FSE

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"So, then, I picked up a communique from a pirate ship," Seldovia said, excitement in her voice. Redwing's communications officer gestured with her black paws. "Like, from one to another? They've been using low-band frequencies they think will go undetected, cause they sound like background noise to the untrained ear."

"Is that so?" Seward asked from the floor, clearly distracted.

"Mm-hmm." The skunk crossed her arms, leaning against a bulkhead in a corridor in one of the lower docking pylons. She smirked, visibly pleased with herself. "But, of course, I noticed something too 'regular' about the wave patterns, so I ran them through a filter and-"

The computer made a low beeping noise.

Seldovia sighed. I keep forgetting she's always listening. What a voyeur! "Okay, okay, so Minuet helped." She skipped a beat and mumbled, "Quite a bit, actually ... "

The computer trilled in a higher 'thank you' pitch.

"You're welcome," the skunk said dryly.

There were several crew-furs who were on very friendly terms with the station's sentient computer. Ensign Adak, of course, was literally screwing her, or at least her holographic avatar. And Sub-Commander Talkeetna had recently buddied up to her, too.

I can't help but view her as competition. I mean, I have no other marketable talents. I only picked up communications work because I had to. Out of necessity, for survival. It took me years to get to this point. I didn't graduate from the High Command Academy. I'm only good enough to be an ensign! What if she makes me obsolete?

She's only making it easier for you, and therefore her. She'd helped the skunk develop a new algorithm to weed out actual transmissions from subspace static, and had also improved the range of Redwing's comm relay by five percent.

I know. It's just difficult to not be paranoid about being backstabbed when your parents literally were ...

The skunk shuddered, trying to suppress the memory.

The screams. The blood. She'd been in the royal palace, in the same room when and where the bomb had gone off, walls crumbling, smoke everywhere. It was chaos. Guards had rushed in. But they weren't the family's guards. They were imposters, agents of the insurgency. They'd pulled knives, pistols. They'd shot the servants. The knives were saved for her parents. I suppose they wanted it to be painful for them. And for me. I was next ...

She'd only gotten away because, in a moment of panic, she'd offered them something valuable in exchange for life.

Myself.

She'd offered her body in exchange for her freedom. There were four of them. All partook. When would they get another chance with someone of her caliber?

At least they kept up their end of the bargain and let me go ...

Disheveled, in shock, no time to clean herself up, she'd made it to a secret underground tunnel. It wasn't known to most. There was a network beneath the palace in the event of emergency.

_I remember making it out of the city, to a rural spaceport. I don't remember ... leaving the surface? Obviously, I did. _

I shouldn't be alive, but I am. That's all that matters.

But since that day, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was a commodity, that her beauty was worth more than her life. Having learned that she could get things through sex, she did it several more times. To get passage when she didn't have money. To get an entry-level job she wasn't qualified for.

I started to believe I was just a pretty face, that I had no other admirable qualities.

Until I met Seward ...

He treated her like the princess she used to be.

"What were in the hidden transmissions?" Seward asked, noticing she'd gone quiet. "Seldovia?" The snow rabbit was on his back, upper body out of sight. He was halfway into an open access junction, trying to reroute more power to the science lab. All the dragon ruins Arctic and the Syndicate vessels had recovered from the system's abandoned planet had been moved to the station for study and safekeeping.

"Mm?" Seldovia went. She looked down. Her paws were trembling. She raised them to her eyes, rubbing at them. Calm down, girl. You're okay. You're safe."Um ... they, uh, were discussing schemes to attack the station with backing from the Scalie Solidarity ... until they got a closer look at Arctic. She has them spooked."

One of the High Command's most advanced tactical cruisers, Captain Aria's ship had recently been assigned as Redwing's official security attachment.

"But they're a stubborn lot. The pirates, I mean. They also know, if law and order comes to this region, they'll be out of a profession. Permanently. They're like a wounded predator. Eventually, they're gonna get desperate and-"

Seward stuck out a white paw. "Flux capacitor?"

"Hmm? Oh." Seldovia bent down and dug through his toolkit. "Uh, which one is-"

"It has the funny-"

"Ah, got it!" She placed it in his paw.

The deposed princess stood back up, her striped, fluffy tail arcing elegantly behind her. "Of course, if they figure out we've cracked their code, they may start to feed us false information." She sighed. Just something else to add to my list of worries. I don't want to be responsible for missing clues to an impending attack because I got tricked.

