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Heat 12

It had taken Benny and Martin hours to pull themselves together. In the end Dale called Benny worried that he hadn't returned to the restaurant. The black rabbit had jumped in his car as soon as he heard the news about Dillon. He'd only just been beginning to get know the bear and while he was sad to hear the news he was nowhere near as grief stricken as the other two. He bundled them into the car and drove back to his and Benny's home.

Once he got them inside, with a hot cup of tea for Martin and a cup of hot milk for his bear fiancée, he spoke up. "The General lied to you." He informed them quietly, carefully watching the rabbit and bear for their reaction.

Benny growled softly. "I know I could smell his and Dillon's blood, they made a blood pact I'm sure of it. There's only one reason Dillon would do that. The general asked him to do something and he didn't trust the general. That's what a blood pact is the strongest oath a bear can give. If you break a blood pact then by polar law and tradition you may be killed by the bear that made the pact, or his next of kin. As the closest thing to a family member Dillon has left that responsibility falls to me"

The black rabbit took a slow deep breath. "First of all we are not on Polar, even with just cause if you kill him you will be tried as a murderer. Secondly that's not why I'm sure he's lying. He said Dillon signed up and was sent on a mission and died right?" The rabbit paused to let the grief stricken two follow his train of thought, and then continued. "The nearest planet with fighting is Prime and that's two weeks and two days away by hyperspace and you saw Dillon ten days ago. So how did he die on a mission against the dragos if he hasn't had time to get there?"

Martin dropped his cup paying no attention to the crash or the hot tea that spilled on his shoes, as hope besieged his heart. "He's still alive!"

"Yes, for now. Although if that general has his death certificate already then something very fishy is going on." Dale replied grabbing a small access port he used while working from home. "All we have to do is find out what."

Benny stirred for the first time grabbing his own access port. "I will try and break into Dillon's account you check traffic to and from it."

Martin looked around, "Ok you two do that and I'll... clean up the spilt tea." He let the communications technicians work and tried to keep himself busy by tidying and making more tea.

It took several hours and a lot of cups of tea before Benny finally got a break though. "Ok I'm in... I don't see anything... ok that's odd he hasn't got any of the messages we've sent him." The bear announced.

"Not that weird there's a block on his account traffic" Dale said looking up from his port. "Everything you two have sent was deleted before it reached his mailbox and everything he tried to send was intercepted. He's tried to send about twelve messages his calls have been blocked too. "

"I knew he didn't just stop talking to me." Martin announced his heart racing. "Where is he? What is he doing?"

"There's no way to tell, all I can say for certain is that he's offworld, the last few attempts he made were blocked at the interplanetary servers." Dale announced. "Sorry it's not much. I don't think we can get anything more from his comms."

"He's alive and trying to contact us, we need to find out where he is and get him back!" Martin replied excitedly.

"I could try my father, he's a Colonel in the army he might be able to find something out from the inside." Dale said with a sigh. "I can't think of anything else to do."

"I could find out off the general." The bear said in a menacing whisper.

"No! This isn't Polar, they will take you away from me." The black rabbit half shouted as he jumped to his feet.

Benny looked into his lovers panicked eyes and the boiling ocean of anger inside him cooled somewhat. "Ok, we'll try it your way. One thing is for sure Dillon is still alive, he tried to send a message today. That means there's still hope he's a good soldier and strong." Benny's eyes fell on Martin. "With something to fight for, he will fight harder than anyone to get home. For now all we can do it hope he is able to fight hard enough."

---

Dillon positively snarled as he stomped through the halls of the ship. It had been two weeks since the general had called him in to his office. He'd been enjoying his new job teaching the cute rabbits polar frozen combat tactics. He had felt like he was contributing and yet he was still able to stay with the rabbit he was growing to love.

Then the general had blown it all to hell. The dragos had some super long range undetectable missile launcher that they were using to blow away any defence lines the rabbits tried to establish on Prime. The reptiles had just two of these launchers and they moved them constantly keeping within the frozen arctic wastes of Primes' southern hemisphere.

The general had explained he wanted the bear to lead the mission to destroy the devices. His experience at arctic combat was their best chance to take them out. Dillon had declined, he had no wish to risk his life. After all the hiding and the loneliness now that he had someone he was not going to let Martin go or risk their life together.

Of course the general already knew this and he used it against the bear. The rabbit had pulled out his asylum papers, said he could have him kicked off the planet in an hour. Then he pulled out Benny's citizenship papers and said that Dillon wouldn't be alone on the transport back to Polar. Dillon knew that he and Benny wouldn't have lasted more than an hour on Polar before they were mobbed and murdered. He'd had no choice but to agree.

However, he'd demanded the general guarantee it wasn't a one way trip. He'd got the devious bastard to swear a blood pact. The bear's palm still stung from where his knife had sliced it open. Still there was nothing he could do now, his men were aware of what had happened and they didn't like it. However, they were all grateful to have the strong bear along.

He slammed open the door to the cargobay where his squad of ten rabbits were currently making their home. "Alright men we have got a night drop in ten hours, get your gear ready. You all know the targets, let's get this done and then get home before the scaly bastards know we were there. Briefings in thirty minutes; be ready."

Dillon was gratified to hear a unified chorus of yes sirs as he strode to his own bunk. He pulled out a large chest from under his bed and opened it. White armour gleamed inside, a full polar battlesuit. He had worn this for years as a captain in the polar army. However, he had never thought he would put it on again or head into battle again for that matter. He found himself smiling a little as he picked up the huge chest piece.

He felt guilty at the pleasure he found in this moment, he loved the life he had started with Martin back on Lapros. However, he would be lying if he said he hadn't missed the thrill of command and of battle. The buzz of adrenalin as it surged through his body, the internal thrill of soldiers jumping when he growled an order, the feeling of satisfaction at the end of a successful mission.

He stripped off his clothing, a few of his troops turning to get an eyeful of the exotic offworlder body. He had much less of a belly than Benny, his upper body heavily muscled his legs and haunches looked smooth until he flexed then his muscles stood out even through his thick plush fur. He grabbed a brush and gave his fur a quick and thorough scrub down, under the heavy armour it could get matted and uncomfortable a good brush down was essential to avoid a very uncomfortable mission.

Then he began to put his gear on. The armour was heavy and cumbersome, difficult to put on by yourself. Within a polar regiment it was a social bonding experience before battle, soldiers helped each other suit up and shared stories to boost morale. Here it was a show, his soldiers watched as he pulled on his armour.

Still his armour was something new to them, it gleamed white even the flexible joints were pure white. It was as thick and as strong as most fighter craft armour. No other species could carry the weight and still be able to fight. Most hand weapons wouldn't be able to penetrate it and once he got up close no dragos would be able to stand up to him. He pulled on the legs clipping them in position one at a time, followed by the crotch piece. Lastly came two huge boots and two large gloves. He reached in pulling out an electro halberd. He checked the powercell and then powered it up, the weapon shooting to its full size the blade humming into life. The electro blade would cut through armour and flesh like it was cutting through air, especially with the bear's strength behind it.

He deactivated it and attached it to his back, he checked his electro sword and blaster next putting them both into their respective sheath and holster. Then he pulled out the helmet the last piece and as he pulled it over his face the internal screen sparked to life his sighed heavily with relief. He turned to face his troops and became Captain Dillon again, abandoning doubt and fear he strode purposefully out of the barracks towards the briefing room.

His armour making him look like a robot bear, his once smooth form now full of sharp angles. His helmet held an angular muzzle and even two pointed ears. He reviewed the plans he had drawn up on the trip one last time as he heard his troops start to file in to the briefing room. Eventually he turned to them and they salute their left arms going up in a fist. The lapine salute, not as impressive as the polar salute in Dillon's opinion, he replied with the polar salute to emphasize he point. His huge fist smashed against his round stomach armour creating a deafening bang.

He flicked on the display and a map of prime was displayed. "The two missile launchers we are looking for were last reported here. Right in the middle of Prime's rather extensive arctic region. They appear to be skirting the shores of this rather large frozen lake. We believe that they will continue to skirt round so we will be dropped here..."

"Why are you so sure they will skirt the shore, if the lake is frozen can't they just move onto it?" one of the rabbit asks. Dillon turns to look at him identifying him as Corporal Adams, a good soldier tougher and more head strong than most lapines.

"The lake is over some rather unstable hydro thermal vents. Random bubbles of boiling gas erupt under them melting the ice. It simply wouldn't be safe or wise to venture onto the lake and so far neither side has." Dillon replied. "Once deployed we will need to; scout the launchers, determine their route and lay an ambush. We will lay out in the standard u shaped formation just like I taught you. I will lie just ahead of the formation. They should hit me first, once I break cover I need you guys to make sure the dragos don't set up a mounted gun. Their rifles won't penetrate this armour and I can cut them to pieces if you keep them from setting up anything that can get through this armour. Soon as their troops are dealt with we set charges and blow both launchers. Then high tail it to this location here where we call for pick up. If all goes smoothly we should be in and out in less than five hours. Back home in two weeks time for cake and medals."

"Cake Sir?" Lieutenant Sergio asked, he was a blonde rabbit with a lot of self confidence and a good sense of humour. A natural leader and Dillon had been impressed by him during training and felt that in time he would make a fine captain.

"If we pull this off we'll have taken away the biggest advantage the dragos have against your people. This will slow down their advance greatly and allow your people to maintain defensive positions. I don't know about you guys but if we pull that off I think the least we deserve is cake, chocolate cake with some nice frosting. Oh and maybe a medal, but cake first." The bear replied with a chuckle, he knew the troops would be a little stressed and any joke would act like a stress relief as this one did, getting a good round of laughter.

"Alright we have nine hours until we board the shuttle for drop, make sure your gear is ready and then get some sleep." Dillon commanded as he dismissed his troops.

Lieutenant Sergio approached him as the others filed out. "Put your suit on a little early for this soiree haven't you Sir?"

"Polar troops always put their armour on the night before a mission. To get used to the feel of it and make it their second skin." He replied, not adding that by keeping their helmets on they could not see the fear in each others faces or know who was laying awake all night worried that they may not be alive for the next night.

"Sounds like a simple plan Sir." Sergio observed and Dillon could hear a note of criticism in the rabbit's voice.

"Simple is good, harder to screw up something simple." The bear replied calmly. "However, if you have any suggestions then please feel free."

"Well it's just we are pinning a lot on you being able to take on an entire dragos platoon hand to hand." The rabbit said quietly his voice filled with doubt.

Dillon wasn't too surprised so far during training he'd been showing them stealth and hit and run combat tactics, they had never seen him spar or tried to fight him hand to hand. The bear picked up the small steel lectern in the corner of the briefing room. Without a sound he crushed the object flat and handed it to the rabbit, who almost fell over with the weight. "I have no doubts about my abilities in hand to hand combat lieutenant, you do your job and I will do mine." The bear said quietly as he walked out passed the stunned rabbit.

As he lay in his bunk unable to sleep Dillon thought back to Martin, he wished he'd been able to get a message out. To let the rabbit know what was happening and try to reassure him that it would be ok. Still he knew his mail was being blocked as was that of his men and the crew of the transport. Some sort of military blackout without them actually telling anyone their communications were being blocked. Still he was sure that he would have heard back from the rabbit or his best friend Benny by now. No messages in and no messages out.

