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On the scorched, abandoned planet in Redwing's shadow, beneath the sandy, wind-whipped surface, Arctic's away team found themselves in the dark. Literally and figuratively. In a dark and dusty echo-laden room of stone and metal and artifacts they hadn't yet identified, they debated their next move.

"Perhaps we should leave," Kaplan suggested, casually inching his way toward the door.

Marcus shook his powder-blue head, blocking the young snow rabbit by extending a wing-arm. "There's an intelligence in here. We need to communicate with it. We can't do that if we leave." The bat sank his telepathic feelers into the other male's brain. "Besides, you're a communications officer, aren't you? You excel with language and codes? You should welcome the challenge."

"I welcome staying alive," Kaplan said simply.

Marcus gave Aria a look.

"Relax, ensign," Aria ordered. "We're not leaving just yet." Then, to her Syndicate counterpart, she defended, "But if this 'intelligence' is telepathic, I'm afraid me and my team aren't going to be of much use."

"So, how's that different from normal?" Advent asked. The jaguar casually unsheathed her claws.

"Advent," Marcus warned.

"It's a legitimate question."

"Marcus," Willow said quietly.

Aria flashed a wrist-strapped paw beacon at the pink bat. Her voice was trembling.

The science officer shielded her face, glancing from Aria to Marcus and back again. "I can hear her thoughts."

"Whose?" Marcus asked.

Advent squinted. "Yeah. Whose?"

"Mine?" Aria wondered, making an unhappy face. She knew bats practiced 'freedom of information,' but it still unnerved her.

"No. The intelligence."

"I didn't know non-corporeal entities had genders. How do you check?" Kaplan asked.

Willow took a breath. "It's definitely female."

"Good choice," Advent said with a nod.

"What's it ... or she," Marcus corrected, "saying?" He tapped his invisible tendrils into the other bat's head. Considering they were sleeping with each other, it wasn't a hard connection to make! Willow was clearly spooked. He hated seeing her so rattled. It reminded him of the effect Janna had on her. "Perhaps she should talk to me instead? No offense, but I'm a stronger telepath."

Willow didn't deny that, but insisted, "She'll only talk to me."

"Through you," Kaplan corrected, bobtail flicking upward. "She's just using you as a translator. Perhaps you're more malleable than Marcus or the rest of us?" The buck realized that sounded slightly insulting, so he quickly amended, "Or perhaps she's more comfortable with a fellow female."

"She's been locked up for a very long time." Willow's breasts swelled. She collected herself as she relayed everything she was given. It was a lot to handle all at once. "She was created as a sentient, telepathic interface for the dragons' computer system."

"So, we're not dealing with an organic lifeform?" Aria asked.

"Artificial," Willow confirmed. "But she evolved beyond that. Just like they, the dragons themselves, evolved beyond the mortal realm. Only, when they left, she couldn't go with them because she wasn't 'real.' Matter over mind. She was merely technology. They didn't want her to fall into the wrong paws, so they locked her up ... along with all their secrets."

"Why not just destroy it all?" Kaplan wondered.

"I asked that earlier, didn't I? Probably because they were arrogant fools," Advent said. "They were the unchallenged rulers of the galaxy. They could do no wrong."

"Looks like you have something in common," Aria told the spotted feline.

She gave the snow rabbit a dangerous smile. "With all the barbs flying right now, I'd swear I was in a room of male cats."

Willow tried to ignore the incessant sniping. "She was too interconnected with the information. To erase it would've been to erase her. They didn't want to kill her. And, besides, they weren't sure if their 'crossover' would be successful. If they ever had to come back, they didn't want to start over from scratch."

"So, they just imprisoned this ... A.I.," Marcus said, "instead?"

Willow nodded. "And, now, something we've done while investigating the ruins ... our telepathic presence? It somehow gave her the connective strength to break through her prison." The pink bat didn't quite understand it. But one thing was clear. "She's finally free."

"Let me guess," Aria said dryly. "She's also mad?"

"I would be," Advent sympathized. The spotted female was as independent as they came. To have someone else decide your fate? She clenched her jaw.

"It's been five hundred years," Willow insisted.

"But the dragons disappeared far longer than five hundred years ago. So, she must've been freed by the avians before being trapped again," Aria pointed out logically. "There are gaps to this story that are essential to fully understanding it."

"What does she want?" Marcus said. "That's all that matters right now." Not the A.I.'s history, but her current plan. As a high-ranking member of the Syndicate, he was used to manipulating others. He was also used to coming out on top.

"I don't thinks she knows. But the dragons viewed mammals as lesser lifeforms. Almost like pets. She shares their view."

"And here I thought they were enlightened. I thought that was a prerequisite for evolving into a higher lifeform," Kaplan muttered.

"Apparently not," Aria said, fingering her phase pistol. She had no idea what she'd shoot at. But, coming from a tactical background, it was her first instinct. The more she found out about this 'intelligence,' the less she liked.

"Being atop the food chain is the only perquisite for reaching the next level. To advance, you must first survive," Advent observed.

"Predator wisdom?" Aria asked.

"Don't knock it."

"With the dragons gone and no one to answer to, she's trying to exert her own influence," Willow said. "She's already showing herself aboard Redwing."

Aria tensed. "In what way?"

"I don't know. She just wants us to know she's there. She's here, too." Willow paused and took a short nervous breath. "She says she's everywhere."

"So, she's omniscient?" Kaplan said with a scoff. "Unlikely."

"Yeah, she's bluffing." Advent placed her large, clawed paws on her hips. "I have no doubt she's powerful. But everyone has a weakness." And it just so happened that the jaguar was an expert at finding those weaknesses. And exploiting them. It was a gift. "The only question is how long it takes to find."

"If she's a computer program, she can only travel through technology," Marcus said. "Even hailing another vessel, she could travel through the comm frequency and extend herself to that ship. Correct?"

"I thought she was only designed for telepathic interfaces, though," Advent pointed out.

"Redwing must have the dormant infrastructure in place, even after Lieutenant Seward's upgrades. I doubt he uprooted everything. He doesn't have the paws to do it."

"Well, she's there," the female bat told them. "She's currently communicating with the Redwing crew via ... holography? I think. She seems kind of distracted. Um, who's Adak?"

Aria ignored the question. "We have to get a message to Arctic. They can't open comm-channels with the station. We also need to warn Reverie to maintain silence as well. She'll be due back soon." Any hour now, in fact. "Your vessels as well, Marcus. We must quarantine the station. Form a blockade, possibly. Perhaps we can use our deflectors to create an electromagnetic pulse. Short out the station's power supplies. She won't be able to operate without power."

Willow suddenly staggered.

Marcus rushed to her. "What is it?"

"She's not happy we're attempting to circumvent her! She says we'll fail. She's relaxing her hold on some of the technology she's been assigned to protect."

"What kind of technology?"

Willow shook her head. "She says she hasn't got the 'time' to explain."

"But she had time to deliver us a lengthy monologue?" Advent asked.

"I feel dizzy," Willow mumbled.

Aria had heard and seen enough. She was done listening. It was time for action. "Let's get back to our ships. Kaplan, recall the away teams. Make sure all the scans and readings we got are backed up. We may find something of value in them. Tell Elim to meet me at the shuttle-pod. And have him leave some photonic charges down here. Maximum yield."

"You're not thinking of blowing this place up, are you?" Marcus demanded. "The information down here is invaluable."

"To the Syndicate, yes, I know."

"To everyone," he argued.

"Right now, the A.I. only has two places to go," the captain pointed out. "Redwing and here. If she takes hostages, which she's likely to do, we can threaten to destroy one of her two 'habitats'. It's a good bargaining tool."

"And if she calls the bluff?"

"Who says I'm bluffing?"

Advent began to purr. "You have more predator in you than I thought," she told Aria approvingly.

Aria's ears flicked as she heard this, but she said nothing. "Kaplan," she ordered again. "Relay the information. Tell Elim we'll meet him at the landing spot. I'll confer with him further on the ride back."

Advent snickered, turning that into a euphemism in her mind.

Aria thought about scolding her rival. But that would only encourage her. The jungle cat was trying so hard to get under her pelt! And, unfortunately, it was working. Seeing that Kaplan was still lingering, she shooed him with her paws. "What are you waiting for, ensign?"

"You, uh, wish me to venture through these underground ruins ... alone?"

"You'll be fine."