"Mm-hmm."

"You almost done?" she asked her mate, trying (and failing) not to sound impatient. Her hour-long lunch break, and his, had started nearly fifteen minutes ago. Both being on alpha shift, they always synchronized their breaks. And they frequently used the time for a more than eating ... well, not entirely true. He eats me, sometimes.

I want him to hold me, though. Right now. To take me away and make me feel as only he can.

"Almost."

Seldovia nodded, hugging herself.

Even out of sight, the soft-spoken snow rabbit engineer could sense the skunk's self-consciousness. Her vulnerability. He related to that. They were both misfits when they'd arrived on Redwing. Both damaged. And, on some level, still were. It was through their romance they had found the ability to start healing.

Finally done with his task, the fit, male snow rabbit wriggled back into view. He looked up at her.

She smiled and uncrossed her arms.

When they'd met, he'd been recovering from bad injuries suffered at the end of the Wasp War. Not just physical, in the form of broken bones and scars (which had since become barely obvious) on his snowy pelt, but mental as well.

Not cleared for starship duty, the brass had sent him to the far reaches of space, to Redwing Station. Out of sight, out of mind. He'd wanted to isolate himself and wither away. Maybe it would make the pain stop?

She knew it wouldn't, though. Because she'd been there, too. He'd lost a ship and crewmates? She'd lost her home and family. She'd reached out to him, much as she was doing now, paw extended. She hated being alone.

He took it, as before. As always.

She pulled him up.

The snow rabbit, a few inches taller than her, bowed his head, nose against her cheek. His bobtail flickered. "It is my job to fix things, but you fixed me," he reminded her.

"I only gave you the tools," the princess deflected, arms moving around his body. She hugged him close. I feel so vital when pressed against him. He's so strong, so warm. Nothing can go wrong when I'm with him.

Nuzzling and mouthing on her cheek-fur, the buck said, "Since we are in the docking pylon already, perhaps we should go a few levels up? To the observation deck?" Since no ships were currently docked at this pylon, it should be empty. And there is a couch in there ...

"I remember," she said. They'd enjoyed the view in there before, though not recently.

Seward held her paw and led her away.

"Is this really necessary?" Fay asked, furrowing her brow as she stood outside the entrance to Redwing's main science lab. On either side of the door were security guards. Snow rabbits, phase pistols on their hips. Neither of the guards, both male, provided an answer. So, the bat started to scan their minds.

"I believe it is," someone else replied, interrupting her. A third rabbit, striding down the corridor. "And Commander Graham agrees. The pirates will no doubt hear we've moved the artifacts to the station. They're highly-valued. They're safer here, but only if we take proper precautions."

The pink bat turned, focusing on the newcomer. No, it wasn't a rabbit. A hare. Interesting. Best not to mistake the two out loud. They usually got _extremely_touchy about that. Fay reached out her telepathic feelers, this time toward, "Sheila."

"Lieutenant-commander, chief of security," the silver hare confirmed with a nod. She extended a paw. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

"I'm Fay." The bat, not having a proper paw of her own, hooked her elongated thumb around the hare's fingers and shook. "I'm the new head Syndicate 'liaison' to the station." She opened a strutted wing-arm toward the guards. "These two fine bucks won't let me in."

The tall, lanky hare nodded her approval. "That's because they're well-trained."

"As all males should be," Fay quipped.

Sheila, finding nothing to disagree with, gave the faintest of smiles. "I'll clear you. Don't worry." She looked at the ceiling. "Minuet."

"Present," the sentient computer said.

Sheila wondered where that physical avatar of hers, an idealized snow rabbit doe, was right now. Bet I can guess. And how many different tasks was her artificial mind was performing at once? _I used to view her as a security threat. And here I am working with her. _

"I need you to add Miss Fay here to the 'access list' for Science Lab One. DNA scan, voice identification, the whole list."

"Affirmative." The computer chirruped, going about doing so. "Done."

With that, Sheila walked past her guards, young ensigns in her department (hence the 'menial' assignment), and approached the door. It slid open, revealing a forcefield. A blue light scanned her, and Minuet asked, "Authorization code."

"Shiela-Pi-Ten Thousand."

The forcefield shut off. Sheila walked through and it went back up.

Fay, blinking at the hare through the barrier, said, "What's my code? I didn't supply one."

