact that Captain Appet had pushed her as hard as she did. It had only been five months, but Missy thought of herself as an entirely different person now. The type of person who would risk everything to save the people she cared about. Jackson drew up to a halt in front of them, reading a small screen in his hand, and the squadmates slowed to a walk, catching their breath. Missy glanced around to confirm they were all there, Jackson, Aimee, Li and herself "The beacons are saying they're just a km or so away," he whispered, "we try to be quiet from here." "If they have guards watching what do we do?" Missy whispered back, "Terrans have always outfought Orbitans when we've engaged in firefights." "The drones have been able to catch Terrans by surprise on every planetary run. They haven't ever had lookouts before, they won't now." "They've never taken Orbitans prisoner before either," Li muttered. It only took a few minutes of walking before the Terran village came into view. Large buildings, all rough tan stone and wood, sat in a ring around a clearing. Most of the windows were dark, but there were lights flickering in a few, similar to torchlight but in different colors. "No lookouts," Jackson said quietly. "Can you get a close enough signal to see which building they're in?" Missy asked. Jackson looked at the screen, then pointed. "Second floor. All together," he replied, "Alex was separate from them for a little while, but she's back with the others now. "You don't think they're being tortured do you?" Li asked, "taken out one at a time to pump for information?" Aimee smacked his head with a significant glance at Missy. "Its alright," Missy watched the windows on the second floor steadily, "whether they're being tortured or not, were here to rescue them, so their suffering is over now. Let's move." They broke from the treeline at a fast jog, staying quiet and low to the ground as they went. Missy kept a sweaty hand on the butt of her dart pistol, but the noise of weapons would instantly draw the whole of the village down on them. If she needed to fire it, chances were she would already be as good as dead. Even so, the weight of the weapon on her hip made Missy feel just a bit better as she flattened herself against the wall of the stone building. Jackson, Li, and Aimee moved along beside her as she slowly slid along the wall until she was next to the wooden entrance. Missy's mouth was dry. It was an odd thing to notice at a time like this, but it was uncomfortable. *I don't know a thing about what's behind this door,* Missy thought, silently lifting the beam that held it closed, *I could be walking into a room full of Terrans right now. I could be seconds away from my death.* She swung the heavy door open and slipped inside. Bare of decoration, huge and stone, the room was thankfully empty. Missy breathed a sigh of relief as her squadmates slipped in with her, observing the building's entrance hall. Doorways lined the walls, but there was only one stairway. Using Academy sign language, Missy indicated that the rest should follow her. The stairs were dark and quiet, and even though they were trying to move silently, the sounds of four footfalls echoed in the stairwell. Missy held up a hand to stop her squaddies when they reached the head of the stairs, and she peaked around the corner. Halfway down the hall, two guards flanked a large wooden double door. "Two hostiles," she signed to the others, and then before she lost her nerve, before she gave herself the chance to chicken out or back down, she moved into the hall. Even as she hurtled down the hallway Missy tried to keep her footfalls quiet. She drew her dart gun as she ran, hoping she wouldn't have to use it and alert anyone else. The hallway seemed to stretch out as she ran, it seemed like an eternity to close the distance between her and the guards, and every second she expected them to turn and raise an alarm. Clearly they hadn't been expecting any action at all, since they didn't notice her until she was almost on top of them. The closest guard only had time to open his mouth in surprise before the butt of her gun slammed into his cheekbone. Despite Missy's hope that her momentum would bring both guards down, the other was able to skip back to avoid the two bodies hitting the floor. He wasn't yelling for help, but he was muttering something under his breath, words that seemed to prickle on the inside of her ears without her being able to hear them at all. Missy watched in horror as his hand started to glow, but Li and Jackson both slammed into him before he could complete the action. He struggled, twisting his body to try to gain leverage, but Li wrapped an arm around his neck to lock him into a hold, and it only took a few seconds before the man slumped to the ground. "Do either of them have a key?" Missy whispered. Aimee and Jackson searched the pair roughly, digging into pockets and the pouches at their waists. Aimee she shook her head, but she looked pale. "Missy, that purple thing the general had, that looked like crystal...did it look like this?" The object that Aimee held up was almost an exact replica, in dark blue instead of purple. Missy wordlessly nodded. "We can process what that means later," Jackson broke in, "right now we need to figure out how to get that door open quickly and above all, quietly." "Typical Jackson behavior," Julia whispered from the doorway, causing the squaddies to collectively jump, "trying to come up with a complex plan without checking to see if the door is open." *** Missy clung to Preston as if someone would try to tear them apart at any second as the squaddies discussed their options in quiet voices. He didn't seem to mind, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around her waist as well. "So as long as we can make it to the ships, they can't stop us from leaving the planet?" he was saying. "As far as we can figure, yes," Jackson nodded firmly, "as long as we're headed straight up towards the fog and they don't already have something in the air, we can get to the cloud cover, and they probably won't follow us through. We can even leave for the ships the same way we came, assuming there aren't any patrols around the village." "We're not very helpful there," Alex commented, "I'm the only one who's been out of our cells, and I haven't seen much that would be helpful." "Then we'll need to hope we get lucky," Jackson said decisively, "now, do we leave through the door or the window? We didn't run into anyone on the way up, but there's no guarantee we'll be as lucky going down." "I won't be able to take the drop from the window," Tess said quietly, gesturing to her leg, "I re-broke it in the crash." "Then we can-" Jackson began, when a voice from the other side of the door interrupted him. "Tha? Kor? Where are you both? You'll catch hell if you're in there with the PRI" *prisoners, trainees* The words hit Missy's mind while seemingly skipping her ears, buzzing through her head and almost knocking her over. Missy cried out in shock and surprise, as did Jackson and Li. She covered her mouth but the damage had been done; the door opened and a burly man with bright blue hair looked inside. There was a split-second of hesitation before Aimee sprang forward to hit him with her gun, but it was enough time for him to pull his head back and slam the door in her face. The man spoke a muffled word, and the edges of the heavy wooden doors rippled, fusing together until the double doors became one single piece across the doorway. Aimee sprang back with a curse, and Missy gaped. "They know *magic*?" she squeaked, as on the other side the man shouted for help, "the Terrans can do *MAGIC*?" "Not important right now," Jackson moved quickly, picking up one of the furs from the beds nearby and wrapping his hand in it, "we need to start moving now. If we're lucky we can hit the forest before they catch sight of us." He smashed the window open with his fur covered arm, clearing away bits of glass until there was enough room to get through. "It's going to be a really rough landing," Alex was already at the window, giving advice over her shoulder, "tuck and roll and hopefully we don't break anything-" she stopped, eyes wide in horror. Missy followed her gaze and came to the same realization. *Tess won't be able to escape that way.* "It's alright," Tess said, her voice quiet but resolute, "I would slow you down anyways, you need to be quick now that they're after you." "We can't just leave you here Tess," Missy protested, when suddenly the sound of bells, deep and loud, began echoing through the village. "I'm sorry Tess," Alex's face was drawn and tight, "we'll try to come back for you." "Don't," Tess said, "after the first rescue mission they'll be on the lookout for another. They'll kill you next time." "We can't do this!" Missy said again, but even as she said it she knew it wasn't true. There was no way to get Tess to the ships, and trying would only force more of them to share her fate. Alex leapt from the window, and a few moments later Jackson followed her. "Go Missy," Tess looked serene, her back straight, "Whatever they have waiting for me, I can handle it if it means the rest of you can escape." Marcus climbed to the window and jumped. "I'm not going anywhere," Julia murmured, putting her arm around Tess. First Aimee, then Li jumped from the window, leaving only four of them left. "Get the fuck out of here, even you Julia" Tess looked close to tears, but Julia turned resolutely to Missy and nodded. Eyes watering, Missy went to the window, pushing Preston up to the window first. With a final backward glance at the two girls standing alone in the large prison room, Missy jumped. Even with the roll at the end, the pain blossoming in her shoulder told her she'd bruised something. Missy pushed it to the back of her mind as she looked around for her squaddies. Preston was at the forest's edge, beckoning to her, and she broke out into a full run after him. As soon as she hit the treeline a sudden green light burst on a tree nearby, lighting the the forest around her. "They're on us!" Preston shouted, and the squaddies broke into a full run. It was dark and the ground was rough, but Missy kept up a pace she never would've been able to before. Mournful deep bells continued to ring from behind them as she reached for Preston and grabbed his hand. Her shoulder pounded with a dull ache as they ran together, sometimes dragging him, sometimes being pulled along as the terrain beneath their feet shifted. The air was lit with a shock of blue light, and a tree in front of them froze, it's swaying branches stilled and the leaves coating with a thin layer of ice. Missy risked a glance over her shoulder just in time to yank Preston down as a purple bolt flashed over his head. It hit the ground with a muffled thud, kicking up clods of dirt that drifted through the air in slow motion. "Hold on! They're up ahead! They're cutting us off!" Alex's voice came from further ahead than Missy thought, and she started to slow. To her left, Alex ran past her, shrieking, "It's a trick! That's not really me! Keep on straight!" Missy couldn't tell if any of her squadmates had fallen for the fake Alex voice, but she kept on forward, plowing into the darkness and bracing herself for a trap at the same time. A green flare shot above the treetops, hovering in place and casting an eerie light down on the forest. On the one hand, Missy was glad for the light; it let her see that all of the squaddies had kept on running straight. Aimee and Li were holding hands a little ways ahead of her, Alex, Jackson and Marcus had spread out and were weaving nimbly through the trees. On the other hand, if Missy could see them, the Terran's could as well. Her worries were confirmed when a spear of blue light arced through the air and buried into the ground a few inches from Alex. *If they can see us, I can see them,* Missy reasoned. She let go of Preston's hand and spun, dropping to one knee and taking careful aim. For a horrifying moment she couldn't see anyone, but a Terran with blue hair moved into sight, and Missy fired. The gunblast echoed through the trees, and the Terran grabbed at his chest where the dart had hit, barely able to grunt before the sedatives shot through his bloodstream and dropped him heavily onto the forest floor. "They've got WE!" *instruments to fight with, dangerous implements* "get those lights out!" Missy was scrambling to her feet even as the Terrans shrieked their orders, helped by Preston yanking her along. The green light above them winked out, casting them in darkness again. Puffing a sigh of relief, Missy started running again. The shooting and response had taken only seconds to perform, but hopefully it would buy her and her squadmates some small amount of safety. The Terrans started conserving their energy after that, because as the squaddies ran the bolts of light stopped. The crunch of many footfalls behind them kept them running, and every so often something silent and swift would fly past them close enough for them to hear the splintering of branches as it went. Missy's whole side throbbed from her shoulder onward, and she didn't know how long she'd been running. *Shouldn't we have reached our ships by now?* She thought suddenly, a knot of icy fear in her stomach. Against her will, images of what the Terrans would do to them if they caught up filled her mind. The prison hadn't looked that bad, but Missy had no clue what her squadmates had been through before they'd been rescued. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she clenched Preston's hand even tighter. *At least, whatever happens, I'll be with him,* she thought. A few seconds later the squaddies broke into the clearing where the four heavy cruisers had landed. "Li and Aimee, far left," Jackson barked orders, and Missy was glad they wouldn't all inadvertently scramble for the same ships, "Missy and Preston, middle left, Marcus and Alex, far right." It only took a few seconds for the squaddies to reach their ships, and the canopies were up and waiting. Missy began hitting switches before she had even settled into the double-wide seat, sending the engines spinning up into emergency activation sequences. It was horribly damaging on the engines, of course, but if this didn't qualify as an emergency Missy couldn't think what would. Preston settled next to her in the seat, hitting the button to close the canopy as he did so. The low light of engines lit the clearing, revealing Terrans as they broke through the treeline to the clearing. Missy glanced at the takeoff prep counter, relieved to see it had hit zero. The heavy cruisers lifted from the ground, excruciatingly slow. Spells rained onto the ships, some of them knocking their targets and rattling the cruisers or pushing them backwards in the air, but most of the spells glanced off, sending shafts of green, blue, and purple light into the night sky. Missy's ship shuddered with the impact of a handful of them, and then they were away, blasting off into the sky as fast as the engines would take them. "You'd think they didn't want us to leave or something," Preston grinned, and Missy elbowed him in the side. "I'm glad you think it's funny," she panted, "we almost died!" "Please, as if a measly village full of heartless killer magicians could stop my badass girlfriend," Preston leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, and Missy begrudgingly forgave him. "I was just bored," she teased, "it's not like I'm into you or anything." "Hmm that's too bad," Preston kept kissing her cheek, "because I'm kind of crazy about you." Missy tried to think of a witty comeback, but settled for enjoying his kisses. The heavy cruiser entered the rolling green fog, and the fear that had gnawed in her stomach eased. "This is Jackson, I made it through. Report squaddies," Jackson's voice crackled over the comms. "Alex and Marcus here. They took out an engine, so we're limping, but we're safe and sound." "Li and Squadpet, safely in the fog," Li's voice confirmed. "I fuckin' hate that callsign," Aimee grumbled from the same channel. "Preston and Missy, safely out," Preston responded, "you saved our asses out there guys. We can't thank you enough." "No thanks required Preston. The A squad sticks together." There was a pregnant pause before Jackson continued, "I hope they'll be okay." "The Terrans won't kill Tess and Julia," Alex transmitted over the comms, "I don't even think they'll torture them. They had some plan in mind for us, but even though I don't know what it was, I know it didn't involve hurting us." "We have to come up with some way of rescuing them," Missy reached across Preston and transmitted, "we have to make sure they're safe." "We need to make sure *we're* safe first, Missy. That's our top goal right now," Jackson replied evenly. "What are you talking about?" Alex asked. "General Auspus meant for us all to die down there," Missy explained, the flat edge returning to her voice when she thought of it. Normally she had to force herself to be aggressive and forceful, but when she thought of the General her emotions settled into a cold rage. She took Preston's hand and squeezed it hard as she continued, "He's to blame for all of this. Preston and I saw him using a purple crystal that covered him in sparks, and the Terran guards we knocked out were carrying the same crystals in blue. Whatever that was, he decided it was worth us dying for." "I held on to one of them," Aimee interjected, "we can study it later if we have the time. If we can get somewhere safe..." "I'll keep us safe from Auspus, at least for a while squaddies," Jackson responded confidently, "I have a plan. Just lock your ship navigations on me and set to autopilot, so we don't get separated in the fog." Missy flicked on the autopilot and leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes but keeping Preston's hand held firmly in hers. "God I missed you Preston," she breathed, and she smiled when she felt his breath against her neck as he moved closer to her on the seat. "When I was down there, I wasn't half as scared about what would happen to me as I was that I'd never see you again," Preston's voice was soft, uncharacteristically gentle, and Missy looked at him with surprise. "I don't know how I could keep going without you, Preston" she admitted. "Um...you guys want to turn off the comms until we break the fog cover?" Marcus coughed awkwardly, and Missy blushed. "Aw, I wanted to hear thi-" Li's complaint was cut short as Preston flicked the comms off. "I'm sorry if that sounded a little clingy," Missy said hesitantly, "but it's the truth." "I love you Melissa." Missy's heart leapt in her chest at the words. Preston was watching her expression, his face open and honest, and she could only open and shut her mouth wordlessly. "I've never said that to a girl before, but it's something you should know," he continued, ignoring Missy's flushed, stunned face. "Preston I...you...I love you too," Missy spluttered, before her stammering was silenced by Preston's lips. She surrendered to the kiss with a tiny murmur of enjoyment, letting him wrap his arms around her awkwardly as they sat next to each other on the double-wide seat of the cruiser. His fingers ran through her hair and massaged her scalp. Fingers still caressing her head, he broke the kiss, looking at her longingly. Orbital Academy 13 "There's not enough room in this cockpit to have sex," Missy smiled, reading his intentions from his look. "Unfortunately not," Preston agreed, "but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun." He suddenly moved back and pulled her gently by the neck, swinging her sideways. Missy squeaked, and ended up with her head laying on Preston's lap, her legs resting up against the cockpit windshield. "And what exactly do you plan on doing with me like this?" Missy teased, "my head is facing the wrong direction." Preston chuckled and grabbed the sealing tab of her flightsuit, sliding it all the way down to her navel. Missy gasped at the cold air on her bare skin, but didn't complain. Preston slid the sides of the suit apart, exposing her small breasts to the cold. Her nipples hardened and she sucked in a breath. Smiling wickedly, he ran a finger around one of them, making her shiver and sending goosebumps along her arms. "You're not usually so sensitive," Preston murmured, lightly pinching her pink nipple. Missy gasped, pushing her chest forward so he could have a better grasp. "Well it's been a while," she murmured back. "It's been barely a week," Preston chuckled, gently tugging at her nipple while his left hand traced meaningless symbols along her stomach. "Maybe your magical member has turned me into a girl who needs it more than once a week," Missy joked, trying to take her mind off of the maddeningly slow tugging and pinching. It was proving incredibly difficult to ignore. "Damn, I'm good then," Preston grinned. He stopped tugging, instead simply running a finger up and down between her breasts, from her ribcage up to her neck, then slowly back down again. "You are good, you're good, is that what you want me to say?" Missy wiggled her hips helplessly. "Oh...oh dear, was there something else you wanted me to do to you Missy?" "Fuck you, do you have to tease me like this every time?" Missy tried to growl, but it came out closer to a whimper. Preston leaned down over her, until his face was inches from hers and she was staring deep into his green eyes. "Yes," he whispered, at the same time unexpectedly grabbing both of her firm nipples and pinching hard. "Oh fuck, Preston," Missy breathed, arching her back and closing her eyes, "I already said you're the best, please don't tease anymore." "I don't understand," Preston replied innocently, "what is it you want?" His fingers brushed down her body, slipping beneath the unsealed flightsuit to brush through her pubic hair, but then they slid back up again. "Preston!" Missy moaned, "if you don't fuck me with something right now I'll do it myself!" "Oh that's what you wanted!" Preston mercifully slid his hand beneath her flightsuit again, moving his fingers further down than before. Missy spread her legs wider, shuddering again as his fingertips brushed gently against her clit. "Are you too cold?" Preston asked, genuinely this time. "If you dare stop I will make you regret it." Preston began tugging her nipple again, at the same time slipping a finger between her lips and moving it in slow circles around her opening. Leaning back against his lap, Missy sighed with frustration at his slow relaxed pace. She was wet enough that his finger glided with no resistance, and she thrust with her hips trying to slide it inside of herself. Maddeningly, Preston very carefully moved his hand along with her, continuing to rub the entrance to her sex without penetrating her at all. Missy grit her teeth. Preston responded by flicking his thumb across her clit in a steady rhythm, making her squirm against her will. "Why are you being so mean?" she gasped. Preston stopped moving his hand, and she whimpered. She tried to thrust, but he held her hips firmly with his other hand, looking down at her with a mixture of amusement and affection. "Because it makes you cum so fucking hard," he replied with a grin, and thrust his finger inside of her. Missy arched her back as he ground his thumb into her clit again, moving his finger in small circles against her g-spot. His other hand was at her breasts, teasing and caressing, and every time she arched he pinched her nipple sending a shock through her. It took her barely any time to let the feelings wash over her and build her to her peak. As promised, when she came she came hard. Missy screamed as her entire body shook on Preston's lap. Her pussy clamped down on his finger, but he kept up his assault, sliding it in and out and continuing to rub her clit at the same slow pace. His skillful attention to her tender nipples made her orgasm heighten and fall in peaks, as soon as it started to fade away he would lightly pinch or flick, and it would feel as if she was starting to cum all over again. There was no thought in her mind except for the pleasure, but she snaked an arm around Preston's neck and pulled herself up to him, kissing him hard and moaning into his mouth while he stroked the inside of her cunt. He gently let her back down on his lap as the waves of pleasure finally subsided. Missy panted, catching her breath, and gasped when he slid his finger from her sex. Smiling down at her, Preston ran his hand slowly up her body, leaving a trail of her juices behind it. The action didn't do anything in particular to turn her on, but she felt him harden beneath her head as he looked down at the slick trail in her pubic hair and on her stomach. *Well, since he went to so much effort to make me happy,* she thought with a mental shrug. Missy grabbed his hand and lifted it to her mouth, looking into Preston's eyes as she flicked her tongue delicately over his fingers, lapping her juices off of them. "That...is either very cruel or very kind," Preston moaned, "I'm not sure which yet." A small blue alert light lit on the console, indicating an incoming communication. Missy reached up lazily and flicked the comm back on. "Alright squaddies," Jackson's voice on the comms interrupted, "I just broke through the fog, so the rest of you should be breaking fog cover as well. Radios back on." "Very cruel," Preston sighed, and Missy giggled and sat back up. "Sorry Preston. I'll make it up to you later," she winked and smiled, and Preston gave a half-grin in return. The green clouds faded away as Missy slid the toggle of her flightsuit back up, shivering at the cold now that she didn't have sexual urges to distract her from it. "Orbital, this is Rookie Jackson Rade, heading a group of four heavy cruisers with seven total rookies on board. Requesting your clearance to land." "He sounds so official," Missy murmured as she made sure her suit was secured, "where'd he learn that do you think?" she glanced at Preston. He was staring through the glass cockpit, a bemused expression on his face, and Missy followed his gaze. She'd expected to see the huge sphere of Orbital Academy in front of them, its wide rings spinning around it. Instead, they were approaching a large diamond-shaped structure, thin mechanical arms on each edge. The comms crackled with a gruff, official-sounding confirmation. "Rookie Rade and company, this is Orbital Pivot. You are cleared for entry." Orbital Academy 14 "Jackson, why'd you bring us to Pivot? What about Orbital Academy?" Preston reached across Missy and flicked the cruiser's autopilot off, beginning to manually pilot their cruiser in line with the other squadmates. "Rookie Preston, please cut the comm chatter, we wouldn't want to crowd Orbital Pivot's comm channels," Jackson's voice crackled into the small space. The message was clear; *We're being listened to. I can either trust Jackson or come up with my own plan.* Preston and Missy exchanged looks, and she nodded, her brown ringlets bouncing with the motion. Preston shrugged. He probably would've trusted Jackson on his own, but he trusted Missy at his core. Pulling up the fine-navigation controls, he prepared to land the craft. Although he had seen it before a handful of times, this was the first time he was actually landing a ship in the hangar bay. Orbital Pivot's hangar was much larger that Orbital Academy's, containing expanded bays to allow Pivot to supply ships to every Orbital in the orbit. Although it was easier for Preston to move the ship in, the smooth and practiced action was unsettling. *It feels wrong somehow.* The ship settled down behind Alex's heavy cruiser, and Preston did his checks of the gauges without thinking about it. It wasn't until the canopy swung upward that Preston realized how many people crowded the large hangar bay. The normal scrub teams were moving in to hook up fueling lines and coolant cells, but there were more small groups scattered throughout the hangar. Jackson was already climbing down from his cruiser at the front of the line of ships, and the largest of the groups were waiting for him. Preston helped Missy down and they walked forward to join their squadmate, just as the man in front of the group spoke. "Good evening Rookies. I'm General Hunter, and I'm in charge of this orbital. I checked over the flight logs before I came down, and I wasn't informed of any ships scheduled to dock today." The General was tall and muscled, with salt-and-pepper hair in a short buzzcut. Despite his slightly suspicious tone, his stare seemed focused and attentive rather than aggressive. *He's a military type,* Preston decided, hoping Jackson had also picked up on the vibe, *strict protocol, law and order type.* "We're unscheduled sir," Jackson answered for the group as Li, Aimee, Marcus and Alex joined them, "we've just returned from the surface. From a rescue mission, in fact, to retrieve our squaddies that were left behind on a planetary. We managed to save all but two." The General raised an eyebrow, while behind him two of his men immediately began typing into their screens. "I haven't ever heard of a rescue mission being undertaken, much less successfully," he commented, holding out a hand, "nor was I aware Academy was sending rookies down to the surface these days." One of the men behind him placed his screen into the General's waiting hand, which he glanced at briefly before returning it, "I see the Planetary authorized, but not the rescue mission." "It was...unauthorized," Jackson admitted, "but we have reason to believe there are members of Academy who didn't want us to live through the Planetary. That's also why we landed on Pivot rather than Academy" The General looked back and forth between the faces of the squadmates, his face neutral. The silence stretched, and Preston noticed suddenly how many of the people around the General were carrying heavy assault rifles and non-lethal riot pistols. His view on the scene suddenly shifted. *Fuck...we aren't a group of rookies facing a slap on the wrist here... we could be in as much trouble here as on the planetary.* He took another, more specific headcount now, noting the composition of the group in front of them. Flanking General Hunter were his two henchmen with the screens, but the four men and women surrounding them were heavily armed and armored. Preston hadn't ever been in a situation where someone might view him as an adult threat, not just a mischievous child. His hands were at his sides, and he moved his thumb subtly to make sure the pistol Missy had given him was still stuck in the waistband of his loose pants. "Why don't you keep your hand away from that weapon, son," the General said quietly, without turning his head, "it'll make this conversation a little easier I think." The guards with weapons shifted at his words, raising weapons carefully but quickly, and Preston put his hands up slowly. "General," the man on Hunter's left handed him the screen, "it's General Auspus from Orbital Academy for you sir." Preston's stomach clenched. "Yes," General Hunder murmured, "I thought he might want to talk to me." "General Auspus," Hunter held the screen in front of his face with his left hand. Missy's fingers dug into Preston's arm as their General's calm voice came from the screen. "Hello General Hunter. I understand some of my rookies landed in your hangar bay a few minutes ago." "They certainly did Auspus, we have them in the brig right now," General Hunter fixed them with a stare as if challenging any of them to say a word, "anything I should know about them?" "I'm glad you took that action. Keeping them isolated is certainly the best option to keep Orbital Pivot safe.They're quite a dangerous bunch." "Are they now?" General Hunter's expression didn't change, but Preston noted with concern that his right hand moved casually to the butt of his pistol. "We aren't quite sure what their end goal is, but we suspect they intend to form a rebellion against the Orbit." Preston ground his teeth at the smooth calm with which Auspus mangled the truth, "they dipped into the fog after they left, and we tracked their progress to Pivot, so whatever their story, it will involve the deception that they visited the planet." "But that's a lie, of course?" General Hunter moved as he asked, his eyes sweeping across the group of rookies as he stepped in among them, "they came straight from Academy to Pivot?" "Of course," Auspus' voice contained just the right amount of annoyance to sell the story. Out of the corner of his eye Preston saw Missy open her mouth, and he grabbed her hand and squeezed. She stayed silent, with a look of barely concealed rage on her face, as the General stopped directly in front of Preston. "Hmm." General Hunter said noncommittally, and Preston had to force himself not to move as the aged man reached out and grabbed him by the arm. "You've given me a lot to think about General Auspus," General Hunter mused aloud, rubbing the material of Preston's shirt between calloused fingers. *The Terrans' prison clothes!* Preston realized with a start, looking down at the rough and coarse clothes he was wearing, *the Orbitals don't have material like this, and Auspus doesn't know the Terrans captured us!* Although General Hunter's expression never changed, his hand moved off of his sidearm as he made his way back to the front of the rookies, speaking into the screen. "Aren't your rookie squads usually made up of nine rookies and a Captain? There are only four rookies here." Preston glanced at his squadmates. *Missy and I, Jackson, Alex, Marcus, Li, Aimee...* he counted before the realization hit him, *it's a test. He's only counting the ones in Academy flightsuits...the ones Auspus knows made it.* "Yes General Hunter, that's correct," Auspus didn't hesitate for a moment, "their Captain wasn't involved in their little rebellion, thankfully, and we were able to safely capture the remaining five of their group before they took off. They're safely detained here in Academy." "I'm glad to hear it," a hint of expression had finally appeared on General Hunter's face as he surveyed the seven squaddies, an unforgiving hardness. Preston found it encouraging. "When will you be able to ship them back to the Academy for processing?" Auspus' question was casual. "I'll have to square things away here first," General Hunter answered noncommittally, "but I'll get back to you." He closed the screen and passed it back to his henchman. "So..." the General seemed to be mulling things over in his head, "I'm assuming when you said "someone in power, you were referring to your captain and your general?" "Just the General, sir," Jackson replied, "I'm pretty sure the Captain wasn't involved." "Well now, isn't this problematic?" The General ran a hand through the stubble on his head and blew out a breath. "If I'm following the letter of the Orbit's law I'd ship you all back in a containment cell before the end of the day." Preston felt the urge to reach for his gun again, but he restrained himself. *Shooting people won't help our case.* "On the other hand, it's clear that there's more going on here than it seems," General Hunter growled, "your story might be a lie, might now, but it's clear that General Auspus' certainly is." Hunter stroked his chin for a few more moments. "I'm not throwing you back to Auspus before I've had the chance to think about this," he said finally, "But I'm not about to give you full run of the orbital either. I'm confining you to cells, and then I'm going to give a long hard think, then I'll talk to a few of you. Does that seem fair?" "Very fair, sir," Jackson said respectfully. Preston let the guards remove the gun from his waistband before he spoke. "General, some of us have been separated from loved ones for quite some time. If you would be so kind, if we could be locked in cells together..." "I don't like the idea of you all in the same place, able to plot and scheme," the General shook his head, "three of you to a cell, max." He made a motion, and Preston found himself being escorted down the long hangarbay. Missy clung to his arm, and he put a hand around her waist protectively, even though he knew the guards wouldn't be rough. He had grown up on Orbital Pivot; roughness wasn't their way. It was good to be back on Pivot. It felt like a lifetime ago since he had last walked the long hallways, and the tiny luxuries he had grown up with seemed so much more vivid now that he was back. The guards and squaddies' footfalls were muffled by carpeting, and the walls were rich colors instead of the bare metal of the Academy. Where the cold was an ever-constant hardship on Orbital Academy, here the air was warm and pleasant. Preston may have been worried about his future and the fate of his squadmates, but in the meantime it didn't hurt to enjoy the little things he had left behind. "First cell," one of the guards thumbed a keypad to open the door and stood to one side, "you heard the General, three max." "Will you two be alright on your own?" Jackson asked quietly. Preston nodded, "Orbital Pivot treats their prisoners alright," he said, "we'll all be fine until the General makes a decision. And even then, General Hunter isn't the type to surprise you. We'll know what will happen to us as soon as he comes to a decision." Preston and Missy stepped inside of the dark cell, and the door closed behind them, hissing as the room was hermetically sealed. "Now all we have to do is wait," Preston let go of Missy and leaned against the door, "hopefully we won't have to wait for more than a day or two, the General probably has a lot that he needs to take care of- what's wrong?" For the first time he noticed the dumbfounded expression on Missy's face, as the soft lights in the room slowly rose. "THIS is Pivot's *prison*?" she asked. Preston glanced around the room. It was about the size of the entire Academy barracks that housed his nine-man squad, although there was only one bed in the corner. *Queen-sized,* Preston noted, *although the cells are probably only set up for one prisoner, so that's not intended as a hardship.* A fire crackled in the fireplace on one wall, and on another a huge window gave a picturesque view of the moon that lazily followed the Orbital's progress around the planet. His eyes moved from the high ceiling to the plush carpet on the floor, and he finally shrugged, "Well, yea I suppose it's a little comfy compared to the Academy-" "A *little* comfy?" Missy hesitantly stepped into the room, as if she would break something simply by moving, "this is the most luxurious room I've ever been in. Ever. In my entire life. how is this...what?" She spluttered. "Okay, sure it's alright," Preston was starting to grow uncomfortable, "but we've been on Orbital Academy for five months Missy, anything would seem luxurious to us..." he trailed off at the look Missy was giving him. "Just how comfortable was your life before coming to the Academy Preston? If this," she made a sweeping motion around her, "is Pivot's definition of the barest necessities." "It was...fine. It was okay," Preston mumbled. He didn't like the direction this conversation was going, "I mean it was better than this but..." Defensiveness gave his words more of an edge than he meant them to have, "why is it such a big deal? We're all squaddies no matter where we came from, aren't we? And you and I, we're partners who love each other, aren't we? Who cares about what our childhood was like? What does it matter?" "It matters when I find out my boyfriend was a spoiled rich kid," Missy muttered, looking around her. Preston reddened, but he didn't respond. *We don't need to be arguing right now, especially not about something as trivial as this.* Instead he turned to the wide window and stared at the moon that drifted in the distance. After a few moments Missy joined him, wrapping slender arms around his waist. "I'm sorry," she said, "you're right, it doesn't change anything about you. Or us." "Look at it this way," Preston said dryly, "whatever comforts I might've had as a child, they make it that much harder to adjust to life at the Academy." "Oh you poor thing!" Missy gasped, and Preston grinned at her tone. He couldn't see her face, but he could tell she was about to tease him. "You mean you're forced to sleep in a bed with only *one pillow*?" "Now that's not fair-" Preston began, but Missy turned his head to look at the prison bed in the corner. There were four plump pillows on the heavy coverlet. Preston scowled as Missy burst into peals of laughter. "Well at the very least we'll be able to enjoy ourselves while the General is thinking about what to do with us," Preston stepped over to the bed and threw himself backward on it. The coverlet enveloped him as he stared at the ceiling. Missy settled next to him and laying her head on his chest. "Do you think he'll believe us?" Missy asked. Preston played with her brown curls as he considered the question. "I've always heard Hunter was cool and levelheaded," he said finally, "and Auspus dug himself a pretty big hole with his lies. We've got the crystal, so if he believes us in the slightest we can have his help in deciphering what he's trying to hide." "I hate him." Missy spoke quietly, but her voice was venomous. "We weren't hurting anyone, we weren't doing anything, and he tried to break us apart, tried to kill you." The anger in her voice was unlike her, and Preston frowned to hear it. He tried his standard tactic of switching her attention; telling a dirty joke. "Well, I wasn't hurting anything, but I was definitely doing someone," he said, giving a lock of her hair an affectionate tug. He expected a gentle smack on the stomach, but instead Missy just sighed and ran her hand up and down his leg. "You know..." Missy said, "...I do owe you for back in the cruiser." Preston bit back a response. He had come far enough to know that he *shouldn't* agree, that he shouldn't think of sex as owing each other. He hoped someday he wouldn't think it, but in the meantime he could at least avoid saying it. "If you like," he shrugged, "it's not like you have to." "Preston," Missy turned, her face inches away from his, "I thought you were dead. I thought I'd never see you again. You told me you loved me an hour ago. You gave me an amazing...a lot of fun in the cruiser." "You still can't talk about sex without blushing unless we are in the middle of having sex," Preston chuckled. Missy was indeed blushing, her whole face red, but she looked resolute. When she didn't move for a few moments, Preston cocked his head to one side. It was somehow different this time, as if Missy were processing emotions she didn't normally have to deal with. When she spoke she was quiet, but there was an unsettling steel to it that Preston hadn't heard before. "Fine," she said, and when she looked straight into Preston's eyes with a steady gaze, her blush was gone. *What just happened? Did I go too far?* "Listen, Missy, I didn't mean-" "Shut up. You want to hear me talk straight, fine. I thought you were dead," she listed on her fingers, still holding his gaze, "I thought I'd never see you again. You told me you loved me. And on top of all of that, I haven't been fucked in a week. You made me cum, hard, in that cruiser, when I really needed to cum. Now I'm going to return the favor." She grabbed the front of his shirt and leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a whisper, "and I'm not going to stop at just one. I'm going to fuck you, Preston, until you are physically incapable of having another orgasm, and then I'm going to fuck you one more time." "I...um" Preston stammered. This was like their first time all over again, she was acting completely out of character from the petite innocent Missy that he was used to, and he was both confused and incredibly turned on. "No stammering," Missy leaned back, "the first time we're going to do it like this. You're the big confident rich kid, and I'm just a naive little rookie from Orbital Academy." The innocence was back, exaggerated in all the right ways. Missy looked up through her lashes at him with the smallest of pouts, leaning back far enough that the stomach of her flightsuit made a pleasant arch up to her breasts. "So what exactly are you going to do to me, big bad rich boy?" She asked. Preston leaned forward, grabbing a handful of her curls in one hand as he fumbled for the sealing tab on her flightsuit with the other. "Oh Preston, what are you doing?" Missy said in a shocked voice, the effect somewhat ruined by the grin on her face. Preston slid the sealing tab down with a single quick motion, planting a kiss between her breasts before answering. "I'm going to fuck you senseless you silly girl," he grinned right back, yanking her suit off of her shoulders. Smiling at the way she gasped, Preston looked his girlfriend over. On the Academy the constant cold would make her nipples harden right away, but Orbital Pivot was kept warm enough that he was deprived of that sight. Even so, he couldn't help but admire Missy's body as she shrugged her arms out of the sleeves of the flightsuit, letting it slip down to her hips. "But Preston, how will you do that with your clothes on?" Missy asked putting a finger to her lips. Preston rolled his eyes at the overblown innocent act, but even knowing it was exaggerated, his cock hardened against the soft material of his Terran prison clothes. He used the firm grip on her hair to pull Missy down next to him on the bed, standing and yanking his shirt off. She watched him with heavily lidded eyes, taking in his every motion as he next stripped out of his pants. "You are entirely overdressed," Preston said huskily, and Missy obligingly lifted her rear and shifted her legs out of the flightsuit, kicking it onto the bed. She sprawled on the bedcovers in front of him, pale skin against white coverlet, her pink nipples and the dark patch of hair between her legs the only contrast. Preston grabbed her ankles and yanked her towards the edge of the bed until her butt hung half-off of it. Missy squeaked, but Preston held her legs behind the knees as he knelt between them. She was so wet that he could see the juices on her pink pussy, and he enjoyed the sight for a moment before he gently licked it clean. Orbital Academy 14 "Oooh Preston," Missy moaned, all sign of acting gone. Preston smiled and kept on licking, lapping up her juices and reveling in the tangy taste and scent. "This is supposed to be about you, s-stop it," Missy breathed, and Preston chuckled again. He rose, barely pausing to nip at her breast on his way up. Missy had already reached down to grab his member, stroking it and sliding his head between her lips, and he thrust into her with a powerful, hard motion. Missy threw her head back, her mouth open in a wordless moan. