Reprieve?
#6 of Fuzzy Logic
Jason's Flight part 4: Reprieve?
By: Beefy the Bull
Relaxation, learning and... reprieve?
-----------------*WARNING*-------------------
M/M, M/M/M, Bull, Bovine, Minotaur, Human, Age-difference, Anal, Oral, Locker room, First time, Space, Sci-Fi, N/C, Musk, Forced , Sexual Slavery , Domination and submission.
Previously:
"I think I love you." he said after he broke lips. "-and I want to invite you into my bed."
"Before you say anything, I know that humans have a very different view on sleeping arrangements than Tau, but let me make it clear that my offer is that of a friend, and it doesn't necessarily mean sex. Friends sleep in the same bed together because they trust each other. I want to give you that trust, and I give you my word that I will not exploit you in any way if you take up my offer." he said explaining himself.
"I...I don't know what to say, what I feel." I said truthfully feeling confused.
"Don't say anything about it, just feel it, and think it over." he said as he headed towards the door.
-Three weeks later-
-Jason-
The Lieutenant's shift was over and I joined and walked with him towards the officer's quarters. Earlier I had told him before his shift started that I finally accepted his offer to share his bed, and it seemed like a good idea for several reasons. The biggest was that I dearly missed his company, and waking up alone in bed made me feel so cold and empty. I thought it would help if perhaps I awoke with a warm familiar friend in bed with me, and I told him so. We walked to the officer's quarters and through the back to the locker room.
"I'm going to shower, will you join me?" He asked.
I knew he would have just told me to shower with him normally, but he was being very soft with his words when it came to me lately. I knew why, and it was very kind of him, but it still felt off for him to act so different from normal.
"Sure. It's your bed anyway, and if you want me clean before we sleep in it, then I can't really say no." I replied.
"That too." he said as he unbuttoned his uniform.
In the shower he washed my back and then I his, he said it was a sign of a good relation when two friends could help each other in so many small ways. The shower was fine, though I noticed one of the other officers washing his loins very vigorously while stealing glances at us. The tan Bull then stepped out of sight and I heard grunting. I knew he was jerking off, and it didn't really bother me any, it was just odd to see one of the crewmembers trying to be so stealthy about it. I had gotten use to that fact that I was thought of in a very sexual way by the crew, and usually they were fairly open about it. I supposed him acting so low key may have had something to do with my recent 'experiences'. I asked the Lieutenant about it as we dried off in the locker room.
"Well, that and you are with me right now, and he didn't want to infringe on my relations." the words were carefully chosen.
"So does that mean- well, that when I'm with you I'm yours or something?" I asked slightly concerned.
"No, No, it would be rude for him to be to open about his actions so soon, and especially if you and I are relating together as we are now." he said as he placed his warm hand on my shoulder.
"Oh, well I guess that makes sense." I said pondering it some, because it didn't really- not to me. I was still learning many of the subtle social norms of the Tau.
"Come on now, let's go to sleep." the Lieutenant said getting up.
"Go ahead, I'm going to go to the bathroom." I told him.
"Were already in the-" The Lieutenant stopped himself and shook his head.
"Humans have such strange euphemisms for relieving themselves." he muttered as he walked out the door.
He had hardly left when a bull took a seat next to me on the bench. Right next to me- touching my hip with his in fact. Looking up, it was the tan Bull from earlier. Sitting next to me nude, he tossed his towel on the bench next to him and looked over at me casually.
"Hello." he said with a grin.
"Hi- you're- Uh..." I found that I struggled with names when not linked to the computer- I had a vague idea, but I couldn't produce a name.
"Lieutenant Uurtz, torpedo bay." he said coolly with a grin.
"That's right, I'm sorry I'm bad with names sir." I said and got up to leave.
"Jason, wait, before you go-" he grabbed my exposed thigh casualy and kept me from standing up "-I wanted to invite you sometime when you have the opportunity, you should come down to the Torpedo loading bay and visit with me, I assure you the guys and I would love your company." he said
"Oh, sure- if I have the time I will." I told him as confidently as I could.
"Good- I look forward to showing you the torpedo bay sometime soon." he said and released my leg, and I left for the toilets.
I caught up with Uuran in the officers lounge and he and I walked over to his room.
Most of the upper rank officers each had a small room, while the lower ranking officers used one of several shared sleeping areas. Uuran's room was very small, it was a bed pad that folded down on the floor- the entire floor of the room- and some small storage areas on the walls... it was tiny. He opened a cabinet and rifled through some uniforms and pulled out a bright red bikini-type underwear and pulled it on.
"Though I prefer to sleep nude, I thought you might feel more comfortable if I wore something." the Lieutenant said with a yawn as he pulled the bed down stretched his massive body before lying down.
I got on the bad pad with him and lay up next to him- He lay on his back and I on my side, facing away from him, with my back pressing to his body, and my head resting on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and across my chest, holding my bare hip in his hand, my shoulder was locked in to his armpit, and overall it was a very comfortable arrangement as he pulled the covers up. The Lieutenant was tired from his long shift, and I was tired from staying up and waiting for him, so we both fell asleep rather quickly.
-Commander-
I sat at my desk, looking at a 3-D map of the local systems- a vacation was in order for us all- and there was a wonderful little place at the Silian Foothills that I had gone to on several occasions, I thought it was time again. I looked forward to bringing Jason along on that trip, and mused about that for a moment.
I let out a soft moan, the boy was something wonderful, sex with him was ... was... how do you describe such? And every time he uttered the word 'master' my heart fluttered- I grunted softly. Then there was Lenko-human. He wasn't a bad fuck, and his defiance was fun too. Actually his defiance made him a great fuck. Every time he resisted, I felt driven to school him in his new life.
I reached over to a drawer and pulled out my journal-book and ink-stick and opening it to the current page I started a new entry:
'The Lenko- human has a strong will, much to my pleasure, as I will enjoy breaking him, I think nightly use will make him obedient within a month or so, and willfully subservient within a year. Comparable to Jason, this human is just a sexual object, a toy- I defeated him, and made him mine. It is merely an animalistic pleasure to fuck him before I sleep. (Though I must say it is for great justice too.) With Jason, I have dominated and wooed his mind and body, and the latter two are a delightful pair indeed. He has a spirit that I enjoy, and taking him is far more than just sex, it's enjoyable to control and own him, even as loose of a leash as I keep on him. Our sex is like strong magic, there is something about the boy, his dually submissive nature but strong will make for an intoxicating mix. I find I just have to have him, to take and dominate him feels right, and simply breaking him would be a sin. I suppose he is more of an emotional and spiritual pleasure, a pleasure of the soul; compared to the Lenko-human providing for physical pleasure and lust.'
'As rough as my sex may be with Jason, It would be right to say I make love to Jason, as opposed to simply fucking the Lenko-human.'
I stopped writing and moaned again, closed the book, then leaned back and reached down, pressing Lenko-cunt's face from my cock as I rolled the chair back and stood. I looked at him disappointedly as he kneeled there under my desk, hands tied behind his back, and with a disdainful look on his face as he looked away avoiding eye contact. He had still not learned to suck a cock properly- He could put it in his mouth and move his little tongue about, but he just didn't know how to please a bull like Jason. His heart was just not in it... I would need to fix that later.
-Jason-
I awoke in a warm comfortable place, dark and soft. I had been dreaming about kissing a Tau who was fondling me... I wasn't sure for a moment where I was and then I remembered, and the strong masculine smell of Uuran filled the air. I found I had slid down some and my face had been pressed into Uuran's armpit, and his potently attractive musk was now getting the better of me. I had a hard-on, a really hard hard-on, the type that hurts as you crave for release. I found myself groggily rubbing my crotch on the bed mat when I sat up and sighed at my situation. The room was very dim and Uuran was still asleep, he looked so sexy laying there, his arms strew at his sides breathing deeply and calmly. I pulled the covers back more and looked at his fine strong body, it was so perfect... I stroked his chest and belly... if I pulled the covers down a bit more...