He swallowed. "Aye, Captain," the other snow rabbit said before loping off in the near-dark, his flash-beam bouncing off walls.

"Hang in there, Willow," Marcus whispered, concentrating his attentions on the bubblegum-furred bat.

"I'm fine. Really. Just exhausted ... " She steadied herself and stood up on her own, flapping her wing-arms a few times. "I can't feel her anymore. She's gone."

Marcus gave her a brief nuzzle, clearly in telepathic contact with the female.

Before Advent could make a caustic comment about that, as well, Aria's comm-badge chirruped. She tapped it lightly. "Go ahead."

"Captain, we're starting to detect subspace distortions." It was Mirabelle, the helm officer. She'd been left in charge of the bridge while the away teams were deployed.

The snow rabbit's brow furrowed. "What kind?"

"Varying. They seem to be emanating from the planet. Very near your location, in fact. Perhaps you should return to the ship?"

Aria nodded, though Mirabelle couldn't see the gesture. "We were just about to, actually. Polarize hull plating and go to yellow alert. We'll be back shortly. Share your findings with the Syndicate vessels." That was part of the Syndicate's arrangement with the High Command. "And whatever you do, don't answer any hails from Redwing Station."

"Why not?"

"It may not be them," Aria said cryptically. "Keep a look out for Reverie. She's due back soon. Warn her against hailing or receiving hails from the station, as well. Tell them to rendezvous with us." With Reverie, Arctic, and the two Syndicate vessels, they'd have four ships. Surely, they could target the station's computer core and disable it without hurting the crew? But if the A.I. felt that was going to happen, maybe she'd kill all those aboard by cutting off life support. In effect, Redwing's entire crew were now pawns. I know your first instinct is to deliver a kick-punch to the gut, but this is going to require a great deal of finesse.

"Understood," Mirabelle said, cutting the channel.

"When we get back, Elim can help strengthen the firewall around our security subroutines," Aria told Marcus. "We should communicate on a secure frequency so the A.I. can't eavesdrop on us." She paused, thinking of Elim. And, even more, poor Ross. Her mate. She felt a pang of guilt. Lately, she'd been neglecting the mouse. It was just that things had gotten so hectic! It would be much easier if he were an officer. Then they'd work together. But he was just a civilian. She sighed lightly. _I'll have to make it up to him when this latest crisis is over. I do love him. I just need to do a better job of showing it. _

"So, we're leaving? Cause it's getting creepy in here," Advent said. Telepathic bats. All-powerful A.I.'s. Aria.

"Lead the way," Marcus said, gesturing to the door. "You can see in the dark, right?"

"That's been established. Also, so can you, smartass." With his echo-bursting or whatever sonar thing. "Aria can lead the way, though. She's not afraid of dragons and their techno ghosts." Or booby traps. The jaguar didn't want to be the first to walk into one.

"You're following my lead, Advent? There's hope for you yet," Aria said, wielding her weapon as she brushed past them both.

A few hours away at maximum warp, oblivious to the full extent of the latest crisis in the Redwing System, the starship Luminous was patrolling the High Command border with the Uncharted Territories. If tensions hadn't been running so high, they might've had time for some goodwill stops at the local colonies. Some of them were said to be quite interesting. Snow rabbits in the tropics? As it stood, however, it was just back and forth. Back and forth ...

"Commander."

"Ensign," Field replied with a friendly nod. The golden-furred harvest mouse was padding through a carpeted, brightly-lit corridor on B-Deck, just below the bridge. It was late-afternoon, ship-side, and duty shifts were rotating in and out. "How are things down in the armory?"

"Fine." The shorter chipmunk halted, breasts pushing out with pride. "We're prepared for anything. Still haven't gotten to use those new torpedoes in action." She pouted as she said this. Not that the bold-striped rodent was looking for a fight! Just a skirmish, maybe? In lieu of battlefield experience, the oblong weapons had seen plenty of 'action' in the form of her and Pyro making graphic love against their outer casings. Of course, Dotna kept that to herself. "I'm eager to show some teeth. From our tests, the weapons upgrades will work wonders." The dusty remains of the asteroids they'd practiced on could attest to that. After the Wasp War, the ship had been retrofitted to bring it up to High Command spec.

"No doubt," Field said quietly. He didn't share the spunky fur's fascination with explosions. Having a diplomatic background, he was very conflict-averse. "Reading the security briefings Rella gives us, I don't know how they function over there. Seems like anarchy."

"In the UT? Yeah. Pyro tells me stories." The mysterious red-eyed predator, her mate, was born and bred in that area of space. "There are a lot of things he holds back, though ... " At first, she'd wondered if he didn't trust her? The thought made her angry. And then there was that whole 'thing' with Sheila? That plain pissed her off. But she'd soon come to find he was trying to protect her in his own misguidedly noble way. A lot of his tales had unhappy endings, and he didn't want to burden her. "I suppose it's no worse than our old stomping grounds. I hear things are getting pretty chaotic back there. Again." A few years ago, when Luminous had launched, they'd been flying the Federation flag, only to be exiled after uncovering treachery in the predator-fronted government. They'd been granted asylum by the High Command and had been subsequently 'absorbed' into the snow rabbit society.

"I don't hear much from home these days," Field admitted. "Information is so hard to come by. Wouldn't be surprised if they were headed toward another civil war." The mouse sighed and rubbed his neck. "They should splinter into smaller, like-minded governments." That would be admitting defeat in regards to the grand 'every species under the sun!' idea of a mixed society, but just because it didn't work this time didn't mean it couldn't in the future. Maybe they just needed to start over? "I guess no one can agree on who would get what in a divorce, so they're staying together out of spite."

"Pretty much. Not our problem now, though, is it?" The chipmunk shrugged. She didn't lose sleep over it.

"I guess not," the mouse admitted. Still, it made him unhappy to think about. He sometimes wondered what his family would think about his accomplishments on Luminous? And what they'd think of his mate? And that they'd soon have a grandchild. He supposed he'd never find out. He hadn't been terribly close to them to start with. He wasn't even sure if they were still alive. If they were, they probably thought _he_was dead. There was no going back. Like a powder keg, the whole Federation would blow up eventually. It was only a matter of time.

"Well," Dotna chipped, seeing the faraway look in the mouse's eyes. "I, uh, should be on my way." She nodded and pointed down the corridor. "Have a 'dinner date' with Pyro in the mess hall." It was positioned at the fore of B-Deck with a great view of the star-scape through the windows. "Wanna come?"

"No, thanks." He held up a single paw. He and Adelaide were going to prepare a meal in their quarters. "Sounds luxurious, though."

"I wish!"

"Have a good evening. Sorry to keep you." A year or so ago, he never would've stopped someone to have a casual conversation. His shyness would've forbidden it. But he'd since mellowed enough to not only do so but want to do it. He supposed he had Adelaide to thank for that. She'd given him a confidence he'd been previously lacking. Not to say he wasn't shy anymore! It was just a little more manageable.

"No problem, Field. See you later." The security officer scampered off.

He sighed and proceeded on his original path. Luminous, having been the closest sizable ship, was filling in for the Arctic on UT border patrol. Captain Aria's formidable vessel had crossed over to help Redwing Station deal with an urgent matter. But, from everything the mouse had gleaned, relations with the bat-fronted Syndicated had begun to thaw. Being mated to a bat, he was extra-relieved to hear this. It didn't mean that the region was suddenly peaceable, however.

The mouse rounded a corner and approached a lift. It swished open. He stepped quietly inside and just as it was about to shut, a cream-colored rabbit burst forward!

"Eek!' Field went, staggering back. He bumped into a bulkhead rather comically.

"Sorry, bud. Didn't mean to scare you." Kody steadied him before rapping on the wall for show and saying, "Crew quarters." The computer chirruped and the lift began to hum. The ship's chief medical officer gave the other male a look. "I assume we're going to the same place?"

"Yeah."

"Why the tone? Long day up on the bridge?"

"I don't have a tone."

"You sound depressed."

"I'm not." The mouse fiddled with his tail. "Not really. Things were just a bit tedious."

"I hear ya. Need more stimulation! Space is a gallery of awe-inspiring sights and jaw-dropping destinations padded with large voids of nothingness. They don't tell you that at the academy. But to get the exciting, you gotta deal with the boring."

"I know that." He wasn't exactly a fresh-faced cadet anymore. He was over thirty years old! "I don't get bored," Field insisted. "More like restless?"

