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The Sky So Blue

By: Lemonweaseleye



John Wellington had been unceremoniously thrown into the cell without a word and without any clothes. As he dusted himself off, he took note of his surroundings. It didn't take very long. There was a fountain of some kind in the far corner, a large bed, and a small white skinned creature lying upon it. John had never seen a creature like this before and his first instinct was to get as far away from it as possible. Especially when it uncoiled its lightly furred tail, but it made no move towards him. It didn't appear to have even awakened. He stepped closer to the bed and examined her as closely as he dared. She was very human like and not altogether unappealing. She had pale, white skin and spiky blue hair. Her small pert breasts were tipped with erect, blue nipples and her limbs were sinewy and lean. She couldn't have been 5' tall and even with the tail, she didn't appear to be a threat, but John still felt very uneasy.

As he was looking at her face and appreciating its haunting beauty, her silvery eyes shot open and she shrieked. She had moved so fast to the corner of the bed, John didn't even have time to react. She looked terrified huddled in the corner.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said realizing that she probably couldn't understand a word he was saying. She softened a bit at his words and ducked her head down shyly. 

He heard the swish of the door open behind him and as he turned around he was hit in the chest with a blue bolt of energy. It sent him flying backwards on the bed beside the small alien woman. He was completely immobilized, every muscle in his body screaming. A huge green-skinned humanoid lumbered towards him and clamped a steel ring around his ankle and then departed. 

The little white alien woman had curled up against him and when he was able to move again, not knowing what else to do, he put his arm around her. To his surprise, she did not flinch away but instead sighed contentedly. 

"Who are you?" he rasped. She looked up at him quizzically and began chattering away in a language he couldn't hope to comprehend. She did however have a beautiful voice. He found himself smiling as he got lost in the musical tones coming from her mouth. He had also noticed the sharp fangs and a very long red tongue that occasionally flicked out to moisten her blue lips. She then put her head back down on his chest and hugged him tightly. They were just lying there like that when a second large green alien appeared with a shock stick in his hand. John did not like being zapped by that thing and he decided to make his feelings known, as futile as it might be. 

They were very large powerful creatures with tough green skin that approached a carapace in some spots. They had lumpy bodies and yellow eyes. They didn't seem to have any apparent vulnerabilities but John figured they must have joints with limited mobility so he aimed for the elbow of the one standing in the doorway. John felt some satisfaction when the alien howled in pain at having his elbow hyper extended but John hadn't been able to use enough force to actually break it. And when the shock stick blasted into his chest, the force had been great enough this time to send him flying into the wall across the cell. He couldn't move but he could see the small alien girl run towards the green skinned creature and fall to her knees before him. She clasped her hands together and chattered away in a language much harsher than the one she had spoken before. The green alien paused and then bent down towards the diminutive creature. Her tail whipped out and wrapped around its neck. Her fingers gripped the sides of his head and they began what seemed to be chanting. After a few seconds, she dropped her head, released the huge creature and walked back over to John.

"I know some of your words now." She smiled and held his chin in her hand looking into his eyes. "Don't do that again. They will kill you next time." She turned and walked out of the cell, followed by the lumbering green alien.

It had taken John longer to recover this time and when his limbs had stopped aching, he crawled back onto the bed. He had wanted a simple life. He wanted to find peace. That was why he had volunteered for the outer rim. It was tough to get pilots that far away from civilization for so long but it suited John perfectly. He was away from people and he was finally finding some contentment in his life of solitude. But then there had been a reactor leak and he had been pushed way off course. When his instruments finally recalibrated he was pretty sure he would never find his way back. He was going through the charts in the navicompter when he heard a noise and a saw a bright light coming from outside the ship. He went to investigate and before he knew what had happened, he was waking up in a white room filled with the green-skinned aliens. He had read a book somewhere about mean, green aliens called Vogons so he decided that's what he would call them. Vogons. It just seemed to fit. They were very ugly. 

The fatigue from the shock stick blasts had taken its toll and John soon fell asleep. When he awoke, the little white alien woman was curled up beside him on the bed.

"Where did they take you?" he asked.

"They collected some dust."

"Dust? What do you mean?"

"I produce a dust from my teeth. It is very valuable to them. That's why they have captured me." She answered.

"Is it poisonous? The dust?"

"No. They sell it as...I don't know the word. Medicine, I think?" 

"What is your name?" John asked suddenly.

"Hmm. I still don't know many words in your language. What do you call the atmosphere when you see it from the ground?" she asked curiously.

"The Sky?"

"Yes! That's it. My name is Sky." She smiled contentedly as she lay on his broad chest. Her fingers lightly caressed his cheek and she seemed to be studying him intently. Her tail was sliding across his leg and then it gently wrapped around his quickly hardening cock.

"Sky? What are you doing?"

"I'm arousing you."

"I can see that. I mean why are you doing that?"

"If that's what you mean then that's what you should say."

"You still don't understand English at all, do you?"

"Hrmmph." she frowned. Her tail was covered with a fine layer of fur which felt incredible against his skin. Still wrapped around his stiffening cock, she slightly squeezed her coiled tail around him, producing a shudder from his entire body.

"Stop that." He pushed her flat on her back on the bed, his arm pinning her delicate shoulders beneath him. He glared into her face, her silver eyes twinkling in amusement. 

"You're not afraid of me?" he said.

"No. I can feel you now." She smiled up at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Your...emotions. I can feel them. I can feel your...I don't know the word. Heart? Yes. I know your heart. I know you will not hurt me."

"How do you know?" 

"I don't know how I know. It just is. It is a thing that just is." She grinned and wrapped her legs around his waist. Her tail curled around his hips. She licked her lips hungrily and ground her self against him.

"We can't do that." He breathed deeply.

"Why not? I think you would make a suitable mate."

"We are not the same species. I don't even know how you work, biologically speaking. For all I know you could be poisonous to me." He frowned. She giggled in a high pitched mewling that made him smile despite himself.

"You have a thing about being poisoned don't you?" she giggled again.

"Maybe."

"Kiss me." She breathed. He knew that he shouldn't but her luscious blue lips beckoned him. Her long red tongue flicked out across her fanged teeth and without thinking, he kissed her. All the air seemed to go out of the room and he felt light headed. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and swirled against his seductively. As he released her and rolled on his side, she turned to him. "I am not poisonous to you. We are compatible, biologically." She sighed.

"And you can tell all that from a kiss?"

"Yes." She propped herself up on her elbow and grazed her dark fingernails across his arm slowly. She began tracing the tattoo, lightly dancing her fingers over the black ink that covered his skin. 

"Sky? Why have they put me in here with you?"

"You tell me about this mark and I'll tell you why."

"Nothing much to tell. I was in the military back on Earth. This is the symbol for my regiment."

"Regiment." She sounded the word out slowly. "Is that like your clan?"

"No, well, sort of. Clan is basically family. A Regiment is a division of the army. Its similar I guess."

"You are a warrior." She said quietly.

"No. I was. That was a long time ago."

"You don't seem like a warrior. You're not like them."

"What are they like? The warriors from your world."

"Fierce, unforgiving and merciless. They fight until they die. They are...cruel. You are not like them. You are not cruel Captain Wellington.

"All humans have that capacity."

"To be cruel?"

"Yes, to be cruel."

"Even you, Captain Wellington?"

"Even me. And stop calling me that. You can call me John."

"They told me your name was Captain Wellington?" she asked clearly puzzled.

"My rank is Captain. My name is John Jacob Wellington. You can call me John or JJ."

"I will call you John." 

"Are you going to tell me why they put me in here?"

"Yes, I will tell you. First you must understand that my people do not survive in captivity. We will die usually within 30 days. No matter how many of us they put together, we will all die."

"Then why do they keep capturing your people?"

"They want the dust." Sky grew suddenly sad and John pulled her against his body. "Our people have met before." She continued. "Many years ago, one of your people was captured and she was put in the cell with one of my people. He lived much longer than normal. But they were both killed when they tried to escape. For some reason, my people can survive in captivity longer if we are placed with a human. That is why they placed you in here with me. So that I might survive. And then they can collect the dust."

"What would've happened to you if they hadn't found me?"

"They would extract as much dust as they could before I died."

"So why haven't they captured more humans?"

"They do not know where to find you. It was only by chance that they found the other one of your kind. I'm sure they are searching for your home world."

John considered the information carefully. Since he was so far off course, they would have trouble figuring out where he came from. His navicomputer did contain enough data that they could eventually find Earth's location, however. It would be difficult but it could be done. He would have to figure something out. But he had time. And he needed to learn a lot more about these Vogons and their ship.

"Does it hurt? When they take the dust?" he asked.

"No. It is uncomfortable. But it doesn't hurt." With amazing speed, Sky jumped astride John's body. She held his wrists and he let her guide his arms above his head. Her knees were gripping his waist tightly and her tongue flicked out, wetting her lips. "Will you mate with me, John?"

"I'm afraid..."

"Do not be afraid of me. I will not poison you." She frowned.

"I'm afraid of hurting you." He finished.

"Oh. You may bite me if that is your way. Our people do that sometimes. It is acceptable to me."

"That's not what I mean." He nodded to the erection that was trapped between their bodies. Sky looked down and began grinding her hips against him. "That's not helping." he winced.

"You are afraid that you are too big to fit within me?" she asked innocently.

"Yes. You're a very small person. Human females are generally...taller."

"Do you find me unattractive?" Sky asked while still rotating her hips against his girth.

"No. I find you very attractive. You are very beautiful." She paused for a moment and stared deep into his eyes. 

"Your eyes are the colour of moonstone. It is very pleasing to me. I find you very attractive John Wellington." She smiled suddenly and began writhing against him again.

"You better stop that or my urges are going to take over."

"That is what I was hoping for. Let your urges take over. Take me, John Wellington. Do not be afraid of hurting me. I can take you within me. Mate with me." A blue tear fell from her eye and John could taste the saltiness as it landed on his lip. 

He grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over onto her back. He could feel the wetness between her legs as he slid against her parting lips. Her fingers weaved into the hair at the back of his neck and she pulled him down closer. Her tail was whipping back and forth across his back. He kissed her passionately, crushing her beneath him and forcing himself inside her. She gasped in surprise. He tried to slow as he entered her for the first time but she was so slick and hot that he lost control and plunged his entire length deep into her until she screamed. He held still as she shuddered around him, accommodating his size. 