Sliding them down revealed the tight little red piece of cloth he wore, straining to hold his sheath in check. His legs moved a bit and he almost mumbled something, and I was convinced he was dreaming about something good. With my hard-on as motivation, I moved closer to his loins, cursing him for having put on that tight cloth- as good as it looked on him. I leaned over him and took a sniff of his musk, and stroked the cloth lightly, the bulge was pulsing gently with his heartbeat- he was most certainly dreaming of sex. His legs were strewn enough that I thought I could get between them without waking him, so I crawled carefully there, and kneeled before his crotch- now I had a plan to wake up the Lieutenant!
I gently grasped at his garment's hem, and pulled it down ever so slowly, reviling the softest white fluff of Uuran's body, and his fine sheath, plump with the constrained and slowly emerging wet cock tip. Once the tight cloth was clear of the bull parts and orbs, I left it on his thighs, and slid my hands up his inner thighs. I found them so sexy, the part of his body he used to thrust his massive cock into me. The soft inner part felt so good, I wanted that to stroke me and brush my hips as he pounded me. I reached up and helped make his massive bull orbs more comfortable. They were huge and slightly moist with a sheen of musky sweat, laying there between his powerful legs. Then I leaned in close and pressed my face in to his belly and took a deep whiff of bull musk, opening my eyes I was rewarded by the sight of an expanding cock growing out of the soft and sensitive sheath. I slid my face down and gave it a lick, the taste of bull parts was intoxicating! I moved further down and took a lick on one of his huge balls, eliciting a moan from him, I was going to wake him with a special treat... I started licking his sheath and shaft until the cock started to expand, and I grabbed it with both hands and started to go down on him, suckling him and swirling my tongue about. He was still asleep, or at least he wasn't fully awake, but he started to thrust some, and his hand found the back of my head, and he groaned loudly with pleasure.
I continued to suckle until he woke with a startle and unhanded me quickly.
"Jason! My gods, I'm so sorry!" he shouted as he sat up and lifted my face from his loins. I was confused by his reaction and a little saddened.
"I can't believe I did that, I'm so sorry." he said hugging me close and pulling up his red cloth.
"No, I wanted to." I said trying to make him understand.
"What do you mean?"
"I woke up and I... I'm sorry I thought you'd like to wake up this way. I'm sorry." I said as I started to cry. I just wanted him to be happy with me.
"No, No, No, you don't have to do anything to make me happy. I happy just having you around." he said embracing me again.
"Me too." I told him and pressed deep in to his chest. "I'm ready for this though." I said looking up to him.
I pushed him off of me and tried to go down on him, but he stopped me with a hand under my chin.
"Look, Jason, you don't need to do this, I think it's too soon for you-" he started- but he was ruining the mood, I wanted him- and now!
"-I want to pledge my body to him that saved me!" I cut him off lustily as I leaned in close to Uuran. It had been too long since I had sex, and my body urged me that I needed it desperately. What better way to get it than to offer myself as a reward to the one who saved me? How could he decline that?
"Jason, I-" Uuran started.
"No, it's ok, I want to give myself to you- I'm ready now. I want you to enjoy me as a reward for saving me." I said sensual, touching his chest as I cut him off.
"A pledge is a very serious thing, before you make one you should be very careful what you say- I will hold you to it." he said being too serious for his own good- or mine, I guess I would need to show him that I meant it- And now I had just the way to lighten him up.
"I, Jason, pledge my body sexually to he who rescued me!" I said quite energetically, putting an end to the Lieutenant's attempts to dissuade me.
The Lieutenant sighed heavily. I thought these were the intro words to a night of sex and pleasure between me and Uuran, but he seemed far from interested now.
"You realize that I was not the only one that helped rescue you." he said with a shake of his head.
"What...? The Commander? I asked. I hadn't thought of that, but I could handle the Commander's rough sex, I thought as I rubbed the Lieutenant's chest.
"Yes- and the rest of the crew." he said.
I looked at him blankly "Huh?"
"And the entire crew willingly chose to assist the Commander in his rescue plans. Every warrior put his name on the line for you." he said, poking a large finger in the middle of my chest as the meaning started to sink in.
"Well I just meant you." I said clarifying what I had said- problem solved!
"Well you said 'him that rescued you'. In this case that's everyone on this ship." he said flatly.
"Well just pretend I said only you..." I told him still not seeing what his problem was.
"Jason, a pledge is a serious thing in my lands. I would dishonor myself if I were to not hold you to it."
"What are you saying? That I have to... with everyone?"
"All that assisted with the rescue, by your own words- so yes, every warrior on this ship." he told me.
"But-" I was almost speechless, how could he seriously hold me to that?
"Let's talk to the Commander- he may be able to help you find a way out of this mess you created." the Lieutenant said getting out of bed slowly with a sigh.
-The Commander's office, 2300 hours-
-Jason-
I couldn't believe this, that he was taking this so seriously, and now he woke the Commander from his sleep, all over a few words? We were in his office and I was standing before his desk when the Black bull entered nude but wrapped in a woven blanket.
"Well I have a very strong grasp of Human-Common, so let's see what you have gotten yourself into." Tetrious said patting me on the head as he made his way to the desk.
"Repeat exactly what you said." he said as he took a seat at his desk.
It took a minute to work it up, it was easier to say that to the just the Lieutenant, and it sounded romantic then, but now it just sounded stupid and corny.
"I, Jason, Pledge my body sexually... to he who rescued me." I repeated dourly with my head down. My face burned with humiliation.
"Hmmm." the Commander pondered. "Well we can translate that a bit, but I can tell you from experience that in a pledge-court the leader would say that the phrase 'he who rescued me' would be an alternate wording and synonymous with 'the crew of the ship' in your case. Also 'Pledge my body sexually' essentially means a submissive sexual gratification of your rescuers. And most obviously 'pledge' means that you are honor bound to fulfill the statement." the Commander said. The room was uncomfortably silent for a moment.
"Well," the Commander said slowly looking across the desk to me "-You've brought something to yourself, and you now have to live with it."
"Jason, are you ready for all of this? After what happened..." the Lieutenant asked me.
"I... well..." I wasn't sure how to say it, and a bit embarrassed to say it but I did anyway. "Well, you-Yes." I told the Lieutenant.
"I assure you I'm honored by that Jason," he said, "-but it's only a small step in your pledge." then turning to the Commander:
"Once he and I are done, he can decide how much more he's ready for."
"Yes, I suppose we can do that." he said "-He can fulfill his obligations to the ranking officers one at a time, and that will slow the pace down..." then turning to me-
"I expect to see you in my bed soon boy." the Commander said fondly as he caressed my chin with his massive fingers.
I left with the Lieutenant, He was still unsure and it showed, but he did try to make the best of it. We returned to his room, and he removed his jumpsuit.
"Say it again." he said as he lay down on the bed mat, tossing his uniform aside.
"I pledge my body to he who rescued me." I said standing naked before him.
Uuran reached up behind me and caressed my butt.
"Come to me boy." he said pulling me close and down to the bed.
This time my pledge was the prelude to a night of sex and passion.
- The next day -
-Jason-
I walked down the starboard prow corridor and approached the torpedo loading bay hatch. It was still aggravating having to wait for the door to open, as when integrated I could unlock and open most doors remotely. Most is an understatement, I could open any door in the ship, I just didn't have permission from the Commander to do so. Some doors had procedures to open them, guards had to be summoned and verifications had to be checked to open some, or only the Commander could authorize the opening of other doors. And some I still couldn't open simply because the Commander told me I may not. I physically- well, electronically I could- but only if I wanted to anger the Commander- and he had a some sort of sixth sense for what was happening on his ship.