"That's a very mousey thing to be," the doctor confirmed with a nod.

"Being this close to the UT makes me really nervous. You hear so many stories about that place. It's where-" He lowered his voice. "It's where the wasps come from. They're out there right now, reproducing, rebuilding, grooming a new queen for another run at us. Maybe it's in a year or ten years or fifty years. But it'll happen. And it's not just them. There are so many other threats that can-"

"Hey hey," Kody interrupted. "Let's not get carried away."

"Sorry," Field mumbled. "Before I went off duty, we started picking up some strange readings coming from the Redwing System. I guess I let my imagination get the best of me."

"Strange?"

"Yeah. Something's going on over there." But, then, when isn't it? "But no distress calls or anything. I asked to be notified if we received any." Samson and Lee, the cougar and rabbit, were in charge of the bridge's beta shift. The two low-ranking officers had made a name for themselves a few months back by fooling around in Wren's captain's chair. Not that the squirrel hadn't done it himself. But it was his prerogative, not theirs.

"Mm." Kody crossed his arms. "Sounds like you're turning nothing into something."

"So, I'm crazy? Thanks."

"You just care _too_much. About everything. You need to let go, sometimes. There's only so much we can do. We're just pieces of a much larger puzzle." He let that sink in before continuing, "Most noteworthy thing I dealt with today was a sprained ankle. A headache. Also, a plasma burn. Minor things like that." A bucktoothed smile formed as he added, "Also gave Adelaide her latest pre-natal checkup."

"Oh?" Field raised a brow. Adelaide had mentioned she was going to pay a visit to sickbay.

The rabbit grinned even more.

"What?" The mouse blinked.

"Nothing."

"Your eye is twinkling."

"Is it? I'll have to get that checked." He uncrossed his arms.

"Kody!"

He laughed. "She might have something to tell you, is all."

It took Field a moment to guess. He gasped and his eyes widened. "The sex of the baby?"

The white rabbit held up an apologetic paw. "Look, I know you didn't want to know 'til it was born, but I couldn't resist peeking! I mean, I wanted to know for myself, and then she 'accidentally' got it from my mind, and, well, it was going to get to you sooner or later. It's too big a secret to keep with all these 'mind powers' flying around. Besides, it was super obvious. I knew after three seconds. Surprised the beans didn't spill sooner."

Field nodded knowingly, already wondering: boy or girl?

"Honestly, I'm not sure how you put up with it. But I'm sure I've told you that before." Seeing the look on Field's face, he elaborated, "Being an open book, having no page left unturned?"

"That's what intimacy is: full disclosure."

"That's a bit idealistic."

"It's the truth."

"A little mystery spices things up, sometimes!" the rabbit insisted. "The unknown can be alluring."

"You'd change your mind if you got bitten," the rodent promised.

"Maybe. Though I _would_like to know what the female orgasm feels like."

"Mm-h," Field sighed.

"Could you be more descriptive?" he razzed.

"It has to be felt."

Kody shook his head. "Anyway, I'm sure she'll tell you tonight. In her own special way, no doubt." The rabbit winked.

"Thanks for the heads up." The mouse felt a flutter of arousal with a dash of nervousness. He shifted on his foot-paws.

"Do you want a girl or a boy?"

"I hadn't really thought about it." Hybrids were infertile, so it wasn't like extending the family 'name' was a priority. The odds of a mouse and bat successfully reproducing in the first place were fairly slim. There's no guarantee they'd be successful a second time. They'd definitely gotten very lucky. In more ways than one! "I just want it to be healthy and safe."

"A stock answer. But a good one." The rabbit patted his friend on the back. "I think you'll like the side of the coin that came up, though."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm."

Field clasped his paws behind his back. "So, aside from Adelaide's checkup, you said-"

"An exercise mishap. The other injury was a malfunction down in engineering. Plasma burns. Don't worry. They're both fine. I got a lot of research done, though. Thinking of submitting some papers to High Command Medical. Maybe I'll win a prize! I've always wanted a trophy."

"I'd vote for you," the mouse said.

"Heh. Thanks. I'd vote for you for diplomat of the year or whatever. If there is such a thing."

"It's just as much Wren as me." Before being called as an emergency fill-in for Arctic, Luminous had been engaged in one of its many 'peaceable' missions. The Arctic hares, who occupied a single system within the wider realm of snow rabbit space, had been clamoring for sovereignty. The High Command was, for obvious reasons, against having an independent power within their own borders. Wren and Field had been arguing on the HC's behalf for relations to continue as they were. Physiologically, the hares were a bit bigger, lankier. But they still had more in common than not. They weren't as 'logical' as the snow rabbits, though. Much more emotional. It was just about bridging the gap.

In the end, they'd stayed a part of the High Command albeit with the HC conceding a few more powers their way. It was a similar arrangement to what the Arctic foxes currently had with them. A former independent government, the foxes were ravished by the wasps and now had to rely on the snow rabbits to rebuild their society. Neither side was too thrilled about that. But at least they were no longer enemies. In fact, they were somewhat close to allies!

"Make love, not war," Kody continued. "That's my motto."

"I'm a believer in that," Field said lightly.

"Heh. Was that an innuendo? From you?"

"No, it was from you. I was just ratifying it." Dimples showed on the mouse's honeyed cheeks. "That's about as lewd as I get."

"Unless coaxed," the rabbit added knowingly. Back in their academy days, he and Field had been lovers. Felt like a lifetime ago.

Field shifted his weight from hip to hip and noted, "The lift is really slow today."

"The entirety of alpha shift is making their way to the same deck at the same time. I'm sure there's a slight logjam. That's why I normally wait fifteen minutes before leaving sickbay," Kody complained. The lifts moved both vertically, between decks, and also horizontally on them. Sometimes, lifts from different areas would threaten to cross paths, so the computer would reroute them or put them on hold. "What are your plans for tonight?"

"Um. I don't know? Just supper." And finding out the sex of my child, apparently.

"I'm putting together a basketball game in the gym." There was a single hoop in there. "Was gonna use the holo-suite to create a full-length court with a cheering crowd," he bragged, "but they've been booked." Luminous had two holo-suites and eighty-something crew-furs. Sometimes, you had to reserve them ahead of time. "So, three on three, maybe? I got me, Wren, Pyro." He counted on a paw. "You'd be four. I'm sure we can convince some of the new junior grade snow rabbit officers to join us. They got the hops. So do I, actually, but-"

"What time?"

"1800. You've got three hours to eat, fuck, or whatever else is on your mind before you get schooled in the art of round-ball."

"Nothing's on my mind," the mouse mumbled unconvincingly. "And I'm not getting schooled." He could be very competitive when he wanted to be!

"I don't have to be telepathic to know what you're thinking about. A certain pink-furred bat, maybe?"

"You're the one who brought her up!" the mouse defended.

"And she's the one that brings you up."

"Ha, ha," the mouse stated.

"That's not a denial."

Field held up his paws in a 'what do you want me to say' gesture.

"I'm just giving you a hard time." The rabbit gave the mouse a harmless nudge.

"I think you're attracted to her," Field said quietly.And, to think, he's going to get an up-close view between her legs when she gives birth!

"I'm attracted to pretty much everyone," Kody admitted with a shrug. "What's that called? Omnisexual?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Besides, I'm a doctor." Kody put a paw over his heart in a gesture of light sincerity. "I'm obligated to appreciate other furs' bodies!"

"How does Ketchy feel about this 'obligation'?" Those two are polar opposites. But, then, come to think of it, so are me and Adelaide. I guess the old cliché is true.

"Ketchy and I are just as much in love as you and Adelaide. We just aren't as ridiculously googly-eyed about it. And, for your information, I'm on a 'look, but don't touch' policy. Except on the holo-suite." He lowered his voice. "Sometimes, we have holographic org-"

"You don't have to explain," Field interrupted quickly.

The rabbit's eyes glazed. "There's something about a bushy tail. Know what I mean?"

"So, uh, basketball?" Field squeaked. How'd we get so far off topic? What was the topic, again?

"Mm?" Kody blinked.

"You asked me if-"

"Right! You in?"

"Sure."

"Oh, hey, speaking of holo-suites. What about a holographic nanny?"

"Huh?" Field squinted, wondering if this was some new kink.

"Well, remember what we were talking about the other day?"

"You'll have to be more specific. We talk every day."