"Minuet will randomly assign you something."

The computer chirped back in with, "Your code is Fay-Eleven-Alpha-Tango." As she supplied the password, Minuet scanned the bat, prompting her for the code, which she repeated back. The force-field dropped again and she finally went through.

When both Sheila and Fay had entered the lab, the doors sealed behind them.

"Very thorough process," Fay said. "What if there's a fire or the life control systems fail? How will we get out?"

"If Minuet goes offline, we're probably all dead anyway."

"That's not funny."

"Wasn't mean to be. But just in case ... " Sheila pointed to a panel by the door. "Emergency override. Break it open, pull the lever."

Fay nodded. "Alright."

"I didn't think the entry protocol was stringent enough, but Graham didn't want to 'freak anyone out'."

"Your commander is a nice fellow. He's very eager to please."

"Yes, that's how Ambassador Annika got her belly," Sheila said, referring to the snow rabbit doe's unexpected pregnancy.

Fay sensed a slight disapproval from Sheila. The hare obviously didn't care for her superiors' 'lovey-dovey' displays of public affection. And those two were very affectionate.

Sheila had once walked in on them having sex in his office overlooking Ops.

I don't think they wanted to get caught. They just honestly forgot to seal the door and dim the windows. They were so into each other.

The hare had been mortified, but they just ... kept going! As if what they were doing was some beautiful thing they were sharing with the world. Or maybe it just felt too good to stop?

They're attractive, but I didn't need to see that.

"Are those guards going to be there at all hours?" Fay asked while sifting through Sheila's memory of Graham and Annika.

"Only during periods of high foot traffic. Few key hours a day. They're mostly for display. Truthfully, Minuet could take care of all this herself, but I want potential troublemakers to see a show of physical force. Might dissuade them."

"Good idea." The bat looked around, getting a visual read on the place. Lots of tables, storage containers. Computer consoles with scanning pads.

"Is there a reason you wanted to come in here?" Sheila wondered. "You're not a scientist, are you?"

"No. Though I have a small team of trusted specialists the Syndicate has assigned to this project. I'll let your 'Minuet' know when they arrive. Should take them a few more days." Fay looked back to the hare. With her towering ears and steely demeanor, she was definitely intimidating. "I just wanted to see what all the fuss is about."

Sheila shrugged, grey eyes matching the bat's stare. "To be honest, it looks like a lot of junk to me. But I've seen the sensor readings and visual feeds. When unlocked, some of them are quite powerful. And potentially destructive." She crossed her arms. "My job's to make sure they stay where they are, and that their presence doesn't negatively impact the station's population."

Fay nodded.

"And don't do that," the hare advised.

"Do what?"

"You were starting to scan my mind. Not a surface scan, either. Though you were doing that, too. But you were preparing to go deep ... "

Fay tilted her head, taken aback. "How did you-"

"I'm mated to a bat," Sheila confessed, looking away, as if she were embarrassed. "I've come to know the sensation of another's mind ... linking," she said, tamely, "to mine. It's a very intimate experience. I'd prefer it wasn't done by a stranger."

"It's reflexive for us," Fay defended. "We don't really think about it. It's-"

"An innate ability, I know. You don't have to read me the company line. I've heard it before. But you're onboard a station where ninety percent of the occupants aren't telepaths. Just remember that. We respect you. You respect us."

After a moment of silence, the candy-pink bat said, "Very well. I'm sorry if-"

Sheila waved a paw, not wanting any drama. "Don't mention it."

"The only non-Syndicate bat on the station is ... Doctor Barrow?"

Sheila nodded.

"You and him, then?" When there was no denial, Fay said, "How did that come to be?"

"It's a long story."

The bat's ears perked. "We've bumped into each other a few times. I've combed through his mind. He's nothing like you."

"No." The hare fiddled with the weapon attached to her hip-holster.

Fay sauntered closer. She's not going to shoot me, is she? "I don't have to dig 'deep' to sense the tension. Not sexual. Though there _is_that. But there also some ... legitimate personality rifts. You share a love sprinkled with disdain."

"Sounds fairly accurate."

"But I'd wager the disdain comes more from you." The bat spread her wing-arms and guessed, trying to get a reaction, "The sex must be incredible."

