FSE

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*****SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING*****

This story has sex in it.

I'm not responsible for your local laws on fuckery. Don't read if you are doing so illegally or underage.

Readers,

Anthrocon was a blast this year! It was so good to meet some of you as well as connect with some old friends.

This story is one that has been in the works for years, and I've just now started rewriting it. I hope you enjoy it!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Also, don't be afraid to use the buttons at the bottom of the page when you're done reading.

~Redfield

Long Since Passed-Chapter 1 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Damn, that Figures." Seree muttered as a particularly expensive and almost irreplaceable tool went crashing down to the deck grating a little over ten feet below. The Dragoness' light blue scales shimmered in the pure white light of the aft cooling valve chamber as she lowered herself down to the floor. The fibercord on which she swung was suspended from the ceiling, giving an unsettling creak with the movement. The female did a half flip and settled back on her feet, checking to make sure she wasn't about to lose her tool belt as it shifted position. She moved a few feet to the left and secured the implement, a cooling conduit connector bar, and released the hold on the fibercord. With a smooth hiss, she rose back to the elevated access panel on the ceiling and locked herself into place.

Seree Maey loved starships. Ever since the Dragoness was a hatchling, she dreamed of the adventures that the stars had to offer and the great perils of space. Of course, media hadn't weaned her off of the topic, and the flood of images that permeated the airwaves also found themselves into her mind. When she came of age, Seree took the most direct route she could think of to the stars. For most 'Gulf' citizens, this meant enlistment in the peacetime naval forces of the Red Gulf Pact. Soon after signing her contract, the female's path began aboard the warship RGP "Interlude", where her parallel interest in mechanics became her calling.

In the never-sleeping mechanical bowels of the Interlude, it was yet another boring day...

"Hey Maey, what's going on with that pressure bleed? Chief Mons says that damn cooling valve needs to be done when the crew returns from planetside. Surely you should at least be close!" The voice of one of her compatriots echoed over the communications nexus that was securely set in her shoulder harness. Ensign Ryan worked with her almost exclusively. It had been that way since their days in the officer academy.

Seree depressed the push-to-talk switch and awkwardly swung the microphone up into a position where she could speak into it without throwing her whole operation out of whack.

"I'd bet one of my horns that it'll work this time. I've been hammering this thing for the last two rotations." The signal crackled once more.

"Excellent, I'll ready the diagnostic. Give me a go when you're ready." The engineer on the other end answered, working furiously on an inset terminal adjacent to the reactor chamber.

The dragoness looked over the gathering of lights and mode switches, setting the required combination for a test run. This had better work... Seree though to herself as the cycle charge bar on the main control panel filled to 'ready'. It was time to try once again.

"Okay, we're a go for the coolant bleed valve diagnostic." She chimed over the nexus, watching as the Christmas tree of ready up lights lit and the indicators spun to full.

"I'm ready ma'am, we're all set here." Ryan responded, watching the gauges from his side.

"Alright, we're running. Hopefully it doesn't commit suicide mid-cycle like the last test batch." Ensign Ryan replied after a few seconds pause, no doubt wanting to concentrate on something more interesting than fixing a bleed valve while their comrades got to enjoy a lengthy planetside leave. As the test neared mid cycle, Seree began to click her claws nervously. The Diagnostic was approaching the stage where it had scrammed into a dangerous 'safe mode', which if operated could result in a catastrophic reactor overload. The Ensign wondered just what the Lorton shipbuilders were thinking when they designed the potentially fatal backup reactors with a positive void coefficient. Her heart began to beat faster as the green progress bar traced over her hand marked dash, paused for a moment, and continued to the point of termination. The green digital counter blinked 'go', followed shortly thereafter by a light indicating the unit was prepared for operation.

"About damn time." Ryan echoed from the reactor, locking up his terminal a moment later. Seree agreed with his statement as she slid the maintenance cover closed and secured it with a pressure lock. The dragoness hit the fibercord release once more and slinked to the floor, where a quick drink from her canteen and an exhausted sigh were the only actions that took on any importance in her mind. There was more than enough work yet to be done, and Seree acknowledged the fact with a grumble as she gathered her items. However, they would have to wait for a few more hours until she returned to duty.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Jamie Tama exited the deserted ATG travel lane just short of the Tae subsystem, and the Gryphon immediately observed all of the chaos that went hand in claw with the capital's busy reputation. Lines and lines of ships of all shapes and sizes, kilometers in length, were on station to move into the travel lanes out of the system. Business was definitely booming in this particular corner of Lorton's RGP controlled space, and it was the primary cause of the massive influx of tonnage.

Jamie's yellow-hued eyes scanned over his navigation readouts, checking and rechecking for the correct carrier registration that he had just renewed.

Hopefully the electronic brains that controlled the landing patterns were functioning correctly today... Jamie mused, turning his attention out the cockpit windows before checking his proximity scanners.

He visually verified the position of the trade ships, making sure that the computer wasn't steering him into the commercial shipping lanes. Ever since his last close call over Industry, where his tiny freelance multipurpose craft had almost gone bow for bow with a several hundred thousand ton "Imperial" Class freighter. The Gryphon couldn't be too careful around ships larger than his own.

"Andrea two-seven-nine-one translight, this is Tae docking control Alpha Seven-two, cargo contents verified clean. Engine components and lubricant bound planetside. Clear for landing zero seven in sector one four." The robotic voice came over his headset, directing him with the numbers for his navigational computers. Once the coordinates were input into the device, a safe landing solution would be transmitted to the ship's brain for execution.

As his clawed hands manipulated the various buttons, the threat sensor on the Master Alerts panel blinked once and sounded a brief audible alarm. As soon as the hiccup had appeared it was gone. Jamie's eyes fixed on the primary visible alert array, which showed only the slow moving commercial traffic on all sides. The gryphon froze for a moment, cocking his head in puzzlement at the sensor jump, as it didn't usually happen on the newer sets. He could do nothing more than shrug it off, as a diagnostic was best performed on the ground. The Gryphon landed without incident.

