Part 1

*Beep-Beep*

"...Wha...?" James mumbled groggily, opening a sleepy eye.

*Beep-Beep*

"Ugh, what time is it?"

/* "It is 0436 FCT*[1]*, James. I have been attempting to wake you for the past six minutes." */

"You could have come and got me up yourself, Moira. That would have been nicer..."

/* "I am certain that would be so, James. Shall I arrange to have breakfast brought to your cabin?" */

"Please, and for three, if you don't mind."

/* "As you wish, James. I will see you at 0735." */

"Okay, Moira, see you then. Daugherty out."

"Mmmpf...Jamie? Who are ya talkin' to?"

"Just the computer, Lil. It's time to get up, we've got a busy day today, 'sweet cheeks'.

"Mmm...got time to lube my tubes again, cuz?"

"How about a boner in the shower?"

"Ooo, we haven't done that in a while!"

"Yeah, we haven't got to be together much since your birthday last year. Now that I'll have you and Tanya on my new ship, we'll be able to spend a lot more time together."

"Jamie, won't we have to be real careful about gettin' caught? I mean, geez, you're almost a captain, and I'm just a Petty Officer."

"I don't think we'll have too much to worry about, Lil. It's a small ship with only a crew of twelve, including me, and Tanya's going to be my XO and Navigator."

"Ah, geez, Jamie, its bad enough I gotta salute you two, but I've been your mate a whole lot longer than Tan!"

"Lilly, you'll always be my first mate. Arrr! Hand over yer booty, wench! *Mrrph!*"

"*Gasp!* Jamie! Ooo...lick me, yeah! I love it when you have skunk for breakfast! *Moan!*"

After James got Lilly off in bed, they both got up and took their shower together, having another rousing round of sex in the process. Lilly had just arrived the night before after a long trip, and they had a quick one before falling asleep together. James had moved into his cabin on Nightwing just two days before. James, a part-wolf "near human"--a person who is mostly human, though has some G.E.L.F. in their family lineage--and his second cousin Lilly, a skunk G.E.L.F. with a smidgeon of wolf mixed in, have been lovers and mates since childhood. James met the woman who would quickly become his second mate, Tanya Dvoretsky, a wolf G.E.L.F., when they were in the FleetAcademy. When Tanya finally met Lilly, it was as if three pieces of a puzzle finally came together in a perfect fit. After James found out that he had been tapped to command the latest, "cutting edge", long-range scout ship being built in the Naval Yard Complex near the huge Fleet Operations Station located at the L-2 point[2] in orbit around Terra, he worked hard at putting together the crew he wanted--making sure that both of his mates were a part of that crew. Upon its completion in two weeks, and after the initial shakedown cruise to Proxima Centauri and back, the ship was to be commissioned as the S.F.S.[3] Nightwing, SLG-78, and attached to Squadron VP-307 of the Sol Federation's Sixth Space Fleet. This squadron of armed, long-range scout ships would include all five of the Spirit class SLGs--stealthy, dagger-shaped ships equipped with the most advanced A.I. systems yet created.

Tanya arrived on the 0600 shuttle to the yard complex, and after a few inquiries, was ushered to Bay-3, where Nightwing was being built. She followed the Mess Specialist bringing breakfast to the captain's cabin. Tanya waited on the bridge until the MS left, before entering the captain's office.

"Knock-knock...anyone home?" Tanya asked.

"Tanya!" James and Lilly cried in unison, and jumped up to greet her. They talked quickly as they ate, catching up on what she had been doing since they saw her last, but then got down to a little business.

"What time is everyone supposed to be here, James?" Tanya asked.

"As soon as they check in, the crew is supposed to muster in the crew's mess at 0740 in the uniform of the day," James replied.

"Mind if I change here?" Tanya asked with a wink.

"Sure, babe, I'll show you were everything's at," James replied.

The "uniform of the day" for the crew is the trim, black flight suit style uniform with blue piping that is standard issue to crews of scout ships.

At 0740, one of the station's personnel officers, a human woman, entered the ship's mess and said, "Good morning, my name is Lt. Carver. I've just spoken to your CO--he's on his way, and will be here shortly. Everyone please form a single line as I call out your name."

The officer quickly called the name of the entire ship's crew--all save for two. The ten present, eight G.E.L.F.s and two humans, took their place in order by rank, standing side-by-side.

Tanya, the senior officer present, heard James ask in her mind, "Everyone there, Tanya?"

"There are ten of us here, not including the personnel officer. I think we're missing one," Tanya sent her reply.

"The last one is with me. We'll be there in a few seconds," James sent.

The instant James appeared in the doorway, Tanya called out sharply, "Captain on deck!" and everyone snapped to attention. Following hundreds--if not a thousand--years of naval tradition, the commanding officer of any ship regardless of rank is always called "Captain". James himself was only a commander, but this is his ship--or at least it will be when construction is finished and it's officially turned over to Fleet Registry, who will then turn it over to him. James waited a few seconds before issuing the command, "At ease," and took a position directly in front of his assembled crew. He noticed Tanya eyeing the woman who walked in with him as she stood a respectful distance away. Aside from looking distinctly human, the first thing Tanya noticed was that the woman had no rank insignia on the uniform she was wearing. The woman seemed to be about 175 cm tall, average weight, late 20's, shoulder length dark auburn hair, green eyes, fair skin, and a calm, contented expression. James smiled inwardly at seeing Tanya scrutinize the woman who had walked in with him.