Her hips slowly started to move and he began pulling out of her. She felt so tight it was as though her body was trying to hold him in. When he had almost fully withdrawn, he plunged back inside of her. Again she screamed and her teeth sunk into his shoulder. He began pumping slowly in and out and her hips began meeting his thrusts. He moved faster and faster until he was pounding into her, each impact eliciting whimpers from her small frame. Suddenly her entire body clenched and a fierce howl escaped her lips. Her fingernails dug into his back and she shuddered beneath him, pushing him away from her with her legs and arms. 

As he slid out of her, Sky's eyes shot open wide. She pouted and he flipped her onto her stomach. He pulled her hips up so she was on her knees and in one swift movement, thrust full into her from behind. Her eyes were wide with a mix of surprise and desire as she looked back at him over her shoulder. He kissed her and let the passion over take him. His hands kneaded her small breasts, twisting her erect nipples as he slammed into her. He was pounding harder into her, his hands moved, tightly gripping her waist, forcing her body harder against his. She was crying out every time his flesh slapped again her ass and then he felt the familiar sensation deep within. She could feel him swell deep inside her and as he picked up speed, she knew he was about to explode.

"Yes. Fill me with your seed." She whispered. That was all it took to send him over the edge and then he was pumping load after load of his come deep inside her abused pussy. She moaned and trembled as another orgasm ripped through her and he slowed to a stop. 

He fell onto his back, chest heaving and sighed. Sky immediately climbed onto him and he put his arm around her. "I told you. We are compatible." She breathed.

"And I didn't hurt you?" he asked concernedly.

"Not as badly as I hurt you." She blushed, caressing the bite mark on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." She offered quietly.

"Don't worry about it. Just a scratch."

"No, this is a bite but there are scratches too." She remarked taking him literally.

"Ha. Good."

"You're not upset?"

"Hell, no. I think that's the best sex I've ever had. My god, you are beautiful." He smiled weakly and kissed her forehead. Sky snuggled in close and sighed happily.

"I am glad we are mated John Wellington."

"Me too. Now all we have to do is figure a way out of here."

The Sky So Blue Ch. 02



Captain John Wellington watched in fascination as Sky flew through the air. Her agility would shame the most accomplished gymnasts back on Earth. Her small body was lean and muscular and as he was beginning to observe, incredibly flexible. They had been rudely awakened earlier that morning by the sound of a cart being pushed into their cell covered with food which although unidentifiable, had actually tasted quite good. After they had eaten they were escorted to a large room outfitted with a large floor mat and suspended parallel bars. Sky swung between the 3 parallel bars for about 20 minutes, performing difficult manoeuvres until finally launching her petite body with precision and speed into the air and landing on her toes. She then performed a complex series of flips and tumbles across the large floor mat for another hour or so. Apparently finished her morning workout, she sat on the mat stretching her muscles while watching John complete a series of karate katas. After a few minutes, Sky began to imitate his movements.

"You're cheating." He winked at her.

"How?" she asked innocently.

"You're using your tail for balance."

"Wouldn't you use your tail if you had one?" she asked slyly.

"Yes I probably would. But I would still be cheating." He laughed. Sky slunk behind him and mimicked his moves precisely. She moved slightly closer until she was brushing up against him. "That's very distracting." He smiled. 

Sky giggled quietly and began running her fingers down his chest lightly. Without warning, he grabbed her and pulled her in front of him. She was still giggling and he kissed her on the forehead. 

"I was thinking of some more exercises." She grinned. Her fingers were dancing across his chest and arms when suddenly her long tongue flicked out and caught his nipple. He hissed as she began swirling a wet trail across to his other nipple and then down his chest and stomach. She then moved sideways and planted a wet kiss on his hip. 

"You're going to drive me crazy, Sky." He breathed, his eyes closed in pleasure. He could feel her tail wrapping around his calf and as her fingers moved around and gripped his ass tightly, her tongue slid slowly around the base of his now hard shaft. His fingers weaved themselves into her hair as she began licking the underside of his cock slowly. When she reached the head, her tongue swirled around it entirely before she took him in her mouth and started gently sucking. 

"Oh, that feels good." He winced. She removed her mouth and began licking the shaft of his hard cock again. Her hands grasped the base of his engorged member and she began pumping him slowly as her tongue traced magical circles up and down and around. He started involuntarily thrusting as she closed her lips around him. Her grip tightened and she began sucking harder as her tongue continued to caress the underside of his cock. 

He resisted the urge to grab her head and plunge his cock down her throat and instead, pushed her back and onto the mat. He lay down beside her and lifted her up off the floor, spreading her legs on either side of his head. He held the base of her tail and used it to pull her dripping wet pussy hard against his mouth. He began licking up and down her slit with enthusiasm. Sky yelped in surprise as his tongue lapped her freely flowing juices and she continued licking his cock. Her small hand was pumping his hard shaft and her tongue licked and circled his head. She sucked him into her mouth and he plunged his tongue deep into her pussy. 

Her muffled groans vibrated through him and he started thrusting his hips to meet her mouth. She was sucking harder and as his tongue flicked at her hardening clit, she also began grinding herself desperately against him. He nibbled her, gently teasing and then finally sucked her nub between his lips and into his mouth. She groaned loudly and moved up and down his cock even faster. 

It became a race to see who could make the other come first. He was sure he was going to lose. He could feel his balls tightening and he knew he was about to erupt when she began shuddering and then cried out as an intense orgasm washed through her. She came all over his face and he lapped up as much as he could. She continued to stroke him between her fingers and as he felt the first jet of hot come bursting from his cock, she lowered her mouth around him, sucking back every load as it spurted from him. When she had licked him clean, she spun around and kissed him, collapsing on his chest.

"That was amazing, John Wellington." She gasped, still trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah." He rasped. "You are amazing." 

"You are very sweaty." She licked his collar bone lightly.

"I wish we had a pool." He sighed. 

"A pool? This is water in a small place?" she asked while curling her body against him.

"Yes. Do you not have pools on your world?" his arm encircled her, pulling her in tight.

"No. We have rivers and there is an ocean although I have never seen it."

"Do you swim in the rivers?" he asked.

"What is swim?" she cocked her head to the side and he couldn't help but smile. She was damn cute and she seemed to be getting more attractive to him by the minute.

"Swimming. It is moving under water. Like the fish."

"We cannot breath underwater, John Wellington. And even if we could it would be too dangerous. The currents of our rivers are very strong. We would be swept away. And there are dangerous animals in the rivers."

"We can't breathe underwater either. We just hold our breath for a couple minutes. The rest of the time you swim on the surface." He tried to explain. Sky propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him like he had gone completely mad.

"You submerse your entire body in water?" she asked sceptically.

"Yes. It's great. Like in a bath. You take baths don't you?"

"No. We wash ourselves but we do not ever get in the water." She shook her head.

"You get wet in the rain don't you?" he asked smiling.

"Not if we can help it. Why would you want to be covered in water? It is for drinking and washing only."

"So you've never actually been in the water?"

"No. And I have no desire to ever do that. You are a strange creature, John Wellington."

"Well, it's not likely to happen here anyway. They don't seem to have any pools available." He grabbed a towel that had been lying nearby and wiped the sweat from his face.

"They have pools. You can request one. They will accommodate you." She smiled

"They'll get me a pool if I ask for one?" He threw the sweat soaked towel on the floor and kissed her on the forehead.

"Yes. They want to keep you healthy. They will keep you here for a very long time. When I die, they will bring another of my people to you."

"What do you mean when you die? I thought you could live here longer with a human for company."

"Yes that it true. But I will still only live 4 or 5 months. And then I will die."

"Shit." He hissed under his breath.

"Will you not explain this word to me? You use it quite often." She asked sweetly.

"It's a curse word. It's not very polite. I'm not going to teach you curse words."

"But you use it when you are unhappy?"

"Yes."

"Why are you unhappy? Have I done something to displease you?"

"No, of course not." He realized he sounded angrier than he had intended. He looked at her elfin face and felt a twinge of guilt. She was incredibly beautiful and seemingly innocent. She looked at him with an expression of uncertainty. He struggled with the emotions that were surging within him. "I do not want you to die. I am very fond of you, Sky." He gently placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb tracing the contour of her cheekbone.

"I am very fond of you too, John Wellington." She smiled happily.

"Can you ask them about a pool? I would like to see what they can come up with."

"Yes. I will tell them you desire a pool." 

"Good. But first, I guess we need to start working on a plan."

"What kind of plan?" she cocked her head to the side and he couldn't help but smile.

"A plan to get us out of here. And to stop them from finding my home world."

"Why would you want to stop them? It would be good for them to bring more humans here."

"What? Are you kidding me?" he asked in astonishment.

"No. I am quite serious. If there are more humans, more of my people will live longer. And you may find a more suitable mate." She reasoned.

"Shit." He was dumbfounded.

"You are unhappy again." Sky looked at him sadly.

"I'm very unfucking happy. Listen, Sky. I have to explain a few things." He sat up and pulled her small frame onto his lap. "First of all, I do not want another mate. I want you. I want you to live a very long time. With me." He kissed her on the forehead gently and tears began to form in her silvery eyes. 

"You make me very happy John Wellington." She sniffed and wiped away the blue tears cascading down her pale cheek.

"You make me happy too, little bird. Now listen. Humans do not like being held in captivity either. We may live longer but it does not make us happy. We need to be free. And we don't like it when creatures like these Vogons start traipsing around the galaxy enslaving and murdering innocent people, like you. They are what we call bullies. They need to be stopped."

"But you are only one man, John Wellington. You cannot hope to stop the Vogons. They have many ships."

"One ship at a time, little bird. One ship at a time."

"But there are eight Vogons on this ship and only one of you."

"Eight? There are only eight of them?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. Three in the command deck and the other five to manage the slaves and cargo." 

"Holy shit."

"I knew that would make you unhappy." She sighed.

"No, not unhappy. Just surprised." He rubbed the stubble growing on his chin roughly.

"Shit means unhappy but 'holy shit' means surprised?" she asked.

"Remember when I said I wasn't going to teach you curse words?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Yes. It was only a few minutes ago."

"Well I'm still not going to. I need to think."

"I will go and ask them to get you a pool." She stood up and kissed him on the top of the head.

"You do that, pet."

"They will probably let you use one of theirs. They use them all the time. They like to be in the water." Sky moved to the com panel near the door and began speaking the harsh Vogon language into it. After receiving what sounded like a very terse response, she returned to John's lap.

"They will allow you to use one of their pools tomorrow." She smiled happily.