Once he was on the ground, Jamie's primary worry now was finding another job, now that Tae had been reached and the funds from his last job transferred into his account. A few quick taps on a nearby datapad saw the drain of said accounts as several purchases were made for delivery to his dock of much needed provisions. After procuring something to drink at one of sector one four's numerous pubs, he picked a seat and rummaged through his portable data organizer for anything that resembled work. Pickings had been slim to none for Jamie lately as the trade dispute kindled hostilities by his two main contractors, and the gryphon had definitely noticed that the funds in the bank were barely enough to scrape by. The Andrea was in need of spare parts, restocks of munitions, and replenishment of foodstuffs. Even Jamie could see himself getting thinner as the days dragged on...

The organizer gave off a warm cream colored light, but even that didn't ease the weariness out of Jamie's eyes as the endless searching continued. Right before he shut the organizer, a highlight came across the list.

"At least it's something." He whispered, clicking the highlighted subtext with his stylus to get more job details. It was a simple transport job from Tae to Century in the Sorey System. The job promised decent sum and a short run, at least enough to resupply the Andrea....

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Captain Anna Cilcy stood towards the front of the Interlude's battle command bridge, clutching a crystal glass of Duc'tor in one hand and caressing a control panel with the other. The glass rose and the smooth, herbal drink flowed, warming the captain as she gazed placidly at the bustling bridge crew. It was only a revolution past the crew call and accountability and the ship was at full combat readiness. Had it been the Captain's choice, they'd still be planetside.

The snow white dragoness set her glass down on a chart rendering table and sat down in her chair, manipulating the attached switches and bringing up the con on her microphone.

"All hands, the Interlude is now on a set course for Tae. Chief Mons informs me that we shall arrive in approximately nine revolutions. See your section brief for tasks to be completed. That is all." She rested her head back on the headrest of her seat, enjoying the comfort that it offered her more than usual. The dragoness unzipped her uniform tunic and threw it aside, feeling the ice cold air from the purifiers as it went down the small of her back. For the fifteen year service veteran, their current assignment was just another uneventful reposition. Once in orbit above Tae, the spacecraft would once again assume a garrison status.

"More Duc'tor, Captain?" A brand-new Ensign named Joee Ecks asked from below the con. Cilcy looked over in his direction, making eye contact with the small grey dragon a moment later. Her emotionless gaze met his bright green eyes.

"No thank you Ensign, I'm okay for now." The Captain noticed he didn't have to be told twice, disappearing before Cilcy could study him further. It was common practice amongst the crew to avoid her steely stare.

Before the Battle of Lorton, in which Cilcy had received her Captain's Commission, there was Sura. The then volatile region of what is now Wayfarer territory was a pit of civil war and lawlessness, and both the Aramee Treaty Group and Royal Gulf Pact were involved in stabilizing the region. A VIP group of ATG researchers was tasked to enter the area and conduct research on a recently developed solar storm, and the then Chief Cilcy was tasked to protect them. Needless to say, the mission didn't go as planned. The storms hindered their electronic sensors and numerically superior bandit forces saw to their failure. The science team was slaughtered overnight in a sector that had been deemed clear by RGP intelligence. Cilcy tracked down and punished the perpetrators, but that wasn't enough. One of the science team's chief members had been the son of ATG Chancellor Royen, and he pinned the death of his one and only son on the RGP. War was declared between the two factions the next day amid a cloud of political unrest.

She could still hear the frantic screams as the scientists were put to death....

It stood only as a mark on a once proud navy career that had become long, sad and dragging.

"Ensign Ecks, you have the con."

45 Minutes later......

"Captain, there is something you should see on the primary sensor array. It's as if there are ships out there, but they keep falling off the sensors. Looks like hundreds of them too, but there is nothing on visual nor the passive setting on the array." Ecks shook the Captain awake. He stared at her as she rubbed the nap from her eyes.

"Try the reset, but keep the ELF screening in place just in case we are about to get bushwhacked." Captain Cilcy ordered, getting up from her chair and grabbing the glass of now chilled Duc'tor from the chart table. She stood against the rail and looked out over the bridge, finishing the cup in one large gulp.

"I tried it Captain, all it did was repeat. It's as if ships are passing all around us. We both know that is impossible." Ecks answered hovering over the scanner control as the Captain moved to look over his shoulder at the screens. All she saw was the groups of blinking dots and waves of space distortion. Everything indicated transient contacts on primary scanners.

"What do you think, Ensign?" She asked the officer, using the opportunity to train her personnel.

"Shut down the primary array briefly so that we can run more thorough tests, run on auxiliary units for a revolution at most and see if the problem persists." He said as he crawled underneath the console and produced an SOP datasheet. Cilcy crossed her arms, frown present as she stared into the screens. Her brief experience with the brand new set was not enough for this particular situation. She leaned over, placing her weight on the edge of the console and scratching her neck exhaustedly. Before her last nap, it had been almost thirty-six hours since she had even gotten a wink of sleep. Something didn't seem right in her gut, as the new sensors didn't do crazy things like this for no reason.

"What sensor power setting are we currently running on?" She asked, running more on a hunch than anything resembling logic.

"Mid Range Captain, peak efficiency." Ecks answered, consulting the power settings panel for the correct information.

"Any satellites in kill range?" She questioned, peaking over at the navigation board. She didn't see anything, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"Negative Ma'am, nothing for two hundred klicks in either direction."

"Ok, switch to stealth passive and conduct a sweep at medium range. After that, battle run active at maximum power. That'll shake 'em loose if they are out there." The Captain commanded, moving away from the sensor station and back to the con. She stared out the wide bridge windows at the star covered void on the other side, bringing up the 1SQ once more. As she spoke, her eyes reverted over to the con's sensor screen. The duplicate viewer was nearly identical to the sensor set at its home station.

"Alert status elevated from blue to yellow. Interceptor-vectored pilots prepare for launch on bays five and seven. That is all." She looked at Ensign Ecks and nodded, watching as the midrange sensor indicator blinked stealth-passive. The Captain heard the ship's masking quell the electronic buzz of the power flow.

"Nothing on passive scanners captain, midrange indicates decreased activity. Switching to active in three mark."

"Do it." The captain replied smoothly as she slipped her uniform tunic back on. The Active Scanner sensors kicked on, hammering the surrounding void with high-frequency signals.

The threat alarms throughout the bridge wailed, and a solid contact settled on the screen before it disappeared off in the direction of the Jenni Solar Cloud. Captain Cilcy jumped up and out of the con and into the actual battle command bridge, where the crew was already performing their trained and retrained tasks.