"Good morning. I'm Commander James Daugherty, and I will be taking command of the Nightwing when she's completed, which should be in two weeks. We have a lot of work ahead of us to get familiar with the ship, assisting the yard workers, bringing on stores, running systems checks, and preparing for the shakedown cruise to Proxima and back. I know most of you have never been on a small ship before, let alone a _Spirit_class scout ship, so things are going to be a little different. Any personality conflicts will need to be worked out quickly, because we can't afford to be fighting among ourselves when we're a long way from home or in potentially dangerous situations. The shrinks assure me that you are all up to the challenge of being on a long-range scout ship--we'll see." He paused a moment to let his words sink in before continuing. "Big ships and stations stand a lot on formalities--not so on small ships, and especially on this one. There are only twelve of us, and I'm not going to have everyone jumping up and snapping to attention every time I walk in while we're on this ship. We've got the one crew's mess, and I'll be eating in here right along with the rest of you. We will follow the chain of command, short as it is, and we will hold a modified form of morning muster. We're not a large enough ship to have department heads, and so forth, so we'll hold an informal meeting at breakfast. If anyone should have a complaint, suggestion, etc., all that will be in your information chip, along with my standing orders, and other things you'll need to know. Lt. Carver will hand out the chips to everyone."

With a nod from James, the station's personnel officer went down the line, handing out the flat, rectangular data chips shaped like old-fashioned microscope slides, though made of a virtually unbreakable material. When a thumb is pressed against the frosted square on one end, the chip's title glows so that its contents can be determined. The frosted section itself is imprinted with an identification code for quick filing and recognition. When she handed out the ten chips she had been holding, Lt. Carver asked Cmdr. Daugherty if there was anything else she could do before leaving. James asked if the station's galley service could send breakfast over so that they could begin their "day". After making the inquiry over her comm-set, she informed him that a selection would be brought onboard shortly. James thanked Lt. Carver and then dismissed her so that she could go back to her office. Once they were alone, James went down the line formally greeting his crew.

First in line, of course, was Lt. Cmdr. Tanya Dvoretsky, a wolf G.E.L.F. from Provideniya, Chukotka, who will be the ship's Executive Officer and Navigator. Tanya spoke her native Russian and Federation Standard.

Lt. Zach McCloud, a "near human" with a cat's eyes, agility, and reflexes, is a distant relative of James via a marriage between their families over four hundred years ago. He will be serving as Science Officer on board Nightwing.

The ship's Engineer, Lt. (j.g.) Shauna Eriksson, a bawdy Clydesdale horse G.E.L.F. who not only is a shear genius when it comes to Engineering--and starship propulsion systems in particular, but also has quite a reputation for drinking people under the table. Shauna and James had met in a pub on Proxima Station during a layover for repairs, where--as the story goes--she was insulted by a Zadori officer, whom she kicked across the room. The resulting fight (all-out brawl, actually) resulted in her getting tossed in the brig. James was impressed enough with Shauna, that he testified at her Captain's Mast on her behalf with such eloquence, that she got off with a Letter of Reprimand--a black mark in her record which cost her a well-deserved promotion on her former ship. She never forgot what James did for her, so when he offered her the position on Nightwing, her CO was more than happy to approve the transfer, and she gratefully accepted. Rumor has it that the evening after she received her orders, Shauna and James had an impromptu celebration that according to some, ended up with dinner, dancing, drinking...and a night in bed, though both soundly denied the later.

The ship's Communications Officer, Chief Warrant Officer-3 Sylvia Stewert, was next in line. The petite, though highly attractive, bat G.E.L.F. was quite a score for the ship. With their excellent hearing, bat G.E.L.F.s are in great demand as communications specialists, and are highly coveted by ship captains. More than one CO of the larger ships present at the station was envious of the fact that Sylvia was assigned to Nightwing, regardless--or perhaps because--of the fact that scout ships have priority when it comes to assigning bat G.E.L.F.s. Like most bats in this day and age, Sylvia is wingless, having regular arms, hands, and feet adapted for walking and running. The earliest bat G.E.L.F.s were created with wings, though they were a compromise between flying and walking, not able to do either truly efficiently. Every so often, though, among certain family lines, a "flyer" is born--a throwback to the earliest bat G.E.L.F.s. Although it has been speculated that the early bat G.E.L.F.s were initially produced with the fledgling space program in mind, it was quickly discovered that environmental suits for flyers were too bulky and cumbersome, and could not be donned quickly enough in an emergency. The wings themselves proved to be unsuitable for the often-cramped quarter's onboard spacecraft. Sylvia kept an image in her cabin of one of--if not the--most revered bat G.E.L.F. in history, whom she wished that she would have the same courage if her own "moment of truth" should come. The image was that of one of the very first bat G.E.L.F.s who played a part in the incident where the G.E.L.F.s decided their own course through life once and for all--a shy, quiet teenaged female, known only as Kylie[4].

Next in line after CWO-3 Stewert came CWO-2 Sonya Redhill, a feisty puma G.E.L.F. who would be Nightwing's Weapons Officer. Sonya came from a family who had the distinction of taking part in putting down the bloody "Purity Uprising of 2213", when various religious factions joined with human supremacist groups, in attempt to put an end to G.E.L.F.s and anyone they considered to be "racially impure". Fighting broke out in several locations throughout the Middle East, Malaysia, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, and parts of North America. In the end, after three years of bitter fighting, property destruction, and acts of terrorism bordering on outright genocide, hundreds of thousands--if not over a million--were dead, wounded, or missing on each side. In the years after, some historians went so far as to claim this as the Third World War, since it happened in many countries across the globe. The end result of the conflict--or war, as some called it--brought home the teachings of The Great Lesson, initiated by the nearly legendary part human, part wolf siblings, Aurora and Fionn Daugherty, way back in 2018. Sonya was greatly honored to serve under the command of a descendant of their family, which fought on the side of the G.E.L.F.s and Greater Humanity, along with her ancestors, at the "Battle of Memphis, 2214."

