Fading Stars Ch. 01

As if on cue, the door beeper chirped. Tabby snatched up the towel and pulled it around herself. Deeva walked over to the intercom and tapped a button.

"Yes?"

"Security. I'm here to escort Ensign Tabitha to see the Mentalist," came a stern voice over the speaker. Thexus scowled at her from the small monitor.

"Are they fuckin' serious?" Tabby whispered.

Deeva didn't miss a beat. It was obvious Tabby was deeply shaken by what she had experienced at Waystation 52 and she felt sorry for the Felinoid for having dredged up these memories. Having her probed by a mind-reading Mentalist so soon felt wrong to the Silician.

"Listen," she said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "You just rang us out of bed, if you know what I mean. She would need to shower and dress properly and..."

Thexus sighed. "Fine, I get it. I'll have a look in the fitness room and mess hall which should take me half an hour or so."

"Thank you, officer."

"You owe me one, Ensign." Thexus left.

Deeva turned around and nearly got knocked off her feet by a naked Tabby wildly hugging and kissing her. "Soooo shouldn't we try and make this ruse more convincing? I mean..."

Deeva tenderly kissed her nose. "No, kitty-kat. I need to find an encryptable long-range communicator and you need to dress and prepare for your meeting with the Mentalist."

She hugged Tabby one more time then left the cabin, missing the long, thoughtful stare Tabby sent her way.

* * * *

Deeva walked to the mess hall. The Novitar operated on a three-shift rotation and there were always people either having breakfast, lunch or dinner. She ordered a Zuthrian sand dragon wrap with sliced cactus marrow on the side, something she always had wanted to try. Finding a vacated table, she sat down, pondering her options. Sending a message to the mainframe-ship hadn't been much of a problem thus far. There were enough Silicians on Norwan to allow for a decent network connection but aboard the Novitar she was the only one and she didn't have any reception inside the TransNet besides. She knew how to modulate a subspace dispatch in such a way that it would only be accessible to other Silicians but to send it she would have to pipe the dispatch through a high-powered comms relay. As a Science officer, she didn't have the necessary permissions to fiddle with the Novitar's communication equipment.

"Here you go. Enjoy your meal!" A male Felinoid morale officer, with tiger-striped golden fur, placed a plate in front of Deeva. Most of it was taken up by the deliciously-smelling wrap, Zuthrian stone-baked bread filled with vegetables and the distinctive, marbled white meat of the sand dragon. They were giant, burrowing monsters able to breathe lightning and to swim as effortlessly through sand as an Aquarian swims through water. And a delicacy besides. Zuthrian tribes prided themselves on hunting these ferocious beasts with as little modern technology as possible, using explosives-tipped spears and wind-powered sand sleds where any sane being would use plasma cannons and hover tanks instead. But any Zuthrian would snort and complain about plasma ruining the meat.

"What kind of sauce do you want?" the morale officer asked, holding out three hexagonal pots. One was filled with a sweet-smelling green paste, one with a spicy yellow condiment and a third, with a clear plastic cover, an ominous red one.

"I guess the red paste is extra-hot?" Deeva asked.

The morale officer nodded. "Only Zuthrians usually pick red, and then only the crazy ones. My recommendation? Pick green. It enhances the flavor without turning your mouth into a numb wasteland."

"I'm in an adventurous mood. Please give me the yellow one."

"Sure, it's your funeral," the morale officer purred, placing the yellow sauce next to her plate. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Your concern is duly noted," Deeva said, stealthily caressing the inside of his thigh as he stepped back from the table. He chuckled and strode off. Deeva opened her wrap, spooned some of the yellow sauce into it and wrapped it up again. She closed her eyes and composed the message she wanted to send, detailing her meeting with Tabby and the information regarding Waystation 52 and the general mobilization orders. She attached Tabby's body recorder files and compressed everything into a tight little package ready to be sent. Then she picked up the wrap and took a careful bite. The bread was rather bland, a simple flour, salt and water affair. The same couldn't be said for the veggies though. They were juicy and hot, not unlike some of the peppers the Nor too sparingly used. The meat was tender and ...alien, a taste she never had experienced before. It made her tongue tingle as if a tiny electric shock passed through it. A few more bites and she reached the sauce. Deeva wished she had heeded the morale officer's recommendation. It was like sticking your tongue into the reaction chamber of a plasma drive. If that was the "intermediate" heat level, she really didn't want to find out how bad the red one was!

Once the first shock had passed the heat gave way to an explosion of taste. Her cooling subsystems worked double shifts but the taste, the layers of spices and aromas, mixed with the tingling from the dragon meat, was simply divine.