"Launch intercept vectors! Sensors, what's my status?" The dragoness looked over to Eck, whom responded with a negative sign.

"Nothing Captain, the contact disappeared almost as soon as we lit it up. Sensors are blank."

"That can't be. Run the system at midrange and perform full diagnostics. Log the last incident in my personal drives for review. Keep those interceptors out on a sweep, but don't keep them out more than fifteen minutes. Maintain combat alert for one revolution and then back it down to yellow." The captain Shouted over the bustling combat crew, watching as they diligently made the commands happen. In the background, the white alert lights flashed in their well-known pattern. Thankfully, the alarms had been silenced.

Captain Cilcy flopped into her command chair, thinking over the brief sequence of events that had just transpired. Everything was by the book, nothing had been shortcutted, and nothing had been tampered with. Maybe that was the problem, and everything was done too much by the book. All that the Captain knew was that something had been out there, something that seemed all too much from the past. Anna Cilcy let loose an invisible sigh...

"Ensign Ecks, I need more Duc'tor."

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seree Maey finally brushed through the door to her quarters, refreshed from the five minute shower she had managed to sneak in after coming up from the coolant exchanges. Normally, she would turn on the news or head over to the enlisted club for a few drinks. Today, however, the dragoness was just not interested. The normally easy bleed valves had taken her the rest of the crew's shore pass, and the calibration of the unit had taken through the alert. Needless to say, she was tired.

The mechanic flopped down on her billet and withdrew the covers, settling in and looking for her data organizer. The machine hummed as Seree browsed through messages from her enlisted underlings, making sure no life or death situations had occurred on leave. Satisfied, she switched over to the news networks. Information from around the system flowed across the screen. Nothing was really happening save for a serious trade dispute on Commerce.

Boring.

Seree plugged the datapad into the bulkhead next to her and slid the covers up over her shoulders. The dragoness sighed, finally closing her eyes for the first time in nineteen hours.

"Ensign Maey, please report to the battle bridge with all available speed. Your presence is requested at the con." Her communications set on the wall hummed with the words that Seree didn't want to hear. Duty was duty however, and she ever so angrily got up and made her way forwards.

She knew from experience that you didn't question Captain Cilcy.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Captain Cilcy turned curiously, looking over the crewmember that the computer had picked for her required task. The engineer was about her size, maybe a bit smaller, blue in color and apparently very skilled at her work. The personnel section of the Nexus had her listed as Ensign First Class Seree Maey.

The captain looked as the access to her quarters slid open with and audible hiss. The Ensign stopped short, rendering a salute that the captain promptly returned.

"Ensign Maey, the nexus informed me that you are the foremost official on Sensor Technologies on this warship." The captain stated, looking up at the female standing before her with the scrutiny of command.

"I wouldn't say that I'm the most qualified captain, but I do know quite a bit about the new arrays." Maey answered, trying to recall the maintenance classes that she had logged on the CPS3K2 sensor sets like those on the Interlude.

"Have you ever heard of masked contacts on these sets?" The captain asked, taking a quick glance through a bound technical manual for the correct verbiage.

"No, the system's brain isn't capable of even marking masked contacts unless something is actually being detected. The way the CPS3K2 works is by sensitive detection gear coupled alongside a simple-configuration reader set to stop all of those false readouts we used to have. I'm sure you remember those, we used to have false alerts pretty frequently. These sets simply will not do it." Seree replied after thinking for a moment. The dragoness made sure to keep her bearing while talking to the captain.

"Stand at rest Ensign, I need my problem fixed, not inhibited." Cilcy instructed as she noticed Seree's tense position. The Ensign was surprised at the Captain's mellow attitude towards her. All the crew ever saw was the normal steely stare.

"A problem Captain?" Seree asked, eyes questioning.

Without a word, Cilcy brought up the tape on the main screen, replaying the events for Seree's benefit.

"Captain, if I may speak freely..."

"You may."

"What I think you might actually have picked up some sort of stealth ship. I've heard of them, but everyone knows that with our current technologies we are unable perfect the design. However, if you have any scanner tapes, I'm sure we could figure out something. I'm no Intel expert, but I do understand the concept. With your permission Captain, I'd like to try and figure it out." Seree was looking more for a way out of the monotonous work that she had been assigned. The dragoness did have quite a bit of experience in the new sensors, which she intended to use for that purpose.

"Not a problem. I need someone that understands these things, and is at least remotely aware of actual operating conditions. Get your gear secure and I'll send a few crewmembers down to get it. You'll be moving into the bridge crew quarters." The captain ordered, moving over a foot or so in an attempt to see the battle bridge. She wanted to make sure everything was okay. You give soldiers some free time, and they always manage to cause trouble......

"Yes Captain."

And with that, Seree parted, making her way back to the bowels of the Interlude. For once, the chance to prove herself as something more than a low level tech! Seree was praying that she found what the Interlude had run across. The dragoness did not realize how much she was about to regret that though, and just how much she was about to suffer.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jamie slid the Andrea through the first jump gate into the Sorey system, course set for Century in lieu of his newly acquired cargo. The small time business that he was hauling for had been easy to deal with, and their cargo was loaded quickly and quietly enough for the Gryphon's liking. The goods consisted of navigation parts and instrument landing systems for a privately owned and operated docking pad, and were worth quite a bit of cash.

"That explains the pay scale." Jamie laughed to himself as he watched his credit counter hovering over 300,000. A high-risk run right through an area with possible outlaw activity was nothing new to him, as most hauling runs took him through such territory. At least they had been kind enough to give him a little bonus.....

The Gryphon threw his data organizer between the console and the co-pilot's seat, ensuring that the charging cord was secure in his accessory port. A quick grab upwards secured his personalized flight helmet down off of its hook and over his head. The helmet was decorated elegantly, with Jamie's family crest dead-centered on the front and the designs of his imagination on the sides and back. The designs matched the rest of the cockpit, which was decorated in a similar manner. Anywhere that there wasn't an instrument, the Gryphon had designed a personalized pattern of traditional Dragon technique that they called 'Carta-Asi'. The process involved using paints comprised mainly of a plant that grew in a particularly treacherous and practically unreachable part of their forested home planet. From what he knew it was supposed to hold incredible power for their species.