The door opened and I entered the Security lock for the bay, and waited for one door to close behind me and another to open in front of me. When the door opened, before me stretched the vast room that was the Forward torpedo loading bay. The room could also be used as an extra cargo bay or anything that required a vast open space. Often the crew held athletic matches in here, when it wasn't in use. Right now they were performing a combat reloading drill it looked like. The massive machines in the room moved missiles and torpedoes automatically, but the crew stood by to move them manually should the need arise. It was a bit odd to see a room filled with robust automated machinery, and yet the walls behind me had block and tackle, pry bars and coils of steel cable hanging ready for use in case of a system failure. The crew were at the control and inspection stations, and I spotted Lt. Uurtz giving commands. He was standing on the mezzanine level near the stern of the room, giving commands through his hand-tab-computer, I walked over to him and he quickly noticed me approaching, and took on a smile.
"So you came to watch a drill or two?" he asked me.
"Sure, I mean I basically know how it works but I never had the time to really watch."
"And learn. I'll show you how my team loads, right now were loading missiles." he said and tapped a new command on his pad.
The machines in the room stopped and started to reset, and the crew shifted stations.
The torpedo/missile firing tubes were at the very bow end of the room, each tube was about eight meters long and about one and a quarter meters tall. The tubes were just big enough to hold a single torpedo, or a cluster pack of missiles, or a single large anti-planet or anti-ship missile. There were 40 such tubes, aligned in two groups of twenty, one port and one starboard. Each block was arranged in a five tubes wide by four tubes high configuration.
The 'tube reload set' or 'reserve salvo set' was a second set of holding tubes spaced about two meters back from the firing tubes, directly behind them, so once the first salvo launched from the firing tubes, a second salvo was ready and perfectly aligned. The automated loading device for the reserve salvo sets would then push the missiles into the empty firing tubes. The crew would reload the vacant reload tubes using the machines, or if they failed pulleys and cables that were stored hanging on the walls. The reloads came from the huge armored box that was the torpedo and missile magazine to the far aft of the room. The main device for moving the missiles and torpedoes was a tracked carrier, it hung from tracks on the ceiling, and would move to the back of the room, and align with one of the armored hatches into the magazine. The hatch would open at torpedoes would be pushed out into the carrier, it grasped a block of four missiles and then moved them and aligned them to the tubes. There were two such carriers and they were very robust and operated automatically, though despite that the crew still trained to move the massive weapons manually.
He explained the systems to me in fair detail, and I paid close attention, there were things that could help me better control the ship.
"The two main weapons fired from these tubes are the Missiles and torpedoes. The Missiles are shorter-range nuclear-ion- rocket propelled, and used for Anti-Ship or anti-planet purposes. Most of the anti-ship missiles are actually a cluster of five missiles incased in a single first stage launch-and-range casing. at a preset range then case ejects and the cluster of five missiles disperses to make detection, targeting, and destruction more difficult for Anti-missile systems. The standard anti-ship missile type we use is the ASM-5-12 version 4.5, it's an modern upgrade of the classic and ubiquitous ASM-5-5."
"What's '5-12' or '5-5' stand for?" I asked.
"Attention to detail, very good. The first number is the number of sub munitions, the second number is the warheads yield in megatons. So a 5-5 has five sub munitions, each with a five megaton warhead."
"Twelve megatons each that's...sixty megatons a missile..."
"It may not be much but with improved penetrator warheads and shaping bursts, twelve megatons is a good little blast." he said patting a passing missile.
"Actually I was going to say that's a lot."
"It is in performance, but not in comparison to size with older generation radial-blast weapons. Until the recent re-innovations of blast shaping and management systems, size was power. It use to be battleships carried weapons in the 150-to-250 megaton range or more, but now those weapons have been phased out- hence there availability to pirates on the black market. A big huge blast was the only economically feasible way to melt through the armor of the older generation ships- However, the blast-shaping tech changed that. The cores of newer weapons are capable of pinpoint-jet style damage to a target, amplifying the effects as they initially reflect out in a cone shape towards the target. The blast cone of our 12-megaton warheads is easily equivalent of a 50-megaton radial blast."
"Wow, that a fourfold increase in power! And a 5-12 has five such warheads..." I said pondering there implications aloud.
"The old world's battleships are a thing of the past. Our enemies have found in the past two decades that entire fleets have become obsolete, and the replacement costs are staggering. You may have noticed Tau Sky Force has no current battleships- only heavy cruisers."
"Yah, come to think of it, Why not?"
"Well cost is part of it." he said leaning casually on the rail over the loading floor. "Each version 5 warhead costs hundreds of billions of $AC ($Alliance-credits). And even then, this warhead is outdated by a few thousand years."
"So production capacity and capability is a limiting factor too then?" I posed to him.
"Not really, mostly cost, if we had the finances we could re-activate the old industrial worlds and produce ships at a pace not seen since the First Empire. It just costs too much. For instance, this ship cost 30 trillion $AC to build twenty years ago. The refit we had last year cost 68 trillion $AC. In twenty years this ship cost the Tau Empire 98 trillion $AC- and let's see, to put things in perspective: last year's economic trade boom on Hub-13 spiked the planets GDP up to around 40 trillion $AC."
That really did put things in perspective! Hub 13 was a vital trading world for the inner worlds- travel, tourism, and trade with Tau Empire all passed through Hub-13. The planet was home to billions of humans and had a thriving economy, and if all that energy were put to task it would still take 2-3 years to pay down a single ship.
"Just one of our newest heavy-cruisers cost a systems entire yearly GDP to build, the cost is just staggering. On average, a fully outfitted Sword-class Cruiser costs approximately $AC 50-trillion- It takes a massive economy to build just one."
"How do you manage? It must take decades to build!" I shook my head. "That's incredible! How many do you have?" I asked astounded.
"Tau Sky Force deploys approximately 500 heavy cruisers on active duty and 300 more older models in reserve, and then there are destroyers and frigates too- Not to mention The Tau-Navy's fleets." he said and paused to tap some commands on his hand-tab. I took the moment to contemplate the enormity of the system and its costs, it was hard to imagine it all. After a moment Lt. Uurtz continued:
"We built a heavy cruiser at my home world about four years back- during the border war. It was a rush order, and from start to the first flight out of system was 14 months. 90% of the entire workforce of three planets was fully employed on the single project- I helped build the pressure assemblies for outer hull wiring units, my brother worked on fitting lenses to their bezels, and even the females were allowed to work on some projects." he said reminiscing of his home.
"Normally it takes about two years to turn over a fully outfitted ship, but we were able to in half the time. Obviously the less advanced worlds can't really produce such a ship, but even then they can provide support like food, materials, and bull-power. The intermediate worlds often have small sub assembly plants and many make scout ships and light interceptors, missiles, or other components."
"That's unbelievable!" I said in awe. I read once that the human inner worlds turned out a new ship every five years and they were smaller and simpler that Tau ships.
"We could build more but it would over burden the economy and trade systems, and ultimately we would suffer for it." he said with a sigh.
"Wow, you know a lot about economics and such, how is it you know so much, but only work in the torpedo room?" I asked him.
"I'm studying to become a high-officer, and then warlord, but part of that is to start off at the bottom of things and work up. I'm only 42, and I expect I will have the Exo's job in a decade, and I plan on leading a fleet before I'm 70. When I become an Elder I will return to my home world and take seat as Clan-Lord." he said to me, looking distantly and reveling in his plans.
I could see in him the same Alpha bull qualities of the Commander. Lt. Uurtz was young, in charge, and on a mission.
"Well any way, shall I show you the control system?" he said with a wave of his hand as we headed to the torpedo control room.
-Lt. Uurtz-
"Well now that you've seen the machines to it how about we show you how it's done manually." I said grinning at Jason.
The machine was half way through an automated reload cycle when I hit the 'simulation-fail' button on the training menu of my hand-tab. The machines shut down, the air pumps and cooling stopped, and the lights flickered out.