Sheila turned away, walking to the far wall, stopping at a table full of ancient and mysterious devices. She ran a silver paw along one. It was metallic and subtly textured. "It's ... pretty excellent, yeah," she admitted slowly, a big smile creeping onto her muzzle, giving the bat the emotion she'd been poking for.

And the more he bites me? The more we merge mentally and physically? The better it gets. I should be nervous. I should worry about getting addicted to him. But I'm past caring. It feels too good. "Makes up for a lot of his numerous deficiencies," the hare said.

Fay giggled.

Sheila kept walking, going around the room. If she wants to get in my mind, why not give her what she wants? On my terms.

"I'm a very_independent-minded person," she explained, the smile fading. "I spent months in wasp captivity, being tortured by the Wasp Queen herself. And when I was freed, I killed her for it." She let the heaviness of this hang. "This _after being abandoned by the wolf who I thought loved me. I found him with someone else when I returned to society."

Fay wasn't sure how to respond, so she stayed quiet.

"I was always pretty tough before, but surviving all that? I wore my pain like a badge of honor. My fur was silver because I was made of steel. I was convinced of it. I wouldn't let anyone get close to me. Not even a little." She took an audible breath. "Barrow ... well, we were both refugees waiting for asylum. I'm not sure anyone trusted either of us."

"He was an open telepath, and I had a closed mind. I became like a puzzle to him. He wanted to 'decipher' me. But, more than that, he wanted to get into my pants." The hare shook her head. "And with your lot," she said, gesturing at Fay, "there's no separating the two."

"Obviously, you indulged him."

"To a point. I started with a condition: no biting. I thought that would be a deal-breaker. But, surprisingly, he accepted." She flushed. "I knew, then, that on some level ... he really did want me. Or, at least, he wanted to 'fix' someone. He was a doctor. I was wounded. I resented the implication that I needed help. But, honestly, I really needed to get off. I hadn't been allowed to paw in captivity, so ... I was a _bit_pent-up."

"Understandably." Fay's angular, sweeping ears cocked and tilted, listening intently.

"At first, that's all it was. Relief. Us blowing off steam, passing the time 'til we received word on our fates. Then we both got sent here. And since we were already familiar with each other, it was easy to just ... keep doing it. And the more we did it ... " She trailed off, faltering a bit.

"You began to want him, too."

"He wanted to bite me so badly. He kept asking, kept pressing, and ... I consistently said no. It scared me. It even disgusted me a little. The whole act seemed weird and unnatural. And he knew I felt that way, and it really hurt him. Which made me feel ... " She sighed. "Bad."

"You obviously overcame all that."

"He bites me every time. He's definitely ruined 'normal' sex for me," the rabbit said lightly, licking her buckteeth.

Fay smirked. "My apologies on behalf of bat-kind."

"Accepted."

"My current partner, Damir, and I," Fay said, "fit that mold. We are quite different, but we have a physical chemistry that's hard to deny. 'Odd couples' are more common than you think."

"I suppose." Done with her tour of the lab, Sheila padded back to Fay. "Anyway, now you know my story." As much as I'm willing to tell, anyway. "You didn't have to take it. All you had to do was ask."

"You think I should make asking a reflex? I'd never get pertinent information that way. People are ninety percent subtext. There's so much beneath the surface ... " She took a slow, deep breath. "It's impossible to resist when you know it's ripe for exploring, when nature gave you the ability because it wants you to."

"But people don't trust the Syndicate because they're not transparent. They take what they want when they want without asking. They don't consider the wants and needs of non-bats. It doesn't need to be that way."

"Every species looks after itself before others. Let's not pretend otherwise."

"Just be aware of proper decorum." Sheila reminded, turning to leave.

"You let him so deeply into your mind that you become each other," Fay pointed out, of Barrow.

"No offense, but I have no desire to get that far with you."

If Fay were offended, she didn't let on.

The silver hare moved to the exit.

"Lieutenant-commander," the bat said.

Sheila stopped and raised a brow, looking over her shoulder.

Fay gave a genuine, fanged smile. "I look forward to working with you."

The hare, trying to suppress a return smile, shrugged and left.

"I see only half of us are here today," Graham said of his senior staff, looking around the rectangular table in the station's conference room. One deck down from Ops, it also doubled as a reception area for diplomatic dinners. He'd called for a post-lunch briefing. "Obviously, some of us are still having dessert."

Talkeetna put a paw in front of her red muzzle to hide her smirk.