"ILS active, primary drive, retro rockets, lights, all weapons systems active but targeting grid computer off, coolant...." He ran through the checklist out loud as indicator lights flashed on his panels, once more making sure that he was ready to go. Any pilot that didn't treat his preflight checks like a religion ended up just another name in the ever growing list of people lost in the black void.

"All go." Jamie nodded in satisfaction as all of his systems showed green across the board. Fortunately, his ship had proved itself in the past when operating in a harsh environment. All it needed was tender love and care...

As the craft left the docking bay and slid towards the stars, Jamie looked over his weapons displays with the scrutiny of a surgeon. It seemed as if he had to rely on the ship's weapons more and more as the cycles wore on, with over thirty-three anti-ship missiles fired the past one alone. Of those, twenty six kills were recorded in the Andrea's databanks. It seemed as if they never learned.

No sooner had Jamie finished that thought that the warning light and its accompanying beep flashed on his master panel. The computer scrolled in Jamie's customized alert text, letting him know exactly what the bandits were doing.

<<>>

"You picked the wrong ship to mess with!" The Gryphon yelled over the open communications channels he reached to his left and unclipped the storage box cover for the ship's Nexus. Inside was his most ornate Carta-Asi, flanked on either side by several control switches. The lights blinked normally, accentuating the smooth patterns of the dragon art.

The gryphon flipped the rightmost switch into the 'attack' position. He watched the engine spike up to ninety percent, letting forth a powerful hum that seemed to vibrate along every part of the vessel. Jamie grabbed his harness and gave it a quick tug, making sure it was tight to his body. The bandit ships approached on a standard blocking vector, weapons hot but safeties no doubt activated. No need to unintentionally blow up potential profit.

"Civilian vessel, surrender your cargo and you will not be harmed. This is your only warning." The communications set boomed with the voice of an outlaw pilot trying to win him over with petty scare tactics. Most civilian vessels just dropped their cargo and took the hit, but Jamie was not most civilian vessels.

"I don't think so." He sent out over the net a millisecond before slamming the controls downward and diving below the four ships before they had a chance to react. Their frantic chatter was just what Jamie wanted to hear, and he used every bit of the confusion to paint one of the outlaws with a modified ship killer missile. The outlaw pilot moved his aging JS-72 Warfighter into evasive action, the y-shaped craft struggling to get out of his target reference point.

The Andrea had been modified by Jamie nearly a year before into a fast attack craft, more to defend his cargo then himself. The vessel had gotten an engine upgrade, adding a second powerplant and a directional-thrust afterburner. In 'attack' mode, it could outpace and outturn any of the current service military craft. The JS-72 in his sights was so old and its throttle control and steering management modules so out of date that the Andrea's computer didn't even have to process the information necessary to kill it.

"Gotcha!" Jamie yelled as he squeezed the trigger on his control yoke, the shrike lighting up his vision as it left the port side launcher.

"Missile!" He heard over the intercepted communications channel as the outlaw pilots went nuts, countermeasures filling the sensor screen and filling space around the Andrea. Beams of energy frizzled past his cockpit as the other outlaw ships picked up the slack, trying to score a solid hit on his powerpack. The Andrea banked to port, pulling the space equivalent of a 180 degree turn. Jamie flipped the weapons quick select on his master control into 'RL' and placed the targeting reticule over the second outlaw ship, getting a confirming beep for target lock. The Gryphon squeezed the triggers in tandem, watching the silent orange streaks zip through space and connect with the cockpit of the enemy. The ship seemed to implode as Jamie shot past it, not seeing any remains of the shattered pilot. No doubt the 120mm magnetically accelerated slugs had dealt with him. A quick jig to the right put him on a ninety degree intercept with the third just as the missile made contact with the first target. Jamie heard the hoarse scream as the missile created a vacuum, destroying the enemy craft completely and scattering the wreckage. Jamie punched the accelerator towards number three, watching as the HUD tracked its proximity with blue number ticks.

3000 meters, 2000, 1000, 900.... The Gryphon punched the missile launch toggle for his starboard launcher, sending another of his high-speed rigged shipkillers directly center on the outlaw craft. A speedy jerk upwards had the blossoming fire and solid wreckage safely out of the way. He kept the yoke back, compensating until the passing enemy craft was lined up with his gunsights. The rail cannon trigger depressed again, hot rounds lancing through space after the outlaw. The craft jumped left, out of the path of the molten metal and on an evasive course. Jamie kept up easily, launching another missile and trying to break the other pilot's concentration. A countermeasure and yaw left got the enemy out of his viewports and into the perfect position to launch a missile on Jamie's flank, which he promptly did.

"Shit!" Yelled Jamie as he cut right and dropped a daisy chain of countermeasures to cheat the missile off of his tail. The shrike burned through three before exploding, earning a second look from Jamie.

"Good missiles." The Gryphon mused as laser fire shot all around him.

"To hell with this!" He added, slamming the throttle to full reverse and coming almost to a complete stop. The enemy craft launched past, but not before scorching one of Jamie's side panels with beam hits. The outlaw's engine was exposed now, and the railguns mounted on either side of the cockpit wined as superconductors charged and shot even more molten metal downrange. The rounds struck the fighter's engine pack, leaving it twisting mercilessly in space. Life support could be seen venting from the cockpit and primary access panels, and that was a sure sign that the pilot was probably dead.

Jamie glanced to his scanners, ensuring that he was finally alone. His head went to his hands while he tried to come down off of the adrenaline rush that always came forth from combat. He switched the Nexus back to 'Normal', watching the combat lighting spin back down from red to blue and the HUD from blue to green. His Carta-Asi shimmered with magnificent phosphorescence, causing the Gryphon to instantly relax as from the changing cockpit lighting. No wonder the Dragons took so much fancy in Carta-Asi...

A flash in Jamie's sensors drew him away from the art. Instead, his attention was focused to hundreds of small blips on his primary scanner. His eyes immediately went to the main viewport. Nothing was present in the space around him...