Still he couldn't help but lay there and think through what he wished he could say to the rabbit if he was able. To thank him for taking him into his heart, for welcoming him into the rabbit's life. How much he respected the rabbit and wished he didn't have to do this and how hard he would fight to be sure he would return home. How he was sure that he loved the rabbit and that he would be together with him for the rest of his life, however short that may be.

All too soon he heard the sirens sound and his team leapt into action. They may not be polar but Dillon had to admit the rabbits were professional as they grabbed their gear and readied up. The entire squad was in the dropship in under five minutes, fully kitted out and ready to go. The dropship was a stealth craft small enough to be able to sneak in passed the dragos blockade.

As the ship took off he repeated the plan to them giving them a short but pithy pep talk he had spent about an hour thinking up as he lay on his bunk. He looked around at their faces, he had known them for a month and now they were not just his students but his soldiers. Their lives were in his paws, he silently promised himself that he would ensure he would take good care of them.

The two minute warning flashed and he leapt to his feet, he would be first out of the ship. Looking out he could see that they were having a night drop, the sky was filled with explosions as the dragos tried to shoot the dropship down. He was counting down silently in his head and just as he hit zero the door opened and the icy blast hit him. He turned and gave his troops another loud polar salute before jumping backwards out of the door.

Icy air whistled past his face, even in his suit he could feel his temperature plummeting. His eyes picked out the frozen landscape, adjusting to the light quickly he spotted their target landing zone quickly and as he pulled his antigrav activation cord he angled his body aiming for the landsite. Turning his head he could make out the dark specks of his squads controlled descent behind him.

The ground grew closer and closer until with a soft thud and a controlled roll the bear hit the ground. Pulling out his blaster he quickly scanned the horizon finding nothing of concern he watched his squad marking where each of them landed. He headed for a midpoint the rest of the squad did them same and five minutes after he landed the full squad was present and correct.

Dillon barked out assignments quickly dispatching the rabbits in groups of two along pre assigned scouting routes. He took one alone himself, choosing the one that lead him closest to the know dragos encampments. The squad broke without a word of argument and he felt more than a small measure of pride as the lapines made off at a speed that was impressive even to the polar.

Dillon reached his scouting area first and was annoyed to find nothing waiting for him. A few minutes later Corporal Adams radioed in that he had sight on the targets. He gave their heading and Dillon quickly dispatched orders to his squad on where they needed to converge to lay their trap. As soon as he had acknowledgement he turned making off at his fastest speed. Dropping onto all fours to allow him to travel faster. Polar rarely chose quadruped motion to travel, but when they needed to it allowed them to travel far faster.

He easily beat his men to the rendezvous point, gaining himself a few moments to pick out the best locations to set up the squad for the ambush. As each pair arrived he assigned them an ambush location and dispatched them to start digging. Within the hour they were all set up and waiting.

Dillon lay buried in the ice, his heart rate slowed as he prepared himself for the possible long wait. He closed his eyes and embraced the ice like only a polar could. The Ice Mother was a deity older than Grall, her worship was outlawed now on Polar. However, Dillon knew a little about her, the Ice Mother gave a soldier everything; water to sustain him, cover to hide him and, should he fall, she would hold him in her arms, safe and preserved until his loved ones reclaimed his body.

Buried with over a foot of snow above him and only a narrow breathing hole, it was easy to offer up a silent prayer to her. He waited as the silence deafened him straining his ears for any sign of the dragos approach. After two hours he was beginning to fear the dragos had stopped moving and would not pass this way for another day. Then he heard it, the sound vibrating through the ice and into his ears. Footsteps and tracked vehicles moving his way. He grinned inside his helmet, he had been right and so far his plan had gone perfectly. However, now came the true test, could they take the dragos out?

His heart began to race as he heard the enemy moving closer. His position was going to be perfect they would pass by right over the top of him. He gripped his halberd tighter his thumb tensing on the activation switch. Closer, they had to be closer. He could feel his blood pounding the thrill of battle so close upon him and yet he knew he had to hold off.

As his instincts screamed at him to attack he waited patiently, he felt the pressure as a dragos trooper walked right over him. And then another. He was right in the middle of their ranks and they had no idea, they would in a second. As the third trooper walked over him his mind and instincts were at one and tension inside him snapped. With a roar he broke through the ice, his halberd springing to life as he swung slicing the dragos trooper in front of him clean in half.

He leapt at the troops near him killing another two as he heard his men open fire from their ambush sites. He hacked and slashed at the troops as they clashed in to each other trying to escape the mechanised demon that had burst from the ice. He saw a mounted gun firing at his squad, out of the corner of his eyes he saw Private Beckett fall to the floor as she was hit. The bear bellowed in rage and grunted as he threw his halberd striking the dragos on the gun in the chest impaling him.

Dillon didn't see the dragos fall, he had already drawn his sword in one paw and his blaster in the other. He could feel some light arms fire splashing harmlessly against his armour. He opened fire with the blaster in his left hand as he hacked at the dragos in front of his with the sword in his right. His mind screamed at him to listen to his ears. A dragos was barking out orders, his head spun and he spotted the dragos commander. A tall muscular reptile ten meters away, the bear roared a challenge and started to charge.

He ploughed through the lines of dragos troops as if they weren't there, killing several more before he met the commander. The dragos parried his sword with the butt of his rifle and backed away taking a swipe with the bayonet attached to his rifle. The knife scraped harmlessly on the bear's armour. Dillon admired the way the dragos stood up tall, proud and defiant, just until the bear's sword sliced off the reptile's head.

With their leader and dozens of others dead the remaining dragos troops broke rank and began to run. Dillon had given orders that they were to spare no-one. If any got away then they would raise the alarm. His squad gunned them down to a man and then turned to the two launchers. The vehicles were slow and cumbersome but their drivers were doing their best to make a run for it driving as fast as they could through the snowy terrain.

Several of the rabbit troops were chasing them explosive charges at the ready. With shrieks of triumph they managed to get the magnetic explosives attached. As the dragos drivers continued their mad dash they didn't realise they were driving themselves to a safe distance from the squad. Just as they thought they were safe the rabbits pressed their detonators and two explosions lit up the landscape.

It was all over in less than ten minutes. Dillon checked his squad and barked out orders, one rabbit had taken a bad shot to the shoulder and two others were dead. He grabbed one of the bodies ordering two of the others to grab the last of the fallen. Then they set off at the fastest pace they could towards the extraction point. The mission had gone well, not perfect as the two corpses they carried testified to. However, with forty dragos troops dead and the two launchers out of commission the price had been acceptable.

As they reached the extraction point their communications expert corporal Last signalled for pickup. "Surprise party to fleet we are at the extraction co-ordinates how long until extraction, over?"

"Fleet to surprise party, that's a negative no extraction is possible, over." Came the chilling reply.

Dillon snatched the comm. device off Last. "Surprise party to Fleet. We are on the ground with dragos incoming, our mission was a success get us out of here, over."

"Fleet to surprise party, your extraction has been cancelled by order of general Trot, over."

Dillon growled loudly. "Surprise party to fleet, we are deep in enemy held territory now get us out of here! Over."

"Fleet to Surprise party, that's a negative no extraction possible. I am sorry, over and out." The comm. went dead in his paws. The bear stood for a moment staring in disbelief. He'd done what they'd asked, he completed his mission and gotten to where he needed to be. The general had lied to him, it had been a one way trip all along and as he looked around at the scared expressions on his squads faces he was filling with rage.

Unable to contain himself he roared into the night falling to his knees and beating upon the ground. It wasn't fair, he had done what he was ordered to do. What no-one else had been able to do, he'd taken ten soldiers into the heart of the enemy and destroyed their greatest weapon. His reward was to be abandoned left to die on some ice field light years from home. He didn't even get to say goodbye to his love and now he never would.

As his roars came to an end he heard a terrified voice ask. "Sir, what do we do now Sir?" It was private Coal, a young lapine buck, barely eighteen years old. The bear looked at him sadly. Death or surrender were their only options, given what dragos do to their prisoners death was the better of the two.

"There's no way out is there? The general screwed us all just like he screwed you didn't he?" Lieutenant Sergio asked quietly.

Dillon couldn't bring himself to respond he just looked out across the frozen land and then it came to him. "There is a way out, but it's dangerous and we might not all make it if even any of us do." The bear said quietly as he reached out into the ice and started to draw. "Ok this is us and this it the dragos lines, skirting the lake just like we said. On the other side of the lake the Lapine army was holding position here near Terout city. All we need to do it." He drew a line with his paw from them across the lake to Terout city.

"You said the lake was unstable, something about boiling gas randomly breaking the ice and making the whole lake a death trap." Sergio replied calmly.

"The way I see it we have three options, surrender, fight to the death or run for it over the lake. The dragos know we are here now, and there is no way we could run through their lines all the way to the front. Surrender is not an option and you know it. So we run in the one direction they won't follow. We trust to luck that we can get across the lake without hitting any random gas releases."

"Trust to luck?" Sergio asked in disbelief. "Our luck hasn't been exactly great so far."

"No, our luck has been fine, we landed well completed our mission with acceptable losses and got to the extraction point in perfect time. The fact the General betrayed us was not down to luck, he never planned to extract us whether we took them down or not." Dillon replied with a growl. "Now get ready to move out. Leave the dead behind, we can't drag them all the way. Coal help Dains, with that shoulder wound he'll need support. That wasn't a suggestion now MOVE!"

The rabbits jumped to his orders and he was left with no time to ponder if he made the right decision. A few kilometres of dragos held territory lay between them and the lake. The dragos were most likely looking for them by now. Still they probably would never think to guard the lake, after all only someone mad would try to cross it. Mad or desperate, perhaps there really isn't much of a difference between the two Dillon thought as they moved.

He was too busy to be really mad, but he knew once they were safe he would have time to think about it. Should he make it back to lapros he would take his vengeance on Trot, the rabbit had broken their blood pact and death would be his reward. For now though the bear needed to focus to keep his squad together and alive.

They reached the lake without incident and began to head out as quickly as they could. He drove his men hard trying to stop them from thinking on what was behind them, ahead of them and most worryingly bubbling below them. They made good headway and as the hours passed and they moved it was only a matter of time before one of them broke.

It was Dains, his shoulder wound becoming too much he had to stop. Dillon let his men rest while their medic did the best to patch the rabbit up and gave him another dose of pain killers. The bear looked out across the ice, his own muscles ached slightly he was driving his men and himself hard. Ahead he could see a mile or two and there would be a break in the ice floes. His men would need to get across from one floe to the next. They had some rope with them and Dillon already had a plan assuming the floes weren't too far apart.

Three days he figured was their best time to make it off this lake if he drove them hard. Still he knew he had to push them, the faster they crossed the ice the less the chance of a gas pocket boiling them alive. They had a good four hours of daylight left. If he could get them onto the next ice floe, and maybe even the next after that, before dark they would have made good progress.