Hospital Corpsman Chief Petty Officer Mindy "Doc" Sorrel was next, serving as ship's medic. Scout ships are not large enough to rate having a full-fledged medical doctor assigned to them, so following the tradition of the ancient wet navy submarine service, a senior enlisted Corpsman took on the role of providing medical care. Mindy, being a mouse G.E.L.F., was well suited to the task with a quick mind, nimble fingers, and a caring bedside manner. She had served with distinction onboard the heavy cruiser, Calgary, CFA-27, during the R'Hinsa Campaign, earning a Silver Star for "heroism under fire" while rescuing wounded on eta Cassiopei A-V[5]. Mindy never says much about it when asked, preferring to quickly, and politely, changing the subject to something more enjoyable. James had a good idea of what she saw, having taken part in that landing by flying close support in a PCG[6]and helping to lift wounded from the surface after depositing a Special Warfare unit to provide cover. Mindy jumped at the chance to be assigned to a scout ship, which generally relies on its stealth ability to avoid getting into combat situations. "A nice change of pace" she had thought when offered her next choice of duty assignments.

Four enlisted crew members filled the remaining billets onboard Nightwing--Yeoman Petty Officer Second Class Felix Canberra as ship's clerk, Gunner's Mate Missile Petty Officer First Class Ivor McElroy as Weapons Systems Specialist, Electronic Warfare Petty Officer Second Class Cara Bronski as Stealth Systems and Detection Equipment Specialist, and Cryptologic Technician Petty Officer First Class Lilly Donnelson as Crypto-Analysis Specialist. Felix, a wily tuxedo cat G.E.L.F., would be handling all of the clerical duties--record keeping, personnel, disbursing, keeping track of ship's stores, and also function as "procurement officer". Ivor, a fox G.E.L.F. born in Terra's Scottish Highlands, would be tasked with keeping the ship's weapons and defensive systems working, and assisting the Weapons Officer. Cara, a full human, would maintain the extensive detection and counter-measures equipment common to scout ships, and the stealth system, which will allow _Nightwing_to slip in and out hopefully undetected. Lilly's job would be to analyze energy signatures and data transmissions.

James saved the enigmatic human female standing slightly behind him for last.

"I'm sure you're all curious as to who our final crew member is, and why she doesn't wear any rank insignia." James saw the eyes of his crew turn towards the dark auburn haired woman standing to the side and slightly behind him, and he smiled.

"Moira, would you mind introducing yourself?" James waited for the surprised looks.

/* "Certainly Captain," */ came a pleasant sounding female voice over the room's intercom. /* "I bid you all welcome as my crew. I am Moira Nightwing, ship's A.I.--the person you see standing next to our commanding officer is my android avatar, who can serve a variety of roles in support of my crew." */ The "woman" stepped forward and spoke with the same voice that had come over the intercom. "I look forward to serving with each of you," Moira's avatar said, extending her hand in greeting with each of the flesh-and-blood crewmembers.

In all outward appearance, the android looked, sounded, moved, and felt like a living human--with two exceptions. She of course did not have the telepathy ability, and only Sylvia's exceptional hearing was able to hear the faint sounds of her mechanisms as she moved about. Except for James, Shauna, and Mindy, none of the rest of the crew had ever met a ship's avatar. Zach knew a lot about them, though this was his first actual experience with an advanced model found only on scout ships. The reactions of James' crew were as he expected.

"James, this is a freakin' android_?_" Tanya sent to him privately after shaking its hand.

"Yep. I saw the look on your face when she walked in with me...heh, I thought your hackles were going to rise at the sight of her," he sent back his reply.

"So, what is this thing, a glorified love doll or something?"

"Calm down, dear. Moira's avatar is a part of the crew, just as the ship's A.I. is. Well, in a way, she is_the ship, so don't piss her off, okay?_" James sent in a manner that made it a strong suggestion.

"It's just a machine; you can't piss off a machine...can you?" Tanya asked mentally.

"The programmers claim it isn't possible, but...you hang around ship A.I. systems long enough, and you'll find out some interesting things about them. I've personally seen one rip through a bulkhead--bare handed--in order to protect her crew. Never underestimate a ship's A.I. or its avatar--seriously, Tanya, be nice to her, because she might be the only one to get us home in one piece."

James sent the last firmly, which Tanya knew better than to question. She could argue with him on some things, but not where his command was concerned.

The crew spent the next two weeks familiarizing themselves with the ship, working with and around the yard workers and engineers. In the process, they also had to have another round of physicals, and didn't enjoy the additional pokes, prods, and other things doctors and med techs are wont to do to otherwise healthy people. The crew was called in one at a time in alphabetical order, so Lilly sat next to James in the dispensary's waiting area. While in a public area, Lilly sat formally--back straight, feet and knees together, hands in her lap...and trying desperately to not be bored. As much as she wanted to snuggle against her cousin, there was no way she could--officers and enlisted personnel are not allowed to fraternize, even if they are family. In a private, off-duty setting, they would be free to indulge--as long as no one found out. Lilly didn't have to worry about Tanya, and she doubted anyone on Nightwing_would say anything, being such a small crew and they all knew she was his second cousin, once removed. The station, however, was a different story, so they both kept proper discipline--at least _physically.

"Hey, Jamie, are we getting any liberty tonight?" she sent privately.

"We could certainly use it. I've had enough crawling through 'tween decks, access hatches, maintenance shafts, and all that for awhile. I'll check the schedule when we get back to see how things are going," James replied.

"Okay."

"Got something in mind?"

"Yeah, my tubes need some serious lubing...," Lilly replied.

James had to put a hand to his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"It has been a while since we..."

"Yeah, too long..._way _too long," Lilly agreed.

"Want dinner first?"

"Real food?"