"What the hell?" He wondered, hoping the sensor hiccup from before hadn't returned. He flipped the switch to battle run active a second later, watching as a mass of tiny dots moved across the scanner screen. The pattern was strikingly similar to a formation of ships on their way to an objective. One of the dots stopped directly at his Twelve o'clock. The separate rangefinder unit hummed, clocking a solid object directly front at 300 meters. Odd, Jamie didn't feel the concussion from a ship passing, and that is surely something that an experienced pilot would notice. The Gryphon squeezed his triggers for the forward facing rail cannons, listening as the weapons sent two rounds down range. Jamie gasped and stared in wonder as the space in front of him seemed to ripple and flash, revealing a scythe-shaped object before crackling and returning to normal.

Not two seconds later, a blaze of intense light blinded him. Shortly after, his world went black....

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Captain Cilcy turned away from her meal and focused on the wide drone readout that occupied a screen to her left. Strange readings were coming back from one of the hundreds of combat reconnaissance drones that had been dispatched to the far reaches of their patrol zone. Over the last few revolutions, the warship had been attempting to find another of the 'abnormalities' with little avail. The drones were normally worthless for no more than guiding long-range missiles or taking on world pictures, had been retrofitted for the role of detecting ships using their powerful theatre missile sensors. It would definitely help the Interlude extend her reaches out in every direction.

Seree had shown the captain a few key details about the drones that even the senior officer with years of experience didn't know a thing about. In the Captain's mind, Ensign Maey was just the kind of tech she needed on her command crew, already proving her abilities multiple times. Not only that, her confidence and demeanor was just what Cilcy needed in a junior officer.

From what the screen now indicated, a HUGE power spike just knocked the drone offline in sector 2-19. Its navigator beacon was still active, but the sensor unit was toasted by something. It definitely called for an investigation.

Cilcy spun up the communications nexus to the navigation wing of the battle bridge, plotting a new course to the source of the disturbance.

"Navigation, plot course to 2-19, 34-79. Possible anomaly location, sensor terminated cycle 13 rev 15. Log it please." There, now it was recorded. The only thing that she had left to do was retrieve the digital video storage unit from that drone...

"Yes Captain, changing course now. Estimated arrival one revolution." Replied Navigation. Already, Cilcy could feel the ship changing course for the drone's last known position.

++++++++++++++++++++++

"Captain, there is something else here besides the recon drone. A ship of some sort, looks to be completely disabled. I don't have a positive reading whether or not anyone is left alive on it." One of the scanner technicians reported as soon as they were on station. He stared at the shape of the combination fighter/transport hybrid on the warship's powerful observation cameras. It was one of those oddity craft that shared the silver-class designation of civilian vessels. This particular combination looked to have various missile and gun systems coupled to a decent sensor array. The white Dragoness looked at the contact over her own screen, studying every intimate detail. The name

"Andrea" and shipping number 65541 were etched on the hull.

"The Andrea, must be a privateer. Run the number 65541 and see what we get. Meanwhile, prepare to retrieve that damn drone. When you are finished with that, retrieve that ship and bring it aboard. Perhaps its computers can tell us what happened." Captain Cilcy called out to her crew, which were already making the necessary preparations.

She continued to watch as the crew prepared to draw the Andrea aboard with the Interlude's recovery beams. The process shouldn't take too long from what Cilcy could discern, as it only took fifteen minutes in the simulator.

Cilcy observed the beam make contact with the civilian craft's access clamps, dragging it towards the primary recovery bay just below the battle bridge. The Captain got up and headed in the direction of the bridge lift, her pistol already charged....

++++++++++++++++++++++

Thirty minutes later.....

"Does he have any significant injuries?" Captain Cilcy asked, more frown than usual present on her face. The Dragoness crossed her arms, glaring at the unconscious Gryphon sprawled out on one of the infirmaries many advanced operating tables and trying to run through the situation in her head. The information from the drone coupled with the computer log and data pad from the civilian vessel was being processed, decoded, and analyzed in the Interlude's massive Military Data Center. One of the most important areas of the ship in wartime, its peacetime workload was slim to none. So far, however, the Captain hadn't heard much.

"No Captain, just unconsciousness caused by a Forced Charge Energy (FCE) blast. Luckily for him, the ship's passive/active hit dissipation layer absorbed most of the energy. He's a little radioactive, but nothing worth even worrying about." The medical orderly responded, looking over a clipsheet of hard copy that the Interlude was compiling on a one Jamie Tama. From what it read on the surface, he was a freelance commercial pilot that hailed from Fort Cee. Apparently, the RGP didn't have too big of a file on him, save a record of service as a combat pilot during the Battle of Lorton. Just an ordinary pilot fighting the same past as the Captain herself. Good, maybe he would be able to tell them what happened.

"Lucky." Anna muttered, walking up to stand next to the Gryphon's head.

"Leave, I'll call you in a moment." The medical staff acknowledged and left, leaving the officer alone with Jamie. She bent down low, getting in close and looking over the Gryphon. She moved her clawed hands down and ran them across his brow, curiosity being more of a motivating factor than actual purpose. The Dragoness didn't have much familiarity with the species, save the few pilots that had served alongside of her in Lorton. She could still remember their images coming over the communications layout, covering her six as she delivered the final blow. Their faces were seen no more afterwards....

"Soft." She whispered to no one, a smile creeping into place where her frown had rested a moment later. This Gryphon was the first real one that she had ever touched.

"What happened to you?" She asked, knowing that he couldn't hear her. Cilcy turned and started out of the room, taking one more quick look at the pilot before finally leaving.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Six Revolutions Later...

Jamie awoke in an unfamiliar place. He attempted to sit up, being defeated by the sharp pain in his head. The Gryphon felt as if a hammer had been brought down and smashed him into the ground, head throbbing and sides aching like nothing he had experienced in quite some time. The only question in his head was where was he? The Andrea's familiar surroundings were nowhere to be found. All he could see was a large infirmary like those found on battle cruisers. Not good, he thought, not good at all.

The Gryphon threw his legs over the side of the table and stretched his talons, hearing the snap and pop of stiff joints. How long had he been out?

"Good evening." A deep female voice echoed from somewhere in the room. Jamie looked about for the source of the voice while reaching for his pistol with his right hand. It only took him a few seconds to realize that his pistol wasn't there, and neither was the holster.

He was naked!

With a quick motion, Jamie reached down and covered his vital area with a hand, attempting to hide himself from the female presence.