After a ten minute rest break he ordered them on, he decided to help Dains himself. Offering a stable arm to lean on and half dragging the wounded rabbit at the same pace as the rest of the squad. They covered the distance to the gap between icefloes in under two hours. Then stopped and looked out at the other ice floe ten meters away. Then down to the twenty meter drop and the freezing lake waters.

"How the hell do we get across there, fly?" Sergio asked as he stared out across the ravine.

"Here hold this." Dillon said handing him one end of a rope.

"Now what?" The rabbit asked, he was exhausted, his body ached and he had no patience left.

"Now you fly." The bear replied and spun around grabbing the rabbit by his coat heaving him as hard as he could. The lieutenant screamed as he was thrown all the way across the chasm landing safely, if not painlessly, on the other side. "Alright now get your ice pick out and secure the rope." The bear instructed the outraged rabbit.

It took about half an hour to get the entire squad across, they had to rig up an improvised pulley and stretcher for Dains. Still they were making good time across the ice and spirits were beginning to rise. Unfortunately their luck was about to run out as deep beneath them at the bottom of the lake a hydrothermal vent released a huge pocket of boiling gas.

They felt it long before it arrived the ice under them buckling as the water under them was displaced. They were two thirds of the way across the ice floe already.

"Run for it!" Dillon shouted as he started to run. The squad hot was on his heels. He could see the next ice floe ahead of them it was several meters higher than this floe. He dropped to all fours as he felt the ice under his buckling and cracking. He knew they wouldn't be able to stop and build a pulley system this time. Behind him he heard screams, but he dared not turn around.

He clawed at his armour catches his chestpiece flying of, followed by the stomach and back. He clawed at the lower catches already feeling lighter, then away fell his leg pieces and crotch, along with them his weapons. All he had left were his gloves, boots and a coil of rope held in his jaws.

Unencumbered by his armour he shot forward outrunning his squad easily as they struggled to run through the foot deep snow covering the ice. He was nearing the edge now and knew he couldn't slow down, he picked up the pace instead, running using every ounce of strength his body could muster. He could see the chasm between floes clearly now, it was further than the last one and the ice seemed to be rising. No his floe was dipping lower, the bubble of gas was caught under the other end of the ice floe was lifting it as it melted through the thick ice layers causing the far end to dip.

With no more time to think Dillon hit the edge using his backpaws to push off as hard as he could he rocketed over the chasm. For one moment he felt like he was flying as his body arched over. He crashed hard into the other side and his hands and feet scrabbled at the ice as he started to slide. Finding purchase at last he wanted to do nothing but rest. However, he knew he had no time. His squad were behind him and they would need his help to get across.

He pulled off his gloves letting them fall into the churning waters beneath him. His claws slicing into the ice as he began to climb as fast as he could. It was only a few meters but it felt like a mile when he finally lifted himself out on top of the ice floe. He turned seeing his men gathered on the sinking floe behind him. He realised he didn't have an ice pick left it had gone with his belt. He tossed one end of the rope across to his men and then tied the other end around his shoulders as he prepared to pull. Digging his boots deep into the ice, either he would pull his men up or they would pull him down.

He could see his squad grabbing the rope and felt the weight as the first one started to climb. In the distance he could see the ice shattering as the bubble was almost through to the surface. When that happened the ice floe his men were standing on would shoot up and then back down like a cock bobbing in the water. His squad would drown if he didn't get them off before that happened.

"Hurry, everyone at once come on, move! Move! Move!" He screamed, suddenly noticing that his squad was now only six strong as they began to climb. Dains was gone and one other, probably Bates the medic who had been looking after the injured rabbit. He grunted with effort as six desperate rabbits started to climb. He could feel the rope cutting into his unprotected paw pads, his skin burning and bleeding. However, nothing could make him let go, he owed it to his men to hold on. He had led them here, they were his responsibility.

The rope suddenly went lighter and he heard a shriek, he closed his eyes knowing that someone had just fallen to their death. He pulled with all his strength one hand over the other until at last a rabbit face appeared. It was Sergio and he scrabbled up the rest of the cliff.

"Run, get to high ground." Dillon screamed at him. "When the gas breaks free that whole bloody floe is going to go under, we'll be hit with a flood!"

The quick witted rabbit didn't reply he just turned spotting a small hill of ice a few hundred meters away he began to run.

Private Coal was next his face a mask of pure fear. "Last fell Sir, he knocked of Digby on the way..."

"Run, follow the Lt and get to high ground as fast as you can." Dillon shouted at him cutting him off. The power of the words by passed the terrified rabbit's brain and went right to his legs who started him running after Sergio.

Adams was next followed very shortly by Corporal Hicks. As Dillon pulled Hicks onto the ground he saw the ice floe they had been on go shooting up into the air as the bubble finally burst through. "Run!" He screamed and turned to charge for the hill the others had run too. In a few seconds the floe would come back down displacing a deadly tidal wave of water.

His heart pounded in his chest as he focused on running, expecting any moment to be enveloped in the icy waters of the lake. He knew that if the waters washed him off his feet then when they started to drain back into the lake he would be swept along with them to drown deep under the ice. As he ran he felt the first splashes of water, just deep enough to wet his aching paws.

Looking back he could see a blue wall chasing him and the two rabbits struggling behind him. He turned back to the way ahead knowing that there was nothing he could do to help them, all he could do was try to save himself. By the time he reached the hill the water was ankle deep. He climbed a foot or two up and turned, seeing Corporal Adams struggling in waters deeper than his thigh and Hicks far behind him his face twisted with the horrid realisation that he was going to die and that nothing could save him now.

Dillon also saw something in the water a long shimmering snake. It came from his shoulders, the rope his squad had climbed up. He waved to the two rabbit's frantically screaming. "The rope, grab the ROPE!" Corporal Adams reached it first, still on his feet he used the rope to keep himself steady as he made for the bear. Hicks went under the water and for a moment Dillon though he was gone. The he felt the rope tug and he knew that the rabbit was holding on somewhere. He grabbed the rope for the second time in what seemed like hours but was actually less than five minutes and began to pull. He walked backwards slowly as he did so keeping above the water. Pulling Adams free and eventually Hicks.

The three turned and started to scramble to the top of the hill, where Coal and Sergio waited for them. They had set up some little heater units and the two soaked rabbits stripped off their clothes and pulled blankets out of their packs as they shivered hoping their clothes would dry quickly. Coal looked up at the bear and said. "Err Captain, you're naked."

Dillon looked down at his uncovered body and then replied. "No I'm not lad I've still got my boots on."

"Ah yes boots, that's what I would miss the most if I was to be naked on the ice, warm feet!" Sergio quipped and they all laughed even though it wasn't funny. They laughed because it was the only thing they could do to keep from crying. Dillon stared out over the receding water, he'd lost six of his squad today over half his men. They had put their lives in his paws and he had let them slip through his fingers. His paws ached and burned, the scars to his pads he knew would never heal. The scars to his heart would still be there longer.

"We'll rest here until dawn and then move on." He said sitting down on the edge of the hill looking out.

---

Captain Tyler Ray took a deep breath. He was about to address the crew of his ship the Canine Alliance cruiser Jarrow. Still all he really wanted to do now was quit the military and go home to his new husband and adopted son. Still the wolf had a duty to the oaths he took and the people who served under him. He would go home the long way by going through the war and ending his service honourably at the end of the dragos conflict.

He flicked on the ships intercom. "As you are all aware the dragos have blockaded the lapine world Prime. They are currently waging a rather fierce ground war against the lapine army. Without help and support the world will fall. Before that help can land the blockade must be broken. I have received orders today that we are to join with the third battle group under the battleship H.R.S Hood. We will form part of the allied fifth fleet and in less than an hour we will be making the jump to Prime to break the blockade. That gives you all two days in hyperspace to prepare the ship for combat, I want all systems fully operational within the next day. That means double shifts for everyone, including me."

The wolf could hear his bridge crew groan, a groan that echoed throughout the ship. He couldn't help but grin slightly, tell his crew they are going in to battle and they are fine with it. Tell them they have to work a double shift and they act like the ship is about to blow up.

The dark grey wolf turned to a human soldier standing on his bridge. "How do you think they took it?"

Major Pritt smiled, he'd been stationed on board the ship for almost six months now and he had a close working relationship with the captain. He felt that he had Tyler's respect and he certainly had gained a great deal of respect for the wolf and the canine people. "Well I've heard better let's go get them speeches but you got your point across. We'll be ready." The Marine paused for a moment and then asked. "Do you think we can smash the blockade?"

Tyler stood up without responding and headed to his ready room motioning for the human to follow. Once inside with the door closed he replied. "Admiral Hastor was supposed to be bringing another fifty ships to the fight, but his fleet got ambushed on the way to the rendezvous point. They lost six ships and took a lot of damage they won't be here on time. That means the dragos outnumber us ten to eight and have an established defensive position."

The human sighed heavily. "I didn't realise the situation was that bad, why don't they put the attack off for a few days?"

"The dragos on prime are pushing hard and the lapines are running out of ground to fall back to. If we don't at least get some troopships and supplies down in the next week or two, command believes that we will lose the world with over three hundred million civilians taken prisoner." The wolf replied turning to look out his window at the fleet. "Besides eight to ten aren't impossible odds with luck and good strategy we could pull this off. Either way it'll force the dragos to commit huge resources to the blockade. Their armies on Talos and York are all but defeated. If we can stop them mounting a major offensive on either of those worlds we can finish the ground wars there. Once that is done we can focus resources on Prime. All we really need from this is time."

"Eight to ten, even with luck that will be dearly bought time." Major Pritt whispered almost to himself as the words sunk in.

"Yes dearly bought, but worth the price to put the dragos on the back foot." Tyler replied turning smartly his body coming to attention. "I intend to quit the military and go home to my husband as soon as this war is over. If this battle brings that day forward then it has my full support."

"Anything that ends this war has my full support. I've sent too many marines home in a box." The human's impassioned response surprised the wolf a little. He rarely got to see under the professional veneer that Major Pritt was so careful to maintain. He gave the Major a nod of agreement knowing that anything more would force the human back into his shell.

---

Dillon sat alone a little way down the hill keeping watch as the others slept. He had told them they would take four hour shifts, but he had lied, after losing so many of their friends and running so far and so fast he knew they needed to rest. The water had receded an hour or two ago and he could see the slushy snow and ice starting to freeze in the bitter air. The ice floe would be treacherously slippery by morning and their going across it would be slow unless it started to snow.

The bear looked up at the clear sky the stars shining through. There was no chance of snow tonight. His eyes started to search the stars and constellations he found what he thought was the lapros star system and sat with his eyes fixed on it thinking of the rabbit he left behind. He remembered waking up next to the rabbit every morning, mock fighting with him and the times he had just held Martin close. He closed his eyes wishing that he was already back hope with the rabbit held safe and warm in his arms.

He opened his eyes hearing the crunch of snow behind him, he spun around to see young Private Coal climbing down the hill. "Private, it's not your turn for watch go back to bed."

"It's not your turn either Captain and I can't sleep anymore, it's too cold and I'm too on edge after yesterday. Can I sit with you Sir?" The ironically named white rabbit asked his young eyes imploring the larger male to agree.

