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"It's been a week. He still can't sleep at night. Tosses and turns, wakes up constantly, telling me his heart hurts," Adelaide explained, leaning in the doorway to the doctor's office. In sickbay. Hugging herself with her wing-arms. She looked tired. 'Stressed' was more accurate. "I think it's all in his head. You've checked him every day, haven't you? He's gonna be okay?"

"Physically, yes," Kody replied. "Obviously, he's got some bruises, some torn muscles. They perforated his left eardrum. Damaged the canal pretty badly. That'll linger for a while." A pause, confessing, "He's never gonna regain full hearing in that ear. Maybe seventy-five, eighty percent, tops. It'll always be weaker than the other one." He'd managed to regenerate the lobe-flesh, though, where it'd been pierced. The puncture wounds were no longer there.

"I know. I told him it didn't matter to me, but ... " The bat trailed off, sighing weakly. "He can be stubborn."

Kody smiled.

"I've tried to use my telepathic powers to calm him down. And it works. We're making progress. But ... "

" ... yes?"

"He's still not interested in sex. Even when I try to seduce him, nothing happens."

"That's not like Field," Kody observed. He was a fairly submissive mouse, sure. And may have been overly modest. But he was usually a very passionate lover.

She met the rabbit's gaze. "I guess I'm worried he's so emotionally sensitive he'll never get over the trauma." She unfurled her wings, restlessly. She was a fairly dominant female. It wasn't in her nature to ask others to solve her problems. Not that Field's recovery was a problem. But he was her mate. The love of her life. She felt embarrassed that she couldn't emotionally heal him on her own. "Can you talk to him?"

"Why me?"

"You've known him longer than I have."

"Yeah, but so has Wren."

"You're more charming than Wren," was her matter-of-fact reply. "You're better at relating to others."

The rabbit flushed beneath the fur. "Well, uh ... thanks."

Adelaide nodded, privately. "Don't tell Wren I said that."

"I won't ... "

"I hesitate to bring it up, but there's something else that made me ask you."

"Mm?"

An awkward pause. "You were tortured, too."

"Oh. Right ... " And raped. By the Arctic foxes.

"So, you know what he's going through."

"Well ... " A scrunch-face. " ... kind of, I guess. But I got off fairly easy, in comparison."

"I know the situations weren't exactly the same. I just think, overall, you can get through to him."

"I'm sure you're getting through to him just fine. He loves you more than he ever loved me," Kody said, knowingly. "He almost worships you."

"That's the problem," she replied. "He idealizes me so much that he doesn't want to me let me down. He doesn't want to burden me with his pain. He's trying to hide it from me. I don't think he'll hide it from you ... "

Kody nodded, quietly. "I suppose that makes sense."

"I just want my sweet, innocent mouse back," she said, briefly hiding her face with a wing. She took a few steadying breaths.

"I'll spend some time with him, then."

"Thank you." She nodded, gratefully. There was a brief pause. "I guess I should get back to my duties," she finally said, turning to leave.

"Adelaide," he whispered.

"Yes?" She glanced over her shoulder.

"Are you okay, yourself? Since we're on the subject of mental health ... "

"Why do you ask?"

"You've always been the most confident fur on this ship. The way you speak. The way you carry yourself. The look in your eyes. Field may think you're some kind of winged goddess, but he's not far off from being right."

A bashful smile. "Flatterer."

He returned the smile. "Something else is on your mind. Not Field, but ... "

"It's the rogues," she admitted, honestly.

"What about them?"

A hesitation. "Well, when Field was captured, I would've done anything to get him back. I would've used those crystals and gone on a wasp killing spree. I would've crossed so many lines. More and more, I wonder if I'm not just like the rogue bats, inside. How close am I to being one of them? If the wasps attack Luminous and one of you, one of my friends, gets killed? Or if Field gets hurt again, or if ... I mean, what's to stop me from going rogue, too? Doing whatever I want? Nature gave me this power. No morals came with it. None were supposed to. The only thing keeping my telepathy in check is a combination of education and a respect for 'acceptable' social behavior. But we're all versions of animals, aren't we? Furs are ruled by instinct."