"Who are you?" He called out, voice shaky but senses on high alert. The Gryphon was just a tad bit nervous about the female presence.

"I think a better question is who are you?" The voice answered, giving Jamie the general location of its source. He could see an outline in the shadows, only able to make out the basic features. Jamie could see the wide shoulders and two distinct horns. It was a Dragon...

"How do I know you are friends? My ship was attacked." He challenged, hoping he hadn't fallen into the quarter of his enemies. The Gryphon wished that he could make out anything on the Dragon that could tell him of her origin and purpose.

"Unless your loyalties to the RGP have dissipated, I would say you are among friends." The Dragoness stated with a matter-of-fact tone that could only denote someone of authority. Jamie sighed with relief, thankful to have been picked up by people that didn't demand his head on a plate. However, there was one more problem. He was still naked.

"May I have my flight suit back?" Jamie enquired, embarrassed to be displayed in front of an RGP naval officer.

"Sure." Responded the voice. He watched as the silhouette reached left, grabbing the article of clothing and throwing it to him. The Gryphon promptly snatched it up and slid in, covering himself properly. Something was still missing.

"My weapon?"

"You'll get it once we get a chance to draw it. My crew took it to the armory for safe keeping." The female answered, staying in the shadows. Something clicked in Jamie's mind with that statement.

"Your crew?" He stopped what he was doing and brought his eyes to focus in on her.

"Yes, my crew."

The female stepped forward from the darkness and stopped about six feet away, standing with arms folded across her chest. Jamie took a deep breath as he observed the Captain's insignia on the collar of her flight tunic. The dragoness was beautiful to say the least, pearl white scales shining under the concentrated medical lights. Her eyes were ice blue, holding the steely gaze of a combat veteran. She was about his size, possibly a bit smaller. The Gryphon had no doubt in his mind that she could easily go punch for punch with him.

"My apologies if I was out of line Captain." Jamie said smartly, reverting to his military days. Even in the civilian world, a ship's captain was still to be shown the utmost respect. He watched as her steely gaze relaxed.

"It's okay Mr. Tama, I understand. Would you care for some food? You are more than welcome to use our ship's facilities as long as you have an escort. The only thing I require is for you to stay and be debriefed. We are trying to figure out what happened here."

"I would love to stay Captain, but I have cargo to deliver."

"I will see that it is taken care of." She stated, clicking a few buttons on her datapad with a stylus.

"My thanks Captain, but I..."

"I insist."

"Of course Captain. It is the least I can do to repay you for coming to my aid. I was in a bad way. Still am, I suppose." Jamie laughed, bringing his head to his hand and trying to massage the headache away to no avail.

"We saw a huge power spike on our sensors and one of our combat recon drones got knocked out. We were in the process of recovering it when we found you." The Captain filled him in as she exited into the hallway with him in tow. She left out the ghost ship detail for now.

"That power spike, I've never seen anything like it. It hit the Andrea like laser fire and knocked me out cold."

Cilcy figured she'd press the issue further as they continued along the ship's spine.

"Did you have any strange sensor readings before it happened?" Perhaps it wasn't just the Interlude...

"Yes, like contacts leapfrogging all around the screen. When I fired my '262s at it, it was like there was a ship that could cloak itself with space. After I struck it with the railguns, they must've returned fire on me." Jamie watched the look on the captain's face change. She looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"I think you may have run across the same anomaly that we did, except they decided to shoot at you. Something isn't right. There have been too many near misses on my scanners for them to be defective. I thought stealth or cloaking technology was not possible." The captain observed as she opened the door to the officer's mess and sat down at the head of the table. She motioned for Jamie to sit down next to her. Cilcy pushed several buttons on a hideaway control panel, watching as the opposite wall slid away to reveal the main screen. A communications channel to Military Data was already opened, crackling softly in the relative quiet.

"ED, do you have the data from Mr. Tama's vessel?" She asked, watching the RGP screensaver come up on the main screen and rotate smoothly on its axis.

"Yes Captain, we have it all decrypted. I have it in general storage unless otherwise specified." A technician reported, sending the files to the master control panel for Cilcy's viewing. She opened another communications channel on the command Nexus to Ensign Maey.

"Ensign Maey, please report to the officer's mess for an important briefing."

"Already moving Captain." Seree's cheery voice echoed back, confirming that she would be arriving soon.

"Is that your executive officer?" Asked Jamie as he listened in, paying attention to both the captain and to the ornate wood paneling that surrounded them. It was a little overwhelming to the Gryphon to once again be on a battleship, yet strangely comforting in its own right.

"No, I don't believe in having an XO. I can remember a few in the past that hampered the battle more than helped it."

"You fought in the Battle of Lorton, didn't you Captain?" Jamie questioned, remembering the wings of sweeping fighters as they assisted in the swift, violent series of pitched battles. He recalled seeing pilots sucked from their wounded craft, squirming for only a few seconds before spasming and becoming lifeless. The worst part had been the aftermath, sweeping the debris fields alone, spotlighting the corpses of thousands of friends and enemies alike. He tried to forget the sounds of them bumping into his cockpit windshield....

"Unfortunately yes, Mr. Tama." Anna answered, diverting back to her icy gaze. Those memories didn't agree with her either.

"Please Captain, call me Jamie."

Ensign Maey entered as Jamie was finishing his sentence, causing him to meet her with his eyes. The Gryphon analyzed her as well, noting everything from her scales to her black engineer's coveralls and getting an overall judge of character just by her confident gait. He stood from his chair and approached her, introducing himself.

"Pleased to meet you Ensign Maey." He offered, wrapping his clawed right hand around her right wrist in a customary military greeting.

"And you Captain Tama."

++++++++++++++++

"Unbelievable." Cilcy muttered, watching as the rail gun projectiles impacted against the cloaked object, distortion coming soon after as shields rippled. The 'ship' was like nothing the three had ever seen, being gray in color with smooth body panels running the length of the frame in a scythe. The whole craft came to a point that was visible as a half-hexagon at closer inspection. No viewports could be seen, and no apparent markings stood out. The trio was puzzled.

They had been sitting in the Officer's mess for near four revolutions, munching on snacks and drinking large amounts of Captain Cilcy's prized Duc'tor. The snacks were by no means easy or quick, for Anna took great pride in the competence of her cooks and the food prepared in her galley. To shadow that, the crew received the same compliments as the officers, Cilcy wasn't about to deny them that.