Dillon slid over a little giving a silent invitation to the trembling rabbit. Coal sat down quickly and leaned against the bear sighing softly at the warmth. "I don't know how you do it Sir. It's so freezing and you're not even wearing pants. I mean your privates must be freezing."

The bear chuckled putting a friendly arm around the trembling rabbit. "This is a warm spring morning to a polar the only freezing private around here is you."

"Warm spring morning? Something tells me I don't want to be around for a winter on Polar." The rabbit replied as he felt a naughty thrill as he pressed against the naked bear.

"Yeah something tells me most species wouldn't be able to live through a true Polar winter. Still you have come this far, you are tougher than my people would think." Dillon replied enjoying the physical contact trying to ignore the twinges of guilt in his mind. He was sure Martin would understand the need to share body warmth on the ice.

"You have someone back home don't you Sir?" Coal asked in a half whisper.

"Yes I have a... boyfriend I suppose is the correct term. He means a lot to me." The bear replied automatically lowering his voice to a half whisper in response.

"It must be nice, I don't have anyone. I've never even had a boyfriend and outside of heat I've never been with anyone else before." The rabbit whispered, pressing himself close against the bear, feeling the warmth of the bear's body flow through him. His eyes were no longer looking across the ice floe they were looking between the bear's legs.

"That's a pity, but you are a sexy male, once we get back if you want to find someone I know you will." The bear replied swallowing quietly as he could feel something stirring inside him. It had been almost two months since he was last with Martin and he'd not had any privacy to relieve himself in weeks.

Coal licked his lips as his paw slipping down the bear's belly ever so slowly working millimetre by millimetre lower and lower. "What if I don't make it back, I... don't want to miss out on something like that." He whispered letting his paw slip down onto the bear's sheath and huge balls, they felt extremely warm in his palm and he could feel the sheath thicken and swelling against his fingers.

"Private, what are you doing?" Dillon asked grabbing the rabbit's paw and pulling it off his sheath and balls.

Squeaking and blushing deeply the rabbit couldn't find words to respond he just looked away. "I..."

"Look you are a sweet and sexy guy, but, I have someone and you know that. I won't betray him." The bear's voice held a slight hint of a growl.

"Sorry, Sir... it's just this place and I'm so scared. I don't want to die unloved." Tears were forming in the rabbit's eyes.

The bear let go of his wrist and stopped growling. "I understand, everything that's happened over the last day has been terrifying. However, if you want to feel loved then you need to fight hard, survive this and find someone to love. Or go ask one of the others. I am taken, do you understand?"

"Sorry Sir, Yes Sir." The rabbit replied sniffing as the tears rolled down his cheeks. "You... won't tell anybody about this will you Sir?"

"What happens on the ice stays on the ice. No-one will hear of this from me. It was just a silly misunderstanding, it could have happened to anyone." The soft hearted bear replied. "Now go get some sleep, it will be a hard day tomorrow."

As he watched the young rabbit climb back up the hill the bear couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of regret. Still he knew that if he had done anything he would have regretted it even more. He sat back down on the hill and turned his gaze back out across the ice.

He sat there all night until the sun peaked over the ice floe and he knew it was time to get going. He climbed back up the hill and woke the sleeping rabbits and in ten minutes they were on their way across the ice floe. The going was slippery and slow for a while until after several miles they finally reached the edge of where the lake water had flooded.

They had to cross to another ice floe shortly after midday, by Dillon's reckoning they had just about passed the halfway point across the lake. Fortunately they didn't get any more bubbles of gas being released. The next ice floe was slightly lower down in the water making for a fairly easy jump crossing.

Everything was going smoothly until the early evening when the bear felt something give under his paw. He signalled for everyone to stop and slipped down to all fours on the ice. His instincts were screaming at him as he started to back up very slowly, signalling for the rabbits to do the same.

When his heart and nerves calmed down he reached forward slowly and the punched as hard as he could. The ice in front of them exploded falling away exposing a large cavern beneath them at least twenty meters deep and a hundred meters in diameter beneath them. As he stood up he heard the rabbit's muttering what could have happened if they had broken through the ice.

He guessed that some smaller gas bubbles had burned up through the ice possibly years ago and not made it all the way through. Leading to the formation of an ice cavern. "We should be careful in case there is any more of these." He said as he led the rabbits around the outside of the cave. Keeping to all fours listening to his instincts he sensed other potential caves and kept away from them as he lead the remains of the squad on a winding path.

They crossed to a new ice floe as the light was starting to fade and they set up camp not far into the new floe. The rabbits fell asleep very quickly in a pile. Dillon could feel his own muscles aching, as he sat down once again taking the first shift of guard again. He felt his stomach growling the few ration bars they had left had been set aside. He told the rabbits he could pass on food as he was preparing for his next hibernation. This wasn't entirely true his hibernation was at least six months off and his fat reserves were far lower than they should be. Still compared the rest of the squad he felt he could miss a few days food with the least risk.

He sat quietly watching the skyline and listening to the ice beneath him. He felt his eyelids growing heavy a few times but fought against the need to sleep. Tomorrow he would get his squad off the ice and to safety, once his remaining men were safe he would relax. Until then he had a duty of care and he would not let himself relax again and risk losing another life.

As he sat there he found himself reflecting on the previous night. Private Coal had been quiet all day and had not been able to look the bear in the eye. He knew the rabbit was deeply embarrassed by the incident. His mind wandered to Martin and all the things he would do after he got back. He hoped that the rabbit would forgive him for just leaving. That he would understand he had no choice but to accept the mission and that he had tried to contact him many times.

His mind wandered to how he would take the rabbit in his arms, kiss and caress the bunny's lithe form. He imagined himself kissing Martin's soft lips, the warmth of his sweet breath, the taste of his sensual maw. Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked down, his cock had slid out into the frigid air and was now sitting fully erect between his huge thighs. He cast an eye back on his squad embarrassed.

Grabbing a couple of huge pawfuls of ice he used an old polar erection cure to bring his body under control. Shuddering as he scrubbed his cock with pawfuls of snow until it receded fully into his sheath. He sat his huge furry orbs in a small pile of snow making them contract and curing the rather bad case of blue balls he had begun to feel.

As the sun peaked over the horizon he roused his squad again and they began their final days trek across the ice. This side of the lake was obviously far more stable and the ice floe seemed to stretch right to the far shore. Dillon walked in from of his troops and as he realised they were off the lake he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The squad celebrated with a shared ration bar which Dillon actually allowed himself a small mouthful of. His hungry stomach complaining at the meagreness of this meal after two days of no food. Still with the lake behind them and friendly territory ahead the bear was finally able to relax.

As they crested the top of a small hill on the lakeshore they caught sight of a few small buildings a few miles away. They caught sight of a few lapine troops and knew that it was still in the hands of the lapines. With enormous relief they pushed hard, almost at a run as they fought through the snow towards safety.

As they arrived at the outpost and approached the gates the troops guarding were quite shocked to see them. Lieutenant Sergio went forward to explain as Dillon lacked a uniform or any confirmation of his rank.

As the guards accepted their credentials and allowed them access one of them had to say. "Why is he naked?"

"He's not naked." Sergio replied calmly as he walked passed them.

"He's got his boots on." Private Coal added with a chuckle.

"Will I be able to borrow a pair of pants?" Dillon asked the startled rabbits as he walked between then.

"Nobody will have pants in your size, but I'm sure we could find a sheet or something." The guard replied still a bit shell shocked.

Sergio had found out that the outpost was currently under the command of a sergeant named Rife and that the officers attached to the outpost had died in skirmishes with the dragos over the last few weeks.

As they walked into the courtyard of the high walled compound a blonde rabbit with a jagged scar down his left cheek approached them ranting. "This is what they send? I asked for reinforcements and I get four fucking troops and a god damned naked bear? What the fuck is command thinking?"

Pulling himself up to his full height Dillon fixed the rabbit to the spot with a meaningful glare and a loud snarl. "Who the fuck do you think you are addressing? You will address me as Captain or Sir or I'll bust your ass down to private so fast you'll get career whiplash."

The sergeant was obviously both experienced and beyond giving a crap about protocol anymore. "You're out of uniform Captain, I see no reason to accept anything you say."

"What about me Sarge do you see any reason to accept what I say?" Sergio asked while dipping his should a little so his lieutenant insignia clearly stood out.

The irate rabbit was caught between his own rage and years of training the latter eventually won out and he snapped to attention. "Sir, no Sir. Glad to have you aboard Sir. If you'll come this way I'll apprise you of the situation Sir."

"Sergeant, this is Captain Dillon Teal. He was a civilian contractor, but was given a full commission to rank of Captain in the Free Peoples army. He is an expert in arctic warfare and you would do well to listen to him." The rabbit advised and then added. "Also after what I have seen him do in battle you would be very wise not to piss him off."

The bear grinned and gave the sergeant a nod. "We are not your reinforcements sergeant we are just passing through. We had a mission on the other side of the lake and now we are heading back to lapros as fast as possible."

"You're not here to reinforce us?" The anger was gone from his voice and had been replaced with a soft whimpering undertone. "But... the dragos are coming."

"When, how many and from which direction?" Dillon shot back instantly.

"We got word the alliance is trying to break the blockade. The dragos are pushing on all fronts with everything they have in case the alliance manages to land reinforcements. There's a whole dragos column five miles out." The Sergeant replied the fear very evident in his voice.

"How many men do you have?" The bear asked a lump in his throat, a dragos column contained five hundred soldiers and so far he hadn't seen more than a handful of lapines.

"We started with a compliment of two hundred, there is thirty seven of us left." The miserable reply came from a rabbit who had tried to be too strong for too long. He was so close to breaking mentally he had only been able to hold himself together because he had no option, his men needed him. Now with two officers in front of him and the prospect of them taking over for him he found it difficult to think of anything but the soldiers he had lost over the months.

The bear stood silently looking up at the sky, he imagined he could see Martin looking back beckoning him home. He owed these people nothing, he had been blackmailed into joining up, betrayed when he completed his mission and had dragged his troops across a frozen lake alive, when nobody could have thought they would make it. However, he was a Captain in the lapine army, whether by choice or not his duty was clear.

"Private Coal come here." Dillon said so quietly that he had to repeat himself louder.

The young rabbit trooper approached nervously. "Sir?"

The bear bent down and reached into his boot pulling out a small data chip he placed it in the rabbit's paw. "In Lapros City there is a restaurant called the Ice Fields, please ensure this is given to either the head chef or his deputy."

"I don't understand Sir." Coal replied his eyes wavering a little between the bear and lieutenant Sergio.

"Get some food and supplies and then get out. Five miles that way is Terout city. Get on a transport heading to the spaceport and then as soon as the blockade is broken get yourself on a transport back to Lapros." The bear said putting a paw on the young soldiers shoulder.

"But...what about you and the others Sir?" The tremble in the rabbit's voice was clear for everyone to hear as he looked across his squadmates.

"We are going to stay here and lend a hand against the dragos. However, I need someone to get that message to Martin, my Martin. Do you understand?" The smile he wore while he spoke was nothing short of ghoulish. They were outnumbered more than ten to one and the bear no longer had his armour.