While Deeva happily chewed and nibbled on her meal, she accessed the Novitar's schematics she had downloaded during her time at the naval academy. There were only two access points for the communication network, the console on the bridge and a second console near the base of the antenna. Simply walking up to the comms officer on duty and asking for a personal dispatch to be sent wasn't an option so she would have to sneak into the antenna access and hijack the console there. A good plan but perilous nonetheless. ATLAS would certainly be none too pleased if she started picking code locks. But fortunately, she knew someone who had unlimited access to every part of the ship. Deeva decided it was time for some Nor dessert.

* * * *

On her way back to the officer's deck, Deeva bumped into Vecora. Her friend wore a dark blue training leotard, knee and elbow braces, sports shoes and a lime green towel around her neck.

"Hey, Science officer Div/A F03," the Nor called. "Long time no see!"

"I have to disagree. Our shift ended exactly three hours, seven minutes and twelve seconds ago," Deeva said with a smile. "How are the sports facilities?"

"Stuffed to the brim with hot cadets working out. I even saw Thexus passing through. He looked rather grim," Vecora said, sneaking an arm around Deeva's waist.

"I'm afraid that was my doing," Deeva admitted. "After Tabby and I were done talking, he wanted to drag her to see the Mentalist for questioning. I misdirected him to give her some time."

"I bet you didn't just talk," Vecora grumbled. Deeva wasn't quite sure but she thought she'd caught a strained note in her friend's voice. "Those Felinoids fuck everything first and ask questions later. Well, how was she? Better than me?" They had reached cabin 204 and Vecora punched the keycode into the lock.

"I think I need a new sample to conduct some adequate comparisons," Deeva suggested diplomatically, pushing Vecora into the vacated cabin. Locking eyes with her friend, the Silician snaked two fingers under the shoulder straps of Vecora's leotard and pulled them down, over her arms. The Silician leaned in and trapped one of Vecora's hard nipples between her lips, sucking gently. Behind them, the door hissed shut.

"Don't. I'm sweaty and gross," Vecora complained, casting down her eyes.

"Sweat doesn't bother me. But if it makes you feel better, we can take a shower together."

"I won't say no to that," Vecora laughed, pulling the elbow pads off and dropping her wrist comms unit onto the nightstand. She sat down on the edge of her bunk and kicked off her shoes. Deeva cast off her body plating in one fell swoop, much to Vecora's surprise. "In all the time I've known you, you had me pull that off one piece at a time!"

"I'm full of surprises," Deeva said ominously, opening her thigh pouch. She withdrew her pleasure probe and waved it at Vecora. "You taught me the value of 'foreplay,' remember?" She placed one blue foot on the edge of Vecora's bunk and, sighing hungrily, slotted the probe into place. It hardened in moments, nearly slapping the bare-breasted Nor in the face.

"And here I was, thinking I wasn't interesting enough for you anymore. I mean, with-"

Deeva had placed one hand on Vecora's head and turned it slightly, cutting off her friend's complaint with her stiff pleasure probe, wedged between her lips. Vecora chuckled around the intruding object and slurped comically loud at it before standing up again. She yanked the leotard off her. The knee pads came next.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this," Vecora sighed, now fully naked. She closed her fingers around Deeva's throbbing rod. "Between the finals and the mobilization order, we barely had any time to ourselves." She pumped the shaft hungrily one last time then slipped into the tiny bathroom. "You coming?"

"Not even close," Deeva snorted. "It takes a bit more effort than a half-hearted lick and some fingers." She joined Vecora in the shower stall. It was built to accommodate an adult Gravon, so the lithe bodies of a Silician and a Nor woman fit, albeit snugly. Just how they liked it.

Vecora dialed the temperature in. Hot water pattered down onto them. Deeva, standing behind her friend, pulled Vecora close, wedging her erect pleasure probe between the Nor's butt cheeks. Her hands went around the Nor's midsection, caressing her stomach and thighs while she licked and nibbled on Vecora's neck, kissing a warm, wet trail up to her ear. Vecora melted against the Silician, her butt squeezing Deeva's phallus. She sighed happily.

"While you're at it, you can wash me," Vecora suggested, writhing under the hot spray. She picked up a nondescript plastic squeeze bottle.

Deeva's hands roamed over the Nor's wet body, caressing from her collar bone over her breasts, cupping the firm orbs and playing with Vecora's nipples. Going by the insistent squeezing of her pleasure probe by the Nor's bum cheeks, she was definitely doing something right. Just to make sure, Deeva slid one hand down Vecora's flat abdomen, feather-light touches causing her to pant gently. Her fingertips parted Vecora's folds, allowing another finger to slip between them, circling her lover's clit.