Kody didn't know where to start. He blew out a breath. "I've never had any powers. Except being great in bed," he cracked. He waited a moment for a reaction. Then continued, "But I know that society only works because we agree to cooperate. And compromise. The reason we're at war is because some species can't work together with others. They only look after their own interests. That's the animal way. Sometimes, that's a good thing. Self-preservation, survival instinct. We need that. But we also need something more. Something greater. You've seen that in Field. He's selfless, gentle, giving. I don't think you need to worry about being corrupted, Adelaide. Tempted? Sure. But I think that's part of the reason you're drawn to Field. You have wings. You have your head in the clouds. He grounds you, keeps you level. Keeps you honest."

Fighting the urge to cry, the bat could only whisper, "He's definitely rubbed off on me ... "

"Don't feel guilty for having thoughts, or being tempted. We all have our vices. In the end, you've never done anything to intentionally hurt him or the crew. Everyone respects you. I know I do." And he added, to lighten the mood, "You're beautiful. Let's see that fanged smile. Cheer up!"

She did smile, in spite of herself. A wide one, too, the kind you could really feel. "You're still thinking about that threesome, aren't you?"

"Foursome, if I can get Ketchy to go along with it." He winked. "I'm still trying. I just have to break it to her, gently. She's a little skittish about group sex."

"Mm-hmm. Not like you to let something like that hold you back ... "

"So, it could happen?"

"I didn't say that."

"I can dream, though, right?" he asked, playfully.

She didn't answer. Just said, "Thank you, again. I really should get back to my station." She wing-waved and padded toward the exit.

"Sure thing." Kody just leaned back and his chair and sighed. Foursome. A real one, not holographic. With Field, whom he loved insanely. Adelaide was just plain hot and exotic. He'd never fucked anything with wings. And Ketchy, his current flame, who was slowly emerging from of her shell. But what if she didn't want to? Would he really go behind her back, or even do it with her knowledge? She might say she was okay with it, but she wouldn't be. But maybe they could get that psionic crystal involved, on Adelaide's part? Loosen some inhibitions? Including Ketchy's. Just thinking about the sensual possibilities made him tingle like the rabbit he was. Mm-h ... yeah ...

"The wasps have taken the Chin'toka sector, overrunning our defenses here," Aria said, pointing at the onscreen map, "and here." She lifted a mug to her muzzle, sipping delicately.

"Is that sector of any strategic importance?" Rella asked.

"All of High Command space is of strategic importance," the constable insisted, bristling. Putting her drink down. It was hot raspberry tea. They were in her security office on Orbital 9, on the Promenade. Rella was here for her daily security update, which she would then pass along to Wren and the others. Luminous was currently on short-range patrol around the snow rabbit Home-world, venturing an hour or two away and circling back. Sort of an elliptical orbit.

"That's not what I meant," the squirrel replied, raising both her paws. Lowering them as she clarified, "I meant in terms of specific resources, position in relation to other targets ... "

"Chin'toka is nine days from here. Seeing as how we are fourteen days from the border, that is a considerable stab by the wasps. They are getting closer. The problem with fighting this war is that it's completely on our turf."

"Shouldn't that give us the advantage? We know the lay of the land, so to speak. We have the passion, too. We're fighting for our homes. That's a powerful motivator." She had to pause after she said that. You consider the snow rabbits' birth planet to be your home, now? Have you really been here that long? It was easy to forget that she was from the Federation.

"Yes, that is a psychological aid, but we are nonetheless completely on the defensive. We cannot be on offense, because the wasps have no territory to take."

"Of course they do. The Federation."

"Are you suggesting we try to conquer the Federation?"

"Well, not just for the hell of it. But the wasps are using Federation space as a base. They send ships. We destroy them. They send more. We have to destroy their shipyards on the Federation side of the border."

Aria blew out a breath, slender ears standing tall atop her pretty head. "That would require a great deal of resources. The bulk of our fleet is surrounding the Home-world and nearby planets. That is the main priority right now."

"We're thinking too much like prey."

"We are prey," Aria said, proudly.

"I know, but we need to start delivering predatory strikes. Lightning strikes. Lope in, deliver a few vicious kicks, and hop the hell out of there. Random, chaotic ... forget strategy for a moment. The wasps are all about strategy, order. Structure."

"You forget that my species is 'all about' those things, as well. We may be wild on the inside. But we have very logical veneers."

"That's nice. But those who adapt, survive. That's logical, right?"