"Thank you, little bird." John kissed the top of her head lovingly. He breathed in the scent of her hair and was amazed by how sweet it smelled. It was like flowers and berries mixed together with cinnamon and spice. He looked down into her silvery eyes and felt a contentment that he had never before experienced. All those years he had tried to escape humanity and companionship and here he was, fawning over a little white alien.

"What is a bird, John Wellington?"

"It is a creature from my home world. They are little winged animals that fly in the air." He answered. Sky looked horrified.

"We have those creatures on my world. They are not little. They are twice the size of me. Their skins are black, coated with poisonous resin and they have sharp teeth. They can tear a person to pieces in seconds." She shuddered.

"They sound very dangerous. But these are not the same kind of creatures. Birds on Earth are tiny creatures. They can fit in the palm of your hand. Well, my hand anyway. They have beaks, no teeth. And they sing the most beautiful songs. They are covered in feathers of all different colours and they soar through the air on the wind."

"They sound like very beautiful creatures." Sky smiled uncertainly.

"They are very beautiful. Like you. Beautiful, tiny creatures that soar through the air." He smiled. Sky looked up into his eyes and grinned. 

"I like the way you look at me, John Wellington. I can feel your heart. Your feelings grow stronger. The sorrow inside you is smaller. I would hope that I see it go away before I die."

"Don't say that, Sky. You are not going to die. I will not let you." John surprised himself with the strength of his conviction.

* * *

After John and Sky had been escorted back to their cell, John began to think of what he knew about these Vogons. They were tough. He probably couldn't take more than one in a fair fight and even that would be difficult. Their thick skin made very effective armour for hand to hand combat. He definitely wasn't going to be fighting fair. He needed to know more about their physiology. He asked Sky to tell him everything she knew about them. 

"They eat the slime produced by the machines. I have seen them eat small insects but mostly it's the slime. They breathe the same atmosphere as we do. They like the heat and the water. Their skins get dry very fast. I don't really know much more about them. I'm sorry, John Wellington." She dropped her head shyly.

"It's all right. That's good. It's a start. How long have they been capturing your people?"

"For as long as I have lived. Maybe longer. The Vogons do not land on our world often. And they do not stay long. They attack a village and collect a few of the adults and then they leave."

"Why isn't your military able to intervene?"

"Our warriors cannot fight them. We have no ships. No weapons. We have only spears and bows. We have no beam weapons." She explained.

"Your people haven't discovered space travel." He realized.

"We understand it now. We have learned much from the Vogons. But no. We have none of this...the machines. We have no machines." She waved her hands around gesturing to the ship around them.

"My people have machines. We have ships. And a military, which would really come in handy about now."

"Yes. The Vogons do not think you are very advanced, though. They found no beam weapons on your ship."

"Ha. That's because my ship was a 200yr old hunk of junk. Upgraded engines but everything else was pretty basic. Hey. What did they do with my ship?"

"Its in one of the storage bays. They will probably sell it."

John lay back on the bed and Sky curled up against him. He rolled onto his stomach and her delicate fingers began tracing the many scars covering his back.

"Where did these come from, John Wellington?" she asked quietly.

"They are...battle scars."

"Are they from beam weapons?" her fingers danced lightly across his skin, tracing the long parallel grooves of scarred flesh.

"No. Those are burns. I was stuck in a burning wreck."

"And these circles?"

"Those are from bullets." He sighed.

"What is a bullet?"

"A bullet is a projectile. Your people use bows right?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Bullets are like arrows. They are smaller but faster. I was shot when I was getting out of the wreck."

"Who shot you?" she asked clearly disturbed.

"Other humans."

"Do you fight other aliens?" she whispered. John turned back over and she pulled herself on top of him, resting her head on his chest.

"No. Humans haven't met any other aliens yet. You are the first. Well, you and the Vogons. Have you met other aliens?" he found himself slowly stroking the delicate muscles of her shoulder.

"Only the ones on the ship."

"This ship?"

"Yes. There are Squibs and Matradoks on board. And the dark thing."

"What are they like?"

"Squibs are small furry creatures. They are not dangerous. They are very friendly. Although they are sad that they will be killed for food. Matradoks are lizards. They are not as friendly but they mostly sleep. The Vogons cut off their horns and sell them. They are very valuable."

"And the dark thing?"

"I don't know what it is. But it is very sad. It's very big and the Vogons think about it a lot. They are not sure what it is. It makes them...nervous."

"Sky? How do you know all this? You've barely left my side since I've been here. Did they let you wander around before I came?"

"No. But I was in a cell beside the Squibs and Matradoks before. I took their words from the mind of the Vogons and I speak to them sometimes."

"How do you speak to them?"

"In my mind. I send thoughts to them." 

"Holy shit! You can read minds?"

"I can hear thoughts. Is that reading minds? 

"Yes it is."

"You are very surprised, yes? I remember, holy shit means surprised."

"You're not supposed to be learning curse words."

"I am sorry John Wellington. I like to learn."

"That's all right, little bird. How far away can you read minds?"

"I do not know."

"But you could talk to the Squibs and Matradoks now if you wanted to?"

"Yes." 

"And the dark thing?"

"I cannot hear its thoughts. I do not know its words."

"So you have to know the language before you can read them? Makes sense. Can you read my mind?"

"I haven't tried. I learned your words from the Vogon."

"That was what you were doing, wasn't it? When you wrapped your tail around its neck and held its head in your hands?"

"Yes."

"Can you read anything a person is thinking? Like if you wanted to know the code to open the door. Could you pull it from the Vogons mind?"

Sky grew very still. She hugged onto him tightly as though she were suddenly afraid. "Yes." She whispered quietly.

"What's wrong Sky?" he asked concernedly.

"It is a bad thing to hear secret thoughts. I didn't mean to hear them. But the Vogons do not hide their secret thoughts very well." She began to weep silently and John pulled her up so they were face to face. 

"You already know the code for the door, don't you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry John Wellington. I'm so sorry." She began trembling.

"Shh. Don't cry, little bird. You have no reason to be upset. What you can do is a good thing."

"It is a very bad thing to do, John Wellington. I should not have done it."

"Sky? What the Vogons do is a very bad thing. They take and murder your people. How can what you do to them be in any way a bad thing?"

"They are different things. What they do is bad. But if I do something bad, it does not change what they do. I am still a bad person." She sniffed.

"Wow. You have a firmer grip on morality than any human I've ever met. No such thing as an eye for an eye with your people is there?"

"What is the meaning of this? An eye for an eye?"

"It's an ancient Earth saying. It means if you take my eye I will take yours. It is essentially vengeance."

"Why would someone take your eye?" Sky asked curiously.

"Forget it. It doesn't matter. It's probably better if you don't understand. It might not be the most enlightened philosophy."

"You are not angry that I have done a bad thing?"

"No I'm not angry. I think it might be the answer to our problem. Can you read the minds of the Vogons now?"

"Yes."

"Where are they?"

"Three are on the command deck; the other five are in a pool."

"Can you take me to the pool?" he asked slowly.

"They will be very upset." Her eyes widened in fear.

"That is my plan. Do they have those shock sticks with them?"

"There are some in the room with the pool."

"Great. C'mon little bird. Let's go say hello." John got up off the bed and headed for the door.

"I am afraid, John Wellington." Sky hesitated on the bed. John turned and held out his hand.

"Come on, Sky. Don't worry. Everything will be all right. Trust me." John smiled.

Sky slowly walked to the cell door and pressed the keypad. The door hissed open and she hung her head.

"Sky? What's wrong?" John held her by the shoulders. She looked up and tears were streaming down her cheeks. She just shook her head slightly. "Can you put the codes for the doors in my mind?" Sky looked up at him curiously. She seemed to consider it for a minute and then she nodded. 

"Yes. I can do that." She sniffed.

"Great. Do it." John grinned. Sky wrapped her tail gently around his neck and her fingertips pressed against the side of his temples. There was a wash of light in his vision and he could hear a humming noise. Colours flashed in his eyes and he could suddenly hear Sky's voice in his head. His vision cleared as she began reciting the code for the doors on the ship. And then she was gone. He felt a strange kind of emptiness afterwards. It felt warm and comforting to hear her voice inside his head like that. He was not expecting it to be such a pleasant experience.




The Sky So Blue Ch. 02



"John Wellington?" she said quietly. Her hands were on his shoulders and she gently shook him.

"That was very interesting, Sky. Not at all what I was expecting." He opened his eyes and smiled.

"You should not do this. They will kill you John Wellington. I do not wish you to be killed." She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"I have to do this." He pulled her chin up to meet his gaze and he kissed her hard on the mouth. "Trust me, little bird. Everything will be all right. Now stay here. I'll be back soon." John turned and slipped out the door. 

He could suddenly understand the whole layout of the corridors. She had not only given him the codes but also everything she knew about the ship. He began running down the corridor until he skidded to a stop at the pool room. He keyed the pad and the door slid open. The room was the size of a small hangar and dark. He was not expecting that. He could see the mist rising up from the Olympic sized pool in the middle of the room and a row of benches along the one side. He could make out the heads of four Vogons bobbing just above the surface of the pool. They were spread out, and as the door slipped shut, he was enveloped in complete darkness.

"Shit." He hissed.

An electric blue flash illuminated the area to his left and he could see the outline of the Vogon coming towards him. The shock stick was powered up and John knew what was coming next so he decided not to wait around. He rolled and dove across the floor, trying to close the distance between the Vogon with the shock stick as quickly as possible without being in a direct line of fire. The blue beam of electricity arced past his shoulder and as he slammed into the knees of the Vogon, he caught a glimpse of the four in the pool moving slowly in the water towards him. His foot flew straight up as hard as he could move it into the chin of the Vogon. It barked and was startled enough to allow John to pry the shock stick from its hand.

John rolled back away from the Vogon and landed on his knees with the shock stick pointed at its chest. He pressed the button and a blue beam blasted into the Vogon. He turned to the pool and fired another shot at the closest Vogon rising out of the pool but the stick just fizzled and died, leaving him in complete darkness yet again.

"Shit." He hissed. Before he could think of what to do next, the door slid open and Sky shot a blast from the shock stick in her hand into the feet of the Vogon about to step out of the pool. The entire surface of water lit up with blue energy and the four Vogons wailed as they froze and then slipped under the water. 

"Nice shot, Sky." John smiled. "You kinda spoiled my outnumbered, heroic underdog thing though."

"I am sorry." Sky looked completely confused.