"Do you think we have time for that?" Deeva asked, probing her friend's pussy with a slender finger. She was incredibly wet already. Grinning wickedly, she added a second digit, sliding them deep into Vecora's hot core. She was amazed at the sloppy, wet sounds she could coax from Vecora's privates.

"Sure. It's not like I'll be- oh Maker's balls!" Vecora tossed her head back and came, her pelvis bucking against Deeva's hand. The Silician kept her fingers deeply lodged within Vecora until she had ridden out her orgasm. Vecora leaned against the fogged-over shower partition, catching her breath.

"Well, now you have all the time in the world," the Nor panted, a radiant smile on her lips.

Deeva claimed the bottle and squirted a green liquid into her palm. It smelled like foliage, fruit and a hint of evergreen needles, a curious mix. She always had thought Vecora, with her bright pink hair, was more a rose and fruits girl, but the panting Nor seemed to prefer "Veridian Night" as her scent of choice.

She placed her foamy hands on Vecora's back, gently caressing her, distributing the shower gel over the tanned skin. Vecora purred wordlessly and scooted backwards until she was in contact with Deeva's body again. Her hand slithered between them, fingers closing around Deeva's phallus and guiding it between her thighs, the hot and hard length caressing along her folds. She was content to enjoy the teasing, the possibility of it spearing into her while Deeva was busy washing her, skilled hands caressing, massaging and teasing her.

Sighing, Vecora picked up the squeeze bottle and helped herself to a handful of shower gel. She turned around until she could face Deeva.

"Lean against the wall. My turn to treat you." Vecora's eyes traveled down the Silician's wet body. Deeva's perky breasts rose and fell in quick breaths and her pleasure probe stood up proudly.

"Quite aroused are we, huh?"

"Yes, very much so," Deeva confirmed, raising her hands above her head as she leaned into the wall, lewdly rolling her hips forward. "I'm all yours."

"Hmm, nice," Vecora purred, stepping in. Again, she trapped Deeva's phallus between her thighs. This time she allowed the glans to pierce her folds. Gasping, she let the bulbous tip slide against her most sensitive spot as she playfully kneaded the Silician's blue flesh. The similarities between their two species was marvelous, down to the fact Deeva's nipples poked into her palms as she rubbed her sudsy hands over them.

"I can feel you, leaking all that hot Aquarian juice into me," Vecora hoarsely whispered.

"I am especially horny right now, you tease," Deeva purred back, snaking her arms around Vecora and pulling her in for a hungry kiss, her tongue easily darting between the Nor's lips. Hands roamed, squeezing firm butt cheeks or pinching nipples as they kissed. Deeva thrust gently, adding sweet friction between Vecora's folds. The Nor broke the kiss, panting.

"Bed. Now," Vecora gasped. Deeva shrugged, quickly pouring a few handfuls of water over herself to get rid of most of the suds. They had tried intercourse under the shower before, to mixed results. When it worked, it was sublime. When it didn't, someone ended up with a sprained ankle. The Nor already was outside, hastily swabbing at herself with a fluffy towel. Deeva carefully left the shower, mindful not to slip on the wet floor and stepped behind Vecora. Hugging the Nor from behind, she used her weight to prod and push her out of the bathroom, back into the main quarters. Three steps to the edge of Vecora's bunk and she could bend the Nor over, exposing her backside and pussy to her hungry gaze. Vecora scooted onto the bunk, her knees apart, and brought her backside up.

"What are you waiting for? An invitation?" Vecora snarled, spreading herself wide open. "Fuck me already!"

"Oh, I love it when you're so forceful," Deeva said, slapping Vecora's pussy with her pleasure probe. She quickly adjusted Vecora's posture until everything was lined up perfectly and pushed. Her hardness easily parted Vecora's folds and slid effortlessly into the prostrate Nor's pussy. Vecora had her face in a pillow and moaned indistinctly as she was impaled by the sizable alien phallus.

"Maker's wrinkly balls," Vecora cursed. "So big!"

Deeva grinned and pulled back, turning anything Vecora wanted to say into a lusty groan. By the third thrust, Vecora was muttering incoherently. Tanned flesh slapped against blue bio-plastic as the Nor answered every one of Deeva's thrusts with a push of her own butt, driving herself even harder on the Silician's wonderful phallus. Deeva held on to Vecora's behind for dear life as the Nor's insides grasped like a velvety glove, seemingly trying to milk the long, blue probe for all it was worth. She picked up the pace, barely able to stand herself from the intense pleasure of this coupling.