"I... I could help Sir." Coal said quietly the idea of abandoning his comrades making him feel nauseated.

"I know you could son, but I need this message to get through. If the dragos do attack in force then there may be roving scout parties behind our lines or fighter bombardments. I need someone who can travel fast and knows how to use the landscape. You're a good soldier and I know you can do this." The bear said as he slowly walked the young rabbit out of the courtyard. Corporal Hicks shoved a bag of supplies into the young rabbit's paws with a wink. "Do me a favour Coal and make sure you find someone ok?"

The rabbit looked up at him with tears in his eyes, he drew himself up to attention and saluted. "Yes Sir and thank you Sir." The rabbit turned and as he made his way solo he heard the bear roaring out orders behind him.

"Where are our gun emplacements, I need a full report on our ammunition stocks. Get a scouting party together, I need the exact position of the dragos and somebody find me some pants!"

---

"The Hood is gone, repeat the Hood is gone." The Jarrow's communications officer reported in morbid terrified excitement.

Tyler swore under his breath. "That was our last battleship. Advise the surviving ships that the battlegroups flag is now on the Jarrow. Get us into a Delta formation and get me a comm line to Admiral Harris."

The comm officer, a fox called Collins, acknowledged his orders and began to carry them out as efficiently as he could.

The dark wolf stared at the readouts, their twenty strong battlegroup was down to four ships, two human destroyers, a lapine cruiser and the Jarrow. Facing them was a battlegroup of five dragos battleships and half a dozen destroyers. They were hopelessly outmatched and needed to withdraw.

"Admiral on the comm Sir."

"Thank you, the Lapine cruiser is out of formation get their captain to pull it in." The wolf snarled his orders his emotions high as he flicked open his comm unit. "Admiral we just lost our last battleship, requesting permission to withdraw to the main fleet."

"Negative, the fight is going badly I'm ordering all ships to form up for an orderly retreat. I can't have that dragos battlegroup free to attack our flank. I need you to hold." The admiral's voice was strained and in the background he could hear voices yelling out various instructions.

"We are outgunned fifty to one Sir, we can't hold..."

"I'm aware of the odds Captain, now I gave you an order to hold your position. Admiral Harris Out." The reply was short and bitter.

Tyler looked out across the bridge at his crew, they couldn't hold for long. With the wreckage of the hood clearing the dragos would establish a weapons lock soon. Even going total defensive it would be unlikely that they could survive more than a single volley. "Captain to all hands, all repair crews, marines and non essential personnel to the shuttle bays and escape pods." There wouldn't be time for damage control and the dragos wouldn't try to board them. There was no point in letting everyone die.

"Captain I have someone on the lapine cruiser Mesa." Collins informed him.

"Excellent." The wolf flicked on the comm device. "Ok, who am I speaking too."

"Crewman Keel sir." The voice that replied was filled with pure terror.

"Is there an officer present son?" The wolf asked calmly.

"No Sir, our bridge got hit Sir...they are all dead but Ensign Retts Sir. He's unconscious Sir...I think he's dying." Keel's voice trembled and broke as he spoke.

"Ok Keel, are you hurt?" Tyler asked trying to sound as reassuring as possible., putting as much confidence as he could into his voice.

"My left arms broke sir, and my legs cut open."

"Where is the rest of your crew, hasn't anyone come to assist you?"

"The entrance to the bridge is blocked Sir... there's an escape pod Sir." The crewman's voice held the smallest hint of hope that he might order him to abandon ship.

"Keel, we need to hold the dragos here. The fleets retreating you need to hold your ship in formation so we can help defend each other do you understand?" He waited a few seconds and there was no answer. "Look son, I know you're scared, we all are it's only natural. All I need is ten minutes do you hear just ten minutes and we can pull out." He felt intensely guilty as he said that, ten minutes and they would all be dead. He was talking a young man into his own death. However, without the other cruiser they wouldn't survive a single volley.

"Ok Sir, I will hold us in position Sir."

"Good Man." The wolf said miserably, sick to his stomach at having talked a young man into his death. However, he wouldn't have time to linger on that thought.

"Shots fired!"

"All batteries defensive, open fire. Gunnery launch torpedoes. Trigger them when in range of the incoming fire. Let's see if we can thin out their volley before it reaches us. Helm keep us as mobile as you can but between the dragos and the fleet." That gave them a limited range of motion which would make avoiding each volley fully impossible. If they moved too far the dragos may decide to just ignore them and head straight for the fleet.

He watched as the torpedoes and defensive batteries managed to take out a good portion of the incoming fire and them braced himself just moments before the shots landed. He heard something explode behind him, a stanchion beam broke off the ceiling and crushed one of his helm officers. "Report!" He screamed above the sirens and explosions.

"Republics destroyers are both gone Sir. The Mesa is heavily damaged but holding position. We have fires on deck six and seven. Main gun battery is dead, only five auxiliary guns remaining and our engines are both dead Sir." Collins reported with the eerie calm of someone sure they are about to die.

"Can you get me Keel?" Tyler asked.

"No response from the Mesa. Shots fired another volley two minutes to impact." Collins reported.

With their engines dead, their guns down there was nothing left they could do. This volley would take both cruisers out. Tyler hit his ships intercom. "Abandon ship, all hands abandon ship." He looked at his shocked bridge crew. "You heard me get to the escape pods. Collins patch in to the Mesa's intercom transmit an order to abandon ship. We've done all we can do here and bought the Admiral five minutes. I hope it was worth it."

The fox transmitted the signal as the countdown reached less than a minute. The two of them were last off the bridge and reached the escape pods with thirty seconds left they ejected. Shortly afterwards the dragos second volley hit.

"Admiral Battlegroup Three has been completely wiped out"

Admiral Harris winced slightly, twenty ships completely wiped out. A lot of good men and women dead. Still it had not been for nothing, the fleet's preparations for retreat were almost complete. Just as he spared a moment to think of the sacrifice of the fallen his sensors officer shouted. "Incoming ships, we have hyperspace signatures."

The Admiral leapt up. "Is it the Dragos or did Hastor actually get his arse here at last?" The latter would give him a chance to turn this costly defeat into a costly victory.

"Neither Sir, the ships read as Polar, one hundred and thirty vessels Sir. That's almost their entire navy." His sensors officer reported.

The admiral switched on the viewer to see the ships, gleaming white in the sky as they took up position. Clearly they were here to fight, the only question was whose side they would join.

"Transmission from the polar fleet." The Admiral's comm officer informed him hitting the audio without waiting for the order he knew the Admiral would give.

"After reviewing the evidence, recently received, regarding the Dragos Imperiums involvement in the unprovoked attack on the former polar colony Ressum. The Polar people have no option but to declare war on your murderous nation. May Grall spit on your burning carcasses."

Admiral Harris paused for a moment and then shouted. "Get me the Polar Fleet Commander on the Comm."

"He's already sent a message requesting to join the alliance." The officer replied with a grin.

---

Victory but a costly one, the space around Prime was litter with debris and bodies. Thousands of humans, canines, lapines and polar had died in the battle. Crewman Keel, holding his ship in position to the end. Major Pritt, whose escape pod was caught by a stray blast. Admiral Harris, died commanding his flagship and the fleet when the dragos made one last desperate attempt to force the alliance fleet to retreat.

Laying on the planet beneath them was the corpses of millions of rabbits. The polar had landed a huge army as soon as a safe corridor was forged to the planet. Turning the tide of the dragos assault. Amongst the dead were many young polars most of whom had never left their homeworld before, and now they would never return.

Lieutenant Sergio took a blaster bolt as he rallied troops against the dragos onslaught. Corporals Adams and Hicks died fighting back to back when the dragos breached the outpost courtyard. Sergeant Rife was gunned down while trying to pull an injured comrade to safety. They were just some of the bodies that littered the world, it would take months or years just too finally count the dead.

Three weeks later Tyler sat quietly the only wolf at a rabbit's funeral. He stood out like a wolf at a rabbit's funeral. He was the only offworlder at the service as the family mourned a picture of Crewman Keel. He could not take his eyes off the young male's image, he'd never seen his face until he arrived at the funeral and he knew he would now never forget it.

Once the service was over he moved timidly over the two elder male rabbit's who had been identified as the crewman's parents. "Mr and Mr Keel, I'm Captain Tyler Ray and I wanted to offer my deepest condolences for your loss."

The two looked at each other and then back at the wolf confused. "D..did you know our son?"

Tyler's mouth felt strangly dry as he struggled to find the right words. "I... never met him, but I spoke to him shortly before... he died. I was the Captain of the Jarrow. I took command of the battlegroup before the end."

The taller of the two rabbits nervously asked. "Do you attend all the funerals of the men you lost?" it was clear they both knew the answer was no and they wanted to know why he was here intruding on their grief.

"No I don't, but I wanted to come... I wanted to tell you about your son and how he died." The wolf was suddenly unable to look the two in the eye, instead he found himself looking at the picture of the handsome young male. "All the news vids are too overwhelmed with the loss of Admiral Harris and the polar joining the war to report your son's death like they should."

Blinking back a few tears Tyler steadied himself as he continued. "He was alone on the bridge of the Mesa, all his comrades dead or dying. There was an escape pod, he could have run and nobody could have stopped him. However, we had orders to hold a dragos battlegroup. We needed to give the fleet time to consolidate. If we didn't stand our ground then the dragos would have hit the flank all strung out... thousands would have died. Maybe even the polar help wouldn't have been enough. Your son didn't know the polar were coming he just knew we needed to hold. He got an unconscious comrade into the escape pod saving his life. Then he held the Mesa in formation right until the end. The battlegroup was destroyed but we held long enough, because of your son... I just thought you should know he died a hero and thousands and possibly millions of sentient beings owe their lives to his actions."

The two rabbits held each other tears streaming down their faces, Tyler gulped softly and turned to leave. "I just wanted you to know, for whatever small crumb of comfort that can offer you at this time."

As he took his first step he felt a paw on his elbow, he turned back looking into the crying eyes of a grieving father. "Thank you." Was all the male could manage to say.

The wolf nodded in acknowledgement and turned to leave heading straight to the spaceport where he took the first transport he could home to his family.

---

Since the polar had jumped in to save the day the Ice Fields restaurant had grown even more popular as the rabbits embraced anything polar with desperate gratitude. This evening was no different every table was booked out and fully occupied as a white rabbit in a lapine army privates uniform stepped into the restaurant.

Tina the waitress greeted him with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I'm afraid we are booked out for the next three weeks."

Private Coal gave a smile in return. "I'm not here to eat, I have a message to deliver to the head Chef, may I see him?"

The waitress frowned. "We are really busy, could you come back later when we are closing up, then I'm sure Chef Benny will find a few minutes to talk to you."

The private nodded looking a little nervous. "O..ok, you're sure he will see me. I made a promise to deliver this message?"

"I promise he will give you at least five minutes once we have finished serving." Tina reassured him as she could hear several paying customers trying to catch her attention. "I have to go now."

Private Coal took a look around and walked outside, he opened his paw to check the data chip. He'd not put it down in the three weeks since Dillon had entrusted him with its delivery. Unwilling to just go away in case they closed up without letting him back in the rabbit sat down on the pavement and waited with his eyes fixed on the door.

