Ghosts of Threshold pt.1: Homecoming.
Ghosts of Threshold.
Wrote by : DefianceXIII (a.k.a. Onyx)
Pt. I: Homecoming.
Fifteen years after the Fall of Threshold...
It had felt like days, almost weeks since they had left the Endauri III system, and jumped into Slipstream. Of course technically he couldn't really tell how long it had been since the Leviathan had jumped system, the physics of subspace travel were so far beyond his understanding even as a Cerberus that whenever he sat down to learn it, it would give him a headache. The only real thing that Onyx understood about Slipstream travel was that it involved the bending of time and space around them, tearing a 'hole' into the frabic of normal-space, and compressing their every molecule down to it's most dense capability, launching them across the universe. All the laws of physicis known to Anthro-kind did not truely apply in Slipstream, and time became irrelevant. While it may have seemed like it had been many days, several months could have passed by in real time space if they didn't use faster-than-light travel.
Still, why couldn't this ship move faster? His brain yelled at him about the logic of his question, but he ignored it. He would have liked to leave Slipstream, the same old burning glow of nothingness became a quick bore to him, as did it to the rest of the crew onboard the Leviathan, and the sight of stars and planets, Hell, just the vast empty void of normal-space would be eye pleasing to him. One couldn't do anything while in Slipstream, but sit and wait. Or go into deep hypersleep, which was pretty much the same as sitting and waiting. You didn't dream while in hypersleep, or so they say. You're just in a technologically superior coffin, strapped down and injected with several different chemicals to balance out your system. Yes. Pretty much the same thing as sitting, and waiting. Besides, Onyx hated the revival process of the entire deal. Your body would come out freezing cold and covered in disgusting mucus which was supposivley designed to keep your body-temprature safe. That was the most bullshit explanation for a useless piece of technology he had ever heard.
The giant anthro wolf sat alone in the mess hall, gold piercing eyes watching the bright nothingness stream on by through the windows, if you could call reinforced glass and energy based shields a window. His mind had been racing ever since Gray Team had been breifed about their next mission. Threshold. They were to check the remote colony-world for any signs of Trust opratives. Section 9 had plans for the old planet due to it's location and size. If all had checked out, the spooks over in Section 9 would re-populate the abandoned planet and build a new shipyard and military base there. It would become a new Fortress-World, giving the Fleet a new upper-hand against any Rebel forces in the outter-colonies belt.
Threshold was also his home world. Onyx had been raised on Threshold by his family and grew up with his friends on that world. It was the training grounds, a place of honor to him, and the reason why he was now a member of CERBERUS, the Fleet's Elite fighting force. To this day Onyx can still remember everything about his home. The deep thick and lush green forests and numerous lakes and rivers of crystal blue that dotted it's surface. Several villages and major towns, including his own city had once housed a great population of future generation soldiers and vast mountains that reached so high into the skies that most could not climb them. But he could, and he did. It was because of this that he was possibly alive to this day. He could remember the routine training he was on, climbing to the first base camp on Mt. Erbus, when the fire came from the sky. Bright flashes of burning white light poured down from above and vaporized everything in it's path below. He could remember the bloody screams and cries of those being slaughtered in the streets, the buildings tumbling to the ground. He could remember hiding in the caves and forests that skirted up Erbus with the other group of trainees, evading their attackers and their ships who scouted the skies.
Onyx could also remember that on the fourth day of the Seige he took his first life, one of the Trust agents had foolishly wandered away from their search party and into his little hiding spot, and it was in that little pile of ruble that Onyx had dragged the man who had help destroy his home and family into the darkness, where he had torn his throat out with bare claws. His first taste of vengence. He could remember being saved by the Elite CERBERUS forces, by his military and government that by birth he was sworn to dedicate his life to. He could remember being cold, being alone, and drifting through space wishing his family was with him. He could remember knowing that he was one of the last survivors of Threshold, and his burning hatred for those who robbed him of everything. Returning to Threshold just wasn't another mission, it wasn't another operation to hold back Rebel forces. It was a homecoming, it was a way to pay his respect to his dead.
"Onyx, sir?" A familiar voice had broken the silence in the air and pulled him from his train of thought. Onyx lifted his head and turned his gaze away from the windows, from that ungodly and awful bright light to look over his shoulder. Even in the dim light he could recognize instantly who the voice belonged to, Lieutenant Sofia Ambrosia. A light tan canine with hair as black as night streaked with royal purple, and emeral green eyes full of life. Standing at 5'5, her already near perfection apperance could only be complimented with her curves.