"You were worried about juggling the baby and your duties? After the birth, it's gonna be hectic for you two. We're on a starship. I mean, I don't think either of you want to retire?"

"No."

"Or take an extended leave of absence?"

"No," the mouse repeated.

"So, we can rig your quarters with holo-emitters! Have a holographic nanny around when you need it. Or when you desperately need some 'alone time.'" There was that incorrigible grin again.

"Oh! That's actually a pretty good idea," Field said excitedly. The reality of juggling parenthood with life as senior starship officers had been at the forefront of his mind. Most furs didn't reproduce while serving in space. It was too much responsibility. He was worried, if it distracted from their duties, he and Adelaide would be forcibly reassigned to a 'less hectic' and more permanently-rooted facility like an orbital station or planetary outpost. "Do you think Juneau could whip up holo-emitters like that, though? I mean, if it were that easy, wouldn't every deck just have them everywhere to begin with?"

"She could use a challenge. It stems her cranky impulses. You're a little introverted, but she's downright anti-social."

"Chester seems to get along with her just fine."

"Yeah. Hmm. I should do research on that." The lift whirred to a stop. Kody smiled and hopped out. Field followed. "See you later," the rabbit said before parting ways. "And bring your jump shot!"

The mouse promised he would and scurried to the entrance of his quarters. The door's sensor, recognizing him as an occupant, triggered it swish apart. He stepped inside and it closed behind him. The lights were dimmed, as if no one were home. "Adelaide?" He sniffed the air. Someone was home. He actually 'sensed' her before he scented or saw her. The bat's telepathic hold over him was that strong. She wasn't in the living area. Not in the kitchen, either. He changed directions. The bedroom. "Adelaide, I'm off ... duty." The last word struggled to leave his lips. He paused in the threshold to their most private space. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hello, mousey," the bat murred, completely in the fur and casually sprawled atop the bedsheets. Her knees were bent, thighs slightly apart. This gave him just enough of a peek to encourage a closer look. And those velvety, strutted wing-arms were impressively presented at full span. She took a deep breath, breasts pushing upward. "Mm. You're late."

"I am?" he squeaked shyly.

"I forgive you, though," she teased.

"Just, uh, I ran into a few furs in the corridor," he mumbled, trying very hard not to stare at her. Her eyes aren't down there, Field! He'd seen it all before. But it didn't matter. It only made him want her more. He inched fully into the bedroom, slowly approaching the bed. "You're in a very good mood."

"Yeah?"

"Practically glowing."

"Yes, but my back aches," the bat pouted. She was carrying extra weight these days, what with her belly being visibly swollen. Her pregnancy seemed to be taking forever. Because the telepathic centers of bat brains were so complex, gestation time was unusually long. Eleven months. She was approaching the seventh. Truth be told, Field wasn't in a rush for it to be over with. He found the changes in her body to be unreasonably erotic.

"Does it?" Field breathed.

"Mm-hmm. I need a massage." She pulled her wing-arms in and shimmied onto her front, raising her rudder-tailed rump. "Goes from the lower back up. You know the spot." She chittered, hotly.

He did, in fact, bending over to plant his paws on her body. Her pelt, colored like candy, was so soft and warm. He kneaded the muscles beneath. Alternating between slow, little circles and vigorous ups and downs.

"You have such gentle paws," she sighed.

"Thanks. Um. Just ... just your back, huh?" His eyes filtered downward. That rump! She was so curvy now with the extra weight. Her breasts were bigger, too. They hung with such gravity. He swallowed, paws beginning to stray to her hips and her sides. "Cause you took off more than your shirt."

"You noticed."

"Hard not to."

"One thing led to another," she admitted casually. "You know how it is."

Oh, he definitely did. She'd most likely been impregnated in a crashed shuttle-pod on a snow rabbit moon during the final battle of the Wasp War. She and Field, stranded and in shock, were trying to keep warm and 'one thing led to another.' His eyes went to her belly again. He'd never forget that day as long as he lived.

The bat, satisfied by the massage, rolled onto her back again and made a show of caressing her baby bump, arching on the sky blue sheets of their bed. "I feel out of place being the only one undressed. Are you waiting for something?"

"No, it's just ... I just got back. I haven't eaten or-"

"Neither have I," she quickly countered. "I'm more interested in dessert."

"You might spoil your meal."

"I'll take that chance."

He smiled. She was going to have her way, and they both knew it. His resistance was partly eternal shyness, of course, but also legitimate foreplay. She pulled. He pushed. They met in the middle. Fireworks. "I outrank you, remember."

"Not when the uniform's off." Her plum-purple eyes glowed. She was the dominant partner in this mate-ship. The whole crew knew it. "I mean, sure, if you want to pretend we're on even footing, keep the pips on, Commander," she stressed. "But if you want me to take care of you in ways that only a bat can, then-"

He was already wriggling free of his outfit.

She giggled happily and sat up, wing-arms draping around her knees as she watched him undress. "There's a good boy. My golden delicious." She licked her lips. "You're so well-trained, Field! You deserve a treat." Using her powers, she activated the pleasure centers in his brain.

"Ah-h," he went, face contorting in helpless bliss. He kicked his pants off. "Ah." Uniform-shirt undone, his bare chest heaved, fur like ripened wheat. He tossed the shirt, left only in dark-blue boxer-briefs. He laid back on the bed in a daze.

"I could just eat you up," she breathed hotly.

"Y-you have ... have the fangs and tongue for it." He wasn't surprised by the forcefulness she was exhibiting. Ever since her exposure to Barrow and the other rogue bats, she'd begun exploring her powers more and more. Using them to exert her influence. She found the experience invigorating. She also found that Field's submissive nature meant he was very easy to manipulate.

"You feel good?"

"Y-yeah, but-"

"It's a yes or no question, Field."

"Yes," he squeaked.

"You're a horny mouse, aren't you?"

He nodded dumbly, blue eyes fully dilated.

"You want me." It wasn't a question.

"Uh-huh," he huffed.

"I'm a very ... " She sat up and crawled toward him, over the top of him, her breasts jiggling heavily. "Horny bat." She began to lick at his ears. "How can we fix this?" she whispered directly into a lobe.

He mumbled incoherently, lifting his head to suck on her cheek.

"Mm." Their lips very nearly met.

"What was that?" she cooed, pulling his undergarment all the way off. His thick, five-inch penis bobbled into view. It was twitching, beading pre. She stared at it, unapologetically. And then reached for it. Why not? It had been in her mouth, her digits, and her vagina. All over her! It was so incredibly familiar. It was practically hers. She wrapped her extra-long bat-thumb around it. "How should we do it, tonight, mousey?" She squeezed. "Any suggestions?" Another squeeze, then an outright stroke. She dug her telepathic feelers into his head, raiding his memories. His desires. She planted a 'false' one and triggered it.

He told her what she wanted to hear. "Ride me."

"Glad we're on the same wavelength." She winked at him and straddled him slowly. "Mm-f." She moved more slowly than she had before the pregnancy. But she was still limber enough.

"My bat," he whimpered, fondling her belly.

She responded by grinding her hips to his.

"Mm-h, my ... b-ah. Ah-t ... " He arched.

"Nn-gh, my mousssse," she grunted, taking him in. Just like that! Sinking down, down, all the way down, and remaining at a hilt. She savored it for a moment. No need to rush things. Her short, little tail flicked about, a brilliant purple bow affixed to it.

Field reached behind her and untied it, carefully pulling it away. "Now you're naked," he murmured, letting the ribbon float to the floor.

She smiled down at him with undying affection before bouncing haphazardly. Her belly jiggled. Her breasts flopped. And her pussy swallowed up his hard, glistening cock with rapid-fire repetition.

The mouse began to pant. "Oh-h. Kody said you ... h-had something to tell, mm! Mm-h. Me?" He was so erect. And so sensitive, too! Her walls were smooth and perfectly wet. He pawed at her rump, possessively.

"You'll find out soon enough." Her hollow fangs were already dripping a milky liquid. Her tongue was coated in a thick saliva. She leaned down, priming his neck for biting, coating it with a natural numbing agent. He didn't even realize she'd bitten him until their minds began to merge. Thoughts, emotions, memories. Then, last but not least, came the physical sensations, as if their nerves were a part of each other. It was beyond comparison! They were one. Kody was right. It was intensely intimate. It wasn't for the unsure of heart.