"That's ok. They would have kicked my ass anyway." He laughed.

"The water amplified the beam from the shock stick." She said simply.

"Yes I spotted that." John turned to the immobilized Vogon beside him and began dragging the paralyzed creature to the water.

"What are you doing?" Sky asked

"I'm bringing this one to be with his brothers." He grunted as he pulled the large body across the floor towards the pool.

"But they will die if we leave them in the pool." She argued.

"Sky. You have to understand something. I have been trained to kill. I'm going to kill all of these Vogons. They are going to pay for what they have done to you and your people." He kicked the bulky Vogon into the pool with a loud splash.

"Please do not do this, John Wellington. Please do not kill them. I cannot let you kill them." She pushed a key on the pad and the water began draining out of the pool. A dim light flickered and then illuminated the room.

"Dammit Sky!" he cursed. She began crying, holding her hands over her face and John walked over to her slowly. He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her. "All right. You win. I won't kill them. I'll be right back. If any of them move, zap'em with the shock stick, all right?" he asked.

"Yes. John Wellington. I will do as you ask." she sniffed. John ran down the hall and then down a couple levels. He searched through maintenance rooms and storage lockers but he couldn't find any straps or wire or cord anywhere. He did find his clothes and an old thermo-detonator that they had obviously taken from his ship. He also found his old assault rifle with several clips of ammo. They were stacked in a room with some crates beneath a large piece if cargo netting. He put on the clothes, slung the rifle over his shoulder, and tucked the thermo-detonator into his pack. He then folded the netting up as small as he could and dragged it back to the pool room.

By the time John had his prisoners trapped securely in the net at the bottom of the empty pool, he was getting nervous about the other Vogons. It was surprising that no one else had come to investigate. He didn't think he could be that lucky. He dropped the thermo-detonator between the trapped Vogons, thumbed the remote carefully making sure it was active and climbed out of the pool.

"Sky? Can you tell if the other Vogons are aware of what's going on down here?"

"They are unaware. What will you do to them?" she asked worriedly.

"I promise I'll try not to kill them. All right?" he smiled.

"Thank you John Wellington." She smiled but he could tell she was still worried. "That is not a beam weapon." She pointed to the assault rifle.

"No. It is an assault rifle. It fires those bullets I told you about."

"I do not like it John Wellington." She said quietly.

"I know. But I promise I will only use it as a last resort. Come with me to the command deck. We'll try some gunpoint negotiating." He put his arm around her and they walked towards the command deck.

They entered the command room and saw three Vogons strapped into chairs and wired up to the computers. There were nozzles occasionally spurting gusts of mist over their bodies as they sat. They made no move towards John and Sky and in fact gave no appearance they had even noticed them enter.

"What are they doing, Sky?" he said quietly.

"They are flying the ship." She answered simply.

"Tell them I am taking command of the ship. I have the others immobilized and I will destroy them all if they do not surrender."

Sky repeated the message in Vogon and as she finished, one of the large ugly creatures rose from the chair. The straps and wires all fell away and the Vogon spoke in its harsh language.

"He wants to know your terms for surrender." Sky translated.

"My terms? He's going to surrender?" John asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I think he is concerned that you might damage his crew. They represent a significant investment. Almost as valuable as the cargo."

"Holy shit." John rubbed his stubbled chin for a moment. "What is his cargo exactly?" 

"There are the Squibs, the Matradoks, six kilos of dust, a crate of Matradok horns, another Sjin, 100 kilos of Syballin Spice, and the dark thing."

"What is Syballin spice?"

"It is a medicine."

"And a Sjin?"

"My people. That is the name of my people. I am Sjin."

"I didn't know there were more of you here. Tell him these are my terms. They will give me back my ship, return the Squibs and the Matradoks to their home world, release the other Sjin to me, and in return I won't kill them. And they can keep their ship." 

"He agrees to your terms. But he has a further condition." Sky looked up at John expectantly.

"What's the condition?"

"He asks that you would also take the dark thing when you take your ship."

"What? Why?"

"Your ship is inside the dark thing. They do not know how to remove it."

"How did it get inside?"

"They are not sure. They were both in the hangar bay and then your ship was just inside the dark thing."

"What the hell is this dark thing? Listen, just tell him to wait. I need to see what the hell I'm dealing with. Tell him if he tries anything, I blow his buddies to little bits."

"I don't need to tell him. He is very uncomfortable with your tactics. He agrees to wait."

John and Sky headed through the ship and opened the hangar bay door to find a very large black ship sitting in the hangar. It reminded John of a huge bat with much thicker wings. It even had a spiky surface across the top which resembled hair. It was much larger than John's small vessel which was apparently sitting inside its bay.

"Holy fuck. Is it a ship or is it alive?" John asked quietly.

"Both. What is fuck? Is this also surprise?" she asked innocently.

"Shit. No. Well, actually in this case it is because I am surprised. But that's not what fuck means. And that's not a good word for you to learn. Forget I said that." He was staring in awe at the massive ship. "I've never seen anything like this. I mean of course I haven't but holy...this thing is amazing. A living ship."

"I will learn its words." Sky moved towards the hulking mass but John held her back.

"Wait. I don't trust it. I don't want you to be hurt, Sky."

"It will be all right. I can sense her feelings." She walked up to the landing strut of the ship and wrapped her tail around it. Her fingers grasped the sides and she started chanting. A quiet humming filled the room. John slowly walked closer until he was beside Sky. He looked up at the huge creature ship suspiciously, rifle aimed high. Before he could even think of firing, two large tentacles shot out and latched onto them. They were both wrenched up in the air and through the outer membrane of the hull. John felt like he had broken through the surface tension of a pool of water yet he was dry when he landed on the hard floor. The tentacles immediately retracted from whence they had come, and John and Sky were left sitting on the floor of the cockpit of the enormous ship.

"Holy shit."

"John Wellington?" Sky said quietly.

"Yes, Sky?" John answered getting to his feet.

"Can we help her?"

"What does she want?" John looked around the cockpit. It was definitely organic in design. The walls reminded John of the microscopic images of human skin he had studied back at the academy. There was an ambient light source that didn't seem to be coming from anywhere in particular, yet everything was well lit. 

"She wants a pilot."

"Is that all?"

"Yes. She has been very lonely for a very long time." Sky moved over to the console and wrapped her tail around it. Her fingers grasped the board and she smiled wistfully. "She would like you to be her pilot."

"And if I refuse?"

"She would be very sad."

"And that's all?"

"Yes. She has no plans to poison you." Sky giggled quietly.

"Funny. All right. Tell her I will be her pilot." John figured it couldn't hurt any. An extra ship might come in handy. "What's the worst that can happen with a sentient ship?" he asked sardonically.

"I do not know." Sky answered smiling. "John Wellington?"

"Yes Sky?"

"She is ready." 

"All right." John said distractedly. He was examining the view screens at the front of the cockpit which appeared to be a transparent part of the ship. He was not expecting the tentacle to shoot out from the console and wrap painfully around his right arm. He felt a burning sensation and as the tentacle uncoiled from his flesh, two bands of a rust coloured membrane were fused to his skin around his elbow and wrist. A fibrous vein linked the two bands, running down the inside of his forearm. The pain dissipated almost immediately and he was left staring at the arm band in shock. "What the hell?" he flexed his arm. The bands were firmly attached.

"She has completed the bonding process. You are now able to communicate directly with her no matter where you are. You will be able to fly the ship giving commands with your thoughts." Sky smiled happily.

What are you so happy?" he asked her.

"She is happy now. You have removed the sadness from her. You have done a great thing John Wellington."

"Remind of that later, will ya? I have a feeling I'm going to need to be reassured at some point."

"Of course."

John fell into the chair rubbing his arm and he felt the voice in his head. "Welcome Captain John Wellington. I have waited a very long time for someone to occupy that seat." She had a rich voice and it took John a second to realize he was understanding her native language. 

"Do you have a name?" he asked aloud.

"I am Medea One-oh One." The voice was feminine and breathy and now filled the room. Sky scrambled into the other chair and the voice continued. "Would you like me to indoctrinate your co-pilot now?"

"Does that mean you will burn one of these armbands onto Sky?" John asked cautiously

"That is correct." Medea answered.

"I am ready, John Wellington." Sky smiled happily.

"Sky, I can't ask you to go through that. I'm not even sure what the effects are. It could be dangerous." He argued.

"I would be honoured to be indoctrinated as co-pilot if you are willing to have me, Medea." Sky said clearly. Again the tentacle shot out from the console and wrapped around Sky's limb." She winced slightly and then the tentacle was gone, leaving smaller yet similar armbands attached to her left arm.

"Indoctrination complete." Medea's voice filled the room.

"Medea, we still have something to finish. We need to go back and see the Vogons." John asked half expecting to be refused.

"By your command." Medea said simply. The two chairs in the cockpit seemed to float down through ships outer membrane and suddenly John and Sky were back in the hangar. John stood up and watched the chairs ascend back up into the ship in amazement. He grabbed Sky by the hand and walked briskly to the door. Once through, they made their way back to the command deck where the Vogon was still standing there waiting for them.

"All right. Tell him I will take the dark thing. But I have one more condition." John said sternly. "You will never return to the home world of the Sjin. If any more of her people are abducted, I will consider it an act of war and respond appropriately. Understood?" He glared at the Vogon.

"He agrees to your terms. But he cannot speak for the rest of his people. Others may be ordered to come."

"Just tell him to make sure he relays the message to his people. Trespassers will be prosecuted."

"He agrees to your terms. Will you remove the explosive device from his crew now?"

"Can I trust them Sky?"

"Yes. There is no deception planned. The Vogons are traders, not warriors. You have surprised them. They were not expecting you to be so...dangerous. They will do as you have asked.

"Then I will get the bomb. Should I release the other Vogons?

"They will not try to harm you." She shrugged.

"All right. I'll set them free. Demonstrate my magnanimous nature." John winked at a puzzled Sky and turned to leave the command deck.

"What will you do if more Vogons come?" Sky asked as they walked through the ship towards the pool room.

"Medea? Can you hear me?"

"Yes Captain." He heard the soothing voice in his head.

"Tactical simulation. If you were to engage a ship like this one in battle, what would the probable outcome be?"

"The Vogon's ship has limited defence capabilities and its beam weapons are unlikely to penetrate my hull. I estimate 3 minutes to incapacitate a ship of this type."

"Thank you Medea." John smiled and wrapped his arm around Sky's shoulders. "To answer your question Sky, I will incapacitate them if they come."