"Yes! Yes! Harder," Vecora ordered. She slid two fingers between her folds, frantically twiddling her clit as Deeva speared into her. "Please! I'm so--"

Whatever she wanted to say turned into a hoarse wail as she fell over the edge, limply collapsing onto the bunk, only her behind held up high by Deeva's hands. The Silician was thrusting furiously, her probe making lewd, slurping sounds as it slashed in and out of Vecora until she too found her release, shooting blast after blast of sticky sweet juice into her lover. Sighing, she collapsed onto Vecora's back, holding the gasping and panting Nor as they rode out the aftershocks of their orgasm. Wet stickiness dribbled down her thighs and the room smelled of sweet Aquarian sunfruit.

"I think another shower is in order," Deeva whispered. Vecora only groaned.

* * * *

Cleansed and sated, Vecora and Deeva snuggled under a light blanket, skin to bio-plastic. Deeva's fingers combed lightly through the Nor's damp hair, Vecora's head resting on her breasts.

"Deeva?"

"Yes?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Which one?"

"About that cabin mate of yours." Vecora's hand crawled along Deeva's side, caressing languidly. "How was she?"

Deeva smiled. "Very eager and vocal. But why is this so important to you? It's not the first time I had xenobiological studies with someone else. There was Denek, and that Marked Zuthrian stripper we shared and-"

Vecora craned her neck up and interrupted Deeva with a long kiss.

"None of them was a female Felinoid," she said, looking deep into Deeva's eyes. Vecora opened her mouth to add something. She shook her head and cuddled against Deeva again, caressing the blue bio-plastic of her stomach. "I just don't want to lose you."

Deeva playfully tousled the Nor's hair. "I think it will take a bit more than a blowjob and messy sex to lure me away from my best friend."

"Details, honey. Spill it."

Deeva slithered sideways a bit and propped herself up on one elbow. Vecora did the same. "Are you sure? We might not get any sleep."

Vecora laughed. "Even if I wanted, I'm much too raw right now. So, out with it." She reached out, her fingers brushing over Deeva's thigh. "Besides, I want to try something."

"Oh? Now I am the study subject?"

"Kinda. Humor me, okay?"

"As you wish." Deeva, smiling wickedly, recounted her tryst with Tabby in lurid detail, noting with interest that Vecora had her eyes closed and a hand hovering just above her privates. She could smell the Nor's arousal.

"And then I came, painting Tabby and the bunk with my ejaculate," Deeva said, wrapping up the tale.

"Yeah, you only know one setting. Full blast," Vecora said, breathless. She scooted close and hugged herself against Deeva. The Silician cocked her head and snaked her arms around her friend, caressing her behind.

"We showered and I left for a bite to eat," Deeva said, smoothly omitting the inquiry about Waystation 52. "You know the rest. Now, what was the test you had in mind?"

"I wanted to find out if hearing about my lover's sexual exploits would get me jealous. Hint: It doesn't." Vecora ground her pelvis against Deeva's thigh, leaving a moist trail.

"Lover, huh? That's the first time you've used that particular word."

"I wanted to wait for the right moment," Vecora whispered, avoiding eye contact. "I- I think I love you, Deeva."

Deeva held Vecora close. That confession complicated things immensely.

"Say something, Deeva. Please." Now the Nor was intently gazing at her. Her face displayed an interesting mix of emotions. Longing. Fear. Determination.

"I have seen enough holo dramas to know that the expected answer is 'I love you too,'" Deeva said.

Vecora blinked in surprise. "And what's yours?" She retreated to about arm's length.

Now it was Deeva's turn to look away. "I honestly don't know. I haven't thought about it."

Vecora laughed, a faint, brittle sound. "At least it's not a 'no.' Or is it?"

Deeva scooted close to Vecora, offering a hug. "It is not. I enjoy your company very much. The sex is great too. I simply haven't thought about it being 'love.' Can I sleep on it before giving you a definite answer? The last thing I want is to hurt you, Vecora."

"Fine," the Nor huffed, turning her back on Deeva.

The Silician snaked her arms around Vecora and held her close. For the first time in her existence, she felt utterly helpless and blindsided. Silicians were capable of emotions. Fear and euphoria were valuable survival mechanics and the Core, in his infinite wisdom, had imbued his children with the capacity to feel them. But Deeva was too inexperienced and much too preoccupied to have devoted any serious amount of time to studying the finer points of things like courtship and love. She had never planned on bonding so tightly with any one individual but it seemed spending the better part of three years with Vecora had taken the decision right out of her hands. And to top it all off, the coming few hours would complicate things even further. Vecora's breathing had evened out and slowed. She was about to fall asleep. A quick glance at her status readout showed Deeva that she was quite spent as well. A few hours of rest wouldn't hurt. She set her internal alarm to wake her in two hours. The Silician brushed her lips against Vecora's neck.