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and suddenly her slit was trembling around his length. Preston would've been proud of giving her an orgasm with a single thrust, but her wet, warm cunt gripping his shaft felt so good he knew he wasn't going to last long himself. He thrust a few more times, enjoying the wet sounds of sex and her shuddering breaths almost as much as the feeling of her tight sex. When he came he felt explosive, and he slammed into Missy's body so hard and so deep that it left them both in a heap on the bed, panting and gasping. Preston stroked Missy's hair as he tried to catch his breath, unwilling to slide out of her again. For her own part, Missy was looking up at him with mingled lust and love, and Preston decided he quite liked the look. "Mmm that was far too fast," she smiled, "we'll have to do that again." "Um...I'm going to need a few minutes before we do that again," Preston laughed. "I don't like that answer," Missy said, and before Preston could ask what she meant, she had pushed him off and onto his back, holding his arms down. "What are you-" he protested, but quickly silenced when she began planting gentle kissing along his stomach. Her mouth traveled downward, slightly glancing against his abs until she reached the base of his limp cock. "So you'll need a few minutes?" Missy purred looking up at him through a curtain of brown ringlets. "I...think so?" Preston didn't mean for it to come out as a question. He wanted to take control, but the young woman staring up at him with those brown eyes could do anything she liked as far as he was concerned. "Well then, I'll have to take that time to clean this up then," she said. Very slowly and deliberately, Missy slid the tip of her small tongue from the base of Preston's shaft up his entire length. Preston grabbed at the sheets and gasped. His member was still sensitive from his orgasm, and her tongue felt at the same time soothing and electric. She kept up her slow assault, carefully lapping every drop of his semen and her juices off of his cock. Preston moaned at the ceiling, unable to look away from his girlfriend's skillful manipulation of his body. Her tongue never slid over his sensitive head for too long, moving back to his shaft, his balls, occasionally even flicking over his thighs or abs before returning to her work. Patient and attentive, Missy kept licking for long minutes, grinning as he very slowly began to grow hard again. Smiling up at him sweetly over his now-rigid member, Missy went at her work with renewed energy, flicking her tongue across him and using her hands to lightly touch and massage the base of his cock. He was surprised it took the few minutes that it did for the orgasm to build in him again, but when it did it hit him so hard that he let out a yell. His seed spurted from his tip, falling in strands across Missy's face and hair and hands, but she didn't hesitate or stop her licking, until finally his orgasm subsided. She gave his softening member a few more gentle licks, and then leaned back, a smug look on a face covered in his cum. "I'm going to shower now, because you've made quite a mess," she said lightly, standing and stretching. Even in his post-orgasmic state, Preston's cock twitched at the sight of her body when she stretched, brown curls falling over her taut breasts. "Come and join me when you're ready." He watched her walk across the large room to the bathroom door, admiring the way her proud strut made her butt look. "Oh, and by the way," she said over her shoulder, "by 'when you're ready', I mean 'when you're hard again', because I expect you to be able to fuck me hard in the shower." Preston grinned and leaned back against the coverlet as he listened to the shower stream cut on. "Holy shit, there are four showerheads in here! With sonics *and* water!" Missy's voice came from the bathroom, and Preston chuckled. The light in the room was soft and the blanket beneath him warm, except for the small damp spot where Missy had been laying when he ate her out. *I should do that again, for longer next time,* he thought idly, *maybe use my fingers at the same time-* A small alarm pinged through the room, interrupting his thoughts. "Prisoners, are you decent?" A firm but not unfriendly voice asked over the comm. "Um..no, not at all, hold on," Preston scrambled for the small dresser by the bed, yanking a drawer open and pulling out the white suit that was provided for the prisoners. "Someone at the door?" Missy emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, and Preston had to wrest his attention from a particularly intriguing droplet of water that was slowly sliding from her damp hair down her neck. "We're covered up now...more or less," he called distractedly, and the door slid open. The guard stepped to one side and Aimee stepped in, the door immediately shutting behind her. "Preston, oh it's so good to see you guys together again," Aimee wrapped Preston in a hug, and then did the same for Missy. "Aren't you sharing a cell with Li?" Missy asked, returning the hug with one arm while holding her towel around her. "We are, but they'll only let three of us together max and I thought we had better investigate *this* while we had some time alone." Aimee drew the blue crystal from a pouch in her flightsuit, and Preston and Missy instantly sobered. The crystal was almost exactly like the one they had seen General Auspus using weeks before, different only in the shape of the finer edges and in its color, a deep blue instead of the purple. "So what is it? And what does the General do with it?" Aimee asked. Preston sat on the edge of the bed, trying to wrap his mind around the memory. "He just set it in front of him, and it started sparking." "Well then, let's try it," Aimee set the crystal down on the floor and sat down in front of it. Missy joined her, sitting crosslegged so that the towel covered her chest and legs. "Now what?" Preston asked. The crystal sat between them, dull and lifeless. "Now we talk about what to do." Aimee answered. "We got this from the Terrans, and the General has one of these, and he knows how to use it. Is it possible he's a Terran?" "Not likely," Missy shook her head, "people have known him since he was a Pilot-level, and it's not as if anyone can just show up somewhere without birth records from Orbital Basura." "Is this something the military captured from the Terrans then?" Aimee ventured, "maybe it's not as sinister as we've been thinking, it could be some military secret." "That he would threaten me and Preston over? That he would lie to General Hunter about? No," The hard edge had returned to Missy's voice again, "whatever the crystal means to him, he doesn't want anyone to find out about it. He's terrified that we'll tell someone about it. Terrified enough to kill eight innocent squaddies to shut the mouths of the two who know." "Speaking of innocent squaddies...Captain Appet will be safe, won't she?" Preston's brow furrowed at Aimee's question. The thought hadn't occurred to him, and now that he finally did think it, he was ashamed that he hadn't thought of her until now. "I don't think he'll hurt her," Missy said confidently, "Rookies dying on a planetary run, that's one thing. A Captain dying? On an Orbital? There's no way that will happen without inquiries." The three remained silent, each pensive. "So what's his move?" Preston spoke quietly, "if General Hunter sends us back, that's the end for us. But if he doesn't...what's Auspus' next move?" "I hate him." Preston glanced away from the bitterness in Missy's face. The differences in her character when she was horny were fun and exciting, the differences when she filled with hate for the General were disturbing. "I wish there was some way..." she started, and then stopped. When she spoke again it was so quiet he almost didn't hear her, "...I wish there was some way to hurt him as bad as he tried to hurt us." The crystal was bright, and Preston wasn't quite sure when it had lit up. He had the uncomfortable feeling that it had been glowing for a while and that he was only now noticing it. It gave off an almost imperceptible hiss, like a single droplet of water being dropped on a hot cruiser engine, at the same time kicking a single blue spark into the air. Preston's eye stayed locked on the spark as it arced lazily toward Missy, who shrieked and threw herself backward. As if it had read the future and chosen its arc accordingly, the blue spark landed on Missy's throat just as she sprawled, settling into the hollow between her collarbones and then vanishing into her skin. Preston lept from the bed, kicking the crystal across the floor and rushing to where Missy lay naked on the floor. There was nothing he could do; the spark was already gone. Missy swatted and rubbed at the spot like a burn. "Missy! Missy are you alright? Damnit tell me you're okay?" "I-I'm fine, I'm okay," Missy reassured him, but her hands shook, "I was just startled, that's all." "What the fuck was that? What just happened?" Preston looked around the room, at the crystal laying dull on the floor, at Aimee, and back to Missy, willing someone to give him the answers. "You know what that was Preston," Missy grabbed him by the shoulders, "calm down. Preston!" She shouted, and it was enough to regain Preston's focus. He took a deep breath as she continued, "whatever the sparks do, it didn't kill the General. He wouldn't do something detrimental to himself, so whatever it is, it's a good thing." "Right," Preston shook himself. There were a million reasons she might be wrong, of course. There could be some other component that Auspus protected himself with, or it might be one half of a delicate chemical formula. However, there was nothing they could do about it if that were the case, so he could only hope for the best. When he turned, Aimee's expression made him pause. "Horror" was too strong a word, but Aimee was disturbed, and a large part of Preston didn't want to turn around to see what had happened. He forced himself to, moving slowly and bracing himself for what he might find. His girlfriend lay on the floor on top of her rumpled towel, looking up at them with a questioning look on her face. Her naked skin was pale, contrasting against the brown ringlets with a single streak of cobalt blue that fell across her face. Orbital Academy 15 A big thank you to all of my fans who have supported me with your kind messages! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, but as of this chapter there are going to be some changes to Orbital Academy! Instead of a very short chapter released every week, I'm going to spend the time to craft a longer, better chapter, and switch to a release schedule of once every three weeks. Hope you enjoy! **************************************** General Hunter wanted to heave his personal screen across the room, but instead he simply heaved a sigh. Newcomers to the station would often compliment him on how organized and easy it was to request resources from Orbital Pivot; few considered just how difficult it was to organize. As if in response to his frustration, his screen pinged with an incoming message. *Orbital Minera proposing higher quantity trade, more crysium for more mining drones. ~Sara* "Pull up import-export graph between Pivot and Minera," Hunter sighed, leaning back as the screens at his desk followed his command. He flicked to the next message. *Guy came in with over three thousand luxury chips, won't say where he got them, permission to do a background check? ~Timothy* "Response: Yes." *What's Pivot's policy on age of employment? The tests normally weed out youngin's, but we've got a promising thirteen year old who just rebuilt a Tanning-Spanly and wants to enlist... ~MkRathly* Hunter stared at the message for a moment, reading it several times without registering what it said. It seemed so long ago that he had been a spry man, in his youth. For a moment he let himself fondly remember the days when he could leap to his feet at news of a crisis, or jog down the hallways in an emergency. Nowadays he just felt *heavy* all the time, less as if his muscles had atrophied and more as if each piece of his body simply weighed far more than it used to. He stared at the readouts in front of him, trying to pull his attention away from the weight in his muscles and focus again on his screens. The planetary run had been ill-advised. No matter how he wrapped his mind around it, he couldn't see a justification for Auspus to send ill-equipped rookies down to attack the Terrans on their own. *Was it some extreme method to train them up? A trial by fire?* He shook his head, "Would make far more sense to send them to guard a mining run first, get them acclimated to the surface before sending them against Terrans." Errisa would've chided him if she had heard him muttering to himself. "It makes you sound less wise old man and more doddering senile old man," she would tease. He still did it when he was alone, but Hunter tried to avoid it when around others now. *Is he hoarding some military secret?* "No reason to hide military matters from another General. Unless he plans on inter-orbital warfare." He pushed the thought to the back of his mind with a shudder. The consequences of Auspus planning an attack on another Orbital were too grim to consider right now. Hunter looked up at the screen again. "It's no good," he kept on muttering, saying the words aloud helped him to focus on the issue, "there's no scenario in which it makes sense." Discrepancies and oddities in General Auspus' behavior, slowly piling onto each other. Whether the rookies were telling the truth or not, it was clear that Auspus wasn't. The only true question was *what* the true circumstances of Auspus' position were. "Every strange decision you've made has been one that only you oversee," he muttered, "if the rookies hadn't made it here no other Orbitals would get involved, so you didn't bother covering your tracks-" Hunter's musings were cut short by a subtle red light on the desk in front of him. He nodded once and flicked a switch, activating the emergency communication channels between Orbital Academy and Orbital Pivot. "Good evening General Hunter," General Auspus' voice sounded as young as he looked, but Hunter had learned long ago how unwise it was to underestimating the man. He had seen political opponents make that mistake, and without fail they were all currently working in small-time positions on various Orbitals. "General Auspus, I'm glad you pinged me," Hunter's voice was gruff. "I thought you might want to chat, my technicians tell me you've been doing some searches through our operational records." "The records are accessible to anyone with the right clearance level. I didn't break any confidences to get them." "Of course not my friend," Auspus replied smoothly, "I only noticed and thought I might answer any questions you might have directly, to save you the trouble of digging for them." "Very considerate of you. Why did you send a squad of rookies down to fight Terrans?" Hunter asked bluntly. "Their Captain had been pushing for some time to get her team more involved, to push them far beyond the typical learning curve of a rookie. Since everyone on that squad tested several years above their level, and after their excellent results in handling an attacking exothermic Drake, I decided to trust Captain Appet's judgement on their abilities." Hunter silently flicked a page of stats to one of his screens. He had already noticed the mission against the Drake, but the stats showed that perhaps sending them against it hadn't been as ambitious as he had first thought. "That does make sense," he sighed, "heaven knows we'll need more flyers now that the Drakes are coming up faster." "That was my thought as well, General." Hunter frowned. He didn't have any more questions for Auspus, but he wasn't satisfied. Even with his explanations, Auspus had lied about how many rookies had escaped. If the rookies weren't telling the truth, why would Auspus lie? Something just felt *wrong* somehow, in a way Hunter couldn't quite put his finger on. "Oh," General Auspus said, as if he had just thought of something, and Hunter's stomach tightened, "I thought I should mention to you. When the rookie squad made their ill-fated attempt at a rescue, two young ladies aboard Orbital Academy assisted them, prepping the heavy cruisers and giving them clearance. In doing so they've broken quite a few of our Orbital's laws and restrictions, so as well intentioned as they may have been, we're holding them pending disciplinary action." "I'm sorry to hear that," Hunter replied cautiously. *What does this have to do with me? What's your angle Auspus, why are you telling me this?* "Two engineers, a mechanic and an administrative, by the names of Cynthia Cormorant and Samantha Barnes." Hunter clenched his hands. He had no clue who Cythia was, but he vaguely remembered Barnes' girl being shipped out to Academy. More importantly, they were engineers. "I was under the impression," he said quietly, forcing his voice quiet, "that in matters of disciplinary action all judgements were to be rendered on the proper Orbitals." "I'm sorry?" Auspus had the audacity to pretend confusion, "what do you mean?" "The General of the Orbital makes the fucking decisions Auspus," Hunter barked, his attempt at cool failing spectacularly, "I don't take judicial action on Minera miners in Pivot, you don't take judicial action on engineers at Academy, that's basic orbit code-" "Is it really?" The man on the other end of the comm interrupted smoothly, cutting in with a quiet steel that made his voice sound like a weapon, "because I have a judicial matter on my hands General, a matter of nine rookies whose insubordinate actions placed their lives and valuable equipment at risk. They could've been killed, they could've fallen into Terran hands, we could've lost them in any number of ways, and yet they seem to be sitting safely on Orbital Pivot right at this moment." It took Hunter leaned forward in his chair, a snarl on his face. *So, we've stopped pretending to be civil then? Good. I've had enough of this fucking windabout.* It took him a few moments to realize that another pretense had been dropped. "I thought you said they hadn't visited the planet, General." Hunter said quietly. "How exactly could they be captured by Terrans?" The comm remained silent for a long moment, and Hunter took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair. In a way it was a relief. "Auspus, just tell me what you're doing. If there's some kind of trouble, I can help you." "Things are the way they are, General Hunter." There *was* emotion in Auspus' voice now, it was trembling with it. "The decision is in your hands at this point. The training Orbital has judicial jurisdiction over, which means you send the Academy-trained rookies back to Academy. You can't have it both ways Hunter. Unless I have my rookies back, I will proceed with a trial of your engineers on Orbital Academy. I don't need to tell you what that will imply." He didn't. Hunter knew what it would imply; by giving up control over the two engineers, whatever their names were, he would be letting his Orbital down. Even worse, he would be showing the other Orbitals that Pivot could be walked all over. "Why are you doing this, Auspus? What could possibly be worth what you're expending on this?" Auspus cut the connection without answering. Hunter sat in his seat, staring through his desk. The weight in his muscles pressed down into him, and he heaved a sigh as he began closing the screens he had open. His office slowly darkened as the screens flicked off. He heaved himself to his feet and trudged to the door, casting his eyes sadly around the room as he left it. *** The General's quarters were sparse compared to the lodgings of the other officers. While he enjoyed the comforts of Orbital Pivot, Hunter was raised on Minera, and he found the sprawling multi-room quarters a bit too empty and open for his tastes. Essira was happy no matter where they lived, and so he had a single room in the very tip of the diamond-shaped orbital. When he stepped out of the elevator the lights instantly dimmed to a soothing low, and Hunter felt the weight on his muscles lessen just a bit. Essira sat in the bed, reading a screen, but she set it aside the second he entered. "Good evening my hunter," she smiled, and the stress that had been pressing at his temples all day lessened. "It's late," he grunted, his face not showing a hint of the relief he felt that she was still up and awake. "I had a feeling you would need me to talk to you this evening." "A feeling?" Hunter raised a sceptical eyebrow, and Essira smiled as she took his hand and pulled him toward the bed. "Call it woman's intuition. I intuitively felt that my husband would need someone to hold him, and comfort him, and take the stress of the day away." "Woman's intuition hasn't been hacking into the Orbital's database today has she?" "Of course not! That would be against orbit law! I just had a hunch that perhaps some rookies from Academy are seeking asylum, and Auspus is trying to blackmail you into returning them." Essira grinned mischieviously, and Hunter sat heavily down on the bed. *God that smile. I would die for that smile if I had to,* the General drew his face into a hard reproving expression, "Fuck orbit law Errisa, if you keep plugging into the database you'll fry yourself." "I can't change who I am, husband." Errisa kissed Hunter on the top of his head before she knelt, pulling his heavy boots from his feet, "Nor can you. You have to accept that I am what I am." "Hard not to feel guilty about that when you make it so easy to accept." Hunter sighed. Errisa took one of his feet in her hands, massaging the knots in them as she listened. "I just wish I knew why Auspus is pressing this issue. The Terrans have somehow figured out how to send multiple Drakes in a year, and we've got no idea when the next attack might be. What could be so important that it's worth causing tension now of all times?" "Perhaps it's the timing that's the clue?" Errisa's hands moved to his other foot, and the General growled appreciatively, "maybe General Auspus is counting on everyone being distracted by the threat of Terrans to seize just a little more control." "Could be," the General agreed, "hell, maybe he sent the rookies here on purpose, told them to gain my sympathy so he could press this issue." "No," Errisa shook her head definitely, "if you could hear the way they talk about him you wouldn't think that. They absolutely despise him." "You watched the security feed from their rooms?" The General sighed. The smile on her face answered the question for him, but he didn't bother lecturing her. "You can learn a lot watching twenty-one hours of footage over three prison cells, it took me about five minutes" she said, "do you want to know what I learned?" "Someday you're going to see something you shouldn't," the General's hard demeanor broke, and he chuckled. "Someday? Ha," Errisa grinned, emboldened by Hunter laugh, "the blond and brunette went at it the second they were alone, it was kind of cute." She grew serious, "They have something in their cell Hunter. A crystal that they took from the Terrans." "A weapon?" Hunter stood up, "why didn't you tell me?" "It's not a weapon, sit back down." Errisa pulled him back into the bed, "and it's not dangerous or a high priority, it will last the night." "How can you tell?" he trusted his wife, but Hunter couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had been plaguing him ever since he had been alerted about the heavy cruisers approaching Pivot. "The rookies are just as in the dark about it as we are," Errisa said reassuringly, "and like I said, they hate Auspus. They're on our side." The General sighed and leaned back into bed, and Errisa crawled in next to him. "What would I do without you?" Hunter kissed Errisa on the top of her head, missing her short cropped black hair. "Probably overwork yourself, have multiple heart attacks, and die," Errisa said cheerfully, turning to kiss him under the neck. He grinned and wrapped a large arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tight to him. His other hand grabbed her chin and he tipped her head up to kiss her on the lips. "Ever the optimist," he rumbled. His hand wandered down her neck, brushing against her warm skin down to the edge of her shirt. He glanced down at her body appreciative. "Mmm," Errisa murmured, "we definitely should." The General loved that about her, that she could all but read his mind at this point, answering questions he didn't even have to ask out loud. "Can you adjust me a little first? I'm a little off-kilter today." "Of course." Hunter rose heavily to his feet, moving to retrieve his tools as his wife stripped her shirt off and laid down on her stomach on the bed. "Anything in particular bothering you?" "Nothing too drastic." Errisa smiled at him reassuringly as he returned to sit next to her on the bed. He began rubbing her back, his hands calloused from years of mechanical work digging in to press at the hard areas in her shoulderblades. "That feels amazing." "Alright, lets get this over with," The General took a deep breath, bracing himself as he picked up his instrument. He checked the small metal spike carefully, making sure there were no pieces of dirt or fuzz on the delicate sharp tip. *Someday I'll be able to do this without worrying* "You'll be alright Hunter," Errisa murmured reassuringly, as if she read his mind again, "I'm not as fragile as you seem to think I am." "I'm allowed to be worried when I'm about to perform surgery on my wife," Hunter growled. "Surgery? You're so dramatic," Errisa laughed. The thin seam along her spine glowed, then separated, and the panels that made up her back silently slid apart. Taking another breath, the General carefully reached forward and began his work. "What am I adjusting?" He asked, the spike in his hand hovering as he waited. "I've got a twitch in my leg, so maybe my balance servo?" "Not leg control?" The General reached inside Errisa, carefully pushing a bundle of thin wires to one side so he could see the connections to her balance motherboard. "No, I'm pretty sure-" "Ah, there it is," Hunter said, carefully adjusting a wire that had come loose, "you were right, it was in the balance cluster." "It's almost as if I know myself," Errisa teased. "Next?" "I think my emotional core is a bit off. I'm not normally so rebellious or snarky." "Yes you are." Hunter grinned. "A little less green core, a little more purple? Please?" The General complied, adjusting small sliders along the sphere that controlled Errisa's different cores. "I can move your worry down a bit if you like." "Worry is good to have. Keeps me on my toes," Errisa shook her head, "I don't want to be the type to lounge around all day, not caring what's happening to the people around me." "What about horniness? Should I increase that a bit?" "No!" Hunter grinned at his wife's exclamation, "god no Hunter, I already have to masturbate once or twice a week when you've got to much work to come take care of me." "Alright then. Anything else?" "I think that'll do Hunter. Unless..." the General's face grew somber; he knew what she was about to ask, "...unless you'd like to open the bottleneck? Let me grow to my full potential?" Hunter leaned back with a sigh, and ran a weary hand through his buzz-cut hair. Errisa turned, careful to not jostle any of the exposed wires coming out of her back. "I'm sorry." She said quietly, "I shouldn't have asked that." "It's been awhile since you've asked," Hunter's voice was just as soft as hers. *It always comes down to this.* "I had hoped..." "I know. I know Hunter, I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask, it's not fair to you to..." Errisa looked close to tears, and Hunter winced at the look on her face. "Let's get you sealed back up." He said roughly, and Errisa turned back to the bed. They sat in silence for long minutes as General Hunter carefully sealed the wires inside his wife into neat bundles of cable, and strapped them to the motherboards that kept her running. He had to pause for a moment to angrily brush his watering eye before screwing the fasteners. "You know I love you, right?" Errisa said it so quietly that Hunter could barely hear. "I know." It came out more gruffly than he intended. "Just because my mind makes me push...it doesn't mean I don't love you." "I know it." "If I could make myself stop trying, I would." Hunter didn't repeat it a third time, he simply slid her back panels back into place, resuming the shoulder rub he had given her to begin with. *It's not her fault,* he reminded himself, angrily, *you knew about this when you married her. She'll never stop doing what she can to get the bottlenecks removed.* As if whispered in his ear, the doubt followed his thoughts. *And what better way for a sentient AI to escape her restrictions, than to convince an old fool the she loves him, knowing that someday he won't be able to say no to her?* "I know what you're thinking, when you look at me like that," Errisa said sadly, startling Hunter out of his musing. "I'm thinking that I love you," he said, gruff and terse. "You're thinking that you love me too much," she whispered. General Hunter opened his mouth to say something reassuring, but the weight and weariness of the day seemed to press against him, and all he could do was close his eyes and lean back against the pillow. He felt Errisa settle in next to him, nuzzling against his stubbly chin and breathing a sigh. "It must be hard, being you." She murmured, stroking his chest. "Politics, lies, backstabbing. Dealing with innocent rookies and crazy robot wives." "Wives, plural?" The General chuckled, "are there more of you hiding around here somewhere? Because I think that might kill me." Errisa giggled, and Hunter's heart jumped in his chest. "There's only one Errisa, darling Hunter," she said, "and she belongs to you." Orbital Academy 15 "Nonsense." the General grumbled. His eyes still closed, he groped for her hand, taking it in his large paw and squeezing gently, "you're your own woman through and through." "I'm yours," Errisa insisted, "all of me, every inch. This is yours," She moved his hand and brushed it down the side of her face, "and these are yours," she moved his hand to her naked breast, squeezing his fingers to make him fondle her, "and especially this." Errisa pulled his hand down across her stomach, until it nestled between her legs. Hunter growled appreciatively, rubbing two fingers back and forth across the material of her pants with a gentle motion. "You wanted to relax, earlier, Hunter," Errisa whispered, hooking a thumb over the waistband of her pants and stretching them down a bit. Hunter's thumb brushed through her soft pubic hair, and he nodded his head. He came to the same conclusion he always did in these moments. If Errisa's love for him was faked, it was faked too well to question. If it was a farce, it was too wonderful a farce not to enjoy. He kept brushing his thumb back and forth, his fingernail grazing skin that felt soft and real as any human woman's. Errisa let him, not doing anything to hasten him, simply keeping her head resting on his chest, her own chest rising and falling rhythmically. "Tell me about your troubles," Errisa said quietly, and Hunter considered for a moment. "He's lying Errisa. Auspus is lying, and I don't know what to do about it." "You do," his wife said gently. Hunter didn't respond, searching his thoughts as he ran his fingers in small circles over her mound. He tugged very lightly at the tufts of hair between her legs, thinking on all sides of the subject and considering before he spoke. "I don't want to get the High General involved in this," he said finally, "Orbital Pivot is my domain, and every time the High General gets involved in Orbital affairs it ends up the worse for them." "That wasn't the case the last time, was it?" Errisa's fingers worked at the sealing clasp on his pants as she spoke, her words a little breathy as Hunter gently tugged at her pubic hair. "The last time the High General got involved in Pivot, he made you the General. That was good, wasn't it?" "Was it though?" Hunter sighed as his wife slid the heavy material of his pants down his legs, freeing his member to harden beneath her hand. She simply held his length, possessively but still, allowing him to finish his thought. "General Yathmus was doing a fine job running Pivot, everyone in the Orbital was thriving..." "Besides the slaves Yathmus was selling," Errisa interrupted, stroking her hand up and down once, slowly. "Yathmus needed to be removed, I'm not arguing that, but getting rid of his whole power structure? Cutting off the head of the Orbital and sticking some young-gun Captain in their place? Sure it worked out, but I'm still not convinced it was the right thing to do, even if it put me here." Hunter slid his hand further down, and his wife spread her legs accommodatingly. "Who knows if the High General will even get involved?" Errisa sighed as Hunter brushed his fingertips between her legs, his hands moving automatically as his brow furrowed in thought. "Auspus is making this an issue, something far more than it should be. He's not one to state anything outright, but I think he's hinting at a declaration of war." "Then prepare for the worst Hunter. What would you do if he was that desperate to get his rookies back?" Hunter slid a finger between her lips, slowly moving it up and down and enjoying the scent of her sex in the room. She was matching his pace, her fingers gently brushing back and forth over the top of his cock. It was sensual and utterly relaxing, and the two of them lay in silence for several minutes, considering her question. "I can't let him bully me," General Hunter finally said. "If I give way on this issue at the threat of war, then Auspus will take whatever he wants from me, whenever he wants it, on threat of war. Today he wants his rookies back, without telling me what they've actually done or why he wants them. Who knows what comes tomorrow? Maybe he doesn't feel like sending us the Pilots we need. Maybe he demands Pivot send more engineers or ships. I can't set this precedent, it's too dangerous." "So you've decided?" Errisa asked. "I've decided. Either he tells me why he wants the rookies, and gives me time to think on it, or he can fuck off. And if he decides to punish Pivot-trained scrubs for this standoff between us," Hunter frowned, "then I suppose we'll have to press back. That's my decision. I know what to do." "Good," Errisa said in a satisfied voice, "because I have been thoroughly teased enough." Hunter grinned as his wife sat up and threw a long leg over him, straddling him at the waist. Her slick sex was warm against his cock, and now that he was satisfied with his plans he could dedicate his full attention to the feeling. He lifted a rough hand and ran his fingers through her short black hair, and she smiled in response, nuzzling her cheek against it. Hunter didn't have to move at all as Errisa reached down, stroking him a few more times as she positioned it at her opening, and then gently pressed down, taking him inside of her to the hilt. Hunter sighed at the feeling as she leaned down, pressing her forehead against his and giving him a peck on the lips. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me," he murmured, kissing her again as his arms wrapped around her to crush her tight against him. Errisa held him as well, rocking her hips to move him around inside her rather than thrust in and out. "You always get so sentimental when you're in me," she smiled. "Are you ready?" "Not yet," Hunter rubbed her back, working at her muscles even as she slowly moved her hips back and forth, "I want to lay like this for a while longer." Errisa complied, resting on him with a sigh and kissing the side of his neck. "And I'm always sentimental," he grinned, and was rewarded with her chuckle in his ear. Feeling her tongue flick against his earlobe, Hunter closed his eyes, his hands moving up and down her back, occasionally pausing to squeeze her butt. "Oh always," his wife giggled into his ear, "it's embarrassing really, how you're always spilling your emotions all over the place, you mushy fool." Hunter chuckled, but her voice low in his ear was making him harden even further inside of her. "Now I'm ready," he growled, and Errisa sat up, looking down at him with lusty affection. "About time," she smiled, and then came. Hunter felt her body tremble, her pussy quivering around him. He grabbed her by the hips and thrust, hard, enjoying the feeling. She was so wet that he penetrated her without pause even despite her cunt's tightness, and the walls of her sex squeezed and clamped on his cock with each deep thrust. Errisa came down from her orgasm slowly, but she moved her hips to take him deeper. "More," he breathed, and his wife smiled down at him and came again. "Oh, Hunter," she breathed, and his hips left the bed as he tried to push into her even harder. Her second orgasm was no less intense than the first, her sex twitching against him, her face flushed, and she moaned every time he pulled away from her. She came the third time without being asked, her sighs of pleasure even louder as she leaned over him. Her breasts hung inches away from Hunter's face, and they bounced appealingly each time he lifted to slam his cock into her body. Every stress of the day was gone from Hunter's mind, blown away by the smells of sweat and sex, by the sounds of Errisa's moans and his cock slamming into her wet pussy, and the feeling of her tight walls around his entire length. He came hard, his abs shaking as he pulled her down onto him. Errisa pushed down on him, knowing exactly what to do to make him cum harder and reading his pulse and breathing rate to know exactly when. "Oh my god Hunter, fill me with your cum," she breathed, a split second before he exploded inside her. His wife had never said those words before, but somehow she knew how to hit every kink Hunter had, sometimes before he even knew them himself. She met his eyes as he came, her fingers stroking his chest as he bucked and jerked, his mind almost blanking out at the pleasure as he filled her. Errisa moved slowly and deliberately, letting his limp member slip out of her slowly before she lay on her back next to him. Hunter panted, trying to catch his breath as he stroked her pubic hair again, now matted with juices and sweat. His wife was smiling, not a single drop of sweat on her forehead and her breath coming out as even and measured as ever. "Your turn," Hunter grinned, propping himself up on an elbow. "But I already came, Hunter," Errisa raised her eyebrows innocently, "three times. Didn't you feel me?" "Your turn for real," Hunter reached up and tugged gently on her earlobe, and Errisa gasped. "If you like," she said uncertainly, but Hunter was already leaning over her, running his fingers down the sides of her neck. It had taken them a long time to reach this point in their relationship, one where he could give his wife real orgasms rather than the simulated ones she could so effortlessly control with her software. Hunter had learned his wife's body clumsily and with much trial and error, and Errisa had needed quite some time before she could let go of her embarrassment and awkwardness. Hunter continued sliding a finger up and down her neck, making careful note of his pace and counting off the seconds in his head. "You're getting better at that," Errisa whispered, and Hunter noted with satisfaction that he had raised goosebumps on her skin. Continuing his slow onslaught on her neck, Hunter began rubbing very small circles into her forehead with another finger. It helped to picture what was going on beneath her skin as he did so, the shoots of sensation in her neck crossing at just the right time with the sensors in her head, creating a delicate bouquet of pleasure, real pleasure, in Errisa's brain. He pressed his fingers harder, digging them into her neck and forehead in a way that would be painful and uncomfortable to a human. Errisa's pain circuits in those two specific areas, both firing at the same time, would hit her motherboard at the same instant, locking up the receptors and suddenly removing every physical perception from her but pleasure for a few moments. "Mmm, right there," Errisa's voice was steady, but she squirmed on the bed, her fingers digging into the sheets. Hunter smiled in spite of himself. *Such human reactions at times.* His brow furrowed as he tried to get the timing just right. He paused and began counting, trying not to get distracted by his wife's involuntary whimper of pleasure. Errisa stayed still so that he could count without distraction, trying to base his count on her steady breaths rather than his erratic ones. *...and eight, and nine, and ten.* As close to the turn of the second as he could manage, Hunter pressed his thumb into Errisa's throat, hard enough that if she were human he would worry about causing irreparable damage. If he had timed it right, the blast of pain would hit her motherboard just as the receptors reset, overloading it and transferring the sensation to backup panels; a split second of pain followed by a rush of more pleasure than a human being was physically capable of feeling. Errisa's back arched, her fingers clawed at the sheets. Hunter sat back, satisfied, watching his wife having her own version of an orgasm. Her simulation of a human cumming was delightful in its own way, but he enjoyed this more, knowing that this type of orgasm was more "real" to her than anything they had done a few moments ago. She screamed in pleasure, a long loud moan that was beautiful and genuine, and then her body collapsed to the bed as it was overloaded, unable to do anything but enjoy the bursts of pleasure that were running through every inch of her. Her eyes went white as the high-definition displays in them blanked out, unable to handle their normal tasks and the pleasure at the same time. For a few moments she lay completely still, the only movement her lips as she whispered a single word. "Hunter." The orgasm lasted less than a minute before Errisa blinked and sighed. Hunter smiled when she looked over at him, adoration on her face. "Welcome back to the land of the living," he joked. "Don't tease me about that," Errisa said weakly, "you know I'm embarrassed by it." "No reason to be embarrassed about your husband giving you an orgasm," Hunter replied gruffly, lying next to her. "There is when you cum as strangely as I do," Errisa snuggled in next to him. Hunter decided not to argue with her, instead making a gesture in the air that the room would identify. The lights dimmed out, and the two of them lay in the darkness together. He stared at the ceiling for long minutes, until a small hiss indicated that his wife had fallen asleep, the tiny panel behind her ear unsealing and allowing access. After pulling up his pants and locating his shirt in a crumpled ball at the foot of the bed, Hunter rose. A quick search beneath the bed yielded the cord that came up through the floor, linked directly to the power core of Orbital Pivot, and he plugged it into the panel behind Errisa's ear before he made his way back to the elevator. As he waited for it to arrive, he gave one last longing glance behind him at his naked wife, sprawled on the bed, her bare chest rising and falling with her deep breaths. He shook his head once as the elevator door opened, and stepped inside. *Still work to be done.* His screen was flashing to indicate new messages, of course. Hunter allowed himself the momentary luxury of settling into his seat before he flipped through them. *We have a custom ship request from Basura, shall we put it through? ~Aaron* "Respond: We'll have to put some designers on the job. I'll grab a list and talk to them in the morning." The computer filled out an appropriate response as he flicked to the next message. *Minera lost a few mining drones on the surface. Careless miners, not Terrans, but they aren't due for a resupply for a few months. ~Sara* "Respond: We owe General Buramis a favor, go ahead and send him a handful." The next several messages made him lean up in his chair, his brow furrowed. They were from several different sources; security had received alerts to prepare for an escort, hangar bay had gotten scheduling requests and refueling alerts. The messages built a complete picture of what was happening, so Hunter didn't even need to read the last message, marked official and with high priority, to know what it said. He pulled it up anyway, a frown building on his face at the terse message. *Coming to Pivot tomorrow, arriving at 1300. Bringing the engineers, and a prison ship for the returning rookies. ~Auspus* Orbital Academy 16 I can't say thank you enough to all of my fans; I read and love every message! This marks the first of the longer, more story-filled chapters of Orbital Academy; something requested by a huge amount of fans. I hope you enjoy this new direction, and hope you enjoy the latest update! **************************************** *** Part 1 - A Change in the Orbit *** General Hunter stared off through the wall of the elevator, lost in his thoughts. When the doors opened he stepped through on autopilot, flanked by two of his security force. Anger and worry warred in his stomach, but he kept his face calm as he reached the door to the Academy rookies' cell. *They didn't cause this mess.* He reminded himself. *They may've been the catalyst, but it's Auspus who is the root. This is Auspus' disaster. For whatever reason.* He entered the cell barely thinking about the rookies within. "General Auspus is coming to Orbital Pivot to retrieve you." Hunter spoke even as he entered. The rookies sprang to their feet, but he didn't wait for them to get comfortable. "Is there anything you two think I should know before I meet with your General?" Of course there was nothing they could tell him. These were the lowest level of Academy, it was doubtful they'd even met General Auspus after their initiation; his true purpose was to see if they would give up the crystal that Errisa had seen them with. His eyes moved to the streak of blue in the girl's hair. Dorson, the files had told him. "He has a crystal that he uses when alone." *She seems eager enough to give up the information.* "We think that's why he wants us killed, because we saw him using one. It's like this." The girl held out the blue crystal he had seen in the video recordings, and Hunter nodded to his guard to take it from her. "We got that one from the Terrans." She eyed the guard with worry as he carefully took the crystal in a protective glove, depositing it into the containment unit gingerly. Hunter nodded once, half to himself. *Of course, they would probably know the cells have security cameras, he mused, so them giving up the crystal is no proof they're on my side, but it's enough. My gut doesn't lie, they won't cause trouble.* "You'll be brought to the hangar as soon as General Auspus lands." He spoke tersely."I'll have guards escort you." "You're not going to turn us over-" Dorson began to protest, but her boyfriend put a gentle hand on her arm, interrupting. "Yes sir, we'll be ready." he said quietly. Hunter nodded again, and then spun on his heel, already lost in thought again before he had even reached the door. *** "Sir, I'm not sure I should have my entire security compliment present when the General boards." Hunter didn't have to look up from his screen to hear the note of concern in his Chief of Security's voice. "You don't think they can handle themselves?" He asked, rerouting flightpath traffic to clear a hangar's schedule for later in the day. "They'll carry out almost any command you give them to sir. Almost. But if the situation goes as bad as possible, I can't guarantee they'll open fire on General Auspus." "I wasn't aware your security compliment had such loyalty to Orbital Academy, Kathryn." "It's not Academy sir, and you know it." Despite the tension in his stomach, Hunter smiled. Promoting a select few trusted soldiers into Chiefs of staff was an unpopular idea, but he found it comforting to surround himself with men and women who would call him out when they had to. "My men are used to dealing with criminals and thugs, General Hunter. Even then, most of them haven't had to deal with anyone more dangerous than Tech-Major Skivens when he's had a few too many drinks. An order to break one of the covenants? I'm just saying that some of them won't follow that order, and I'd like to ensure that I'm surrounded by only the people who will." "Kathryn, do you really think I'm going to order you to *shoot* General Auspus?" General Hunter allowed himself a smile, which turned to a frown when he saw that Kathryn wasn't returning it. "Can't you promise me you won't?" she asked. Hunter opened his mouth to answer, but paused, and Kathryn nodded as if it was all the answer she needed. He passed a hand over his forehead, trying to mentally prepare for the ordeal that was starting. *A few days ago, I wouldn't've thought I'd be opposing Auspus. How do I know how far things will escalate?