"Real food. I know just the place on the station...we can take an inspection pod over," James suggested.

"Ooo..."

Their private conversation was cut short when a door opened. Petty Officer Canberra came out looking a bit relieved that his physical was finally over. A Corpsman came out right behind him and called out, "Commander Daugherty?" James stood up and cast Lilly a quick glance.

"Hold that thought, 'sweet cheeks'...I'll wait for you at the snack bar down the hall."

Lilly squirmed in her chair as they quickly shared a particular memory.

"Ooo...stop teasin' me!"

As he passed Petty Officer Canberra, James asked, "How'd it go?"

"Not too bad, sir...I think."

James patted the Yeoman on the arm and said, "Good to hear it." He noticed Canberra flinched a little and winced. "Ah, must have had to catch you up on your immunizations."

"Yes, sir...arm's a bit sore, ey," Canberra said quietly.

James nodded his head and suggested, "When you get back to the ship, see Chief Sorrel about that--she's got a concoction that'll ease it right up."

"Thank you, sir; I'll do that, ey."

HMC Mindy Sorrel went early in the morning for her own physical so that she could be available on the ship in case anyone needed medical attention during working hours. The "concoction" James mentioned was something she had discovered off world--it worked wonders for aches and pains, and it provided a mild energy boost. A little bit of the liquid rubbed into the skin was all it took to ease the soreness Yeoman Canberra had in his arm.

James discovered after lunch when he had the chance to wade through the work reports that they were running ahead of schedule. At 1600 hours, he announced liberty for all crewmembers not standing watch until 2200 hours. That left CWO-2 Redhill as OOD[7], and EW-2 Bronski as POOW[8].

"I'll make sure you two have tomorrow evening off, and get a good dinner tonight," James told them before leaving the ship.

On their way to the hanger deck, James drew Tanya aside. Once they were out of Sylvia's hearing range, he said quietly, "Hey Tan, would you mind riding herd on the rest? Lilly and I are going to take an inspection pod, and..."

"...And you two need to inspect the 'sensor arrays'," she finished with a wink.

"Something like that," James agreed with a sly grin.

"And what do I get for this, hun?"

"A cold bottle of Centauran wine, a block of cheese, and your two favorite playmates," James replied huskily.

"Ooo...mmm...I'm gonna hold you to that," Tanya said as she lightly jabbed his chest with her finger.

Looking quickly up and down the passageway, James pulled Tanya to him--one hand on her back, and the other grabbing her backside--and kissed her deeply. "James! The security cams...somebody could see us!" she sent, resisting for only a second.

In response, James lifted the hand he was holding Tanya's back with, and made a rude gesture towards the overhead.

James entered the pod first after doing a quick pre-flight walk around, and got it powered up. Earlier, he had prepped it himself to make sure it would be ready to go. Inspection pods are not very large, only four meters in length, with room enough for two average-sized adults. James found out one day how cramped they could be, depending on who else was riding along. He and his Engineer, Shauna Eriksson, spent over an hour in one of the inspection pods, while overseeing work on the main drive. Poor Shauna had to spend the entire time on her knees, with her head over James' shoulder, and her arms around him--not that he particularly minded.

"Next time, Jamie boy, I'm flying this sardine can, and you can sit in back!" she said sarcastically as the re-entered the hanger bay.

James snickered when she had said that--Shaun may be a horse G.E.L.F., but she _does_have a luscious backside that with her statuesque appearance, certainly commands attention. Any male it _doesn't_affect, is either too young to think of such things, too old to do anything, or no longer has a pulse. One day while taking R & R on Terra, James and Shauna literally ran into each other on a beach in the Crimea--she was topless, and wearing a skimpy thong bottom, just coming out of a cabana to go for a swim. Given her size, James ended up going down on his back, and she ended up on top, straddling him, with her chest pressing against his face. It was a rather compromising position--if it had been in a private setting, it might have been enjoyable, but the hot sand and the gawking onlookers made it a wee bit uncomfortable. It's been a private joke of theirs ever since.

"Are you ready?" James asked, grinning because he knew what Lilly's reply would likely be.

She had just finished sealing the hatch and was leaning over him, already nuzzling his neck.

"Depends on what ya mean, cuz--if ya mean 'ready to get this contraption moving', then yeah, but if ya mean if I'm ready for ya, then gimmie a min to peel outta these clothes," Lilly replied softly, slowly sliding a hand down his front.

"Easy now, girl...let me get us out of the hanger bay first," James chuckled.

Lilly let out a soft sigh, and then watched as James expertly touched the controls. The pod lifted gently off the flight deck and started moving towards the open bay doors. She listened as he called first to the bridge requesting permission to depart--something Lilly thought was absurd because why should a skipper need to get permission to leave his own ship, and then she heard him talk to Yard Control for a moment. That she could understand--yard workers might be out there, and they certainly didn't want to cause an accident. Theirs wasn't the only ship being constructed, just the one that is almost finished and ready to "head out into the black". James actually did make a slow pass over the entire length of the ship, first along the bottom of the hull, stern to bow, before coming about and slowly cruising over the dorsal side. Even though Nightwing_is a small ship, from the pod's view the one hundred-fifty meter long, long-range scout ship looked big--her sleek lines gracefully tracing her stealthy, black hull against the huge lights illuminating the ship. Inside, when all of the clutter is cleaned up from construction, she would be a comfortable home for the next several years. Outside, though, _Nightwing is a beautiful--and deadly--looking dagger. Compared to her, the larger ships moored in and around the station looked clumsy in their bulk. Although not as heavily armed as the much larger destroyers, cruisers, and other warships, Spirit class long-range scout ships are formable in their own right. They have to be--they often operated deep into uncharted space, alone in the dark, swift and silent, watching, listening, searching.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" James asked quietly as they traveled down the full length of Nightwing's hull.