After five hours he watched as the last customers were let out. Jumping up and ignoring the pain in his legs from their long vigil he headed into the restaurant as Tina was trying to lock the door. "You said I could speak to the head chef." The solider said slightly accusingly.

"Oh right, it's you. Ok stay here I'll go get him." The rabbit waitress rushed off to the kitchen.

Coal opened his paw again and checked on the datachip. Then as he heard the kitchen doors open he looked up and had to suppress a whimper as a polar entered the restaurant. Just for a moment he thought Dillon was approaching him. However, a second was all that lasted, this bear was clearly shorter than Dillon and much rounder of stomach.

The bear gave him a tired and puzzled look. "You asked to speak to me."

"I... I have this for you." Coal said lamely lifting up his paw and holding out the datachip. "Captain Dillon asked me to bring it to you."

The bear's face broke into an indescribable expression a mixture of joy, fear, hope and despair all at once. "He's alive?"

The rabbit tried to reply as tears filled his eyes. "He... I don't know. When I left him at an outpost on Prime there was a dragos column on the way. They were outnumbered over ten to one... I tried to find out what happened, but there was so many people looking and so many people missing. It just wasn't possible."

The bear looked at the datachip, he could feel how warm it was and knew the rabbit had been holding on to it for some time. "You look tired, please have a seat and order something. The least I can do for you bringing this message all the way from Prime."

The exhausted rabbit couldn't say no he practically fell into a seat and then spent a few minutes trying to focus on the menu. Eventually he managed to place an order and then looked around. The bear had retreated to the kitchen and he was alone with the waitress.

A few minutes after he ordered the bear returned with a plateful of food. He was followed by a light brown rabbit with glasses and a chefs outfit. The bear placed the plate in front of the rabbit. "I'm Benny by the way, Dillon was... my close friend. This is Martin he was..."

"IS!" The rabbit interrupted rather too loudly, however, the sudden use of the past tense was too much for him. "I am Dillon's partner Martin. I wanted to thank you for bringing this to us, we've been wondering what happened to him for over a month now." The data chip had held a letter to both of them, explaining everything the General had done to him right up until the start of the mission. He'd hoped they would forgive him and promised that he would come home as soon as he could.

Coal looked up at them both and then motioned to the empty seats at his table, it was clear to him that they wanted to speak and hear the details. As he began to eat he told them everything he knew, the blackmail, the double cross and the flight across the ice. He spoke sadly and began to cry when he told of leaving Dillon. He never mentioned the guilt he felt at having ran away leaving his squad to fight while he saved his own hide.

However, as he sat talking the large bear placed a reassuring paw on his shoulder saying. "It's ok you know, Dillon sent you away you didn't run."

The white rabbit stopped eating, but couldn't look up from his plate the tears were dripping off his cheeks onto the table his voice trembled as he spoke. "I... keep playing that moment over and over in my mind you know? Keep thinking what I should have said and done. I can't stop thinking that if I had said or done the right thing he wouldn't have sent me away."

The bear's paw slipped around his shoulder and before he knew it he was held in two large powerful arms, his head buried in the bear's burly chest as he sobbed. The bear just held him, stroking his ears and hair reassuringly as the strain of the last few weeks poured out of him.

Eventually he stopped and looked around deeply embarrassed at the kind concerned faces. "I should go, I need to find a hotel or something." He said getting to his feet.

"No you come home with me, we have a spare bed and something tells me that being alone is not what you need right now either." The bear said with a warm smile. Coal was too tired and emotionally drained to argue.

He stayed with the bear and his black rabbit mate for the next few days growing close with both of them. He also spoke regularly with Martin, who never tired of talking about Dillon and everything they would do when the bear got back. When he talked like this the others often agreed, however, it was clear to Coal the other two had started to accept the reality that Dillon wouldn't be back.

The bear often talked of the blood pact Dillon had made and of his desire for revenge. However, Dale had convinced Benny that blood vengeance would not bring Dillon back and would only take the bear away from him. Instead the two were working on something else, however, they never shared the details with Coal.

Eventually a week had passed, Dale and Coal spent most evenings sitting in the restaurant talking while they waited for Benny and Martin to finish. The two were picking over a new salad combination Benny had concocted when Coal dropped his fork with a squeak.

Dale looked around following the rabbit's eyeline to the large bear standing in the doorway. It was Dillon, well most of him, his left ear was gone completely. His right arm was entirely covered in bandages and just above his left eye a jagged scar ran for several inches, his fur had been shaved off and several stitches were clearly evident.

As Coal ran across the restaurant Dale ran to the kitchen doors. He couldn't find the words he just waved his arms desperately at Benny and Martin eventually managing to shout. "Come!" Before he dashed across to where Dillon was being hugged by Coal. He threw himself at the bear hugging him tightly from the other side.

Benny was next to join the party, his arms going around all three hugging tightly like only a bear can. It was when Dillon saw Martin that he finally moved, pushing away from the group hug and limping over to the rabbit. He leaned down putting his good paw around the rabbit's waist and whispered. "I'm back." Before pressing forward, his thick warm lips pressing against the rabbit's velvet ones, they both moaned softly as they kissed passionately.

Martin's paws clawed at the bear as he pressed himself tightly to his love, desperate to feel the bear's body against him to reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming again. He gasped as he felt the thick ursine tongue worming its way between his lips and into his muzzle. His own tongue pressed against it, caressing it and dancing over it as he sucked eagerly, the taste of his love familiar and long missed.

Eventually the kiss ended and the two nuzzled each other lovingly, suddenly aware that they had an audience of every customer in the restaurant and their friends. Dillon gave a dismissive shrug and pressed his lips tightly to Martin's again, his arm still holding his love close as he focussed on the only important thing in the world.

---

General Trot groaned softly as he returned home. One more celebratory banquet under his belt and he felt stuffed. He opened the door stepping into his luxurious home pulling off his ceremonial sword belt and hanging it up by the door. He headed into his study and poured himself a glass of malt honey whiskey.

As he turned around he almost dropped the glass as he spotted a large polar sitting in his favourite chair with a pistol in his bandaged right paw and a glass of whiskey in his left. "You can't be here!" The rabbit squeaked at him backing away nervously and noticing that the bear was between him and the only door.

Dillon took a sip of his whiskey. "Yes I know dead bears can't break into your home and drink your whiskey. Very nice by the way."

"I'll scream for help"

The bear chuckled, "Think they will get here in time?"

"I only did what was necessary for the war." The general pleaded.

"You know I had a whole speech worked out. Nice, eloquent, I touched on philosophy, duty to ones men and such. However, now that I'm here I find that I really don't have the stomach to tolerate your presence." The bear said getting to his feet slowly putting down the glass as he did so. He took careful aim with the pistol. "So I think I had better do what I came here to do."

The general whimpered and cowered back. "Please... I don't want to die."

The bear snarled. "Nine soldiers died with me on your command, on your promise of an escape!"

"It wasn't possible to get a pickup any ship that landed would be picked off by the anti aircraft batteries the second it lifted off, but we needed the launchers taken out." Trot squeaked and he curled up in a ball. "This was the only way to stop the dragos advance."

"You lied to your men and blackmailed me, now nine of them are dead. They didn't know that they were being sent to their death. They had families and they never got the chance to say goodbye. You robbed them of that chance, ordering men to their death is part of command, but you do it honestly you look them in the eye and you tell them the truth!" The bear was trembling with rage the pistol muzzle wobbling as he ranted.

"Fine then kill me there's nothing I can do to stop you." The General replied finally finding some backbone somewhere far beyond the abyss of hopelessness he was orbiting.

"You're right, I should do what I came here to do. Sergeant! Take this man away!" The bear said lowering the pistol as two lapine military police troops entered from the passage.

"General George Trot you are under arrest for blackmail, attempted personslaughter and attempting to pervert the course of justice." The sergeant said as he moved forward and began to handcuff the confused rabbit.

"It turns out that the lapine military take a dim view on blackmail and on filing death certificates, not only before the person is declared KIA, but before the mission starts." Dillon advised with a grin, deeply enjoying the General's confusion. "Oh there's something about manipulating reports and lying to superiors too. Apparently you didn't cover your tracks very well or at all and several of your guards are willing to testify against you."

"You're not going to kill me?" Trot asked confused as the soldiers started to escort him out.

"Oh hey well if this was Polar I would have, but this is Lapros they do things differently here. So instead of me killing you, the legal system is going to destroy you and leave you alive to watch your life fall into pieces." The bear thought for a moment. "You know it's actually more satisfying this way. Anyway I have to go and live my life. See you at your trial."

---

The next month or two passed slowly although pleasantly for Dillon. His wounds were healing nicely and he got to spend all his days with Martin, Benny and Dale. Private Coal stopped by from time to time too and had actually begun to date another young lapine. The lapine government gave him a formal apology for the actions of General Trot. They also sped up his application for citizenship and gave him a rather large payment for distress caused.

Still as his strength returned he made several attempts with Martin to get intimate. However, the rabbit kept making excuses and Dillon couldn't figure out why. Eventually he talked to Benny about it after another night of failed attempts.

"I just don't get it, I mean he seems really into it one moment and he's you know responding down there. Then suddenly it's 'time for sleep big day at work tomorrow'."

Benny chuckled softly, "Dale's doing that too. It's coming up to their time of the year. Trust me you'll get used to it, it happens every year, besides your frustrations will be fully worked out during the visit to the heat clinic."

The larger bear's eyes went wide. "Oh that's what's going on... then surely he should be extra frisky, why is he turning down a little pre heat fun."

"Ah pre heat fun with a chef, so many puns so little time. Sorry buddy but if he gets too excited with you alone he might trigger his heat and then he'd be in trouble." Benny's reply came as a bit of a shock to Dillon, the smaller bear could see the confusion in his face. "Heat's a serious thing you know, I know it sounds just like fun and well it is. However, if they go into heat at the wrong place or time it can be dangerous for them."

"So what do I need to do?" Dillon asked as he digested the news that his mate's heat was actually a danger to him.

"Nothing much, in a few days he'll tell you he needs to go to the heat clinic. He'll want you to go with him. I've told you what's involved and it's up to you if you do or not. However, if you take my advice you'll try it once. It sounds overwhelming and is, but it is... fun seems like the wrong word..." The smaller bear's speech tailed off as he found it difficult to put into words the idea of rutting and mating in one hot sweaty hormone crazed pile. "It's just awesome and then afterwards, the two weeks afterwards are just indescribable. That is when you really get to know who you are and who they are. Your body is just drowning in endorphins and you both just spend the time, nuzzling kissing and holding each other. It's just the most beautiful time, I can't describe it, but I love you like a brother and I want you to experience it at least once."

The larger bear chuckled. "Ok you've definitely sold me on heat, I'll give it a go." Still his stomach churned a little at the idea of mating with dozens of strangers, it seemed like such an alien idea to a polar. However, he'd come to Lapros to escape that very close minded thinking, so he would give this a try.