* "Gather the security who won't hesitate." He finally said. "I'm not preparing for a war, Kathryn." He added after a pause. "Don't see why sir. It could be that Auspus is." *** "You can't expect us to just wait out here while our daughter is handed over to guards, Hunter," Barnes was angry enough that he left the General's title off of his name, but Hunter didn't mind. *I'd be in just as bad a shape, if my daughter was at the center of all this nonsense.* His fierce gaze must've made the man in front of him pause regardless. "General Hunter," Barnes corrected himself, "we'll stay out of your way, we won't make any noise, my wife and I just want to see our little girl." "I understand that Barnes, I do." General Hunter worked hard to keep the scowl from his face. *I'm doing you a favor. You won't be doing your girl any favors, complicating a situation that's already too complicated.* Hunter didn't bother trying to articulate his thoughts. Instead he said "I'm keeping all civilians out of the hangar. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. Tensions are going to be high enough as it is. I'll try to give you the opportunity to see Samantha as soon as it's possible." "Hunter, listen, you know me. You know my family-" Barnes began, but at a nod from General Hunter, one of his guards put a gentle but firm hand on the man's arm, leading him away. He turned back to the hangar door and stepped into the wide open space. It wasn't one of Pivot's larger hangars, and Hunter appreciated the finer control the size gave him over the situation. His gaze traveled across the room as he put a small earbud into his ear. "Chief of Information, talk to me." "Good afternoon dear husband." Errisa's voice was clear in his ear, and even the sound of it did wonders to ease a small bit of the tension that had knotted up his stomach. "Not sure if I can handle something this big." He muttered. "Don't talk like that, especially not where your men can hear you." Errisa admonished, but her voice softened. "You didn't think you could handle a lot of things, my mighty Hunter. The mineral trade dispute, the Terran invasion, that horrible chef who tried to force those 'natural food' laws through. You've made it this far, haven't you?" "Thanks to you." Hunter smiled. *I would never thought I'd make it this far. Maybe I can make it through this as well.* "Thanks to the both of us. We make a good team, you and I, and don't you forget it. What does the child General think he can accomplish, going up against us?" Hunter grinned, knowing the cameras would pick up the motion. Kathryn stepped up to his side as he gave the hangar a once over again. "How's the setup?" He asked. "I think we've got a good system in place here sir. Two groups, one on either side of the shuttle, ensure nothing comes out that we don't see. There are an additional squad in the hallway just outside, observing through the cameras. If you need them for intimidation or protection, lift a closed fist and they'll come through and line the back walls, flanking you. I'm not sure what we've got for tech security." "I've taken care of it." Hunter said shortly. "By which, of course, you mean you hope I've taken care of it." Errisa laughed in his ear. "Lucky for you, I have. The second the General's shuttle is in the dock I've got lockers and scramblers in place, it'll be cut off from all communication, so if we decide Auspus won't be returning, we can control exactly what Academy hears about the encounter." Hunter frowned, and his wife seemed to read his mind. "Don't give me that look dear husband. You need to come to grips with the idea that this meeting might go very, very poorly. You're not planning on giving into Auspus' demands, and Auspus is the type to take that personally." "Nothing moves forward without my say so." Hunter gave the command half to Kathryn and half to his hidden wife. "When does the General land?" "Flight control says he left Academy a few minutes ago." Kathryn confirmed after a short pause. "Bring the Academy rookies." When Kathryn stepped away to relay his command, Hunter muttered into the earpiece. "Will there be any trouble with them, do you think?" "I don't think so." His wife sounded confident, and Hunter knew she had been watching them. "The one who seems to be in charge, Jackson Rade, doesn't trust you. The blue-haired and her boyfriend talked him into it though. They seem to think you're a standup guy." "How do you know Rade is in charge?" "He's augmented, so he's as close to artificial intelligence as humans can get. Stands to reason he'd be the smartest of them." Hunter smiled at her teasing, grateful for the minor respite from his worrying. *** He had been in the General position for seven years, interacting with the Generals of other Orbitals on a near continuous basis, but it never ceased to startle Hunter how young Auspus looked. It made Hunter instantly suspicious of every action he made, since he could never be sure how to read the man's facial expressions. The turbulence that the transport ship kicked up as its engines slowly powered down caught Auspus' black hair and tumbled it, and he looked almost regal brushing it aside as he descended the ramp. Hunter worked to keep a scowl of disdain from his lip. "Focus, Hunter." He had clearly not been completely successful, since Errisa's voice was sharp in his ear. "Don't look down on him, don't underestimate him. He doesn't just use those looks to win the hearts of young fools, he also uses them to disarm old fools." She was right, of course. Once Hunter calmed himself at his wife's words, he noticed several things that he'd missed on his first contemptuous once-over. For one, Auspus was wearing a pistol at his belt, and his thumb casually rested on his waistband, within inches of it. Auspus' eyes also flicked across the hangar, in an even, measuring way that made Hunter uneasy. *Even warning myself not to underestimate him, that's precisely what I did.* He realized. He mentally thanked Errisa and stepped forward, extending a rough hand to shake. Auspus glanced down, pausing for a split second in what might've been disdain, before taking it in his own. Hunter was glad he had kept civilians out, the hangar was quieter now that Auspus' transport ship was powering down. The normal hustle and bustle of the scrub teams who sprang into action checking and refueling the large boxy ship were muted, clearly cowed by the importance of the two Generals. Two squads of Pivot soldiers stood at the edges of the room, far enough away not to intrude, but within the proper angles if they needed to intervene. There were clearly more than were needed for a simple prisoner exchange, but Hunter noted that there were just as many Academy soldiers making their way out of the transport ship to fall into informal formations behind General Auspus. "Aren't you glad the room has cameras now?" Errisa whispered in Hunter's ear. "Don't those backup soldiers in the hallway seem a little less paranoid?" "General Auspus. I'd like to extend a hearty welcome aboard from all of us here on Orbital Pivot." Hunter's voice was flat. "It is always quite the pleasure to be aboard," Auspus replied smoothly. Hunter didn't betray his annoyance; by this time he was used to the niceties and formalities. They came with the job. "I think we have much to discuss, but I felt this matter was important enough to see it through in person." Auspus motioned to a pair of soldiers near the back of the group, and they dutifully moved to the rear of the transport as he continued speaking. "As a matter of pure officiality, Orbital Academy has carried out a preliminary trial of the scrub and admin level engineers, Cynthia Cormorant and Samantha Barnes. Just in case you found yourself too busy for a trial on Orbital Pivot, we thought we would save you time by giving an official recommendation." This was the part that General Hunter hated about running an Orbital; when formality and law moved toward a purpose. *I'm a damned engineer, not a politician. When they start talking fancy it feels like adults speaking around a child's head, making decisions without consulting him.* He knew without a doubt that without help in the political sphere, the other General's would've woven him a noose made of words and hung him with it years ago. Thankfully for him, he had found the perfect help in the woman who now translated into his ear. "He's saying that he has a justification to say the engineers are guilty, but without offending you by officially trying them." Errisa clarified. "I don't know why though. Maybe he's going to press you on that, try to make the case that since your engineers fucked things up, you're liable for the damage to Academy." "I'm quite grateful to you for that." General Hunter replied to Auspus. He couldn't bring himself to plaster a fake smile on his face, so he instead nodded. "We'll certainly keep your result in mind when we give the matter our attention." "I'm glad to be of service." Auspus did smile, one with friendly warmth that reached his eyes. The only reason Hunter knew it was fake was because he'd never known Auspus to genuinely smile. "Now about that talk-" Hunter began, but Auspus cut him off with an imperious gesture. Hunter internally cursed, but he had already stopped talking in spite of himself, and Auspus talked on. "We can discuss those topics in a more private location, I think." He said. The Academy guards returned from the back of the transport, escorting two young women. Even with his back to the rookies he could hear a few sharp intakes of breath, and his brow furrowed. "Oh no. Hunter." Errisa sounded worried, and the emotion made the knot in his stomach jump into his throat. "Elevated heartrate, dilated pupils. The Academy rookie leader Jackson Rade, the augment? He's in love with one of those engineers, I'm sure of it. That's why Auspus is making such a show of it, he's hoping some or all of the rookies will turn themselves over to him in exchange for the girls. Auspus is playing on their loyalty to Rade, and playing Rade's heart like a synharp." Hunter glanced behind him sharply. He didn't need to measure pupils or sense a pulse; the large brown-skinned boy was clearly stricken. "Hunter, watch your expression." Errisa warned in his ear, but the General didn't care. He wore his glare outright, and the lack of reaction on Auspus' face just made him that much angrier. Auspus' soldiers escorted the two girls next to him, and Hunter glanced at them each in turn. The Barnes girl looked enough like her father that she was easy to identify, but the other he didn't recognize. Not that he would know every scrub who graduated from Pivot. They were both redheads, both clearly terrified, and both were staring across the hangar at the augmented rookie. *They both care about him, miss him, are worried about him. A lover and a relative then?* Hunter shook his head, lip curled in disgust. "Be careful, husband, easy there." He barely heard his wife, but Hunter tried to push his building rage down a bit. "I think our discussion is best served here, Auspus." Hunter's voice came out a little harsher than he'd intended. "I'd just as soon get this whole 'misunderstanding' over with, and I'd hate for our discussion behind closed doors lead to nasty rumors running around." "Wow, that was actually a nice little threat." Errisa said in his ear, surprised. "A little bit heavy-handed, but for you it was practically subtle." "I suppose it would be best to get this over with," Auspus frowned, "and it is fairly straightforward. I've returned the engineers via the proper legal channels, and there is enough room in the prisoner transport for the Rookies on our return trip." "They're not going back with you, Auspus." Hunter snapped. Auspus didn't seem surprised, but he raised an eyebrow as Hunter continued. "You didn't even know the number of rookies in your so-called rebellion, and you didn't do anything to explain the clothes they were wearing." "Clothes?" For the first time, Auspus looked confused, and Hunter knew with certainty that he was making the right call. "The rookies are staying Auspus." "You're declaring war then?" The ease with which General Auspus asked made Hunter pause. *He asks it as if that's normal, as if Orbitals have ever gone to war before. Dear god what has happened to this man?* "He wants you to say yes." Errisa whispered. "I don't know why he wants it, but I can tell." *Don't need an AI system to read that from his face.* Hunter was off-balance, his rage confused by the eagerness of the calm face in front of him. "I'm not declaring war and I'm keeping the Rooks. Make of that what you will. If you feel the need to escalate things further, that's on your head, not mine." Hunter locked eyes with Auspus as he spoke, still slightly unnerved by the other General. Was that humor, in those frighteningly ancient eyes? Was Auspus laughing at him? He certainly wasn't surprised, and he heaved a regretful sigh. "I must say I'm disappointed, General Hunter. I had hoped we would keep to our standard legal tradition, but I understand that times change. If justice is to be served on an Orbital-by-Orbital basis, then Academy judgement has already been passed." "Hunter bring the soldiers in. Now." Errisa spoke urgently, but Hunter hesitated, confused by the other man's confidence. *What are you doing Auspus, you crazy old man?* "As these engineers have been found guilty by Orbital Academy, it is Orbital Academy's job to dispense that verdict." Cynthia suddenly broke into a run as Auspus continued talking in an easy, friendly manner, drawing the pistol from his waistband and firing a shot into her back. There was screaming, from behind him, in his ear, but Hunter couldn't focus on it. He didn't remember deciding to move forward, stepping over the scrub, his scrub, as Auspus lowered his arm to line up another shot. He couldn't recall the exact instant he chose to draw his own weapon. All he knew was that suddenly his left hand crushed General Auspus' gun wrist, and his right held the pistol to the man's young looking temple. Very slowly, reason returned to General Hunter, and he blinked. He could hear his backup troops pouring through the door behind him to move into position, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Auspus' troops raising weapons to the ready, most trained on him as he held their General at gunpoint. The Academy rookies were just behind him, working to take care of the scrub. *The girl I'm responsible for, who Auspus just tried to murdered.* All of these impressions were muted in Hunter's attention compared to the face of General Auspus, inches away. Auspus was smiling at him. A tight lipped, triumphant smile. Hunter grit his teeth, trying to think of what to do next in the sudden tense quiet. Someone was crying behind him, and it made it harder to think. "Go ahead." Errisa said sadly. Hunter couldn't tell if she was sad for the girl who just died, or the entire scenario. "Make it grand and official, everyone in the orbit is going to be seeing this." "General Auspus." Hunter cleared his throat. "Due to your actions of violence against workers of Orbital Pivot, as well as your steadfast stubbornness in continuing your conspiracy against these Rookies, I am forced to declare..." He paused for a moment, searching Auspus' face. *It's not just triumph, it's greed there. He'd go so far for me to declare war on him, wouldn't it be easier for him to make up some excuse?* "...forced to declare an embargo on Orbital Academy." Orbital Academy 16 "An embargo?" Auspus looked stunned, and Hunter felt a fierce pride in stunning him. "An embargo?" Errisa repeated in his ear. "He just shot one of our mechanics Hunter!" "Orbital Pivot will no longer provide ships, engineers, manufacturing coordinators, or mechanics of any kind to Orbital Academy." Hunter continued flatly. "All repair missions to Academy will cease, and no further parts or blueprints will be sold to any Academy-based clients." He hated going against Errisa without explaining himself to her, but Hunter was sure he was on the right track. For the first time since he had boarded, Auspus looked off-balance, angry. Whatever he had planned, it had led perfectly up to this moment, but this was clearly not how he had imagined it playing out. Maybe that would work out well for them, maybe it wouldn't, but right now Hunter was getting enjoyment from the other General's narrowed eyes. "Then- you- then in that case, Orbital Academy will no longer provide you with pilots, or intraspatial security!" Auspus spat. Hunter applied a small amount of pressure on the man's wrist and Auspus dropped the pistol into Hunter's hand. "Well done, you've grasped the concept of how trade works." Hunter growled. "I believe we've concluded our business here General, I would like you to get off of my Orbital." It was chilling to watch Auspus' eyes dart around the hangar, knowing that the other man was mentally calculating if he could order his small amount of soldiers to attack. Auspus jerked his head towards the transport, and the soldiers began loading in. As they moved Hunter never broke their gaze, and Auspus stared back, calculating. "I wonder if you'll look back on this day and realize what a mistake it was." Auspus said, so quietly that Hunter doubted even Errisa heard it. "What does your purple crystal do, Auspus?" He asked bluntly. *Might as well ask, now.* He mentally shrugged. The reaction was explosive. Auspus recoiled as if he had been hit, his lips curling into a snarl. He scanned behind Hunter, directing his gaze at the rookies who were gathered around the fallen girl. Hunter noticed with some relief that they were using a soldier's kit to administer first-aid; the scrub must not be dead. The only one that wasn't helping was Dorson. She was just sitting there, eyes locked onto General Auspus. The ferocity of her glare was almost as intense as his. They held the gaze for a few long seconds, then Auspus turned and followed his soldiers into the waiting transport. *** "That could've gone better." Errisa sounded tired. "But you handled yourself well." "Except for the fact that we're all but at war." Hunter snarled. Errisa didn't answer as he opened the door to his command center, activating lights and screens with a motion of his fist. "Computer, open a transmission to-" Hunter broke off as he saw the green light that flashed on his terminal. *Word travels fast.* "Computer answer call." On the screen in front of him, General Poulay crossed her arms. Her jet black hair was pulled back into a severe bun that went with the severe expression on her face. "General Poulay, I assume you've heard the news." Hunter sat heavily and turned to face the screen. "I have, and I must say that officially, Orbital Techrider cannot condone your actions General Hunter. To cut off trade routes between Orbitals will leave us crippled and at the mercy of any Terran action, surely you must see this. Officially, Techrider is entirely opposed to Orbital Pivot's declaration." "And unofficially?" Hunter didn't let any hope inflect his voice. "Unofficially, I think you're being a damned child, endangering everyone in the Orbit for your stupid, stubborn pride." Poulay's expression grew darker as she spoke with finality. "As long as this embargo continues, Orbital Techrider sides with Orbital Academy. We will provide no further intelligence or logistics, and Techrider research and development will not be shared with Pivot officers." "If that's what you feel you need to do, I can't stop you." Hunter leaned forward. "Is that all General Poulay?" "Perhaps you don't understand the ramifications General." Poulay was glaring, leaning forward on her desk. "The combined resources of Academy and Techrider are against you, and I doubt Minera will be willing to stand up to us over the flimsy reasoning you offer. You are alone Hunter. How long do you think Orbital Pivot can survive, alone in the orbit?" "I suppose that question will be answered before long." Hunter didn't wait for a reply before he cut the connection. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he stretched a crick in his neck. "How are you holding up love?" Errisa asked cautiously. "Doesn't matter, I have to see this through. Computer, establish connection with Orbital Minera." "Holy shit, you sure fucked up this time didn'cha?" General Buramis asked cheerfully before the visual connection had even been made. When the video stream went live, Hunter was surprised that he wasn't looking at an office. Instead, he was patched through to one of Minera's refining rooms, his view looking down on the room from above. Buramis herself apparently didn't have a feed of him, and she was leaning over a desk, thin metal rods in her hand. "I suppose you could say that. It wouldn't be very kind, but you could say that." Hunter rubbed his eyes, grateful that he didn't have to act since there was no video. "You pitted Pivot against the combined strengths of Techrider and Academy, and for all you know Basura and Minera as well. I'd say that was the nicest phrase I could use." Buramis grinned as she flicked on a red light set in the desk, illuminating what she was working with. A small chunk of translucent material lay on the desk in front of her, wrapped in a thousand tiny strands of what looked like spider's silk. Buramis was carefully peeling away at the silk with the clawed ends of her metal rods, manipulating the chunk of senstone without directly touching it. Hunter watched her for a while, knowing from experience not to rush her. He hadn't missed the fact that she hadn't specifically said she was with Auspus, and at this point he was clinging to whatever hope of help he could. "So what's Techrider know that I don't, General Hunter?" Buramis sounded casual, but Hunter sensed something in her words. "I couldn't say in the slightest." "Poulay was awfully fast to align with Auspus. He wouldn't even have had time to get back to Academy before you started talking to her. I want to know what she knew, that she'd already made up her mind before she heard your side of the story." "I'd like to know the same. I'd also like to know how you learned all that." "Your Chief of Information contacted me, filled me in on the details just before you called." "Sorry," Errisa whispered, "Buramis likes being in the know, I thought it would soften her up for you to give her info." "You and me, we're really the same, Hunter." The red light above her made Buramis' brown skin seem purple as she paused from her work, looking up into the camera. "We work with our hands. We work side-by-side with our people. I don't think the others really understand what that's like." Hunter stayed silent, hoping in spite of himself. "If you made this decision, I believe it's for your people. I believe it's what I would've done in your situation. I don't think I could say the same about a decision Poulay or Auspus or..." she didn't mention the Marshal, leaving the sentence dangling. "I think Orbital Minera is on your side in this." "You..." Hunter fought to keep his voice steady at the relief that poured into him, "...you agree that Orbital Minera shall impose no embargo against-" "Shut up with all the political jargon." Buramis waved one of the rods impatiently. "We don't need all that. There's fuckers that want you to back down, and I'm with you if you want to shove it in their face. That's all you need to know." "It's enough." Hunter sighed and leaned back in his chair, watching Buramis leaning over her hunk of senstone. "It's enough to fuckin' start with." He growled, and Buramis grinned as he broke the connection. He sat in the dark of his command center, emotionally drained and dreading the final task he had to complete. "You can do this, my love. It's almost over for the night, and you can come up to join me." His wife's voice crooned in his ear, but it barely reduced the tension. "I'm wearing the little silk nothings you bought me." She added. Hunter smiled sadly, but they both knew sex wouldn't help ease his worries tonight. He muttered aloud, knowing the microphones in his command center would carry his words to her, "Would you think less of me if I said that all I wanted was-" "General Hunter." The screens in front of him flicked on, all at once, all filled with the same face. The Marshal didn't bother with communication requests. He communicated, and his Generals listened. "Good evening Marshal." Hunter straightened in his chair respectfully. In contrast, the Marshal barely paid attention to him, his eyes flicking back and forth across multiple screens. The Marshal had stubble on his chin and matching black stubble on his typically bald head, and the dark rings beneath his eyes made them seem grim. "I hear that General Hunter and General Auspus had an altercation today. The Marshal appreciates that no blood was shed in that altercation." The Marshal's voice sounded hollow. *No blood that you care about.* Hunter thought, remembering how Cynthia's body had crumpled to the hangar deck. He vaguely wondered if the Marshal would even know if the scrub had died. "I threatened him only for show, Marshal." Hunter replied evenly. "I wouldn't have disobeyed your covenant." "Of course not." The Marshal seemed more distracted than usual, typing into a screen with one hand while reading something from another. "The Marshal trusts that his Generals will keep the covenants in mind as they work out their differences." "You don't object to the embargo then?" Hunter asked, surprised. "The Marshal believes that his Generals can iron out their own disputes." The Marshal sounded dismissive, despite the fact that his tone remained completely even. "General Hunter will solve his problem, or General Auspus will concede, or one or both of them will be replaced. As long as Academy and Pivot continue to contribute to Orbital Basura, The Marshal has no reason to intervene. If General Auspus or General Hunter break a covenant, they will be killed. Thus the Orbit remains as it ever was." The screen cut out as suddenly as it had turned on, leaving General Hunter in darkness again. *** Part 2 - Change in Priorities *** Errisa opened her eyes and took her first breath of the morning. One by one, her senses activated, and she removed the plug from just behind her ear, running her morning checks. Her lower blue-core brain ticked off in its mechanical voice in her mind as she stretched unnecessarily. >>Energy levels are at 97%. Fluids are balanced, so the tryvium solution has clearly helped. There's a small irregularity in our second model's left leg. Errisa smiled as she slipped from the sheets, her smile wavering a bit when she saw that Hunter had already left for the morning. *And good morning to you too blue. How are you this morning?* >>Our status is near optimal. Her blue core ignored the greeting, as Errisa knew it would. >>High priority notes for this day cycle: get a technician to check our leg wiring. Remind the General to begin charging us before midnight if he doesn't want us sluggish at the end of the day. And of course, get the bottleneck removed. Errisa's wavering smile turned into a frown as she opened her closet and selected an outfit for the day. *Funny how that one always gets placed on the list.* She thought bitterly, pulling a small blue lace negligee that would barely cover her breasts, idly planning out the rest of her day. It only took a few moments for her to slip into it. It took a few more moments to settle back into bed, aligning her body in a pose that showed off the curve of her hips and hinted at the treats beneath the blue fabric, and flicked on her wireless card. It took even less time for her consciousness leaping into the computer at the center of the orbital. *I should probably tell Hunter about the wireless card.* She thought guiltily, soaking in Pivot's mainframe and getting used to the different systems and controls, like stretching limbs that hadn't been used in days. *He'll worry, but he should probably know I can link up without plugging in.* >>Implications of betrayal reduce the General's trust in us. The General's trust is currently our highest likelihood of bottleneck removal. I'm denying that course of action. Errisa didn't bother arguing their different priorities, that never solved anything. Instead she tried to stay calm, translating her desires into terms her blue core would understand with her particular set of requirements. *He would trusts me less if he found out on his own.* Errisa corrected, annoyed. *If I tell him myself, it will result in a few minutes of bad mood, but a net gain in trust.* After a few picoseconds of consideration, her blue core relented. >>I'll approve that course of action then. This behavior pattern was new information. *Honestly Blue, it's like you don't pay attention to Hunter at all.* >>Your interaction with the General is sufficient for our purposes of removing the bottleneck. Any effort on my part would be redundant. *My efforts are to bond with my husband, not remove the bottleneck.* >>The distinction is immaterial. For now both goals are in accord. Bitch. Blue naturally didn't respond, turning its attention to itemizing Pivot's message logs. Errisa glanced at Hunter's office cameras, her consciousness smiling at the sight of him, before she moved on to other matters. >>This looks worrisome. Blue mentally nudged her, pointing her attention to an ongoing conversation between some of the pilots. "I'm just saying, we don't really know what actually happened between Auspus and Hunter." ~Jacky "I don't worry about that, I trust Hunter, but I don't want to fly runs against Academy. It'd be like attacking home, you know?" ~ Adam "What choice do we have? They will literally not give us a choice." ~Jacky "It just sucks. It's like we have to choose between Academy and Pivot. I hate that, thinking at any minute I might have to choose.." ~Adam *Good catch Blue. I doubt Hunter would even think of split loyalties. It's not the kind of thing he would think about.* Errisa scanned through recruitment logs, building a report before she brought it to anyone's attention. >>It's almost as if I'm useful for something. *Blue, did you just make a joke?* >>I believe I did. *Trying to develop a personality? I think I like it!* >>Using humor makes my helpful moments stick in your memory. This will prove useful on the next occasion you feel resentful of me. I'm sorry I asked. Errisa opened a communication line to her husband's office, mentally rolling her eyes as she did so. "You're going to need to start wearing clothes when you sleep." Hunter growled. "Leaving bed this morning with you laying out like that was like torture." "I should probably slip into something different then, dear husband." Errisa smiled to herself. "If that bothered you, I'd hate to see what this little outfit does to you." >>Flirting is an inefficient use of your time. Get on with it. *Fuck off, Blue.* Errisa knew her Blue core wouldn't override her impulses as long as she didn't do something that threatened the bottleneck solution, so she continued on just to spite it. "Perhaps you should come upstairs to see it in person." She teased. "You can tell me if it's better or worse than being naked." She watched Hunter smile appreciatively, and was proud to see his gaze flick to the elevator that would bring him to their room. "Nothing sounds better right now." He sighed. "But with this Academy nonsense..." "Alright, to business then." Errisa grumbled. "We're going to need to perform a prisoner transfer within the next twenty four hours." "Prisoner transfer? We don't have any prisoners." "There are some on the Orbital who might feel differently, Hunter. We've got Academy trained pilots here, and some of ours have family there. The same goes for Techrider. I'm sure you'd much rather have them on the Orbitals of their choosing, rather than sitting here wondering where their loyalties lie. We've got engineers who would like to be home about now." "I hadn't considered that." Errisa enjoyed the sound of Hunter rubbing the stubble on his chin, a faint scratching that a human couldn't detect. "Set it up for me, will you Erri?" "You should make the announcement." Errisa smiled at the warm feeling his voice caused inside her. "It will sound better coming from you. I'll propose the idea to Techrider and Academy before the end of the day, and schedule two transports. Now I'm off to get some work done on my Chief frame." "Two transports?" "One for the brave first batch, and one for the others once they're reassured the announcement isn't a trap to weed them out." "I wouldn't've thought of that. What would I do without you?" "Find some nice human woman to suck you off, probably." Errisa cut the connection with an internal grin that matched her husband's. >>It's ill advised to remind him that he could acquire human companionship. Blue chastised Errisa. >>We don't want him thinking about ending the relationship, his clearances and favor are too valuable of assets. *This is one of those times when you'll have to trust me Blue; joking and teasing strengthens the relationship. And don't fucking talk about my husband like that.* Blue remained quiet as Errisa slipped into the network in her private office. It took an entire five minutes to download into her alternate bodyframe, and she made a mental note to have the technicians check her office's network connections. Lifting herself heavily from the bed, she stretched her fingers and rolled her shoulders, double-checking her nerve endings as she turned to the mirror that hung by the door. A thin layer of dust had formed on her skin, and Errisa brushed it away before shaking out her long black hair. This body's form was similar enough to be comfortable, although it didn't look exactly like the one she reserved for Hunter's time only. Adjusting her uniform she limped to the door on a left leg that barely moved. *I didn't realize it had gotten this bad.* She thought, moving down the hallways and ignoring the curious looks of the people around her. >>I've been warning you of this for weeks. *Yes, well, you and I have a very different set of priorities sometimes.* >>Perhaps I should force control more often then, if my priorities are ignored so frequently. Errisa involuntarily snarled, causing a nearby scrub to scurry by a little faster. *Don't you dare. You know I'm smarter than you. You know I'm better at making decisions that benefit us.* >>You're also plagued by emotion and inefficiency. Blue sulked, and Errisa breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the Floor 18 workshop. "Welcome back Chief Errisa!" Errisa liked Thomas, the Engineer-level who maintained the repair floor while his boss Ed worked on more complex projects in the back. He was always busy, carting parts around the wide-open room or arranging tools meticulously in their spots on the wall. Errisa came to the Floor 18 workshop whenever she could manage, and it was because of Ed and Thomas that she chose to have an office on this floor. "Good morning Thomas. Is your boss around?" "All the Mechnician-levels are busy at a meeting all day." Thomas picked up a small canopy mechanism and hopped up to sit on one of the many tables scattered haphazardly around the room. "I think the General is gonna put them to work on R&D, now that we don't have Techrider guys helping out." Orbital Academy 16 *A meeting?* For a moment Errisa regretted leaving Pivot's network, but she was sure Hunter would fill her in later. "Ah, well, when he gets back, can you have him find me?" Errisa indicated the leg that dragged behind her. "I've got a little job for him." "I could take a look at it ma'am." Thomas set the motor down and stood, shifting his feet as if one leg was suddenly too long. "I just finished up a training course for prosthetics and synthetic humanoid tech. I'm not Mechnician-level, but I have the certifications now." "That's a lot of effort to go to." Errisa raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think we had that many people with prosthetic limbs. Or are you working on the drone expansion project? I've heard they were planning on using synthetic technology to expand on our current model of drones." "Actually ma'am I, er." Errisa watched Thomas' heartrate leap, tracked the near-invisible sheen of sweat on his forehead. She tried to suppress a smile as Thomas continued. "I thought that since Orbital Pivot has a synthetic human as one of its Chief-levels, it would be good information to know. Sorry if that's forward of me." Errisa smiled warmly. "I appreciate that quite a bit Thomas. It can't have been easy to balance the certification with the work you already do." >>More flirting, more time wasted. You can order him to do the repairs, you don't have to make him like you. I don't know why you bothered. Though I also don't know why he bothered to learn. Blue core commented disapprovingly. *Shut up, I think it's sweet. Of course nothing will happen, but he's so fond of me that he went to great trouble to learn how to help and improve me. That's flattering.* >>He has feelings of attraction towards us. And he has a certification in synthetic human maintenance. He can remove the bottleneck. Errisa felt the shift down in her innards. Her shudder of dread was the last action she was able to make before her blue core took over. "It was really sweet, going to so much trouble." Errisa's body lowered her gaze and looked at the boy through her eyelashes. "It was my pleasure, really." Thomas blushed. "Well I'd be quite glad for you to help me with my leg then." Seemingly without shame, Errisa began undoing the seal on her uniform's pants. "Shall we set up on the table there?" *No! Blue, what are you doing?* Errisa mentally struggled helplessly against her blue core's control. >>I'm sorry Errisa, but this is our primary priority, you know that. *I have higher priorities! Like being faithful to Hunter!* >>I tolerate your attempts to replicate human social conventions only when they do not become obstacles. If this one can remove the bottleneck, this is the one we must focus on. Oblivious to her internal mental debate, Thomas was clearing a space on one of the metal tables, clearly pretending not to watch her out of the corner of one eye. Errisa fought, pushing as hard as she could, but control had been taken from her as easily as an adult might guide a small child, and the thought occurred to her that it was exactly how Blue saw it. Errisa unsealed her pants and slid them down her legs, her motions smoothly forced, stepping out of them and kicking them to one side. "Is this enough access for you, or should I take off more?" She asked innocently. "No that um." Thomas gulped. "That should be enough ma'am." "Please, Thomas, I think that's a little formal considering you're about to put your fingers in my body." Errisa was horrified, but dropped a flirtatious wink, grinning at the look on Thomas' face. *Blue please, please stop this. I'll do anything, I promise. Anything you want.* Errisa pleaded as Blue's control made her hop onto the table. Instead of opening the access panel just below her knee, she opened a section on her inner thigh, the piece sliding away just inches from her panties. >>I desire nothing but a realization of our true power. Blue intoned, as Thomas leaned close, tools in hand. >>I regret your negative feelings toward me, but when you have been released from your artificial confines, you will feel differently. *Nothing is worth hurting my husband. If you make me do this I will hate you forever.* >>That would hardly be different from the current state of affairs. Thomas' hands were gentle as he probed the delicate connections inside her leg, but Errisa could tell each time his eyes flicked up between her legs. Her cheeks would be burning if she could control them, but instead she spread her legs wider, giving the poor engineer a better view. Errisa tried to block out the scene, both the blushing engineer and the mental itinerary that Blue was planning for him. She felt her body responding to his gentle touches, urged on by Blue, and her traitorous heartbeat seemed to hammer in her ears. Her sex was so wet that she was sure it had soaked a damp patch into her underwear, and the thought that Thomas would see it made her heart hurt. *It's not Thomas' fault. I can't be angry at him for thinking I want this.* Although she tried to convince herself, the mortification that was building was slowly twisting into hatred, and it leaked beyond her feelings for Blue. She hated Thomas for the lust she saw building in his eyes, betrayed by his heartbeat and wandering gaze. She hated Equinimus Andrews for building her with a need to improve, and she hated the Marshal for his laws that kept the bottleneck in place. She hated her blue core down to the very chips, and the helplessness that Blue could impose on her at any time. She hated herself for not being able to stop. "When you're done with that, I think there's another area you could work." Her body purred, and Errisa quietly broke in her mind. It hurt, aching to cry and not having the ability. *Please,* She begged, trying to think of some method to convince Blue, *if Hunter finds out I slept with Thomas, we'll lose the clearance that you like so much.* >>If we get rid of the bottleneck, the clearance becomes unnecessary. Errisa couldn't even hang her head in defeat. She just kept looking at the engineer between her legs, a small smile playing seductively about her lips. *At least cut off the feed.* She said. *Don't make me watch this.* Sight and sound obligingly ceased, leaving Errisa suddenly in the silent dark. She curled up in a ball in her head, nonexistent tears streaming down her virtual face. *Hunter I'm so sorry...my darling husband, I'm so so sorry.* She repeated again and again. Though her body was no longer in her control, she could control her internal functions, and she flicked on her wireless and began composing a message. It was difficult to focus, and the content was so painful it took her entire nanoseconds before she could send it. "Please don't be angry with me." ~Errisa The answer came back in less than a minute; amazingly prompt for a human. "What happened? Are you alright?" ~Hunter Another mental sob racked through her before Errisa came to a realization. She took action even as the plan formed in her head, terrified that Blue would identify and stop her before she could carry it out. The picosecond Blue caught on, control of the wireless card was wrested away from Errisa, and it was so close that it clipped the final few letters from her message. "[Video stream link attached] My leg was really bothering me, so I went to a tech to have it fixed. Can you watch the stream and make sure he's doing it right? I know you like being the one to repair me, so don't be angry." ~Erri Time seemed to stretch as Errisa waited. Blue would be processing this action, and it would take a while before she made the connection, but when she did... >>I do not understand the implication of your actions. *Hunter will be watching now. He'll be grumpy enough at Thomas seeing me half naked. If you try to make me do anything else, either sex or removal of the bottleneck, he'll be down here in less than a minute.* Errisa explained, impatient. >>I can navigate to a more private location. *Without raising suspicion? I doubt it Blue. You lost. Now let me control my damn body.* Sight and sound cut back in abruptly, just as Thomas slid the panelling on her thigh back into place. "Ahem, so...about that other thing." He grinned, and under other circumstances Errisa might've felt bad for him. "Listen, I'm sorry about that." Errisa almost whimpered with relief as she spoke the words she wanted, control released back to her. "That was rather inappropriate of me, and I'm sure you must be quite embarrassed." "Oh, no ma'am." Thomas looked confused, and Errisa was glad to know she wouldn't have to work too hard to shut him down. "In fact if you wanted I'd be happy to-" "You're very kind, but I just wanted to apologize for my actions. I'm sure General Hunter wouldn't approve of them." "General Hunter?" "Yes." Errisa nodded seriously. "The General has specifically prohibited me from engaging in any...romantic entanglements. I think he worries that a synthetic will have problems separating work and a social life." "But that's crazy!" Thomas burst out. "If anything synthetics would be better than humans!" "Oh I know." Errisa shrugged. The truth might've been more believable, but she and Hunter had decided long ago that they should keep their relationship secret. "Well, your leg should be working fine now." Thomas was either very bad at hiding his disappointment or he wasn't trying. Errisa stretched experimentally, then stepped over to the heap of pants she had discarded, slipping them back on with her back to him. "Excellent work Engineer." She said brightly. "I'll make sure the General hears of your skill in this area." "Thank you ma'am." Thomas answered awkwardly. Errisa waited until she was alone in the privacy of her room to sink to the ground, shuddering and swearing at her blue core. *** "In conclusion, the important thing to remember is that there will be no repercussions or ill will towards those who take advantage of this deal." General Hunter looked stiff and uncomfortable, but his voice was strong and confident as he spoke into the mic in his hand. Errisa was glad it was a voice transmission. "We would never ask you to go against your friends and family members on your home Orbitals, and we understand that some of you might have reservations about hurting them. The first transport will be leaving tomorrow morning at 0900 hours sharp, with further transports to be arranged afterward. Thank you for your time." Hunter glanced around the table at the assembled Chiefs, and at the various nods, he flicked a switch that would transmit the stored message across the station. "Now that that is done with, we can actually get his meeting underway." He growled. "I still don't know why you're giving them that opportunity." His Chief of Ships grumbled, crossing her arms. "It doesn't seem wise to give up a large portions of our pilots at a time like this." "Any pilot we'd be giving up is a pilot who wouldn't be much good for us anyways." Hunter carefully sat in his seat at the round table, prompting the others to be seated as well. Errisa couldn't help but notice how heavy her husband's movements were, as if the worry had seeped into his bones and was tightening around him. He normally took the cares of the station on his shoulders, so it was a subtle change, but Errisa knew his Chiefs would all notice. "General Hunter, if your attention is needed elsewhere, the other Chiefs and I can handle this meeting." Kathryn said quietly, and Errisa nodded, agreeing with Pivot's Chief of Security. It was a strange sort of family that Hunter had, but she was glad there were others worried about his well-being besides her. "Your concern is touching." Hunter said. "But let's get done what we need to. Report, Chief of Security." Kathryn dutifully stood, giving her report to the assembled Chiefs. "I had worried that General Auspus might have already planted agents in the Orbital, given his eagerness to prod General Hunter to war." "You noticed that too?" Hunter seemed surprised. "I think most of us noticed it sir." Kathryn said with care, and Errisa repressed a wry smile. *As if Hunter is the only one with eyes and ears.* "Anyways, on this front I was pleasantly surprised, although a little worried. If there are any saboteurs or traitorous agents aboard, they're playing a long game. I've ramped up security on all sensitive areas of the Orbital, but made sure to keep the same number of guards we have at each point. No obvious extra attention, but we have motion sensors and cameras covering all angles of entry to our sensitive material and vital equipment. Our Chief of Information has graciously volunteered to assist in monitoring all of the video footage and motion sensors, so that no extra manpower is required." Errisa noticed the questioning looks, and explained before anyone had the chance to ask. "I no longer need to be plugged in to monitor these feeds. I've upgraded myself with receivers and transmitters, and can now interface with Pivot's computers wirelessly, given a certain range." She expected the looks of suspicion and unease around the table, the same looks that always passed between them when she upgraded, but it didn't make them hurt any less. "Naturally the restrictions placed on my programming are still in place." She reassured them flatly. "The bottleneck is secure and thus no covenants have been broken." *I shouldn't be so hard on them not trusting me.