"Combat-Drill!- Damage control! Reload! Sergeant! Get those missiles ready to go!" I shouted the brief commands that propelled the crew in to action. I watched Jason as he watched the bulls below spring in to action. Hand lamps and head mounted lights clicked on and the crew illuminated small sections as they worked quickly. Shouted commands from the loading sergeant took place of the instant electronic commands. Back up lights clicked on once the damage control team 'fixed' them. It warmed up in the dimly lit room as finely muscled young bulls manually heaved the missiles into place and used the rudimentary pulleys to lift the multi ton weapons into alignment and then slide them into place. It was a lot slower than the machines, but the ship remained combat capable. I clicked my hand-tab once more and the lights returned.
"Good job guys- go hit the showers." I shouted down to the sweaty crew on the floor. We stood next to the exit door and I waited as the sweaty bulls passed Jason, and he thanked them for their demonstration.
"All in a shift's work." said the sergeant as he followed his guys out of the room.
I headed down to the loading floor and walked around performing a final inspection of the reloading systems- and now for the final part of my plan...
"Here! Come on, we can get you a closer look." I told Jason.
-Jason-
I followed Lt. Uurtz around the room as he showed me the intricate machines and there functions, and it was pretty cool to look at and see how these things worked especially sense I had never really given them much thought before. I knew what they could do, but hadn't paid attention to how until now.
The room was still cooling off from the drill, and the air was thick with the smell of hard working bull sweat. I wasn't sure if I was getting dizzy or what the cause was, but I did feel a bit light headed. We headed to the massive block of machinery that was the reload salvo, and moved up one side and into the space between the firing tubes and the reload tubes. The walkway between them was a large long lift, and we walked to the middle and Uurtz activated it.
"This is the inspection loft for the tubes. You want to see inside one of them?"
"Sure!" I thought it would be cool to see one up close.
The lift smoothly slowed and stopped about half way up, and with a tap on his hand-tab, the tube in front of us opened up, its inner pressure door sliding up on large rails. The deep dark bore before us was huge and had a dark metallic sheen. Another tap of the control and a light glowed to life inside the bore.
"It's big enough to stand in!" I said looking at Uurtz. "Can I?" I felt like a child in a candy store, this was cool!
"Go ahead" he said grinning.
I climbed in and stood up my head was a few inches from the ceiling, and the perfectly smooth tube stretched before me. I turned around and stood on the lip of the tube facing him-
"Can you load the tube while we are on the platform?" I asked him. It would be cool to get a close up view of it.
"Sure, I can load the tube... and you can help." he said strangely.
"Ok."
"I'll teach you exactly how a bull puts his torpedo in a tube." Lt. Uurtz said as he looked at me and unzipped the fly of his jumpsuit.
"Lieutenant Uurtz... I, uh... yes sir." I said defeated- I had opened myself up to this.
He pulled down the top of his jump suit and reached over and unfastened mine, pulling it to my ankles, and handling my body he pushed me to my butt, sitting me down in the torpedo tube, my legs dangling down outside the tube and he pressed my legs wide.
"First we get the torpedo from its sheath." he said stepping up between my legs and pressing his sheath in my face.
I put my hands shakily on his hips and he grabbed the back of my head and forced it to his loins. I licked his sheath and balls until the bull-head pressed up and started grow out of the his sheath.
"Good boy, now inspect the torpedo." he said.
I started to lick his expanding shaft and suckled the tip as it grew in my mouth.
"Mmmmhhhhhh... Now... We... guide it to the tube." he said pulling out of my mouth, and pressing me to my back.
"But first we need to open the hatch." he said then licked a finger and jammed it in my now exposed opening and wiggled it about, stretching and testing my star. Then a second Tau finger joined it and I gasped aloud.
"Well there, hatch is open," he stated, "-now to ready and line up the torpedo." and he grabbed his huge bull cock and stroked it furiously as he aimed at my hole.
"You can give the command to load." he said to me with a grin.
I hesitated for a few seconds as he stroked his cock ready for the command.
"Load -Yahhh!" I finished the command with a yelp as he rammed his torpedo home in 'the tube' and promptly bucked repeatedly, he leaned forward into the tube, still standing on the mezzanine, with his hands pinning my shoulders to the bottom of the tube.. He rammed his torpedo into me furiously with loud grunts, lowing, and shouts that echoed the darkened tube around us.
"F-fuck you're tight..." He panted as his bread me.
"Close the hatch!" he shouted as he fucked me with a powerful pace.
I took the cue and squeezed as tight as I could.
"Ready to fire!" he shouted out of breath as he continued breeding me. He grabbed my dick and started to stroke it furiously.
"And this... is how... you fire!" he said as he worked my 'control'.
"Ahhh..Sir!... Fire! I shouted as I came, splating his stomach with my seed in a powerful orgasm. The wave of release that passed through my body shocked Lt.Uurtz's bull part into firing his torpedo inside of me. I lay back panting and he leaned over me resting from the power fuck he had given me.
"Torpedo... out..." he whispered to me hoarsely.
"Yes... sir." I replied as I caught my breath.
After a while he stood up pulling out, and pulled me to a sitting position.
"Well let's just get a final clean up before I send you on your way." he said pulling my face to the wet spot on his fine and shapely abs. "Clean up after yourself..." he reminded me as I licked up my seed from his fur.
"Good boy." he pulled me to the lift and lowered it to the floor. "Now you know how to load a torpedo." he said as he lowered the lift and we left the room.
-The next day-
-Jason-
The ship set down on planet Xillia, a remote and seemingly inhospitable world, it orbited a weak blue star that couldn't keep the planet warm enough for life, and hardly an atmosphere- what little it did have was tormented by frozen crystalline snow and ice that danced furiously across the surface. The Tau had build impressive infrastructure on the planet, evident by the large round sunken-in landing bay where the destroyer set down effortlessly at the hands of the helms-bull. After the enormous transparent hatch slid closed, and the habitable atmosphere pumped in, the ground crews and loading parties set to task of transferring supplies and making repairs to the ship. The Lieutenant motioned to me and we left the observation deck and strolled to the personnel-bridge that extended out from the smooth circular walls of the landing bay, and gracefully contacted the ship's hull. The airlock opened and a pleasant breeze of fresh air wafted and swirled around us, and the long glass enclosed bridge stretched before us. We started walking slowly, and the Lieutenant paced himself that I could keep up without straining. As we made our way, the large and ornate door composed of many intricate parts of poly-crystal and polished alloys opened extravagantly, parting in all directions with some parts opening almost like a glass flower.
"You will like it here, I know it." the Lieutenant said as he placed an hand on my shoulder of my coveralls. I felt strange wearing them- I suppose I was getting quite use to the nudity aboard the ship. For the moment I was glad to have them, there was a chill to this world, subtle but deep- even the heated spaces had an unstateable cold feeling.
A Tau bull with a creamy tan pelt with small symmetric spots of darker tan appeared, dressed in a scant white toga-like affair, and came towards us through the open door and stopped several yards from us, and smiling he came closer slowly with both hands open and palms up.
"Welcome to Xillia friends." he said softly but heartily stopping close to us.
"Thank you friend, I am Lieutenant Uurdaabadoho, and this is my friend Jason." He replied softly, in a way that seemed different from normal for him. There was some sort of protocol that was being used here that I was not familiar with, it wasn't sure what it was about him, what was different, but it was in some subtle way.
"I am Host Terinious, and I again welcome you both." Terinious said with a slight bow of the head.
"We would like to travel to the Silian Foothills, we are expected there." the Lieutenant said with a very subtle nod of his head.
"Of course friends, there is a transport across the entry hall." he said and turned with us and together we walked across the bridge into the 'entry hall'.