Laying atop him to achieve the bite, she couldn't bounce as wildly. Especially not with her larger belly. So, he helped her out by bucking upward. He forgot all about her 'surprise.' It was there, ripe for his mind to pick, but his body was so very distracted. It would be there when they finished.

Minutes passed, filled with steady grinding, the fur on the mouse's chest matting flat with sweat. He was so hot. Was it the temperature in the room? Was it he? Oh, god, yes! He could barely control his breath! Everything tingled, sparkling with bubbly, beautiful bliss. Her pussy was a pathway to heaven. Nothing could possibly feel better than this! "Oh, oh-h ... I'm ... " She knew. Of course she knew! But he said it anyway.

Her own voice muffled, she instead planted images in his head. Do this. Grab that.

His paws immediately shot up, kneading at her hanging breasts. Her nipples were hard. He assaulted them. His tail, meanwhile, wove between them and tried to tap at her clitoris like a computer button, hoping to activate her orgasm.

Field saw stars. And not just the ones streaming by the windows. A split second later, he squeaked with wild abandon and-

-came around the corner and strolled down the corridor.

"Commander," said Soldotna.

"Ensign." He smiled at the chipmunk and paused, getting a strange, fleeting sensation. Or what, though? He wasn't sure, so he shook it off. "How are things down in the armory?"

"Fine. Everything checks out. Still haven't gotten to use those new torpedoes in action." She frowned.

"Right," Field said, rubbing at his eyes. Am I tired, or did I have this conversation already?

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just-" He stopped and forced a smile. When you were high up in the command track, you had to set an example. Crew morale was often based on the attitude of those at the top. Be positive! "Long day, I guess. I wish we were back on diplomatic duty. I hate border patrol." Uh, that's not positive, Field. "It's like we're cruising back and forth waiting for something bad to happen. I'd rather be actively exploring or intermediating or-"

"Someone has to do it."

"Satellites and probes?" Field suggested.

"They can't offer pursuit," Soldotna pointed out. "Or put up a fight."

"You're right, I know. Still. I'd rather it be Arctic. She's faster, sleeker, and better-armed."

"I wouldn't bet against Luminous in a fight," the chipmunk insisted, standing on the tips of her bare foot-paws. Even then, she was shorter than the mouse.

"Nor would I." They'd survived more than a paw-ful of battles over the years. He loved this ship. It was his home! "It just makes me uneasy being in a position where we even have to think about it."

"I actually prefer it. I know, as a rodent, I'm not supposed to be 'aggressive.' But I don't want to trust our safety and defense to others. I'd rather handle it myself. The universe is a dangerous place. You know that better than any of us." He'd been caught and tortured by the wasps during the war. She'd been part of the rescue party that had found him just in time. It'd been a grisly scene.

Field nodded quietly, reaching up to touch a big, dishy ear. He felt a ghostly twinge of pain. His blood ran ice cold for a moment, just as it'd been that day in the bone-cold caves. He'd tried to suppress the memories of his violent abduction. Now and again, though, they popped up. As if he were stuck in time. Everything was so vivid. Epic fail on that positivity. "I shouldn't keep you," he insisted.

"It's fine. I'm not late for anything that can't wait," Soldotna insisted, hoping she hadn't struck a nerve. Though she respected and liked the mouse, he could be a bit sensitive for a first officer. He wasn't a traditional go-getter.

"Off to join Pyro for supper, I take it?"

"He's treating me to a replicated meal in the mess hall."

"Ooh. Sounds like treats."

"Oh, yeah," she deadpanned, beginning to move away. A smile surfaced in spite of herself. "But what he lacks in traditional romance he makes up for in other departments."

Field giggle-squeaked, shyly, but didn't press for an elaboration. He wasn't that naïve. He just scurried for the nearest lift. Coming to it, got another chill down his spine and paused, looking over his shoulder. The corridor was empty. "Hmm." The lift opened for him. He stepped into the confined space, which was much more cramped than he remembered, and was about to tell it where to take him when, without warning-

A creamy rabbit popped into view!

"Eek!" Field went, tail flailing. "Kodiak!"

"Sorry, bud. Didn't mean to scare you."

"W-well, you did," he panted, paw over his heart.

The doctor steadied his anxious friend and playfully rapped on the bulkhead, saying, "Crew quarters." He paused. "We going to the same place?"

"Um, yeah."

"Crew quarters," Kody repeated. "On the double!"

The lift closed, humming and whirring as it whisked them through the bowels of the ship.

"Why the sigh? Long day on the bridge?" Kody crossed his arms.

"Something like that," was all the mouse said.

"You know what you need?"

"To get laid?" the mouse guessed dryly. How many times had he heard that one?

"Actually, yes! But, surprisingly, that's not what I was going to say. You need some healthy competition! Basketball. Gym. Three hours." He pointed emphatically. "I need you on my team, mousey."

"Who are we playing?"

"It's me, you, and Wren vs. Pyro and whoever else I can get."

"Holo-suite?"

"Nah, it's booked. The gym."

"Mm. Alright, then."

"Great!" The rabbit gave a bucktoothed grin. "I know you'll have a great game after Adelaide tells you the big news."

"News?"

"Don't get mad!" The rabbit held up his paws. "I know you wanted to be surprised at birth, but I, uh, may have found out the sex of your baby? And she may have found out I found out. And since you're so telepathically-entwined ... "

Field took a shy, flustered breath. I wonder if it's a boy or a girl? The idea that he was about to find out made his impending fatherhood seem irreversibly real. His paws began to shake. He hugged himself to hide the fact.

"It was pretty obvious, though," Kody continued. "I didn't have to look at the scans very hard to make the determination. And your mate just couldn't stay out of my head! I think she's attracted to me."

"You wish," the mouse replied. Adelaide and Kody occasionally butted heads, but they were friendly enough. Not that friendly, though. "You just find it irresistible when furs don't want you."

"Maybe." The rabbit shrugged, eyes twinkling. "Ketchy didn't want me at first. I changed her mind." He paused and added, "With my-"

"And you make a very good couple," Field complimented.

"Heh, everyone says that." He lowered his voice. "But I still wake up next to her and wonder how we ended up sharing the same bed. Sometimes, I feel like a stranger. How did I end up as this fur in this relationship? Existential stuff."

"I know the feeling," he whispered.

"Yeah, you think too much. Always have."

Field's whiskers twitched.

"You okay, mousey?" Kody's face scrunched in genuine concern. "You don't look so good. Your ears are getting pale. Seriously."

"Yeah, I ... just need, uh, something to eat." He took a short breath. "Yeah. Think my blood sugar's low." As a mouse, he burned energy at a frenetic pace. All the scurrying and twitching and worrying. "I'm fine."

"Well. If you're sure. You know, I'm your personal physician as well as your friend? You can confide in me."

The mouse just nodded.

Kody rubbed him on the back. "You'll be a good father, Field. Don't be scared."

Blushing severely, the mouse nodded. "Thanks." He hesitated before leaning his head on the other male's shoulder.

Kody flushed beneath the fur, which was rare for him. When the lift finally stopped, he straightened himself, cleared his throat, and hopped out. "See you later! Remember, bring your jump shot!"

Field waved and went a little further down the corridor. When the harvest mouse reached his own quarters, he went inside. It was dark. Adelaide was nowhere to be seen. But he 'sensed' her in the bedroom. Holding his tail in his paws, he meekly sought her out. "Adelaide, I'm ... back," he breathed, eyes widening.

"Hello, mousey," said the very pink, very winged, and very naked bat, unabashedly laying in the middle of their comfy bed. She was a sight for sore eyes. And more! "You're late."

"I am?" He released his ropy, prehensile tail. It threaded through the air with confusion.

"Mm-hmm."

"For what?"

"Come here, and I'll show you." She motioned with a wing-arm. "And lose the uniform, Commander."

"I outrank you," he reminded with a burgeoning smile. Was this how she was going to reveal the sex of their child to him? If so, he was glad to play along. He started shedding his clothes as he approached the bed.

"At work, maybe. But the moment you leave the bridge, I'm in charge." She dragged her wing-tip over her flowery sex. "Do you need a reminder of that?" she pressed, working her telepathic feelers into the deepest portions of his mind. She triggered an endorphin release.

"Ah-h," he went, eyes rolling back. He flopped onto the mattress, half-naked. Oh, god, oh, god ...

"I knew you'd agree."