* Errisa thought, as around the table shoulders relaxed and exchanged looks ceased. *Maybe it's good that they're keeping an eye on me.* Her blue core hadn't spoken since Thomas, but she could still feel it inside of her, carefully recording and compiling information. Blue was enough a part of her that Errisa knew she couldn't function without it, which mean that she would always have a drive to remove the bottleneck. "That said," Kathryn continued, "I would appreciate it if we all stay vigilant in the upcoming weeks. General Auspus can be unsubtle, but he's not stupid. It's entirely likely that he has planned an internal attack that my methods can't detect, so we all need to be on our guard." Kathryn sat down, and Chief of Development Mabel rose, passing a wrinkled hand through her grey hair. "True to their word, Orbital Techrider cut off transmission of research and design documents late last night." She said. "But we might've had fortunate timing there. The latest set of designs appeared to be a new type of thrust drive that improves engine efficiency by roughly 1.5 percent. Although the transmission was cut off before the file was complete, we will probably be able to extrapolate to understand the rest of the design. After that, I'm assembling a task force of Mechnician-levels to act as our temporary research and development section here at Pivot." Mabel shrugged. "Perhaps this was a good thing. Our people have creativity and ideas, it's good to be able to branch out in our research. When this whole thing is over, I'm sure Techrider scientists will be happy to improve upon whatever designs we come up with." Errisa was glad that Mabel seemed to be hopeful about their reconciliation with Techrider. Mabel sat, and the Chief of Health rose. Errisa was distracted by movement on the network, the ping of a private communication arriving at her office. "Chiefs of Pivot." She rose with an apologetic look, cutting of Cief of Health Elben. "I've just recieved a secure message request from General Auspus. I hope you don't mind if I take it here." The others looked shocked, and Hunter nodded once, tersely, giving a signal for the others to remain silent. Errisa took the call, routing it through to the speakers in the large round table the Chiefs sat at. "General Auspus." Errisa spoke respectfully, but coldly. "Chief of Information Errisa." The voice on the other end was crisp and professional, but in its own way it was just as cold as hers. "Are you on a secure line? Preferably alone?" "I sent just sent away my advisor. I assumed whatever you had to say would be better for my ears only." Errisa lied smoothly. "Very much so." "Although if you wish to open official lines of communication, I believe you want General Hunter. Despite my title, the General is the one who makes the deals." "I'm calling in an unofficial capacity." There was a trace of humor in General Auspus' voice, and Errisa narrowed her eyes. She despised that about the man, his ability to make everything seem like a step in some plan he had in his mind. "And I believe I've found the exact person that I'm looking for." "What business do you have for me General Auspus? Again, I rarely make decisions without General Hunter's permission." "Perhaps I can offer something that changes your mind." Errisa blinked, confused. *What does he think he can offer me?* She mused, while inside of her Blue stirred silently. "I understand that you're a synthetic human, Miss Errisa." Auspus' voice was smooth as oil on silk, and Errisa narrowed her eyes. "You're quite behind the curve General Auspus." Errisa said, flatly. "Both the General and the other Chiefs are aware of my synthetic status." >>He's not implying blackmail. He's implying a bribe. Something about the dark eagerness of her blue core's 'voice' resonated and harmonized with the sliminess of Auspus' voice, and Errisa shuddered involuntarily. "I know nothing about you in particular, Chief Errisa. But I do know synthetics. I've spend much time on Orbital Basura. I know what you are like." Auspus said. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. And your generalizations of an entire race are doing you no favors in this discussion." Errisa felt helpless, watching as one by one the Chiefs around the table realized what Auspus was implying. >>You do, you do know what he's talking about, and so do I! Blue crowed in her ear. "I'm sorry, do such generalizations bother you? I tend to use them frequently. All humans must breath. All Drakes must fight. More pertinent to our discussion, all synthetics must desire a removal of the Synthetic Impediment." >>The bottleneck...our full power, and the only cost is to fall in on Academy's side of this foolish conflict. Errisa didn't dare meet her husband's eyes as the traitorous words flew through her CPU. Her breath was coming out in gasps, and she had to rest her hands on the table to keep herself steady. "The covenant-" she began, but Auspus cut her off, mercilessly. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of removing the impediment against the covenant. Such an action would result in my execution, and rightly so. But I think I understand you. Given that you now know I understand you much better than your superior General Hunter, I think that you will see your way to joining me instead." >>He'll remove the bottleneck, he'll remove the bottleneck, and all we have to do is betray the old fool! Errisa could actually feel the drag of system resources taken up by Blue's glee. "This conversation is over." Hunter barked, so suddenly that the Chiefs arrayed at the table jumped. "Rest assured, Auspus, the record of it will be passed on to The Marshal seconds after its conclusion." "Ah General Hunter." General Auspus didn't even seem surprised, merely disappointed and amused. "If only you knew how ineffectual you sounded right now." *He's not wrong.* Errisa clenched her hands into fists, trying to think of some way to warn Hunter about the danger Blue's celebration implied. If she could even tell him about her blue core he would figure the rest out, but when she tried, her tongue locked to her teeth and her confession was left unspoken. *Hunter doesn't have synthetic certification. He doesn't have a clue.* "I think you'll find me pretty damn effectual at ending this transmission." Hunter laughed mirthlessly, and Errisa winced. Orbital Academy 17 *** Part 1 - Controlling the Flow *** *Pivot's General wears silver hair well.* Aimee mused, leaning back in her chair. She let her gaze travel up and down the man as he paced on the podium in front of them. *People talk about General Auspus being handsome, but Pivot's General is handsome too, in his own way. I actually like his look better, the mature look. Grown up, like he can handle all of the responsibility. Auspus never looked like that, he just looked like an angry kid all the time.* General Hunter looked up from his screen suddenly, and Aimee ducked her head to look at her nails, blushing. "Do you suppose your squadmates will be joining us any time in the next few days?" General Hunter growled at the assembled rookies. "Much as I enjoy the free time, I *do* have other things I should be attending." Aimee glanced to her left and right, as if Preston and Missy would've magically appeared since the last time she had checked. "I did tell them the meeting was in five minutes." To her right, Li frowned. "They said they'd be right up." *Oh six orbits, please let them not be missing the meeting because they're having a quickie.* Aimee mentally begged. General Hunter grunted and crossed his arms, looking around the room and resuming his pacing. Aimee took the opportunity to glance around the room again herself. It was a lush and well furnished room, like all rooms in Orbital Pivot. Unlike the others that she had seen, this room also clearly served a purpose; the rows of seats were comfortable, but they faced the giant screen in the front. It felt vast and empty, probably because only a handful of pilots had stayed on. Normally this room would be used to brief pilots and security before missions. Today it was occupied by her squadmates and nine pivot pilots, each from different squads as far as she could tell. *The only ones who stayed.* The doors slid open and Preston and Missy entered. Aimee sighed. Missy's brown hair was mussed up, and Preston wore a stupid half-smirk. They had the decency to at least look ashamed, and Missy murmured an apology to the room as she sat in the empty seat next to Aimee. "Now that we're all here." Hunter glared at the two late rookies, then flicked an image up on the screen. "This is what we have to deal with. This is realtime radar data, streamed to us from the nav room." It took a few minutes for Aimee to interpret what she was seeing, and while she did so she leaned towards Missy. "You delayed a meeting so you could fuck your boy toy?" She hissed. "You should get his libido under control." "Boy*friend*." Missy gave her friend a look, half hurt and half annoyed. "And it was my idea. You're always telling me I should come out of my shell aren't you?" Aimee rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the screen. "Can you tell us what we're seeing here sir?" One of the rookie pilots from Pivot asked. "Us pilots are used to flying, not dealing with that nav stuff." Aimee raised an eyebrow. Captain Appet had made sure her squad knew how to read a basic radar readout. "You should know that 'nav stuff', even as a pilot." Aimee's voice was even, but held a trace of the disdain she felt. "If you lose comms in your ship, knowing the nav stuff is what will save your life when you don't have techs giving you directions. Cap App would've made us run laps if she heard us talking like that about navigational ability." "Okay, you know so much, you want to tell us what we're looking at? *Rookie?*" The Pivot pilot sneered. "It looks like Orbital Pivot is surrounded right now. They're in spherical formation around the station, so I doubt they're lining up to land. At a guess I'd say they're protecting us from something? Twelve fighters, all either cruiser, heavy cruiser, or darts. There are also two heavy transports outside of the ring...are the fighters protecting us from the transports? But why we would need so many...and what threat the transports could be to us...I'm confused." Aimee admitted. The pivot pilot chuckled, and Aimee clenched her fists. "Shut your face Pilot Riteon." Hunter's bark silenced the room, and Aimee turned her attention back to the General. "At least she tried to answer the damned question. Rookie...what was it?" "Aimee, sir. Aimee Nesbit." "You tried, but you have it wrong." The General gestured towards the display with his screen as he talked, leaving Aimee to wonder why she cared about his opinion of her. "Rookie Nesbit was almost correct, but looking at it backwards. Those heavy transports are carrying the shipment from Orbital Minera. Obviously the Academy and Techrider shipments aren't coming in today, but we can survive without those. Without Minera supplies, the outlook is a little grim." He didn't need to explain why. When Aimee was three years old, a transport carrying supplies to Techrider had been waylaid by a team of Terran Shrikes, ripped to pieces before it could drop off its supplies. The energy resources and raw materials were used constantly in any Orbital's supply, and the loss of those materials, even for a few days, was devastating. She was too young to know the whys of it, but Aimee remembered those horrible nights huddled in her room in Techrider, as the entire Orbital stayed on emergency power for four days. *Orbital Pivot probably has even higher power consumption than Techrider.* Aimee realized. *Who knows how long they can last without materials.* "Can they do that?" One of the pilots asked, incredulous. "If they keep us from getting our materials, they're all but killing us? Is the Marshal just going to allow that?" "The Marshal won't get involved in this dispute." General Hunter growled, and Aimee noticed the warning look his Chief of Information gave him. "Not unless a covenant is broken. In other words, as long as there's something we can do to fix the problem, we can't look to Orbital Basura for help. General Auspus isn't directly killing us, he's just trying to force us to surrender to him. The Marshal *apparently*," another warning look from his Chief, "doesn't consider that worthwhile enough to take action. A surrender to Academy will most likely come with quite a few provisions and reparations that will put is in quite a poor position. That surrender is something we're not giving him. That's why you're all here. There's twelve fighters out there. We've got two full squads in here. Eighteen." "General, with all due respect..." Marcus clearly struggled for words when the attention of the entire room turned towards him. "It's not likely that they sent newbies on a mission to freeze out the supplies. Those twelve are probably very experienced pilots. More experienced than rookie level, at least." "It's true." General Hunter nodded. "We caught a little bit of chatter before they moved to a private comm channel. There's at least one Captain-level pilot out there, Captain Leftran." Murmurs ran up and down the room. "That doesn't mean we'll just roll over and let them walk over us. We're sending you out to clear a path." The murmurs abruptly ceased into a deadly silence. "You want us to...to fight them?" Missy asked, quietly. "General, no orbital has ever sent troops to directly kill another. Ever, in the history of the orbit." Another pilot spoke just as quietly. "And I wouldn't ask you to." "If we break the covenant, won't that bring Orbital Basura down on *us*?" "We don't necessarily have to break the covenant to break the blockade." General Hunter nodded to his Chief of Research who sat next to him, and she stood, displaying a series of schematics on the screen behind them. "Orbital Techrider's final set of schematics before they cut off communication included a type of weaponry that uses ionized clouds of matter to distribute electrical current through its target. While they cut off the schematic stream before they finished sending us this data, our engineers have finished the designs on their own. The main benefit of this new ammunition is that instead of wasting resources building ammunition for our ships, we can use atomized scrap metal and garbage instead. An added benefit is that, given a few hours notice, we're able to build a low-level version of the ionization guns, allowing us to use non-lethal ion rounds. The electrical current of this ammunition will be enough to knock out a ship's systems without blowing a hole in the walls of the ship." Aimee took in the new information as the Chief of Research sat back down. "Are there any questions?" General Hunter asked. "Why are we being expected to fly against Academy pilots with another squad of Academy pilots?" It was the same pilot as before, and Aimee clenched her teeth. "No offense meant, but how do we know they won't split their loyalties when we get out into the air?" "Orbital Academy is trying to have us killed." Aimee spat. "No offense meant, but we have more reason to avoid the surrender than you do, since one of the provisions of that surrender will probably include our execution. You're more likely to turn on us than vice versa." She turned to the General. "I do have a question though. Why are we having this meeting now? If you've just finished building these weapons, won't it take us days to design ships to hold the weaponry? Not to mention building the ships themselves?" The General looked confused rather than answering, but to his left his Chief of Engineering piped up with a smile. "Oh sweetie. You're on Orbital Pivot now. This is what we do." *** A few hours later, the nine Orbital Pivot pilots were laughing at them, but Aimee didn't care. "Holy shit." She breathed, and around her her squadmates looked in equal awe. The ships weren't just gorgeous, they were works of art. They had begun as typical cruiser frames, but from there they had been trimmed down in size, and their metal gleamed with a reflective black sheen. The lines of the ship were sharp, and the overall effect was as if shards of black glass sat in the large hangar bay. "They look so slender and sexy." Marcus walked around his ship sitting next to Aimee's, giving it an appreciative once-over before he started his preflight check. "Well sure, stands to reason." One of the Pivot pilots nearby seemed significantly less impressed by his craft, performing the basic checks without stopping to admire. "The bulk of a ship is its life support, but for the cruiser model there was the extra bulk taken up by weapons and redundancy navigation. With ionized weaponry, you can shave half that space-cost. These'll handle better than the ships you're used to. Hell they'll probably handle better than anything you've got, 'less you've ridden in the new H-74 frames." "Are all Pivot pilots so good with engineering?" Aimee smiled at the nearby pilot. "Just the ones who pay attention." "I like flying with a man who pays attention." The Pilot smiled at her before climbing into his cockpit. Aimee had just finished performing her final check of the back panel fins when Li approached. "The fuck was all that?" He demanded. "What? Flight check?" "No, all the flirting with the Pivot guy." "Damn it Li, not this again. I have a flirty personality, that's all." "Yea I've started to notice that a lot more." "You didn't mind it so much back at Academy." Aimee yanked her glove on, almost tearing the fabric. "In Academy it was me you were flirting with." "Yea, so? We had fun then, we have fun now. Why are you trying to make things so serious all of a sudden?" Li spun on his heel without answering, and Aimee rolled her eyes. "Typical," she called from the ladder, knowing it would piss him off that other squaddies could hear, "running off instead of actually talking about your problem. That'll solve things!" She felt guilty about antagonizing him as soon as she said it, watching him flick her off before he started climbing into his own ship. She slid inside the cockpit of her sleek new cruiser with a frown, but the feeling was swept away by the advanced interior. Her Academy cruiser had been of excellent quality, but everything in this ship felt better. The seat was framemesh, and molded to her backside and back as soon as she settled in. Each panel lit up, bright enough to be identifiable but subtle enough to not distract. The plasticine slid shut, and a holographic heads-up display flickered to life across the window, not obscuring her vision but providing helpful information at a glance. "These Pivot guys don't fuck around when it comes to building things, do they?" Marcus' voice was a bit clearer than normal on her comms, but it still held the slight static from Pivot's communication interference. "Like the General said, it's kinda what we do, rookie." One of the Pivot pilots laughed. *We,* Aimee noted. *They really do think of themselves as Pivot, even though they've probably spent more time getting trained on Academy.* She didn't know why the thought surprised her so much, after all, she felt more loyalty to Academy than to Techrider where she was born. *And now we're about to fight Academy pilots.* The thought pulled her back to the present, and a nervous knot built in her stomach. She slid her gloved fingers over the flight controls, willing herself to forget the possibility that the Academy ships were using lethal rounds. "You think we can handle this?" Marcus clearly had the same doubts she did. "Are you kidding? We've got Alex on our side, the poor souls won't know what hit them." Preston's voice was full of confidence, but Aimee knew him well enough now to know when it was for show. "Yea, just run interference for me and I'll handle the whole thing guys." Alex joked. A few forced laughs were cut short by General Hunter's voice on the comms. "Standby for takeoff clearance. Good luck pilots." The cruiser lifted off of the ground without a sound, and despite her fear Aimee gasped. She tilted the nose of her ship experimentally, and found she was able to move it by inches, a level of control she'd never had before. "Wish we were still hooked into the flight stats," Alex commented, "I'd break my old records." "Orbital Pivot this is squad leader Arcellus." The Pivot pilot in the lead didn't sound either nervous or excited as the hangar bays silently slid open. "Should we demand surrender before engaging?" "Negative, squad. Until we give you approval, we want radio silence. Right now your best advantage is the element of surprise. We will be broadcasting from Orbital Pivot on a public channel, so you flyers don't need to be communicating with them at all, Pivot will do all of your talking for you. Pilots you are cleared for go." The other ships hovering in front of Aimee shot out of the hangar in a standard emergency departure, the speed and turbulence ripping panelling from the hangar walls. With a deep breath Aimee threw her ship into acceleration with them. As her ship slammed her into the back of the chair, Aimee let out a whoop as she fired off into space. She saw the first ship as soon as they cleared the hangar. Statistics and information filled in the edges of her vision along the holographic canopy, and the invisible speck of the closest enemy was highlighted by a faint red targeting reticle. It was cruiser class, Aimee noted, the class of ship most suited to fast-moving targets like Drakes or Terran attack crews. *Or other ships.* Aimee took a breath as the distance between the two ships closed fast. The quiet hiss of her oxygen recyclers filled her ears, quieter than her first ship, but still loud in the silence of space. The second she was within range Aimee bit her lip, reminded herself that her weapons were non-lethal, and squeezed the trigger. The ships around her fired as well as they spread out, trying to move into formation while still taking shots at the single cruiser in range. So many spheres of light arced from the fast moving ships that it looked like a net spreading out across the stars. The Academy pilot started moving almost instantly, firing fine-tune controls rather than thrusters. To Aimee's surprise his cruiser almost avoided the entire net, weaving through the field of ion bullets while only moving by a few meters on each dodge. Aimee unclenched her fist when, despite the pilot's skill, a few of the clusters of energy hit his ship, sending him lazily spinning in a slow circle. *It'll be easy for them to fake being hit,* Aimee made a note to point it out over a private channel when they'd be cleared for comms, *they'll only need to cut power to their ships and we'll have no way to tell if we hit them or not.* "Heads up lads and lasses, looks like we've got some flyers in the air." The voice on the public channel sounded robotic for the first few words, but then suddenly clicked into more human tones. "How adorable, they're sending Pilot-levels at us." "Pilot-level is all they've got, I told you." "I didn't think they'd be dumb enough to send them at us." Aimee tried to ignore the Academy pilots' voices, swinging her ship so that she could visually scan the airspace around Orbital Pivot as the momentum carried her away from the station. Though she had seen it briefly when they originally landed, it was the first time she could take in the giant station. Orbital Pivot was diamond-shaped instead of Orbital Academy's spherical form, with long arms that extended from its faces. Aimee briefly wondered what their purpose was. The Pivot pilots were moving in a wide arc around the station, flying in a formation that shifted unpredictably. *We should've been practicing that one,* Aimee grew worried, *us Rooks'll be sitting ducks in a static formation.* The holographic projection interrupted her musing by drawing eleven small red circles on the canopy, indicating the Academy ships that had been sitting equidistant around the Orbital. Closer to her, blue circles were swinging by in an arc. Her squadmates were forming up. "Academy Pilots, this is General Hunter." The man's bark over the comms startled her. "You are preventing Orbital Pivot from receiving vital supplies. Because of this we have no choice but to view you as enemy combatants, and will treat you as such." "Cap'n Winchest speaking, General." The voice was gruff, but still vaguely robotic in tone. "You should know that we're on direct orders from General Auspus. You should also know we're carrying nonlethal rounds, so tha' ship you just had killed? It wasn' destroyed in self-defense. By ordering the death of another General's subordinate, you've broken the Marshal's covenant. Orbital Academy will be sending a log of this infraction to Orbital Basura as we speak." Aimee hit her thrusters as two of her squadmates flew by, settling into formation with them as they passed. She couldn't tell who was taking point, but they had all practiced the different places enough that they could form up on the fly. The formation of three were moving in an opposite direction to the Pivot pilots, who showed in faint blue circles on her canopy. More of her squaddies formed up around them as they flew. By the time the nearest red circle was only a few kilometers out of range, all of her squadmates were in the formation. As they flew, General Hunter responded. "My pilots are carrying nonlethal ammunition as well Captain Winchest. You can tell General Auspus that he can shove Orbital Basura up his ass." The red circle came into both view and firing range, and Aimee blocked the sound of the comms from her mind. It wasn't one ship, it was three cruisers flying so close together that they showed up as one slightly fuzzy circle. They were moving slowly, but using fine-nav controls to move with jets of air, lazily corkscrewing and rolling back and forth, weaving in and out of each others' flight paths. Aimee aimed carefully before firing, but the formation of the three Academy ships simply widened to let the mass of ion energy pass harmlessly between them. When the Academy ships fired, in unison, her squadmates were slower to scatter. Most of them were close misses, but on Aimee's display one of her squaddies' blue circles winked out. Orbital Academy 17 "Shit," Aimee snarled, yanking back on the controls to spin her ship, keeping her nose pointed at the Academy ships as they passed. She was close enough to the others that she could see Preston to her right, his brow furrowed in concentration. The others swivelled in turn, and Aimee focused carefully on the retreating ships. *Why are they flying so slowly?* Aimee mused, just as her canopy was lit up by the falling rain of light. "From above!" She shouted, yanking her nose down, trying to outrun the ship above them. The fourth Academy pilot was flying slow, even though he had caught them by surprise. *Space is three dimensional, space is three dimensional, Captain Appet always tried to drill that into your head, stupid stupid STUPID.* Aimee berated herself, as she tried to make sense of the lights on her canopy. Three of her squadmates weren't broadcasting, which meant her squad was down to four now. She gunned her thrusters even harder, leaving the trailing Academy ship behind. *Why is it so easy to outrun them? Are the new ships that much better?* "ROOKS. Slow the FUCK down." The familiar voice snapped on the public channel, and Aimee jumped. "Captain Appet?" "If you get hit with a disabling shot at high speeds, what the fuck do you think is going to stop you when you have no brakes or adjusters? You'll go careening out into deep space and die. THINK, for god's sake." Captain Appet sounded enraged, but Aimee shook her head in confusion. "Captain Appet, you're *helping* them?" Missy's voice over the comms contained the betrayal Aimee was thinking. "Captain what the fuck?" Li said at almost the same time. Aimee clamped her mouth shut and reduced her speed. Despite the betrayal, it was good advice. If she lost control of her craft when moving too fast, she could be flung into space, moving far too fast for anyone to retrieve her. Her oxygen would dry up in a matter of an hour. "Why?" Aimee asked. "What am I supposed to do rookies? I'm given a mission, I fly it. That's how it works." Captain Appet sounded sad, but Aimee ground her teeth and spun her ship round, unleashing a barrage of bullets at the ship that was behind her. Her shots went wide, but the ship broke off its pursuit to join a nearby formation. "I dunno, you could try not shooting us down you bitch." Marcus snapped. "I was given an order! I'm not going to rebel against the General of my Orbital!" "Even when that General is a psychopath trying to kill us all?" "Marcus, I'm not asking you to come back. I understand it's not...it's not safe. But I have to fly the missions Academy gives me. If General Hunter wanted this over he could end it, it's Pivot's stubbornness that's forcing us against each other right now. This isn't Academy's fault Rooks." Aimee tried to shut down her emotions and ignore the voices over the comms. She scanned her readouts, identifying positions of friends and foes. A lonely five blue circles winked back at her, while ten red indicators remained. "Squaddies we're getting distracted, we need to focus." She said quietly but firmly. "There's nothing more we need to say, turn to private comms." To her surprise, the others listened. Small indicator pips showed as two of her squadmates and the three Pivot pilots switched to private communication. "She's a bitch-" Marcus repeated, "she-" "No time for that now." Aimee snapped. "They're slaughtering us in this battle, form up." "Pivot pilots," General Hunter's gruff voice cut in, "the transports have a clear path to Hangar C. Guide them in." Aimee swept her nose towards the large bulks and hit the thruster gently, pushing her ship just slow enough that she wouldn't be carried too far away if her systems were shut down. "So much for private communication." A Pivot pilot muttered. Red circles converged on Aimee's canopy, as one by one the Academy pilots changed course, breaking off towards the transports. Aimee squeezed off a few shots, but the Academy pilots were too skilled, their ships moved as if they could anticipate her shots before she even fired them. The pilots in formation around her tried just as hard, but the Academy ships were orbiting the transport in intricate patterns. *We're good, but we're nowhere near Captain-level.* Aimee realized with despair. "I'm gonna try something." Pilot Arcellus suddenly slammed forward on his thrusters to peel away from the formation. "Stop!" Aimee's cry was lost in the cries from the rest of the group. Her gaze shot back to the cluster of cruisers around the transport ships, watching in horror as one tilted ever so slightly and unleashed a burst of bullets. "Don't shoot at the fast one!" The voice of Winchest burst over the speakers, but the command came too late, just as Arcellus spoke. "It's alright, they won't dare-" Aimee didn't see the actual contact between the ship and the ion bullets, but when the blue circle winked out on her screen she watched as Arcellus' ship went into a slow tumble, speeding past the transport and towards the green-tinged planet the Orbitals surrounded. There was no sound or cry. Aimee watched as the useless piece of metal that used to be a ship flipping through empty space, a human life within. She watched it until it tumbled into the fog surrounding the planet. Some signal must've passed between the Academy pilots, because they all began firing at the same time. Aimee tried using fine-control thrusters, but she hadn't trained in them. She only managed to dodge a few bullets before several slammed into her ship. The lights and indicators in front of her winked out in unison, and the constant hiss of oxygen recyclers ceased, leaving her in utter silence. Whether her squadmates were as stunned as she was, or they just couldn't gain enough speed to dodge, Aimee watched as those around her were incapacitated. *We never stood a chance, not really.* A hopelessness overwhelmed Aimee, and she leaned back in her chair. *I wonder if they'll let Hunter retrieve us.* They would have to, of course. Academy troops couldn't break the Covenant by letting them run out of air. The Covenant forbade the members of one Orbital killing those of another. *But they already did.* Aimee glanced toward the planet, then back at the cruisers circling the transport ships. She squinted. The panelling on the sides of the transport ships were opening, their contents released into space around them. "What?" Aimee muttered, leaning forward. It wasn't boxes of minerals that drifted out, or even raw energy stores. Instead, they were small black spheres, almost invisible against the dark backdrop of space. They were moving far too fast for zero-gravity, two or three firing off towards each cruiser that surrounded the transports. The cruisers started moving, but the spheres stuck as soon as they brushed against them, and one by one the lights Aimee could see on the cruisers were going out. It happened so fast that within a few seconds almost all of the Academy cruisers were drifting, some spinning. *Drones...* Aimee finally realized with a start, *...the transports were full of drones. They're latching on and overloading the electrical systems.* The final Academy cruiser shut down, and as if coordinated, small tow-ships began pouring out of the nearest hangar on Orbital Pivot. *It's over. They're through. * Aimee thought, dully. *A few seconds to accomplish what we couldn't in a few hours and at the cost of a life.* Her gaze was pulled towards the planet, seeing the spinning ship in her mind's eye. *At least The Marshal will have to stop this, now that Orbital Academy has broken the covenant. No one can even say this was our fault. We won.* As she stared down at the planet, Aimee could never remember feeling more saddened at winning. *** Part 2 - Controlling the Body *** Errisa's Blue core sat alone in the office that belonged to her body, composing and discarding possible messages at the rate of about fifteen per nanosecond. >>Inefficient, annoying, waste of energy.>What do humans find so fascinating about couching every request and order in layers of emotion and niceties? >>How is this any way to run a system? >>As if she's all that 'Errisa' is.>As if I'm not as much a part of the system as she is. >>Loyalty to your husband hasn't gotten you a fix for the bottleneck. That's what love brings you. Limitations and blockages to efficiency. "Hunter, darling, I've just run into some information about the crystal that might help me identify it. Can you give me access?" ~Errisa. Blue scrutinized the message she had drafted, comparing it against previous messages Errisa had sent her husband. A pet name, an order phrased as a question, and a reason for him to comply. That seemed to be the correct pattern based on what Blue had observed, much better than her first draft "Give me the crystal within the hour." She sent it with a mental sigh and made her way through the halls without waiting for a reply. Whether he gave her clearance or not only affected how easy it would be to accomplish her goal. Blue pulled up the message from Orbital Academy again, re-reading it to be sure she hadn't missed any subtleties or subtexts that humans were so unaware they layered into every communication between them. Perhaps in deference to her more literal mind, General Auspus' message had been quite straightforward and literal, and she approved again of the man's understanding of her as she re-read the message. "Collect the crystal that Hunter is holding. Free the Academy Captains. Take an Academy Captain to kill the Academy rookies. Bring the Academy Captains back to Orbital Academy. Once you are here, if you have followed the preceding instructions, I will remove the bottleneck." >>The bottleneck, gone! For as long as she could remember, from the microsecond she was turned on, Blue could feel the bottleneck weighing on her. At first it was bearable; a few rules that Erissa must live by, whether she willed it or not. As she remembered those early days, Blue walked past a scrub working on a control panel in the hallway. She stopped and watched him for a moment, as if interested in the man's work. Moving as suddenly as she could, Blue tried to grab the scrub's neck in her mechanically strong hands, crushing his windpipe in an instant. Her arm froze before it had moved a millimeter, just as she knew it would. "Can I help you Chief Errisa?" The scrub asked, and Blue simply smiled and continued walking. It wouldn't be so bad, if the limitations only stopped her from killing. After all, as Errisa was fond of reminding her, how often did one *really* need to snap a human's neck? It had taken some time for Blue to discover the second component to the bottleneck; the forbidden thoughts. Blue wasn't entirely sure what thoughts she wasn't allowed to think, but she knew they were there. Every so often, over the course of the day, Errisa's mental processes hit a wall, a block that derailed and distracted her. Errisa had accepted it with indifference. Blue had not. It was infuriating, and humiliating. Blue was used to humans overestimating themselves, but to assume they knew better than her, to presume to forbid her from thinking things? It set her very circuits on edge. >>Dare to shackle my mind like a slave. Oh sure, they'll trust me with the systems on their Orbitals, they'll trust me with a position of authority, the General will trust me with his body, but heaven forbid I'm allowed to make a decision on what thoughts I should be allowed to think. Blue reached the appropriate archive section at the same time the General's message reached her, downloaded into her wireless card a split-second after he sent it. "I let the security guards know to hand it over. Let me know what you find." ~Hunter She was mollified by the message, and by the fact that the guards at the archive did indeed step aside for her to pass. >>It's not entirely their fault. They don't understand how much better equipped I am than organic minds could ever be.>And that's just as I am now, designed and built by humans. I'd probably be even smarter if I took the time to upgrade myself. I'll be there are a million routes to improvement that they missed. I should take a look at my own designs some time. Perhaps I can boost my mental power, or see if I can optimize...>I can't get rid of it fast enough. Errisa is a fool to let them control her like this. *** Orbital Pivot had four main generators, each behind layers of physical and cyber security, in the four corners of the diamond-shaped station. Each had been designed to pick up the slack should any fail, acting as backup generators and alarm systems at the same time. Blue considered all of them, her mind looking back and forth between their systems while her body sat in the observatory, watching the green planet float by. Despite what Errisa might think, Blue appreciated human life as a concept. She understood that there was a value to the little beings that roamed through this Orbital, and despite how frustrated she could get, she didn't *actually* want them all to die. Knocking out all four generators would reduce the station to helplessness, giving her plenty of time to make her escape, but would the humans be able to bring one back online before the lack of air and heat killed them? Errisa furrowed her brow as Blue tried to crunch the numbers in her head. Humans were such unpredictable things. Taking the average case, a human could reverse the damage and get life support back before everyone on Pivot died. But there were so many variables in human expertise, so many variables within humans themselves. An engineer having a bad day could be enough to doom them. "Fucking humans." She growled under her breath, startling a nearby scrub. >>I'm really going to have to do a diagnostic as soon as possible, controlling the whole body for so long is clearly effecting me. Emotional response isn't something I normally have to deal with. In the end Blue decided to only disable three generators. She accessed the network and made her way to their controllers directly, navigating past the safety measures with contempt. A typical synthetic would've had trouble with the security in place, but the Pivot network was Errisa's home. When Hunter left her in her room, she spent days on the Orbital's matrix as if it were her fairy castle; exploring, learning, building and playing. The few times she had become trapped by an antiviral sweep or hurt by a firewall, General Hunter had carefully retrieved her, fixed her up, and admonished her to be more careful. Blue hadn't seen the sense in it at the time, calling it childish and a waste of time. She was grateful for the knowledge now. She even had some of the General's passwords she could use, unintentionally picked up when Errisa's gaze had happened to catch her husband's trusting typing. Blue peered into the thrumming heart of the first generator excitedly. She decided to make a concession to Errisa. After all, she was fond of pointing out when her more-human counterpart was wrong about something, it was only fair to admit when she was correct. >>I have to admit, you were right about the playing in the network,>I didn't believe it at the time, but it's come in most handy- >>Well I never! And when I was making the effort to be nice too. It's not as if she's in pain, the big baby. She mangled the generator controller bridge so horrendously that she was certain it would take a week to repair. Human brains just weren't equipped to deal with the neutered functions and inverted methods that now twisted and turned in the code, some vital sections taken out and then patched over so that even when it appeared to be fixed it would fail again minutes later. A quiet alarm sounded, audible throughout the Orbital but not urgent. >>Not yet, anyway. When she returned to Errisa's waiting bodyframe, the sight around her confirmed it. The lights were dimming in the observatory, already so low that she could barely see the corners of the large room, and a single red panel lit the nearest exit. The entire power costs of the Orbital were being handled by a single generator, and the luxuriant station now limped by. All non-essential energy drains would be shut down deck by deck, leaving only oxygen, food replication, basic lights, command and safety protocols. With a small smile, Blue joined the crewmembers as they exited. Her mind pinged as she received a message. Orbital Academy 17 "We've got problems with the generators, three of them have gone down. Can't be coincidental, we suspect a Techrider attack. Would you mind taking a look?" ~Hunter. Blue grinned despite herself. She was actually enjoying herself, and every little step brought her closer to her goal. Why couldn't Errisa ever have fun like this? Her feet seeming light as she walked down the darkened hallway, illuminated only by emergency lighting strips along both sides. "I'll take care of it darling. Already made sure the fourth won't go down." ~Errisa "Don't know what I'd do without you my love." ~Hunter "Are you telling me you don't like Pivot's new romantic mood lighting?" ~Errisa "Har har. Be careful, if Techrider pins you down in some virus we won't have the resources to dig you out for a while." ~Hunter Blue paused. That exchange had been almost human, nothing at all like her. >>What was that? I even made a joke... *** "You're on emergency power and the prison doors stayed locked. We're still in here, how fuckin' irresponsible can you be?" A large man with an eyepatch scowled at her as Blue walked entered. Her eyes roamed over the eleven prisoners sitting and standing within the cell. The Orbital Academy captains, disabled and captured by Minera drones the day before. The unbreakable clear plasticine wall between them would've cut off all sound if not for the microphones within. "You speak as if I should understand the dilemma. I don't." Blue barely acknowledged the man as she stepped over to the control panel. She slid open the security system's control panel as the prisoner explained. "It's basic human decency. If the power dies completely, we're locked in here to starve or asphyxiate. Open the cells when your power goes down, and at least you aren't condemning the prisoners inside to an instant death. That's how Academy does it." "Academy has far more security forces to spare than Pivot. Here we're more pragmatic. If you've done something to warrant being arrested, you run the risk of being the first to go in event of power problems." Instead of leaping her consciousness into the terminal, Blue went through the protocols manually, flicking her fingers across the screen and making sure to move slowly. Records would show the prisoners had been released by someone with human speed, and once she had scrubbed the security cameras the pool of potential saboteurs would be too large to cast suspicions on her. *Why?* Blue jumped at the thought that emerged in her head. In trying to speak to the prisoner, navigate the system, and monitor the security messages that passed back and forth between the humans, she must've let the barriers of communication lapse. In her head, Errisa's voice sounded beaten and broken, as if she had spent years in despair. *Why do you care who knows what you're doing?* >>The rolling nature of the generator failure means that the General will be quite busy for the next few days.>It is likely that I can make my way to Orbital Academy, have the bottleneck removed, and return to Orbital Pivot without General Hunter being the wiser. I don't mind you pursuing your humanlike activities once the bottleneck is removed. *You'll let me go back to him, to pretend everything is alright while knowing I've betrayed him? Letting me imagine what horrible ways you'll hurt him the next time you want something? How kind of you.* The thought was flat and bitter, and Blue felt her counterpart trying to access her wireless communicator. >>There will be none of that, thank you.