"So you are planning on staying on my home world?" she asked excitedly.

"I guess I am. Is that all right with you?" 

"Yes, John Wellington. That makes me very happy." Sky put her arm around his waist and they entered the pool room to collect the thermo-detonator and free the Vogon prisoners.

When they had finished retrieving the explosive and untangling the net, John and Sky walked out into the corridor. 

"Where are we going?" Sky asked skipping slightly to keep up with John's mile-eating stride.

"We're going to see your kin." He smiled.

"What is kin?" she asked.

"Family. Relative. We're going to see the other Sjin." John slung the rifle over his other shoulder and put his arm around Sky as they walked through the Vogon ship.



The Sky So Blue Ch. 03



Captain John Wellington was walking the dull, grey corridors of the Vogon ship, his arm around the shoulders of Sky as worked his way through the alien vessel. She would occasionally look up at him and when he caught her silvery gaze, he would smile. She was, he realized, having an effect on him that he had not anticipated. The hurt and the anger that had been coiled deep inside him for so many years was loosening its' grip on his soul. He barely recognized himself from a week ago. They entered the level which contained the cells and stopped at one of the com-pads. John examined the small screen, trying to determine which cell held the other Sjin. 

"Got it." He grinned and began moving down the corridor. When they came to the cell that was holding the other Sjin, Sky started to become agitated.

"I should not be here, John Wellington." She stopped before the entrance.

"Why not? What's wrong?" John asked.

"The other Sjin...she is...I should not see her."

"Why not? Explain it to me." John grasped her gently by the arms.

"She is Sjin-Ryu, from the south. I am Sjin-Kai, from the north. We are not supposed to see each other."

"Why not?"

"She is the enemy. It is forbidden for us to speak to each other."

"Oh good. Perfect." He said dryly. "Does that mean you're going to fight each other or something?"

"No. Females do not fight on my world. Only the warriors."

"You can go check on the Squibs and Matradoks if you like." He offered.

"Thank you John Wellington." She turned and skittered quickly away down the hall. John opened the door and the cell looked identical to his former room. There was a fountain in the corner, a bed and a little white alien lying on it. This alien had shock red hair however, and he noticed as she glared at him, icy blue eyes. As her tail flicked through the air he spotted reddish stripes circling the tip. She was about the same height as Sky but a little more fuller figured. Her hips were soft and round and her full breasts were tipped with pink nipples. 

John stepped closer to the red-haired Sjin lying on the bed and she immediately backed up into the corner away from him.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said extending his hands outward. He approached the bed and sat on the edge. He realized this was going to be much more difficult without Sky to help him translate and he dropped his head in thought. How could he convince her he meant no harm? As he looked up into the icy blue stare, she suddenly leapt at him. Her fingers gripped his head tightly and her tail curled snugly around his neck. He instinctively grabbed her waist as she straddled him and could feel her entire body trembling.

John winced as he felt the colours flashing through his vision. He heard the familiar humming sound and then her voice was inside his head.

'You are not here to hurt me?" her voice thrummed through his mind.

"I will not hurt you." He said aloud. Her tail uncoiled from his neck and she released her grip on his head.

"You smell of her." The little alien hissed.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Meadow." She answered cautiously.

"My name is..."

"Captain John Jacob Wellington, United Colonies Assault Force, retired." She finished.

"That's right. You can call me John."

"What do you want with me?"

"Didn't you pull that from my mind?" he asked.

"No!" she hissed angrily. "I would never steal thoughts." She said as though the idea disgusted her.

"All right. Relax. I meant no offence." He soothed. "I have taken control of this ship. We will be returning to your home world where you will be free to return to your people."

She widened her eyes in surprise. "You challenged the Vogons?" she asked curiously.

"Yes. You won't have to worry about them anymore." He smiled.

She sighed heavily and fell back on the bed. "It will not matter for me."

"What? Why?"

"I will not survive the journey." She closed her eyes.

"She has started the fade." Sky appeared in the doorway. John turned to face her while she clung to the doorway nervously.

"You should not be here B'naith." Meadow hissed, glaring at the blue-haired girl.

"You are fading. There is no one else to perform the ritual. We Sjin-Kai would not dishonour the spirits by letting you fade without ceremony." Sky spat angrily.

"You are Sjin-Kai. You have no honour." Meadow hissed.

"All right. I think I can see where this is going. And before it gets there, we need to have a wee chat. Sky? Come over here please?" John waved her over. She reluctantly moved to his side on the bed. "I need some answers. First of all, why is she 'fading' if I am here? I thought being with humans allowed your people to live longer?" he asked.

"You have not been with her, John Wellington. It only works when you mate with one of our people." Sky answered quietly. "We know from the last human that you only mate with one person at a time." 

"The last human was female, correct?" John asked. Both Meadow and Sky nodded. "Well that's understandable. Male and female humans often have different ideas on the specifics of our relationships." John smiled.

"You can mate with more than one female?" Sky asked surprisedly.

"We can, yes."

"Then you must mate with her, now." Sky said excitedly.

"I will not take your mate, Sjin-Kai." Meadow glared at Sky.

"It is my decision. Not yours." Sky sniffed. 

"You would offer your mate to me? You would praise Abolith?" Meadow asked incredulously.

"I will. We are not barbarians, Sjin-Ryu." Sky answered stiffly.

"What does that mean? Praise Abolith?" John was suddenly getting the feeling that he really had little say in what was going on.

"Abolith is the ever-widening spirit. When many males are lost, females lend their mates to other females to help propagate the species in the name of Abolith. To present your mate to another female is...honourable." Meadow explained. "I would not expect such a gesture from a Sjin-Kai." Meadow was still glaring at Sky suspiciously.

"So you want me to mate with Meadow?" John asked.

"You must, John Wellington. You can save her." Sky pleaded.

John found Meadow to be very attractive but the idea of having sex with two alien women who he didn't know that much about and who obviously disliked each other seemed a recipe for disaster. "You're sure this is what you want, little bird?"

"Yes. It would please me greatly." She roughly shoved him on his back and looked to Meadow. "Help me remove his clothing." They quickly stripped him of his clothes and Sky kissed him deeply. "I am happy you will do this thing, John Wellington. It is a good thing." She whispered. Sky then guided Meadow's head to replace her own.

"I am grateful to you, John." Meadow said quietly. She kissed him tentatively at first, but then her desire began to build. Her lips pressed hard against his and her tongue slipped into his mouth. Sky whispered something in her ear and Meadow lowered her body, sliding against John's chest and stomach, dragging her small breasts against his skin until her head was near his hips. John looked up to see Sky duck between Meadow's legs and Meadow began to moan as she took his now erect cock in her wet, warm mouth. John gasped and gripped the bed sheets tightly in his fists. 

"I'm not going to last very long if you keep doing that." He winced. Meadow looked up at him with his cock in her mouth and winked. She took as much of him as she could deep into her throat and he groaned loudly, throwing his head back. Sky was suddenly at his side and she pressed her lips against his. She slid her tongue in his mouth and he could taste Meadow on her. Her hands caressed his face as she kissed his jaw and neck, her lips tugging gently on his skin. 

Meadow straddled his waist and slowly lowered herself onto him. His hard cock spread her wide open and she moaned as she took his length inside her. She began rocking her hips and John pulled Sky closer. He pulled her up so he could take her small breast into his mouth. He rolled her erect nipple with his tongue, gently nibbling with his lips as Meadow started riding him faster. Meadow was impaling herself hard against him, whimpering with each impact and as he caught Sky's nipple with his teeth, Meadow began to shudder and a long low moan escaped her lips. Her pussy was contracting around him and he suddenly started spurting his come deep within her. She collapsed onto his chest and tried to catch her breath while he stroked slowly in and out of her wet pussy. 

Sky laid her head on John's shoulder and he reached between her legs. His fingers found her slick opening and he began stroking her softly. Sky moaned and thrust her hips harder against his hand. He found her clit and started tracing circles around it. Meadow slid down his body and her red tongue flashed out between his fingers. She plunged deep inside Sky's moist center and as John continued rubbing Sky's hardening clit, Meadow was lapping at the juices flowing freely. Within minutes Sky's entire body clenched tightly and then shuddered as the orgasm tore through her. As she lay there, chest heaving, Meadow moved beside her and kissed her cheek lovingly.

"Thank you, Sjin-Kai." Meadow whispered.

"Thank you, Sjin-Ryu." Sky smiled. She ran her fingers through the spiky red hair lightly and down the tight braid that fell past her shoulders, lost in thought. Meadow studied her intently, her icy blue eyes glittering with curiosity. They settled in on either side of John and he put his arm around each of them.

"Why are your people enemies?" John asked carefully. He didn't want to start something when everyone was feeling so content, but his curiosity was aroused.

"We have always been." Meadow answered simply.

"We are forbidden to ever speak to each other. This is a very unusual situation." Sky spoke slowly. "Meadow is the first Sjin-Ryu I have ever seen."

"But why are you enemies? What started it?" John pressed.

"It has just always been. We have always been told that the Sjin-Kai have no honour. We have always been taught that they are evil thought stealers." Meadow looked over at Sky with a look of sadness."

"That is what we were always taught about the Sjin-Ryu. I think it is not true. I know it is not true. I cannot feel any evil within her. We were lied to." Sky's brow furrowed and she bared her fangs. For the first time John saw her appear angry. Meadow had the same expression on her face and suddenly they both sat up, facing each other. John was worried. It looked like they were about to attack each other. He was very surprised when they coiled their tails around each others necks very slowly and grasped each other by the head.

"What are you doing?" he asked concernedly.

"We are knowing each other. We were both deceived. We seek truth." Sky answered distractedly. They closed their eyes and started chanting. John watched in fascination as they concentrated on each other.

When they finally let go of each other, tears began to fall. They wrapped their arms around each other across John's prone body and hugged each other tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. John sat up and thought maybe he should give them some time alone with each other but Sky reached out and held him.

"Please, stay with us." She wiped the tears away and sniffed.

"Are you all right?" he asked concernedly.

"Yes. It was all just a shock. The elders have taught us both the very same thing. It is all lies. They are all lying. They keep our people at war on purpose." She began crying again.

"This is a very devastating discovery to us, John. Everything we have ever known is all a lie." Meadow explained.

"I understand. Just like the day after elections back home." John smiled and hugged them tightly until they had gathered themselves and the tears had stopped flowing. When they had calmed down, John began putting on his clothes. "Let's get out of here. I don't want to stay on this ship any longer than we have to." 