I was at a loss for words at the expansive room that was labeled so simply. Massive smooth glass pillars soared to a vaulted roof made of ornate crystal in patterns of woven vines, flowers and leaf motifs. I could hardly make out most of the details, as the ceiling was so high up. As we crossed the room, dozens of other Tau were there, some like us looked to be warriors or from the Sky force, and there were many others like our host guiding them. Host Terinious led us through a doorway across the 'hall' to some sort of transport, in a large room thats darkness made it hard to see anything not in the soft clouds of light. I assumed was a maglev barge of some type. It was a large wide platform floating a foot or so from the 'ground', and it looked rather like a party barge that the rich might have on a lake. It had a small covered and pillared patio in the center, and an open deck forward and aft lit by small colored lanterns, and plenty of soft luxurious couches and pillows arranged all around the decks.
"Do you mind waiting a few moments friends? Several others from your vessel will be joining you." our host asked politely.
"Of course." the lieutenant said graciously.
"This is a bit... odd." I said as our host left.
"Odd? It's quite nice." Uuran said as he took a seat on one of the orange and tan couches on the bow of the barge.
"Well it's ... I don't know. Different. Incredible that's for sure." I said as I sat next to him.
Uuran might have said something more but our host returned with several other crewmembers and the Commander following him.
"Please enjoy your journey and rests." the host said with a final bow before leaving.
"Thank you host Terinious." the Commander said softly before taking a seat next to us.
The barge silently departed into the dark space that was un-definable. I couldn't tell whether we were in a massive cavern or tunnel or if the walls were simply imperceptible, but either way it was sort of like floating through a ocean of blackness and mist.
Our arrival at what I presumed to be the 'Silian foothills' was uneventful, there was no one at the dock, and we simply disembarked and walked towards the only door.
"What is this place? I asked Uuran as we walked through large dim corridor with a wide arched ceiling and small vine like plants growing about from long low planters on the floor in both corners.
"This is a rest resort... Huuummm... your word is... Spa?" he said experimentally."You will like it, of that I am certain."
I wasn't quite use to this, the crew's demeanor was totally different here, it was like they were...relaxing... oh. Well I guess even the commander liked to relax, though I had never seen that before.
We came to the end of the corridor, a midsized room with a ceiling painted like stars and fine stonework floors and walls. One path split off and headed up many steps, and another heading down. Sitting on a small bench to one side was a younger looking Tau. He was mostly white with black splotches and spots on his back and arms, and other than his smaller size and youthful appearance, he looked a lot like the other adults. The crewmembers split from us and headed up, and Uuran and the Commander greeted the younger one.
"My boy! It's good to see you again!" Uuran said happily as the large calf ran up to him. He was obviously younger, but still bigger than any human.
"Fathers! I was wondering if you would ever show up!" the younger one said as the three embraced.
The Lieutenant and Commander had a child? Together? I had no idea, he had never said anything about it to me before, I wondered why? And for that matter how? After a moment, the three broke their embrace, and Uuran introduced us.
"Jason I would like you to meet our boy, Burran."
"It's nice to meet you." I sad with a slight bow of my head, I suppose I was a bit stunned. I knew that the Commander and Lieutenant were close friends, but that they had a child? Were they married? ...And were we being left behind by the crew?
"Are we not staying with them?" I asked looking as the other crewmembers headed further down the dark hall once I recovered.
"Not right now, were going to the pools first." the Commander said with a hint of a smile.
We took the steps down into a different path from the crew, one that wound about and removed any sense of direction, despite this being a single hall. The hallway came to an end with a round door that opened as we approached and sealed behind us. Uuran grasped a carved brass seal from the door, a small round object that fit in the center of the door.
"Just us." he said with a smile as he pocketed the key.
"Just us." the Commander replied and looked at me smiling, and placed his hand on my shoulder.
We were in a small dark round room that was floor to ceiling of light gray tile. There were three open door ways in the cardinal directions, we headed to the right, and the short passage had a twist back and forth, and we were in a locker room, the left wall lined with wooden lockers and benches, the right was a natural rock wall, this was a cave. A small pit smoldered with incense, making the room musky and hazy. Uuran and the commander both took a seat and started to disrobe, and I followed suit. Uuran finished first, placing his clothes in a locker and locking it, he sat nude simply relaxing.
"It's been one hell of a patrol." he said to no one in particular, eyes distant and contemplative. I finished and sat nervously on the bench waiting, and the Commander was still undressing and I couldn't help but to watch as he stripped his uniform and finally sat next to me with a sigh.
"That it has my dear Uuran, that it has." he said. Sitting between the two bulls it felt strange, the Commander seemed so relaxed, so friendly and un-formal. It was something I hadn't seen much from him before.
"Well shall we shower?" Uuran asked with a grin.
"Yes, let's clean up." the Commander said and both stood.
We headed further back in to the locker room, and before the door way to the showers was a series of side rooms with urinals and the like where we all made a stop, before heading to the showers.
The shower room was a large gray tile room with light that seemed to seep from long thin crystal inlays in the ceiling that formed squares outlining each shower area. There were soft wooden-slat benches along the walls in many places, and an exit doorway across the showers. There were shower heads every meter and a half or so, and no dividers or privacy, only a single alloy tube, floor-to-ceiling, in the center of each shower spot. The tube seemed to be a soap and brush holder among other purposes, and as I entered the tiled square surrounding the central pillar, the water turned on automatically. The others each took a square and the room steamed up quickly. The Commander set to scrubbing down with a brush and a thick lather of soap. Uuran was in one of the streams of hot misty water that sprayed down from the tiled ceiling next to me, one shower space was open between us, and Burran took it.
The pole had some sort of nanite probe attached to it and it activated, snaking behind me, it was an automated enema, and I gasped and writhed as it found entry and cleansed me thoroughly.
We washed in the showers and then with a nod, the consensus was that we were ready to move on, we walked to the open doorway on the far side of the room. Towels, benches brushes, and stand type-fur-dryers awaited in the room, the floor was covered in soft wooden slats that kept my feet warm and helped drain away the water as we dried off.
"Well that was nice." I said smiling as I wrapped the towel about my waist.
"Nice? That was just getting clean before we go to the pools and baths." the commander said mirthfully.
The 'restorative spa' was actually a series of natural caves connected by round Tau-made tunnels that were nicely outfitted with long strips of light wood trimming that gave off a faint subtle cedar smell. The first cave-room we entered was a warm-poolroom, steam and incense formed thick clouds that further obfuscated the already dark candle lit room. Smoothed stone walls of the cave and the combinations of wood slat floors and poured stone made the cave a warm pleasant place. The sound of water moving in the smooth stone lined pools made for a relaxing atmosphere. Uuran explained that the water was from natural mineral springs and naturally geothermally heated, though the heating was controlled by devices to ensure the temperatures remained safe and stable. Excess heat was used to power and heat the immense underground spaces, making the planet habitable. The resort itself was built by the old Tau Empire long before its fall, and 'recovered' by the current empire some time ago. Many old-empire ruins and palaces became 'restorative resorts' for the warriors and travelers of our time.
The next room was the baths and pools, and we all eased into the warm murky waters, clouded with minerals. I had a hard time finding a spot shallow enough for myself to sit without the water covering my face.
"Sit with Burran, I'm sure he wouldn't mind the company." Tetrious suggested, and the others got a grin from it. It seemed like a good idea, and I liked to think there was no intent behind it, so I moved over to Burran.
"Would you mind?" I asked, and he nodded and so I turned about and seated myself in his lap.
He was a bit intimidating to feel under me, and he put his hand on my thigh I started to wonder.
We soaked in the soft warm water, with its thick strong mineral smell- Tetrious said it would do wonders for skin and pelt alike. And it certainly was pleasant to relax in the warm water, I just felt so at home, like it was where I belonged... Like I was integrated in the ship. Leaning back on Burran's chest and watching the fog of steam and incense float across the pool between us all.
After some quiet time relaxing, a soft glow of crystal inset lights around the pool, and surrounding a round exit door I had not seen before, started glowing with a soft white light. The others started to get up and wring out fur and tails, and I started to climb out but Burran grabbed me and hefted me out of the water.
"You're kind of lucky you don't have fur you know." he said as he got out and started to wring out his fur before toweling off.