Aria thought that one over, nodding. "Very well. I will mention your suggestion to Admiral Flint."

The squirrel smiled. "Good."

"Anything else?"

"What about the rogue bats?"

"A few ships with the bats have met the wasps in battle, now. Using their telepathic abilities to cut off the drones from the Queen has definitely evened the fight. Even given us somewhat of an edge."

"That's good!"

"However, this only applies to one-on-one situations. If a ship with rogues is swarmed by several wasp vessels, the telepathic effect isn't strong enough."

"So, we should try luring them into traps. Or use multiple rogue-ships in pack formations. Again, predatory thinking."

"There are only so many rogues to go around."

"I guess the more important question is: have we seen any indication that, if the Wasp Queen directly enters the fight, the rogues can stop her?"

"There isn't enough data to support a conclusion. But we have to hope so, don't we?"

"Yeah ... " Rella sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Except I feel like we're all pawns on a chessboard, sitting here planning our next move while looking over our shoulder at the other pieces. The, uh ... the horse one, and the ... "

Aria raised her brow in amusement.

"Look, I never actually played chess. But it seemed like a good metaphor."

"Perhaps you should stick with checkers."

The squirrel squinted, trying not to laugh. "And they say snow rabbits don't have a sense of humor."

"Who said I was joking?"

"You questioning my intelligence?"

"Of course not," Aria said, mirth clearly in her tone. She picked up her tea mug, again. "Shall we continue?"

Kody found him at the back of the bridge, in an alcove, obsessively tapping at panels. "Field?" he whispered.

The golden-furred harvest mouse didn't look up.

And the rabbit realized: I'm speaking toward his weak ear. Talk a little louder. "Field."

The mouse twitched and jerked, squeaking in alarm. "Oh! Oh ... it's you. You snuck up on me."

"Sorry," he said, gently, putting a paw on the rodent's arm. "Do you have a moment?"

"No, I'm really ... busy. Just. Just really busy," he said, whiskers twitching up a storm. His ropy, prehensile tail was snaking about, waywardly.

"With what?" The rabbit slipped into the cushioned seat beside him, leaning toward the console. He squinted. "This is Gateway stuff. I thought that was over with?"

"It is."

"Then why are you looking at it?"

He didn't answer.

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you're having a hard time letting it go. All the stuff that happened down there, at the ruins? In the caves? Maybe you're even trying to relive it, so you can change it in your mind. Then maybe you won't have to deal with the memories anymore."

"No ... "

"You're safe, now. You know that, right?"

He shook his head. "No one's safe. There's no place that's ... no place you can go, to hide. They'll get you."

"What will? Predators?"

"I don't know." He twitched, weakly. "Things ... "

The doctor decided to change the subject a bit. From mind to body. "How do you feel? Physically? The soreness going away?"

"A little. I, uh ... I keep feeling a horrible ache in my head. In my ear."

"I ran scans on it, yesterday. Three times. None of the pain receptors were active."

"It hurts!" the mouse squeaked, much louder than he'd anticipated. Luckily, it was lunch hour. The bridge was pretty sparse.

"Sometimes," Kody said, soothingly, "if we obsess over something enough, we can trick our bodies into feeling it."

"You think I'm crazy ... "

"No. No, but you're clearly having trouble processing the trauma you went through. And it was traumatic, Field. I've been beaten by predators before. I know the shame. The fear."

Field looked down, sniffling.

"You know how I got over it?"

A tiny head-shake.

"Well, your friendship, and, uh ... " Watch what you say. This is a serious moment. " ... Ketchy's presence." He cleared his throat. "Companionship."

"But you aren't even mates." It was almost an accusation.

"Doesn't mean we don't love each other. Not everyone's like you and Adelaide. You two are made for each other. Peas in a pod. Which is what I'm getting at: you should let her heal you."

"I know." He weakly cleared his throat, giving a cute but pitiful squeak. "But I put her through so much worry and pain. When I got captured, and ... and, now, I'm a burden to her, cause I ... "

"Field ... "

" ... I'm all scared, and ... "

"Field, you're not a burden."

"I am." He hid his face in his golden, pink-padded paws.

"You are not. Come 'ere ... "

The harvest mouse shook his big-eared head.

"Yes," Kody insisted, pulling Field into his lap.