She'd joined the ranks of Cerberus half a year ago, transfering from the academy on Jericho, and thanks to his recomendation, Amborsia was brought into Gray Team. While some think Onyx did this only because of her physical apperance, which did not fall short of Heavensent.
He claimed it was due to her record; Half true. She did have the qualifications to be apart of Gray Team, weapons training, explosive expert, a great shot and a damned good pilot. But there was more.
Ambrosia and Onyx had grown much closer than regulations allowed for.
Ambrosia and Onyx loved eachother.
"There's no one here, Sofia. There's no need to address me by rank..." Onyx pushed himself up off from the table's bench, pulling his weight onto the table itself and watched her move from the dimlit hallway into the more brighter interior of the mess hall.
"Captain Greeves says that we're an hour out from the Styria Omega system..They tried to raise you on the intercom and--
"I turned them off, I didn't want to be bothered by pointless things." Onyx explained before she could finish her sentence. He thought this to be hypocritical in a way, his reasoning. Here a moment ago he was complaining to himself that the travel was taking too long, yet he had turned off the intercom systems so he couldn't be disturbed, let alone know when they were about to drop into normal space agian.
"I take it you've been thinking about Threshold, returning to your home since we've left Fleetcom?" Sofia had asked as she pulled herself up onto the table sitting next to Onyx, watching his facial expressions. What kind of question was that, anyway? She thought to herself. It was obvious just from his actions alone.
Everyone had lost somebody at some point in time to the attacks. Several worlds had came under seige from The Trust, and thousands, if not millions, had already paid the ultimate price because of this war. However something was much different about this, there was a feeling in the air, and a feeling of heavy guilt. Guilt from Onyx that he had survived the assault, when so many others were slaughtered without reason.
"It's not my home anymore, Sofia. It hasn't been for fifteen years. My home was destroyed. This is just another operation, a survey for a possible new Fortress-World. Just like we did to Athens and Cimmeria." He replied, his voice calm and cool, not missing a beat. His expression solid. Onyx could hold his pokerface well, but even he knew that Ambrosia could see right through that. She knew him inside and out.
"It'll always be your home, Onyx...That's one thing the heretics can't take from you. Who you are and where you came from.." She had reached out with one arm and wrapped it around his shoulder, pulling herself even closer to her superior officer, resting a tired head on the muscluar mass. And she was right. Though they destroyed everything he knew, the heretics would not, could not, take away his heritage.
"I suppose you're right..But, I don't know...Knowing where I'm going, seeing Threshold..It's not just a planet, and I don't feel right about scouting my homeworld just so the spooks can tear it apart and build themselves a new base. It's a mass grave. A reminder of what we've all given to this war." The canine had gritted his teeth together, the pearl white fangs glistening against the light from outside, and Sofia could feel the anger, hatred, sorrow and pain in his voice.
There wasn't anything she could say to that. They had all given something for this war. Their homes, their lives, their familys, something. Yet despite knowing what they had all lost at some point in time, Sofia couldn't help but feel for Onyx, feel his pain. Sofia then jumped down off from the table and faced Onyx standing, those emerald bright eyes looking deeply into his. Piercing straight through any barrier he could put up. Her hand had reached out and stroked gently against his face, pulling him towards her.
"We've all lost something so important to us that it seems like life isn't worth living, anymore. But what truely matters is that we carry on, that we fight for another day. What really matters now my love, is what we have in this moment.." Her voice whispered into his ear, and her words hit something deep inside. There was no point in greiving over the past, he couldn't change the outcome. This is now, and tomorrow is another day. Fight to survive.
He had her, and that's what mattered to him now, even if it was a forbidden fruit. Onyx grasped tightly onto her waist and pulled her into him, kissing her deeply. Sofia had been taken by surprise at first from this, but quickly gave in. Onyx was her everything. He was more than just another furry she could share a bed with for the night. He was her friend, too. She had loved him on more than just a physical level.
Her body pressed hard against his and their tongues danced together, Sofia's hands ran through Onyx's fur with a feverious desire for him, for them to connect again. She had broken the kiss first and bit down gently onto his neck, trailing her claws down across his spine through the dark gray uniform. These damned things, they both thought, it was seperating them. These uniforms and regulations were what kept them from being together more often. To hell with the Fleet, and to hell with Cerberus for the time being. They were alone. They were together.
Onyx was the first to show this, his larger hands already moving swiftly against Sofia's jacket, unzipping and stripping it from her frame, revieling the skin-tight black shirt that hugged her body in detail, her nipples pressing hard against the material. She wanted him badly. It was his turn, now. As Onyx had ran his hands across her body and up her shirt, she had already began stripping him of his own clothing, tugging at his jacket then his belt, the bulge far beyond obvious now.