"So the stealth ships really do exist, I didn't think that they could." Ensign Maey mused as she reversed the image for the four-hundredth time this evening. She zoomed in on the railgun rounds as they made contact with the foreign body.

"Depleted APFSDS*?" She inquired Jamie, further enhancing the image to see the miniscule damages caused by the magnetically-accelerated projectiles.

"Those rounds barely did anything it seems." Captain Cilcy spoke from her reclined position at the head of the table, sipping on her fifth cup of Duc'tor and staring at the screen. The Captain was relaxed except for the one million questions running through her head and the one hundred trillion worries for the troops aboard her warship.

"That has me worried Captain. Those railgun rounds are the newest that RGP Defense production has to offer. They aren't cheap and nothing short of a medium-class military vessel can withstand a strafe from them. Even that ship will have a hard time after the fact. From the looks of it, those ships are at least equivalent to a Frigate in terms of armor. Those rounds just scratched it." Jamie responded to her comment as he looked over Seree's shoulder. From a technical standpoint, the Gryphon had the most experience in ship killing with all sorts of munitions, so the two Dragonesses relied on him for current trends. Next behind Jamie was Captain Cilcy, even though it had been a long time since she killed a ship with anything smaller than a medium cannon.

"I am worried as well. Those stealth ships can slip right through our sensor coverage and do who knows what to our planetary population centers. Given their already evident stealth capabilities, I don't even want to imagine what their weapons could do. Their armor is more advanced as well." Cilcy observed, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to remain focused.

"So what do we do Captain?" Seree asked, looking to the snow white dragoness for a ray of hope. Cilcy turned, her piercing blue eyes staring straight through the Junior Officer. The frown wasn't present, only the look of a young, scared, worried Dragoness on the verge of collapse from lack of sleep and the burden of command. For the first time, Anna Cilcy was powerless.

"We wait. Whatever these assholes are planning, they're not going to keep it secret for much longer." She answered after a moment of thought, getting up from her chair and throwing her uniform tunic back on over the tank top. Bidding a short wave goodbye, she left the room and retired to her cabin. Meanwhile, the two remained plastered to the video screen...

++++++++++++++++++++

Captain Cilcy sat awake, running the briefing through her head over and over, trying to think if she missed anything important. She yawned, exposing her rows of sharp teeth.

"I should really get some sleep." She muttered to no one, looking up at the grey metal of the bulkhead. The ship's head physician was beginning to worry about the captain, for her blood pressure was beginning to rise and her response time was beginning to slow. Gone were her combat flying days where quick reflexes were do or die. Not a good thing when you are in charge of a warship.

The briefing had hit the dragoness hard, for it reminded her just how small she was in the universe. Worse yet, it let her know that a new and more powerful foe might be lurking in the midst of her alliance's capital. Anna was overwhelmed, and no viable outlet was available for the added stress that had just been thrown upon her shoulders. However, there was one option available.

Cilcy reached down off of her bunk and into the wall storage compartment and dug deep, pushing aside data pads and other odd trinkets in search of much more prized goods. After almost a minute, she produced several vials of clear liquid marked 'SADNAI' in twisting font. She cracked one open and took in some of the contents, tasting the smooth burning flavor as it poured. She swallowed, already feeling the clouds forming in her head.

Another problem was nagging at the back of her consciousness, forming a knot that refused to dissipate. The Captain could not shake Jamie's image from her mind. Every time her mind was allowed to wander, the thought of his soft fur and cool eyes pushed out from deep down below. Perhaps she was just lonely...

Anna grasped her cover and curled up to her pillow, woozy from the Sad'Nai and getting even more tired with each passing second. The Dragoness began to cry harder than she had cried even after the Battle of Lorton. If only her lover was still there to comfort her.

"What is happening to me?" She gasped, throwing her head back in a long sorrowful wail. The soundproofing ensured that none of her crew could hear......

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

RGP Cruiser Flightline, Sura System, Ten years ago

"Chief Cilcy." A voice called from behind, causing the dragoness to slide out from underneath an open access panel. She smiled, seeing Ensign Mathew Moore wander into the cockpit of her fighter hybrid with his hands in his pockets. His grey skin gleamed from freshly cleaned scales, and an almost identical set of blue eyes met her own.

"What's up?" She questioned him, standing up and running over to embrace the male. She kissed his neck lightly, laughing gently as he pecked her back. She had been hoping to see him before she retired for the evening, so his presence was a welcome sight. Maybe she'd be lucky enough to get some....

"I finally finished the change to my fire controls. Check out the track on these." She announced proudly, breaking her embrace and running back over to her seat in a bounce of energy. She tossed him her flight helmet and slid back under the console, waiting as he settled it over his head. The HUD glowed bright yellow, scrolling a training scenario for its complicated self test. Matt squeezed the triggers on Cilcy's control stick as a simulated ship glowed in her targeting circle. As it attempted evasive maneuvers, the cursor chased after it with the vigor of a land based predator. The ship went up in a nonexistent ball of fire.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Anna laughed, watching the readout on an adjacent screen. The upgrade would definitely help her defensive capabilities.

"I could think of more beautiful things, my love." He whispered to her, sliding the helmet off and throwing it aside. He snatched her up in his arms, dragging her headfirst into a deep kiss. Their tongues entwined, exploring each other with mutual curiosity.

"You know, I still have fifteen minutes on shift." Cilcy muttered through the kiss, collapsing onto the floor of the ship and taking the male with her.

"Mean said he'd cover for the last few minutes." Matt whispered calmly into his lover's ear. Cilcy laughed, closing her vibrant blue eyes and trying to keep her noise level to an acceptable level. They both knew how much noise carried inside the hangar bay of the Fairlane....

Cilcy didn't bother to argue. It had been a long day and she was more than desiring his most intimate company.

"Behave yourself." He groaned as she slid his coveralls off over muscled shoulders, running her hands over his back as she slid the clothing down even farther. His own hands worked on the fasteners of her own flight suit, dragging it down over her tank top a moment later.

