Storm World Ch. 08

"What did you do to escape?" M`peth qHo asked, very interested.

"I found a V of rocks and went straight up the middle," he said. "When I got to the narrow end I moved off to the flank and waited. Poly-pods don't have good eyesight or hearing. Those three followed my scent. I tipped a boulder down on the biggest one. Crippled it. The other two turned and finished it off. By the time they were done eating they weren't interested in me anymore."

Subconsciously she noted again that Benjamin was an impressive male, battle scarred and hardened against the rigors of living among wild and dangerous things. It also struck her that he was far more reluctant than a jZav`Etch male would have been to describe such an exploit. It made him more interesting to her way of thinking. There was no bombast to his story, as if a life and death struggle were of little consequence.

"You did not finish them off?" she asked, puzzled.

"No reason to," he said with a shrug. "They're just animals. They were doing what animals do. I don't like them, but I'm not going to kill something just because it was hunting me. It's not like it was personal."

Could a jZav`Etch have let those creatures go? wondered M`peth qHo. She knew she would not have. To be hunted by such creatures was enough provocation to destroy them. She frowned at Benjamin. Were all Humans so understanding of nature? Unlikely. Benjamin had lived on this primitive planet for many years. Had he always been so reserved in his outlook or had his attitude changed because he lived here? Did it really matter? No. Not at this point. A subject to be meditated upon if she survived this mission.

"What I am thinking, Ben `Jamin, is that we should salvage what we can from the spinner before trekking across the island to recover the pod," she said.

"I thought you needed to get the pod as soon as possible," he said, turning a sharp look upon her.

"I do," she said with a nod. "However, if we first salvage the components we need to build the motor, Tem l`eth tong can begin working on it. Her injury is not severe, but I will not risk taking her with us. If this machine is able to heal Ty`em P`tral's shoulder, I intend to leave them both here to do the work. Perhaps in that way we can have your boat ready long before we need to launch. We could then gather more provisions and be better prepared to deal with whatever hardships we encounter on the... What did you call it? An atloa`een island?"

"Aiolian island," Benjamin corrected her, turning his eyes back to the screen. "That might save a lot of time."

"I am certain it will," said M`peth qHo. "Tem l`eth tong would be able to determine whether or not she could make the motor work. If she cannot, she can then move on to fashioning a mast and sail. Either way, work continues while we are recovering the pod."

Benjamin didn't need to think very long before he nodded agreement.

"Alright," he said aloud. "So besides you and me, you want to take Ima Nef`Tn, Liat `del cha, the big guy and the small guy."

"Liat `del Qha," she said with a smirk and a flick of her tail. While Benjamin was already improving on his pronunciation, there remained much to be desired. "The big guy is called Chep `Urt vEss. The small guy is called TaH `Kiy mTh. It would be best if you learned their names and how to pronounce them correctly."

"Your language is all twisted up," he grumbled. "Sounds like Mandarin if you stuffed it in a blender and set it on puree."

"And English sounds like the grunting of a seth`leit* in mating season," she replied with sharp condescension. "Our names are very important to us, Ben `Jamin. If you continue to mispronounce them, someone will take offense and there is likely to be violence. That would not help any of us."

Benjamin gave her an even look. His eyes were half lidded and his expression cool.

"I do not wish to insult you," she said in a forced placatory tone. "I simply wish to avoid conflict among us. There is a real enemy out there. Like it or not, they will assume you have taken our side if we encounter them. For that reason you too should wish to avoid conflict."

"A real enemy?" Benjamin said in a tone as cool as his expression. "Out there?" He nodded his head in the direction of the main entrance and snorted. "You got me shaking in my boots, lady. Maybe you should back off before I piss myself."

"Ben `Jamin," she began reproachfully, but he talked over her.

"Don't speak to me like I'm an idiot, lady," he growled. "You talk smart and tough. I think you're harder than you look. You've got them toeing the line, even Chep whatever-the-fuck-his-name-is. Hell. He even smells different. They all do except Tem l`ethtng or leth tong. She's harder than you, by the way. No fucks left to give, if you ask me. But don't get the idea I'm one of them, lady. I don't have to jump when you say so. I'm a Free Worlder, not a bloody jZav`Etch. Before you get your panties all in a wad over how I pronounce your names, you should try to get mine right. So fuck you."