"Yeah...but not something I'd want to see screamin' down on me on the ground," Lilly agreed, feeling a shiver run down her spine. Maybe it was just the shape of the black hull--like an assassin's dagger--that gave Lilly the willies, or the sight of the three huge field emitter pods of the main drive and the awesome power that will flow through them soon, or maybe it was because the ship was _aware_of the little gnat drifting by. Moira was most certainly aware of the inspection pod, and she was watching in her own way, knowing exactly who was in it.

As soon as James cleared Nightwing's stern, he slowly spun the little inspection pod around on its vertical axis while maintaining its forward momentum so that he could see a parting view of his ship.

"Always gotta be looking up somebody's tail, don't ya, Jamie?" Lilly smirked.

"I know one tail I want to be up under...as soon as I get this tub headed towards the station," James said suggestively.

"Think you're man enough, wolf-boy?" Lilly taunted her cousin, giving him a love nibble and groping his crotch.

"Think you're skunk enough?" James shot back with a grin as he deftly altered the pod's course towards the station.

Lilly flashed a feral smile, licking her lips...and then his ear.

"Whip that puppy out and I'll show ya!"

Making sure that the autopilot was properly engaged and on the right course, James slipped out of the pilot's seat's harness, turned off the grav-plating and grappled Lilly.

"Ooo, that's more like it!" she giggled, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Kissing longingly, deeply, passionately, they frantically worked the fasteners on each other's uniform, squirming their way out of their clothing, groping, kissing, and licking as they went. The last time they got to be alone together for any length of time was on her birthday the previous year, and they spent a whole weekend in a tangle of arms, legs, and tails--Tanya had joined them, but not until that Saturday morning. By then, James and Lilly had quite a head start.

Back when James and Lilly were kids, as soon as they discovered that boys and girls were different, they took an interest in one another. They quickly learned to be cautious when around others, after getting caught French kissing at much too young an age. Once the incident slipped from the minds of the adult family members, James and Lilly made out every chance they could. It was probably a wise precaution on Lilly's mother's part, making sure her daughter had birth control when she hit puberty and her first heat cycle, otherwise James and Lilly might have become parents before they finished junior high. Lucky for them, it was still only once a year that they had to take precautions, and with their careers in the military, they didn't have time to consider raising a family together. With Tanya added to the mix, things got more interesting--and enjoyable. After the Purity Uprising of 2213, Terra's population finally abandoned certain laws, particularly ones that restricted people to only one spouse. James, Lilly, and Tanya discussed together one evening while on shore leave the idea of getting married and finally settling down to have a family of their own. Since all three came from families that had long life spans--most now living one hundred-twenty years on overage--they would have a lot of years left even if James made admiral, which was a real possibility. He was due for promotion to captain almost any time now, Tanya almost had enough time in rank to be considered for commander, and Lilly would likely make chief by the end of the year. The three of them would retire with a good pension and benefits, and James might be lucky enough to get a small hyperspace capable admiral's yacht as part of his retirement benefit.

At this particular moment, however, there was only one thing on James and Lilly's mind.

"O-o-o-oh yeah-ah-ah-ah do it!! Harder!! Yeah-ah-ah-ah-ah, b-ba-a-a-ang it!!!" Lilly screamed with pleasure.

Sex in a zero-G environment has its advantages--once you get used to it, and there are also a few disadvantages as well. Liquids, for example, tend to form little globules and float, sometimes getting into things they shouldn't, such as electrical circuits. Luckily, there were no "floaters" on a ballistic course towards any vital circuit within the pod after they both climaxed, perhaps due to James having the foresight to stash some rags and personal cleansing items when he prepped the pod. James knew well his cousin's reputation for being a "squirter", after receiving a surprise faceful on one occasion when they were teenagers. A few such incidents later, he learned to keep towels and spare sheets handy. The clean shop rags he had stashed proved to be a necessary precaution on this occasion.

"*Pant, pant!* Oh...my...sweet...that was gooood!!" Lilly breathed heavily, going limp in his arms.

"*Pant* Yeah...always is...with you...'sweet cheeks'," James agreed, calling her by the nickname he had given her long ago.

"Heh, those cheeks have been waiting for that thing of yours a long time," she said, giving her hips a wiggle.

They were still coupled together due to the fact that although James is human--more-or-less--one of the things he inherited from the wolf genes in his ancestry was "the knot", along with the amber-colored night-sighted wolf eyes, sharp fangs, and long canine tongue.

"How much more time do we have, Jamie?"

James pushed off gently from the rear bulkhead, sending them both forward towards the console. Grabbing the back of the pilot's seat, he glanced at the chronometer, and looked out the cockpit's glass-steel canopy.

"Twenty minutes, Lil...we'd better get cleaned up and dressed before anyone on the station, or one of the ships, happens to see us," James said.

"Too bad we don't have time for one more...," Lilly mused.

"Yeah, well, I need to eat something if we're going to do any more."

Lilly looked back at James and suggested, "You can have seconds right here..."

"Food, Lilly...I'll save _that_for dessert on the way back," James smirked.

"Ooo! Um...I guess you'd better pull that plug of yours outta my backside. As much as I'd like to keep it there a while longer..."

"Yeah. Hang on to the chair, and push...let me get another couple of rags first, though."

"Okay."

With a little effort, James and Lilly separated and proceeded to clean themselves up. Sorting through their clothing, James held up an item to look at.

"Hmm, these don't look regulation...," he observed, holding the bright red thong panties up to eye level.

"Yeah, well...I didn't think you'd mind, since I wore them just for you," Lilly said a little sheepishly.

James grinned and then held them to his nose, closing his eyes, and inhaling their fragrance slowly and deeply. When he slowly let out his breath, James felt his mouth watering.