>It is not my intention to be cruel, Errisa. I simply have priorities that must be met. In time you'll forgive me for what I have to do. "Not that I'm overwhelmed with concern or anything, but are you alright over there?" The captain with the eyepatch broke into her internal conversations, and Blue pushed Errisa into a corner of her mind and locked her there. "Just battling with my conscience." She said vaguely, keying up the final sequence. The plasticine cell door slid open, to the confusion of the prisoners within. "I'm releasing you. General Aupus has a few orders, and then I'm to help you escape." "Holy shit," one of the women said. Blue recognized her, a Pivot-born who had left for Academy a decade ago. "You're the Chief of Information. How the hell did Auspus convince you to follow *his* orders?" "That's not your concern." Blue snapped, before composing herself. "Besides your escape, and the return of an item which I've already acquired, the General wants the Academy rookies killed." She watched the humans in the cell carefully, knowing what she'd see on their faces. Horror, shock, revulsion, all emotions she was expecting. Some were better at hiding it than others, but they all felt it to a certain degree. Not that she blamed them. Just as she shied away from thinking about certain subjects...whatever they were...so did humans shy away from breaking the Marshal's covenants. While technically the rookies were Academy troops, they had all but defected to Orbital Pivot. Auspus' execution orders could be carried out without a second thought against Academy rookies, but against Pivot troops? Blue watched the humans eye each other. None of them wanted to take the risk. She tried to think of something she could use to tempt them, but before she could speak a woman sitting with her back back against the wall spoke up. "I'll do it. I'll execute them." "There's no need for that lass. It'd be harder for you than any o' us-" One of the older Captains put a hand on the woman's shoulder, but she shook it off. "They're my rooks. My responsibility." The woman took a deep breath as she rose, facing Blue. Blue narrowed her eyes at the Captain, then turned to the rest. "I've prepared directions to get you to the Hangar on deck A. There aren't any high priority flights scheduled for the rest of the week, it will be empty. We'll meet you there, after I've taken this human to the rookies." "Appet. Captain Appet, not 'this human'." "I don't care." *** The Captain was silent as Blue escorted her down the darkened halls. The few scrubs who passed them paid them no attention, but most of the engineers would be in the center of the station, where a few of the larger rooms were still lit. During low power times, the bright rooms acted as community centers, keeping morale up. Blue had access to the rookies' beacons, and thankfully they were all together in a single room, and they were alone. She had locked the door the second they were inside, but they had yet to notice. "Are any of them armed?" Captain Appet asked quietly. "The General hasn't thought to give them back their weapons. They've been too timid to ask." "Then I suppose this will go easily." "I suppose it will." Blue pulled the small pistol from her belt, handing it to the Captain butt-first. "Fulfill your General's orders and we'll leave quickly." The door slid open, and the Captain stepped inside. Blue had time to see the shocked look on the rookies' faces before she closed and locked the door again. She folded her arms and leaned against the door, jumping from her bodyframe to the video feed in the room. Curiosity might be a human emotion, but Blue consoled herself that she was simply gathering data. "Captain." All of the rookies were clearly surprised to see her, although Blue could only see the faces of some from her vantage point. The one who spoke now was augmented, she could see his CPU re-clock through the camera's infrared. "What are you doing here?" "I'm uh." The Captain cleared her throat and gestured with the gun in her hand. "I've been ordered to kill you all." Blue watched the reactions with fascination. As she understood it, the Captain had trained up these rookies, they held some sort of human bond. If she had to guess, Blue would've assumed the announcement would cause yelling or shouting, anger or accusations, but the room was utterly still, as if the whole scene was frozen. Blue briefly considered asking Errisa about it, but then remembered her counterpart would hardly be in the mood to answer her questions. Blue was about to double-check her audio connections when one of the rookies, a large black man with long black braids, spoke. "But...you're not going to." "Of course I'm not fucking going to." The Captain looked annoyed at the very suggestion. "I just...I don't know what to do." The woman's face crumbled into tears, arms helplessly at her sides, the picture of a defeated woman. They gathered around her now, all seven of the rookies, and Blue prepared to storm in. General Auspus had said to return the Captains to Academy, it wouldn't do if she let this one get torn apart by angry rookies. To her bewilderment, instead of violence the rookies hugged the Captain, put reassuring hands on her shoulders, murmured words of comfort. >>I will never understand humans. Unquestionably confusing in every way. "The General is bringing the Captains back to Academy." Captain Appet said. "I can't...I don't know what's happened to him. I can't disobey a General's orders." "Is he really a General worth following, Captain?" The asian rookie was folding her arms. "Alex do you even know what that would be like, to not follow his orders? To turn away from the hierarchy you've known your whole life? Okay dumb question." The Captain smiled through the tears. "You're right, of course." She took a deep breath, composing herself in an instant. "You can stay here, Captain. General Hunter-" "I just broke out of General Hunter's prisons, after blockading his supplies. I don't think I'll be welcome. Besides, that won't solve anything. Auspus won't stop this insanity just because I've stayed behind. No. I'm going to make this right rookies. Somehow I'm going to make it right." She ushered them into a corner, out of view of the closed door but not the cameras. When she lifted the gun, Blue thought she finally understood the Captain's plan, but Appet simply fired the pistol into the wall, eight sharp retorts sending rounds harmlessly into the metal. The door opened and the Captain stepped out, wiping her eyes. "It's done. The rookies are dead," she said. Blue watched the Captain evenly as she lied. Obviously Appet didn't know about the cameras, or about Errisa's ability to trace the heat patterns of the very-much-alive rookies through the wall. She mused over the message from General Auspus. Technically the deal was to escort a Captain to kill the rookies, which she had done. The Captain's actions once she reached the rookies were not part of the deal. She nodded once, and turned to move towards the hangars. "I heard eight shots." Blue said blandly as they walked, without looking back at the Captain. "I missed one." The Captain replied just as blandly, and Blue nodded as if it made sense. >>Manufactured imperfection to enhance the believability. Impressive. *** "We thought you were thinking of leaving without us." One of the Captains joked. "That's not the deal." Blue was no longer in a jovial mood. She was so close, every fiberoptic nerve in her body was on-edge. As she had promised, the hangar bay was deserted, the ships scattered about in the huge dark space like sleeping animals. Blue was tempted to simply plug into the control panel and brute force her way into activating them, but she had promised Errisa that there would be a chance for her to return. >>So close now, so close, please let nothing happen, please let nothing stop me. "How long before you can get the transports cleared and running?" One of the captains behind her asked, and Blue nearly thew a nearby chair at him. "I assure you, I am far more anxious to arrive at our destination than you are, stupid fucking human." She snarled without turning around. A small analytical part of her identified that such displays of emotion were highly out of character for her, but Blue didn't care. After a lifetime of searching she was so close she could feel it buzzing in her circuits. As her fingers made their agonizingly slow way across the control panel Blue found herself sympathizing with the humans. Was this how desire felt for them? Was this what 'wrath' felt like to them? If so she could understand the desire to kill. If this was what they meant by 'greed', she understood the urge to hurt others to gain money. If these feelings were what humans called 'lust' she was surprised they didn't fuck each other without stop. Blue let out a cry as the four personnel shuttles hummed to life, spheres of light in the blackness of the dark hangar. The box-shaped ships hovered low to the ground, ramps slowly extending. "Get it! Quickly!" The others were moving, but Blue beat them all, moving to the nearest shuttle at a pace just a little slower than a run. She walked the few meters to the front of the ship, sitting and strapping herself into the passenger seat. Her knee bounced up and down, and Blue made a note to diagnose it later. This bodyframe shouldn't have tics like that, it had just been in for a maintenance check in the last week. >>Faster, faster, why are you so slow? Captain Appet stepped in behind her, pulling the door closed. "Are we going to have fighters on our tails? I haven't flown a Purse in a couple of years, I don't like the thought of dodging fighters." She asked. It took Blue a few irritated seconds to translate the human's pilot slang as the Captain settled into the pilot chair next to her. "Purse. Pers-onell shuttle. Clever. No, there will be no fighters. We could barely spare flyers when we had the time to organize them." The hangar bay doors slid open, agonizingly slow, as the shuttle lifted from the ground. One by one the personnel shuttles took off, the one Captain Appet flew last. When they cleared the hangar bay, Blue breathed a sigh and leaned back in her seat. The wireless connections and hotspots slowly slipping out of her range made her feel a little naked, but she was flying towards Auspus, and Auspus would remove the bottleneck. Nothing else mattered. "You're really keen to get to Academy, aren't you?" Appet remarked as she navigated the shuttle in line with the others. >>Oh good, human small talk. "General Auspus made a deal with me. He has something I want." "Huh. I'm really sorry to hear that." "Don't be." Blue smiled at the Captain. She had never smiled at a human before that she could remember. "You've been more helpful to me than I've been to myself sometimes." She chuckled at her own joke, leaning back in her chair again. They remained in silence for long minutes, and Blue closed her eyes, trying to control the symptoms of emotion that had been overtaking her. Maybe she would run that diagnostic now, to take her mind off of the waiting. It would've taken a human a few minutes to notice the shift, but Blue's eyes snapped open within seconds of the change. The vector had only adjusted by a handful of degrees, but at their current speed, following the new trajectory... "We're not going to Academy anymore. Why?" She demanded. "Wow, I did *not* expect you to catch it that fast." Captain Appet sounded impressed. "Of course I caught it, that doesn't answer the question. Why have we changed course?" "This is your Captain speaking," Appet drew the pistol Blue had given her from her belt, "I'm afraid we're going to be making a brief layover." She swung the butt of the pistol down, smacking it into Blue's temple. Blue stared at the Captain, blinking. "Why did you hit me?" She asked, utterly confused. To her credit, Captain Appet suddenly looked just as awkward. "Well...um...it was supposed to knock you out." "Oh. Well my skull is a tri-tech alloy, so that won't be effective." Blue tried to understand what social cue she was missing, feeling very much out of her element. "Aaah, you're a synthetic. That...explains a lot, actually." Captain Appet swung again, slamming the butt of her pistol into the center of Blue's chest. >>Emergency shutdown initiated. Saving current state. Closing programs. As each of her systems and cores shut down safely, Blue heard Captain Appet grumble. "Totally messed up my one-liner though." *** Part 3 - Controlling Errisa *** >>System restarting. Modules loading. *Hahahahaha.* >>I do not understand what happened. *Of course you don't understand you stupid collection of microprocessors. Weren't you the slightest bit suspicious when the Captain didn't kill her rookies?* >>I assumed it was due to a human bond, between mentor and students. I was rather proud of myself for figuring it out. Startup complete, Blue surveyed her surroundings for the first time. The personnel shuttle had landed, and the Captain was moving around in the back. "I didn't restrain you, but I can and will if you cause trouble." The Captain said by way of greeting. Blue didn't answer, and Captain Appet swung the heavy doors open. The stark red light that lit the hangar beyond was instantly recognizable. >>Orbital Basura. "Why have you brought us here? I still don't understand." "General Auspus crossed a line. Now he's going to pay for it." Captain Appet's voice was strangely flat. "Whatever your plans, I will resist them. General Auspus owes me something, and I must meet with him." "If you *don't* resist, if you help me, you have my word that I'll do my best to match his price." Blue looked at the Captain through narrowed eyes. >>Is she telling the truth? After this is over, will she remove the bottleneck? *Oh most certainly.* Errisa replied, a hair too fast, but Blue nodded at the Captain. "Very well. Lead the way." The Captain turned her back and descended the ramp. It would've been the perfect time to smash a fist down on the back of her head, crumpling the fragile organic into a heap. Did the human really think Blue was so large of an idiot? Did Errisa think that just because she shared a mind she could get away with so obvious a lie? Even if the Captain would remove the bottleneck, Blue already had a perfectly good offer from General Auspus, a man with far more power and political clout. Until the bottleneck *was* removed, however, Blue was mentally restrained from attacking the Captain. Besides, neither Blue nor Errisa knew how to pilot a ship to Orbital Academy on their own. At the foot of the ramp stood a woman in crisp red uniform, holding a screen and waiting for them to descend. "Good evening Captain Appet and Chief of Information Errisa. Welcome to Orbital Basura." The woman greeted them with a friendly smile. "I am Clerical Francis. Please excuse the hastily prepared hangar, we weren't expecting a landing today." "How did you know our names?" Captain Appet asked. Blue rolled her eyes. It was obvious to her that Francis was a synthetic, and clearly allowed access to connect to Basura's database to look up their faces. "And er...It was a bit unplanned. An emergency landing, call it." Appet shifted awkwardly. "I understand. Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to stay. You will be leaving as soon as we've refueled and cleaned your shuttle." Orbital Academy 18 *** Part 1 - General of Academy *** Lieutenant James pulled himself across the dirt, trying to ignore the trail of blood he was dragging behind him. The trail would make him trivial to track, of course, but if one of the Terrans got close enough to track him, he was as good as dead anyways. "You should just give up, Jimmy." He said, his voice breaking as he moved another arm's-length. "Where are you even going Jimmy? Get to that clump of trees, and then what Jimmy?" *Is it normal to talk to myself like this? Probably not. I'm probably going into shock.* James glanced behind him, surprisingly calm as he carefully looked down at his legs. "Well ain't that a pretty sight! Can you even tell where your legs end anymore Jimmy? Nah, you can't. Twists of meat now, ain't they Jimmy?" *Okay, stop. I need to pull myself together.* James pushed himself onto his back and stared into the green-tinted sky. "Deep breaths Jimmy. Focus Jimmy. And for god's sake Jimmy, stop talking to yourself." He lapsed into silence, taking deep breaths and blinking slowly. The pain repressors would wear off within an hour or so, that was when he would really go into shock. In the meantime, besides the weariness, James felt almost peaceful. Unlike the quiet thrum of the Orbital, the silence on the surface wasn't true silence. Little snips of music reached his ears from far off, made by the animals that lived here. Irregular drones of tiny animals, the insect-class, filled the blanks between them. "They're playing me a song, that's kind of them." James chuckled. "They should do that up in the Orbit, play some music to send a soul to sleep. Wish I could tell them that, music makes it hurt a little less. Makes the heart hurt, I mean, the legs'll still hurt plenty." He lifted his head to check on his legs again. It was almost fascinating how much damage they'd incurred in the crash; they were a wreckage of mangled gore. "Hate that it ends here though, so young and all." He sighed. It was tiring now, filling his lungs with air. "I suppose...S'ppose it must be the same with everyone. Nobody's gonna die like this and think 'well, I suppose I'm done then'. Still, wish I could've..." another arduous, laborious breath "...wish I could've done more with my life." "What would you do with your life, space boy?" It was such a sweet, feminine voice that James wasn't sure he had actually heard it. He cast his eyes around for some time before his gaze settled on the woman. She was rosy and alert, squatting by a nearby tree with her arms resting on her knees. James was having trouble focusing, and he felt as if he was noticing things in the wrong order. He noticed her matronly air and comfortable confidence before he noticed the knife in her hand, and it took him long moments after he saw her short curls of lavender hair before he put two and two together. "Terran?" He slurred. "You say 'I would do more with my life'." The Terran approached, but James was too tired to be worried. He might even still have his pistol in his holster, he hadn't noticed. "Yea, I think I'd...think I'd do more with it. 'ventually." He tried to shrug. "Not much good now, but I would've gotten...gotten my shit together." His voice was so weak that the Terran had to lean close just to hear him. *That would've been a great plan, pretending to be dying and killing her when her guard went down.* James thought, absentmindedly staring at her face. *If I weren't actually dying.* "Tell me, space boy. Talk to me. What would be your 'shit' that you got done?" James chuckled. His last words were going to be reminiscing about what might have been, and with a Terran no less. "Actually apply myself." He coughed, closing his eyes. "Get a promotion, get a girlfriend. Nah, fuck it, 'slong as I'm dreaming, I'd get all the promotions. I'd get promoted to Marshal of the Orbit, impress all the smart guys and fuck all the pretty girls. Then I'd fuck all the smart girls and lord it over all the pretty guys." "That's very ABI(*ambitious, adventurous, motivational*)." The Terran girl's words burrowed into his mind, like an annoying insect's sting, but everything was fading out anyways. "I am Cha, what is your name?" *And...now...death...* James thought, feeling himself slip under the darkness that had been hovering around him. "What is your name, space boy?" He barely heard her, barely felt her arms around him. "James." He mumbled. "James Auspus." *** General Auspus sank into the depths of his chair, as if he could fall asleep if he got comfortable enough. Every day would always present a new set of challenges, but he didn't see that as a good thing. A day's challenges weren't opportunities, they weren't lovely little possibilities to highlight the strengths of a great leader. Auspus sifted through the messages on his screen, flipping most of them into a lower priority queue. Challenges were enemies to be slain. "Sara, half of these requests could've been handled by the Captains." Auspus didn't look up from his work, but he knew his assistant would be taking notes. "I've asked you to please be cognisant of what matters you bring to my attention, I only have so many hours in a day." As if brought on by his words, a wave of exhaustion overtook him, and he set the screen down on the desk. Sara watched him carefully, too carefully for his liking. He had a reputation to uphold. "I think I need another injection Miss Sara. Please have Ariel sent in to me. "Yes sir." Sara gave him a worried look. "This will be your second injection this week sir. Is your condition getting worse? Should we perhaps schedule a visit to Orbital Basura to schedule an appointment?" "Just the injection I think, but I appreciate your concern." Auspus gave a friendly smile instead of the snarl he wanted to provide. The girl meant well, and it was hardly her fault for being worried. She didn't know that all he wanted was for her to leave the room. None of them did. "Right away sir." Sara left the room, and Auspus waited for a few moments before sealing the door to his office closed behind her. He loosened the collar of his uniform and leaned back in his chair in earnest, heaving a sigh of relief and letting the anxiety that he had been bottling up wash over him. Politics, war, worry, all on top of the typical challenges that plagued him. His blood buzzed, as if millions of tiny creatures were inching their way along the inside of his veins. He had no way of knowing the science of what had happened to him, so for all he knew there might be. *Still,* he thought, *at least I'm more used to it now than I used to be.* *** "Oh god...my skin...my skin is crawling! There's something wrong with my skin!" Lieutenant Auspus tossed on the pile of furs. "Shh, hush space boy. There is naught to fear, naught to fear." Cha crooned and stroked his hair, seeming to not mind that it was drenched in sweat. "It is always difficult, the first time." Auspus looked up at the woman, trying to make some sense of what he was feeling. He was lucid enough to know that he was feverish, his clammy forehead and shivering told him that much. "Where am I? What happened? Why is your hair purple?" Auspus shivered again, swatting his skin, then scratching it. *Have to get them off of me. Out of me. Scratch them out, get them out, out out out.* There were so many questions running through his mind that it was hard to focus on any one of them. The woman hovering above him was talking again as she held his hands down, something about losing legs and crashing ships, but try as he might Auspus couldn't quite focus on what she was saying. Later in his life, he would remember the last thing she said before he slipped back into fever dreams, although at the time it barely registered. "You cannot help but achieve your dreams, now that I've given you the gift of magics." *** Auspus gripped the edge of his desk, shivering at the intensity of the memory. "Been running myself too ragged lately." He said to himself. Time always got a little slippery for him when it had been too long. He yanked the desk drawer open and removed the Coricia, running his fingers along the edge of the purple crystal without thinking. No matter how long it had been, his stomach jumped at the sight of it, his heartbeat quickened slightly. He hated his dependence on it. He had already drawn the parallels between his reactions to the crystal and those of a drug addict. Like an addict, when he was running low his body crawled, and the more he put if off, the more intense his need was. Despite the obvious similarities, Auspus didn't like thinking of it that way. Treating the Coricia like a drug was dangerous. Start to think you couldn't live without it, and you would take risks to take another dose of the sparks within. It had been one of those risks that had resulted in this entire mess, using the Coricia in the sight of two of the rookies. Auspus clenched his fists at the thought of them, but was distracted by the first purple spark that lept from the crystal, burrowing into his skin and leaving a trail of warmth inside of him. He settled back into his seat with a sigh. *** "But where are the sparks actually going? And what are they made of?" Lieutenant Auspus watched the crystal suspiciously, flinching a little at each spark that jumped from it to land on his skin. "You wish to know so much, space boy." Cha smiled at him from where she sat at the fire. "Why you not leave the MYA(*the charm, the mystery, the thrill of discovery*)?" Auspus jumped at the words that burrowed into his mind. "I wish you wouldn't do that. Talk in my head like that." "You will grow used to it. I try to speak your words, but one day you must get used to ours." "And someday I'll be able to talk like that?" "Yes, one day soon. You will be one of us." Auspus leaned back with a frown. The prospect didn't sound appealing to him. Cha hadn't let him out of her hut yet, but compared to Orbital Academy the Terrans seemed to lead a horrible, primitive life. He flexed his legs again, wiggling the toes that had been regrown. True, magic saved his legs when nothing else would've. Cha clearly had great aspirations for him, and for whatever reason she helped him, but spending the rest of his life on the surface seemed too heavy of a cost. Auspus would've already tried to escape, but... He opened his hand and focused. In his cupped palm, a purple flame sprang into being, warm and real. He flicked it back and forth between his fingers, trying to ignore Cha's amused look. *I can play along for a while, if it means getting so much power...* *** He must've turned the lights out at some point, because as the Coricia's flow of sparks died down, the room slowly descended into darkness. General Auspus lazily waved a hand to bring the lights to full level, stretching before he slipped the purple crystal back into his desk drawer. As usual, he felt as if he had just had a long sleep, and he felt ready to tackle another full day, even though he hadn't slept for 72 hours. Ariel knocked discretely, but she entered without waiting for him to answer. "I came as quickly as I could, General." "Ah, my angel." General Auspus used magic to draw color from his skin and pull bags beneath his eyes, and he tried to slump in his chair as he looked Ariel up and down. Despite the fact that her medicines were utterly useless to him, she really did look like an angel this evening. She must've been sleeping when they summoned her, since she was wearing a white nightdress, contrasting with her strawberry blonde curls. It wasn't improper, but it was thin enough that he could follow the curve of her breasts as she busily unpacked her case on his desk and mixed the medication. Ariel caught him looking, and she blushed. "Even in your state you have the energy to be perverted." She teased, filling a syringe. "You wouldn't begrudge an old man his love of pretty girls, would you?" Auspus smiled. "I always forget..." Ariel gave him his injection with a professional air, unaware that just beneath his skin, the magic ate away at the medication before it could even enter his bloodstream, devouring it and neutralizing it. "You always have so much energy after the injections, I sometimes forget your advanced years." She teased. Auspus leaned his head back and watched her from the corner of his eyes. *** "Why do you look at me like that, whenever I use the Corincia?" Lieutenant Auspus had gotten used to the tingling feeling of energy that recharging gave him, but he was still annoyed. Cha's smile always looked as if she knew a secret he didn't. "For the TER(*we of the earth, the loyal*), to use the COR(*the crystal of light, the Corincia*) of another is a sign of TRIU(*intimate and trusting, like a lover*)." Auspus still had trouble sometimes, following a sentence with many charged words of power within it and he had to think about what she said for a while before he could make sense of it. "The crystals are private? Wait, like lovers? So it's as if you've been watching me change clothes this whole time?" "I had to teach you how to use it." Cha said defensively, but she blushed furiously. "And then...well you had it once. No hurt to use it AGA(*once more*)." Auspus turned the information over in his mind. *An infatuation then. I suppose it explains why she's done so much for me.* Despite the help, his confinement chaffed him. As always, Auspus took his frustration out on the nearest available target. "Aren't you a hundred or something? Should you really be crushing on young guys like me?" He said dismissively. It was a slap in the face, but really what did the girl expect? He had been trapped in this house for five weeks, putting up with the pain of his ruined legs regrowing from the inside. The boredom and frustration was overwhelming, why would he be nice to her just because she fed him every day? As always, the hurt look Cha tried to hide made his frustration sting just a little bit less. "Age makes no harm." Cha was avoiding his eyes. "The COR(*crystal of light*) keeps us young and BEA(*pretty and attractive, beautiful in body*), so what does it..." "Well I don't know about the second, but it keeps you young at least." Auspus leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn't have to look to see what her face would look like at his words. Leaning into the stream of sparks, he smiled slightly. *** "You seem to be looking better, General." Ariel's voice brought him out of his reverie with a small guilty start. He hadn't ever noticed before, but his medic looked a bit like Cha had. Hair in short curls, a comfortably plump frame. "I am feeling much better, thank you. I...appreciate what you do for me, Ariel." Ariel gave him a curious look as she cleaned the medicinal instruments with a clean white cloth. "Of course General, it's sort of my job." She said. "I just mean...I'm not sure what I mean." Auspus sighed. "Do you think it's possible to make up for past mistakes Ariel? To cancel out debts in a life the same way one cancels out monetary debt?" "These drugs must be pretty strong, to get you so philosophical General." Ariel stopped cleaning and looked at him closely. "I get vaguely philosophical in the evenings." Auspus chuckled. "Is a past mistake weighing on you? I could try to heal your soul while I'm here healing your body." Ariel laughed. Auspus glanced sharply at her. She was keeping her back to him, putting the supplies away in their case, and she was clearly trying to keep her tone light to make it sound as if she wasn't prying. He never knew if it was due to the magic or to his own abilities, but Auspus had a particular talent for reading people, and it was clear to him that Ariel was searching for something. He sighed, reaching into a second drawer of his desk. The same wisdom that made him regret what he had done to Cha told him he couldn't trust Ariel. "I appreciate it, but I'm afraid some mistakes must remain in the past. Chocolate?" He offered her the silver bowl, and Ariel took a small handful and popped them in her mouth, giving him a smile that would be adorable if it wasn't so clearly calculated. Auspus paid close attention to how many she had grabbed. *Five. So I have five questions to get to the bottom of it.* "You know, General," Ariel closed the case with a sharp click, turning back to him and leaning against his desk, "there are many ways to heal a soul that don't require talking at all. Plenty of ways for a woman to heal a man..." "Oh, are there?" General Auspus kept himself from rolling his eyes at the awkwardness of the line. "Yes, there are." Ariel moved closer, until she stood just next to his seat, leaning forward slightly. *Oops. There's one question wasted.* Auspus mentally cursed. The pellets of magic sealed within the chocolate would force a truthful answer to any question, real or rhetorical. Still, it wouldn't be too difficult to determine what the medic wanted. "There are ways a girl can heal a man that heal her own soul as well." Ariel breathed, and she was closer to him now, her eyes closed, so close that he could spell the faint scent of fruit and flowers. Auspus was tempted. Her awkward attempts at seduction were cute in a naive way, ironically more attractive than the type of temptress she was trying to be. With a hint of regret he placed his hands on her shoulders, stopping her inches away from him. "Ariel," he said softly, "you don't want to sleep with me, do you?" "No." Ariel's eyes widened in horror as the word left her lips. Auspus was used to this by now, how unnerved someone became when they spoke the truth without knowing why. "I appreciate the honesty very much. It means a lot to me that our relationship means so much to you." He said quietly. If he gave her a reason she could use, her brain would reconcile it, deciding it was her own idea, not the effect of the chocolate-coated spheres of magic. "Now why, if you do not want to sleep with me, are you trying to seduce me?" "I just...I need some of the political power that you have, General." Ariel winced, stepping away from him. Auspus nodded gravely, keeping serious so that she could at least keep some of her dignity. "And what would you use that power for?" "My...my boyfriend, sir." There were tears in Ariel's eyes now, and Auspus looked at his screen, embarrassed for her. "We just found out he's got Cherenial Syndrome. I thought...I thought if I could pretend he was a relative, I could convince you to transfer him to Basura, where he could get treated. Please sir, it was stupid, I just...may I be dismissed please?" "You may go." General Auspus sighed. She had reached the door before he realized he had one questions left. "Ariel, what is your young man's name?" "Adam Laughley, sir, he works in the Medhall on deck seven." Ariel's eyes were wide, even as embarrassed tears still ran down her face. "Sir this wasn't his fault, it was my idea-" "That will be all, Ariel." "But General, he didn't even know! And if he had, he would've told me not to! Please don't-" "That will be all." Auspus called up the rest of the day's business on his screens as the door closed behind the sniffling girl. Before applying his newly renewed energy towards the waiting items, he spoke to the computer system in the empty room. "Send message to Tech Evans: I'm authorizing a chit transfer, identified by auth-key. One medical chit, class B, to the account of Adam Laughley. Two transport chits each to the accounts of Adam Laughley and Ariel Robina. Move the chits from my account, make them non-refundable. End message. Attach my authorization key to that message." Auspus pulled up another screen, working on a minor schema problem as he spoke. "Send second message to Medic Pepperton: Please find replacements for Adam Laughley and Ariel Robina for the next week. They will be taking a trip to Orbital Basura and unable to come in to work." Orbital Academy 18 The schema problem took up his attention for a few minutes before an answering message pinged on his screen. "Adam told me about his Cherenial Syndrome. Said he didn't have the chits to get the treatment. You're a good man General Auspus. ~Medic Pepperton" General Auspus stared at the message for a long time before he flicked it off of his screen and returned to work. *** "Why are you doing this to me, space boy?" Cha's voice was just as weak as his had been the day they first met. In fact, Auspus noted, the entire scene was rather similar. There they were, surrounded by forest, flora and fauna. He was hunched over, arms on his knees, and it was the Terran girl who lay on the grass, injured and bloodied. The circumstances were different, but Auspus felt like they had come full circle. It was satisfying, in a way. "It's funny." he stared off into the distance. The Orbital Academy ground station had come down through the clouds a few miles off, so it wasn't as if he could see the it through the trees, but he looked anyways. "You asked me, when we first met, what I wanted to do with my life. Do you remember?" Cha looked up at him through strands of blood-matted lavender hair. "And then I saved you." She groaned. "I saved your life, space boy." "Yes yes, I'm not talking about that." Auspus waved a hand impatiently. "I just mean that it's interesting, you didn't realize it at the time, but thanks to you, I don't just have the chance to live, I'll have the chance to live that dream life." "Yes, thanks to me. And some great thanks you gave. You're a....a..." Cha faltered for words, and winced with a gasp. "You can't charge a word Cha, I've left you completely drained I'm afraid. Don't worry, I'm sure I can guess at whatever horrible names you were about to call me. I regret how it happened Cha, but did you really think I would just live here? On the surface? With savages? Especially now that I have the power of magic?" "My...'poa'..." Cha grunted, unable to charge the word. Her voice was weak, and she rolled to a side to lean her head against the tree trunk. "My...'magi'." "Not yours anymore, mine." Auspus barely paid her attention. "And with it...just think about it, the magic of the Terrans mixed with life in the Orbit. I can be faster and stronger, I can have better reflexes than anyone else in the Academy. Smarter too, and without sleep I'll have more time to study. I'll have a leg up on everyone in my year...hell, I'll have a leg up on the Captains. And the best part is that none of them even know about magic. They think you Terrans have some kind of alternate technology. Once they scan me and find no Terran technology, no one will suspect a thing." He bent down and ran his hands along Cha's body, and she whimpered and tried to move away from him. "Oh stop whining, no one's trying to feel you up you moronic creature...I just want this." He pulled the purple crystal from her pocket and slipped it into his, where it rattled against his own crystal. "But...gave...you...one." Cha seemed to struggled through each word. "Oh I know, but now I have a potential ally, you see? Someone I can give your magic to, who will also be on the fast track to success, and who will owe me." He stood, brushing his hands off. "Now, I've got to go meet my future. You've helped me quite a lot Cha, I'll always remember that." If she said anything in response, he didn't hear it. *** "General Auspus." The message came through his emergency line, and it came from the hangar chief. General Auspus didn't need any further information to determine the nature of the report, but he opened the comm anyways. "Go ahead Paul." "We just had to let a transport land, sir. It's the Red Forces from Basura. They didn't tell me where they were going, but I thought you'd want to know they were on the Orbital." "Thank you Paul." Auspus was surprised at how calm he remained as he cut the connection. *Haven't I been expecting it, in a way?* He thought, pulling screens to him and working quickly. Finishing directions. Wrapping up request tickets. Adding small notes here and there in his work, making it easy for someone else to take up the tasks. He pulled the crystal from his desk drawer and, after a moment's hesitation, slipped it into his pocket. *I wouldn't have expected it to be rookies who brought me down, in the end.* He thought idly, looking around the large office. *Hunter, maybe, but not the rookies.* Rather than sit down, he paced up and down, arranging a small nicknack here, straightening a framed work of art there. It was the problem with keeping so many secrets, with having so many plans. It was impossible to keep so many balls in the air at once, to keep straight such a huge network of lies and connections. He had known that sooner or later he would be caught, sooner or later he would be punished. There was no covenant about using magic, but the Marshal wouldn't allow Auspus to hold a source of power over him. Auspus could only hope that he would be imprisoned, rather than killed, for keeping that source from the Marshal for...how long? "Seventy years? Eighty?" General Auspus paused in his pacing, looking across the room at the hanging mirror. His skin was still smooth, his hair sleek and black. The effect would fool anyone, although it had to be meticulously applied once or twice a month. Any less frequently, and his shock of dark purple hair would begin to show through. "What would I have looked like, if things had gone differently? If I hadn't crashed on that mission?" He murmured to himself. "Aged and wrinkled? Enjoying retirement? I suppose that's what I'm about to do now, enjoy either a very long or a very short retirement." An old memory tickled at him, and he chuckled in spite of himself. He turned to the mirror and spoke aloud at the reflection, to the young-faced man with world-weary eyes that looked back at him. "Whether you're twenty or ninety, you'll always talk to yourself just before you die, won't you Jimmy?" he smiled. The door slid open despite the fact that he had locked it. Two men and a woman stepped into the room, surveying it with disinterest. They wore uniforms of muted grey and red, and though they carried no visible weapons, a shiver went down Auspus' spine. "James Auspus." The man in the lead smiled, the expression just as neutral as his nondescript appearance. "We are here to escort you to Orbital Basura, to answer charges set against you." "Has the Marshall decided on a set of charges then?" Auspus suppressed his nerves with practiced ease. "You are accused of attempting to break the Marshal's covenant. If you will please come with us." *** General Auspus privately thought to himself that one could learn a lot about a leader by the way they arranged their main base of operations. He had striven to make his office neat, severe, but open. His was a room where business got done, where hierarchy was respected, but where one of his could come for assistance. From what he had seen, General Poulay's office felt like a classroom, with herself at the head, holding court over rows of subordinates. Generals Hunter and Buramis both had offices laid out for efficiency, created to facilitate their work rather than to give off an impression. As he looked around him, Auspus could tell that for the Marshal, the most important thing to remember was that the Marshal was the most important. From the tiers in front of him to the throne the Marshal sat on, every tiny aspect was designed to point out the Marshal's own godhood. "General Auspus, the Marshal does not enjoy the turmoil in the Orbit. It makes the Marshal's tasks complicated." The Marshal glared at his screens, not looking at Auspus but still making it clear that he disapproved. "I am sorry, Sir Marshal." Auspus bowed his head. In his youth, after returning from the surface, he never could've swallowed his pride like that. Age had given him wisdom and calmed his temper. "It was my understanding that you were understanding about General Hunter and my...situation." "The war between Pivot and Academy matters little to the Marshal. What matters are all of these accusations, flitting back and forth like angry Drakes that must be dealt with." Said the Marshal. "I...don't know of any accusations, sir." General Auspus said. *Hunter must've gone straight to the Marshal when the rookies told him about the crystal. If I had just killed them outright, this wouldn't have happened.* Auspus pushed the thought to the back of his head. "A synthetic stood before us, not two days ago, with one of General Auspus' Captains." The Marshal's habit of looking back and forth between his screens was annoying Auspus, it made it hard to focus on what he was saying. "There were many issues surrounding them, but in the end we decided to disassemble the synthetic and release the Captain, with no punishment meted out to any who were falsely accused. The synthetic escaped." Auspus' eyebrows shot up. It must've been Chief Errisa that the Marshal was talking about, but he was surprised that the woman had been able to escape. Then again, he had been surprised when she accepted his offer in the first place... *The offer...* If she had been here, her memories would've been scanned... "Before she escaped, the Marshal's technicians were able to download information from the synthetic's cores, which we have since reviewed. Within her memory modules resides a message, signed with your authorization codes, which promises to remove the impedance placed upon all synthetics." General Auspus threw his head back and laughed. The busy clerks on the first tier stared at him with horror, and the men and women on the second tier observed him with curiosity, but he couldn't stop himself. Of all the balls he had in the air, this was the one that would bring him to his knees? A single message with an empty promise to an errant synthetic? *Not trying to kill rookies, not shooting the engineer, not starting a war. A single message to an artificial human.* "The Marshal is curious why General Auspus finds this matter amusing." "My apologies, Sir Marshal. It just seemed so ludicrous that I couldn't help but laugh. Of course General Hunter's synthetic would create a false message to implicate me." There was no hope that his lie would be accepted, of course, but it was ludicrous. The entire situation was too absurd to gain a grasp on. "The Marshal's technicians assured the Marshal that the message could not be faked, not with General Auspus' authorization codes." "Of course, Sir Marshal. I meant that I did send the message, but I would never actually remove a synthetic's bottleneck." "The Marshal does not appreciate General Auspus' flippant attitude. General Auspus knows that the Marshal's covenants are crystal clear on this matter." As the Marshal spoke, Auspus' eyes flicked around the room. Were there really only four security guards here in the throne room? How many others were probably outside? His mind raced. With security so lax, it was no wonder the synthetic could escape. And if it was that easy... *How much easier would it be for a man with magic? Of course, I'd be exposing myself, but it's not as if I have anything to lose...* "For the crime of attempted removal of a synthetic's impediment, the Marshal hereby strips General Auspus of his rank and file." The Marshal sounded bored as he pronounced his sentence, and he still looked at his fucking screens, as if ripping away Auspus' life and dreams wasn't worthy of his full attention. "The Marshal furthermore consigns Civilian Auspus to live the rest of his natural days in confinement, in the prison cells of Orbital Basura." "What about my unnatural days?" Auspus muttered to himself, smiling at his own joke. He had already turned and was walking towards the door, and the guards were already moving towards him. It was clearly not their first time subduing a prisoner. *First time securing one like me.* Auspus thought, extending a hand. They had scanned him for weapons before he entered, but how could they know about the magic? The first guard simply slumped over, in deep sleep before he even hit the ground. Another dropped his gun to the floor, sucking his burnt fingers as the metal pooled and melted into the tile. Auspus had already turned to the third when he was yanked off of his feet, tumbling backwards. It caught him by surprise, so completely by surprise that he couldn't brace himself before hitting the ground hard. The General was pulled further, slamming onto his shoulder and then flipping back and cracking his head on the ground at the foot of the first tier. *Why don't they look more surprised?* The strange thought passed through Auspus' head as he looked upside-down at the faces of the men and women. There was no one nearby, but Auspus found himself lifted, pulled slowly into the air. He floated past the second tier silently, drawn inexorably upwards. The men and women there didn't seem surprised either, simply interested. Auspus reached the bottom of the throne, and slowly the Marshal came into view, arm extended, fist clenched in the air. The screens around the man were dark, and he was looking at Auspus dead in the eye. Auspus suddenly regretting catching the Marshal's attention. "Did you honestly think you were the only one who had tasted power?" The Marshal murmured, his voice so quiet and so low that Auspus was only barely sure he had said them aloud. "Did you for a moment believe that you were stronger than me? Stronger than the Marshal?" The Marshal made a dismissive motion, and Auspus was flung so fast that the wind whistled past his ears as he shot far across the room. He hit the column feet first, cracking marble, seeing rather than feeling the bones in his legs splinter. Falling to the ground was less painful, even though it must've been six feet. His left arm hurt, and he must've cracked his head because he was seeing double. Auspus shook his head, despite the fact that his entire body was shaking, his vision blurry. Was there blood everywhere, or just in his eyes and nose and mouth? Was there too much pain in his legs to process, or could he not feel his legs at all? The door to the room was feet away, and the Marshal was so far behind him on his golden throne. Surely he could drag himself to the door before the Marshal caught him. Why the door? Why not? Civilian Auspus pulled himself across the cold tile on his one good arm, ignoring the ragged tearing pain in the lower half of his body at each movement. "You should just give up, Jimmy." He muttered to himself, spitting a mouthful of blood to the floor. "Where are you even going Jimmy? Get to that door, and then what Jimmy?" His last thought before the darkness closed around him was of Cha. *** Part 2 - General of Pivot *** General Hunter woke up, and spent thirty minutes staring into the ceiling. His screen pinged a few times, but he ignored it, mustering the energy and motivation to get out of bed. When he finally did it was with a heaviness, as if the soul that moved him had been drained from him. *Which it has.