M`peth qHo recoiled at the impertinence of his tone. She was about to rebuke him when she suddenly recalled Benjamin's potential for violence and the fact that he was not from one of the Hegemony's protectorate races. Untamed, unconquered and certainly not cowed, he had no inbred fear of or respect for jZav`Etch. Damn him! He could not even be considered feral. Humans had never been under the sway of the Hegemony. Worse yet, M`peth qHo knew he was right. It was just so hard for her to see one of another race as an equal. Her tail snapped back and forth, slapping on the stone floor twice before she brought her emotions under control.

"You are correct, Ben `J..." her eyes flicked up to his. He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. It was a dangerous look. Stiffly, she began again, "You are correct, Benjamin. I apologize. I will caution the others that you do not speak any of our languages. We cannot expect you to know how to pronounce our names."

"Something else you need to impress on them, Commander," he said. "When we are out there on the island, I am in charge. If I say stop; we all stop. If I say walk a certain path; we all walk that path. If I say don't touch; nobody fucking touches. Got it?"

"I command here," she hissed softly.

"Command all you want as long as you obey me."

"Is this treatment nearly complete?" she asked, gesturing at the auto-doc.

Benjamin looked at the screen and gave her nod.

"Then you must excuse me, Benjamin," she said and rose before he could say another word. Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!

*****

"She does not look happy," whispered Tem l`eth tong.

The other females looked up to see the commander stalking away stiffly, her mane bristling and her tail flicking irritably.

"What do you think happened?" asked Ima` Nef`Tn.

"Your mate must have given her some bad news," the older dTel`Qohar said. "He is scowling."

"I wish Humans were easier to read," Liat `del Qha said. "I should go and find out what passed between them."

"Pilot, leave the commander be," Tem l`eth tong said before the Pah`Tht could rise. "Likely she got a dose and needs to work it off."

"A dose of what?" Liat `del Qha asked.

"Reality," said Tem l`eth tong. "Pardon me, Pilot, but officers sometimes fall into a pattern of authority. They forget how to deal with people who cannot be made to obey. Ben `Jamin is such a person, I believe."

"Ima` Nef`Tn, go and see how things are with Ty`em P`tral," ordered Liat `del Qha. "I think we have all worked long enough for one day. I, for one, feel in need of a bath."

"She is the lucky one," Tem l`eth tong murmured, watching Ima` Nef`Tn stride quickly over to where the Human still crouched in front of the medical machine.

"In what way?" Liat `dwl Qha asked, rising.

"She has a worthy male," said Tem l`eth tong. With a smirk and wry flick of her tail and ears she added, "And all I have are my fingers."

Liat `del Qha smiled at that. There was a suggestion in those words.

"Wait here a moment. I will dismiss the males to their rest," the pilot told the veteran. "I will take you up the tunnel to the pool we found earlier when I return. A proper bath will soothe your needs."

*****

Ima` Nef`Tn paused long enough for Benjamin to smile up at her before stepping closer and crouching next to Ty`em P`tral. She picked up the med-kit TaH `Kiy mTh had left beside the unconscious Thahn `Den.

"How is she?" Benjamin asked in Japanese.

"It looks as though your treatment has worked very well," Ima` Nef`Tn said approvingly. "Her bones have knitted back together. Even the smallest fragments. The... I do not know the words. The soft tissues."

"Muscles, tendons and ligaments," Benjamin filled in for her.

"Muscles, yes. The others I do not know," she admitted. "Regardless, the soft tissues are still over stressed and swollen, but the bones are sound once again."

"She will be sore for a few days, I expect," he said.

"Pain suppressors will help," she told him. "This kit recommends more sedation."

"I would not do that," he cautioned.

"Why not?" she asked, already drawing the hypo-spray from its slot in the kit.

"She has been unconscious for more than a day," he said. "When was the last time she had food or water? I am surprised she has not fouled herself."

Pausing, Ima` Nef`Tn considered what he said. The kits were programmed to make recommendations. They were not intended to be absolute authority. And it seemed foolish to keep Ty`em P`tral under sedation now that her bones were no longer in danger of doing more damage to the soft tissues. Indeed, Ty`em P`tral could die of dehydration if she did not wake soon.