"Gods, I love your scent, Lil."

Lilly felt a little wave of excitement run through her at his comment.

"You do?"

Giving his sexy cousin a mischievous look, James gave the inside of the crotch panel a slow lick. The act would have made Lilly's knees buckle if she had been standing up in normal gravity.

James handed them back to her with a sly grin and said, "Now you can imagine me licking you during dinner."

"Ooo...you can be such a tease!"

"So can you...'sweet cheeks'."

While making his landing approach on the station, James and Lilly sought out Tanya's mind. When they sensed her, he sent to Tanya that he and Lilly were coming aboard the station.

"I'm sure somebody was cumming aboard...," Tanya sent back playfully.

"Oh, you know I was, Tan...and gods it felt good!" Lilly sent back.

"I'm sure it did, Lil, and you both are going to take care of me_later tonight!_" Tanya sent to them both.

"You know it, babe. I'm parking the pod, so we'll meet you shortly," James sent.

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you in the ready area."

James turned the grav-plating back on just prior to passing through the force field of the huge hanger bay that held the air inside while the space doors were open. Ships entering or leaving are assisted by grav-tugs, while small craft usually were allowed to move about on their own power. James maneuvered the inspection pod to the assigned pod bay, and once the docking clamps were in place, he powered the craft down so that they could disembark. After passing through the airlock, they met a junior officer at a watch station.

"Permission to come aboard?" James asked the traditional question, saluting and showing his I.D.

"Permission granted, commander," the canine ensign replied, returning the salute.

Lilly saluted also, holding hers until the ensign dropped his arm. The two marine guards had come to attention at James' approach and saluted when the watch officer did. Lilly kept a respectful distance and posture, following James' lead.

"Please step through the scanner, sir," the senior of the two guards instructed.

Their job is to make sure no contraband or unauthorized persons are allowed on the military station. The procedure took only a few moments, though Lilly felt a little self-conscious going through the scanner, given what she was wearing underneath her uniform. The senior guard looked like he was about to say something, but a sharp look from James quelled any comments. His wolf eyes often intimidated others, and canines were no exception.

"Thank you, sir," the guard said, while he and his companion saluted James.

James crisply returned their salute, and then he and Lilly headed towards the ready area to meet up with the rest of the crew.

"Now that was one hot skunk!" the junior guard, a private, sent to the other one once they could relax.

"Yeah, I wonder what she was doing with him," the corporal agreed.

"Um...rank has its privileges?" asked the private.

"I dunno...did you see her rank?" the corporal replied with a question of his own.

"Um, the log says 'CT-1'...what's that?"

"Cryptologic Tech, Petty Officer First Class--means she's a 'spook', and above our pay grade," sent the corporal.

"Oh. Crap, it seems like all the gals lately are above our pay grade," the private sent a little dejectedly.

"Yeah. Hey, you know what the color of their uniforms mean?"

"Um...that they're Navy?"

"Duh! They have different colors depending on what they do. I've never seen black uniforms before," the corporal sent.

"Maybe we can ask the Ensign...he'd know."

"Yeah, good idea. Might be good to know." "Sir?" the corporal queried.

"Yes, corporal?"

"Um...I've never seen any Fleet types wearing black uniforms before. What does that mean, sir?"

"Oh, that's understandable, I guess. That means they're assigned to a long-range scout ship--you probably won't see many of those because they're usually out past the fringe of our known space. I remember one of my instructors at the Academy said something about them in class. Their uniforms reflect their ship's color, and the nature of their missions--black ops stuff. Oh, and they have some little saying that's reputedly from an ancient song that goes, "Take me out to the black, tell my ma I ain't comin' back[9]'. That's the thing about those ships and their crews--if anything happens to them, how do search and rescue ships ever find something that's made not to be found? Gives you something to think about."

The two marines looked at each other and gulped.

"Geez, I don't think I'd wanna be on one of those ships, sir," the private commented.

"Yeah, me, neither, sir," added the corporal.

The ensign smiled and said, "Well, men, that's something we don't have to worry about. They never take marines, only certain Special Forces types, and...I don't have the psych profile for that kind of duty. It takes special people to be on such small ships so far away from home space."

"Sir...is it true what they say about those ships being...alive?" the corporal asked.

"Well, I don't know about the scuttlebutt, though there is some truth to it. As I recall the new _Spirit_class long-range scout ships have the very latest in artificial intelligence--there's one nearing completion over in the yards, I believe. You might get a glimpse of it from one of the observation decks--they're quite...unusual," the ensign explained.

"Sounds kinda...spooky, if you know what I mean, sir," commented the corporal.

"I wouldn't doubt that ship's A.I. is already online...and watching us," the ensign said.

"Watching...us, sir?"

The station, of course, not the three of us specifically, and she's probably talking to the other ships...well, to the big warships, anyway."

"The ships can talk to each other, sir?"

"Oh, yes, they have their own private channels. Most ships have A.I. capable computer systems, though the new scout ships have the very latest, and are said to be intensely loyal to their captains and crew."

"Wow," both guards said quietly in unison.

"But sir, this dining facility is for officers!" the petty officer insisted.

"And so it is, however, according to the regs, ensigns through lieutenants may bring one guest, lieutenant commanders and commanders may bring two guests, captains may bring four, and admirals may bring the whole bloody fleet if they want. My officers and I have invited other members of my crew for a well-deserved dinner. Scout ship crews stick together, so I don't bloody care if you stick us in a corner by ourselves, or out in the middle of the dining room. We'll behave ourselves, you have my word as their CO," James argued. "Wouldn't you like it if your CO thought enough of your performance to reward hard work and getting things done ahead of schedule?"

