FSE

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Talkeetna yawned as she left her quarters and padded through the dimly-lit habitat ring. It was 0750 hours, and the red squirrel was due in Ops in ten minutes for the start of her shift. I never had to be up this early on Reverie! Unless we were under attack. Which was more often than she cared to remember.

Being a first officer, or 'sub-commander,' on Redwing Station was a lot more structured than serving on an independent freighter. More rules and regulations. More busywork. I made the right choice, didn't I?

Peregrine may have given her more leeway in her old position, but Reverie was always going to be his ship. As 'Uncharted Territories' liaison to the High Command, even with a field commission, she had a real chance for advancement.

Long-term, with the station's success, Commander Graham will be promoted to Captain, be given his own ship. Annika will assuredly go with him. I'd be next in line. Maybe the admiralty would trust me with the top spot?

Ambitions aside, she and Peregrine had both fallen in love with officers aboard Redwing Station. Petra, a rat, took her old spot on Reverie and Talkeetna took the rat's on Redwing. An even swap so everyone could be together. Long distance had been one thing. But light years? It's nice to wake up next to Herkimer every morning.

Reaching the nearest lift doors, the squirrel tapped a console on the wall. As she waited for it to arrive, she heard someone approaching from behind. Her red, bushy tail fluffed up, nose sniffing. No scent. Has to be-

Spinning, the squirrel let out a breath. "Minuet."

"I startled you?" said the beautiful snow rabbit hologram, avatar of the station's sentient computer. Her tall lobes twiddled.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people." The squirrel frowned. "You're lucky I'm prey. A predator might've mauled you."

"I cannot be physically hurt. My body is merely-"

"I know. I'm just saying."

"Vigilance must be tiring for you," Minuet observed. "I was originally created to serve as an interface for predators." Avian predators, anyway. Owls, eagles, hawks, and kestrels. "I am still getting used to the ... vulnerabilities," she said, diplomatically, "of prey." She'd specifically taken the form of a snow rabbit to better relate to the current crew compliment.

"Wanting to stay alive isn't a vulnerability."

"But fear is."

"Fear helps with that."

"I see." The holographic rabbit tilted her head, processing this and saying, "This encounter is fortuitous. I was hoping to run into you."

"Aren't you everywhere on the station simultaneously?"

"Yes."

"Then you can speak to me whenever you want."

"True."

Talkeetna waited for more. There is more ... right? When there wasn't, she squinted and shook her head. "So? What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I thought we could 'shoot the breeze,' as the saying goes. I am not as familiar with you as some of the other crew."

"Makes sense," the red squirrel said. "I'm the newest member of the senior staff. And since I wasn't born in High Command space and didn't come up through their official ranks, I don't really have an active 'service record' or documented legal history for you to absorb."

"Accurate." The snow rabbit looked her over. "Your pelt is a robust red. It is captivating to my visual spectrum."

"Thanks."

"I have heard others use that as your alternative moniker."

"Red? Yeah, that seems to stick."

"You sound ambivalent."

"I prefer TK, as far as nicknames go." That's what Herkimer had started calling her.

"TK." The computer paused. "How am I doing?"

"With?"

"Small talk."

Let her down easy."Well-"

"I have been practicing with Adak."

"Really," the squirrel replied. She wasn't quite sure what to make of Adak. He'd arrived on Redwing around the same time as her, but he was ten years younger. Fresh-faced, naive. A stellar cartographer. He has a lot to learn. And Minuet, who has even more to learn, is teaching him. What can possibly go wrong there? "What else have you been practicing?"

"Sex."

She'd expected that answer, but the bluntness of her delivery made Talkeetna laugh.

"What?" Minuet tilted her big-eared head.

"Nothing. It's-" She smiled. "Nothing." Taking a deep breath, the squirrel stepped forward as the lift (finally!) arrived and the doors swished aside. "I guess we have a lot of people onboard, today." That would explain the wait. She doubted it was an engineering problem. Seward kept things in excellent working order.

The male snow rabbit was always crawling around the bowels and fringes of the station. She hardly ever saw him in person. He'd just call over the comm to say there was a problem but he was on top of it. He has an engineering staff, now. He needs to delegate his responsibilities a bit better. Don't want him wearing himself out.

"There are two hundred forty-seven lifeforms on Redwing at this moment in time. Myself included." The snow rabbit followed the squirrel into the cylindrical space. "Forty-one High Command officers, twenty-three Syndicate bats. The rest are traders, visitors, and passers-by. Maximum occupancy is two thousand four hundred, so there is plenty of room for growth."

"Well, they started out with nine or ten, I think? So, that's progress."

Minuet continued to make 'small talk,' saying, "You asked me to wake you up at 0645, yet you did not extricate yourself from your bed until 0710."

"I set an alarm, yeah."

"With me," Minuet reiterated.

"I still have trouble thinking that everything I do with the computer I'm doing with you, personally, but ... yeah, you're right." She fought another yawn. I need some tea or something.

"Instead of heeding my wake up call, however, you mumbled for me to activate my 'snooze button'."

I don't remember that. Must've been half-asleep.

"Did you not get the rest you required?"

"I had a bit of insomnia last night," she said, not giving details. "Computer," she began, and then clicked her tongue and looked at Minuet. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For talking to you like you're not here." Especially since she just reconfirmed that she's 'everywhere.'

"Does my reach intimidate you?" the snow rabbit asked.

"I wouldn't say that."

"Then what would you say?"