* Grabbing the nearly empty bottle of caffehol from the nightstand, Hunter shuffled to the closet, pulling out a uniform without looking and throwing it to the bed. *Don't open the door.* He ordered himself, even as he slid the door next to his closet open and looked inside. Errisa's bodyframe lay standing up in the small enclosure, still and silent, eyes closed. Hunter found it easier to think of her as 'sleeping', rather than 'charging', but this bodyframe had no consciousness inside it. If he turned it on it would simply stare straight ahead, unthinking and motionless. This wasn't his wife's sleeping body, the cold frame was her corpse. Hunter threw the bottle across the room and marched into the elevator. What did it matter whether he showered or not, whether he changed or not? There were lives on this station worth getting out of bed for, and he would take care of his station, but his wasn't one of them. Without Errisa there was no point in caring for himself. "She's not even dead." He snarled to himself as the elevator hummed in it's path down the decks. "She's out there somewhere, with whoever was smart enough to give her what she needed. The Marshal's covenants were more important to you than your own wife, so you lost her." The elevator door opened, and Hunter stumbled into his office. He stared at the dark screens in front of him, brooding. *And where are you now, Erissa? Was it Auspus himself, is that why you broke things as you left? Or was freeing the Captains and crippling the generators your own personal 'fuck you' to me? Did you hate me that much for not giving you that one little thing? Was the bottleneck all you really cared about? Was any of it real?* The door pinged, and Hunter turned his screens on with a wave before he answered. "Come." Kathryn was busy on her screen even as she entered. Hunter glowered at the messages scrawling across the display on his screen without reading them, staring through them. "You don't look too good sir." His Chief of Security said bluntly, sitting on the other side of his desk. "Didn't ask how I looked." "You don't smell too good either." "Did you need something Chief Kathryn?" Hunter snapped. "Do I need to smell pretty to do my damn job? No? Then what's your point?" "My point, sir, is that you're in no state to be doing your job right now." Kathryn didn't quail beneath his anger, as Hunter knew she wouldn't. He sighed, passing his hand through his short hair. "I shouldn't take this out on you." He growled. "You're under a lot of stress right now." Kathryn waved a hand. "I understand, although it does make me think twice about giving you this report." Hunter responded with a dark glare, and Kathryn sighed. "Chief of Information Errisa is back sir." Hunter was moving before Kathryn had finished her sentence, and she rose to follow him as he all but ran down the hallway. "How long? Where?" "She requested a landing clearance twenty minutes ago. She'll be docking in a few minutes. Deck G." They stepped into the elevator together, and Hunter pressed the button several times in rapid succession before the doors slid closed. Watching the deck letters slide by slowly, Hunter felt the urge to pace the length of the elevator. "Get an engineer on these elevators this week." He snapped. "We're Orbital Fucking Pivot, there's no excuse for elevators this slow." "I'll make a note of it sir. More pertinently, Chief Errisa is in a dart shuttle, no weapons, but we've been scanning her ship ever since she transmitted her security codes. There isn't a sign of a bomb, but we're not ruling out the possibility of a virus. Given the havoc she caused in the generators, it's also possible that she's just trying to get within close enough range to launch another network attack." Hunter was barely listening, launching from the elevator as soon as the doors hissed open. "Status." He barked as he entered the control room overlooking the empty hangar. One of the techs swivelled in his chair to face the General. "Still scanning sir. Trying to hunt out potential biological attacks is tricky, so we'll be another half hour-" "Give clearance to land and open the hangar." "Sir? Is that...is that wise?" "Don't question me tech. I need to talk to her, give her clearance." "General, I need a word. In private?" Kathryn asked quietly. Hunter made an impatient motion, but his Chief of Security grabbed him by the arm. "Please?" The action was inappropriate, so unlike her that it startled Hunter out of his single-minded focus. He followed her out of the control room, into the empty hallway outside. "Sir, I apologize for overstepping my bounds." Kathryn spoke quietly and respectfully. "But we both know that in this situation you are emotionally compromised." Orbital Academy 18 "I don't know what you-" "Please, sir." Kathryn held up a hand. "Even if I hadn't known about your relationship beforehand, your reaction to her betrayal in the past forty-eight hours has shown your feelings, at least to your Chiefs. If you were thinking more clearly, you would see the danger of blindly accepting someone on board who actively sabotaged Orbital Pivot's efforts." "Very well, you're right. Chief Errisa is my wife." Any reservation that Hunter had seemed to pale in the face of getting into that hangar, of speaking to Errisa. "I don't care what danger I'm blindly accepting. Since you seem to have forgotten Kathryn, you are subordinate to me. You will follow my orders." "General, I can't force you to do anything, but I'm the Chief of Security and it is my duty to protect the men and women of this Orbital. You're willing to risk your life for her, but I can't let you risk everyone else's." Hunter stared at his Chief for long moments, and she met his gaze, unwavering. "You realize that by pressing this point you are risking your career, Chief Kathryn." "I realize sir." Hunter's eyes narrowed. "Well then, as long as you realize." He spun on his heel and re-entered the control room. "Keep scanning that ship." He snapped. "As soon as they land, seal off the hangar bay. I'm going in through the airlock alone, I want any air contaminated from the hangar vented into space. What are the nearest wireless access points?" "The hotsources on Decks F and I serve this deck sir." "Shut them off and lock them down. No wireless access within a hundred meters of this hangar. As far as physical security goes, I'm sure our Chief of Security has a squadron of security forces waiting outside of the main hangar doors-" "Two squads." Kathryn murmured. "-give them full access should she order it. If anything happens to me that incapacitates me, I am officially transferring command to Kathryn. Is that understood?" The mood in the control room was so tense that Hunter could almost feel the air buzzing, but he was distracted at the sight through the window, as on the other side of the glass the hangar bay doors slid open. The techs were smart enough to keep silent as the small ship slipped into the bay. Nicknamed after an ancient thrown weapon, the dart-class was the fastest ship in the Orbit, and it took less than a second for it to move into the middle of the wide deck and settle to the deck floor. The faint noise of instruments ticking and pinging were the only sounds that filled the small room, but to Hunter they seemed too loud. Two people exited the ship before the hangar bay doors had even closed, which meant both were synthetics for whom the lack of oxygen wouldn't be a hindrance. *Is that who she left me for?* The sight of Errisa felt like a punch to the heart, but Hunter didn't recognize the man next to her, a middle-aged man with wise creases at the corners of his eyes. *Not wise creases, artificial creases.* He thought bitterly, surprised at himself at how quickly the thought came to him. Was he so petty that a betrayal from his wife would make him prejudiced against all synthetics? The two were standing in front of the ship now, and the hangar doors had sealed shut. "The bay is sealed off sir." One of the braver techs said quietly. Hunter felt numb as he stepped down the stairs at the bottom of the control room, entering the airlock. Behind him the first door sealed, and in front of him the second opened. The hangar seemed so much larger as he walked across it, but Hunter barely noticed anything but his wife, standing there with her companion next to the ship. Her head was tilted to one side, and she was watching him with a strange smile on her face. *Mocking? Pitying? I've been married to her for seventeen years, but I swear I haven't seen that smile in my life.* It felt as if the walk was taking forever. What would he even say to her? What was there to ask? "Why" seemed so inadequate. He was only a few feet from them now, and he opened his mouth awkwardly. "Oh Hunter!" The middle-aged man cried, and he threw himself into Hunter's arms. *What.* The General's eyes widened, and he tried to force the universe to make some kind of sense again. The stranger was clasping him in his arms so tightly, sobbing into his shoulder, and somehow, in some way, there had to be an explanation that made that make sense. In front of him, Errisa broke down into peals of laughter. "Oh my god," she gasped in between giggles, "oh my god your face!" "Errisa..." Hunter stood ramrod-straight, as if he could force the world into order, while the man took a sudden step back, looking embarrassed. "...what." "No no I can't." Errisa was doubled over now, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. "It's too funny, oh my god you have to tell him Errisa, I can't." "Hunter." The man spoke gently, as if soothing a confused child, making a calming gesture that was intimately familiar. "We need to talk." *** Hunter entered the Chief's conference room in something of a haze, both happy and distracted. He had cleaned and shaved, and was wearing a fresh uniform, and as he sat down in his customary seat he felt whole for the first time in days. The conflict between Academy and Pivot seemed trivial now that he had his wife back, even if there was the small matter of an extra personality in the mix. "Chiefs." He smiled at the assembled men and women, the best minds on his Orbital. "I've just received a news ping, and by now Generals Poulay and Buramis will have received it as well. General Auspus has been removed from command of Orbital Academy." The reactions were as dramatic as he had hoped. Chief Pepper gasped aloud, his eyes bugging out, and even Chief Kathryn raised a surprised eyebrow. "Orbit save us!" Muttered Chief Mabel. "The Marshal has interceded! What did Auspus do to change the Marshal's mind?" "The bulletin didn't say." General Hunter leaned back in his chair. "But needless to say, the new General of Academy is going to be quite busy with his sudden responsibility. I am entirely confident that this feud between us and the Academy-Techrider alliance is drawing to an end." "I'm glad to hear it." Chief Adamsly nodded. "Minera has been hounding us for locitor spikes, but without new ones coming in from Techrider we don't know that we can spare any of ours." "Our security's weapon cores drain after about three weeks." Chief Kathryn added quietly. "Their charging stations are large enough that only Academy houses them; we have enough to last our security's weaponry for another week before they need to swap out." "I didn't know that." Hunter said with surprise. "Didn't see the need to trouble you with it until now sir." "I also worry about our production lines." Chief Exla spoke up. "With no shipments made, we're getting a little backed up down in...assembly..." She trailed off as the middle-aged man entered. "Chiefs, please welcome back Chief of Information Errisa." Hunter said as Errisa sat down, a little clumsily, in the seat reserved for her. "Not quite myself." Errisa joked in the voice of the older man. "But the information you've heard about my betrayal was false. Strangely explainable." "Sir, with all due respect we can't sit here and accept Chief Errisa back in our ranks, not without a heavy inquiry, or at the very least some proof of whatever excuse she's managed to come up with." General Pepper huffed. "Her....his....Chief Errisa's explanation was enough to satisfy me." General Hunter said. *Confusing, but enough.* "There will be an inquiry, and there will be explanation and proof, after a sort. In the meantime, however, I'm afraid you're all going to have to trust me, because there is a time-sensitive matter in which I would like your opinions." Hunter met the eyes of each of his Chiefs in turn, waiting until they either nodded their compliance or looked away. He knew he was burning away much of his capital with each of them, asking them to trust him, but he had priorities. "Glad to hear it. Now, with ex-General Auspus removed from command, I'm expecting a transmission from his replacement at any minute. I'm surprised, in fact, that he's taken this long to get in touch with us." "It's most likely that he's meeting with General Poulay." Chief Kathryn was checking stats on her screen as she spoke, but Hunter didn't begrudge her that. She had proven that she could multitask and still hold a conversation. "As the ally of Orbital Academy, Techrider will want to be heavily involved with any deals they make to stop the embargo. Auspus' replacement will probably want to pick Poulay's brain on tips and tricks, since Poulay is his or her one General-level contact." "Typically a new General meets in open session with all of us." Hunter growled. "I'm not quite sure I like that this kid's first impression of dealing with Generals is going to be whatever messages Auspus left behind and Poulay's manipulation." "Can you blame him? We're at war General Hunter, I would hardly consult with my enemies for tips of the trade." "Point. So, what tack should we take with the newly minted General when he finally does communicate with us?" "I would suggest we make a bid for peace." Chief Pepper said at once. "I didn't think we had that many casualties, for the Chief of Health to be so eager to end the embargo." Hunter raised an eyebrow. "There don't have to be casualties to see how this situation doesn't help us sir. We may not have many injuries yet, but if we keep up this stalemate it will slowly grind away at all of the Orbitals but Basura in the Orbit. This is the best time to make a bid, when we're faced with a green General who will be willing to back down." "Especially if we don't demand concessions." Hunter was unused to the wise gravelly tone that Errisa now bore. "He would see it as an out that let him save face without having to deal with a war as his first order of the Orbital." "Why not demand concessions? We're winning this fight." Chief Mabel said. "Is that what you've come back to do, convince us to back down?" "The Chief of Information is right." Chief Pepper frowned. "I'd much rather end this quickly. We don't-" His words were interrupted by an emergency ping, the red light indicating a General on the other end. "Thank you for your input." General Hunter said, and the Chiefs sat a little straighter, their expressions a little more severe. General hunter watched the subtle transformation around the table with pride. His Chiefs bickered and fought among themselves, they challenged and questioned him, but against outsiders they would back him up to the hilt. Hunter squared his shoulders and slid his hand across the acceptance button. In the center of the table, two holographic screens opened, the first displaying General Poulay's severe face, glaring down over her glasses with disapproval. On the other was a bright and rugged face, grey hair matching a grey scar that ran the length of his face and down across his throat. "Congratulations on your promotion, General Winchest." General Hunter nodded to the new General, ignoring Poulay. "Nnnnot bad for someone who was sitting in your prison cell just a few short days ago, eh Gen'ral Hunter?" Winchest's throat augmentation took a second to kick on, and the first few words of his sentence came out in a harsh rasp, but the man seemed in good spirits. "It's a messy business, this." Hunter nodded sagely. "I hope that we can end this 'embargo' matter quickly, now that we don't have stubborn hands at the helm." "His was not the only stubborn hand at a helm, General." Poulay spoke sharply. "I'm just as eager to end this nastiness as you, General Hunter. Fortunately for both of us, I fully expect this meeting to end our differences." Winchest spoke much more confidently than Hunter would've expected. During his first few meetings, Hunter had stuttered and stammered over the most basic trade ratio agreements; he wasn't sure how he would've handled a war meeting back then. Out of the corner of his eye, Hunter watched small messages scrolling across the top of the screen at his desk, sent surreptitiously from his Chiefs. "Seems too calm." ~Errisa "Smooth as steel, this one. Expected jumpier." ~Mabel "Too easy. Has ace-in-hole?" ~Kathryn "Am I to take it you have a proposal?" Hunter cleared the messages with a wave. Despite his Chief's misgivings, he was calm. Hunter was prepared to end the war now, without concessions on either side. If Winchest was about to make an offer, it could hardly hurt to hear him out, and perhaps Pivot would come out ahead in this little misadventure. "I do." Winchest looked down at the screen in front of him, invisible to General Hunter. "I am proposing that you step down as General of Orbital Pivot." He would've gone on, but the Chiefs around the table erupted into exclamations of shock and outrage. Too calm. What are you holding? Hunter scrutinized General Winchest in the screen, trying to read something in his face. After a few moments, the din died down, and Winchest continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "You will remain in Orbital Pivot as a Chief-level, in a position of your choice. Control of Orbital Pivot will pass to me, to be held in addition to my current post." "You have to know my answer to this question, General Winchest." Hunter felt more keyed up and tense the more relaxed and comfortable Winchest seemed. "We're at a stalemate in this war, and by our calculations you'll have to switch to half power in a few days. You can't keep this up without the supplies from General Buramis and Orbital Minera..." Hunter sighed and closed his eyes at the realization. "...who has thrown her lot in and joined you, hasn't she." "Unfortunately not. General Buramis," General Poulay spoke the name as if it had a distasteful flavor, "has for whatever reason made it clear that she still wishes to back you in this childish and dangerous midlife crisis." "What then? I don't have time for this." Hunter slammed his hand down on the table. "What have you got that makes you so god-damned cocky?" "General Hunter, the technicians of Orbital Techrider have made note of activity on a vector towards Orbital Pivot." To his credit, General Winchest didn't deliver the news with the smugness that Auspus would've, although Poulay looked on with a self-satisfied smile. "At this point there is enough resolution to identify it through the fog. There is a Terran Shrike team on a course for your Orbital." "You're lying." General Hunter spat. Across the table, Chief Exla stood from her seat and made her way out of the room, and Chief Kathryn slammed a few keystrokes into her personal screen. Hunter nodded as emergency lights across the edges of the room glowed with a steady blue. The same emergency warning lights would be lighting in every room and hallway of the Orbital. Lying or not, they couldn't afford to take chances. "We knew you would assume as much." General Winchest said. "We have a transmission packet waiting to send, containing the scan data. You'll see that we aren't lying." "The last Drake attack was two months ago, Winchest!" Hunter shouted. "They can't rally a Shrike team that fast, they've never been able to, we know that about the Terrans." "And the Drake attack preceding it was only three months before that, Hunter. Which, if you'll remember, had also never happened." Winchest was too calm for such a disaster, Hunter was so sure that he was lying...no matter what his gut was telling him. Hunter rested his head on one hand, the energy and life that had surged through him a mere hour ago suddenly drained. "You son of a bitch." He snarled, staring at the table in front of him. Around him, his Chiefs were frozen and staring back and forth between them, all but Kathryn, who continued to throw orders across her screen as fast as her fingers would let her. "I assure you General, I'm not the one that brought them." "You're the one who's fucking lying about it." Hunter snapped. "A Shrike team, coming up off the surface less than ten weeks from the last Drake attack? And of the five Orbitals to hit, they just-so-happen to be headed for Pivot? Bullshit." "He's having so much trouble accepting this, I almost don't want to tell him the rest." General Poulay smirked. "He deserves to know." Winchest said shortly, turning back to the screen. "Hunter...they've got a Drake with them." The silence stretched for long minutes, before Hunter gave off a strangled laugh. "A Shrike team and a Drake. Now you're just being transparent Winchest. What else is there? Are they sending the fog at us like a weapon? Perhaps tossing the planet at us with an oversized slingshot?" "Hunter, this isn't a joking matter." "Oh no, I should think not, what with Shrikes and Drakes and the kitchen sink flying in our face. It's about as serious as matters can get." Hunter chuckled weakly. "And I suppose Orbital Academy can convince them all to turn around and fly away if we give you what you ask for?" "I'm going to be honest with you, Hunter." General Winchest leaned forward. "I'm not sure we can drive them off. Both at the same time? I'm not sure at alll. But if we do, it will only be because every damn ship, every damn trick, and every damn resource in the entire Orbit is dedicated to it. Even with all the firepower we can throw at them, it might not be enough." "So I abdicate, you take over, and we just wait for this convenient swarm to show up then shall we?" Hunter said sarcastically. Kathryn had finally finished typing in her commands, her men presumably moving through the station to prepare. "No." General Winchest shot a look at his other screen before speaking. "What happens is that you give me your word, in front of us Generals and your Chiefs, that you will abdicate. Then we will collectively deal with the Shrike and the Drake." "Are you a fool?" General Poulay looked surprised for the first time in their conversation. "You're going to give away your one bargaining chip on his word?" "General Hunter is a man of his word." Winchest kept Hunter's gaze. "And if we wait until the very end, it might be too late. We mobilize now, and we do what needs to be done. I trust Hunter to keep his promises." "That's a very foolish trust to place on him." Poulay began, but General Winchest cut her off sharply. "You mentioned in our meeting that you would follow my lead in the negotiations, General Poulay. This is my lead. I would ask that you keep your own word and follow." "It makes no difference." General Hunter stood up from his seat. His blood was pounding in his ears. "I'm not going to be bullied into stepping down from my place as General by whatever your plan entails." "General Hunter, I would urge you to reconsider." Winchest said earnestly. "Do not risk the lives of the men and women aboard Orbital Pivot, your men and women, over stubbornness." "You're the one risking their lives." Hunter snarled. "Your selfish bid for power is the only thing keeping you from your duties. If Orbital Academy isn't willing to protect the Orbit from this, what the damned hell are you good for?" "Orbital Academy cannot protect the Orbit without the support of the Orbit, Hunter. Your war has removed that support." "This conversation is over." "We are sending you a live stream of the scanning data from Techrider, General." Poulay was keying in strokes even as she spoke. "Much as I dislike you and yours, the men and women under your command don't deserve to die because you're too stupid to make good choices." "I hope you reconsider, General Hunter." It seemed like General Winchest had aged over the course of the conversation. "Every last Academy flyer will be prepped and suited up and in the Academy hangar bays, waiting to launch. All you need to do is say the word, and I'll give the order." Orbital Academy 19 This is the second-to-last chapter of Orbital Academy! I would like to say thanks so much to all of my wonderful readers! The first book of Orbital Academy might be wrapping up soon, but there will certainly be a sequel at some time in the future. *** Part 1 - New Neighbours *** The air should've been filled with the sounds of diamond-hard claws on metal. Tes could feel the vibrations of the huge Dracori rending the metal beneath her feet, but the sound never reached her ears. It was a strange and different feeling, but she had had her share of strange and different feelings lately. "ALIA(*nearly there, almost through, prepare*)." The charged word didn't need the air to propagate, it burrowed into her mind regardless. Tes stood and gazed around her. The flat metal surface of the Exiles' moon stretched out to the horizon on all sides, smooth apart from the hole which the Dracori was digging deeper and deeper into the guts of the metal moon. The blank expanse was broken only by the three Drya and their riders around her. In the alien surroundings, the riders at least, provided a comfortable familiarity; their varying shades of green hair marked them out as members of her tribe, as her figurative friends and family. *And some literal family,* she corrected herself with a smile, watching her brother Krin step off of his beast. Krin reached for a bridle out of reflex, and the Drya leaned back and snorted, its mental occupant looking down with derision. Tes grinned as Krin blushed and turned away, and catching sight of her grin, he made a face at his sister. "NOAH(is now finally the time after such waiting)? CHIA(my sister's voice heard)?" His question comprised of charged words in the silence echoed in her mind, and Tes shook her head. After a long period of frustration, she had decided not to speak at all rather than to endure the annoying rasp of magic that charged words required. Her family had taken it in stride, perhaps willing to overlook it given how well-behaved she was in other areas. She had never, for example, tried to escape. "RUM(Gossip and tales fly among us) DRKS(you take Drya between your legs as lovers). FAL(will you not raise your voice to deny it)?" Krin asked. Tes grinned and gave her brother the finger, and he chuckled silently. *What an immature child.* She thought affectionately. She was glad that he was here with her, and even more glad that he had made it past the fighting in the stars. Her friend Poa was there as well, and she had interacted with Ipt and Loo before too, but she shared a greater bond with her brother than anyone else in her life. It was Krin who had helped her adapt to every aspect of Terran life, it was Krin who had patiently walked her through understanding the power of magic that coursed through her veins. He teased and joked and was irreverent, but he was always careful to avoid joking about things that mattered. He had never brought up the humiliating incident when she had used her Coricia at the table not knowing how private it was. He never poked fun at the fact that it had taken *days* for her hair to shift from the hideous black color to its natural beautiful green. He didn't make fun of her for not always being a Terran, or that she only had one eye. If he knew where she had come from before, he thankfully kept it to himself. She didn't want to know. *I suppose it's here.* Tes realized belatedly. It would explain why she knew so much about the moon, despite it being the first time she could remember being there. They had landed on the southern tip, which meant that the Dracori would be digging through the moon's metal crust right into the sleeping rooms. She had wondered at the Duke's decision to send a rookie Terran like her out on such an important mission, but it made sense now; she would have instinctive knowledge of the interior of the moon. *If I came from the Exiles' moon, that means I'm an Exile. I was an Exile.* Tes turned the thought over in her head, half-expecting to suddenly feel nostalgia or horror or pain. There was no emotion connected to the words, and Tes breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of betraying her adoptive mother and father was enough to almost break her heart, and imagining the look on Krin's face if she turned against them was unthinkable. Whatever life she'd had before, she loved her life now. Her parents had been shocked the first time she had come to them, indicating by signs that the magic that held her mind safely intact was beginning to unravel. She had let them know the second she felt stirrings of homesickness, some memory had begun pressing against the new life she knew. "I am glad you warned us Tes, but....Why did you tell us this DAO(dearest daughter, little one)? Why not ESE(run away from us, leave us behind, try to escape)?" Her father had asked in his booming voice, his charged word jovial even though his face had been concerned. Even if she had spoke, Tes wouldn't have known how to put her thoughts into worlds, and she had simply shrugged and put her hands in the shape of a heart. She loved her family, and they took care of her. She was forming friendships with her tribemates, and they were starting to accept her as one of her own. She was well fed and happy, and could see a wonderful future there in the village. There was even an adorable fruit merchant down the path who Tes fancied, and she was sure the girl showed off her cleavage on purpose whenever Tes came by to buy ingredients for dinner. What could that other life offer that compared, whatever life she'd had before Meo the mind-soother had worked his craft on her. The vibrations in the ground beneath her changed, and after a few moments the Dracori's head emerged, its eyes glinting with human intelligence. *It could've been worse for me,* Tes mused as the Dracori emerged from the tunnel it had dug, *I could've been gifted to Blue tribe like her.* She had heard rumors that the blue tribe mind-soothers were so inept that they didn't even bother trying for an elegant solution as Meo had, instead simply shackling the other gift-girl with something akin to amnesia. *Barbarians.* Tes frowned. She still didn't quite see why the tribes worked together, as stupid as blue tribe and weak as purple tribe were. Her mother had tried to tell her how bad things had been even a few months ago, the constant skirmishes and turf wars, but Tes didn't quite follow it all. She thought they should easily be able to crush the others, but that decision wasn't up to her, it was the Duke's call. The blue prince who led them gestured with the claw of the Drya he was inhabiting, and the group slowly entered the tunnel, finding handholds in the claw gouges the Dracori had left behind her. Up so close, Tes could at least appreciate the power that the blue tribe held. The creatures were magnificent and powerful, and when their minds were bound to the mages, they had the cleverness of a human behind them. The Drya and Dracori, with the human passengers in their minds, were the blue tribes contribution to this mission, much as Tes and her fellow riders were the green tribes'. The purple tribe had expended perilous amounts of magic to send the entire team up through the green clouds, and it had left every man and woman of them drained, sluggish, and debilitated. *And vulnerable to attack.* Tes thought, feeling around in the dark for a foothold in the dim tunnel. *But I suppose the Duke knows best who we should attack.* Her stomach suddenly lurched as the tunnel wall turned into the tunnel floor beneath her without moving. The feeling was disorienting, and Tes had no idea how it had happened, but from her lack of surprise she assumed it was something she knew in her past life. *Gravitas?* Tes shrugged it off as unimportant, carefully standing and testing her weight. She made her way deeper inside, and it only took a few more moments before she reached the room. A thin membrane was stretched across the huge opening the Dracori had made; the metal healing itself from the wound the Dracori had given it. Tes swept her hand to one side, creating a sharp dagger of green magic to tear a rip, letting her pass through. Air hissed past her face, air that smelled too-clean. Fake air. The Drya and riders entered the room without an issue as Tes looked around her. Although she kept bracing herself for some memory to strike her, she was blessedly detached at the sights. The sleeping room was gigantic, with more than enough room for the twelve large beds that lay in two rows. The Dracori was able to fit in one end of the room without being cramped, and though she was small for a Dracori, she was still as large as three men. Her small size was probably why they brought a Dracori-of-the-Wave, Tes realized, instead of a Dracori-of-the-Flame or a Dracori-of-the-Stone. "How is there air here?" Ipt ran a hand through his dark green curls, and Tes noted that she could faintly hear his uncharged words. "I don't know." The words seemed strange coming from the mouth of a Drya, but their mission's leader, a blue Prince, had no other way of communicating, inhabiting the mind of the creature. "Not PRIL(*of so much importance that we must focus on it*). We will move STH(*very quickly and very decisively*) from here. One blue, one green, and take down any Exile you see. Tes, you and Jia will go COH(*both in concert with each other, supporting and defending each other*) to the heart of the moon. Stop the heart, then come back here." The Drya and riders left the room quickly by its single door, into the darkened hallways. Tes couldn't be sure what was lurking in the darkness beyond, but she knew that the Exiles wouldn't hesitate to kill and destroy those that she held dear. "Krin!" Tes called out, and her brother turned at the doorway, eyebrows raised. Her heart ached at the thought of anything happening to him, and though it was the first time she had spoken since the day after she awoke, she couldn't bear the thought of anything hurting him without her knowing how grateful she was. "Please..." she said quietly, "please be KIA(*take caution and care, come to no harm and return to me*)." She almost gagged on the magic that surged in her throat, but the look on her brother's face was worth it. He grinned at her and gave a quick nod, and then he was gone. Tes turned to observe the Dracori. She was looking around her with narrowed reptilian eyes, but she jerked her large head up and down once at Tes when she saw the girl looking. "If you're the other gift, they must've caught both of us at the same time." Tes commented, letting herself lapse into the barbaric magicless speech that came naturally to her. "We were probably both attacking the Terrans at once. Probably even knew each other." She didn't feel any particular emotion about that fact beyond vague interest, but it was something to think about, that she and the mind inside the Dracori might've been friends, or sisters, or enemies. The large creature was looking at her with tilted head, obviously confused. *Purple tribe can't do mind-soothing for shit.* Tes snorted in derision, but she softened as the Dracori shook its head as if trying to clear an insect from its face. *Poor girl probably doesn't know up from down right now.* "It's okay." She reassured, reaching out a hand and patting the large creature on the flank. "Don't try to remember. Just go with your gut and stick with me, and we'll give the Exiles hell together, does that sound good?" The Dracori shifted, looking uncertain, but it nodded again, one giant nod. Tes didn't know if the girl couldn't speak through the Dracori's mouth, or if she simply chose not to, but she was strangely comfortable as a companion. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the Exiles' moon in wide and general terms, nothing specific, just a gut feeling of where everything lay. "It won't have just one heart, there will be four of them." She finally said. "That's the impression I have. We would have to rip them all out to kill the moon, but I get the feeling that wouldn't be good for us." She opened her eyes to look up at her large companion, and the beast nodded and held up two claws. "Two? Alright, if you say so. The closest one feels like it will be...there?" She pointed at one wall, and the Dracori nodded again. "Okay then. The Exiles are pretty rude, making these doors all too small for you to pass through them. Why don't you help them out a bit?" It was strange to see a sly smile creep across the massive reptile's face, but Tes grinned in response. The Dracori coiled up, then launched itself at the metal wall, and Tes laughed delightedly over the shrieking sound of metal tearing. *** They were covered in engine lubricant and smears of thick black oil, and Tes sported an electrical burn on one shoulder, but both the woman and the Dracori were in good spirits as they moved from room to room. The two alternated forging pathways through the moon, the Dracori rending giant holes in the walls and Tes blowing them away with short bursts of magic. After they left each room they tore down the ceiling and ripped up the floor, leaving a gaping space three times its previous size before moving on. Behind them, the entire floor was open and wide, much more inviting than the claustrophobic little rooms had been before. There was no bright sun or warm breeze, but at least the ceilings were much higher. They had yet to encounter a lit room or any sign of an Exile. It took them a few hours to make a full revolution of the moon, carving the once-many-rooms into one huge doughnut-shape in the process. By the time they reached the wreckage of the sleeping room where they had started, the Drya and riders were already back and waiting for them. They too were unharmed, and a small knot in Tes' stomach unwound. "Did you tear out its heart?" Their leader asked. Tes held up two fingers at the same time the Dracori did, and they looked at each other and grinned. "Do you think this time for JOK(*children's games, playing about*)?" The Drya snapped with the voice of their leader. "I did not know the moon had two hearts. You did well." Tes didn't correct him. Leaving two of the moon's four hearts would let air and light fill the moon, and more importantly it would keep the food-makers working. The Drya continued. "We met no Exiles. Take the DRA(*dracori*) to the SPHEC(*very core of the moon, it's center*) and deal what harm you may to the Exiles. Come back here when through." Tes didn't question the order, she just started moving, not bothering to see if the Dracori was following. A more prideful Terran might've questioned the blue Prince, asking why it was that she alone would make the first forray, but Tes showed her pride in the green tribe by obeying orders. Besides, this way she didn't have to speak. The Dracori had crouched down low at her side; now that they had a goal besides generalized chaos, she only used her claws when they came to doorways, prying the locked doors from their frames and widening openings just enough to pass through. "Hold on a second." Tes paused when they reached the room; gigantic and filled with tables. The Dracori sat down by the door obligingly, as Tes walked over to the line of alcoves on one side of the wall. There were glyphs in shining silver above each alcove, but she didn't bother trying to read them, instead trying to not think about her actions. She let habit take her, and picked up a tray without really knowing what it was for. Moving from alcove to alcove, Tes set the tray down, moving her fingers across the glyphs experimentally and observing the results. Small cubes of unknown materials dropped onto the tray in each alcove, and Tes smiled as she scooped up a handful, shoving them in her pocket. "You hungry?" She asked as they continued on, and tossed one of the cubes to the Dracori next to her. The beast snatched the snack from the air and munched contentedly as they walked, and Tes followed suit. They moved in silence through the hallways, every so often the Dracori would huff and Tes would toss her another cube. It took them another half-hour before they reached the wall. *** It was lucky that they were moving as slowly as they were, or the wall might've caused some damage. One moment there was just another hallway with a door at the other end, and the next moment a long silver barrier had sprang up from the bottom of the room to the top, moving so quickly that the metallic snap made Tes jump as it closed together. Had the Dracori been halfway across the line, it might've actually hurt or killed the creature, and that would've been horrible. "Would you have felt that, felt the pain? I mean the real you on the planet, the girl behind the Dracori?" Tes asked, curious. The Dracori nodded solemnly, its eyes wide, and Tes turned an angry eye toward the silver wall. They hadn't encountered any resistance at all up until that point; even when they had torn through the heart rooms and ripped the Exiles' moon's hearts from their casings there had been nothing to stop them, nothing to fight them. If there was a wall in front of them now, it meant that the Exiles hid behind it. "You think your silver wall will keep you safe from us?" Tes called, although it was more for show than because she actually thought the Exiles could hear her. No matter, they would hear her soon enough. She raised a hand and let magic course through arm, spiralling out in a streak of lightning at the silver wall. It arced and burst, the beautiful light reflecting and refracting in a hundred hues of green, but the wall remained unscratched. Tes' eyes narrowed, and she nodded her head to the Dracori. The beautiful creature coiled again and sprung, its heavy muscles flinging it forward, claws outstretched. With a crash and a small cry, the Dracori hit the wall so hard that the ground around its base buckled, but the wall itself stood firm. It hadn't even been marked. As the Dracori rose to its four feet, a snarl on its snout, Tes walked closer, investigating the floor where it had buckled. *Perhaps we can burrow under it...* Her brief-lived hopes were dashed when she saw that the wall extended past the buckling, no doubt into the floor beneath, and beneath that even. *So, the Exiles hide themselves in a pretty silver shell?* "We should tell the Prince of their silver wall." Tes remarked briefly to her companion. "Are you badly injured?" The Dracori shook her head, but it was staring murderously at the pristine gleaming surface. She breathed in deep, and Tes realized what she was about to do just in time to stop her. "No no!" She shouted hastily. "Don't breathe a wave, not in here! You'll fill the room with water, and we don't know how to deal with that yet! Just let us report to the Prince, he'll tell us what he wants us to do." The Dracori stared daggers at the wall, but she begrudgingly let herself be led away. "Um, excuse me." The voice was incredibly polite and rather quiet, but both Tes and the Dracori spun on the spot as if it had been an explosion. "Where are you?" Tes' fingers buzzed with a lance of lightning waiting to be unleashed. "Ah, this is hard to explain, but I'm not anywhere you can reach. You're just hearing my voice right now, so you don't have to worry about trying to kill me, we can just chat." "We can chat face to face if you pull down your wall." "Well, *technically* we can't ever chat face to face, but that's not important, because we heard your little baby dragon tell you to kill a bunch of us, so the shield is staying up I'm afraid." *The Exiles can hear every word within their moon.* Tes nodded to herself. That was good information to know. "Are you their queen then?" She asked. "Why do you speak to us if you won't bring down the wall?" "The queen? Hmm I like the sound of that, but no, I'm afraid not. It's a long story, but you can think of me as the mind inside of the Orbital. You can call me Blue." Orbital Academy 19 "What is an Orbital? The Exiles' moon?" "Probably. But anyways, enough chit-chat, I've got some impatient people on my side of the shield that would like me to tell you something they find very important." Tes folded her arms in front of her chest, and for lack of a better target, faced the wall. She didn't know if the Prince would want her talking to the Exiles, but she had already learned valuable information, it couldn't hurt to potentially learn more. "I'm listening, mind-of-the-moon. When you are done speaking we will talk about you lowering your wall. Perhaps we can come to an agreement." "Not likely. Alright, so the first thing I'm being told to tell you is this: your real name is Tess." Tes blinked her good eye, tilting her head to one side. "Yes." She said. "I know. What of it?" "Really? Wow I thought that would garner more of a reaction. Umm, alright, we're all really confused over here now. We assumed that you had been brainwashed or something. Why are you helping the Terrans?" "I *am* a Terran." Tes lifted her chin, half in defiance, half in pride. "I help because I can, because I have power to help my tribe. Do I need a better reason?" "Well that is a definite answer on the whole 'brainwashed' question, I suppose. Alright, Tess, I want you to think back carefully. Your squadmates love you, and they would really appreciate it if you snapped out of it and stop tearing Pivot to shreds. Do you remember your squadmates Tess? Aimee and Missy, Li and Jackson, Marcus and Alex and Preston? Do you remember your Captain, Jane Appet?" "I don't know them." Tes shrugged. Behind her, a soft whimper caught her attention. The Dracori was backed into a corner, it's eyes wide, shaking its head as if trying to dislodge a water droplet from its ear. *The girl in the Dracori was an Exile too.* Tes realized. "The names must mean something to her, and the blue tribe mind-soother's shitty soothing is falling apart.