Sofia knelt down before him, yanking the belt loose and his pants unzipped, small tough, yet soft, hands worked with his sheath. Onyx had pulled her shirt completley off revealing her true outter beauty, large developed breasts pressed against his palm as he leaned back. She would do what she wanted to him, and he would enjoy whatever it was. Her hands stroked and pulled back the skin to his sheath, the pink, thick and long manhood sliding out before her in twitches. it had been so long since either of them had any bodily contact.
Her eyes had lit up like the suns of Endauri the moment she laid them on his bulging cock, and in an instant she had grasped it firmly with her hands, stroking and gently pulling it just the way he liked it, while her tongue danced across it's head, teasing. Onyx had groaned lightly at this, both from pleasure and frustration. Sofia opened her muzzle wider and slid the length of his member down her throat, sucking back gently while her hands worked with the growing knot, not wanting him to cum just yet. She wanted him longer than that, she wanted all of him.
Onyx sensed this from her and pulled away, in which Sofia had let out a protest of light whimpers and confusment in her eyes. He simply shook his finger at her and pulled her up to where he had sat, switching postions. He would taste her now. He would taste her for the first time in months. With her pants already unzipped and belt strung across the room carelessly, Onyx pulled them away from her frame and then the black panties which were now soaked with the hot juices. She'd nearly had an orgasm just from kissing and sucking him.
With the last bit of clothing that seperated them tossed away to the side, Onyx could do as he pleased. Her cunt was warm to the touch, the lips and fur surounding it's beauty soaking from it's own juices. He parted it's outter lips and slipped in a single finger, pushing in deepr and deepr as her walls tightened against him. His tongue lashed out and lapped at the soft pink spot in heavy strokes, flicking against her clit and drinking down what juices flowed free. She started to gasp more, her breathing increasing. She was going to cum, and he hadn't even started doing anything to her. He pulled himself up and braced his weight with the free arm, pressing his body against hers and kissing her again, deep as he could. His fingers had slid deeper inside of her now, as far as he could get and fucked her cunt, his palm brushing against her clit with each thrust, and with each thrust she felt herself growing closer, and closer, and..
"Oh, god, Onyx..!" She had to bite down hard onto his colar so she wouldn't scream, letting anyone near by know what was going on. He felt her tighten up and her warm juices flowed free from inside of her like a flood against his hand.
He felt her teeth sink into his flesh, he could feel his flesh rip open and warm blood pour out onto his shoulder, into her mouth. He could feel her tongue lap away at the warm substance, and it sent a shiver up his spine. No, Onyx was not done with her, not yet.
He pushed himself up now and against her body, laying them both down onto the table, her legs spread wide for him. She wanted more, and didn't care who was near by. She didn't care if the Fleet Admirial himself had walked right in through that door.
Onyx bent down closer to her, pressing his body against her frame, his own cock nearly exploding from the anticipation. Onyx grabbed his length with one hand and slipped it gently at first against Sofia's pussy, before pushing himself deeper inside of her. The feeling to her was much greater than his fingers. It was much longer, and much thicker than his finger, and pulsed with each thrust. Her claws dug deep into his back, tearing down against his fur and flesh while her hips grinded upwards against hips, taking all that she could, every last ninch of him, inside of her walls.
Onyx flipped, rolling her with him onto his back and continued to thrust, pulling her body down to his. He bit and nibbled and kissed all along her jawline and neck, and felt her rythme grow faster against him, her walls tightening up again, wrapping themselves firmly around his own cock. Onyx was growing closer and she could feel it, too. His knot and slipped inside of her and firmly held inplace, he could feel himself growing inside, his pre-cum already shooting deep into her. Sofia lowered down against him pressing her paws into his chest and dug her claws into his flesh, biting down as hard as she could into his shoulder, muffling back the cry.
And then it happened. As she bit and clawed at him, he felt himself release. Onyx could feel himself cumming deep inside of her and her body reacted instantly. Shivering and twitching, arching her back and digging her claws deeper. She'd gotten what she wanted. A connection with her beloved on a more than physical level. The hot semenial fluids mixed around inside of her walls, her breathing heavy matching his and for a moment, they laid together as one on the cold metal surface of the table, not having a care for anything other than eachother. For only the moment.
"I love you.." Sofia whispered into his ear as she lay on his chest, still tied together. "With every thing I got."
"
And I lov-- Onyx's words were cut short, he felt his body suddenly feel as though it was going to be launched forward, and almost sick, dizzy. Both Sofia and he sat up holding onto eachother, they realized what it was instantly.