"Would you take us to Ops?" was the squirrel's non-answer. I'm going to be late to my shift. Thankfully, Commander Graham was a genial, forgiving type. "Please?" Talkeetna's red velvet tail, as bushy as could be, fluttered for show. If Minuet were impressed, she didn't let on.

The doors closed and the lift began zipping through the tubes of the ancient avian station. Minuet folded her paws behind her back, resting them against her bobtail. "If you are struggling to sleep, perhaps Dr. Barrow can prescribe you something."

"It's not something medicine can solve," Talkeetna said quietly, rubbing at her pointed face. Barrow. The blue-furred bat, a former rogue, was Herkimer's best male friend. The oddest of odd couples. They couldn't be more different. Herkimer is innocent and impressionable. Sometimes, I worry about Barrow's influence.

Talkeetna knew a rogue element when she saw one. And Barrow was a rogue element, no matter how much he'd conformed himself to High Command society. I'd tell Herkimer to be careful, but Sheila is there to keep things under control. The silver hare, Redwing's gruff security chief, had a love/hate mate-ship with the bat. _They fight all the time in public, but everyone knows they're screwing each other's brains out. She keeps him in his place. _

"TK?" Minuet prodded.

"Mm? Oh, sorry."

"You have a faulty data file?"

"Not exactly." Sighing, Talkeetna ran her paws through her head-fur and closed her eyes for a moment. "Anxiety. Unfortunately, it's natural for me. I'm a rodent. I wish it was a mistake. Then maybe it could be fixed."

"You always carry this with you?"

"To a degree. Some prey more than others. I can compartmentalize things fairly well."

"We have that in common." After skipping a beat, the snow rabbit tried to reassure her by saying, "The previous occupant of your position," she said, of Petra, the rat, "was wanted by the Syndicate before our current agreement of peace."

"I know."

"She was not afraid of them. But I get the sense, based on observing your dealings with the bats currently onboard, that they make you ... uncomfortable."

The squirrel skirted the answer and replied, "I'm beginning to think you're a voyeur."

Minuet looked puzzled. "That would imply I somehow 'get off' on monitoring the station's inhabitants. I do not. It is simply within my purview."

"I've lived in the Uncharted Territories all my life, Minuet. I know how telepaths operate." And telepaths were almost exclusively bats. "I've seen their 'long game.' They're playing nice because they want something. Information. By getting close to the snow rabbits, they can acquire it without wasting resources in a physical conflict."

"What 'information' are they seeking right now?"

"I don't know," she admitted, shaking her head. Her bushy tail flickered. "The dragon ruins, maybe? High Command fleet assignments and defenses along the border?"

"Commander Graham does not seem concerned," Minuet noted, ears twiddling. "Nor do his superiors back home."

"The High Command has endured a lot of conflict the past few years. They're so desperate to avoid more that they're willing to bend over backwards to make friends. The Syndicate knows this." Talkeetna sighed. When did I become so cynical?

"I will keep an eye out for 'suspicious' activities. You'll be notified if I find anything."

"Thanks."That's why I fell for Herkimer so badly. He's not cynical at all. He's so pure. When I'm with him, everything feels bright.

"Do you feel better, now?" the snow rabbit asked.

"I guess? That's not the reason I couldn't sleep last night. Not the _main_reason."

"Oh. Are you and Lieutenant Herkimer having performance issues?"

"What?" The squirrel gave the snow rabbit a look.

"By that, I mean sexual-"

"I_know_ what you mean. And, no!" She blushed beneath her pelt. "Do you ... watch us?" She sees everything else, apparently.

"It is best if I don't answer that."

So, _she's seen me having an orgasm? How am I supposed to look her in the eyes again? I'm going to have to ask for a transfer. Maybe Arctic needs good officers. _

"Your temperature is elevating. You are blushing? Or embarrassed? I struggle to determine the difference."

"I'm_not_. I'm just ... " She trailed off. Okay, maybe a little. "You know me a lot better than I know you, even though you claim not to." Understatement. "You have an advantage. That's a little unnerving." Especially since Minuet didn't have a true sense of social decorum. "Just don't be blurting out the details of me and Herkimer's ... activities," she said, "in front of the rest of the crew."

"Your 'activities' embarrass you?"

"No," she stressed with a heavy sigh. "It's just ... intimate. Private."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?" Minuet tilted her head. "I have observed some furs' enjoy telling of their 'exploits,' as they call them. Some even engage in such behavior in public parts of the station. The risk of being found out excites them."

"For some, yeah. For me and Herkimer, it's more personal."

"Why?" she repeated.

Talkeetna felt tension entering her limbs. She stretched, arching her back until she couldn't take it anymore. Then she exhaled and relaxed. She doesn't mean to be obstinate. She just truly doesn't understand. "It's complicated," she finally said.

"Does the same apply to your anxiety?"

"Yes."

Minuet tilted her head. "Talkeetna?"

"What?" she asked brusquely.

"You never told me the true nature of your restlessness."

"Are you my therapist, now?" she asked. "Never had one before."

The snow rabbit just stared at her.

"Juggling work and a relationship was easy at first," Talkeetna said quietly. "The high of new experiences. The adrenaline rush. But, as I settle in, the 'honeymoon' phase is wearing off. Everything's becoming normal, now. Becoming so ... I don't know? Real." She looked to the floor and then to the rabbit. "I just don't want to screw anything up."

"You won't," Minuet assured, confused by the notion. "You are one of the more capable members of this crew."

"You're just saying that."

"I am super-intelligent. You should accept my judgment."

"Well, since you're flattering me ... " She looked the computer in the eyes. Even though the conversation had taken a slightly awkward detour, it was nice to have someone to talk to. Someone she wasn't sleeping with. Or someone who wasn't her superior officer. "I think that's part of my problem, honestly."