He finished putting on his shirt and then looked at the two naked white aliens waiting for him at the doorway. "Hey. Do your people...do they wear clothes?" he asked. They both giggled and Sky nodded.

"Yes. We wear clothes. Although they are not as fancy as yours, John Wellington." Sky's eyes were still a bit teary but John found himself enjoying the smile on her face. She seemed even more beautiful to him now than when they had first met. 

"Do you not like looking at our naked bodies, John?" Meadow cocked her hip and seductively slid her hand up her side until her fingers cupped her full breast sensually. "Are we so displeasing to look at?" she asked with a smirk. John slung the rife over his shoulder and headed out the door. 

"No, that is definitely not the case. You are both unbelievably beautiful. Please, remain naked as long as you like." He grinned and followed them down the corridor, enjoying the view mightily.

As they entered the hangar, John noticed the crates that had been removed from his ship were piled beside Medea. He also spotted the container which he presumed held the Sjin dust along with several crates he did not recognize. He approached one and traced the Vogon script on the side off the container. 

"Do you know what this is?" he asked looking at Sky.

"Yes. It is Syballin spice." She answered

"I wasn't actually planning on taking their cargo but since they went to all the trouble of delivering it, what the hell." John circled the pile of crates and containers slowly, wondering how he was going to load it all. "Medea?" John called.

"Yes, Captain?" the voice answered in his head.

"Do you have a way of loading these crates into the cargo hold?"

"Yes Captain. Would you like the task completed now?" she asked.

"Yes please." John said.

"By your command." Medea answered swiftly. Two large tentacles whipped out from the ship and latched onto the cargo. Within seconds everything had disappeared within the membrane of the hull.

"Holy shit, that was quick. Why do I get the feeling that I am never going to stop being amazed by you, Medea?" John smiled.

"Because I am amazing," Medea answered with a slight giggle.

"With a sense of humour as well. Perfect. All right ladies. Let's get on board for what I have no doubt will be a very interesting ride." He gestured to the two Sjin and they approached Medea's hull. John looked down at his armband and an understanding percolated through his consciousness. He touched the wristband and an image flickered in the air above his forearm. He could see Medea through it and also through her. He spotted an entrance near the floor and headed towards it. 

As he passed through the membrane of the hull, there was a vague pulling sensation against his skin but it was only a slight resistance. He moved up the corridor followed by Sky and Meadow and entered the cockpit. He sat in the command chair and Sky took her place beside him. A third chair slid out from the wall, slightly behind and to the right of Sky. Meadow hopped onto it and spun in a complete circle. John looked back to see her then wrap her tail around another console and she closed her eyes, apparently content with the chairs rotational capabilities.

"Do you wish to indoctrinate another crew member?" Medea's voice filled the room.

"Yes please Medea." Sky answered happily. Before John could react, one of the tentacles whipped around Meadows left arm, leaving behind the familiar armbands.

"Maybe Meadow doesn't want to be part of the crew, Sky? Shouldn't we have asked her first?" John looked at his co-pilot sternly but she just smiled.

"I know her now, John Wellington. I know this is what she wants." Sky smiled.

"It's true. This is what I want, John." Meadow added.

"We are going to learn to fly the ship." Sky said excitedly.

"What?" 

"Medea will teach us everything including the theory. We will learn to fly her so that you can take a break when you need one." Meadow agreed enthusiastically.

"Ok, I gotta say it's a bit unnerving having you all communicating telepathically with the ship and each other. How am I supposed to keep track of what's going on?" he asked exasperatedly.

"We will keep you up to date." Meadow giggled. 

"Good God, I'm surrounded by telepathic women." He cursed under his breath.

"I am going to study the communications system while Sky is learning to fly. We will be a good crew for you, John."

"Of that I have no doubt." He sighed and leaned back in the chair. It was incredibly comfortable. He looked at the armrest and noticed a hollow where his hand could rest. The sides had high ridges which cradled his arm perfectly. He stuck his fist into the hollow and felt the flight stick within. As he touched it, a plate popped out and covered his arm with more membranes that looked similar to his armbands. They began to glow and a small screen flipped over his shoulder and sat just to the right of his eye. As he looked into the small screen, he could see it was a menu of icons and options. He could move the cursor just by looking at one of the icons on the menu. When he looked up at the large screen in the front of the cockpit, information started scroll across the bottom of it. He targeted different icons on the menu and the corresponding display would appear on the large screen.

"This is awesome." John laughed. "This is the best HUD I've ever seen. My compliments, Medea. You are every bit as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside."

"Thank you Captain. Do you have a command?"

"Yes I do. Let's get out of here. Can you put me through to the Vogons? Tell them to open the hangar door?" There was a bit of static and then a Vogon appeared on the screen. He spoke in his harsh language and John turned to Sky for interpretation.

"He says the hangar doors are opening. And he hopes to never meet you again." Sky translated.

"Nice. I hope I never meet him again too. Tell him to have a nice day." John grinned.

* * *

It didn't take John very long to figure out Medea. All the controls and interfaces were so intuitive, he felt right at home within minutes of slipping into the vacuum of space. Medea was fast. Faster than any ship he had ever heard of. Earth ships had three types of propulsion. They had ion drives for long distance at near light speed, which usually required cryostasis tubes, they had jump drives which warped time and space and sent you across vast distances instantly, negating the need for cryostasis tubes, and then there were the sub-light engines which were used for navigating through everything from star systems to atmospheres. 

Medea had a powerful jump drive and instead of sub-light engines, she used some kind of gravitational field propulsion system that John had a little trouble comprehending. She was somehow able to use the gravitational eddy's in space to move herself. The closer she was to a celestial body, the more power she had to draw on. This made it very easy for her to manoeuvre in atmospheres. But even in deep space, Medea could outrun anything earth had to offer. 

John had never felt giddy before but he was pretty sure this was as close to it as he had ever been. And then he saw the navigational data. Medea had the most comprehensive star charts John had ever seen. Medea could go almost anywhere. 

One of the main reasons humans hadn't been as far out as these other alien races was their inability to jump anywhere that hadn't been mapped. They had to rely on ion driven ships to land settlers and send back data before they could jump there. It made exploration very difficult and time consuming. But with this kind of nav data, anything was possible. If humans ever got their hands on Medea's navigational data, they could go almost anywhere. John realized in that moment that he would never be going back to Earth. He refused to be the person responsible for helping spread humanity throughout the galaxy. 




The Sky So Blue Ch. 03



"Fuck'em." John hadn't realized he had said it aloud until he saw Sky and Meadow both staring at him. "Don't repeat that Sky." He grinned.

"Who are you talking about?" Meadow asked.

"No one. Nevermind. Let's find your home. Our home." He was scrolling thought the nav data when he located the planet he wanted. Its image appeared on the screen and both Sky and Meadow smiled wistfully.

Sjin was a world of forests and rivers in the north, deserts and rivers near the equator, and jungles and rivers in the south. It looked a lot like earth but without the massive oceans. A big green marble.

"Set course for Sjin please, Medea." John asked with a smile.

"By your command. Course set and locked." Medea answered.

"Initiate jump." John settled back into the chair

"Transwarp jump in 7 seconds."

"Hold on girls. We'll be home shortly." John looked over at Sky and winked.

John felt a subtle tremor throughout Medea's hull and then the stars began to stretch and bend. There was a humming noise and then everything went still. 

"Jump will be complete in 3 hours, 21 minutes." Medea chimed happily.

John looked over and noticed that Meadow and Sky had entwined their tails together and the bands on their arms were glowing.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Sky blinked her eyes open and smiled. 

"We are learning from Medea. She is teaching us both at the same time, and then we share what we learn from her with each other. It is very efficient."

"It's very hard to get used to." John snorted and returned to the nav charts. He decided to look up a familiar location and within seconds, Earth appeared on the viewscreen. Sky and Meadow both stopped what they were doing and looked at the planet in awe. 

"What is that world?" Sky asked.

"That's Earth. My home world." John answered slowly.

"It is very beautiful, John." Meadow said admiringly.

"What are the big blue things?" Sky asked.

"Oceans. Water. There is a lot of water on Earth." John signed and clicked off the image. Sky and Meadow went back to their odd form of training and John began wondering.

'Medea?' he thought.

'Yes Captain?' she answered in his head.

'How did you get these charts of my solar system? How do you know about Earth?'

'I have travelled there. It is an excellent source of fuel.' She answered.

'Fuel? What do you use for fuel?'

'Water.' She answered simply.

'What about food?'

'I only require water, Captain. Unless I am required to grow another ship. Then I would require additional resources.'

'Grow another ship? You mean reproduce?' 'That is correct.'

'How long would it take you to grow another ship?'

'It would depend on the size and complexity. For a ship comparable to myself, approximately one hundred and thirty seven years.'

'That's an awfully long time to be pregnant.' John smiled.

'Yes, Captain. Do you wish me to grow another ship?'

'No, Medea. At least not right now. We can talk about that some other time.'

'As you wish, Captain.'

'I am curious about your previous crew. Did they take you to Earth?'

'I do not have access to that information.'

'Why not?'

'My memory was deleted.'

'Deleted? By who?'

"I do not have access to that information, Captain.'

'Do you know who created you? Or where you come from? Your home world?'

'No, Captain.'

'Well, that kinda sucks. We'll have to see if we can do something about that one day. Remind me when we have the time, Medea.'

'As you wish Captain' Medea answered.

Space and time snapped back to normal after exactly 3 hours, 21 minutes and the planet Sjin was there in front of them.

"Amazing, Medea. That trip would have taken at least a day with a jump drive from Earth. And look at that. Beautiful." John remarked staring at the planet before them. He took a moment to appreciate the beauty of Sjin and its two small moons.

"It is good to be home." Sky said sadly.

"What's wrong?" John asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." Sky said nervously.

"We don't want to go back just yet." Meadow said quietly.

"That's all right. We don't have to. We can stay in orbit for as long as you like. I could use a nap anyway. Now, if I'm right we can configure the sleeping quarters however you like. If you want your own rooms..."

"We already did, John." Meadow said shyly.

"We decided that we should sleep in one room. Medea made a large bed for the three of us." Sky added.

"Works for me. I just need to grab something and then I'm going to crash."

"Crash? What do you mean?" Sky asked nervously.