James happened to know beforehand, thanks to a little snooping by Moira, that the officer in charge of the station's mess facilities was not well liked by anyone. She was, however, quite a looker by all accounts, and no doubt the subject of fantasies.

Sylvia stepped up and leaned over the counter, giving the MS3 her sweetest expression.

"Our skipper's not trying to pull any fast ones here, Petty Officer...?"

"Allen, ma'am."

"...Allen. It's in the regs, really. We Comm Officers have to read all that stuff that makes most people's eyes glaze over. *Sigh* It's a tedious task, but...," Sylvia looked up with such a heart-rending pout that it probably made the poor guy fall in love with her on the spot, "...it's got to be done."

"Uh...*gulp*...er, there...there's a place over by the observation windows...if you don't mind, that is," poor PO3 Allen struggled to get out as he was drawn so expertly into Sylvia's alluring eyes.

Bats can be incredibly sexy when they want to be.

After they were seated, Zach snickered and said, "Sylvia, that poor lad probably creamed his skivvies with that look you gave him. Why, I wouldn't doubt he's dying to make a head call about now."

Everyone laughed quietly in agreement. Sylvia coyly looked over at PO3 Allen and caught his gaze long enough to slip her long and very flexible tongue into her glass, extracting an ice cube in a very sensuous manner. Allen's face turned beet red.

"Whoa there, girl, take it easy with that tongue of yours before you have half the station thrashing on the deck," Shauna chuckled, giving the Comm Officer a pat on the arm.

"Oh...my...what she could do with that tongue!" Lilly sent to James, crossing her legs at the thought.

"Don't I know it, cuz. Ever been with a bat before?"

"Nope, have you?"

"Nope."

"Think she'd...?"

"Doubt it."

"Frizzle sticks!"

"Yep."

While they were waiting and wondering what was taking so long, Shauna spied a captain making his way towards their table with a foul look on his face, and two MPs in tow.

"Uh oh, skipper...bogies at one o'clock on attack vector," she sent to James.

James quickly turned to see what she meant.

"Crap, now what?" he muttered under his breath. When it was clear that they were heading for their table, James stood up and directly faced the senior officer. "Good evening sir, may I...," James never got to finish the question.

"Just what do you think you're doing, mister?" This dining facility is for officers_only! Enlisteds are _not allowed here! What ship are you from?" bellowed the captain.

"Nightwing, sir," James replied calmly.

"What the hell kind of ship is that, a garbage scow? Who the hell is your commanding officer?"

"I am the CO of my ship, sir," James replied.

"A rat's ass you are!" the captain bellowed again, his face getting redder by the second.

Shauna had slipped her comm-set out of her sleeve pocket and placed it in her ear when James stood up to face the captain.

"Eriksson to Moira," Shauna spoke quietly. "Er, looks like we may have a wee bit of trouble, dear. Gotta fix on me yet?"

/* "Done. I see you, deck twelve, port side; it appears to be a mess hall, if I am not mistaken." */

"Yeah. Any chance you could..."

/* "I will transport my avatar directly to your location. Beaming now," */ Moira said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Sir, the regs permit officers to bring guests...," James was saying.

"I don't give a damn about some sorry excuse...!"

Suddenly the lights flickered and dimmed in the large dining room as a distinctive humming sound began to scale up.

"What the hell?!" the captain bellowed as someone transported a little too close for comfort. "What's the meaning of this?! How dare you transport into a dining facility while a meal is being served! Seize that woman!!!" the captain roared.

One of the MPs nearest to Moira's avatar drew his side arm and was in the process of raising it when Moira moved faster than the eye could follow, grabbing the energy weapon, and instantly crushing it in a shower of sparks.

With a cold calmness she said, "I wouldn't, if I were you. My forward batteries are operational and online--they are trained on this location."

"Who the hell are you? What are you?" the captain demanded, glancing quickly at the smoldering remains of the weapon.

Moira turned her attention on the captain, quickly grabbing the front of his uniform with her nearest hand, and lifting him off his feet.

"I am Moira Nightwing, SLG-78, attached to Squadron VP-307, Sixth Space Fleet. You are being held by my avatar. I am a Spirit class long-range scout ship, and I do not_appreciate being referred to as a 'garbage scow'. Commander James Daugherty, the officer you have been behaving badly towards, _is my pilot and commanding officer. I don't take kindly to idiot, stuffed shirt, desk jockeys whose job it is to count how many dust bunnies are hiding under lockers, Captain_Theodore Delaney. I may be a scout ship, but I am a heavily _armed scout ship, and I am standing between you and my crew...and I've got a bad_case of PMS, isn't that correct, Lieutenant Eriksson?" In Shauna's comm-set she added privately, /* "_Play along with me, please." */

"Um, yeah, that's right. We've been working on trying to solve that. Some of the organic circuitry has been giving spurious readings lately, and we're waiting for new ones to be brought up from Terra," Shauna ad-libbed.

James had to fight to keep a straight face. Moira's facial recognition sub-routine must have found out who the belligerent captain is and she pulled his file. The ruse about Moira having "PMS" was the kicker--even though modern medical science has essentially eradicated that condition in women, it's impossible for starship A.I.s or their avatars to be subject to it. However, since PMS is also short for "Planned Maintenance System" in naval technical jargon, something the supply officer probably wouldn't be immediately familiar with made Shauna's explanation plausible. It was up to the captain to figure out for himself--sometimes centuries of societal conditioning are slow to fade.

A new voice, one that sounded all too familiar to both James and Lilly demanded, "What's going on here?" "Uncle Kenny?" Lilly called out.

"Lilly? What are you doing here? Ah, James, I've might have known my niece would be with you. What's all this about lad?"

Lilly's "Uncle Kenny" is Admiral Kenneth Donnelson, the current head of JSOC--Joint Special Operations Command--and not someone a person would want to mess with.