"What is?" Minuet blinked.

"I have a lover in Herkimer. And Graham's been a good mentor. But I don't really have any ... friends." That's what I've been missing. Back on Reverie, she'd had Yates the opossum and Sesqui the chipmunk. _"_Female friends."

Among the senior staff, Sheila kept most people at arm's length. Annika was a mother-to-be and strapped for time. And Seldovia, the skunk communications officer? Isn't she former royalty? I heard that somewhere. She had an established clique. "It's actually nice to be able to just ... talk, you know? About things."

"We are best friends, then," Minuet declared with a serious nod.

Talkeetna smiled. "You sure do things fast, don't you?"

"_Most_things," the rabbit said. And, in case the squirrel didn't understand, she added, "I am implying that I do not finish quickly when Adak and I-"

"Got it." The squirrel giggled. "How about regular friends to start off?" The squirrel extended a paw. "We'll see where it goes from there."

Minuet stared at Talkeetna's paw and then slowly reached out to touch it.

The squirrel grasped it and shook it.

"Did we just perform a binding ritual?" the snow rabbit asked.

"It means you watch my back, I watch yours." The squirrel winked. "Deal?"

Minuet nodded enthusiastically. "Agreed."

The lift finally reached Ops. The doors opened. And the rabbit gestured with a paw. "After you ... " After all, she now had a back to watch!

Captain Aria entered the mess hall. The traditional breakfast hour was over, and the place had finally emptied out. The snow rabbit briefly paused, eying the galley as if looking for someone, but she eventually padded to the large, observational windows.

She crossed her arms and silently took in the view, which looked out across the forward hull of the starship Arctic. The best-looking ship in the fleet. Unbiased opinion. Beyond it was a ruined world, nothing but desert and tundra. Practically lifeless.

Which is how I'm going to feel if we remain here much longer. This is the job for a science vessel. Arctic is a tactical cruiser. I'm a lifelong security officer. She wasn't looking for a fight. She was prey, after all. But I want to get back to keeping law and order. The Uncharted Territories had precious little of that.

Still, the mystery of what happened here was compelling. From what they could tell, it had been a paradise centuries, if not millennia, ago, until a horrible disaster triggered an extreme climate change. Arctic, in conjunction with the Syndicate, was excavating the ruins of a dragon civilization that had lived here and had presumably caused the event.

No bodies, no skeletons. Just their infrastructure. Their technology. They must've left suddenly, all at once. Why? Where did they go? Was it their leaving that scorched the planet's surface? Or was that the reason for their departure? Is that what they call a 'chicken or the egg' query?

The former tactical officer shook her head, trying not to go down that rabbit hole. It was too easy to get lost in. Even as a rabbit.

Her away teams had indicated they were close to done, though. Another week, probably less, and they'd have all the ruins mapped. At least in the current location. If there was one buried settlement, there were bound to be more. Hopefully, a proper research vessel is dispatched to determine that. She'd talked to Fleet Admiral Flint, via sub-space, this morning. He said he'd get back to her today about Arctic's future.

"Hungry?" a soft voice asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Ears twiddling, the rabbit looked to her left. Her expression lightened. "Even if I weren't, I am a rabbit. 'Appetite' tends to find its way into everything with us."

"I've noticed," said Ross, her mate. One of two, actually, considering she was in a polyamorous relationship. As was he. They had a shared third partner. It hadn't been something they'd planned, but ... they'd done their best to embrace it.

"Something on your mind?" Aria asked, already knowing the answer.

He smoothed down his apron. "Saw you standing over here, and-"

"I'm too early for lunch, aren't I?"

"Yes. But, with the magic of food processors, you don't have to rely on me." He gestured at the food slots along one of the walls.

"I don't think the computer can synthesize what I'm after."

"Oh?"

"I prefer the real thing."

The mouse blushed in the ears. "The real what?"

"Perhaps you can show me your menu?"

"Would you be interested in today's special?" he said, returning her innuendo.

When he'd first started out as Arctic's 'chef,' Ross had felt bad about it, as if he didn't belong. Civilians generally weren't granted permanent residence on High Command star-ships. He was only here because he shared Aria's bed, and she, as a 'rising star' in the HC, was influential enough to convince her superiors to give him a pass. Being head of the galley was the 'official' reason for his presence.

He owed everything to her. The mouse didn't _used_to be a mouse. He'd been transformed, waking up far from home, lost and alone. It was a strict, classified secret only the two of them knew. Even Elim, their other partner, didn't know. If she hadn't taken him in ...

Aria looked past him and into the galley. "Does the serving window shut?"

He turned around and followed her gaze. "Of course ... " Had they really not made love in the kitchen before? He was _sure_they had. But it had been the middle of the night those other times, and they'd simply locked the mess hall doors rather than seal off the galley from the hall itself.

"You sound hesitant," she observed, in her slightly formal way.

Biting his lower lip, the mouse's eyes darted. "Believe me, I want to show you my 'menu.' But you've had everything on it."

She smiled knowingly. "Many times. And yet my appetite remains strong."

His ears turned rosy-pink. "Lately, I've been a little worried that-" He stopped short, not sure how to say it.

She stepped closer to him, putting a paw on his cheek. Her thumb strummed his whiskers, and her fingers slid down to lift his chin. "Go on," she whispered with authority.

"I'm worried Elim pleasures you more than me. Maybe I'm boring? Maybe you'd prefer to be ... intimate," he said, modestly, "with him."

The snow rabbit leaned forward, placing her forehead to his. She closed her eyes. "What makes you think this?"