Herkimer raised his ropy tail.

The commander nodded his way.

"Barrow said to tell you that he was 'swamped' with work."

"Did he? Let me guess: that work involves giving a certain hare a physical?"

"Um ... " The mouse bit his lip with his buckteeth. "I ... don't know? I was too shy to ask."

"And he couldn't tell Graham this himself?" Annika pressed, quirking a brow.

"I, uh ... I think he knows you guys won't get mad at me, so he'd rather I told you," the mouse mumbled sheepishly.

Graham, leaning back in his chair, looked to Annika, speaking in a stage whisper. "A smart move. Mouses are too cute to get upset with."

"Most definitely," the ambassador agreed, bobtail flicking.

Herkimer blushed all over, particularly in the ears, pink paws rubbing at his grey-furred cheeks.

Talkeetna reached over and gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Actually, Sheila's been working on security protocols for the science lab. I saw her down there," the squirrel said. "So, she's been doing her job. As for Seward and Seldovia, they-"

"I can vouch for their whereabouts," interrupted Minuet. The holographic snow rabbit opened her muzzle to say-

"No need for that, Minuet," Graham interrupted. "They haven't missed a meeting in a while. Let's give them some ... latitude."

"I assume you mean to say 'longitude'?" the computer corrected. "Because that would more accurately describe their current physical-"

"They both submitted departmental reports this morning," Talkeetna confirmed, coming to their rescue, "so I'm up to date with them."

"That's good enough for me," the Commander said, looking to Minuet.

"What?"

"Moving on," Talkeetna said, her red, fluffy tail arcing behind her, "I've been approached by no less than ten merchants on the Promenade in the last day with complaints about this, that, or the other." She crossed her arms. "It's slowing me down."

"With the station's traffic growing and more establishments open for business, I imagine there will be more issues to deal with in the future," Annika said.

"Probably. But it shouldn't be my problem."

"Then whose is it?" Minuet wondered. The holographic doe bristled. "I do not wish to deal with petty matters involving the changing paws of edible substances and material goods."

"Huh? If that's what they called eating and shopping, no one would do it," Herkimer said, making a face.

"I'm not saying it should be dumped on any one of us," Talkeetna continued. "I'm suggesting we have the merchants form an 'association,' or a council. Or something. They could collectively gather their concerns and present it to us electronically instead of blind-siding us individually at random times. I know you like to give people their leeway, sir," she said to Graham, "and I think that's working." Redwing didn't feel like a military institution. It felt like a home. As a result, UT locals had been drawn to it instead of scared away. "But, sometimes, we gotta corral the herd."

"I'll discuss it with them," Graham promised.

"How did the transfer of the dragon artifacts go?" Annika asked, a paw on her pregnant belly.

"Smoothly," Minuet answered. "No one who is not allowed in the lab will be able to gain access. I've seen to that."

"The Syndicate scientists," Talkeetna said, "are due to arrive in a few days. Arctic will loan us their best science officers since they won't be needing them much while serving as our security detail. By the end of the week, the joint team should start to run some deep scans, aided by Minuet, to determine what everything is, how it worked, and whether it contributed to the dragons' disappearance."

"My builders," Minuet said, "were obsessed with the lost dragon culture. They felt they were very close to discovering the secrets behind it when they destroyed themselves."

"Let's not make the same mistake," Graham said seriously. "This technology is powerful. I don't want it endangering anyone on the station. Not even a little."

"I've surrounded the room with an energy dampening field. The moment energy levels spike too high, it will shut the offending device down."

"Sir, I have something to report," Herkimer said. "Well, it's more a rumor I heard second-paw. Actually, fourth-paw. Or maybe-"

"What is it, lieutenant?"

"I was in a lift this morning with two Arctic crew-furs. Snow rabbits. And they were saying how they'd been on the bridge when Admiral Flint called to give Arctic its new orders."

"Yes?"

"Well, they talked as if the Admiral said he was putting a visit to Redwing on his itinerary."

Everyone looked to Minuet, who tilted her tall-eared head and cross-checked everything she could in a second flat. "The rodent is correct. The Admiral talked to Sub-Commander Elim and said he'd be 'coming your way' soon. No timetable."

"I see," Graham whispered.

"Who's Admiral Flint?" Talkeetna asked, whiskers twitching. She was a UT native and not as familiar with internal High Command politics.