The others snorted in humor at the remark. I shook off some water and grabbed one of the over sized towels and dried off. The Commander and Lieutenant set their towels aside on a bench next to the glowing door and I followed with Burran bringing up the rear. The doors parted when we approached, and a cool dark passage of natural stone wound away before us. The door closed after we were all in and we walked into the dark with only faint lights spaced far apart, glowing just enough to let us journey its halls. I felt chilled by the cold of the stone and it seemed the room wasn't heated.
"Well this isn't so great." I complained.
"Why do you say that?" Uuran asked over his shoulder, and then he slowed to walk next to me.
"It's cold, dark, and not even heated." I groaned "And my feet are freezing."
"You know it's not actually that cold, it's just perceived as such because of the warm room we were in before, and the coolness is an intended affect to increase the pleasure of the next chamber." he said kindly. I did not have anything to reply to that, other than feeling a bit immature for complaining.
"You know you should just try experiencing this, not judging it. You have hardly started, and you haven't ever been here before, much less know what the next room is."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, just enjoy the spa. Relax." and after the last he stopped and kissed me on the cheek.
"I'm sure if you ask, Burran will help keep you warm." He said with a smile before rejoining Tetrious and continuing in a low conversation. I watched the rears and tails of the two bulls as they walked for a moment and then fell back some walking next to Burran. He had been mostly quiet until now, occasionally humming a tune to himself.
He looked at me and I at him, and he only smiled as we strode through the dark tunnel.
"Hey, Um. Burran? Would you mind if, we, well I..." I trailed off, I was just feeling nervous because I didn't really know Burran, and It was a bit difficult to ask if I could walk close with him. I composed myself and started over.
"Would you mind if we... I don't know, held hands? I'm cold you see..."
"Sure. I suppose that a short coming of not having fur." he said with a grin. "I found your bare skin interesting. It's very smooth." he said as he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me closer, and took my hand in his other.
"So Burran, how old are you?" I asked. Then as an afterthought: "That's not rude to ask is it?" I said with an internal cringe.
"I just turned 21, and its fine to ask." he said with the slight grin that told me he found it an amusing question.
"Wow you're just a little older than me! I didn't think you were as young as me." I said.
He was about a foot taller than I was, and I wouldn't have guessed him to be that young.
"Really? You think I look older?" Burran asked.
"Yah, I know you're not as big as the other adults, and there is something... I'm not sure what." I said looking at him.
"My horns?" he asked. I took a second look, and indeed that's was it. His horns were not mature or of the size or shape of an adult's.
"Oh... yah." I said, not sure if I was walking on a delicate subject. He must have sensed it because he responded favorably.
"It doesn't bother me, both of my fathers have very good horns, I know mine will be too. And I'm still a calf, until tomorrow anyway, I will be old enough to be confirmed." he said quite happily.
"What is being confirmed?"
"Oh, well it's an official ritual that confirms I'm in puberty, and can be called an adolescent instead of a calf, I'm really excited! It's only done at 21 years and 21 days of age on my colony."
"Oh, I hadn't thought of you as being... that young."
"Father told me you're already an adult by your people's standards and biology." he said open-endedly.
"Oh, well yah. I...I started puberty when I was 12 or so..."
"Wow, that's strange. So young, I guess it's because you don't live very... I'm sorry, that was rude of me." he cut short.
"No its ok. I know your people live longer. It's just strange to think that you are my age and just starting... how old are your fathers?"
"Uuran's in his 60's and uncle Tetrious is in his 100's."
"He's over 100?!" I asked in disbelief.
"Yah one-ten or one-twenty I think. I guess that's really old for a human, but he's not even eligible to retire for at least 30 more years."
I had never figured. I guessed that Tetrious was older, I had always thought of him as about 50. I suppose in human years that was close, but he was more than 2 times that! Even Uuran was older than that, I always thought he was half his age!
"Well we're falling behind, between my two fathers love of the hot-massage rooms, and our jawing we're really far behind... do you mind if I pick you up?" he asked.
"I uh, sure." we stopped and he turned and lifted me from under my legs and back, and carried me quickly, catching up to Uuran and Tetrious, who were sitting and talking on a bench outside the door at the end of the tunnel.
"Now this next room you will like, it's the hot massage room- that's why you're so cold in this tunnel- it's to accentuate the warmth." Uuran said as Burran set me down.
"I suppose that makes sense, I'm looking forward to getting in there, my feet are frozen."
"Hmm, your human 'feet'- I find them to be such an odd feature." Tetrious said with a slow shake of the horns. "Cute but odd."
With that we entered the 'hot massage room'. It lived up to its name, a steamy and bright room, lined with soft-aged timbers of some light citrusy disposition. Several poured-stone and wood massage tables were lined up in the center of the room, and my cold feet drew me in, though I had some apprehensions. There were four of us, and that meant the only way this would work was if we took turns giving and getting massages. The problem was I had no idea how to give a massage. I was rescued when Uuran grabbed my arm and put me on a small table to one side.
"Their haven't been humans here before, so this was made for you." as he placed me on the table, it was a padded type with a roundish hole for my face, and a similar hole for my genitals to hang freely, so it was comfortable to lay face down on.
I watched from the corner of my eye as the Commander put Uuran on one table and started to rub his back deeply. Then I couldn't pay attention any further when his son manipulated my back and the muscles there in.
"Relax." he said slowly drawing it out as he continued to rub deeply. And I did, I don't even remember half of the massage, but when it stopped, and I reluctantly managed to sit up, my body felt at such ease.
...
"Wow that was great, I really owe you for that. I don't think I can really return the favor though." I said as I wiped my eyes. Had I nodded off?
"Well don't you worry, I did a fine job for Burran once he finished with you. However, you are wrong-you can pay us back." I finally got a good look around, and everybody was sitting on the tables looking at me. I must have fallen asleep while Burran was working my back.
Uuran grabbed a loose chair and placed it at the head of the table and Tetrious got up and walked over and pressed me back down on the table. His powerful hands deftly started a back rub and Uuran pulled his chair up to the table, noticeably placing his loins just under the opening for my face. As his member rose up to me, he placed his hands on my head and neck and started to rub.
"I think you can give me a very special massage." there was a hardly perceptible chuckle and he continued to massage my neck. As the tip of his cock started to drip pre-cum I reached out to it with my tongue and started to lick, Uuran moved some and his cock poked into my mouth, and I blew him the best I could. The Commander's hands soon found my ass, and he strenuously massaged it for a while, but then one of his hands reached under the table and he grabbed my cock through the opening. It didn't take much and I was trying to push into his hand furiously as I suckled on Uuran. A few hard slaps on my ass from the Commander and I was hardly able to control myself, Uuran was ready too, he reached under the table and stroked the lower half of his cock, and quickly blew a load in my face and mouth. In my horny greed, I tried to get as much in my mouth as I could, while the Lieutenant slumped back and panted some as he caught his breath. The Commander simply stopped and pat my ass gently once before sitting down next to his son.
"Wait! I protested, still desiring satisfaction.
The Commander looked at me and then slowly to his son.
"What do you think my boy, you want to tap that?" he asked coolly. The young Burran had been watching with interest, and his cock showed it.
"Well..." he said with a shiver of excitement and uncertainly.
"Berus! His ritual is tomorrow!" the Lieutenant exclaimed rather chidingly, reminding him of Burran's confirmation.
"Yes, and this is the night before his confirmation- a very important night in Clan Stone-Tower." he replied calmly.
"What do you mean?" Uuran asked cautiously.
"We have a little 'secret ritual' in my clan: sneaking out the night before and getting some." the Commander replied with a grin.
"Oh, you devious bull you." the Lieutenant replied with smile and a shake of his head. "Fine. Sounds like fun."
"Well now my boy, the question is what do you think? He asked Burran.
Burran looked at his fathers, then looked at me, and just hopped to his hooves and trotted over behind me very nonchalantly without saying a word.