"I'm not as important as you two. In the hierarchy of the ship, I mean. You're both in the same line of work. I'm just ... " He gestured at the eating area. "And I'm not even the same species, either! Maybe you two have more in common? Maybe I'm the third wheel?"

"In other words: you've observed I'm having more sex with him than you."

"It's not ... not that I'm keeping tabs," Ross stammered, averting his gaze. "You don't owe me anything. I just, you know, hear things, and-"

"From Kaplan, no doubt," Aria said, of Arctic's youngest and most impetuous officer, who worked on the bridge at Ops.

"Yeah. He's a blabber." Ross gave her a shy look. "But I also hear it from Elim himself." The mouse leaned his head on her shoulder. "When I make love with him, he tells me what you two do together. To arouse me."

"Does that work?"

"M-maybe ... "

Aria smiled. "Elim works on the bridge with me, yes. He is always ... very close at paw. Seconds away, physically. A few steps, and he could be in my arms. It's easy, admittedly too easy, to invite him into my ready room for a quick 'conference' during downtime. Or when I'm stressed but need to stay close to the bridge." She paused, rubbing her paws up and down his back. "It doesn't reflect on your desirability," she assured. "It's just about convenience."

"Yeah ... I understand. I do," the mouse stressed, pulling his head back. "I shouldn't be so insecure. I trust him. And you. I just-" Again, he stopped mid-sentence. "I wish I was more 'in the loop', you know? I don't think the crew takes me seriously. Even after all these months ... "

"I understand. But no matter what the rest of the crew thinks of you, you're in our loop," she promised. "My loop. You always will be."

"Thank you." He opened his mouth to apologize again, but she put her fingers on his lips.

"About that snack," she whispered into his ear. _ _

He kissed at her paw. "Yeah?"

"Do you have something ... sweet?"

"Logically, that's the best solution," Annika said, paws clasped together on the smooth, reflective desktop. "The dragon technology is too valuable to leave on the surface. It's too easy to steal down there. High Command patrol ships have already confiscated several items UT pirates have tried to smuggle across our borders, including a few that caused some regional havoc."

"Oh?" a bat echoed.

"One of our ships got stuck in a time loop."

"They got out of it, I assume?" another bat asked.

"Fortunately, yes." Luminous, I think it was? Arctic's replacement on the UT border. I remember reading the report by Commander Field. Though I got the impression he was leaving out some personal details that may have contributed to him discovering they were repeating events. "I doubt the Syndicate wants us to have sole control of such powerful artifacts?"

"No," the first bat answered firmly.

"And we'd feel the same if you controlled them. So, we leave them on Redwing," Annika reiterated, just so everything was clear. "The station has several large science labs. And the most advanced computer system in the quadrant."

Annika looked to the nearest console, half expecting Minuet to give a verbal confirmation. The sentient A.I. had no doubt been taking in this entire meeting. "And, most importantly, since the High Command and Syndicate have already decreed this station a joint venture, we'll both be here together to study and keep an eye on everything."

No response this time, as the bats conferred telepathically. One male, one female, fur blue and pink respectively. They were both members of the Syndicate.

"Agreed?" Annika prodded.

Peace is compassion, and compassion comes through understanding. If you can dig deep into anyone's mind, sift through the truths and the lies, get to the heart of who they are and what they want ... shouldn't that lead to communion?

Maybe. But it could also lead to manipulation and control. _Not everyone wants to be good. My profession won't be rendered moot anytime soon. Nor will the Syndicate be able to change its ways overnight. This is only the beginning of a lengthy process. _

"We'll have to confer with Captain Marcus," the female bat, Fay, said. "He has the ear of the Quorum."

"Your entity's voting body?" Annika said.

Fay nodded. "The roost will not act unless a majority decision is made."

The male bat, Damir, added, "The peace treaty between our peoples makes them--the Quorum, that is--uneasy. They agreed to it, quite frankly, because your government dwarfs ours in size. They want to pester you, influence you. Not take you on in an all-out conflict. They've seen what you did to the Federation and the wasps."

"We didn't enjoy doing any of that," Annika assured, of the battles and conflicts of recent years. "Physical force is a last resort. Especially for prey."

"Nevertheless, you are capable of great destruction, even if it is in the name of self-defense. Hundreds of years ago, we were driven out here I not the UT due to persecution from non-telepaths. Rabbits included." He let that hang. "The Syndicate as a whole does not trust you yet. Marcus does. But he's more ... soft-hearted than most."

"And you think that's a weakness?"

"It can be," Damir said. "When you're a telepath, it's very easy--too easy--to become emotionally compromised. It's easy to lose yourself. Some are more 'empathic' than others."

"I hear that's how your species' mating habits have evolved. Losing yourself," Annika said. Curious, she'd asked Barrow about it, and the doctor was only too eager to give every lewd detail. I think he's attracted to me. Though, obviously, they were both taken. I saw him and Sheila bickering yesterday. I feared she was going to throw a kick-punch. I think they require a life ambassador ...

Damir wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Fay took over, with a smile, and answered, "It's the opposite of losing one's self, actually. Though it may appear that way to an outsider. When we merge both body_and_ mind with another, it's more like ... one finds their true self. You know yourself more when you are finished, because you see yourself through new eyes. The eyes of your partner. It's the most amazing thing ... "

"I wish I could experience it," Annika said.

"Do you?" Damir asked, slightly disbelieving.

"I'm a rabbit. Our proclivities are well known. And I am an ambassador. 'Making love, not war' is of particular interest to me." She couldn't resist a smile as she said this.