"You're v-very ... convincing," he panted. He felt like he was glowing.

Adelaide giggled. "Naked, Field. Now."

He stripped the rest of the way without question.

"Good boy," the bat cooed. "You're erect. Is that for me?"

"Mm-hmm." Dizzy and dazed, the mouse couldn't help but feel like they'd just done this. A few minutes ago? But, no, a few minutes ago he'd been in the corridor. Before that, on the bridge. He would've remembered making love this morning. No, we didn't. Last time was last night. But something about the way she looked, the way she felt as their bodies began to touch. The particular details in the room. Everything felt like a dream spilling in reality. The lines were beginning to blur. "I feel like we've done this before."

"How do you think I ended up like this?" she accused, patting her unmistakably pregnant belly.

His ears burned brightly as he stammered, "N-no, I mean ... obviously. I just, um, meant that-"

"You're stressed, mousey." She could pinpoint every worry in his mind. And, goodness, there were dozens! Just like always. She cast a suppressive net over them. It was something she'd done many times before. "Relax," she whispered. "Just relax."

With a slow, hazy sigh, Field felt himself begin to loosen up. He knew she was pulling the strings, but he couldn't very well object. She had his best interests at heart. And, besides, he did feel better now ...

"There we go." She smiled brightly. "I have something very special to share with you. I don't want to use words." She rubbed a wing over his trim, slightly-toned furry chest. "I know a much better method of communication." She grazed her pearly-white fangs along his neck.

He sucked air, a shiver racing down his spine. His big rodent balls tightened against his body.

"Catch my drift?" she mouthed into an ear.

"Mm ... mm-hmm," he managed weakly, whiskers alight with excitement.

"My sweet mouse." She laid back, fluffy as cotton candy, dragging him down atop her. "Take me."

"Oh, gladly, my only bat," he replied romantically. Her supple breasts squished down beneath his weight. They wriggled in colorful unison for a moment, her legs spreading and tightly locking around his body while his rump lifted up and dove back down, dry-humping her on the way toward eventual penetration. The mysterious sense of déjà vu he'd been having? The sharp anxieties about parenthood? It was all gone. There was just her. And him. And love as hot as a hundred stars.

It threatened to go nova when she kissed him. Deeply, with a lot of tongue. The size and length of her muzzle's muscle easily overpowered his own. And, like a good sub, he gave her free reign.

Muffled squeaks vibrated his sunny, whiskery cheeks, and he angled just so, bumping, humping just right! His engorged essence pierced her feminine depths. Thickness meeting snugness, smooth on wet. It was shockingly good. He pulled back only to plunge forward again. He could hear the thrust! It was juicy. Raw. He had to do it again! And again! Soon, he was rutting her rhythmically and she broke the kiss to desperately lick his neck. The urge was so powerful. Then, in a flash, she bit him, injecting a white fluid into his bloodstream. His heart pumped it through his entire body in less than ten seconds.

They were joined.

Hugging him with one wing-arm while the other stretched lazily off the bed, she felt his tail moving through the air. As if it were her own! He felt those fangs in his neck from her perspective. And he heard her thoughts, felt her feelings. Everything she'd done today. Everything she felt about him. He didn't know where he ended and she began! They bred with abandon, united toward the same, explosive goal.

Bats had a rather slow population growth thanks to their unusually long gestations and single litters, which made it all the more important that any conceived children survive to adulthood in order to reproduce themselves, which they could better achieve with supportive, doting parents. Not a foolproof scheme, but it worked more often than not. By making the biting so addictive, it made it much harder for love to fade. It was like a drug. They wanted more!

In Field and Adelaide, nature had hit a bull's-eye, and it rewarded them very handsomely for playing along. They humped each other madly. Until, finally, they just couldn't stand it anymore. The pregnant, pink-furred bat came first. Her toes curled. She echo-burst against her mate's neck deliriously.

Field, hardly able to stand it, felt his eyes roll back. His maw opened. He slumped atop her with a huff, squealing from the feelings that raced through him. It was electric! "Oh, oh-h ... OH!" There was that female orgasm Kody had wondered about. Followed a split second later by his! Oh, he-

-came round the corner and saw Soldotna approaching. He froze. Wait, what? This ... this isn't right. He impulsively ducked into a side-corridor until she passed. It's not that he didn't like her. He did. But, well, he had an uneasy feeling. Like he'd been jarred out of something wonderful and dropped into the mundane. And it had happened before! It was more than déjà vu. It was something deeper. Exhaling shakily, he scolded himself for probably just being paranoid and tired. Do these thoughts sound mentally healthy to you, Field? Get a grip. It had been a stressful day on the bridge. Border patrol wasn't his cup of tea. He was waiting for something bad to happen.

He also avoided the lift where he felt Kody might be. Why did he think that? Why would he be there? I talked to Kody at lunch, but that was it. In the end, he took a circuitous route back to his quarters, which made him much later than normal. Adelaide, whom he found naked in their bedroom, made a point of mentioning this. "Hello, mousey. You're late."

He sighed, both with regret and with arousal. Damn, she looks good. "I know. I'm sorry. I just ... got tied up," he said.

"You can't lie to a telepath."

"It's not a lie, technically," he said.

"What's wrong?"

"I just feel this weird sensation that things are repeating. That I'm stuck, somehow."

"I don't feel it," she insisted. She sat up and concentrated hard, then shook her head. "No. Nothing."

"See? I'm insane."

"I didn't say that." She made a face, digging her telepathic feelers into his brain. "You're really stressed! That's not healthy. Are you that worried about being on border patrol?" She implanted a command to take his clothes off.

"Maybe?" He sat on the edge of their bed and began removing his uniform without realizing it.

She drank in his body. "Mm-hmm."

"Are you listening?"

"Mm? Yeah. You're worried. You always are." She reached out to touch him supportively. "Arctic got called into the UT to help Redwing. That's all. There aren't going to be any battles or wars that spill over into snow rabbit space. We're safe here. You're safe with me."

Down to his underwear, the mouse blinked. When had that happened? He then looked at her and grabbed hold of her big, batty thumb with his paw. Since she didn't have proper, fully-built paws, it was the closest he could come to clasping digits. "Our child ... I worry about how dangerous it is out here. What if something happened to it? Or to you? Or-"

"Hey," she hushed. "Don't think like that. You can't play 'what if,' only 'what is.' And what is... is that I love you very much."

Every time he heard that, he melted. Like toffee or caramel. "I love you, too," he whispered, laying down with her. He nuzzled his face against her breasts, mouthing and kissing them reverently.

"That's ... ah, that's it," she encouraged, feeling him suckling on a nipple. She couldn't help but giggle. "When the baby's born, it gets first dibs, remember."

He pulled off the tit and gave her a shy, little look. "I know that."

Adelaide chittered. "You know what we haven't done in a while?"

"What?"

She planted an image in his head. Actually, a number.

So it was that, a minute later, his underwear was the last piece of clothing removed, and they were lying on their sides and facing opposite directions, Field propping one of Adelaide's pink-furred legs in the air as he sniffed and bumped at her sex with his nose and muzzle. After a few tentative kisses, he began to lap and lick. He faltered a few times, however. His concentration was next to nil. For, at the same time, her dexterous, insect-catching tongue had encircled his erect cock like a snake. And her muzzle was sliding down the shaft. She was taking him to another planet.

"Oh-h," he groaned, buckteeth flashing. He stretched a leg, digging a heel into the mattress. "Oh!" His breath huffed out against her budded clitoris. He suckled on it for a moment.

"Mm-h," she vibrated around his essence.

"Hah," he huffed, tongue diving between her petals and swirling about the entrance to her vagina. She was wet. He could taste it. He wanted to dine on her. His muzzle pressed flush to her loins as he proceeded to fully eat her out, hoping to make her climax first. Oh, he'd given her orgasms with his muzzle before, many times, but when they did sixty-nine? He never outlasted her. Her crazily-versatile tongue was just far too much for any mortal male to withstand.

Sure enough, he felt his mouse-hood tingling, then twitching, and he arched nakedly on the sheets as, in an instant, his whole world crumbled into bliss! He squeaked and-

-came around the corner. Then stopped. B-Deck? Wasn't I just ... in my quarters? Weren't Adelaide I just ... ? He twitched all over. He felt wobbly, like a rubber band that had just been stretched to its limit and snapped back into place. Something was very wrong! His instincts were screaming it. But what? He had a strange feeling that if he went back to his quarters, he'd never get out of it. He looked up and saw Soldotna approaching. Avoiding eye contact with her, he reversed course and scurried frantically for the bridge. He had a hunch ...