"He reminds me of his father." Uuran said with a grin, as he sat back to watch.
As Burran approached I saw how well hung he was, he was big, his size didn't compare to an adult Tau, but he was definitely larger than a human. He held his hard on an admiration, looking down as he squeezed it and held it.
I felt Burran's hands grab my ass uncertainly; there was a slight hesitation, a slight waver of doubt. Then he made up his mind, his grip strengthened and he squeezed my ass before he got on top of the table, laying over me, his hands exploring curiously, and he sniffed me several times.
"Have you done anything like this before?" Uuran asked his son.
"N-no." there was a quiver of excitement and uncertainty in his voice, this was his first time.
"Have you ever been hard before?" Tetrious asked.
"A few times, but not like this... not this hard." the son replied, laying bare his most private details of his pre-sex life.
Burran held and felt me like he might a new thing, and his hands explored with the vigor of a young male filled with curiosity, and seeking to try new things. His bull-hood erect as he ground against me with a snort and lowing as he discovered new pleasures. The penetration was fast and unrefined, animalistic as he thrust about looking for entry and finally found home, running as deep as his young body would allow. I howled as he thrust, and his inexperience showed in his duration, he was done with five minutes of rapid thrusting and grunting, ending with a shot of semen and Burran's deep lowing. He collapsed over me, panting and relaxing from his experience, and the Lieutenant -still sitting in the chair under me- reached up and kissed him, as he rubbing the side of his son's face.
"I'm so proud of you my son!" The father said, overwhelmed himself to have been present for such an important first in his son's life.
After a few minutes of relaxation, Burran managed to get up and off of me and he helped me up too.
"So this is mine now?" he asked Tetrious with a grin and one hand on my ass.
"Like father like son" Tetrious said as he standing and slapping his boy on the back. "Welcome to adolescence."
Uuran walked with me, and Tetrious with his son, and we headed for the illuminated door. The next room we entered was a cold room, again an all-natural cave, with a section of the floor smoothed and minimal crystal with inset lights forming long thin strips at the edge of the path. The cave wound side to side and up and down, sometimes gently sometimes steep. The stalactites glistened with the mineral waters and natural crystal formations ordinated the ceiling. The cave contracted and expanded some places, even formed large rooms, and while at some places it contracted so tight one had to crouch and crawl to make passage.
"Why does it get so small? Why wouldn't you widen it?" I asked, thinking it strange that the Old-Empire Tau with their great technology wouldn't have simply cut a larger passage.
"It's a reminder of the primal, the nature of things." Tetrious replied. "It's very symbolic, here we are, in our nudity, striped of everything but ourselves, traveling in a small familiar band, exploring the depths of the world, our very starting places."
Uuran picked up where Tetrious left off:
"The word Tau comes from the ancient name of our people from times before history, 'The sons of the world's deepening'. The cave is very primal and introspective, deep and powerful, a nurturing and magical place." he said, his deep voice echoing in the deep mysterious places.
I saw what he meant when we stopped in a giant cavern, filled with a perfectly still lake of water so pure; it was like it almost wasn't there. The surface was like glass, perfectly undisturbed. The only other way out of the cave was across the lake, to a small rock shore at the base of a cliff, on top of which there was a flat area where the lights shown down from above lighting the cliff top. The view was spectacular, and but would have to swim across and then scale the cliff to move on.
I moved over to the edge for the lake and looked down into it, looking across the lakes bed at the stalagmites and stones in the deep pure waters.
"How do we get on the other side?"
"We swim. It's cold, so prepare yourself." Tetrious said.
"Can I touch it?" I asked, afraid to disturb the water, as I looked at it with a child's curiosity, there was something mystical about it.
"Hmm yes, it just won't be smooth for a long while, so wait if you can." Uuran said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
I resisted my desire to touch the water for the time being.
"Everyone rest up, it will be a bit of a swim, and Jason my need to be helped, as the water might prove be too cold for him." Tetrious said as he stretched his arms some.
Burran sat on the ground next to Uuran who seated himself on a stone. I poked around this side of the cave, looking at the glistening crystals and stones.
"Everybody ready?" Uuran asked after a few moments of rest
I took the opportunity to touch the still waters, putting my fingers on the surface, causing three fine ripples to spread in all directions, and radiate across the lake. Uuran was standing behind me, and then squatted down low next to me.
"It's just like a person, their life may be small, but they can have great effects that are far reaching." Uuran whispered in my ear.
He stood and stroked my back. "Are you read to swim?"
"I think so." I said. The water didn't sound too great, it was a bit cold in the cave already, and I was dry.
The Commander walked into the water calmly until the depth was enough that he started to swim.
I touched the water with my foot and then quickly retracted it- ice cold.
"Whooo-Hooo!" Burran ran by me and jumped with a playful shout that echoed the vast cavern, tucking his knees to his chest in the 'cannon ball' style and making a tremendous splash and wave when he hit the water.
"Hey, I don't know if I can swim in that, it's too cold!" I said. "Could I grab on to you..." I said trying to think of a way to ease my crossing.
"No" the Commander said from the lake, "I know you can do this."
"This is an obstacle you can overcome, and you know as well as I that we may look out for you, but you have to take care of yourself too." the Lieutenant added as he stepped in to the water.
"I want you to prove to me that you can do this. Make me proud." the Commander said.
"You will be fine." the Lieutenant said, as he walked further in. They started to swim away from me and I couldn't bring myself to go in to the icy waters, but only watch as they swam further away. I felt hurt at first, they had left me, and wouldn't help me. But then I realized I did have to take care of myself too. Although my friends helped me along the way, I was still independent.
I tried to jump in, and my body felt numb almost instantly, and then I instantly turned about and reached for the shore.
"Jason, come on, you're already in the water, that's the hardest part- you may as well cross with us, unless you want to get out and start over." the Commander said softly as he tread the still clear waters.
"I can't feel my arms!" I said shakily, I felt so cold I didn't know what to do.
"Grab on my back." Uuran said, he too was treading water a little further out than me. I swam to him, wrapped my arms around his stout neck, and held on tight.
"Let's Go!" Burran said excitedly, his playful youth showing through as he swam about the icy water enthusiastically.
The three Bulls swam and I clung tightly as we crossed the lake, it seemed the larger mass, the thick hide, and fuzzy pelt of a Tau protected them from the cold much more than my soft bare human skin did.
The icy underground lake was beautiful, and an incredible thing in hindsight, a power full lesson of nature and friendship.
When we arrived at the far shore and climbed out of the water I shivered uncontrollably, teeth chattering as I clutched my arms. Uuran used his hands to scrape the icy water from his pelt, and then grabbed me and pulled me close to share body heat.
"He's too cold, we need to warm him." Uuran said calmly but urgently. The others got close to me and the three bulls pressed against me to warm me up.
"Start the Warming-heat-stones Burran." The Commander said, and his son parted from me to start a fire I assumed. I pressed deeply into the drying pelts of the Tau, and their hands rubbed my skin to impart warmth from friction.
"Were proud of you. It's not easy for a little one like you but you're doing fine." Uuran told me.
"Fathers- it's ready!" Burran called from behind us.
We turned about and moved towards a glowing pile of smooth river stones. The warmth given off was intense and drying heat, though completely smokeless. There was a ring of Chrystal lighting around the stones, and presumably the rocks were heated electrically, but I really didn't care at the moment, I just wanted to dry off and warm up. We all took seats on larger stones resting on the rocky ground in a semi circle around the heating stones, and I sat in Uuran's lap as I still found the stone chilling.
All was quiet until Burran broke the silence.
"Your penis is very small right now... it was a lot bigger before." he stated absently staring at my loins.
"Well son, human penises don't have a sheath to go in, so it can only shrink up in the cold to prevent chilling the blood." Uuran spoke up.
"Oh. That doesn't seem like a very good way of doing it." Burran said with a look of contemplation.