It was a week later that a nervous Martin told him that his time was near. The bear was very prepared for this and accepted the news, happily agreeing to come with his rabbit immediately. Martin was ecstatic at how easily the bear had accepted his peoples' natural cycle. He explained that they would go to the heat clinic the next day and that once there they would go through heat together.

Dillon was actually feeling quite excited about the event. He'd not had sex in almost five months, due to his time on Prime and the time needed to recover from his wounds. He was looking forward to finally getting to be with Martin again, even if their heat would drive them apart later on he planned to be with the bunny as much as he could before the two parted ways.

As they arrived at the heat clinic the bear was feeling increasingly energised and frisky. He kept stealing gropes on Martin's rear as they walked up to the door. The rabbit was giggling and trying to get him to stop. "Hey, come on once you are in here we can't get all gropy until we are in the relief room. So paws to yourself, I promise it'll be worth the wait." Martin warned as he pushed the door open to reveal the reception desk.

The bear jumped ahead of martin his recently acquired lapros identcard at the ready, muttering. "Five months, you can't blame a bear for being excited."

The rabbit pulled out his idencard as well giving the female receptionist a smile as he signed in and took a quick blood test to prove he was in heat. Once they were signed in and heading to the locker room he replied. "I don't blame you for being excited but I expect you to be in control. You have no idea how hard it is for me right now not to jump you and start sucking on your cock right here and now."

Blushing and feeling more than slightly aroused at that proposition Dillon opened the door to the locker room saying. "Well after we go through this you have to promise that.... Oh fuck!" The large bear stopped mid step and stride as his eyes fell on two familiar faces, one black and one white.

Martin pushed passed his frozen snow bear and gave Benny and Dale a smile and wave. "Hi guys, I didn't expect to see you guys here."

The black rabbit waved back before continuing to pull off his shirt. "Yeah, we've been hanging out so much I guess we fully synced up our cycles." Benny's head spun around at this statement, the bear's eyes narrowing as his mind threw up a few questions.

The brown rabbit put his paw on Dillon's arm and guided him into the room. "Ok sweety, come on we need to get undressed." Martin began to strip as the two polar looked at each other doubtfully. Dillon eventually unfroze and sat down on the bench next to the half naked light brown bunny.

"You never said they would be here." The bear whispered desperately shooting worrying looks over at Benny and Dale who were now mostly naked.

"Well, I didn't know. I suppose it was always a risk. Surely this is good though, I mean you have Benny here for moral support right?" Martin replied as he began to pull down his pants. Even with the unease he felt Dillon couldn't stop his eyes wandering over the light brown buttocks and creamy white crotch that he had missed so much.

"Well, he's my best friend it's weird thinking about him being in there while we're having sex... Oh by Grall what if we end up doing something? Me and Benny... How will we look at each other after that sort of thing?" The bear was in full panic, he had prepared himself for a few hours of fun with bunnies he would never see again. A session with his best friend and his fiancée was the furthest thing from his mind.

Martin was fully naked by now and chuckling at the bear. "What strange creatures you bears are. Ask you to lead a suicide mission against armed troops and you don't bat an eyelid. Ask you to have some sex with a couple of guys you really like and you go to pieces."

Dillon shot him a dark look. "It's not funny, what if it affects our friendship forever?"

The smile dropped from the rabbit's face as he saw how serious the bear was taking this. He sat down next to the bear naked and put an arm around him. "Look you two have been friends for years. I don't think that a little bit of heat induced fun will change that. It's strange and unexpected for you. If it's too much you can go wait outside. I won't be upset, I need to do this though my bodies expecting to go through heat soon. I don't think I can stop and look for a new clinic."

The bear sat there for a moment and then turned to look at the rabbit. Martin's face was a masque of concern. However even concerned it was a cute face, his pert ears, cute nose and those beautiful eyes looking at him with love and concern. The slight bulge of his white tummy, the smooth curves of his hips and the pert taughtness of his buttocks that made him so much fun to play with. Above all he loved and trusted his mate and so he nodded and began to pull off his clothes.

"Glad to hear it, if we'd shown all these heat crazed bunnies a sexy offworlder like you and then take him away, we might have a riot on our hands." Martin said nodding at the host of naked rabbits who were hovering by the door to the next chamber. "They're waiting for you and Benny, they want a number as close to yours as possible, so they have a chance of choosing to be with you and remembering it."

As Dillon finished undressing he felt strangely self conscious. He was often naked around other soldiers, however all the eyes on him were not thinking of fighting, although what they were thinking of did start with an f. Martin placed the bear's clothes in a locker and then placed the key around his neck. "Here, when you are done in the relief room you press this button and it'll flash. Show this to any bunny and even in heat we won't try anything. It's important that if you see someone with a flashing key you leave them be ok. You can get banned from clinics for not following that rule."

The two headed towards the door where Benny and Dale also stood waiting for them. Martin and Dale shared an excited smile and as the bear's were distracted Dale gave the brown rabbit a wink. The smaller bear reached out and placed a reassuring paw on Dillon's arm saying. "Hey, it's ok buddy. What happens in the heat clinic, stays in the heat clinic."

"Don't suppose you can promise not to do anything to me?" Dillon whispered as they walked through the corridors and undertook their bloodtests.

"No, trust me once you get in there and you start to feel your heat... promises don't mean much." The smaller bear replied with a apologetic smile adding. "Besides you will want me to do stuff to you in there and I'm going to want you to do stuff to me. That's how heat works, there's no saying no, you want everyone and they want you."

His paw stinging from the bloodtests, Dillon followed the others, although he had to admit part of what Benny had said had started to turn him on. His eyes wandered over his friends form in front of him, the huge polar stomach, so warm and soft. The huge round ass, so plush and inviting and two huge furry orbs like his own and a nice thick heavy sheath. He had to admit to himself he could think of worse things that could happen to him as they stepped into the waiting room, his cock tip peaking out from his sheath.

The four entered the waiting room to a certain amount of fuss, as the waiting rabbit's spotted the exotic offworlders. Dillon once again felt like he was on display like a piece of meat, although part of him liked it and as he noticed the number of erect rabbit's staring at him he could feel his own cock sliding out into the air and beginning to firm up.

The four of them administered lubricant to each other as numbers were called out and rabbit's were escorted in. Benny and Dale had gotten their numbers first and Dillon was to go in last. His mate put a friendly paw on the nervous, yet aroused bear's arm. "Hey, I'll be by the door waiting for you ok. It'll all be fine."

As the large bear was about to reply a number was called out and Benny got up. With a slight nod to his friend the smaller bear left for the relief room. A minute or two later Dale was called in and the black rabbit gave them both a warm smile and a wink as he left to hopefully find his bear.

As the next number was called Dillon found his stomach churning with nerves as he and Martin parted. He was alone and surrounded by horny rabbits, most of them staring right at him. His erection wilted a little until he heard the guard announce his number. Heart pounding in his chest so hard he could feel every one of his veins as they convulsed. He entered the airlock, grateful to finally be away from the staring rabbits. He took a breath of the cool airlock air and then as the door opened he gasped.

A wall of moist, stinking warmth blew through his fur. His nose was assaulted with a mixture of hundreds of musks, the smell of dozens of males in rut, sweat, semen and excitement filled him. The moans and cries of multiple rabbits' as they engaged in so many different sex acts filled his ears. He took a few steps forward feeling his fully erect cock bouncing against his thighs.

As he left the airlock a paw grabbed his arm, it was Martin. The brown rabbit pulled him inside and then before he could say or do anything the bunny dropped onto his knees. The rabbit wrapped both paws around the thick long ursine cock and looked up at Dillon. "Five months is too long between tastes of something this exquisite." He didn't give the bear a chance to reply as he swallowed the huge cocktip in front of him sucking firmly on it.

Dillon's own pleasure moans joined the chorus of the room as he felt his needy cock being sucked on by his lover. He had missed Martin's expert tongue so much and as it teased and circled his cocktip he could remember why. His paws reached down to stroke the rabbit's ears lovingly.

Martin slipped one of his paws off the huge black cock he was sucking on. Letting it play with the two huge meaty orbs in front of him. Five months since they had last been emptied and Martin could tell, they were even larger than usual. He slid his mouth down the wonderful hot throbbing meat swallowing the copious drops of pre and savouring the flavour and feel of his mate's maleness.

The bear moaned loudly as he felt the eager rabbit maw bobbing on his cock, working the thick meat faster and faster. He fought the urge to thrust into the rabbit although as he panted he could feel his head going slightly light. He wasn't going to last long and he knew there was nothing he could do about it so he just relaxed and let his mate do as he wished.

The rabbit sucked faster and harder, his heart was beating fast as he could feel the beginnings of his heat taking over. The last few weeks of abstaining from the delicious, sexy and frisky bear in his bed had been hell. Now as he sucked and bobbed his head as fast as he could he felt the relief of both their frustrations was at paw, or mouth.

Dillon cried out as he felt his cock throbbing hard as his balls contracted and he shot a heavy jet of thick bear jism into the hungry rabbit's maw. The mouth around his cock sucked harder and he could feel the rabbit swallowing around his cock as he continued to jet seed into the bunny. "Oh fuck!" The bear moaned loudly as his cum slowed to a dribble.

Martin looked up at him and grinned. "There's a great idea!" The rabbit said with a grin as he licked the cum off his lips. He turned around and leant down on all fours lifting his tail and exposing himself to the bear. Dillon took one look at the rabbit exposing himself to him and he had only one thought. His cock still hard thanks to five months of frustration and the heat hormones starting to flood his body.

He was on his mate a second later, the huge bear's body covering the bunny and holding him down under him as the thick ursine cocktip slid up Martin's taint. The rabbit cried out lustfully, he was desperate to feel that cock inside him, where it belonged, he wanted to be taken and bred by his mate. The bear was still quite gentle, thrusting in slowly enough to let the rabbit's body adjust to the welcome intruder.

Dillon gasped as he felt the tightness of the rabbit he had impaled with his thick, hard, drooling shaft. His hips began to roll gently as he built up a good thrusting rhythm loving the feel of the tight rabbit around his cock. He was suddenly stopped by a paw on his cheek, it had come from another rabbit and Dillon looked up to see Dale smiling down at him. The black rabbit's cock was fully erect just a few inches from his mouth, his sensitive nose could tell the rabbit had cum several times recently.

"Remember...what I told you about drinking cum in here." Martin panted beneath him, bucking back against the thick cock frustrated that the mating had been paused and desperately trying to fuck himself onto the thick cock.

The bear did remember that he'd been told drinking cum sped up an offworlders entry into heat. However, it was his best friend's fiancée's cock. Still it smelled and looked good, and his mind felt a little fuzzy and sucking on a tasty cock seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.

He opened his mouth and started to suck on the warm throbbing cock. Dale squeaked happily his paws caressing the bear's face as he started to fuck the ursine mouth, loving the feel of the thick tongue. So much like his own mate's and yet so wonderfully different. The bear began to thrust again, his own cock begging him for more release, he began to mate the rabbit beneath him faster and faster, his thick shaft plunging in to the hilt again and again.