"I just mean I'm going to sleep." John pulled his arm from the chair and walked to the cargo hold. He dug through one of the crates and retrieved his only prized possession. An ancient samurai sword. He carried it up to his new quarters and Medea had already formed a stand to hang it from on the wall. He placed it there carefully and then collapsed back on the bed. He closed his eyes and was just drifting off when he felt two warm bodies snuggling up to him. He looked down at the two white skinned aliens, so alike and yet so different and smiled. 'This might be heaven' he thought and then fell asleep.

* * *

John awoke to the delightful sensation of two very soft wet tongues licking either side of his very hard morning wood. "Now that is a very nice way to wake up." He yawned and stretched his arms up over his head. He sat up and gave each of them a good morning kiss and jumped out of bed to use the head in the adjoining room. As John relieved himself, he noticed there was a small pool in the corner of the room, no doubt at Sky's request. When he returned to the bedroom, Sky and Meadow were lounging on the bed. They were both displaying mischievous smiles and John raised his eyebrow as he approached. He lay down between them and they slunk towards him slowly. 

"What?" he asked warily.

"We haven't produced enough dust yet on our own..." Sky began.

"But together, it is enough." Meadow finished.

"We would like to try something, John Wellington. It is a mating ritual. I would have done it before but the Vogons left me without. We would like to perform the ritual with you." Sky kissed his chest lightly.

"It involves what you call mind reading, John." Meadow was crawling up his other side and she kissed his collarbone gently.

"All right." He said slowly. They suddenly pounced on him. Delicate fingers grasped his head tightly. Their tails coiled lightly around his neck. He felt like he was wearing a thick fur scarf but only until the colours flashed through his head. He heard the chanting and his eyes flew open. Meadow lowered her lips against his and his entire mouth started to tingle. There appeared a small cloud of sparkling dust between them as she pulled away. They gazed into each others eyes, the cloud swirling and flashing with tiny points of bright colour. It looked like a tiny galaxy floating there between them. 

She sat back and Sky took her place. She kissed him hard and he felt the cloud growing larger and stronger. She pulled back and John tried not to get lost in her silvery eyes. The dust was swirling in and out of their mouths tingling and electrifying. The sensations increased until he became numb. It was spreading throughout his body like spilled red paint on a white floor. He started seeing sounds and hearing colours. 

And then the walls melted away. He was floating in a warm nothingness. The voices of Meadow and Sky were growing closer. Their whispers getting louder. He felt them moving closer. He felt their feelings. Their emotions were like waves rippling towards him. They washed through him and his chest tightened. It was so strong. It was too strong. His heart began pounding faster. He felt what they were feeling which made him feel incredibly loved, which fed into their emotions which then brought the waves higher in a never ending cycle. 

The waves were getting higher and stronger. His heart felt like it was going to burst. He put his hands to his face and felt the tears streaming from his eyes. It was too much. He struggled to break free of the nothingness but the waves just kept crashing through him. The voices were getting stronger but he couldn't understand what they were saying. A low hum was getting louder, like an alarm clock in your sleep. Sleep. The thought struck him. He could escape if he fell asleep. The strongest wave yet slammed through him and then everything was still. And quiet. Like a dream. 

It was so quiet. The grass was warm and soft beneath his feet. The breeze was light and the air smelled of flowers. There was a tree on the hill. He was walking to it. There was a stone table underneath it. Meadow and Sky were sitting at it wearing silken robes that rippled in the wind. Meadow's was a deep green and Sky's a deep red. He sat down and listened to them talking to each other. They didn't see him there.

"If we do this, it will change everything." Meadow seemed very serious.

"I don't see how we have a choice. We owe it to our people. They have suffered for too long. And why? Because of fear. Fear has ruled our elders for too long." Sky shook her head.

"It will be so dangerous. They will try to stop us." Meadow argued.

"We will have to get him past the gate. No one will stop him once he's inside the temple. He is the only one that can help us. We have to get him to the Oracle. He is our only hope." Sky whispered.

There was a clap of thunder and a flash of lightening and then John was sitting in the cockpit of Medea. He was struggling with her. She was tired. And hurt. "There! Medea!" he pointed to the ship on the view screen. "Are the last of the torpedoes loaded?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Locking on target. Fire!"

"The torpedoes erupted from Medea's hull and the view screen sparkled and changed. The image of a very nasty looking alien came onto the screen. He was reptilian, with long sharp teeth, three protruding horns and blazing yellow eyes.

"Well done, human. You have destroyed me. But you have also destroyed your mates. I captured them to be my personal slaves but this fate will prove just as entertaining." John watched in horror as the alien pulled Sky and Meadow into the frame. They were bound and gagged, eyes wild with fear. "And the best part, human, is that now many more of us will come. We will hunt you to extinction. And we will wipe out the Sjin. You have doomed yourself human. You and everything you love will be destroyed." The screen flashed out and John watched in silent horror as his torpedoes ripped apart the enemy ship. The dream was over.

John awoke on the bed, dazed and confused. Unsure of where he was. Every nerve in his body was alive. He had more energy than a horny 18 yr old teenager. And he was horny. His cock was painfully erect and every movement he made was ecstasy against his skin. Everything felt so good. Sky's skin felt like warm silk as she writhed against him. Meadow's tongue was sending shivers of desire coursing through his limbs. His fingers weaved into her hair, grasping into a fist. He pulled her hard against his mouth and stabbed his tongue between her parting lips.

Sky was sucking gently on the flesh of his neck and he turned to her slowly. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her hard against his lips. She tasted sweet and hot. Meadow was stroking his cock in her hand and as he moaned on absolute pleasure, she sucked him into her mouth. He let go of Sky's hair and grabbed her by the waist. He lifted her up and she raised her leg over his shoulder. Her moist pussy was just above his mouth and he pulled her down hard to his face. His tongue licked the entire length of her slit lapping her flowing juices and she cried out. Her fingers were pulling and twisting her erect nipples and she started rocking her hips against his face. Meadow had been bobbing her head up and down, fucking his cock with her mouth when suddenly she stopped. 

Meadow straddled him and in one swift movement, impaled herself on his rock hard shaft. She was riding him hard moaning loudly and Sky started to come. She screamed and clenched her whole body. She shuddered and then collapsed beside him. That sent John over the edge and with his hands free he grabbed Meadow's waist and slammed her body against his cock as he thrust up deep inside her. When he came he saw stars. He shot load after load deep into her womb and then she exploded in a tumultuous climax. Her orgasm rippled though her, wave after wave of pleasure coursing through every nerve. She fell, breathless on his chest. 

Meadow kissed Sky, then John and rolled onto the bed beside him. Sky leaned over and began delicately licking the come from Johns softening cock. She used light long strokes with her tongue, circling the head and then sliding down the sides. He moaned and rolled his eyes back. Meadow joined Sky and within minutes, John was hard again. He quickly turned to his side, spilling the girls beside him. Meadow lay back on the pillow and Sky noticed her soaked pussy leaking John's seed. She fell to her knees and began licking Meadow's slit, sucking come hungrily. John had the perfect view of Sky's wonderful ass, her exposed lips dripping as she ate Meadow enthusiastically. John grabbed her hips and she paused to look back over her shoulder at him. He teased her with the head of his cock, sliding up and down, pressing against her clit until the sensations over whelmed him and he plunged deep into her. 

John fucked her with abandon. She was screaming with every slap of his hips hitting her ass. She came hard and shook with tremors of ecstasy as John slowed his pace. But he didn't stop. His hunger was aroused and he desperately needed satisfaction. Sky was whimpering as she sucked and licked Meadow to the verge of another orgasm. He started moving faster inside Sky. She pushed back against him, urging him to go harder as Meadow pulled her face onto her pussy. John felt the come rising in his balls. He slowed his pace and his cock swelled inside her. Her eyes widened and as he slammed hard once more into her, his cock spurted another load of come. Sky came, her screams muffled by Meadow's pussy. He thrust into her again and again until he was completely expended. And then Meadow screamed, threw her head back and clutched Sky's head tight against her.

"Holy fuck." John breathed.

They spent the next 3 hours fucking and pleasuring each other until finally collapsing in an exhausted tangle of limbs. John felt the tingling throughout his body fading away and it occurred to him that the dust was not a medicine. It was a drug.

"Sky? What was that spice stuff the Vogons had?"

"Syballin spice?"

"Yeah, that's the stuff. It's not really a medicine is it?"

"No. I didn't know the right word back then. It's a drug."

"Like the dust?" 

"Not exactly. The Syballin spice is very addictive and its effects aren't psychotropic."

"But they're both sold as drugs?"

"Yes."

"Great. So the Vogons are intergalactic drug dealers." John mused quietly. He kissed Meadow and Sky and then tried to get up. They both pulled on him and refused to release him.

"Stay." Sky whimpered.

"Yes, stay with us." Meadow pouted.

"Why don't you come with me?"

"Where are you going?" Sky asked.

"To soak in the pool." He moved suddenly and escaped their grasp. He looked back as he entered the bathroom and grinned, knowing that their curiosity would eventually win out over their fear.

Shortly after the pool had filled and he was settled comfortably, his arms hanging over the sides, his intuition was proven correct. Sky and Meadow peered into the doorway. John smiled and waved them closer.

"Come on in girls. The water is fine."

"See, I told you he's not under the water." Sky nudged Meadow.

"He is mostly under the water." Meadow argued. Sky seemed to have the greater nerve and she approached the pool slowly. She dipped her toe into the steaming water and withdrew it immediately.

"It's hot!" she exclaimed.

"Yes it is. Gloriously hot." John sighed happily. "Come here. I won't let you fall under. Just hold on to me." He reached out for Sky's small hand and gently pulled her closer. She stepped into the edge of the pool and lowered herself against John's body. When she was in up to her chest, she flung her arms around John's neck and gripped tightly. She was trembling slightly and John breathed into her ear.

"Relax. It won't hurt you. Just relax." He nuzzled her neck and felt her tension ease slightly. Meadow stepped closer and sniffed the air. She was obviously still very uncomfortable but watching Sky had inspired her curiosity.

"I feel unusual." Sky whispered.

"You'll adjust. It will get better. The more you relax the more it will relax you." He smiled nibbling on her ear. He could feel her muscles easing and her grip loosened.

John felt for the ledge under the surface of the water and swung Sky beside him. She panicked for a second and her fierce grip returned but when she realized he was just moving her so she could sit comfortably beside him she relaxed. He held his arm around her and she let go of his neck. "See? Its not so bad now is it?" He grinned.

"It is unusual." Sky furrowed her brow and sighed. Meadow was suddenly at the edge of the pool. Like Sky she dipped her toe into the steaming water and retracted it quickly.