"Well not to us, but we were made for colder weathers- humans not so much. Humans seem to do better in temperate or warmer climates." Uuran said stroking my head. Not much else was said until the heating stones dried us, and then auto shut off with a soft click. The others stood, and Uuran felt my body and finding my skin was warm to the touch again, announced it was time to move on. The others looked up at the large cliff hanging over us, it was at least thirty feet high, and a series of out-cropping and handholds were spaced about its face.
"We have to climb that?" I asked not feeling so sure about it- no ropes, no safety nets, and a thirty-foot drop to cold stones below.
"Yes, it's the only way out. It's not all that high." the Commander said as he turned away and approached the cliff face.
I supposed to a Tau it wasn't, a Tau could probably survive a fall from that height no problem. A human on the other hand...
Burran and the Commander started to grapple with the rock, pulling themselves up.
"Don't worry, you can grab on to me just like before, and I will climb for both of us." Uuran said and turned around and crouched so I could wrap my arms around his strong neck.
Once I was latched on tightly, he stood and hefted himself up on to the rocks and started to climb. I mostly looked down and felt scared, it was a long drop- I may not die if I fell, but at the least I would be hurt very bad... I tried closing my eyes but that was agonizing, just imagining the cold rocks below, so I tried looking up, and there was a sight to behold! The fine back sides of the older bull and his young son, large balls dangling as they climbed and hefted themselves over the ledge. And then we were at the top, and the others helped pull us up. Once we were to our feet (well my feet and their hooves) we looked back across the cave from the vantage point, the waters below were still now, and the dark cave glistened from the light that shown down gently from behind us. It was beautiful, and the sense of accomplishment for having gotten here was great, even though I was more of a burden than a help, I could have never have done this on my own.
A dozen paces from the ledge was a seemingly out of place lounge set, small tables with refreshments and fruit, large white towels folded nicely, and four bright orange lounge chairs laid back and inviting. They were all arranged around a circle in the main spot where light shone down from the Chrystal skylight high above. A bit further back from the ledge was a path leading to the door to the next room.
We moved over to the chairs and I took a towel to keep warm, and we all relaxed for a bit and enjoyed the snack.
...
We had just entered the next room and were relaxing on padded massage tables when another Tau entered.
"Greetings friends, I am host Jahari." He said and then turning to the Commander- "I have an urgent message for you." He then graciously indicated for the commander to follow.
The two left promptly, the Commander with a grave expression on his face.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"I don't know, but such is the burden of command." Uuran said sitting up with a slow shake of the horns.
-The Commander-
The host showed me the local terminal room and closed the door, as I stood in the small, darkened, white-marble room before the holo-pool. It glowed to life and I stated my name. Normally a figure of the caller would have appeared before me and spoken, but it stayed dark. A deep but synthetic masculine voice spoke in a very clear and simple manner:
"Four, three, nine, eight. One, six, five, four. Nine, seven, one, one. Twelve."
I stood in silence.
"Four, three, nine, eight. One, six, five, four. Nine, seven, one, one. Twelve."it repeated vacantly.
I stole a glance behind me.
"Four, three, nine, eight. One, six, five, four. Nine, seven, one, one. Twelve."
"Confirm." I said quietly.
The holo- pond wavered as it shut down, and silence filled the small room.
Vacation was over.
-Jason-
When the Commander returned he seemed to be fine, but he brushed aside any questions about the message.
"We need return to the ship." he said, his manner was calm but not to be questioned.
I was about to open my mouth, but Uuran spoke up first.
"Yes Commander." he replied. "Come on my boy." he said to his son, and they readied to go.
I realized now may not be the time to ask my questions, and instead followed the Lieutenant and Commander.
We made a quick but quiet return to the ship, and the rest of the crew was recalled. The Commander disappeared for an hour, and then suddenly summoned me and the Lieutenant, and their son to his quarters.
"Lieutenant Uurdaabadoho, in your professional opinion, is Jason fully ready and capable to perform all duties of his post." the Commander said most formally while seated behind his desk.
The Lieutenant didn't miss a beat-
"Yes Commander, he is sufficiently recovered and ready." the Lieutenant answered formally.
"Very well." he said standing and walking around the desk.
He approached Uuran and me and placed his hand on our shoulders.
"Uuran my friend, do you think he can handle all the stresses involved in patrol or combat? Would you say he is really ready?" he asked now as a friend.
"Yes, he's ready." the Lieutenant said with a nod.
"Very well." he said and returning to his seat."I'm sorry my son, we will not be able to take you for your ritual." he said to Burran, he sounded sincerely disappointed.
"What's happening?" he asked his father surprised.
"I have been summoned to the War Counsel." the Commander replied quietly.
"What? Did they say why?" Uuran asked.
"Nothing I can repeat outside of the counsel for now." the Commander replied. "I will go to the counsel-ring at once."
"And once we know what's going on we will see about your ritual." he said turning to his son.
"Perhaps they will not need us yet, and we will still be able to take you." Uuran reminded his disappointed son of a brighter possibility.
"Yes it's too soon to say." the Commander commented.
.....
Once the crew was embarked and the last supplies were loaded the ship was locked down and readied for lift off within half an hour, and the Commander gave orders to head for Tau-Pimus Cluster. It was all very unusual, and the questions on every one's mind were consciously not talked about, and I felt increasingly on edge.
I asked the Lieutenant what was going on, and even his face looked grave.
"If the Commander was called to war counsel it mean there is ether an eminent threat or a plan of action, and they need to come into agreement and prepare for war."
"So their planning for war, and we have to travel all the way to Tau-Primus to talk about it? That doesn't make sense, it's too slow." I asked him for clarification.
"Yes, it's slow- but it's ancient and its face to face- Call it a custom or tradition. If the elder counsel can't manage to come to some terms with the problem, or they decide military action is necessary, then they call a War counsel."
"I guess that makes sense."
As we were sitting in the officer's lounge shortly after our prompt lift-off, a holograph broke out on the table in front of us- and for that matter all the tables in the room, and probably the ship- it showed the Communications officer in the bridge addressing the ship:
"Combat-Alert- Battle stations! Secure for combat! Combat-Alert! Battle stations! Secure for combat!"
"What the fuk?" I asked as I jumped up from my seat- I hadn't ever seen this before.
The Lieutenant got up and left quickly and I followed suit. Most of the room was in an ordered chaos as everyone moved to post in a hurried but orderly fashion.
We rushed to the bridge, and when we entered I just knew something was wrong, I could feel it, subtle but unknown cues that there was trouble. The pitch of the deep voices in the room, the places officers were standing, everything felt off.
"Status!" the Commander said entering the room as he moved to the command circle.
"We have received Priority re-direct from High Fleet-command, orders are to make the fastest possible speed to P7-0023-11 and support the defenders in actions against the Crilst Assault of that system." the Comms officer read off the orders from his screen.
The Commander took charge and gave orders quickly but calmly:
"Helm- set the shortest course to P7-0023. Reactor-room- full power. Comm- acknowledge us as in route for the defense of P7-0023. Master of Arms- Prepare the ship for combat when we arrive. Lt. Uurdabadoho-Get Jason Integrated and ready. Jason- Prepare yourself." the Commander gave orders. He continued issuing commands but I didn't hear them as the Lieutenant literally pulled me out of the room.
"Let's go we need to get you ready!" the Lieutenant shouted. "We don't have much time."
-Commander-
"The War counsel will have to wait until the war is over." I said as I crossed my arms and peered dourly across the bustling deck of my bridge.
The Crilst knew better than to assault us, something was not right here. They just didn't have the strength to attack and succeed, and they weren't stupid. Arrogant and full of bravado? Yes. Stupid? No. What was it that made them so bold now? What secret did they have?
I left for my quarters to ready myself for the coming battle.
-End-
(As A side note- for the time being, $AC is roughly equivalent to USD$. I may introduce more mechanics and differences later though.)