"I don't doubt it," Fay said. "But you have a mate?"

Annika smiled lightly. "Correct." She bowed her head. "I am quite satisfied with him, make no mistake. And we are currently 'closed' except to each other. Still, one's mind is allowed to fantasize ... "

"Nothing wrong with that. If no one had an imagination, telepathy would be quite boring, I assure you!" Fay said, eyes sparkling. "Colorful thoughts are a lot more fun to sift through than mundane ones."

Damir sighed. "If there's nothing else, dear ... ?" He looked to Fay as she said this.

Annika realized, for the first time, that the pink bat was more than his superior.

"You may leave," Fay said.

Damir stood up to go, making for the door.

"I shall see you later?" she called after him.

The bat bowed his head and spread his wing-arms, indicating a definite 'yes,' and left through the swooshing doors.

Annika, when he'd gone, asked, "Are you and him ... ?"

"We bite each other," Fay acknowledged. The bat way of saying they were having sex. "It's a young relationship. Only a few weeks old." She paused. "I wish some of my optimism would imprint on him when we're joined. He has a tendency to be cranky ... "

"Why's that?"

"I don't think he'd want me to discuss it."

"Of course." The ambassador, chastened, switched to, "But you see something in him you love?"

"Yes. He's different behind closed doors, when his guard is down. He's very smart, too. And he follows orders quite well. It makes him a good officer. And a good sub." Fay winked. "I like to be in charge."

Annika gave a bucktoothed grin. "I wish your relationship well."

"As do I yours. And your pregnancy."

"I was wondering if you picked up on that." Annika paused. The crew knew about it, of course, but she didn't broadcast it, even though she was now starting to show. "Can you ... sense the baby's mind?"

"I'm afraid it's consciousness has not developed enough for me to detect much. Yet. Other than a faint energy."

Annika nodded, a little disappointed. "I'm only two months along." Her paw went down to her belly. Snow rabbit gestations were just under eight months.

"You didn't intend for this?"

A sheepish head-shake. "No."

"A most happy accident, then."

"Most assuredly." Annika's ears stood tall. "It will be the first child born on Redwing. At least among permanent residents." Someone visiting the station via a transport ship had gone into labor a little while back.

"I sense worry," Fay said. She held up her wing-arms. "I don't mean to pry."

"I am probably broadcasting it," Annika said disarmingly. "My job is to broker agreements between opposing sides. Sometimes, that involves going into war zones, or at least places where there's the possibility for chaos. And even if that weren't the case, just living in space is a risk. The UT, in particular, is a chaotic place."

"You could always settle on a planet somewhere. Closer to your home-world. Someplace theoretically safer."

"I know." I doubt Graham would go for that, though. He's a spacer for life. And I don't want to give up my career, either. "We didn't expect to have kits for several more years. It's put a wrinkle into our life plan ... "

"No doubt. You are bringing the child into your lives just as much as you are bring brought into theirs. A balance will be required. But I believe you will find it."

"Thank you," Annika said.

Fay, scooting her chair back, got up and said, "I was going to have an early lunch on the Promenade. Perhaps you would care to join me? We can celebrate."

Annika got up, too, adjusting her uniform. "Moving the dragon artifacts to the station is hardly the cause for jubilation." Even if it was a small amount of progress.

"I meant our becoming friends," Fay said, flashing a fanged smile.

The ambassador, filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling, replied, "In that case, lead the way."

"White or dark?" Aria purred.

The distinguished captain looked anything but. Fetching, maybe, would be a better descriptor at the moment. Hot, maybe? Her uniform-shirt had been shrugged off. And her pants? Well, they were somewhere. She was down to her dark-blue undergarments, straddling her equally half-naked mate on the floor in the barricaded kitchen. She was physically fit, almost athletic, from years of security training.

"I ... I don't know," Ross said dumbly. The mouse, flat on his back, looked up at her with love and reverence. His arousal was evident, boxer-briefs bulging conspicuously.

The snow rabbit reached into one of several bowls that surrounded them. Fruits, dips, toppings. Her fingers grazed a strawberry. Red, ripe, and juicy. Yes, that'll do. She picked it up by the stem and brought it down to his nose, letting him sniff it. "Or do you prefer it straight-up?" she teased.

"I want white," he decided, fingers swimming through her pelt.

"I should have guessed," the wintry rabbit teased, moving the berry aside and dipping it into a bowl of melted chocolate. Once fully covered, she brought it back up, loose chocolate off drizzling off. The doe nuzzled the confection to his lips.

Ross opened wide, using his tongue to lick it, draw it further in. He eventually closed his buckteeth around the berry and bit into it. Juice seeped out, sweet and fragrant. The chocolate mixed in. He chewed, eyes dilating before blinking shut. "Mmh ... "

Aria, smiling, disposed of the stem. He chewed a few more times and swallows, and she proceeded to feed him another. His moans grew louder. The chocolate was good, but not that good. She was providing additional ... stimulation.

The rabbit's hips rolled, grinding, pressing down against his loins.

"Mmm," the mouse went, his paws all over her body. Her belly, then her back. They slid up, up. He got a hold of her bra. A few seconds later, it was flying off somewhere.

Aria planted her arms on either side of him, breasts bouncing, and lowered herself, closer and closer, muzzles flirting, whiskers brushing. Lips met. They kissed. Sweet and sugary, sumptuous and succulent.

The mouse hugged her with one arm. With the other, he tugged his underwear down, desperately trying to get out of it.

She helped him, but not before helping herself. Hips doing a little dance, legs stretching just so, she stripped bare, too. She was an expert at disrobing. He wondered if they learned that back in her security training. How to escape restraints.