Anna reached down between the male's legs, feeling his hard length as she had done so many times before with eager hands. She threw him up against the control panel and pinned him there, sliding his coveralls the rest of the way down and over his feet. She threw them aside, turning attention to his ebony manhood a moment later. Cilcy used her tongue to examine it in detail, running it up along his shaft to the tip. Both of her hands went to the base, caressing it with expert motions. Matt moaned in satisfaction, grabbing her horns and feeling the motions as she continued her exploration. He gasped as soon as she took him into her mouth, easily getting through her gag reflex. The pearl white Dragoness bobbed up and down, using the muscles of her mouth to give him an experience he wouldn't quite forget. Matt began to thrust into her mouth, grabbing even harder onto her horns as her mouth enveloped his cock again and again. Anna reached back and cupped her hands around his firm rear as she continued, building her own arousal as well as furthering his.

"Oh dear." He gasped, throwing his head back in an involuntary spasm.

She let him get close before backing off, giving him a little kiss on the coated tip of his cock before pulling away. Anna slid back and leaned against the bulkhead, spreading her legs and displaying her aroused snatch to him. He immediately seized upon it, lining up his cock for the task that lay ahead. The way her pink pussy contrasted against the white scales drove him wild.....

"A little eager are we?" She gasped as he split her nether lips with his length, forcing his entire cock to the hilt within her.

"You bet I am." He laughed, pumping her with strong thrusts. She threw her arms around his neck and spread her legs even more, taking as much of the thick male meat as possible. He thrusted into her even faster, feeling her juices coat his thighs as her arousal shot through the roof.

Matt wrapped his arms around her shoulders and lifted, picking her up with strong abdominal muscles and throwing her against the bulkhead. He hammered her with hard, precise thrusts, banging her rear against the side of the ship with each movement. Anna crossed her legs behind his back, throwing her head over his shoulder. The male was relentless in his pounding, sliding in and out of her tight snatch like a Dragon possessed. He knew when the smaller female was close, for her muscles were treating him to an unexpected massage. It was as if they were trying to coax his seed straight out, building the fire in the female's loins with each movement. He pulled out a second later. However, he wasn't done with her yet...

Matt slammed her against the fire control console, sliding her tail to the side and throwing it over his shoulder for easier access. He grabbed his length in both hands, slick from Cilcy's wetness and slid it into her tailhole. Anna squealed, pushing back on him until he was buried within her. A few slow thrusts in her tight rear settled him in, and he began to give her tailhole the same treatment.

"Ah!"

Anna couldn't keep herself quiet! The moans of pleasure echoed throughout the hangar bay, which was for the most part deserted. Matt leaned forward, sliding his hands over her hips and down between her legs. He fingered her wet lips vigorously, knowing from past experiences where her most sensitive spots lay. He struck the goldmine a few seconds later, getting the snow white Dragoness to arch her back in pleasure. He pumped even faster into her rear, drawing close to his climax in her muscular tailhole. The slapping of his hips against her rear echoed throughout the cockpit, causing him to stifle a laugh.

It didn't take long for Cilcy to be overwhelmed with pleasure, and she let loose her orgasm with a moan that seemed to rock the ship on its mounts. She could feel herself flexing around Matt's cock, no doubt driving him absolutely insane. His assault on her crotch was relentless, driving through the orgasm in an effort to intensify it.

Matt wasn't faring too much better, hilting within her and releasing his own pent up seed. He could sense the warmth of his own cum as it coated her insides, shooting in warm jets. He collapsed on top of her, pulling his cock from her tailhole a second later. A few drips of his seed fell to the floor, a testament to their lovemaking. However, they didn't get a chance to share in the afterglow.

"Admiral on deck!" Came a shout from below as the guard called the bay to attention. In Anna's ship, a frantic scramble for clothing commenced, with both of them tripping over each other in an effort to retrieve both sets of coveralls. They'd forgotten about the inspection!

"Shit, Shit, Shit!" Exclaimed Matt as he struggled into his coveralls, getting caught in one of the pant legs and falling against the bulkhead. He pulled the clothing up over his shoulders, trying to hide his hardness underneath the baggy flight suit.

"Not good." Cilcy laughed, zipping up her own suit. She grabbed her bag and gave Matt a hand with his twisted wearable. They exited Anna's fighter a moment later, sneaking on tiptoes behind the Admiral and his entourage. Cilcy noted Mean trying his hardest not to burst into laughter as he made eye contact. A quick wave sealed their exit from the area...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Not far away from the Captain's quarters, Jamie Tama sat similarly awake, thinking about nothing in particular. He was waiting for the Andrea to be completely repaired, a courtesy that he owed to Captain Cilcy. She'd insisted that her mechanics needed the practice. He didn't want to leave the Interlude just yet, but those parts wouldn't deliver themselves. The company, thankfully, had been very understanding about the delay. No matter what his current job demanded of him, he found Captain Cilcy's company to be most desirable.

Jamie reached into the black bag that he had taken from the Andrea and pulled out a small grey tube and a black container, setting them out under the lights. He opened the end of the tube, producing the silky stationary from it a moment later. The tube contained the rare phosphorescent mixture that served as his paint. He placed his palm into it and started with the waves on the fabric, detaching himself from all outside thought. He felt his concentration stem to his hand and watched as the patterns weaved themselves into an intricate image.

The Gryphon stood from the chair, sweeping palms across the board. His eyes squeezed closed, but the image of the Carta-Asi could be seen over everything else. In his mind, a story played out across the tablet, forcing strands of light in several directions. Jamie didn't understand some of the waves, but their power ran through him just the same. He no longer controlled the swath of color, but was instead an instrument to its completion by some unexplained event. His body contorted violently as the last swash fell in place, dropping him to the floor with a loud crash. The last thing he felt before sleep took him was the power draining away from his hands...

The tapestry glowed a deep crimson, burning a black shape straight into the center of the canvas. The red light swept over Jamie's sleeping form, projecting its scorched image on the wall beyond. Inside his mind, the presence threw his consciousness aside and took over. Images from the past came up anew. Fire and death played before him like an explicit film, not sparing any expense when it came to detail.

Several hours later, the gryphon awoke in a cold sweat. His fur was soaked through and matted, giving him a tattered appearance. Jamie looked at the unaltered Carta-Asi sitting on his desk.

What the hell did that dream mean?

To be continued.....

Glossary of Terms:

APFSDS- Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_energy_penetrator