"He's the HC's highest-ranking admiral," Herkimer explained. "Other than Council members and the President, he's the biggest authority in the fleet."

"Individuals of that stature rarely venture outside snow rabbit space," Minuet stated. "If he's coming here, it's surely to put an official 'stamp of approval' on the station and the job we are doing here." She quirked a brow. "Perhaps you will be promoted," she said to Graham.

An awkwardness fell over the room.

"Well," the buck said, clearing his throat and putting his paws on the tabletop. "No reason to get carried away. We don't know what's going to happen. But, by all means, let's keep everything shipshape for the next few weeks just in case."

Everyone nodded.

Annika gave a sidelong look at her mate. She could sense the conflict in his voice. A promotion to captain? That would be an honor. It would be the pinnacle. He'd worked toward that his whole adult life. But it would likely mean being transferred from Redwing to another posting, probably a ship. The fleet was still being rebuilt following the losses in the Wasp War. Capable captains were needed.

But she knew he didn't want to leave. He loved it here. He was flourishing in this role. He'd helped turn an empty, ancient shell into a thriving outpost. It's where he'd hooked up with her. Where their child had been conceived. And the crew were all friendly with each other, all on the same page. The kind of chemistry they all had on Redwing? It wasn't repeatable.

As for herself ...

I have to go where he goes. Obviously.

I want our baby to grow up in a safe environment, and it would be much safer back in HC space. There's no question about that. But, as an ambassador, a peacemaker? There was more work for her in the UT. Her career would matter out here. And I, too, have become attached to my crewmates. Such an eclectic, likable bunch.

Herkimer, looking around with wide, nervous eyes, broke the ice by mentioning, "Reverie's, uh ... she's on the way back, I think." He looked to his mate. "Right, TK?"

"Yeah, I heard from Peregrine last night," Talkeetna confirmed for the group. "He should be here in three or four days. He said they have a lot of 'interesting' cargo this time. I'm not sure if that's a promise or a threat."

"I'm sure our bickering merchants will be pleased with whatever he has for them," Graham said lightly. "Perhaps I will enlist Peregrine to whip them into shape?"

"He'd definitely enjoy that." Peregrine wasn't an 'ordinary' mouse. Not shy, sweet, and gentle. He could be as rough-and-tumble as anyone. And, at times, a bit crude.

Graham, taking a deep breath, reached for a computer pad. He'd made a list of items to discuss. There were a few more remaining. "It looks like-"

"A ship's approaching the nearest docking hatch," Seward said, seeing a shadow in his peripheral vision.

"Yeah ... ?"

"Mmh." Laying on the couch in the Pylon 5's observation room, he turned his head toward the window. In the starry vista of space, sunlight reflected off a moving, metallic hull. The station's floodlights illuminated the finer details. "Looks like ... ah, ah," the buck went, moaning a bit before finishing, "a Syndicate!" His voice hit a high pitch. His head lolled aside, maw opening wide. "Ahhh ... shuttle."

"Don't finish yet!" Seldovia pleaded. The bouncing skunk stopped, afraid she'd done too good a job on him.

"I'm not," he promised. "I haven't. That just ... that just felt particular good." The way her walls rubbed against his glans when she moved that certain way? It made his penis tingle. He couldn't possibly be more erect.

"Alright." She smiled, waiting a second before moving again. "Leave it to an engineer to be distracted by a ship," the skunk teased, sinking to a hilt, gyrating her hips in a slow, grinding circle, "while ... while making l-love with his mate."

"You know we're both late back ... mmf, from lunch ... "

"Your repairs ran long because you lost track of your most important tool," she reasoned.

"Have you looked between your legs?" he teased.

She looked down. "I don't see anything," she said truthfully, his entire shaft buried inside her feminine heat. His fuzzy balls were nestled to her loins. "Do you?"

Panting, he looked down his body, her curvy hips grinding to his. "Mm. No. Guess we'll have to keep looking ... "

"See? Perfectly valid excuse ... " Purring, she bent over, planting her paws flat against his muscular, bare-furred chest. Her breasts jiggled loosely. That striped, black-and-white tail began to flutter. "Mm. You know, I feel my gland ... "

When extremely aroused, skunks had the ability to spray pheromones into the air to attract and partners (and keep them loyal).

"Go ahead," he whispered.

"I can resist the urge," she assured.

"But you don't want to."