"Sir!" exclaimed a surprised Samson, snapping immediately to attention. He swiveled the helm chair around and prepared to stand up. Commander Field was back on the bridge, having entered from the aft lift.

"Huh?" Lee, tall ears flicking lazily, looked up from Ops. "Oh, hey, Commander." The rabbit then gave his feline partner a lascivious look and mouthed, "Act any tighter, you'll need lube!"

The cougar's eyes widened. "Shut up!"

"What?" Field asked with a frown.

"N-not ... no, not you, sir. No." The cougar stood, nodded, and sat back down.

"Right." Field ran a golden paw through his equally-golden head-fur. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't warn you I was coming back, but-"

"We weren't up to anything," the cougar quickly insisted.

Lee just sniggered and tapped at his controls. He was the adventurous, spirited one. Samson was the cautious, reasonable one. They had all the bases covered.

Field nodded, having no comment. Samson and Lee. Cougar and rabbit. Though low-ranked, they were in charge of beta-shift on the bridge, which ran from 1500 'til after midnight. He didn't interact with them much. Of course, they were the officers Wren had caught screwing, to put it politely, in his captain's chair. They'd developed quite a reputation on the ship from just that one incident. Lee relished the notoriety. Samson was constantly trying to downplay it. Like many magnetic couples, they were mental opposites with great physical chemistry that, over time, became glued at the hip.

"Anything we can do for you, Commander?" Lee asked. "You forget something?" Though he was playing it cool, he didn't like senior officers breathing down his neck.

"I just need to check the external scanners."

The rabbit gestured with an arm and stepped aside. "Be my guest. Anything you're looking for in particular?"

"Subspace distortions."

"The ones from earlier?" Lee said, seriously. For all his dreams and schemes, he was still a competent officer. "I've been monitoring them fairly closely. They pose no threat to the ship. Considering how quickly they sprung up, they're likely to dissipate the same way. On their own."

"Maybe ... "

"Hmm. That doesn't give me much to go on, sir." The mouse seemed incredibly distracted, almost as if he'd been interrupted mid-coitus or something.

Samson hated being left out of this. The tawny-furred feline padded away from the helm and back to Ops. He and Lee watched quietly as Field's clawed paws flew over the panels, tapping and touching. Beep-a-beep! Ba-beep! The mouse began to nod excitedly. "Right there. Yes! See?"

"Looks like a rupture in space-time?" Lee guessed. He wasn't big on the science-y stuff.

"Not so much a rupture as a disturbance. See the flow of these, uh ... things." So, maybe Field wasn't a science whiz, either. But he knew enough! "Pretty sure these are temporal eddies. Circular whirlpools of time."

"So, uh, time loops?" Samson asked.

"Yes! Time loops! Or loop, singular. But, see, we're stuck in it. We think we're going in a straight line along the border, but we're actually repeating this same portion of the curve here." He tapped at the readout.

"But the sensor logs don't show a repetition," Lee insisted.

"Trust me. I can feel it."

The rabbit made a face. "Sir, honestly, I haven't felt anything unusual." He looked to his mate. "Have you?"

The cougar shook his head. "No ... "

"Well, I have," Field swore, looking slightly feverish. "Just an odd, unsettling sensation that things were happening over and over." How long had they been trapped in this loop? Hours? Days? He tapped at the controls some more.

"And how would you notice this and not us?" the rabbit asked, wondering if he should call Dr. Kodiak.

"The disturbances are originating from the Redwing System." Tap-a-tap! Beep! "From the planet with the dragon ruins on it!" he squeaked. It was all coming together, now. He nodded frantically. "I was exposed to the dragons during the war. They used my mind. Must've left a residual imprint and made me sensitive to the effects of their psionic technology. And their technology," he decided, "must be causing the disturbance!"

Lee gave a delayed, "Uh-huh." He then exchanged a 'crazy!' look with Samson.

The cougar, ever the teacher's pet, said, "I think that makes a lot of sense, Commander."

Lee rolled his eyes. But, boy, did he want to jump the predator's bones right now. Something about his nervousness around authority was a total turn-on to the rabbit.

"I mean, the data's all here. There's the temporal eddy, and there's us." Samson pointed at the screen. "The only question is how do we escape it?"

"Mm. I'm polarizing the hull plating deflect chroniton particles, for a start," Field said, lost in focus. The computer trilled. "Okay. We're protected. Now we just have to warp clear of the affected area and let Arctic know what's going on. She's close to the source and can investigate for us. She might already know and be working on a solution."

"This all sounds kinda important. Don't you think the captain should be notified?" Samson suggested.

"Good idea. Where is he?"

Lee jabbed a thumb at the ready room. The rabbit half-suspected the captain was lingering behind just to keep him and Samson on their toes. He had the bridge under visual surveillance. Not that Lee wasn't working on getting around that ...

Field tapped his badge. "Wren, you're needed on the bridge." The mouse slumped against a bulkhead and rubbed at his face. He felt such a weight lifted off his shoulders! He knew it would only be replaced by something else, maybe by the end of the day. But he'd deal with each new problem as it came. He allowed his paws to drop and looked to the other two furs.

There was an awkward silence.

"How's lieutenant-commander Adelaide?" Lee finally asked.

"She's fine." Field blinked. "You serve under her, right?" Well, obviously. Lee's part of the Ops division, with Adelaide as the head.

"Well, with all due respect, not as closely as you do." He skipped a beat before adding, "Sir."

Samson narrowed his eyes at the rabbit. Did he just sass the ship's first officer?

Field, ears turning beet-red, was saved from having to respond by the sound of Wren's ready room door.

"You rang?" the walnut-furred squirrel said as he strode onto the bridge.

"Yes! I hope I wasn't intruding." Field knew that he and Rella often met in there after hours. But he didn't smell the female's scent on him, so he must've been working overtime.

"No, just going over some communiques," Wren confirmed, his handsome, bushy tail fluffing about behind him. "What seems to be the problem?"

Samson stepped aside as the squirrel moved behind Field, looking over his shoulder.

Field explained the temporal loop, explaining his theory, showing him the data, and detailing his solution.

"Huh. Wow. Good work, Field!" Wren blinked and shook his head.

"Thanks." He smiled bashfully. "But it wasn't a conscious discovery. It was more a feeling ... "

"Still! We should deploy some warning buoys for passing ships in case the distortions don't dissipate soon. Don't want anyone else to get stuck in them, too. Lee, send this information to Arctic. Maybe they can use it. Ask them how things are going. We haven't had an update from them lately."

"Will do," the rabbit promised.

"Samson, alter our course slightly to avoid the temporal eddy."

The cougar nodded smartly and bounded back to the helm, tail swerving about.

"You're supposed to be off duty, Wren," Field told his longtime friend. He'd known him since his Academy days ten years ago. Same with Kody. And the mouse had, at the time, been physically intimate with both of them. But that was almost like another life. He couldn't imagine being with anyone but Adelaide, now! But he still loved the squirrel as a dear friend. "Don't overwork yourself."

"I won't, mousey," the squirrel promised, putting a paw on Field's arm.

Lee couldn't help but watch, hoping for a kiss or something. When it was clear he wasn't getting one, he sighed and refocused on his controls.

"You wanna play basketball tonight?" Wren asked Field. "1800?"

"Sure! We gonna be on the same team?"

"Of course," the squirrel said, making for the aft lift. The mouse joined him and they disappeared.

"They're so hot together, and they know it," Lee said, fanning himself with a paw. "Pity they're both with females."

"Nothing's ever good enough for you, is it?" Samson complained. He set the helm on autopilot and swiveled his chair around. "You always want more."

"Don't make me come over there," the rabbit warned.

Samson gulped and swung the other way again.

"So, it's all fixed now. But, uh, funnily enough, the loop didn't repeat until you ... er, I ... "

"What?"

"Until we-"

"Came?" She gently rubbed his erection with her wingtip.

He shivered with delight. Lying in bed, beneath the streaking, starry view of deep space, he'd been explaining the whole story to Adelaide. At first, he was worried she wouldn't believe him. But, of course, she could sense he was telling the truth. "I think? From what I can recall. I can't remember it very well. It's very fuzzy. I mean, we've had sex at least three times already today, but ... technically we haven't?"