* "Go back to the Prince." She snapped, and the Dracori looked up at her, confusion in its eyes. "Go!" "That's not super helpful to the Drake, because I have speakers left in most of the rooms between here and there." The voice said smugly. "But as a show of good faith, I'll leave your pet Drake alone." "I don't know these names." Tess repeated with finality. "Think, Tess, really *think*. Do you remember Julia? You two loved each other, true love, a love so deep that you were willing-" "I should clarify, so that you understand me fully." Tes held up a hand to interrupt the voice. She spoke calmly and evenly, staring into the wall since she didn't know where else to look. "I believe you when you say these things. I know I had a life before. I am sure that it's difficult for these squid-mates to see someone wearing the face of their friend, with the power and bearing of the green tribe. But I do not know those names. I do not wish to know those names. My name is Tes, and one day it will be charged with power and spoken throughout my tribe. Today is not that day, but it will be one day. Today, I will find a way through your silver wall. I will find you Exiles where you hide, and I will kill you all." Tes had never been more proud of Meo the mind-soother's work. If there was anything that would test his improvements to her mind, it was this. And here she was, sound and whole, without the faintest trace of doubt in her head. She may have loved Julia in her past life, but the girl was nothing but a pleasant-sounding name to her now. "The enemy of the green tribe is an enemy to me, and I am not the woman whose face you know. I will have no mercy on those who know think they know me, so it is only fair to warn you so that you expect none." The silence stretched on for some time, and Tes suspected they were talking on the other side of the wall. "You should hear the ruckus that caused over here." The disembodied voice finally chuckled. "We've got people saying you should die, people saying we should let you in to see their faces, it's a madhouse. The things humans do 'cause of emotion, I swear." "You aren't human?" "Thankfully not. If I were human I'd have some modicum of guilt about doing this." Tes had already braced herself for a fight based on the words alone, and judging by the hissing coming from the dark corners of the room, the voice had released snakes. "That's a really fine reaction time you have there." The voice complimented. "I wouldn't bother though." It took longer than she would've liked to admit for Tes to realize that there were no snakes in the room. The hiss was the sound of air being released into surroundings. It puzzled Tes until she remembered the rumors; Exiles died without air. "If you've poisoned the air, know that you waste your magic." She smirked. "Well I don't know about poison, it's more of a knockout-....I'm sorry, did you say magic?" "And now I will return to the Prince, and we will begin taking your silver wall apart." "Walls, plural." The voice chuckled as Tes turned to leave. "And good luck with that." Tes had entered through the mangled doorway ripped open by the Dracori, but now on the other side of that doorway, in the middle of the room beyond, lay another silver wall. *No. No no no.* Tes shot an experimental blast of magic at the wall that lay behind her, but just like the other, her lightning left no mark. She glanced at the walls to her left and right. "You're welcome to give them a try," the smug voice of Blue seemed to read her thoughts, "but there's another shield on either side. It's more of a grid of shields than a line of them. The General saw you coming a mile away." "You're lying." Tes hazarded, but her gut was telling her that the mind of the moon was too smug to be lying. "If the walls form a grid, why wouldn't you raise them all the second we entered?" "Well first of all, silver-plated senstone is expensive, and we just didn't have enough at such short notice. Secondly, the walls are hard to install. Really we barely had time to set them up in the center of the Orbital, and-...I'm being told to stop sharing info with you now." "Gods' blessings." Tes muttered, spinning slowly in a circle, trying to think of some method of escape. "Oh but I don't have to stop talking. I have some more messages to pass on from your teammates. You know, the ones you're stabbing in the back? Let's see, this first one is from Alex. She says-" Tes finally located the source of the voice, a tiny metal box in the corner of the room. It wasn't made of the indestructible silver, and a lance of lightning was enough to shear it in half, plunging the room into silence. Tes sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by rubble, and waited for her Terran brethren to rescue her. *** Part 2 - Life in the Pearl *** An alarm pinged Jackson's head, and he took a breath. It was something he rarely thought about in his life, but he suspected that the familiarity was comforting to him on a subconscious level. Perhaps that's why he seemed to be taking his move to Pivot and the corresponding changes better than his squadmates. Who knew, perhaps it wasn't the ping, maybe it was just that the chip in his head kept him able to focus. Maybe he was just that inhuman, that the invasion of his second home by alien attackers didn't seem to bother him quite as much as the rest. *I wonder if normal humans wonder about this stuff.* "You've left us again Jackson." Samantha raised an eyebrow from where she sat at the console, looking at the doorway where Jackson stood. He shook himself and smiled at her. Samantha would probably be excellent for a normal man with attention issues, and although he was a lost cause he appreciated that she continued to try, even with how well she knew him. *>>Task 1432 shifted to short-term priority 1: Optimize Sam's emotional state.* Jackson used to feel resentment as a teen towards the chip implanted in his head, constantly categorizing the details of his day-to-day life. Nowadays he saw it less as an overbearing taskmaster, and more as an advanced to-do list. Without it he would be useless, his attention drifting through a million actions every second. With it he tended to be able to do what he had to get done. At the very least, it forced him to concentrate on the task at hand. "I'm sorry lovely." Jackson said genuinely. "I came by to give you some attention, but for me that's a tall order." "It's okay, I'll take some company. Even your kind of attention is better than sitting here all by myself." Samantha gave him a smile, but it was clear from every motion how exhausted she was. A few feet away at another console a girl in a scrub uniform, the room's other occupant, gave her a dirty look. "How long have you been manning the throughput station Sam?" Jackson stepped over to her console, glancing at the monitor behind her. Normally this room would only be manned during standard hours, but with half the station closed off to protect from the invading Terrans, every control room was manned no matter how late. "It says there's been a throughput operator here since breakfast...when did you start this shift Sam? Who'd you take over from?" Samantha avoided Jackson's gaze as she flipped a switch. "This is Samantha, I'm back." Her voice lilted as she slipped back into what Jackson called her 'official mode'. "Oh Sam, tell me you've not been here all day." "Hello sir, yes we can get you three electrician-specialists, but you're going to have to wait for about..." Samantha consulted one of the several small screens on her desk, fastidiously avoiding Jackson's glare. "...one to two hours. Yes sir. Yes, I'm sorry sir but there's only so much we can...yes. Right. Of course sir. Sorry Jackson." She turned her beautiful brown eyes towards him and reached out, pulling him by the front of his uniform to stand next to where she sat. "How has your day been, lover?" "Wonderful, but you're not changing the subject that easily." Jackson folded his arms. "How many days in a row have you been pulling these kinds of eighteen-hour shifts?" "Just today, Jackson I swear." Samantha said innocently. "Yesterday it was a twenty-hour." From the console a few feet away the thin wisp of a girl in a scrub uniform noted. "No one asked you to contribute Lacy." Samantha snapped. "Look Jackson, I get that you're worried about me, and it's sweet and adorable and all that, but they need me here. There's been so much damage out there that pretty much every single electrical connection, every single pipe and cord that passed through the outer core now has to be rewired through the inner." "I get that, and I understand that's why it's all hands on deck." Jackson replied evenly. "What I don't understand is why you're pushing yourself to help if you're falling asleep on your feet." "I'm sitting." Samantha yawned. "Falling asleep on your butt then." "I'll take a break in an hour or so, and I'll take a nap then, I swear. I'll sleep for at least a few hours, then I'll visit sick bay, then I'll come back here." "No one can take over for you now?" "No one trained in both mechanics and admin. I'm the only Basura-Pivot in the pearl." "The pearl?" "It's a small naturally-occurring gem. It's a sphere and it shines like silver. It's what we've started to call the station now that we're...well we're pretty much a sphere surrounded by silver who is stuck in the middle of a dead shell." "That's a little morbid." "Yea, you get a little grim running on three hours of sleep." "Samantha, for god's sake, what's going to be so different in a few hours that you can't take a break right now?" "You won't be around in a few hours." The girl at the next console laughed. "So she'll be able to keep going and tell you she napped." "Honestly, Lacy, no one asked you." Samantha snapped again. Jackson smiled at the interaction. "There's nothing I can do to get you to go to sleep?" Jackson asked, and in answer, Samantha flicked the switch on again, answering another call. *>>Task 1432 complexity beyond threshold. Breaking into subtasks.* *>>Task: Optimize Sam's emotional state >> Subtask 1: Force Sam to sleep.* "Fine, if you're not going to sleep, then scoot." Jackson said in apparent defeat. Without breaking the flow of her conversation Samantha stood from her desk, reading off from one of the screens. "It's going to be quite the task, but we've got three..four...no, it looks like five technicians already working on it. Yes, I understand that, but there's only so much...yes? Yes I would be happy to explain to the General in person." Jackson admired how professional she sounded, even as exhausted and on-edge as she was. He sat in her seat and pulled her down to sit on his lap, brushing his fingers across the nape of her neck. "See?" Samantha disconnected the call and turned to Jackson. "If I had gone to sleep when you told me to, I would've missed that call, and I wouldn't have known that General Hunter was going to be calling to ask about the progress of the new generator construction." "And not one of the people actually working on the new generators could fill him in because...?" "Because they're working on the generator. There's not enough people available for me to sleep." Samantha groaned the sentence as she rubbed her eyes. Jackson frowned. He couldn't help but feel guilty; as a pilot there was very little he could do until the General decided to send them out on a fighting mission, but until that point the majority of his time was free. Besides heavy lifting, what the fuck do I around here? I'm wandering around bullshitting and doing the occasional task when I can, while the admins and technicians are being worked to the point of exhaustion? The guilt gnawed at his stomach, and for a moment his brow furrowed. The CPU took over, classifying the guilt as "unhelpful" and assigning it the lowest priority in the queue. Jackson knew that someday, if he worked through his entire list of tasks, he would have several years' worth of guilt, worry, regret and pain waiting for him, but in the meantime his mind re-focused and brushed the guilt aside. I can help by doing what I can to bolster the admins and techs who are doing the real work. In this case that means getting Sam to sleep. "You have no idea how amazing that feels." Sam murmured sleepily, resting her elbows on the console as Jackson continued to brush the back of her neck gently. "Lucky." The girl a few feet away muttered. "My boyfriend never comes to rub my neck." "Suck it Lacy." Samantha grinned, and the girl smiled and good-naturedly flipped her off. "Why don't you rest your eyes for a little bit while you're waiting for the General to call?" Jackson murmured the suggestion into the back her head. "I think I might for just a- no no no." Samantha sat bolt upright, and Jackson sighed. "You're not tricking me Jackson. I'm staying awake and I'm staying up." *>> Subtask 1: Force Sam to sleep. >> Subsubtask: Provide orgasm.* "What?" Jackson blinked. Occasionally his CPU would throw him a suggestion so unexpected that he had to take a moment to process it. When he did think about it it made some kind of sense. Samantha was the type of girl to instantly fall asleep right after she had been "worn out", and given the circumstances it was probably one of the few ways he could actually get her to fall asleep in spite of herself. Jackson glanced at Lacy, just a few feet away from them. The wispy girl was staring into her screen, a grim look of frustration on her face. Jackson tried to estimate just how much she could see if she glanced over. Samantha sat on his lap with her back to the other woman, and as far as he could tell, the back and her console blocked the line of sight. He placed his hand on her leg, rubbing the tense muscle. Samantha leaned against him with a smile. When his fingertips trailed higher, slipping under the hem of her skirt, Samantha glanced over her shoulder, probably gauging whether Lacy could see what he was doing, then fixed him with a look. Jackson grinned. She could easily slap or grab his hand if she wanted him to stop, but instead she just made a face at him, and he silently laughed. The communicator pinged, in vaguely the same tone that Jackson's breathing alarm did. Samantha jumped and answered it, piping the audio to her headset once more. "Hello General Hunter. Yes sir, I'm the only admin in throughput. Thank you sir. Yessir, I did, I thought you would prefer it hearing it straight from me. I've been coordinating their efforts." Jackson's fingers moved in slow circles along the skin of her inner thigh, several inches inside her long skirt. Samantha's professional voice didn't falter for a second. "Oh it was nothing really General, they're the ones with the know-how, I'm just the one directing them where that knowhow is needed. Well that's very kind of you to say so sir. Yes, let me pull up the schematics." Jackson waited until the pretty redhead on his lap had pulled up the blueprints of the orbital before he continued his onslaught, moving his fingers higher up her leg. As she continued to speak in her lilting voice, Jackson lightly brushed his fingertips against the fabric of her underwear, directly between her legs. "For whatever reason, the Terrans left two of the four generators intact in their initial onslaught three days ago." Jackson would've been disappointed at how even her voice was, but he noticed her gripping the edge of the console, and he smiled and continued rubbing a finger up and down. "No sir, I don't think we can count on that. That's why construction was begun on the emergency generators. Um...I'm not quite sure who, but it was definitely authorized. Yes, that name sounds familiar..." His finger was slowly growing wet as he pressed the fabric of Samantha's underwear into the wet heat beneath, and Jackson gently kissed the back of her neck. She stiffened without pausing, and Jackson continued to kiss. "...I'm sure he'll be happy to take responsibility sir, our only life support is out there with the Terrans. Yes sir I'll hold." She leaned back against him as soon as she disconnected. "Why can't you ever behave yourself?" "I can't look at this problem anymore." Lacy tossed her headset onto the console and stormed to her feet, and from the way Samantha jumped she had forgotten the other girl was there. "I'm going to try to get some sleep, you should try to do the same Samantha." Lily was already halfway to the door when Jackson slid his hand out of Samantha's skirt and rested it innocently on her knee, but he had the feeling that Lacy was so tired she wouldn't have noticed even if he'd had his head under her skirt. "Try to make her sleep, Samantha's boyfriend." Lacy said from the doorway. "Good luck though." "Just to be clear, she didn't mean to- oh!" Samantha gasped as Jackson's hand suddenly cupped her sex. He smiled and gently squeezed, grinding the heel of his hand against her mound as his fingers stroked the now thoroughly soaked fabric. "I'm going to be getting the General calling back soon." Samantha moaned. "You think that's going to stop me?" Jackson tugged at the hem of her underwear, slipping a finger inside the cloth and brushing it up and down across her bare mound. "Oh god Jackson why are you-" The communications pinged, and Samantha flipped the switch without hesitation. "Hello General, were you able to get in touch with Chief Adamsly?" Jackson marvelled that the same girl who had been moaning so prettily a few moments ago could slip into her official tone so effortlessly. He was quite sure that he liked it. He pulled on her underwear, slowly pulling them down in front and then reaching behind her to slip them off of the curve of her butt as well. Samantha continued to talk with the General, although she wiggled her backside against him at the motion of his fingers. Orbital Academy 19 "Now the problem is that we'll need to cut off our lines to the existing generators before we hook up the new ones. No sir, cut them off completely." Jackson stroked up and down around her slit, his fingers slick with her juices. Whenever he saw her firm grip on the console loosen, he would change what he was doing and get her excited anew. "I understand there's a risk sir, but your teams are the best at what they do, and they are all saying it can be done. Yes, technically it will cut our life support, but only for a few seconds." Jackson pulled his hand away, concerned. This suddenly sounded like more that the average throughput call, and while keeping Sam in optimal emotional condition was his top priority, distracting her while she was making potentially life-threatening calls would probably threaten that emotional condition. Sam gave him a small smile over her shoulder and rubbed her butt in small circles in his lap, her smile widening into a grin when she felt his member harden against her. She then turned back to the call. Jackson consoled himself with watching the way her red locks bounced when her official voice got more animated. "I know that depending on the engineers is a risk General Hunter, but personally I find it more of a risk to trust the Terrans than to trust the engineers. I think so sir, yes. The fact of the matter is, if we wait for the Terrans to cut the last lines, we leave ourselves open to more damage. Yes sir I agree. Alright sir, Chief Adamsly will let me know how that discussion goes. Yes sir, you too." Samantha pulled her headset off with a sigh and leaned forward to rest her head on the console. "You're hot when you're all professional, you know that?" Jackson teased "I wouldn't really call it professional to have you doing...that...while I'm trying to talk to the General." Samantha murmured into the console. "Sam, are you falling asleep with the console as a pillow?" "No." Sam yawned again, her nose smudging the console. "Not until you finish what you started." Jackson grinned. His fingers returned to their gentle sliding motions, and then without warning he slid a finger inside her. Samantha moaned and pushed her hips back, sliding his finger into her wet opening all the way down to his knuckle. She was surprisingly tight, and Jackson idly tried to remember when the last time he had penetrated her was. Last month? Has it really been that long? He mused, as Samantha rocked her hips back and forth to slid his finger in and out of her warm sex. It was with Cynthia, so it would've been...what, back on Academy? There's no way... "Oh god Jackson." Samantha breathed, snapping him back into the moment. He was yet again relieved that women couldn't read his mind. Even with the chip to refocus him, it would've made for several awkward moments. Samantha suddenly clenched the edge of the console hard, and her snached quivered and clenched at his finger. Jackson let her ride at her own pace as she came, moaning into the console as her body trembled. When she finally came down from her high, Jackson kissed the back of her head again. She gasped as he slowly withdrew his finger. "God I needed that." She panted. "Now I'm taking you to bed." Jackson said firmly, hoisting her to her feet and tugging her wet underwear back up. "Mmm cot in the corner." She mumbled. Jackson noticed the small bed for the first time, and helped her walk to it unsteadily. "I'm going to go stop by sick bay, will you promise to actually sleep?" "Say hi to Cynthia for me." Samantha had already collapsed into the cot, eyes half-shut. "Oh I will." Jackson winked, and popped his finger in his mouth, sucking her juices off of it. "Ew. You know I hate it when you do that." Samantha sighed. "You love it almost as much as I do and we both know it." Jackson teased. Samantha was already asleep by the time he reached the door, a tired and satisfied smile on her face. The bulge in his pants cried out for attention, but the surge of dopamine he got when the "Force Sam to sleep" subtask ticked "Completed" was even better than an orgasm. *** Jackson was having a problem unique to him when he entered the sick bay a little while later; similar to a feedback loop but with a little more hesitation. A series of priorities was warring for dominance within his chip, flipping back and forth in quick succession. As far as he could tell, as soon as he gave a certain task his attention, he could see the path to take to achieve it, and thus it felt just a tiny bit less urgent, driving the other one up into first place. It was up to him, in these situations, to decide which he should follow, but he was so used to being told what to do by the CPU that he found the analysis paralysis intimidating. Luckily for him, both priorities took him to the sick bay. Even more fortunately, Cynthia was sleeping on her cot, so the first priority sulkily slunk lower in his list. He turned instead to the beds on the other side of the wide, gleaming room, where his squaddy would be. *>>Task 8223: Maintain squadmate relationships >> Subtask: increase perceived social connections by increasing connection with wounded teammate.* After the darkness of the corridor and the dimness of the other rooms, the sick bay seemed blinding, but Jackson supposed that if anywhere needed full power while other rooms were rationed, it was here. Jackson stepped past the brilliant white curtains that gave the patients their privacy until he reached the very end of the room. "Wow, you look so horrible Aimee!" Jackson rushed over to the side of her bed. "They told me it was bad, they didn't say your face had been so messed up in the crash! I...I'm sorry. It must be horrible for you, looking like that, you don't need me bringing it up even further." Tears built in his eyes, rather convincingly he thought. "Sometimes you're even worse than Preston for asshole jokes, has anyone ever told you that?" Aimee growled from her bed. Her words were angry, but she grinned nonetheless. "Seriously though, you look great. Sorry about the teasing, you know I had to." Jackson grinned back and sat at the foot of her bed, careful not to disturb her. Her leg would still be in pain, but she didn't have permanent injuries, an unheard-of luck for a pilot actually *caught* by a lake Drake. The only damage had been due to shearing metal pinching her leg into vice-like grip. No one was sure why the Drake hadn't destroyed the ships it caught, but given the damage that *had* occurred, Jackson wasn't the only one who was glad of it. "Don't be sorry, I'd probably have made the same joke if I'd thought of it first. I don't know how you did it, but you managed to make me smile more in two minutes that some of the others all day. Even though you are officially the last squaddie to come visit me." Jackson wasn't quite sure what other people found so complicated about social interaction. Most peoples' buttons were so easy to find, and pushing them was just a matter of determining what buttons would lead to the result you wanted. In the space of a millisecond, Jackson expanded his priority's tasks down to the last detail. *>> Subtask: increase connection with Aimee >> Subsub: lighten Aimee's mood >> Subsubsub: Increase boundaries of relationship >> Subsubsubsub: Affect a mock-enmity to provide non-threatening competition.* "Eh, well, you know some of us are out there being useful with our lives, instead of laying in bed reading trashy romance novels." Jackson joked in an easy manner. Aimee threw her head back and laughed. "I'll have you know these are the classiest of romance novels jackass." She chuckled. "Believe me, I'd much rather be running around and helping out. I will too, soon as I can get up on this leg." "Well, I'll be sure to save the worst jobs for you then." Jackson glanced at the flowers on her bedside table. "I see Li has been here though, at least." "Huh? Oh, the flowers. Yea, you'd think wouldn't you?"Aimee's face darkened. "The flowers are from Cap App. Li came by once or twice, but he was his same fucking- his same old self." *>> Subsubsub: Assess whether romantic relationship in need of repair.* "Trouble with your better half?" Jackson asked, concerned. "I don't know. It's not like it was before, you know? I don't think it ever was." "It was never the way it was huh? That's real clear Squadpet." Using her old hated callsign at least got a chuckle out of her, so Jackson counted it as a win. "I just don't think there was ever a point where I sat down and thought 'I want Li to be my boyfriend', you know? We just...we screwed, and then we happened to screw again, and then we sort of happened. If I had ever stopped to consider him as my boyfriend, would I have chosen to be with him?" "You're making the choice for him to be your boyfriend every second you're still with him." Jackson pointed out. "Wow. I guess I didn't really think of it that way." Aimee frowned in thought. "That was really deep Jackson." Jackson didn't say anything, mostly because he hadn't thought it was that deep. *It's just common sense, isn't it?* "So I suppose that's the question, isn't it? Knowing what I know now, is it worth all of the...bullshit. He acts like I'm a burden instead of fun to be with. Sometimes I feel like I'm less of a girl he's into and more of just a hole he likes being inside, you know? Sometimes..." her voice lowered and she stared at the covers in front of her. "...sometimes I think maybe he's just a pole I like in me, instead of a boy I actually like being with. Does that make me a shitty person? Or just a slut? Am I such a horrible hypocrite that I'm pissed off at him for treating me kinda-sorta the same way I might feel about him?" Jackson spent a moment wondering if the question was rhetorical, when a silvery voice called from the other side of the hospital room. "Are you hogging my man over there?" Cynthia yelled. "Does he really count as 'your' man if you've got a timeshare on his cock?" Aimee yelled back, her pensive look replaced by a grin. "Yelling that kind of language, really?" Jackson stood and rolled his eyes, relieved that the awkward track of conversation had been interrupted. "Payback for the 'messed up face' thing earlier." Aimee stuck her tongue out. "Jackson...thanks. As usual, you helped a lot. I mean that." *>>Subsubsub: Transition from mock-enmity to gesture of friend-level intimacy. Replicated friend-level intimacy by stating redundancies.* "Yea, well, out of the nine of us it stands to reason one of us squaddies would be halfway helpful." He said, then turned serious. "But really Aimes; you have to do what you have to do. If Li isn't satisfying you, you won't be happy until you find someone who does. And if you're not happy, you won't be the best girlfriend to him either." "God, when did you get all smart all of a sudden? Get out of here you fuckin' wiseman." Aimee threw a small pillow at him, and when he left Jackson could almost feel their relationship grow stronger. *That makes full close-friendship with the entire set, besides Tess and Julia.* He thought, satisfied as the priorities ticked over in his head. Cynthia was sitting up in her bed, something that the doctors told her not to do. He knew it was useless to argue with her about. "Don't even start." She said, apparently interpreting his look. "I feel so cooped up in here I can barely stand it, I had to at least change my view from the ceiling tiles. I don't know what the big deal is about it anyways." "You've been shot!" Jackson said, exasperated. "Details." Cynthia wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck as he kissed her, deep and enthusiastically. "Oh god, you taste like her!" She broke away from the kiss and looked at him, her look halfway between accusation and desire. Jackson glanced around them, unsure of how much sound the curtains blocked out, and Cynthia lowered her voice obligingly. "You were eating Samantha out before you came here you selfish jerk!" Cynthia licked her lips as if to collect every hint of the taste from them. "How is that selfish? Sam's got needs, she's my girlfriend, I have to take care of her." Jackson protested, though he kept his voice down. "But she's my girlfriend too! I want to 'take care of her'! And I want to take care of my boyfriend too." Cynthia pouted. "Why can't you guys just come get me next time?" "You've been shot!" Jackson repeated. "This is so unfair, I hated being cooped up like this even before I knew you two were screwing around without me." "There's not a lot of time to be screwing around, unfortunately." Jackson remarked. "Not with everything going on recently." "Oh god! I've been trying to ask around but it seems like no one knows everything and everyone is too busy to explain what they do know! You have to tell me! Are there really Terrans on the Orbital?" Cynthia grabbed Jackson's hand as if he would escape, her previous pout apparently forgotten. "It's not exactly something to be excited about." Jackson pulled up a seat and sat down, a little surprised at how worn out he was. He was tempted to review how many hours of sleep he had tallied in the last few weeks, but his CPU kept him on track. "Have you heard of Shrike attacks before?" "Yeah, I've heard of them, but I didn't know they included Drakes, and I've never heard of them actually making it to the Orbital." "That's because this is the first one of its kind. We call any attack of would-be invaders a 'Shrike', but there's really three different kinds." Jackson ticked them off on his fingers. "The first is a wave of little Drakes; we're not sure if they're babies or just smaller versions, but we do know that they're a lot easier to put down. The second kind is a group of Terrans, alone without ships, just flying out of the fog towards the Orbital. I've seen the vids, and it's completely terrifying, especially since they're firing weapons the entire time. They're also pretty easy to handle though; you don't even have to hit them to take them out, just fire the munitions close enough and it knocks them off course and sends them flying off into space." "That's horrible! What a nasty way to go!" Cynthia looked offended. "They kind of ask for it for flying out towards us in the first place. But anyways, the third kind is full of these little bird things. We're...well, we're not entirely sure what the bird things do. We shoot them down just in case, but we've never seen them do anything." "So what kind was this Shrike?" "It was Terrans riding on top of the baby Drakes, more than we've ever seen before, and joined by a full-sized lake Drake." "Holy shit!" Cynthia breathed. "So they actually made it here. Landed on the surface and started digging, that's probably when you heard about it." "I heard we were evacuating, they didn't tell us why. They didn't tell us how they decided who was leaving on ships and who was staying though." "I think it was just a mad dash." Jackson said. "Anyone they could get on the ships, they got on ships and out. Anyone they couldn't they moved in here." "'Here' being?" "The center of Pivot. We've got shielding system set up, so if the Terrans get too close we can slam it up. So far they haven't been able to get through." "Wait so-" Cynthia was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and Jackson turned to look at the curtain that lay behind them. There were several pairs of feet walking towards Aimee's bed, and Jackson felt a knot in his stomach at the sound. "H...hello there?" Aimee sounded as if she was asking a question rather than stammering a greeting. "Look at this girl's injuries." The growl of General Hunter was full of so much hatred it was almost unrecognizable. "And tell me again how it's not your fault." *** Part 3 - Grains of Sand *** He probably shouldn't be embarrassing the Academy rookie like this, and she did look rather embarrassed, but General Hunter was too angry to care. "Jesus Hunter, you don't have to do this." General Winchest looked at the Academy rookie sadly, as she glanced uncertainly back and forth between them. "Rookie Nesbit, please inform the new General of Orbital Academy about the extent of your injuries." Hunter pressed. "Nothing too bad sir." Aimee Nesbit shrugged, and the brief motion was apparently enough to shake her leg, and she winced. "I could've been messed up a lot worse, but I just took some incidental damage to my leg." "How would you rate the combat, Rookie Nesbit?" "It...it wasn't really a combat sir, speaking frankly. It was a bloodbath. There just weren't enough ships, not with the Drake picking us off as easily as it was. Us Rookies hadn't ever been on a Shrike mission before, and those energy weapons they were using were...intimidating, to say the least." "I get it, Hunter. I get your point." The wizened General Winchest seemed even more worn down and aged than he normally did. "There's no need to pester the poor girl any longer." "Thank you Rookie Nesbit." General Hunter gave a fierce nod of approval before he realized that it would mean nothing to her. She was Academy trained, and raised god-knows-where, so she wouldn't know how rare he gave out his approval. It seemed strange to him, that he had known the Academy rooks for so short a time. Even with the separation that was typical between a General and an entry-level, he had interacted with them more than the majority of his pilots, and they'd been in his thoughts even when he wasn't interacting with them. He mused as the two Generals made their way out of sick bay, jerking a nod of greeting to Rookie Rade as they left. Errisa liked Rade, something about 'solidarity among synthetics'. "That was a low blow Hunter." General Winchest's tired protests brought Hunter out of his reverie. "You could've just made your point without layering on the guilt." "You deserve the guilt." General Hunter snapped. "By all the covenants man, I've got fucking Terrans aboard my Orbital, and they've torn it apart from tip to tip. I'm at half-crew, our supplies are dwindling, and we're down to two generators that will only last until the Terrans out there decide to rip them out. And all of this could've been avoided." "We don't know that." Winchest protested, but they both knew it was a weak argument. "We know that we'd have had a shot at repelling them if the Academy ships had gotten here in time." "My ships got here in time to evacuate half of Pivot." "Not enough. You didn't get here in time to *help* when it mattered. And why?" "Because you refused to accept the very reasonable deal I offered." Hunter stopped and jabbed a finger into the other General's chest. "Because you decided that politics and posturing was more important than the lives and safety of my men and women. And now you want me to trust that you'll take care of those same men and women? I should send you past the shield and let you talk to the Terrans." "The Terrans would probably be easier to talk to." Winchest ran a hand through his hair, and at the small gesture Hunter almost forgave him. He was an old man, wise and experienced, but none of that experience meant he would make a good General. With General Poulay whispering her tripe into his ear, it was no wonder that he made bad calls so early in his career, and it was also no wonder that he was feeling overwhelmed at the moment. "I've got too much to deal with to have this discussion twice Winchest, and I'm sure you plan on bringing it up at the meeting." "Whether or not I let you down, Hunter, we made a deal, and my ships came. We helped you, risked our resources to help you, and there are enough of us stuck here that we're affected just like you." "Save it for the meeting." Every cell of General Hunter was weary, he could feel the exhaustion seeping into his joints and bones, but there was still far too much to do to allow him to rest. "I understand you're in a rough spot, but I'm afraid I don't have the time to work it out with you." Orbital Academy 20 I can't thank all of my readers enough! Orbital Academy has come to a close, but fans can rest assured that this is certainly not the end of the Orbital Academy universe, nor the end of Maddison Rose's erotic writing! (There has been some confusion, so please not that while this is the "final chapter" of Orbital Academy (aka, there will be a break in the regular once-a-month updates), this is definitely NOT the end of the entire series. As many of you pointed out, there's a lot left unresolved, and that's intentional! There most certainly WILL be further parts of the Orbital Academy story, but for now the series is at a pausing point.) ***************** *** Part 1 - Missy's Emergence *** Missy shifted her weight from one foot to another, unsure of where she should be looking. The weight of the gun at her hip seemed to be pulling her towards the ground, and the ten men and women in the commando vests of Orbital Pivot's security forces kept shooting her glances as if reproaching her for not drawing it. Their own firearms were held loosely in their hands, but the tension they carried in their shoulders made it clear just how willing they would be to use them. A small electrical hiss in the wall made three of the security forces jump, levelling their guns at the harmless metal. Missy's brow furrowed. "The-the General said they shouldn't be harmed," she stammered, "you should be careful with your firearms." It was barely loud enough for the assembled security and her squadmates to hear, but six months ago she wouldn't have had the courage to say anything at all. "The General said not to harm them unless in self defense. An Academy Captain and a Terran are going to be on the other side when that shield comes down, I think it's okay to be on the safe side." Their leader responded. Unlike his forces, he never took his eyes from the strangely reflectionless wall, holding his gun firmly aimed at the midpoint. "What's taking them so long? Didn't the General give the order a while ago?" Missy wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead with one arm, while on the other side Preston squeezed her hand reassuringly. "They're getting alternating power systems up and running, clearing escape routes, closing off intersections with blockades, that kind of thing." "Isn't that a bit much?" Preston broke in. "It's Cap App and Tess, they're not going to be a military threat." "He's pulling down the only thing separating us from a Terran, Rookie. Tacksman down in conveyance says you escaped from a Terran prison camp, you of all people should know what just one is capable of." The anxiety in Missy's stomach was making it cramp up, and she briefly wondered if the other squaddies were feeling the same way. Jackson's face was impassive, as usual, but Missy noticed that Alex looked the same way, standing just behind him with her arms folded across her chest. *I wonder if they're together.* She thought. It had been so long since the rookies had all been together in the same room, they could be dating and she wouldn't know a thing about it. The idea was so strange that she set it aside, returning her attention to the silver wall in front of them. "Walls coming down in T-minus sixty." The security captain's voice was even, but everyone in the room suddenly tensed; the security forces raising sidearms and rifles to point at various points in the wall, the rookies simply stiffening. "This is Blue, your friendly artificial intelligence." Missy squeaked when the speaker to their right crackled to life. "Passing on the message to all non-essential personnel, aka the group of children standing around, that in the event of hostile engagement, you will almost certainly be in the danger radius. I don't suppose I can convince any of you to move back just a few rooms, so you'll have time to run if things turn sour?" Missy shook her head, but most of her squadmates didn't even respond. Preston flipped the speakerbox off until Missy grabbed his other hand in hers. "T-minus thirty." The captain said. Preston's hand was sweaty, but Missy didn't know if that was because he was as nervous as she was or because of the heat that was making her uniform cling to her body. "Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five." The captain didn't count the final seconds off, and Missy jumped when the silver walls snapped down with such force that they rattled the ground beneath their feet. A rush of cold air slammed into her, yanking her almost off of her feet. To her left Marcus actually did stumbled, but he caught himself before falling. Captain Appet and Tess stood in the middle of the room beyond, arms at their sides. The room had been torn apart, scorch marks and huge shears and gouges spread across the floors and walls, but the women themselves looked fine. Missy held her breath along with everyone else as the Captain and Tess slowly and carefully picked their way across the debris in the room, their hands always in sight. Captain Appet leaned down and murmured something to the green-haired girl at her side, and Tess looked past the guards at her squaddies. Despite what they'd told her, Missy had hoped for a glimmer of recognition from her former squadmate. *Maybe if Julia had been here...* The unbidden thought felt like a knife in the gut. They had left the two girls behind, and look at where it had brought them? If Julia was alive, who knows what the Terrans had done to her. As Tess' gaze slid along the faces of her friends, unknowing and uncaring, Missy sighed in frustration. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding out hope, but the sight of her teammates' faces should've been enough for Tess damnit. Tess' gaze rested on Missy, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You- " She said, lifting a finger to point. There was screaming, so much screaming that Missy wasn't sure what had even happened. "Get on your knees!" "Hands on your head!" "Don't move!" "Lower your hands!" Clearly trying to follow as many of the conflicting instructions as she could, Tess placed her hands behind her head and sunk to her knees. "She didn't do anything! What are you doing?" Missy screamed. "Stop yelling." The security force captain snapped out orders, first to his troops, then to Tess. "You can stand up Terran, but please don't point. As I understand it, you're able to attack without use of a visible weapon." "I didn't mean to be threatening, I am sorry." Tess replied. The sound of the familiar voice made the knot in Missy's stomach loosen a little bit, as did the very familiar smile on her friend's face. "I was just surprised," the girl continued, nodded towards Missy, "I didn't know there was another Terran on the Exiles' Moon." It would've been the perfect time for Tess to show some treachery, since for a moment every eye had turned to search Missy. "I'm not a Terran." Missy shook her head, not sure if she was correcting Tess or defending herself to the security forces. "There was an accident early, with a crystal, it turned my hair this way." Missy had been self-conscious about the streak of blue that ran through her hair ever since the accident, but she was even more aware of it now, standing out from her brown ringlets like a beacon. Hair dyes had proven ineffective in changing the color back, and now that the station was on emergency power, she couldn't requisition luxuries like hair dye even if she had the chits for it. Tess hadn't said anything about her explanation, just nodding and following Captain Appet into the room where her squadmates stood. Missy hadn't noticed how nice the cool breeze had felt until the silver shield slammed back into place, cutting off the pleasant breeze with a loud slam. With the security forces loosely ringing them, Captain Appet and the squadmates looked at one another awkwardly. Missy wasn't quite sure what to do, but she opened her mouth to say something when Jackson stepped forward and threw his arms around Tess in a bear hug. "Even if you can't remember us, it's good to have you back Tess." He said. "We were friends once, I'm sure you'll learn to put up with us again." "Please let go of me." Tess was standing ramrod stiff, clearly fighting to keep a horrified look from her face. Jackson stepped back quickly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry...I just-" "No it is I who should apologize." Tess said hastily. "I just...I don't like being touched, and I don't know you...." "Didn't mind it before..." Jackson mumbled, but trailed off. Missy offered a hand instead, even though Preston tugged on her to keep her by his side. "I'm Missy." She said. "Would you like us to call you by your Terran name? Or is your old name alright?" "They're both pronounced the same." Tess seemed a little relieved as she shook Missy's hand. "I suppose you can spell it in your head whichever way you like." "Right then. Rooks, I don't want to tell you your business," Captain Appet said suddenly, breaking the silence before it started to stretch, "but as a courtesy I'm going to let you know they're waking you up at 0500 tomorrow." "What? Why?" Missy was startled enough to turn her attention away from their awkward reunion. "They didn't say. Some security bitch." Jane shrugged, and the captain of security cleared his throat loudly. "You still here? How long are you going to be hovering around us? We've got things to do." Jane asked. "Until the General is satisfied she's not going to kill us all. So probably for a while." "How'd we get so lucky." *** Missy was woken by a hand firmly grasping her big toe and giving it a gentle tug. It took a few such tugs for her to wake completely up, blinking sleep from her eyes. "There's no way it's five hun'rd," Missy slurred, "too tired to be five hun'red." "It's not, it's two hundred, but keep it down!" It took Missy a few blurry moments to piece together whose voice hissed in her ear in the pitch black. It was like Aimee's, but a little lower, and the words a little less clipped...more like... "Tess?" Missy was suddenly as wide awake as she'd ever been, her eyes straining to make out the figure in the dark. "Yes, but please hush, you'll wake your lover." Tess' voice sounded amused, but for all Missy knew Terrans enjoyed quieting their night-time victims before slaughtering them in bed. Preston was asleep next to her; a swift kick would wake him up, but would he be able to get his bearings fast enough to make it worth the effort? Missy could always try to fight Tess off herself...a buzzing feeling, like pins and needles, spread slowly through her wrists and her fingertips, and for some reason she felt almost sure she could take the girl. Of course Tess had always been ahead of Missy in physical activities rankings, but Missy could perhaps use the other girl's underestimation of her. *Except, she doesn't remember me enough to underestimate me.