"Someone will see ... "

"Are you embarrassed to be this close to me?" the rabbit whispered.

"No. I ... I just ... "

"I hear you've lost interest in sex."

He burned with embarrassment. "It's just hard to relax when ... when my ear hurts so much. And ... "

"Field, that's all in your head," Kody emphasized. But, then, sex was half-mental, wasn't it?

" ... and when so much serious stuff is going on," the mouse continued. "Lots of furs are being hurt like ... like how I was. Every day. How can I enjoy myself when I know that's going on? How can I be in bed with my mate, safe and happy, if I know others are alone and miserable?"

"You feel guilty?" Kody asked.

"Y-yes ... " A squeaky sob.

"Field, I understand. I do. But don't put so much pressure on yourself. If you start thinking like that, you won't be able to function at all. Let alone get an erection."

"That's n-not an ... an answer," he stammered, rubbing his face. Whiskers twitching up a storm.

"Because there is no answer. Life isn't fair. It's random, chaotic. You know that. You've always known that. Remember when we broke up?"

A quiet nod.

"Didn't that hurt, too? You were crying that day. I remember ... "

"Yeah ... "

"But you moved on. You learned from it, and you matured."

"I just don't wanna be the cause of anyone's pain."

"Field, you're not. You're the one in pain. It hurts us to see you like this. You gotta let us in. Me, Adelaide, Wren, everyone. Let us make you happy again ... "

"How?"

"Well, you can start by letting your mate take care of you."

"You make it sound easy."

"It was easy before, wasn't it? Before the wasps hurt you? It came naturally, then?"

"Yeah ... "

"Then it'll come naturally, now. Come on. Get up." Patting the mouse's rump, fondly, yearningly, he said, "We're gonna go get something to eat. And then we're gonna exercise in the holo-suite. Basketball. You like that. A good meal and exercise will help you feel better. You've been sitting around too much, lately. Doctor's orders. You gotta get your scurry back!"

"Get my scurry back," Field repeated, following Kody into the lift. "You think it's still there?"

"Bet your whiskers on it," Kody assured, with a wink, as they were whooshed away to the mess hall.

"Captain!" Juneau squeaked, sitting up. While working beneath a circuit junction. She hit her head. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath. I always do that! "Sir, can I help you? Um ... " The squirrel looked around for her ensigns. They should be handling the high-ups. I have work to do!

"I'm fine. At ease." Wren chuckled. "It's lunchtime, but Rella's away, so I thought I'd just see how the snow rabbit upgrades are going."

"I guess she was supposed to be your meal, then?"

"Part of it, anyway," Wren responded, trying not to smile. She'd gotten better at it, but Juneau still lacked social decorum. "I see you're moving us away from data chips ... "

"Well, yes. And there are pros and cons to that," the chief engineer said, jumping to her bare foot-paws. Gesturing with her paws. "Frankly, I think bio-neural systems are more vulnerable to viruses. But they are much faster, I admit. It'll increase our maneuverability and response-times. Which we're going to need against the wasps. Well, we would've needed it, anyway, to stay up to spec with the High Command fleet. Federation tech was much simpler, sir. Like, literally, you could smack it and it would fix itself. This new stuff is much more temperamental."

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

"Yes, sir." Her bushy tail arched prettily.

"Where's Assumpta?"

"With her mate."

"Oliver? I haven't met him yet."

"Neither have I. Don't know that anyone has. But he's real. You can't fake the kind of scent she comes back with."

"Why aren't you with Chester, then?"

"Cause the snow rabbit inspection team will be here in two hours, and I have to have a certain percentage of my upgrades done by their arrival."

"Or what?"

"Or you'll get reprimanded, sir."

"Me?" The captain frowned.

"Well, I suppose, technically, they'll ask you to reprimand me," she admitted. "But you could always ignore that."

"I could, huh? Are you really behind schedule?" Field, as first officer, was in charge of departmental reports. Engineering, sickbay, security, shuttle bay, hydroponics, et cetera. They reported their daily status to him, and he replied, verified, and filtered the most-necessary information to Wren, who used it in his ship-wide reports for Admiral Flint. There was a whole chain of command. But Field hadn't been feeling well, lately. For obvious reasons. So his reports had been a little lacking. Rather than reprimanding his dear friend, Wren had decided to visit each department himself. Might make for a change of pace, today.