"Your balls must be blue, Field," she sympathized.

"Well, I ... " He looked down. Gold as ever. But, yes, they did feel a bit needy. "Kinda?"

"There's only one thing for it," she decided, nosing his shoulder.

"What's that?" he sighed, hugging her closely. She was so very warm. And softer than soft. He swore he could hear her heartbeat above the dull, distant hum of the warp core.

"We'll have to breed all over again. Create a new memory and hope it sticks," she said eagerly, lifting up and turning around to present herself in a feral doggy-style position. They wouldn't be able to finish like that. Her urge to bite would be too strong to ignore. But they could surely start out that way! "We have to do this, Field. For science!"

"For ... yes. That." He huffed with arousal. His heart began to race. He sat up and clambered after her.

"Oh, and by the way," she whispered as the golden male kissed his way up her spine. She waited until he'd reached her neck, his chest flush with her back. "It's a girl." She let that sink in. "I was going to let you find out when I bit you, when we were joined, but-" After all he'd been through today? He deserved the good news as soon as possible.

"A girl?" he breathed, his voice hitching. "Our baby? Really?"

She smiled uncontrollably at his reaction. "We settled on Akira for a female, right?" She began to rock backwards, bumping against him.

"Right. Yeah." He nodded, eyes watering. "Akira." A baby girl! A daughter! Akira! "Oh." He exhaled, whiskers quivering.

"What do you feel, mousey?" She could tell, of course. But, sometimes, spoken words were necessary. Even therapeutic.

"I'm so ... j-just so happy!" he managed, brimming with emotion. "It feels so real, now." He took a huge breath, grinding against her, countering each and every arch with a press. "I hope she turns out just like you," he sighed.

"Mm-h, Field," she replied, lowering her shoulders to the bed. She lifted her tail high. The purple bow was still on. She knew how to stimulate him, but he knew how to flatter her just as well. "I can't wait any longer ... "

"Me, neither." He eased back, raising to his shins and knees and positioning her just right. Oh, this is going to feel good! I just know it! I just hope I remember it this time ...

On Redwing Station, oblivious to the subspace and temporal anomalies, the entire senior staff had gathered in the ward room, along with Ensign Adak.

Seward was on his back on the floor, torso hidden inside an access tube. "There." He sighed and wiggled free, sitting up and glancing at the others. "All audio/visual channels connected to this room have been severed." His tall ears twiddled as he put his tools away. "For now." If the intelligence they were dealing with was _that_advanced, it could surely circumvent the obstacle.

"She could be reading our lips through the windows," his mate Seldovia said, only half-joking. She hugged her impossibly luxurious stripe-tail to her bosom, combing it idly.

Graham, nose twitching, leaned forward in his chair at the head of the table. "Suggestions?"

"What went on down there, exactly?" Herkimer asked. All the grey-furred mouse knew is that the Commander and a few others had been summoned to the holo-suite by a sentient program? Or something?

Talkeetna gave him a look that said 'I'll fill you in later.'

"The 'computer' ranted and raved at us like a maniac. For a good fifteen minutes," Sheila explained. She wore a steely scowl. The only thing worse than feeling helpless was being lectured to. "There has to be a way to shut her down. She's been shut down before."

"By species with far more power than us," Annika added.

"Who also got destroyed shortly after they shelved her," Barrow warned.

"There's no evidence the dragons were destroyed."

"You know what I mean."

"So, the station is ... sentient?" Herkimer asked. He bit his lower lip with his buckteeth. "Then it'll listen to reason, right?"

"Unfortunately, sentience and reason do not often go paw-in-paw." Annika, as an ambassador, was very familiar with this.

"I doubt she originated here," Graham said. "I think it's more likely she was created on the planet below. The dragons clearly had a thriving colony there. She was their telepathic interface. When they left, they locked her up. The avians uncovered her somehow and tried to use her as a tool to get to the dragons, and-"

"She destroyed them for their insolence?" Sheila said, still with that tone of annoyance.

"So, wait," Herkimer wondered. "How did the A.I. get locked away again if the avians freed her? Was there some other species after them that we don't know about?" Maybe someone more powerful?

"There's so much we don't know," Seldovia added, shaking her head. She released her tail. "And she's taken control of the communications systems! So, I'm out of a job. We can't even send out a distress call. We're on our own."

"The others will realize something's wrong eventually," Barrow assured. "It's only a matter of time."

Sheila, crossing her arms, glanced at Seward, telling the Chief of Operations, "Perhaps we should purge the entire computer core. How long would that take?"

"Long enough for her to notice we were doing it." He paused, considering the suggestion. Then he shook his head. "Besides, it would take months to reprogram. This station is huge. There are entire decks we don't even use yet! The computer is controlling things we don't even know about," Seward insisted.

"Yes, that's a last resort," Graham said.

"What about Barrow?" Seldovia suggested. The skunk nodded to the station's doctor. "He's telepathic. Can't he interface with her? Try and talk her down?"

"Only if she wants to be interfaced with. I mean, she could've come to me from the start. Instead, she seems to have taken a shining to our newest arrival," Barrow said, glancing at Adak.

The ensign squirmed, all eyes turning to him.

"I think we should exploit that," Barrow announced. "Sex, aside from its other purposes, can be a powerful social tool."

Graham and Annika exchanged looks.

"What?" the periwinkle-furred bat defended. "Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not, doctor," Graham admitted. "We are all furs, here, after all. But she is most certainly not. There's no reason to think she'll be affected by what affects us."

"It's worth a shot. If we distract her, even nominally, it'll buy us some time to come up with something better. After being bottled up so long, she's not going to just sit around. We have to counter her now."

"He's right," Sheila said.

The commander looked to Adak. "Ensign, are you-" He stopped short, having been about to say 'are you up to it.' But that would only invite giggling from Barrow. "Are you willing to engage in sensual subterfuge?"

The stellar cartographer struggled for a response. "Charm is not one of my inherent traits." He looked down, cheeks getting hot beneath his white fur. "I wouldn't have been making love to a hologram if it were." Especially with all the new crew-furs having been assigned to Redwing, recently. Surely, he could find a fur-and-blood partner?

"Need lessons?" Barrow offered.

Sheila shot her mate a look.

"I mean, uh, nothing wrong with some holographic intimacy. We've all done it." The bat looked around the table. "Right?"

There were some mumbles and furtive looks. But no denials.

"To be fair, ensign," Annika pointed out, "the A.I. isn't exactly charismatic herself. And, in spite of the circumstances, you're closer to her than any of us."

When he was told at the academy that, as an officer, you might be required to make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, this isn't exactly what he had in mind! But, well, he was new here. Adak wanted to be a team player. He hadn't been impressed with the station and its crew upon first arrival, true. But he was beginning to see they weren't all that bad. "When do I start?"

The lights flickered.

Herkimer squeaked fearfully.

"Ops to Commander Graham," came a female voice. It was one of the new officers.

"Let me guess? Life support?" Talkeetna guessed darkly.

"Go ahead, lieutenant," Graham said, recognizing her as an otter named Milka.

"Main power is being rerouted to shielding and weapons. I can't stop it."

"What? Why?" Sheila demanded."Is the A.I. going to attack someone?"

"She must have a plan," Graham said certainly.

Sheila squinted. "Are there any ships on sensor range?"

"Four," Milka replied. "Arctic, Reverie, and two Syndicate vessels."

"They must've found out we've been compromised," Seldovia guessed. "But it wasn't from me. Like I said, I haven't been able to get a message out."

"Do you think they can save us?" Herkimer asked hopefully. No one replied. The mouse hugged himself anxiously.

Barrow extended his feelers into his friend's mind, calming him down some.

"Go to red alert. We'll be right there," Graham ordered before cutting the channel. Immediately, red lights began to flash. A klaxon filled the air. Graham hopped up and told Adak, "Go to the holo-suite and do whatever you can to distract her, stall her. We need to be able to communicate with Captain Aria."

"I'll do my best," Adak said sheepishly.

Everyone stood up and began to filter out of the room.

"Getting laid _to_save the day? Isn't that like having your cake and eating it, too?" Barrow asked.

Sheila slapped the bat's ass. "Behave," she murmured as she loped past and into the corridor.

While the rest of the crew went to their stations, Adak bee-lined for the holo-suites. He had a very important date.