Afire with arousal, they writhed against each other. Aria reached down to grab his cock, pointing it toward her flower.

Ross squeaked!

She lowered upon it, bottoming to a hilt, his balls snugging against her pussy-lips.

The mouse's paws went to her rump. He squeezed and groped.

Aria, planting her paws flat on his chest, suddenly pushed off, rising up. Looming over him, she lifted her hips. Just an inch, two ... a few more. And then-

"Mmf," the mouse grunted as she let gravity take her back down, as he began to properly bounce. She rode him, now. Impatiently. With dominant vigor. "Mm!" Paws leaving her behind, he reached between them. Her breasts were just bounce, bounce, bouncing, and they were too much to ignore. He fondled them, sculpted them with his fingers.

"Feed me ... with your tail," she panted huskily, hips slapping to his. "That's an order."

"Y-yes, captain," he replied eagerly, ropy tail snaking toward the chocolate bowls. He dipped the fleshy tip into the dark chocolate first and then the white. A perfect, swirling mix. Once decorated, it bee-lined to her muzzle. She opened wide. He stuck the tip inside, and she sucked the chocolate right off, slowly. Sensually. Swirling her tongue.

"More," she went, grasping it and pulling it out of her hot maw.

The mouse would've obeyed ten times over if possible. His tail dipped itself into more chocolate. Distracted by the pleasure, it wasn't as clean a transfer this time. In transit, it dripped to their bodies, to their fur. Neither seemed to care. It could be licked off ...

The mouse's paws returned to her hips. "Uh ... uh ... " His whole body was tingling, tensing up. His breaths were short and quick. "Aria ... " He was gonna-

"Ah, ah! AH!" The doe's head tossed back as she hit orgasm first, lowering flush to his body, paws on either side of his head as she hunched over. Her eyes shut. Her sex clenched around his, hoping to milk him dry.

"Uh ... uhn. Unnfff," the mouse grunted, following her lead. He came. He gave her his seed, his everything. "Oh!" She was the captain, after all.

Together, they peaked, panted, and slowly came down from the shared high.

"Mm," she went, eyes opening. She raised back up, slightly dizzy.

Ross, whiskers stiffed, remarked, "Oh, that was-"

Aria's comm-badge chirruped.

"Heh." He gave her a shy smile. "At least they waited until we finished?"

"Never fails, does it?" she observed. She wasn't joking, either. Being the captain, she was getting calls all the time. Now and then, they came at awkward moments.

"Maybe they heard us from the bridge," the mouse teased.

"Let's hope not. I'm pretty sure you'd die from shyness if that were the case. And I want you very much alive." Still straddling the rodent, she fumbled for her uniform-shirt, to which her communications badge was attached. She tapped it. "Yes?"

"Am I interrupting?" It was Elim, thankfully. They didn't have to put on airs with him.

"How'd you guess?" Aria asked, a lightness in her tone.

"The computer says you're alone in the mess hall with Ross. It stands to reason."

"I was merely having a 'snack' with our mate," she told him truthfully.

"Oh?"

"It was very nourishing. Very sweet, too."

"Hopefully, you've saved some for later," Elim said flirtatiously.

Aria had to remind the other rabbit, "You called me for a reason?"

"Oh. Right. Ambassador Annika has reached an agreement with the Syndicate. We'll transport all the artifacts we've collected from the surface to Redwing Station. They'll remain in their science labs, where both sides can watch over and study them."

"Sounds reasonable." It also meant their archaeological duty would soon be over. "Has Admiral Flint given us new orders?"

"He has. He says, for the time being, we're to be Redwing's official set of 'teeth'."

"Good." Aria nodded her approval, even though the other rabbit couldn't see it. "The pirate threat is becoming more than a nuisance. When they see we're on patrol, they'll think twice about taking potshots at the station."

"They will send another tactical cruiser to relieve Luminous of border patrol. Luminous will be needed to help the Arctic foxes establish their new home-world." The High Command's former enemies had been living on one of the moons around the snow rabbit Home-world in the wake of losing their own world to wasp bombardment a year and a half ago.

"What world has been allocated to them?"

"I do not have the details on that. Only that it's within the confines of our space."

"I'm sure that pleases them to no end," Aria said sarcastically.

"No doubt."

Aria sighed, meeting Ross's eyes as she told Elim, "I'll return to the bridge shortly. We'll start coordinating the removal of the artifacts."

"Very well."

"I think I'll take lunch in my ready room today."

"Understood," Elim said, knowing he'd be joining her. Likely as the main course.

Aria cut the channel and looked down at Ross. "Would you are to join us?"

The mouse blushed. "Thank you for offering." That meant a lot to him. "But I'm quite full, thanks. Well ... you are," he corrected, looking down at the seed starting to seep out of her. "I, uh, really have to start prepping lunch for the crew." He didn't have the rabbits' quick-charge libido. He needed at least a few hours to recover. "Maybe later, though. Tonight, we could ... all three of us ... " His ears burned. "You know ... ?"

"I'll ask him." Aria leaned down to nuzzles noses. "I love you very much."

"I love you, too."

They traded a few kisses.

Dismounting the mouse and gathering her clothes, Aria gave him a tender look. "If ever you're feeling like we're neglecting you, though," she said, of her and Elim, "just tell us. Tell me," she stressed. "You and I share the same bed." Elim normally slept in his own quarters. "Never hold anything back."

"You're the captain of one of the fleet's newest, most powerful ships," he reminded. "You've got a lot on your plate."