James quickly filled the admiral in on the situation.

"Your ship's avatar, you say? Damn, son, we could use a few more like her. Ask the lady if she would mind lowering the captain to the deck--I prefer to chew someone out face-to-face."

James grinned and said, "Yes, sir! Moira, you can put him down now."

"As you wish, James." Before letting go, Moira said quietly to Captain Delaney, "Call me a 'garbage scow' again, and I'll show you my protein re-sequencer...from the inside."

The captain turned white as a sheet.

By the time Admiral Donnelson finished with the captain, he was facing a courts martial on a number of charges. Moira gladly assisted by reciting verbatim the specific regulations concerning guests of officers in dining facilities.

After the MPs escorted the captain back to his quarters where he was to be confined until he could have a chat with the station's CO, Lilly's uncle asked James, "What are the chances I could pop over and take a peek at that ship of yours?"

"Better than average, sir," James grinned.

"0900 okay?"

"That would be splendid, sir."

"Good, I'll be looking forward to it. Now then, I was hungry when I came into this joint, and I damn sure have an appetite now."

"Would you care to join us, sir?" We haven't had our meal yet, either," James inquired.

The admiral thought for a moment, eying James' crew, and then grinned.

"Thank you for the offer, by boy, however, 'small ships and tight crews', and all that. You folks wouldn't all be here if you weren't celebrating something, so perhaps instead I'll join you for lunch tomorrow on your ship."

"We'll be honored, sir."

"Excellent. A good evening to all, and it's good to see you again, James. Lilly, dear, we'll do a little catching up tomorrow, if your duties permit."

"Yes, sir," Lilly said.

"Geez, Lil...your uncle, huh? Tanya asked in amazement.

"Yeah. I didn't know Uncle Kenny was on the station," Lilly said sheepishly.

"Me neither. Good thing he showed up when he did," James added.

"I didn't know you were related to that Donnelson, Mindy said.

"Yeah, I...usually don't like to mention it. I'd rather be recognized for what I do, and not for who I'm related to."

"I know what you mean," James agreed. "So Moira...since when were your weapons systems finished? Your engine core isn't due to be installed for another three days--there's no way you would have had enough juice to do more than crisp a fly."

"You are correct, James. However, my targeting system is online at the moment--Chief Warrant Officer Redhill and Petty Officer Bronski have been testing it from the bridge. As for 'crisping flies' as you put it, I currently have enough reserve power to fire a practice level shot," Moira admitted.

"So, 'heavily armed' translates into 'has two arms and holding aloft an overweight desk jockey', right?" Felix asked.

"And the 'bad case of PMS' means the SRBs are having trouble with something," Zach added.

"Very creatively put," Moira said with a smile.

One could forget that she was a ship.

After Moira's avatar went back to the ship just as dramatically as she had arrived, the situation in the dining facility returned to some sense of normality. The food finally came, no doubt at the "suggestion" of Admiral Donnelson, who had smiled from his seat and raised his glass towards the crew of Nightwing. Real food, whether grown on Terra, or one of the other worlds of the Sol Federation, was a luxury among starship crews, and something to be savored. Space onboard ships have always been at a premium since the earliest times, and provisions have often been stuffed into every possible nook and cranny. Whether it be ancient wet navies or modern space navies, in port, sailors had their priorities--food, drink, and 'entertainment'."

James noticed during dinner that Lilly was being quiet--Tanya noticed it, too, and prodded James who was sitting between them. Slipping a hand under the table, James rested it on Lilly's leg and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You're rather quiet, Lil...something wrong?"

"N...um...yeah, I guess," she replied with a mental sigh.

"Talk to me, cuz," James prompted.

"I...I just wanted a nice quiet dinner with you, you know? We don't get to do romantic things much anymore, and that stupid 'zero' spoiled it!"

James knew that "zero" was an old traditional enlisted slang word for "officer", referring to their pay scale. O-1 for ensign, O-2 for Lt. (j.g.), and so forth--only the enlisteds jokingly changed the letter "O" to a zero, so and O-1 would become 0-1 or "zero minus one." It was, of course, a derogatory term usually reserved for those officers who were not respected by the enlisteds. "You may not respect the person, but you have to respect the rank." It can be miserable, if not downright intolerable, to have to deal with anyone of a higher rank than your own who has let their rank "go to their head", regardless if you're an officer or an enlisted. Such people always seem to go out of their way to make life miserable, abusing their position and authority in order to get whatever perverse pleasure they may derive by being an ass towards those below them. It's bad for moral, and what's bad for moral ends up reducing effectiveness, which usually ends up _increasing_the chance for mission failure--or death.

"I understand, Lil...yeah, he was an ass about the whole thing, and he should have known better. Hey, at least you know that Moira was ready to throw him out an airlock in his underwear--not sure if that would have been before or after she toasted his carcass."

Lilly grinned a little when James sent that. He always thought she had a beautiful smile--on of the many things he loved about his cousin so much. And he _did_love her--and she him--something that had often made the family wonder.

"Lil...?"

"Yeah?"

"Love ya."

"Love ya, too."

Her mood improved, and it wasn't long before Lilly was back in good spirits.

[1] FCT - Fleet Coordinated Time

[2]L-2 point -

[3] S.F.S. - Sol Federation Ship

[4] Kylie appears in the original "Family Tails" story.

[5] At the time of this writing, it is not known if, or how many, planets there might be around eta Cassiopei A; in this story, the "V" refers to the fifth planet in the system.

[6] PCG - Patrol Combatant, Gun

[7] OOD - Officer of the Day (in port), or Officer of the Deck (underway).

[8] POOW - Petty Officer of the Watch.

[9] From the theme song to the TV series, "Firefly".