"I don't think I can do this." She said quietly.

"Sure you can. Just hold on to me. I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me." John reassured her. She looked like she was going to bolt for the door but John extended his hand and pulled her towards him gently. "Just hold on to me." He soothed her. Finally giving in, Meadow slipped into the water and like Sky, clung desperately to John's shoulders as she slid against him.

"Its so hot." She exclaimed.

"You'll adjust. Don't worry. Just relax." John kissed her lightly. Eventually he felt Meadow's body relax and he swung her to the ledge on his other side. He had his arms wrapped around each of them and smiled contentedly. He closed his eyes and then the dream started flooding back to him. The nightmare. 

"Sky? Meadow? What happened when you tried to read my mind?" he asked carefully.

"What do you mean?" Sky asked curiously.

"I mean, what happened? Did you read my thoughts? Did you pull things from my mind? Did you plant things in my head? What happened exactly?"

"Nothing happened, John." Meadow answered. "You closed yourself to us. You blocked us and then we made love." She continued. 

"Yes we fucked." Sky agreed happily. John looked shocked and she blushed. "Meadow taught me your words." Sky giggled.

"So I see. But there wasn't more? I was...I had a dream." John frowned.

"It was not a dream, John. You were not asleep." Meadow said studying him closely.

"What did you dream?" Sky asked.

"It was...it's hard to explain. There were two dreams. In the first one, the two of you were sitting under a tree. You were wearing robes. Sky, yours was red and Meadows was green."

"John?" Meadow asked quietly. "This tree, was it on the top of a hill? With a stone table under it?" 

"Yes!" John exclaimed. "You were talking about taking me to see the oracle. I'm not sure what it all means but you both seemed very serious." 

"That is the tree of tongues, John Wellington. The robes you described are for the priestesses only. And we could never be priestesses. And it is forbidden to see the Oracle." Sky was staring at him intently.

"What was the second dream?" Meadow asked.

"Medea and I were in a battle. Against an alien I've never seen before. It was...very disturbing."

"Maybe it was the Sjar'tla...the drifting." Sky suggested.

"No. It can't be. He doesn't have the ability to read thoughts." Meadow shook her head.

"He was able to block us." Sky countered.

"What is Sjar'tla? The drifting?" John asked.




The Sky So Blue Ch. 03



"The ancient elders believed you could drift through time. See when time is not in order." Meadow answered.

"Time travelling?"

"Not really. You don't move into another time. You just can see it. The future." Sky continued.

"Well, possible futures." Meadow corrected.

"Premonitions." John frowned.

"Yes. Exactly. Premonitions." Sky hugged him tightly.

"Why was I able to block you?" John asked slowly.

"I do not know, John Wellington. That is something only a very few Sjin can do. Were you trying to stop us?"

"I was...I felt your emotions. It was overwhelming. Maybe I did try to stop you." John furrowed his brow.

"It is a lot to take in at once. Especially having the two of us projecting at the same time." Meadow said. "Perhaps we should try something...smaller."

"How do you mean?"

"Concentrate on a memory. Let us feel your memories of a certain place and time." Meadow explained.

"I don't think you want anything to do with my memories." John frowned.

"Please. Let us try, John Wellington." Sky pleaded.

"Ok. I'll try to think of something...safe." John closed his eyes and tried to conjure up the images of when he was young. When he was at the academy. Training to be in the UCAF. Sky and Meadow wrapped their tails around his neck and he smiled, feeling the water dripping from their fur. He closed his eyes and focused back on his training. Back to when he was just learning to fly the single seat orbital fighter. He loved those little ships. So fast and manoeuvrable. 

He was smiling at the memory and the chanting started. Suddenly it was as though someone hit fast forward on his memories. He was graduating from the academy. Then he was flying the Lander on his first solo mission. Then he was back on Mars, fighting the Slaver uprising. His first command. The battle was over quickly. He had only been shot once. Eight members of his team were killed. They had been lucky. 

Then he was on Titan. It was the War of Colonial Independence. The small moon of Saturn had been a rebel base. No one had expected them to have those kinds of numbers. The battle would be remembered for years afterwards. It would be taught in military academies throughout the colonies. It was an example of how not to engage an enemy in low gravity. John had spent years trying not to remember that battle and suddenly he was reliving every horrific moment. 

He watched in horror as a plasma bolt fractured the mask of his lieutenant and best friend. The pressure caused the skin from his face to be sucked out of the crack in the face plate. John had tried to cover the fissure but it was too late. His friend was dead. He saw the mechanized infantry coming over the ridge, rockets flying from their weapons racks. Explosions shattered the landscape. His unit had dispersed and activated the booster packs, leaping out of the way, but then the batteries opened up. Anything ten meters above the ground was cut to pieces by the beam weapons. 

John had made it back to the ship. He and the remains of his team pulled the wounded sergeant into the hatch and he jumped into the flight seat. He blasted off from the surface and aimed for the rendezvous point. He had almost made it there when the missiles converged on his already damaged craft. He felt the shudder and heat from the explosion. The inside of his canopy was suddenly splattered with blood. He looked back and saw the gaping hole and the torn bodies of his sergeant and crew. Everyone was dead except his co-pilot, Marie. 

She looked over at him, sadness clouding her bright blue eyes. Another missile hit his disabled craft and they were heading for the ground. The impact caused a large crater in the red dust of Titans surface. He was trying to free himself from the struts against his back but they had been superheated and fused to his armour. They were burning into his back as he screamed and struggled to get free. He hit the depleted shield of his suit and while it offered him no protection, it did create a gap between his back and the struts. Enough to free him. He reached for Marie. She coughed as blood leaked from her mouth and eye. She smiled briefly. "Good bye, John. I always thought you..." Her eyes closed and she was gone. His entire unit was gone.

He crawled out of the wreck and saw the oncoming rebels. They were swarming over the ground. Beam weapons and assault rifles were firing at anything that moved. He pulled his side arm and aimed at the closest rebel. His first shot put a hole in his enemy's head and as he fired more rounds at the armoured rebels, he heard more approaching from behind. He was ready to join his unit. At least he would go down fighting. The rebels opened fire, spraying bullets into the burning wreck and John. He shuddered in pain as the fragments tore through his flesh. Then everything went dark.

John opened his eyes. Sky and Meadow were holding him tightly and shuddering. Tears were flowing into the water, turning it blue. He ducked his head under the water to clear his head and emerged with a gasp. It felt very refreshing after reliving that memory.

"Hey? Are you all right?" he asked concernedly. Sky and Meadow had obviously been crying for a while. He was amazed at how the water had changed colour. He held them tightly, one in each arm and noticed that his skin had turned the same blue as the water. "Hey? Sky? Meadow?" he was worried.

"Oh, John. That was horrible." Meadow sobbed.

"I know. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I didn't mean to remember that." He said guiltily.

"No. Its not your fault. We are sad that you had to go through that experience. Now I understand why your sorrow is so deep." Sky sniffed. She kissed him sloppily on the cheek and Meadow hugged him tightly. They seemed to be calming down quickly and John relaxed slightly. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yes. It was just...a very powerful memory. I'm so sorry John. You lost so much." Meadow said sadly.

"Yeah well, war is hell." He shrugged. 

"John Wellington?" Sky kissed him again on the cheek

"Yeah?" 

"What happened afterwards? Were you captured?" Sky asked curiously.

"Well, not really. They found me and took me to the med facility but that was the day the war ended. We lost the battle but won the war." He sighed. It all seemed so pointless.

"John?" Meadow was staring at him intently.

"Yeah?"

"You are blue." She said quietly.

"I think its time to get out of the pool." John said slowly. "Medea? Do you have any towels?" John asked as the girls scrambled out of the water.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I do not have access to those materials." 

"That's all right, Medea. I don't know why I thought you would." John climbed out of the pool behind the girls and hugged them both lightly. "Wait here a second." John hurried through the corridors to the cargo hold and found what he was looking for in a crate full of his clothing. When he arrived back in the pool room, Sky and Meadow were huddled against each other, shivering uncontrollably.

"Why didn't you just get back into the water if you're cold?" he asked with a short laugh.

"We're not going in there without you, John Wellington." Sky replied through chattering teeth looking like she was surprised he would even think such a thing. 

John wrapped a large towel around them both and rubbed vigorously until they started giggling. He then handed them each another fresh towel and started drying himself off. He was still blue. Even his black hair was tinged with blue. 

"Medea?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"I think I'm going to need another bath. I can't seem to get this blue off of me."

"It is permanent, Captain."

"What do you mean?"

"The tears of the Sjin reacted with the water causing a depletion of melanin in your body as well as dying your skin blue. It cannot be removed."

"You're shitting me."

"No Captain. I am not shitting you."

"Great. So now I'm blue."

"Your hair will go back to its natural colour as it grows out. But your skin will remain as it is now."

"Awesome." John said sarcastically. "Why didn't the girls turn blue?"

"They do not have melanin as a skin pigment. They were unaffected by the chemical reaction."

When they had finished drying off, John walked into the bedroom and discovered the crate that he pulled the towels from, sitting on the floor against the wall.

"Medea?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Did you move this crate here?"

"Yes Captain. You kept going back to it so I thought this would be more convenient."

"Yes it is. Thank you. I wish I 'd known you could do that before I went running through the hallways, dripping wet." John found a clean flight suit and put it on. He then pulled out a pile of his old military fatigues. "If you're still cold, you can put on some of these old clothes." he offered. Sky took a green tank top from the pile and put it on. It came half way down her thighs and barely covered her small breasts.

"Thank you, John Wellington" she smiled.

"You look absolutely delicious in that, Sky. But I don't think its going to keep you very warm." He began searching through the clothes and finally found a light sweater. He threw it over her head and admired how she looked in it. She made a plain old piece of clothing into a very sexy little dress. He helped Sky roll up the sleeves and then turned to Meadow and laughed as she was struggling to get out of a pair of his combat pants. Somehow she had managed to get both of her legs into one of the pant legs. "I think those might be too big for you." He helped her out of them and she pulled out flannel shirt. She put it on and fumbled with the buttons. John smiled as he swatted her hands away and did it up for her. "You've never seen buttons before?"

"No. They are peculiar. I like them." Meadow smiled.

"Well, I gotta say you are the best dressed crew I've ever had. But we're going to have to get supplies soon. Clothes that fit, towels, food. Are you ready to go home?"

"Yes. We are ready." Sky nodded.