"If you get a whiff of me, you'll ... you'll still be high when you get back on duty," the skunk panted. If they'd been able to do this as soon as their lunch break started, he might've recovered in time. But they'd been delayed by his (legitimate) repair-work.

"I'm always high on you," he said.

She melted upon hearing that.

"Besides, I've spent most of the day working alone, fixing things in the bowels of the station. That's what the rest of my day will be. No one will see me to notice." He reached for her rump, massaging her cheeks. His fingers strayed beneath her tail. He knew exactly where her scent gland was. He gave it a very soft, delicate massage with a fingertip. "I know it feels better for you, too ... "

"Ah!" She arched, head tossing back. "Ah ... oh, o-okay," she whined. He's always so convincing.

Having prevailed, Seward pulled his paws back and waited.

The skunk bounced on his cock. She mewed as the reflex to spray consumed her. She gave in. There was a squirt, a hiss, and a fine cloud of mist. Her tail immediately swished bout, stirring the air.

"Mm," the rabbit went, his nose flaring. He took a deep breath, the scent tickling his nose, entering his lungs. His bloodstream. It went right to his brain in seconds. He sighed. "Ah ... ahhh," he sighed. His blue eyes dilated fully, almost comically, and he had to squint as the light reflected off that ship's hull became too bright for him.

Her scent gland empty, Seldovia's tail lowered a bit. Her body, meanwhile, raised fully up. "Bunny," she whispered, using a word that rabbits frowned upon in public. But this was intimate. This was just them. "You with me?"

"Princess," he replied, reaching up to lazily fondle a breast. "I only ... I've only ever wished to serve you." He looked out the window. Shiny! That ship was almost out of sight as it lined up with the docking port several decks below. "Any ship could take me to the stars," he said, looking back to her, "but only you take me to heaven."

Seldovia's eyes watered. "You give me the fuel to get that high," she countered, as if it were a contest. "Mm." She rode him, still. Slick and steady.

The engineer groaned, his other paw rubbing up and down her striped back. He lifted his hips, bucking, arching against her. "Mmmm ... " He was so, so relaxed. He could like he was floating on a cloud of skunk.

"You have the happiest look on your face," she cooed, starting to ride again. She reached down to rub at her clitoris. "Mm. Mmh ..." She bounced firmly, now. The rhythmic 'slick-slick-slap' of their genitals was room-filling.

"I f-feel it ... I feel it," he murmured, the pheromones reaching maximum effect. His mind became hazy. He was consumed with her. Thoughts, desires? Everything. Everything was her. Only her. "Seldovia ... "

"I know," she cooed. "I know. I've got you." It excited the 'royal' in her to be practically worshipped like this. She wasn't going to lie.

The rabbit whimpered, his need for her so great, so intense! "Seldovia," he cried again, feeling his willpower start to crumble. Any second, now ...

"Almost there, love ... a-almost-"

"There!" the silver hare screamed, as the bat drilled into her pussy.

They were in the infirmary, on a bed in one of the 'recuperation' rooms. There were no patients at the moment, and the nurse wasn't due back for another ten minutes.

Sheila's paws dragged across Barrow's undulating, blue-furred back, her blunt claws leaving temporary furrows.

"Oh, oh ... yes!" she moaned as she came. "Yes!" As he came. There was no difference. We are one.

His fangs were in her neck, a 'mating milk' steadily dripping into her bloodstream to facilitate a total telepathic merging of their minds and bodies. Their very souls. They heard each other's thoughts. Had access to each other's memories. And, most of all, felt everything each other felt as if it were happening to them, on top of what they felt themselves.

Sex with bats was not for the timid.

So intricately intense!

It strips me of all pretense.

Lays me bare.

_He has all of me, and I all of him. _

Barrow's cock twitched and jerked. He chittered gleefully as he filled her, the hare's sex rippling around him.

The hare happening to see past the bat's shoulders. The diagnostic readouts on the wall were automatically tuned to any life signs on the bed. They were taking, as a result, the couple's pulse and blood pressure, duration of each's climax, and ... well, several other things. Understandably, all the readings were completely off the charts, and she felt too good to make sense of them.

"Fuck," she murmured with hazy satisfaction, head flopping back. She closed her eyes, paws cradling the back of Barrow's blue-furred head.