"You're more important to me than the ship," she whispered, touching his face.

Ross's eyes watered. "I, uh ... mm ... " He wasn't sure what to say.

"Just promise me? No holding back."

"No holding back," he repeated.

"Good," she said, taking her paw back. "I'm glad that's settled." She stood and pulled her pants up.

Ross blushed and got up, too.

Once dressed, Aria said, "I'm going to need a quick shower. I'll stop by our quarters."

"Yeah. Me, too. But, uh, don't wait for me. I need to clean this mess up first ... " He gestured at the overturned bowls of berries, streaks of chocolate. Shed fur. Not to mention the lingering scent. He had to get this room sterilized before he could think about preparing food in it.

Securing her uniform-top, she nodded and left as if nothing had happened in here, just in case anyone had wandered in the mess hall and was wondering why the galley was shuttered.

Ross bent down and collected the dipping bowls first, pausing to swirl his tail-tip in one. He brought it to his mouth and suckled, nodding his approval before putting them in the sink.

Beep!

Ba-beep!

Ba-beep!

Advent scowled, eyes peeking open. The sound was coming from the computer interface in her bedroom. A screen was flashing in the dark. 'Incoming transmission,' it read. 'Secure frequency.'

Her triangular ears flattened with annoyance. Fucking fuck. I was asleep! Who the hell would be calling me on a secure channel anyway?

With a growly grumble, the naked jaguar got out of bed and slunk over to the desk situated in the corner, near the windows. She briefly looked outside, into space. They were no longer orbiting that boring, barren planet, but they were in the same solar system, hovering just above Redwing Station. The crew had been given 'shore leave.' Everyone except me ...

'You're not welcome there. You committed crimes against the High Command,' Marcus, her ship's captain, had said earlier in the day. 'Or did you forget?'

'Minor offenses,' she insisted.

'Attempted murder? Assault? Hijacking and stealing-'

'I've been on the station since then.' She was desperate to get off this ship. It was beginning to feel like a prison.

'As part of an official delegation. With me as your bodyguard, essentially. But I'm not willing to babysit you.'

'No, you're definitely not that kinky,' she agreed. 'For a telepath, I'd say you're pretty vanilla.'

Marcus frowned. They'd had sex. One time. In a moment of weakness.

That's all Advent had needed to literally get inside his head, using what he knew to gain access to a weapons locker, then the bridge, where she'd killed the ship's former captain, Janna, at point blank range. Advent was responsible for the rank Marcus now enjoyed. He hated that she had something over him, and he resented that she knew him in the most intimate way possible.

She reveled in his myriad discomforts.

'Now, Tam?' she said, of her ... not mate. No. Not even partner. He's not my equal. 'He's very versatile. Nothing phases him. Just the other night, we-'

'You're not allowed on the station,' Marcus repeated, getting back on topic. 'You'd only cause trouble. Which, admittedly, you _also_cause here. But the relationship between the High Command and Syndicate is at a crucial point.'

'And you think I want to screw with that?'

'You screw everything that moves.' Marcus' tone couldn't be interpreted as anything but judgmental.

Advent showed her fangs, declaring, in a rare moment of defensive anger, 'You don't own me.' She'd stormed out after that, refusing to give Marcus the last word. In spite of knowingly committing to an attitude of antagonism, she felt a righteous anger.

_I can have sex with who I want as much as I want. So what if it's to assert my control and influence rather than for love? It still feels good, doesn't it? I make sure my partners are pleasured. Who cares about the reasons? The end result's the same. Just because I don't cry and swoon about it, because I don't want to saddle myself with one same, boring partner for the rest of my life, I'm a pariah? Screw them. And not in the good way. _

All these idiots are in denial. The universe is ruthless. Don't they see that? Haven't they lived it? I know they have. I know of the wars, the battles, the betrayals, the losses. I've learned. When will they? I'm a survivor, a predator mired in prey society. They think they're on the side of the saints? That I'm a devil? I guarantee I'll be the last one standing.

Shaking her head, she moored herself back in the present. The screen on her desk was still blinking and beeping. They're not going to hang up, are they? She slumped into her cushioned, rotating chair, naked and not caring, and slapped at the controls. "What?" she snapped.

A panther's face appeared.

Advent sat up straighter, as if seeing a ghost. "Arem?"

"Advent." His brown eyes left her face. The muscular feline whistled. "Still got great breasts. They've held up."

"I know." She didn't bother hiding them. Or her smirk. "Miss them? Or me?"

"Both."

"Really," she said, not believing it. "I thought you were dead."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"Life is full of disappointments, isn't it?"

Arem had served with her years ago, when she'd had her own cargo ship in the UT. Back before the Wasp War. Before the High Command had started encroaching into the region. Simpler times. But her crew had betrayed her. He'd betrayed her. She'd lost her ship. And then wasps came and destroyed it all before she could get revenge.

At least they got the fate they deserved. Or so she'd thought. What's his story? How'd he get away? I don't see how that's possible. And why's he contacting me out of the blue?

"What the fuck do you want?" the spotted cat demanded. She reached as if to sever the communication.

"To make things right," the panther insisted, holding up his paws in a 'I come in peace' gesture.

"Hah!" Advent scoffed.

"I'm an influential captain in the pirate fleet. With the changing political situation in this sector, we need experienced people."

"Why? You planning an attack?" she guessed, leaning back in her chair and unsheathing her very sharp claws.

"You were always one step ahead of me."

"Redwing," she realized.