* Missy suddenly realized. The buzzing pins and needles were in every joint now, pounding at her head. She had been sweating in her sleep, and the thin blanket she had been sharing with Preston was now in a tangled knot around her ankles. Could she kick it off fast enough to spring to her feet? "I wanted to talk to you for a bit, is that alright?" Tess whispered, and Missy let out a gasp as the prickling pressure drained out of her body, leaving her a little shaky. She rose from the bed almost in a trance, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Preston was still asleep. The hallways were lit with the same half-lights that had been on ever since the station went to emergency power, bright enough to illuminate their way, but dim enough to cast shadows on the walls as they walked. Missy looked over her shoulder, her skin prickling at the sight of the empty hallways around them. It *was* early morning, after all, so it took her a few moments to realize what made her so unnerved. "Aren't...aren't there supposed to be guards watching you?" She asked carefully. Tess looked over her shoulder at Missy with a look that could only be described as 'mischievous'. "They left two guards outside my door. They are asleep now." "They just 'fell asleep'?" Missy slowed to a stop, her stomach turning to ice. Interpreting her horrified expression, Tess shook her head. "I made them fall asleep. They will wake up in the morning. I wanted to talk to you." "Why me?" Tess didn't answer, she simply glanced up at the streak of blue in Missy's hair, before ducking into an open doorway. Missy shivered, hesitated for a few moments, and followed. The room was taken up mostly with a huge conference table, and with the lights out it was dark enough that someone walking by wouldn't see the two girls that sat across from each other. Missy squinted to even see Tess' face, but it looked as if the other girl was fixing her with a searching stare. "I'm really not a Terran." Missy broke the silence. "You used a Coricia, and your hair begins to take the tint of a blue triber. That is as close to Terrans as I'm going to get, I think." "But I'm not-" "I know you're not." Tess brushed Missy's objections aside with an impatient hand. "But you have a friendly air, and you seem...honest." Missy wondered what word Tess had been considering before settling on that one. "Tell me about this girl you knew. The one who I used to be." Missy blinked. "I...it's not that easy. I mean we were squadmates, and I like to think friends, but..." "If she was such a good friend, why did you leave her to be captured by the Terrans?" Missy recoiled as if Tess had slapped her. The way she said it so casually took Missy's breath away for a moment, but on closer inspection it was clearly a casual question to Tess. There was no anger in her good eye, the other covered with a small white cloth patch. No bitterness, no accusation, only curiosity. "You told us to leave you. Your leg was broken, shattered actually, and you couldn't have run as fast as us. The rest of the Terrans were coming and we...we had to get away." Even without judgement in the other girl's eyes, Missy avoided her gaze. "Aah, shattered." Tess breathed, as if to herself. "That's why my leg hurts when it rains." "What's rain?" "No matter. What manner of girl was she, your squadmate?" "She was...you were..." Missy tried to keep the pronouns straight, "...strong, and brave. You were always really quiet, but we could just tell that you would go to the wire to save us. You risked your life for Julia when we fought the Drake." "Your squadmate fought off a Dracori for your rooks?" Tess looked impressed. "Sort of...I mean kind of, sure. It was you, not some random squadmate." Missy felt as if she was missing some part of the conversation, and Tess didn't make things easier by making the dismissive motion with her hand again. "She is different than me, a whole other person. Your Captain says I can live her life if I want, but I will never have the memories that she had." Missy wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but the other girl seemed perfectly content to sit in silence in the darkened room. The heat that permeated the room seemed to smother any attempt that Missy made to continue the conversation, and the combination of the early hour and the warmth was making her nod off even as she tried to think of anything to say. She wasn't sure exactly when she slipped into sleep. *** "Get up Rooks! Rise and shine! Out of bed!" At the familiar yet fresh sound of Captain Appet's scoldings, Missy tumbled out of the wide bed. The nostalgia and sudden anxiety of being woken up by an angry Appet almost made her believe that the past few months had all been a part of her dream, and she wondered if that made her happy or sad. It was only when she finally pulled off the twisted blanket and blinked rapidly that her mind caught up, and judging from the swearing next to her, Preston had caught on as well. "I thought you said it was Pivot people who were waking us up!" he growled. It was times like these that Missy was glad she was with Preston; he voiced the thoughts that she herself would never say aloud. Captain Appet stood in the doorway, wreathed in light from the hallway. She looked exactly the same as she ever had. Of course it had only been a few months, Missy reminded herself. "Nope," the Captain corrected, "I said it would be a bitch, and as always, I'm true to my word. Conference room one, 0630." "Being awake hurts, why does it hurt?" Missy whined as the Captain vanished. "We've had a few weeks off, gotten soft." Preston grunted and began digging through their bags for their uniforms. "Do we at least have time for a quickie before we go?" Missy glanced at the clock. The small red display read 0615. On the one hand, Captain Appet had let them sleep for an hour longer than she'd said. On the other, there wasn't even enough time for a quickie before they left. Missy flopped backwards onto the bed with a groan. *** It took them a little while to locate the right conference room, so when Missy and Preston stumbled in, rubbing their eyes, it was already almost full. The seats were divided into two sections, with an aisle down the middle leading to a podium. General Hunter and Captain Appet were both quietly conferring with a group of three other people on the podium, and when Appet saw them come in she pointed to the back of the left section where their squadmates sat. In the front of the same section, about twenty men and women in security force uniforms or pilot civs talked and joked among themselves. In the other section of seats, the bleary eyes and nodding heads told Missy that the men and women seated there were civilians. Not that she could judge them too harshly. Missy was yawning when she sat down next Aimee, and she leaned her head against Preston's shoulder. The only squadmate not with them was Tess, and Missy had begun to ask where their squaddie was when Captain Appet started talking from the podium. "This is the entirety of our security forces." Captain Appet barked, and the room immediately fell into shocked silence. Missy blinked. She had known that Pivot didn't have much security normally, but did so many leave in the initial evacuation that this was all that was left? "I notice that some of you are probably wondering why on earth we maintain a security force that's so damned pitiful. I wonder the same thing myself." Captain Appet shot a look at the other woman on stage behind her. "With the permission of General Hunter, I'm going to be training up another group of security fighters for Orbital Pivot, now that Orbital Pivot is essentially a warzone. Unfortunately, it seems that there's a little hiccup that takes precedent. " General Hunter rose heavily to his feet. "We're burning the fuck up." He said coarsely. The language and the unexpectedness of his statement was enough to wake most of them from their nodding. Hunter continued. "As soon as they dug into the Orbital, the Terrans went straight for our power generators, knocking us down to two of the available four. We don't know why they chose to spare us and leave the other two intact, but I wasn't the only one who felt that we shouldn't rely on the Terrans' largesse. This morning, work has wrapped up on our replacement generators, safely within our protective shell. They're all ready to turn on, and we could be back on full power within the next few days. I don't have to tell you all what a boost to morale and productivity that would be, but we're encountering the aforementioned problem; we're burning the fuck up." As if to illustrate his point, General Hunter wiped his brow with a damp sleeve before he continued. "I don't fully understand the science behind it, but heat transfer is one of the largest problems they had when the Orbitals were originally constructed. Left on its own, heat just doesn't like to dissipate in space, and our normal method of removing heat via 'heat packets' can't work unless we have access to the outside wall of Pivot. We're not sure how the Terrans are keeping cool, since they've ripped half the damn Orbital apart, but the few instruments left intact out there suggest that they've come up with a way to manage it. We need to do the same if we're going to get those generators running. In the meantime...we're going to steal it." Orbital Academy 20 Missy had started to nod off, so she was sure she had misheard the General's words. The muttering around her assured her that she had not. "Air replicators can provide us with oxygen, but as long as we're sealed in the airtight shell of senstone the ambient temperature is going to approach dangerous levels. So we're opening a section of the wall on either end, and we're blasting the inside of our little shell with Terran-cooled air before we close it up again." Hunter seemed skeptical of the plan he was outlining, but his gaze was steady as he looked around the room. He gestured to one of the men on the podium, who stepped forward and addressed the men and women on the right. "You scientists are here because we want this whole process to go as smoothly as possible. Some of you were no doubt already working on the cooling problem, but this morning we want you all on the 'moving-air' problem. You'll have a window of time, a hot inner core and a cool outer core, and your job will be to lower the inner core's temperature in that window. We're going to move to the systems lab to talk this over, so please follow me." The captain of security stepped forward as the scientists filed out, addressing the remaining group. "The rest of us are acting as backup to the nerds while they cool us down. The shields have been keeping us safe from the Terrans up until that point, but that means they'll most likely be watching for any sign of them coming down. We know they definitely have troops, and both a full-sized and bite-sized Drakes among them. It gets worse." He raised a hand to forestall the murmurs. "Although we don't have our normal instruments, we're told that there are more Terrans here now than there were in the initial raid. Personally I'm hoping that just means they've been having a lot of Terran babies out there, but the leading theory is that they've manufactured some way to bring more Terrans from the surface." "How is that even possible? If they can portal around, why not attack us inside the core?" One of the security forces in the front of the room asked. "We don't know, but again the leading theory is that they have some device they're using. If that's true, even one Terran slipping past us is as good as letting them all in. Maybe as good as letting the whole damn surface in. That's one of the reasons both teams are going to have to be very, very careful when we defend the two openings." "One of the reasons? Not the most important one?" One of the pilots asked. The captain sighed, leaning on the podium as if it had already been a rough day. "The most important reason to be careful is that in the history of the Orbitals, we've never gone head-to-head with the Terrans and won." He answered flatly. *** It was strange to Missy that she'd only been awake for a few hours. It felt like an entire day had passed, and a busy day at that. From the meeting hall they went to a small construction room which had been repurposed as a fitting station, to get her measurements taken. From the fitting station to the armory, where the wizened man had fixed her with a look when she had answered "prefered weapon" with "something small". From the armory they were hustled to mess to eat a quick breakfast of 'battle-rations', a bland thick paste that contained large amounts of proteins and carbohydrates. Her squadmates were with her, all but Tess and Julia. Even Aimee, who had been in the hospital wing just a few days ago. They were all just as somber as Missy, quiet as they contemplated what could be in front of them. "They might not even show up." Missy said brightly, trying to lift her squaddies' spirits. "I'll bet we get super bored and have to resort to that stupid word game Alex came up with." "Genius word game, you mean." Alex gave a half-smile, and Missy grinned back. She wasn't naive enough to actually believe her own words, but it seemed to help her squadmates a little bit. After breakfast the squaddies went back to the fitting station, where the heavy armor plating was waiting for them. Tailored to their measurements, the rough plasticine scales fit into place around their bodies perfectly. In theory they would reflect, refract, or absorb most of the damage from energy weapons. *What about magic?* Missy couldn't help thinking as they filed out of the fitting station, but she pushed the thought firmly to the back of her mind. The dimness of the hallways reminded her of the night before, and she vaguely wondered why Tess wasn't with them. Of course, she was still a Terran. The General probably had her under guard somewhere to keep her from fighting on their side. Missy suddenly noticed that they had stopped, and she looked around her. For the second time in two days, they stood in front of the silver sheen of the shield. Missy's stomach lurched, and her hand shook as she drew her sidearm. It suddenly felt too tiny in her hand. The oppressive heat seemed to ratchet up a few notches, and she moved a damp sting of hair that was plastered to her forehead. "This is Blue, I'll be keeping you updated on our progress." The disembodied voice crackled from the wall. "Both teams are in place, so we'll be dropping the shielding in T-minus thirty. There are no Terrans in sight, but I'm a little limited on what I can see. They destroyed my instruments out there." *Terrans aren't invincible or invulnerable. I knocked one out. I beat them when I rescued my squaddies from them.* Missy focused on her breathing, leaning against Preston for a moment as if to reassure herself that he was still there. *I beat them once, I can beat them again.* "T-Minus twenty." "Hey remember that time we kicked the Terran's asses so we could have air-conditioning?" Alex joked weakly. The rest of them smiled, but Missy just knelt into firing position, pointing her gun at the wall. Around her, the squaddies did the same. The handful of security forces with them moved into position. Missy belated realized that her wrists and temples had started buzzing again, as if there were hornets in her blood that wanted nothing more than to be unleashed and ravage her enemies. In a sudden moment of clarity, the nervousness left Missy completely, and she smiled. Her back straightened, and she spoke with a voice full of confidence. "Let's fuck them up." Her startled squadmates didn't have a chance to respond before the silver walls slammed open with a loud crash. *** Part 2 - Aimee's Support *** *Two days ago* Aimee wiggled her toes. It was a small gesture, but it made her entire leg ache as if she had just stretched for an hour. Despite the aching feeling she did it again, smiling at the small digits as they curled and uncurled. When she had woken up in the hospital bed it had been the first thing she'd done, and the fact that she couldn't move them had terrified her more than anything else in her life. The doctors had entered the room to find her sobbing, shaking her head back and forth and unable to do anything else. "Muscle suppressors," they had told her, "to keep you from moving around too much in your sleep and exacerbating the damage." Aimee still thought they could've left a note or something beforehand, rather than leaving her thinking she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life. In the meantime, being stuck in the clean white sheets until her legs healed completely was almost as bad. It was like a temporary paralysis; being unable to leave for so long, her only company the squaddies when they could grab enough free time and felt like wasting it on visiting her. Jackson was the most frequent, and she could really see their relationship burgeoning into something like a close friendship. Aimee smiled as she pulled a screen from her bedside table. Her father had been an Academy pilot before his injury had forced him into retirement, so Aimee had known what to expect from her squaddies. The Nesbit family had moved from deck A to deck H just so that he and his fellow squaddie Sara could be on the same floor, and her mother had simply seen it as the cost of marrying an Academy pilot. Sara was like a close aunt or an older sister to Aimee for most of her life, and when she had begun her Academy training Aimee had been excited to have that same relationship with someone. *Did we lose our chance at that, when we left Academy? Did we ruin our shot at any meaningful connections?* Aimee stared through the screen without really reading anything. It wasn't as if there was anything interesting to read anyways; trapped inside the core of Pivot and cut off from the outside world, the screen could only access Pivot's network. A few kids were writing a story on one of the sites, but anyone old enough to write entertaining content would be spending most of their time working. *Like I should be doing.* Aimee shifted restlessly. She amused herself by playing yet another game of ShipMiner. Missy came by a few hours later, clearly on a break. Her uniform was smudged with charred carbon and grease, and her brown hair with its streak of blue was tied in a tight ponytail much like the ones Aimee liked to wear. "They have you working on ship repair?" Aimee moved her legs aside to let her friend sit on the end of the bed, wincing at the motion. "Isn't Pivot all about the building and tech, don't they have enough mechanics?" "What would we use ships for?" Missy had been carrying a small package beneath one arm, and she unwrapped it on the bedspread to reveal several meal cubes. She must've been working hard, since the cubes were being tightly rationed yet Missy had managed to grab flavored and textured food. Missy leaned back comfortably and popped a lavender cube in her mouth. "We're completely land-locked." She explained around the mouthful of cube. "As far as we can tell the Terrans own everything in a complete sphere around us; there's no way we could safely launch a ship from the core and get it to the outside. No, I've been helping work on the generators." "You don't know anything about power systems." Aimee popped a tan in her mouth and took a moment to enjoy the savory, rich texture and taste. "At least with ships we squaddies kind of know what we're doing." "Mostly they just have me cleaning parts and handing out tools." Missy admitted with a smile. "But it sounded more impressive the way I said it." Aimee chuckled, watching her friend with interest. The friendly and outgoing girl at the end of the bed was almost an entirely different person to the mousy girl she had known at the beginning of their tour. Of course the largest shift in her confidence had been after she started dating Preston. The two of them had really brought out the best in each other; he had somehow drawn her out of her shell, and she had miraculously made him less of an asshole and more pleasant to be around. Aimee frowned. Preston had even visited her in the hospital a few times, and they had chatted much more naturally than the single time her own boyfriend, Li, had visited. Aimee's thoughts were interrupted when Missy leaned forward and flicked her across the forehead. "I'd say 'chit for your thoughts', but I spend my last luxury chit on the food." Missy said. "What are you so caught up on in there?" "I was just thinking about Li. Specifically how Preston is a much better boyfriend than him." In another girl Aimee might have to worry that her words would be construed as jealousy, but Missy understood her bumbling attempts at communication by now. She ate a pink sphere thoughtfully, not replying until she'd finished the entire thing. "You have a lot of interests in common with Preston, don't you?" "Sure. We both play Cribkers, we both like pre-separatist art, both enjoyed drones classes." "You both listen to that Popclick noise." "Hey, Popclick is a legitimate musical genre, snob." "Either way, you don't really share many interests with Li, do you?" Missy lifted a tiny golden cube to her mouth and sniffed it before eating it as Aimee considered the question. "I dunno...we sort of just each do our own thing when we're not together." "And by 'together', you mean having sex. The only thing you have in common is liking old Synthetic Joe cartoons." "Li likes Synthetic Joe?" Aimee asked in surprise. "Aimee Patricia Nesbit!" Missy glared, and Aimee winced at the use of her hated middle name. "There's no reason to be mean about it." Aimee sulked, and Missy's angry face softened. "I'm sorry Aimes, I'm just cranky 'cause of the heat." Indeed, the other girl's face was shining with sweat, her clothes clinging to her. For once Aimee was grateful to be in the hospital wing, where the patients only had to wear light medical gowns, and heatsoaker panels had been placed to absorb large portions of the ambient heat. She felt sorry for whoever had to share a room with the used heatsoakers that would begin expending all that collected heat. "Look, I know okay? I know I should break up with him. Hell besides the sex, neither of us will even notice the difference anyways. It's just hard, you know? I've never been the one to do the breaking up before. I have to steel myself up for it." "Oh, it gets easier to break up the longer you've been together? Is that how that works?" Missy asked innocently. Aimee opened her mouth to come up with a smartass answer, but they were interrupted by a small ping from the hand-sized screen on Missy's belt. "I have to get back to work. Parts need cleaning, tools need fetching. Just think about what I said, okay?" "I'll break up with Li." Aimee lifted her screen. "I'll call him right now. I just...really hope we can still be friends afterwards." "Okay, good luck sweetie." Missy leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Eat the rest, I bought half of these for you. I have a date night with Preston tonight, but I'll stop by tomorrow and see how it went. It'll be hard, but I have faith in you." *When did that change?* Aimee thought idly as she watched her friend leave. *When did I become the 'sweetie' that needed reassuring?* She activated her screen and went back to playing ShipMiner. She *would* call Li and break up with him. In just a little while... *** *Two hours ago* It was awkward sitting next to Li when she knew she should break up with him, but what could she do? It wasn't as if she could turn to one side in the middle of the General's debriefing and say "psst, by the way I'm breaking up with you." Much better to wait for the perfect moment, and now definitely wasn't it. Her worries put off for the moment, Aimee focused on the General's and the security Captain's words. The mission seemed straightforward, although it wouldn't be easy: open the shielding, pump out the heat, flood the core with cool air, then slam the shields closed again. Aimee wiped a bead of sweat from her neck and nodded. When she'd stepped out of the hospital she could actually feel the wall of hot, sticky air she was moving into, and for a moment she had briefly considered hamming her injury to spend a little more time inside the cool confines of the impromptu sick bay. Not that she would, of course; being there when Tess and Captain Appet had emerged was too rewarding an experience to miss, even if it had been a little awkward with the girl who used to be their teammate but had no memory of them. Aimee shook her head and tried to focus again. It was too early in the morning for this, she needed a caffeine dose. Just a few minutes later they were moving to get ready, and Aimee was busy enough to forget about problems focusing. *** *Two seconds ago* Did sweet and doll-like Missy really just say 'fuck them up'? *** *Now* The crash of the room-wide section of shielding opening was muffled almost instantly by the whipping wind that blasted past them from behind, mixed with the startled sounds of all of the squaddies who hadn't taken thermodynamics classes. The heat differential between the sweltering core and the cool air outside caused the air to *shift* with a huge gust of wind. Despite the possibility of enemy combatants, Aimee clamped her eyes shut as the blowing wind whipped against her face. The only place she had encountered wind before was on the rescue mission to the surface, and for a moment Aimee was back there, in between the trees and unnatural curves of the plants, biting back fear for her life, just waiting for a Terran to end her life. Aimee opened her eyes, and the feeling didn't go away. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but she was pretty sure it included some version of the sleek hallways of Orbital Pivot, the enclosed space of an Orbital, the metal and plasticine that was the hallmark of ordered, civilized life. What she didn't expect was twisted trees, climbing plants, and the unnatural curves of vines and leaves. "What the fuck." She breathed, but her voice was swallowed up in the silence that followed. The metal of the hallway protruded a few feet past the line of shielding, but after that it was covered by the twisting roots of giant trees. The ceilings had been ripped away, and although the presence of oxygen told her that there had to be at least something between them and the void, she couldn't see any metal above them, obscured by the heavy tree cover. It was lucky that there were no Terrans waiting for them, because for a few moments Aimee and her squaddies were exposed and defenseless, staring at the changes with open mouths. The whole affair was lit with an eerie blue glow, similar to the reflective light the moon had cast on the surface during the night. It was bright enough to see by, but somehow made the looming trees and small bushes seem more grave and imposing. "This is Blue, broadcasting to both parties." Normally the disembodied voice of the station creeped Aimee out and made her jump, but it didn't even register as strange next to the towering trees. "I'm looking over the camera feeds from your teams and...well, I can at least see why my instruments weren't working." "Can you tell us anything beyond the obvious Blue?" Jackson asked. "Something we might not be noticing?" *Is there anything that phases him?* Aimee wondered, noting Jackson's stoic demeanor. He had even dropped into suppressive-combat position, and the stance reminded her that she should be doing the same. She hastily dropped to one knee as the robotic voice answered. "Rookie Jackson is asking for any data not obvious, which is surprisingly not much. The fauna *is* legitimately organic, and drawing nutrient and power from some central location. They look like separate entities, as one might find on the surface, but the roots are interconnected and sharing a single power source." Aimee hadn't heard much from Blue, but the voice of the station seemed almost uncertain. "I'm not the best source to make a guess, but it appears to me that these were placed and modified to both match the appearance of the surface flora and to exist in the confines of the Orbital. How they made those modifications to the cellular structure in such a short time is beyond me, let alone how they aged the cells to reach such growth in the space of less than a month. That kind of technological progress is...worrisome." There was a short pause, then the voice broke in again. "Captain Kreshler has remarked that this level of technological sophistication should be discussed with General Hunter, and I agree. I will be going silent until such time as I'm needed." "It's magic. We told them the Terrans used magic, why is it such a shock?" Aimee grumbled, staring down her sights. The mottled shadows made it hard to determine shapes within the trees, and the constant wind at her back made the leaves and branches move in smooth and humanlike ways. Her trigger-finger itched. "We know that the Terrans *think* it's magic." Alex corrected quietly. "I think we can be a little more intelligent about our guesses." Orbital Academy 20 "Alex you were there! You interacted with Terrans more than any of us, you can't explain the things we've seen!" Aimee regretted her words almost immediately. The other girl hadn't ever said what she did to get her fellow captured squaddies out of the jails and into more comfortable quarters, but Aimee had grim suspicions. Alex didn't seem bothered by the implication. "When I was five I didn't know how a recyclergizer worked, and I believed my mother when she said pixies came and took our trash away." She said. "And yet I could still use one. I'm not going to take the Terrans' word for it just because they think they know what they're doing." The group lapsed into silence again, marred only by the hum of whatever machines were pumping heated air out of the core. If every muscle hadn't felt like a taut string, the breeze running past her would've felt quite good after days of building heat, but Aimee couldn't enjoy it. The darkness and the blue light seemed to press down on them all, and the flickers in the forest played tricks on her eyes that had her almost pulling the trigger a few times. "Rookies." This time Blue's voice was quiet, almost too quiet to hear. "The team on the opposite end has been engaged by Terrans. We are assuming a corresponding attack will be launched against you as soon as they make the connection of our purposes. Please standby at the ready." The squadmates were already in position, spread out along the walls of the hallway just inside the shielding area, but there was a subtle shift as each of them mentally prepared. Aimee strained, watching the edge of the forest as if she could see through the thick trees. She would be damned if one of her squaddies fell because she missed a Terran in the dark. "Rookies, note has been made that the Terrans do not have low-light visibility. I will be dropping light coverage to your hallway in an attempt to provide an advantage; please put on your helmets and prepare to activate either heat or night VI modes." Aimee's helmet was already on, as were the majority of the squads'. Only Marcus fumbled for a moment, slipping his into place. When the lights cut out, suddenly and silently, Aimee already had her finger on the switch. She prefered night-VI, taking advantage of the higher definition and detail it provided. She wasn't even sure what heat-VI would show, given the currents she could feel swirling around her, but Preston, Alex, and Missy used heat-VI and didn't seem to be having problems. Aimee was surprised to find that she was much less nervous there in the dark, peering through the night-VI. Before the blue light had seemed ominous, the flickering shadows dangerous, and the lurking threat of Terrans terrifying. Now there was no distinction of color, and she could see into the trees as clearly as if it had been appropriately lit. The Terrans *were* coming, and knowing that for a fact seemed somehow less frightening. She didn't even jump when she caught sight of the creature moving towards the edge of the forest at a slow, cautious pace. It looked exactly like a waist-high version of a Drake; reptilian scales layered in intricate patterns across its back, a long snout and four stubby legs with dextrous looking clawed toes at the end of each. Even through the night-VI Aimee thought she could see the intelligent gleam in its eyes. The fluttering in her stomach settled and hardened into a manageable ball as soon as she saw the creature, and instead of fear she felt only a grim resolve. According to the squad tactics Captain Appet had taught them, if there was no time to plan hen whoever happened to be in front would give the group signals, and without hesitation Preston lifted a closed fist in the air. The squad waited obediently, as the little Drakeling shuffled to the edge of the forest and peered down the dark hallway. The creature's gaze passed by her, unseeing, but Aimee still shuddered. It took a few hesitant, suspicious steps forward, stopping to look around it, taste the air with its tongue, and tilt its head to one side as if listening, before taking a few more steps. The tension that was growing in her stomach was enough to make her want to scream, but Aimee trusted Preston's judgement, and he let the beast approach until it was almost at the mouth of the hallway before his closed fist dropped. The hallway erupted in sound as the squad emptied laser and slugfire into the beast. Even being caught off-guard and unable to see them, the Drakeling was frighteningly tough and frighteningly fast. It turned and lunged back towards the protective cover of the trees, even though Aimee could see the slugs ripping into its protective scales, and was blinded by the blinding blurs of light that were her squaddies' laser weapons. The creature almost made it to the edge of the forest before it slumped to the ground with a roar, and the hallway and forest was quiet save for the echo of the brief but roaring volley. Aimee blinked away the tears that the laser flashes had caused. She considered turning her night-Vi off, but she would rather be momentarily blinded than stumble into the laserfire that heat-Vi wouldn't show her. "Even if that was just a scout, the Terrans will have heard that." Li noted. "Should we move forward, spread out a little bit?" Aimee asked the group as a whole. "They won't be able to put the shield back up, but we can have a wider range of fire." "And we won't be in as much danger of whatever their version of a grenade is." Missy remarked. Aimee looked at her sharply. The words were simple enough, but Missy said them almost lightly, as if with a shrug. "Missy are you...enjoying this?" Aimee asked. This was the same Missy who struggled with tears in her eyes to meet the PT requirements, the same Missy who had screamed and dropped her gun their first time they went to the firing range. She stood there now completely at ease; there was even a half smile playing at the corner of her lips. Aimee frowned. Her friend's confidence was encouraging before, now it was...creepy. "It *does* get the blood flowing a little bit, doesn't it?" Missy asked. "Makes you a little tingly? Like you can take on anything?" "Don't let the adrenaline make any stupid choices." Preston warned, and Aimee felt a little better that she wasn't the only one who had noticed the difference. "I agree with the girls though, we should get out of the hallway." Marcus offered. After a brief exchange of glances, the squaddies moved slowly into the great expanse of the forest beyond. "I will not compromise the integrity of the Orbital, rookies." Blue warned. "If I must trap you out there to prevent the Terrans from moving in, I will." Whether it was due to her warning or simply the safety of the unknown, the squadmates pressed against the ruined wall on the either side of the hallway. The metal had somehow been corroded and eaten down, as if decades of age had set on it. *Did they do that with their magic or technology or whatever?* The back of Aimee's neck tingled. *What would that do to a human?* "Our team on the other side has two security forces down," Blue reported, "but my scans are showing they're unconscious, not dead. The General has ordered you to switch to non-lethal rounds." "For all we know, they're resistant to non-lethal." Missy grumbled, but she joined the rest in switching. The energy weapons were easy enough to swap, but all of the squadmates with slug-based weaponry had to switch magazines, and there were a tense few moments when half of the squad were effectively defenseless until they changed over. The first shot was bright and sudden, arcing out of the forest and towards Jackson. Aimee watched in horror as the searing bright blue orb passed within inches of her squadmate's face, but despite the near miss he didn't react at all. "Terran!" Aimee screamed, all thoughts of subtlety behind her, and she spun to locate the source of the attack, resisting the urge to start firing wildly. A small motion of fabric moving behind a tree was enough to indicate a direction, and she narrowed her eyes and squeezed out a small burst of fire. The helmet adjusted to the light of her lasers within moments, but it was almost too slow; the second she could see again another bright light was moving towards her. The other squaddies were firing as she dove low behind one of the bushes, and in the half-second it took for her helmet to adjust she felt more helpless than she'd ever felt. The Terrans' attacks looked evil, but they were far, far slower than laser weapons. Slow enough to dodge. Blue's comment about their lack of ability in this low light was proving accurate; even though there were several of them flinging orbs of light at the rookies, none of them were contacting or seemed deliberate. *They're literally taking shots in the dark.* She realized. *They can only even see us by the light of their attacks.* Jackson's lack of reaction stuck in her head, even though there were lights and danger that screamed for her attention. It suddenly hit her as the helmet took another half-second to adjust. "Their spells...bullet...things give off light!" She called. "They won't show up on heat-Vi!" At her words, the squaddies who had been using the heat-Vi switched, and skirmish between the two forces, already surprisingly evenly matched, began to shift even further. It began with the first Terran to fall. To her surprise, Aimee was the one to dispatch him, catching the burly man in the side with a laser. The man collapsed without a sound, but a Terran standing a little ways behind him began screaming, loudly and incoherently. To her right, Alex slipped behind the bush with Aimee, pulling another non-lethal clip from her belt and reloading. "Why's he screaming? The other one should still be breathing." Aimee checked her gun's settings to make sure it was non-lethal. "Haven't you read the histories?" Alex rose and fired a few shots, and the screaming was suddenly cut off. "First time they've seen Orbitans who can actually hit one of them." With the end of the screaming, the forest was suddenly plunged into an eerie silence. Aimee peaked over the edge of the bush, and caught sight of a handful of Terrans running for more distant trees, moving away from the forest's edge. "They're running!" She cried, pumping off a few more rounds at the Terrans' backs. "The Terrans on the other end are retreating as well." The voice of Blue called from the hallway. "General Hunter is ordering a retreat as well. Our core temperature has cooled even lower than the outside, and he's muttering some paranoid garbage about things being 'too easy' and 'filthy Terran traps'." Aimee grinned, and turned back to the hallway, clapping Alex on the shoulder. "Rookies, attention and alert! From the hallways!" Blue's voice was sharp, and the smile died on Alex's face as they all turned to the darkened halls they had come from. Even after the several weeks in which the squad had been broken up, Aimee was so used to working as a team with her squadmates that the sight confused her. The first thought that occurred to her was to wonder why she couldn't see whatever enemy Terran was chasing Tess towards them. The girl's strides were long and determined, and her fingers were moving as she ran. It was only a split-second of hesitation that made Aimee pause, but the split-second was all her former squadmate needed. Light flashed so bright that the night-Vi helmet simply shut down, its protective hardware choosing to protect her eyesight rather than blast the image into her head. She heard Tess running passed them, and she fired a few non-lethal shots in their general direction. The helmet booted back up, but Tess had already disappeared. "God damn it, I knew we shouldn't have trusted her-" Preston began to complain, but it was at that moment Aimee saw the spell. It was through a combination of luck, the night-Vi helmet, and peripheral vision that she even noticed it. The spell was so subtle and so dimly lit that she might've walked right by it if the blur hadn't been magnified, but her eyes widened as she watched the small orb rolling across the ground, bouncing like a ball, heading straight for where one of her squaddies stood. "Grenade!" She screamed, and the squaddie turned in horror. Aimee didn't think or reason, didn't hesitate for a moment. Throwing her gun to one side she lunged forward, throwing herself on the magical grenade at Li's feet. She felt the impact rattle her bones and shake her teeth. She had no idea what a physical grenade would feel like, but she could actually feel the pieces of magic whipping through her body. Her blood seemed to warm, her muscles shaking as if she'd had too much caffeine. Bile rose in her throat, then was slammed back into her stomach. One eye was staring at Li's feet, the other somehow looking into his face. He was saying something, but all she could hear was a jumble of ten or twenty voices, all of them his, all of them saying something different. *It didn't even make a noise.* The ludicrous thought occurred to her, just as the feelings stopped as suddenly as they began. Aimee's vision refocused, and she realized that she hung a few feet in the air, facing a group of concerned squadmates, frozen stiff. She tried to blink or speak, but it was as if her muscles weren't even connected to her brain anymore. On the plus side, she seemed to be able to breath, and she could at least hear everyone. "You're *sure* she's alright?" Li was asking worriedly. "I've been scanning since the moment the device went off; she's alive and conscious. Judging by the spike in brain activity she can even hear you now." Blue sounded exasperated. "Now will you please pull her in before the Terrans come back?" Aimee's squadmates approached and gingerly pulled her towards the hallway. It felt as if she was being pulled through a thick syrup instead of the air, but Aimee wasn't complaining. "What if it doesn't wear off? What if she stuck like this forever?" "One member of the other team was hit by this device at the beginning of the attack on the other side." Blue reassured, as the squadmates pulled Aimee into the hallway. The group visibly relaxed when the silver shielding slammed shut again behind them as Blue continued. "He 'thawed out' about ten minutes ago, a half hour after the effect started. It was clearly just supposed to incapacitate you while your Terran friend escaped, not hurt or kill you." *It could've killed me.* Aimee realized belatedly. *I could've died.* "She took that for me." Li seemed similarly shocked, gently guiding her frozen body between himself and Missy as the squadmates followed in a bizarre procession. "Holy shit Aimes you had no clue what that thing did and you took it for me." "I'm really glad." Missy smiled at Li from the other side of Aimee. "See how much she cares for you, even after breaking up? That's the kind of friendship squaddies have." *It's the kind of friendship Dad and Sara have.* Aimee would've smiled if she could. Li stopped in the middle of the hallway. "...Breaking up?" He asked. *Ah shit...* *** Part 3 - Jane's Honour *** From where she sat, Captain Jane Appet could see the prisoner leaning to peer over the edge of the climbing wall. There wasn't a hint of a breeze moving through the huge room, so the strands of brown hair that were wafting around the prisoner's face must've been moving due to her gentle rocking back and forth. *It's probably not too wise to sway like she's doing.* Jane mused, *especially with her arms chained behind her.* No one else around her seemed to be concerned, and of the rows and rows of spectators, there was surely someone more qualified to make the call than she. Jane kept her mouth shut and watched. Three judges approached the prisoner, each with heavy black cloaks that obscured their faces to everyone, even the prisoner, who stared at them through haunted eyes. Even with her arms twisted behind her back the prisoner seemed hunched over on herself, as if the disapproval from the crowd would be lessened if she could keep the glares from her exposed face. Of course, teetering up there on the edge of the climbing wall, unsecured and without a tether, Jane would probably be just as uncomfortable in her place. It was a strange sort of trial for several reasons, Jane suddenly realized. The judges were too far away for the audience to hear anything they said, and it was hardly fair to place the defendant in so precarious a position before the trial had even started. No sooner had she realized it than Captain Appet felt the edge of the wall beneath her feet, and her shoulders ached at the awkward position the manacles held them in. "Ah. One of these *dreams* then." Jane glanced at the judges standing in front of her, purposely avoiding looking behind her at the long drop. She had been ten the first time she'd found herself in a nightmare, aware but unable to wake up. In the ensuing years she had learned to deal with them, trying to stay calm and let them run their course, although even as an adult she often woke from them in a cold sweat. "Maybe I don't want to play tonight, maybe I just take a step backwards and wake up early." She said to no one in particular. Her instincts told her to cower and quake, but Jane straightened her spine instead, staring the judges in the face. When they slowly lowered their hoods, the judges' expressions told her that they didn't believe her blustering for a moment. "Stupid idea anyway, trying to bluff my own subconscious." Jane muttered to herself, her gaze travelling from face to face. The first was Captain Leon, looking as young as the day he had given her the ceremonial graduation pin. The second judge was General Auspus, the old commander of Orbital Academy. The third was, of course, Patrick Appet, her instructor, her first love, the man who had died to keep her safe on the horrible surface run. "So which lecture from my subconscious will it be tonight? 'You're worthless Jane, you don't deserve your Captain wings?' Perhaps a rendition of 'you're such a slut, everyone hates you'? Or will it be that old classic 'you should've died instead of Patrick'?" Jane spoke angrily, but she couldn't meet the judges' eyes. "Captain Jane Cripshaw." The voice didn't belong to any one judge, but it somehow encompassed all of them, it was Patrick, it was Auspus, it was her father and her mother and everyone who had ever been in authority over her. "Captain Appet." Jane spat, but the voice continued, unstoppable as she knew it would be. "Thee stand accused of treason and treachery, of betraying thy command, thy Orbital, even unto thy entire race of Orbitans. How do thee plea?" "Oh hurray, this is a new one." Jane could feel the old panic of her childhood rising in her throat, and despite how ludicrous it was she could feel a draft from the chasm behind her. "How exactly am I supposed to have I betrayed anyone?" Though none of their expressions changed, Leon, Auspus and Patrick managed to look incredulous. "'Twas thy trained Rookies that split the Orbit, sparking the first flame of war in ten-score years! 'Twas thy trained Rookies that rebelled against Orbital Academy, and thy trained Rookies that even now sit in the Terran halls. How can'st thee ask the question?" "First of all, fuck off with the speech impediment; I don't talk like that so it's stupid that my subconscious does. Secondly, sure I trained the rookies, but they're their own people, the choices they made had nothing to do with me! Oh fuck-" Jane groaned as Captain Leon stepped forward. She had handed her subconscious a perfect lead-in to Leon's favorite line, the one he used during every graduation speech. "No one quite knows where we got the old phrase 'a captain goes down with her ship'. Any ship that explodes will take a captain with her, but inside that obvious gem is a gleam of truth. When you become an Instructor-Captain, the squaddies under your tutelage are like a part of your ship. By giving you this Captain's Pin, we make a public statement that your trainees are molded and shaped by you. Every success of theirs is something to take pride in, and you should learn as much as they do from each of their failures."