"I'm not behind," Juneau told him, evasively. "Is my department, as a whole? Maybe." She didn't say by how much. "But we kinda got interrupted a few times. Attacks and stuff. And the snow rabbits have never integrated what amounts to alien tech into their systems. Which is basically what we've been doing. It'll only take another week. If they could spare one of their own engineering teams from the station, it'd go much quicker."

"Well, just do your best," Wren said, glancing at the warp core. The cylinder of blue-lavender energy swirled and hummed. It was reassuring, somehow. "I'm off to the shuttle bay, now."

"Sir, if you see Chester there, tell him I'll meet him later. In the access tube on G-Deck." That was the lowest deck. And also an unintentional innuendo of some sort. Wasn't it?

"I'll try to remember that," Wren replied, shaking his head with a smirk. Making for the exit. My crew, sometimes ...

"I think Kody is serious about wanting a foursome," Adelaide mentioned, sitting at the foot of their bed. She'd just finished undressing. Her watermelon-pink fur, normally so bright and warm, took on a cool hue with the lights turned off. Her supple breasts hung freely.

"Well, his libido's unnatural," Field replied, also in a state of undress. "I never understood where he got all that desire from. It recharges so fast." He was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. "And here I am, impotent for the past week ... " It made him a little jealous.

"Quality's more important than quantity," the bat said, glancing over her shoulder. "You have great stamina."

He blushed in the ears, saying nothing.

"And we'll get the quantity back. You've just been depressed, which is understandable after all you've been through."

"I've been worrying you, haven't I?" he asked.

"A little."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she breathed, insistently.

The mouse's whiskers twitched. "Why'd you bring the Kody thing up?"

She turned around, fully, crawling into the middle of the bed. O'er the top of him, straddling his hips. "I know the thought arouses you. You're too modest to admit it, but it does."

"The thought," Field stressed. "Reality, though, is different. The stuff between me and him, that was a long time ago. Years. Besides, Ketchy would never agree to it."

"I wouldn't be so sure. She was quick to find a partner back at Pelios Station, right after we launched. And she bred with Pyro during the ion storm."

"Under the influence both times," Field pointed out. "You're acting like you want me to do it ... "

"I'm just giving you the option."

"Why?" he asked, shyly.

"Because I trust you. I don't want to keep you from anything." She rubbed her thumb-claws over his little, male nipples, which were nearly hidden beneath his golden fur. "I know you never got proper closure with Kody, or Wren, or that whole part of your life. You downplay your bisexuality. Maybe breeding with Kody would make you more comfortable with it."

He appreciated the selfless offer, but insisted, "I don't need to feel more comfortable with it."

"Well, if you change your mind, I'll be with you the entire time. I wouldn't let you do something like that alone. Only together."

He nodded, quietly, "I just don't want to believe anyone could pleasure me more than you. I refuse to believe it's possible. You're my light."

The bat flushed beneath her pelt. He'd said a lot of sweet things to her, but that had to be one of the sweetest.

"When the wasps had me, I kept thinking of you ... " His voice faded, eyes watering. The sniffles began. "I didn't want to die without telling you how much I loved you. I wanted to feel you again, your wings around me. I just ... "

"It's alright ... "

" ... I wanted you so badly." He shook. "I'm sorry we haven't ... "

" ... it's okay, Field."

" ... m-made love since I was rescued."

"Don't be sorry, darling." She brushed his whiskers with an elongated thumb.

He shook, opening his arms. Reaching out for her.

The bat obliged, sprawling down o'er him, wrapping her wing-arms around his body like a protective blanket.

Burying his nose in her cheek-fur, he whispered, "Adelaide ... "

"Yes?"

"I, uh, I'm ... " His airy voice became barely audible. "I think I might be getting an erection." He cleared his throat, airily. "Also, I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, flashing him a fanged grin. "Looks like you're libido's finally back. That's cause for celebration. Does it feel good?"

"It does ... "

"Want it to feel even better?" she cooed, her dexterous tongue worming against his earlobe.

"Mm-hmm ... "

"Then, come on, mousey. What are you waiting for? Let's celebrate," she insisted, hotly, grinding her hips to his.

With utmost passion, he giggled and rolled her onto her back.

And, skipping further foreplay, they did celebrate.

Oh, Lord, did they ever ...