They had dropped out of Slipstream. Sofia quickly climbed off of Onyx, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before she grabbed up her clothing. Though they didn't care before hand, they were now in normal space, which ment within a few minutes most of the Leviathan's crew would become active, and if they didn't hurry both Onyx and Sofia would be seeing themselves on the wrong end of a Dishonorable discharge. Onyx pulled his jacket back on and stopped, feeling a dull pain run through his arm, he had almost forgotten she had tore into him. He glanced to Sofia as she pulled her shirt and jacket back on and she returned a wry smile, a silent 'sorry'. He only shrugged and gave a small smile back, then a wink, as to say it was ok.
"We'd better to top deck, the Captain is going to wonder where both of us have been for the past..Hour." Sofia blinked, fixing her hair and last checks over her uniform while Onyx stepped forward doing the same.
"Yes, we should. And..." Onyx leaned down to her ear moments before stepping back out into the corridor. "I love you, too, Sofia. Thank you, for everything." And with those words there was nothing left needed to be said at the time. They both understood eachother, silence was enough for them both. It was almost as though they could speak to eachother with just their eyes and movements.
On the Bridge things were running smoothly, for an interstellar Destroyer class starship. Several different technicians, engingeers and navigation officers worked their stations, each barking their orders and responses back and forth to eachother in an almost machanic style. None of them missed a beat, it was routine. They were operators of one of the most elite ships in the entire Republic Fleet. The Leviathan. In the center of the entire workings stood a tall equine of a being, white fur standing out against the decorative all black and gold Captain's uniform. Several badges of honor adorned his chest and a pair of gold stars rested on his shoulders. The horses mane had been trimmed neatly and a four inch scar ran across his face and over his left eye, a sign of combat.
"Captain Greeves, reporting for duty, sir." The equines head turned away from the main consoles view screen and faced the source of the voice.
"Glad you could finally join us, Onyx. I see Lieutenant Ambrosia managed to find you?" There was a hint of sarcasm and annoyance in the Captain's voice.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry sir. I was meditating, I didn't want to be disturbed for this operation. It wont happen again." Onyx didn't miss a beat in his explnation, and showed no sign of lying.
"I'm sure it wont, Lieutenant Commander.." Amber eyes watched Onyx carefully, then Ambrosia, who wasn't as trained to keep her pokerface as he was, but still managed to hold her own. The Captain wasn't a fool, that much was for sure. And Onyx had already suspected the Captain knew something, but without proof, there was nothing he could do.
Onyx knew that the Captain did not like him too much, and the feelings were mutual. But he did respect him. Captain Greeves had seen more combat than most seasoned veterns. When he was just a Lieutenant, Greeves had managed to fight off over four dozen Rebel forces at the legendary Battle of Ravens Gate, where he saved his unit from certain death. It was also where he got that nasty scar. The Captain had also lead several starships into combat, and despite the overwhelming odds, managed to bring back almost all of his crew and the ship, including the Leviathan. Onyx couldn't help but respect anyone who could deal with all that stress and burden, and keep a cool head.
"The seriousness of the mission must get to you, LC. Returning to place where you were born. Returning to the source of your devoution, correct?" Onyx held his cool at the Captain's questions, he knew he was shitting with him, trying to egg him on, and Onyx wouldn't play his game.
"All my missions are serious sir. This one is no exception." Onyx turned his gaze to the main view console, already starting to recognize some of the surrounding space. He could see Athos, one of the two moons that orbited Threshold. Onyx stopped in his breathing, and everything else felt so distant from him.
"Sir, orbit over K7T-46; Threshold ETA two minutes." One of the navigational officers spoke up, his voice calm and cool. Almost bored. It was nothing to any of them, but it was something to him. It was his home, it was the reason why he was standing here this very instant as a Cerberus. Damn the gods, it was everything that made Onyx, Onyx.
Sofia let out a light gasp of amazement, the view of Threshold quickly came over the screen, but that wasn't what she was watching. It was one thing to see the planet on the screen, but another through the actual windows. Both Onyx and Sofia stepped forward and away from the Captain. The giant planet drifted closer and closer into view, blotches of white moved against an ever growing bright blue and green surface, golden brown mountain ranges could be seen near the farside of the planet. Everything was much brigther on Threshold due to it's location to the sun, and it's two moons. Athos and Corlev.
"It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen..." Sofia whispered as she watched Threshold drifted into full view, her muzzle open full with awe.
"For a mass grave.." Onyx replied in a whisper.
"Assemble Gray Team, Lieutenant Commander. And Onyx."
"Sir?"
"Welcome home."