"The kit does indicate she will remain unconscious for several more Taq'a Mowl*," she finally said, putting the hypo-spray back in its slot. "We can decide later."

"I will return this machine to the enclosure," he said, getting to his feet.

"I will help," she said. "Perhaps we could enjoy more privacy, Ben `Jamin?"

He grinned and gave her a kiss.

*****

"This is much better," moaned Tem l`eth tong, leaning back in the water of the dimly lit pool until only her face and prominent breasts remained above the surface. "I must have had half the mountain in my fur."

"A blessing upon she who thought to include soap in our emergency packs!" said Liat `del Qha fervently. She was still scrubbing behind her ears and down her neck, a lather of lightly scented foam dripping between her fingers. "Is your wound going to open again since you are getting it wet?"

"No," sighed the larger female. She raised her injured leg from the water to display the cut. "TaH `Kiy mTh may be a poncy, little male, but he did well resealing it. Good for something, at least."

"He is supposed to be good for other things," chuckled Liat `del Qha, grinning wide.

"Not the sort of male I would choose," snorted Tem l`eth tong. "Have you noticed how his mood changes? One instant he is calm and reserved and the next he is fidgety and frightened."

"Yes," replied the pilot. "It is as if he is putting on an act. Only, I cannot decide which aspect is the true one."

"Thahn `Den do not like caves," observed Tem l`eth tong.

"Nor water," added Liat `del Qha. She ducked her head below the surface and scrubbed furiously for a few heartbeats, rinsing the soap from her fur.

"You may be on to something there, Pilot," acknowledged the veteran engineer. "Stress can do strange things to people. And Thahn `Den are already strange enough."

"The commander is holding up well," Liat `del Qha pointed out.

"Well enough," agreed Tem l`eth tong. "I think she needs to get laid. That would help get some of the starch out of her."

"And do you need any starch removed?" hinted the small female teasingly. She eased through the pool closer to her companion.

"If only I could find a laundress," sighed Tem l`eth tong whimsically, watching her with half lidded eyes.

"Let me examine your wound," said the pilot in a throaty whisper.

Without a word Tem l`eth tong raised her injured leg from the water again. She smiled as the petite Pah`Tht took her calf in her small hands and leaned in close to peer at the cut. She nudged the wound with her cheek the way a mother might do for a child. Tem l`eth tong laughed softly and rose a little from the water so that she could observe better what the pilot was doing. It did not surprise her much when Liat `del Qha ducked under her leg to position herself between the larger female's thighs.

"I have no injury there," the veteran teased good-naturedly.

"I am sure I noticed a cut when you were undressing," replied Liat `del Qha casually.

"Oh, did you?" Tem l`eth tong purred as Liat `del Qha began to lightly nip the inside of her thigh, working her way towards the larger female's sex. She continued nipping even when her face went under the water. Tem l`eth tong was about to laugh out loud at the little Pah`Tht's antics when she felt her tongue glide lightly over her swelling diamond. The dTel`Qohar hissed with pleasure and arched her back, enjoying the sensation. She sucked in a breath between her teeth and slowly let it out as the pilot continued to ply her tongue over the sensitive flesh.

Emerging from between the larger female's thighs Liat `del Qha grinned, water cascading from her fur, and prowled slowly up Tem l`eth tong's torso until she came to her large breasts. With a playful flick of her ears Liat `del Qha darted her tongue over one of the swollen nipples and then the other before taking the globes of flesh in her small hands. She lightly bit each nipple in turn before settling her lips around the right one and suckling, raking her sharp teeth gently over the delicate skin.

"Perhaps you are the laundress I was looking for," sighed Tem l`eth tong merrily. She felt the pilot straddle her hips as she continued to lick and nip Tem l`eth tong's nipples, kneading her breasts with strong fingers. "We must get out of this pool, though."

"Why, Tem l`eth tong?" purred Liat `del Qha, and locked her lips over one of the large nipples again, smiling and blinked innocently as she pleasured her companion.

"Oohhhmmm..." groaned the engineer, arching her head back until her ears touched the surface of the pool. "If we do not, I will surely drown."