"It was a threat before they decided to move the dragon technology there. It's a bigger threat now," the panther said with a nod. He leaned forward. "We were hoping the whole 'experiment' would fail and the High Command would hop away home. Unfortunately, it looks like they're here to stay, to impose their rules, their order, their morality on the 'natives.' We like the UT because there's little government involvement in our lives. We want to keep it that way."

Advent blew on her claws and then glanced at the screen, with a look that could kill. "I agree with you in theory. But I also hate your guts. So ... " She clicked her tongue, showing her fangs in addition to her claws.

"Do you lift your tail for everyone you hate?" he asked, reliving a lascivious memory.

"And then some." Poor bastard. My pussy was clearly the best he's ever had.

The panther grinned, chuckling lowly.

Advent grinned back at him. A very dangerous grin. "How'd you survive? How'd you find out where I was? And how'd you get this frequency?"

Arem folded his paws behind his head. He conspicuously evaded the first question but answered the others. "You don't think _every_single bat in the Syndicate is happy with their government's new friendship with the snow bunnies?" he said, meaning the nickname as a slur. "Do you?"

Advent said nothing, already trying to speculate who the leakers were.

"Some of them want things to go back to the way they were. So, they've turned to us. We have a few 'moles' that are feeding us information. That's how we knew the dragon remains were being moved to the station. And that's how we found out about you."

"So, what, I come join you and get my own ship? Just like that? You trust me now? You didn't when you left me for dead."

"In times of crisis, enemies become friends." He crossed his arms. "Our way of life is on the chopping block. The High Command will_take over. The Syndicate _will reform. Where will we go then? What will we do? This is our last stand. We need all paws on deck."

"I love it when males sound desperate," Advent purred. "Makes them like prey." And me their huntress.

"You'll get your ship. I promise you that. But, first, we need you to sabotage the one you're on. When we do attack the station, we can't have it joining the fight. We've already got Arctic to deal with, as well the station's own defenses. The Syndicate cruisers will tip the scale away from us."

The jaguar narrowed her golden eyes. "Can't your 'moles' do that for you?"

"How long has it been, Advent? Since we served together?"

"I don't know," she deadpanned, not wanting to think about it. Though this conversation had been entertaining at points, she was starting to tire of it. Quickly. And it was the middle of the night. I'm goddam cranky.

"Long enough for people to change. I've changed. This is an olive branch. We realize your potential value to our cause. You get results. You prevail against all odds, time and again. We need that in our ranks. We're too used to losing. But can we _trust_you? This is a test. We're coming. I don't know when. But, when we do, you're either with us or against us."

"I don't like being given ultimatums."

"I know," the panther said, enjoying putting her on the spot for once. He nodded past her shoulder, into the dimness of the bedroom. "Who's that?"

"That's my business," the jaguar answered casually, tail lazily swerving behind her.

"It's a bat," the panther said.

"You want a prize or something?"

"You're obviously screwing him, so he's going to know everything we've been saying just now."

"He's trustworthy. He's mine," the jaguar said. She bristled and sat up straighter. "If any of your 'moles' lays a wing on him ... " She trailed off, surprised at the force of her emotion. What the hell?

Arem was too, apparently. He looked the jaguar over. "Very well," he said slowly. "We'll leave him to you."

Advent knew that look. He's gauging if Tam is a potential weakness for me, if he can be used against me. She didn't let on that she was on to him, only asking, "You'll contact me again, I assume?"

"Just be ready," the panther said, "or else." He cut the channel.

Advent fumed, snarling and swiping her desk clear of all contents. Computer pads and empty mugs bounced to the carpet.

The fucking nerve of that guy! Ousts me from my command, is presumed dead, and then shows up years later trying to guilt trip me?!

_Go to hell, Arem. _

The bare, spotted jaguar got back up, pacing for a while before returning and flopping into bed.

Okay, so maybe he does want me to help him. Let's assume his interest in my services is genuine. No big surprise. I get things done. Everyone knows that.

Her tail swished.

But he wants to kill me afterward. I could practically smell his bloodlust.

If he offs me in front of his crew? He'll be making a statement. He'll be saying 'no one is indispensable, no one escapes my wrath, no matter time or distance.' He'll scare all the pirates into submission, cementing total support as their leader.

There's just one thing I don't understand: how did he survive? There's something weird about-

"Mm," Tam went, stirring beside her. The blue bat, brainwashed by the deceased Janna several times over, had been 'claimed' by Advent in the aftermath when he was vulnerable and reeling. Her claws were in _very_deep. "Was ... were you talking?" he asked with a yawn.

"It's nothing that concerns you. Mistress has this under control," she whispered, rolling on her side to face him. With uncharacteristic tenderness, she caressed the bat's naked body with a paw. "Go back to sleep, pet."

He nodded and did so, knowing never to question her.

You're fond of him. Admit it. No one's ever been so obedient, so willing to recognize your superiority. He calls me Mistress. I like that. Herkimer would never do that. If anything happened to him, I'd-

Shut up!

Anyway, it's not him. It's that insidious way bats have sex! Merging minds, memories, and sensations? It promotes attachment. It's not my fault the only dicks on this ship are attached to bats. I have a strong libido. I'm not about to practice celibacy.

_Besides, he's cute. I like cute. I've had my fill of the hot ones. They tend to have stronger wills. _

The jaguar closed her eyes, but she couldn't sleep. Her mind was spinning, already planning her next move. Obviously, she wasn't going to do everything Arem asked of her. She'd play along, sure, but only with the aim of killing him first. As for Redwing, she didn't owe that crew any favors. If they couldn't protect themselves with all the resources they now had, that was on them. There was only really one way to approach this.

How can I manipulate all sides to get the best outcome for me?