Martin was in heaven, the bear surrounding him and filling him in the way only his lover could. He could feel two huge orange sized balls bouncing off his ass with each powerful thrust. The thick meat reamed him so perfectly stroking over his sweet spot with every thrust. His body was on fire as his heat began to really kick in, he grabbed his cock and began to jerk it with desperate speed.

As Dillon thrust he bobbed his head along the musky bunny cock, burying his nose in the soft black fur of Dale's crotch each time. He was surprised by how quickly the rabbit began to moan and cry out as rabbit cum, sweet and thick as honey, coated his tongue, he swallowed it greedily sucking hungrily for more. Dale pulled his spent cock out, his eyes had begun to glaze over as his heat really began to kick in.

The bear didn't notice or care as the bunny wandered off into the middle of the room where a writhing mass of rabbits was piled on top of each other. All Dillon cared about was the feeling surrounding his cock, his hips thrust harder and faster. His thick black rod spearing deeper inside the rabbit under him, he mated with such power that each time his hips crashed into the rabbit's Martin squealed and his entire body felt the impact roll through him. His heavy orbs smacked against the rabbit's ass and smaller furry nuts with a loud satisfying slapping sound.

The feel of the thick polar cock reaming his hidden depths proved too much for Martin and with a cry he came. Spraying stream after stream of creamy bunny spunk onto the floor. The bear moaned as the bunny ass around his cock began to squeeze and spasm sending him over the edge for the second time. He thrust hard and fast pumping as much of his cum as he could into his mate beneath him.

He held himself over the rabbit panting and after a moment he felt Martin squirming under him. The rabbit pulled himself out from under the bear, his cock popping free and bear seed starting to drip out of his abused ass. Dillon felt strange, the light headedness was growing, he could feel a deep warmth permeating through his body. His cock was still hard and throbbing with need.

Just as he was about to stand and go looking for another mouth or ass to fuck, he felt someone wriggling under him and a warm mouth sealed around his cock. He could see Martin standing in front of him and when he looked down under him a dark brown rabbit he had never met before was sucking eagerly on his cock. He was a little shocked and nervous but he felt the reassuring paw of Martin on his cheek letting him know it was ok.

He had to admit it felt good, the rabbit under him was eagerly bobbing on his long shaft, a warm tongue squirming wonderfully against his meat. He moaned softly and as he did so he felt a warm firm length being pressed to his lips. He opened his mouth willingly looking up at Martin, his eyes full of love and yet slightly glazed over.

As the rabbit cock was thrust into his maw, he teased it with his tongue, snuffling a little at his mate's crotch enjoying the familiar scent. As he basked in the dual pleasure he felt two large paws grab his hips. He let go of Martin's cock, much to the rabbit's disapproval he looked back to see Benny standing behind him. The smaller bear had a lust crazed smile on his face as he was lining up his cock with Dillon's tail hole.

The large bear opened his mouth to say something, however, as he did so Benny thrust hard. The polar's strength allowing him to force his cock right passed Dillon's defences spearing the thick meat right in to the hilt in one powerful motion. Dillon whimpered loudly, he rarely was on the receiving end of any fucking. Benny's cock was far longer and thicker than Martin's and the polar cock was reaming into virgin territory as his friend began to buck and rut, his hips slamming into the larger bear's ample rump again and again.

As pain began to fade to be replaced with pleasure, the warm fuzzy feeling of heat crept quickly back into his mind. He began to push back into the thrusts and turned back to Martin taking the rabbit's drooling needy cock back into his warm welcoming maw. His cock was throbbing heavily in the maw of the strange rabbit under him as he basked in the deliciously forbidden pleasure of being spit roast by his mate and best friend.

Benny wasn't gentle he was thrusting with a rough power that surprised even Dillon. The smaller bear leaned over him and suddenly bit firmly on the larger males shoulder. The sudden mating bite proved too much for Dillon, the sheer arousal of being claimed as a bitch was enough to set him off, he began to spray his third load of seed into the willing maw beneath him. At the same time he felt the cock in his own mouth throbbing and his tongue was coated in more warm sweet bunny spunk. He swallowed greedily as the bear behind him was driven into a wild rutting by his spasming ass.

Dillon could feel the racing pulse of the thick, hard, drooling bear cock pounding his insides. He surprised himself even more by pushing back against the thrusting, his cock now free beneath him, hanging fully erect and throbbing with need. He felt a large paw wrap around it and he knew that the bear breeding his ass so powerfully was jerking him off. He suddenly found his voice. "oh shit...oh fuck...yes that's it....fuck, give it to me Benny!"

The bear bucked back against his powerful lover, pushing back into each thrust wanting to get that wonderful cock deeper inside him. He never stopped moaning and crying out Benny's name begging for the bear's cock as it ploughed him deeper than anyone had ever touched him before. The dominant bear's thrusting getting faster and wilder by the second, Benny finally lost control as he let the mating pleasure overwhelm him. He let go of his mating bite to issue a guttural cry as he claimed his best friend's ass painting it inside and then out with his musky fluids.

The feeling of the bear cock inside him throbbing and the warmth as the flood of hot bear cum shot into him was enough to shove Dillon over the edge again. He came hard onto the floor as Benny's paw milked his cock until his orgasm finished. He stayed on all fours panting for a few seconds and then looked up. For the first time he realised he had lost his mate and both his friends. However, he didn't care his heat had got full hold of him now and all he cared about was finding more cock to suck, more ass to fuck and more males to fuck him. The bear got to his feet and wandered towards the throng of males in the centre of the room.

He spotted a tigerstriped rabbit with his legs wide open, cum drooling out his ass. The perfect place to shove his needy cock. He was on the rabbit a moment later, his thick cock easily slipping inside the rabbit. The bunny wrapped his arms and legs around the bear clinging to him desperately as the bear started to fuck and rut with all the speed and strength he could muster. Dillon could feel cum oozing and sloshing out of the rabbit as his hips thrust, his balls slapping into the rabbit's buttocks with a moist squelching sound.

The bear rutted wildly and very soon he was moaning as his cock throbbed filling the needy rear with a new load of cum. He pulled out a few seconds later, without even acknowledging the bunny he moved off. He spotted Dale on all fours getting fucked by a tubby white rabbit. He grabbed the rabbit's chin and thrust his cock between the rabbit's lips.

Dale suckled on the cock greedily desperate to drink more seed. Dillon looked down watching as his thick black cock thrust into the mouth of his best friend's fiancée. Not that he cared, it was just a hot mouth to fuck and a sexy thing to look at. He fucked the willing maw quickly surprised by how quickly his body reached orgasm again. His orgasm faded almost instantly and he looked around for more.

Spotting a large white ass thrusting and bucking he licked his lips and moved quickly to grab it. He recognised Benny but his mind was no longer in control he was in full heat driven by the pure lusts of his body. He grabbed his best friend's hips and shoved his thick cock deep into him. He could feel fluids of other males' leaking out around his cock and knew that Benny had already been fucked several times.

He leaned over the bear and took his own mating bite on him. Then he let go of any inhibitions and all his restraint. He fucked and rutted with wild abandon, his hips crashing against Benny's with such power and force the bear under him was forced to stop mating the rabbit under him unable to move or do anything but to submit to the larger male and the thick cock jack-hammering deep inside him.

The pure exhilaration of just rutting into a male made his head swim and with the full force of his heat coursing through him the pleasure of each thrust was almost unmatched. He thrust faster and harder using his entire body to lever his thrusting cock deeper inside his temporary partner. Until with a triumphant roar he claimed his best friend's ass pumping a moderate load into the bear's ass. He pulled out and for the first time noticed that the rabbit Benny had been fucking was Martin. With Dillon now off his back Benny went back to rutting the willing bunny under him.

Dillon watched his best friend fucking his mate for a few seconds before turning around looking for more cock and ass. Spotting a nice thick rabbit cock dangling between the thighs of a muscular black and white rabbit he slipped to his knees grabbing the cock with one paw and pulling into his eager muzzle. As he suckled firmly bobbing his muzzle with exuberant enthusiasm he felt two paws grab his ass. He didn't look up or look back just moaned with pleasure as he felt another male start to fuck him. It didn't matter who it was. He had cock in his mouth and ass and he was thrilled about both.

He felt the cock in his mouth throb and drank down a small load of rabbit cum. His own cock was throbbing with need but he held still, letting the rabbit behind him fuck until he shuddered and emptied his bunny cream into the bear's ass. As soon as the cock was out of him Dillon turned and looked for his next partner. He was in heat now and it was pure ecstasy. There was no pain, fear, doubt, jealousy or anything just constant guilt free pleasure and seemingly endless orgasms. He looked around him at the dozens of copulating males and picked his next partner.

---

Walking into the coffee shop a few hours later Dillon spotted Benny almost instantly. His mind brought images of every sex act the two had engaged in over the last few hours and all the times they had fucked, sucked and more with each other's mates. He blushed deeply and found himself unsure how he should approach his best friend. He ordered a warm milk and once it was ready he was out of excuse not to go and speak to Benny.

"Hi." He said nervously as he sat down opposite Benny.

The smaller bear gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, how did you enjoy that?"

"I...it was... just indescribable. I did things in there I would never do." Dillon said with a mixture of exhilaration and fear.

"Oh well naturally that's part of heat you find out a few things about yourself. I never knew how dominant I could be until I was in heat." Benny sipped his coffee as he spoke leaning back comfortably in his chair. "The other two will be a little while."

"They will? Oh yes Martin said offworlders don't stay in heat as long as they do." He took a sip of his milk and found the nerve to add. "You really are quite dominant in there and non too gentle."

Benny chuckled and shrugged. "I seem to recall you weren't to gentle with me, or Dale for that matter."

The larger bear choked on his milk. "Y...you saw me with him?"

"Yeah and you saw me with Martin and they saw you with me. Like I said though what happens in heat stays in heat. So don't worry about it, you won't see me with Martin like that anywhere else and I won't see you with Dale like that anywhere else." Benny gave a reassuring smile to the nervous bear. "You realise they organised this right? Dale brought me and Martin brought you to the same clinic at the exact same time. That's not a coincidence. I think that Martin thought it would be easier on you to have me here."

"I wouldn't call it easier, no offence I just never really expected to ever do stuff like that with you. I mean you're kind of like my brother." The larger bear said taking another sip of milk trying to act nonchalant as he talked to his best friend about fucking each other.

"No, if they'd asked me I would have told them to keep us apart. However, it's done now it can't be un done. I still love you like a brother and that will never change." Benny replied the reassuring smile not slipping from his face.

"I guess. Hey didn't you say after heat you get some sort of endorphin fallout for a week?" The larger bear replied changing the subject to something a little more comfortable.

"Yeah it'll kick in in about six hours. Oh Martin and I made some cheesecake. Food tastes better in the endorphin soaked after effects of heat. I want to see just how good cheesecake can get. Once it kicks in you and Martin should find somewhere to snuggle and enjoy a little cake snack." The smaller bear replied relaxing a little as his friend seemed to have accepted what just happened in the heat clinic quite well.

Dillon leaned back in his chair his eyes closing a little as he sat with his friend waiting for his mate. He knew that this would be his life from now on in, living on this world with a rabbit that he loved close to his best friend. Things could have been worse, in fact he couldn't imagine how things could be any better.