Liat `del Qha released the nipple with a laugh and squeezed both firm breasts merrily. In her turn Tem l`eth tong put her hands on the pilot's breasts which were not much smaller than her own in spite of Liat `del Qha's far more petite frame. They were luscious, firm to the touch and tipped with sharply tapering nipples like small cones. She pushed the pilot back enough so that she could sit up and then nipped Liat `del Qha on the cheek, holding the tuft of wet fur long enough to make the pilot purr.

"Come now, let us go to the bank where I can return the pleasure you have already given," the veteran whispered in Liat `del Qha's ear.

"Who outranks who?" teased Liat `del Qha, giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Experience has privilege," whispered the older female, running her hands down the small Pah`Tht's flanks and around to her well-muscled rump. She kneaded the cheeks, spreading them with her long fingers and lightly pricking the pilot's other opening with one extended claw, making her jump.

"No fair!" chortled Liat `del Qha, finally rising from Tem l`eth tong's lap. "I took no such liberty."

Grinning devilishly Tem l`eth tong shot out her hands and grasped the small Pah`Tht by the hips, pulling her forward and running her tongue forcefully over the protruding diamond of her sex. She licked hard again and then began to suckle as if it were a nipple. Liat `del Qha almost howled with the intensity of the pleasure and went weak in the knees.

Pulling her mouth away, Tem l`eth tong said, "If you want more, let us move to shallower water."

"More?" groaned Liat `del Qha. "Yes! Come!"

She took Tem l`eth tong's hands and all but dragged the much larger female to the edge of the pool.

"More, more!" she panted and presented her sex to her lover, spreading her thighs and opening herself with her fingers.

Willingly Tem l`eth tong pressed her mouth to Liat `del Qha's steaming flesh. She licked and sucked and pushed her tongue up inside of the young female, showing her there was no need for a male's member if one knew what they were doing. Liat `del Qha squirmed and squeaked, enjoying the masterful technique of Tem l`eth tong. Such was the delight of having an experienced lover. And when Tem l`eth tong applied a finger to her other opening Liat `del Qha did not resist. The pressure was not enough to open her, only to add to the thrill.

"Tem l`eth tong!" she cried in warning. The larger female locked her mouth over Liat `del Qha's sex just in time to receive the first shuddering splash of her climax. The Pah`Tht continued to shuddered through a powerful orgasm, staying on her feet only because Tem l`eth tong held her up. When the last wave of pleasure passed the small Pah`Tht sagged and almost collapsed, gulping deep breaths of the humid air as she tried to regain her composure. Gently Tem l`eth tong lay her on the stone shore at her side, then nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

"That was... fantastic," panted Liat `del Qha.

"Good," purred Tem l`eth tong. "Are you not now glad we moved to the shore?"

Liat `del Qha laughed out loud and nodded fervently. She was getting her wind back and reached out to caress the heavy nipples of her lover. Her hands played lightly over the fur and shapely figure next to her until they found the warmth between Tem l`eth tong's thighs. Looking into her eyes and smiling softly the older female parted her legs, allowing Liat `del Qha to explore as she would. Small fingers probed the sensitive folds of Tem l`eth tong's sex, seeking her diamond and finding it easily. Slick and almost hot to the touch she grasped it between her fingers and tugged gently, sending a shiver through the larger female's frame. Yes. She was sensitive there and it pleased the pilot. Liat `del Qha held the diamond of flesh she had found between her thumbs and sought the cleft of Tem l`eth tong's opening with her fingers. More heat greeted them and she plunged in, giving a little twist as she did.

"Yesssss..." hissed Tem l`eth tong, closing her eyes and feeling a thrill she had not felt in a very long time. "You have done that before, I think."

"I have done this before, too," snickered Liat `del Qha and moved to place her mouth on Tem l`eth tong's sex. While she kept the larger female so distracted, she extended her free hand to find one of the tubes of soap they had left on the shore and drew it to her. It was the matter of an instant to flip open the cap and squeeze a dollop onto her fingers.

"What are you...?" Tem l`eth tong began to ask and then she coughed in surprise, feeling the Pah`Tht's finger penetrate her other opening. The finger was slim so there was no pain, but it was long enough to reach the sensitive gland. Tem l`eth tong lay her head back, almost crooning with pleasure at the feel of the pilot's tongue combined with the stimulation from her finger.