The bat, after a minute, carefully withdrew his fangs, severing their link and somehow leaving not a trace of blood. (Something about the enzymes or chemicals involved. The puncture marks tended to heal quickly, too.)

Her paws went further down his body, allowing him to move his head equal to hers. Nose to nose. The look in his eyes. How did I come to earn that? Even being a participant in this, it still feels like a dream.

"Sheila," he started.

But she beat him to it. She knew what he was going to say because, minutes ago, his thoughts had been hers. She'd heard him thinking about saying it. "I love you, too," she breathed.

Oh, if my old self could see and hear me now. She'd be disgusted, wouldn't she?

"Do you mean that?"

"Nice try. You just want me to say it twice." Her paws returned to the back of his head, fingers drumming against his skull. "No secrets, remember?"

"Heh. And you can't play along ... ?"

"I said it once," she repeated, as if that were a feat.

"I want to say it over and over ... I love you, I love you, I love- "

"That's just the afterglow speaking." She then whispered into his big, scooped-out ear, "Don't embarrass me." Before he could respond, she licked at his lobe. The insides, the rims. Her head shifted, noses bumping and necks moving in slightly opposite directions.

Their muzzles meshed in a kiss.

It was his turn to use tongue, and his batty one was much longer and wilier. He got inside her mouth, taking hers for a waltz. Their lips smacking several times, bodies so hot they felt like they were in direct sunlight. She was worried they might combust.

When he pulled back, panting for breath, he said, "We've joined so many times, I've left part of myself in you ... "

"Try a few million parts. Trillions, actually, if you're being _cum_ulative."

"Hah!" He laughed. "Medically-speaking, yes." His eyes, sparking with joy, looked into hers. "But I was being sincere for once."

"I know," she whispered evenly, unimpressed, starting to compartmentalize things again. Until the next time I let him deconstruct me. "I've had enough sap for now, okay?"

He sighed and nodded, knowing when to back off. "Right." So, he pulled out of her, cock getting limp. He rolled off the bed and to his feet. "My nurse will be back in six or seven minutes." He glanced at a chronometer. "Yeah." Obviously, his staff suspected what sometimes went on, which is why they were never early back from break. But they'd never had actual confirmation. Probably best it remains that way. "We better clean up quick."

"So, Barrow?"

"Mm?"

"Did I pass my checkup?" the hare asked as she sat up, reaching for her bra.

The blue bat winked and replied, "With flying colors."

The doors to the pylon's observation lounge slid open.

Seldovia's striped head peeked out, eyes wide with paranoia. She looked up and down the corridor. "We're clear," she whispered, leaving the room (fully clothed, now). She tugged Seward along with her. "Is your uniform-shirt on inside out?" she accused.

The rabbit looked down and squinted, giving a shrug.

"Never mind." She exhaled sharply. "That was close."

Right after they'd climaxed, the passengers of the shuttle, all bats, had walked this way. Unbelievable timing. How does that happen? Thank God they didn't go into the lounge. I'm surprised we weren't projecting strong enough to be detected by their telepathy. Or maybe we were ...

The still-high rabbit almost tripped, bumping into the back of his mate.

"Mmf, watch it," she said, turning to catch him. She led him into a side-corridor and leaned him against a bulkhead. "I got carried away, didn't I? I knew it. I shouldn't have sprayed you. I could've controlled the urge better ... " That's easy to say now. You may be of royal blood, but you're no less an animal than anyone else onboard.

The snow rabbit took a slow, deep breath and promised, "I have no regrets for loving you as powerfully as I do."

"Aw ... " The skunk hugged him tight and whispered into a tall, slender ear, "I love you." Still holding him, she turned her head to make sure they were still alone. "You gonna be okay, though? I can take you to our quarters. I gotta stop by there, anyway. I can't go back to Ops without a shower ... "

"I'll be fine. As I said, I'll be alone all day, so ... no one's nose will know. I'll crawl into the access tube over there." He pointed. "Rest a bit. The hum of the, uh ... power conduits." He nodded. "Will be very soothing. By the time I wake, your pheromones will have-" He waved a paw. "Worn off."

"Well." Seldovia released him and shuffled backwards. She spread her paws, countering with, "Until tonight." She then spun so that her elegant, striped tail swished promisingly as she walked away and out of sight.

Seward watched her leave with a rapt gaze. She was the most beautiful fur on the station. A literal princess. And he was her prince!

_Happily ever after, indeed. _