"My grandfather offered me his space yacht as a reward if I signed on for a ten-year tour in the space navy. That's what made me do it."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 1: The Naval Academy
 
Prologue
 
 
It was the twilight of humankind's solitary existence in the galaxy. Scientists had broken the Faster-Than-Light (FTL) riddle and engineers had built starships with this technology. Humans began to spread from their ancestral star system like a virus. In the hundred years since the first FTL-capable ship was built humans had explored and colonized thousands of star systems.

As exploration and colonization progressed, facilitated by FTL travel and new worlds full of resources, the numbers of people didn't keep pace with expansion. So the realm of humans became over extended and the glut of wealth that developed from this too rapid expansion destabilized the economy. Inflation rocketed out of control and the Terran credit, the standard form of currency, became nearly worthless. The whole scene brought to mind the post WWI picture of the child with the heaping wagonload of German marks going to the baker to buy a single loaf of bread. As the economy further destabilized, so to did society.

100 years after the development of FLT travel, midst the clamor for government action to shore up the failing economy and put down the civil unrest, a new party came to power. Playing on the fear of the people, they swiftly overhauled the ineffective democratic government into a committee-controlled totalitarian regime. This party brought about many changes, restoring order by sharply limiting expansion and taking control of all the resources. Government forces dealt with civil disturbances swiftly and harshly.

In addition to all this, this new party saw non-breeders, such as Gays Lesbians and Transgenders to be useless burdens on society and a historically non-conforming class of people threat to the harmony of Human space or at least their control there of.

Initially a huge and terribly effective propaganda machine began to "educate" the people on this evil in their midst. At first it was very low key. The statements issued contained just enough truth in them to make them appear on the surface to be reasonable. They played on people's natural preservation of the species instincts, and as more and more people began to buy in, the statements became stronger and harsher.

Over a period of years, public sentiment turned against the GLBT community. It was made a crime to be homosexual or transgendered, and those known to be such were swiftly and quietly rounded up everywhere.

The Terran Government had planned for this and had secretly designated an area on the edge of human explored space as a form of penal zone. During the years that the propaganda machine had be turning the public against the "non-breeding" community, the Terran Government had been using it's huge labor force to build a sensor net that enclosed what to someone living before FTL travel would have seemed an impossibly large area of space, containing thirty to forty star systems.

After the initial internment of "non-breeders", they were gathered together in hundreds of the largest and oldest FTL freighters available and sent across the sensor net under the guns of a fleet of naval dreadnaughts. The destruction of one "non-breeder" ship when it broke formation was enough to convince the others that compliance was the best course of action.

It was here when the cabal's formidable planning and organization broke down inexplicably. For some unknown reason, when cordoning off this region of space, they failed to do an in-depth survey of the planetary systems it contained. They knew next to nothing about what the internee's would find once they got in. However, they did give the "non-breeders" a chance for survival. In addition to the billions of outcasts, the freighters contained a limited amount of supplies and advanced terraforming technologies.

This was largely a propaganda measure to ease the public conscience by saying look, we didn't send them to their deaths. The Terran Government , however, gravely underestimated the spirit of these people and dismissed their chances of more than a couple of generations at the most before they dwindled out. It was expected that harsh living conditions and the fight for survival without any outside assistance would take it's toll, and because these people were non-breeders, the death rate would most certainly out pace any sort of birth rate.

Now 350 years after the development of FTL travel, The Terran Government 's efforts were bearing fruit. The economy stabilized, as did society. The Terran government held complete control of all shipping lanes and boasted a huge naval force that maintained this control. Though not terribly harsh for a totalitarian regime, people were beginning to speak of a return to a democratic form of government. Things were better now. The population was up and people were confident now and they were beginning to want a voice. The people weren't angry yet but the stage was set...
 
 
Chapter 1
 
 
Space. Space is an awfully cold and lonely place to be drifting around in. I looked around me at the 40 faces that were the tattered remnants of the more than 2000 officers and crew aboard the ship, my ship, the Serendipity. We were adrift, dead in space, trapped in the three decks, Fire Control, Navigation, and Tactical, which had comprised the operational center and bridge of the ship. As I looked at the fearful visages around me, waiting for me to give an order, some order that would save our lives, I thought back to what had brought us to this moment...

-=^=-

I stepped off the shuttle into the cool sterile air of the Terran Space Academy. I was a fresh-faced 15 years old and had just enlisted in the Terran Space Navy as an Officer Candidate. I was the grandson of an admiral. My grandfather had been very persistent through out the standard 4 years it had taken me to earn my Masters degree in Physics and Engineering with minors in Sociology and Psychology.

I loved my grandfather, but he never missed a chance to pressure me about joining the navy. It was always assumed that I would follow in his footsteps. My grandfather felt I had the makings to continue the family naval traditions as a career officer. My father had chosen a different life after a single hitch. He had decided to settle down and have a family and he didn't want to leave his children and wife for long stretches that would be required by naval life. My brothers and sister, though each as intelligent and potentially successful as I was, lacked the combination of intelligence, charisma, and tactical genius that I had and it was clear early on that they were mediocre naval material, so my grandfather had hung his hopes on my small shoulders. He had begun grooming me quite early for life as a career officer of flag rank. Taking me on long cruises on his yacht, he taught me to be a pilot and taught me the strengths and weaknesses of many naval vessels.

Consequently, I loved space. It represented freedom to me and its call was like a siren song. Personally, I didn't think I would flourish in such a structured environment as the military. I knew this would crush my grandfather so I kept these thoughts to myself. Yet as my graduation from college grew near and more and more opportunities in the private sector presented themselves, I became increasingly troubled. My grandfather sensed my growing reluctance and he knew of the fantastic opportunities I had outside of the military. He decided to hedge his bets, to solidify my resolve to follow in his footsteps. He had intended to retire as soon as I entered officer candidate school and he offered me his Yacht as a reward when I became a naval officer, as long as I signed on for a ten-year tour. That's what made me do it. That and a feeling of something missing in my life I couldn't quite define. I hoped the adventures I would have in the TSN would satisfy whatever this need was.

As I lined up with the other Officer Candidates on the line indicated, my mind returned to the present. The other recruits were all eyeing each other appraisingly and I was no different. To my right was a huge slab of hard muscle. Though he was only about 5'11, such was his bulk that I could practically feel the deck plates under foot straining to hold him up. He had close-cropped blonde hair and a cold intelligence lurking behind his ice blue eyes. I immediately didn't like him but I was wise enough to know that this was someone to watch out for. To my left was...well, she was a goddess was all I could think. She towered above my 5'6 at about 6'2 and her body was perfectly and athletically proportioned to that height. Her unruly ash blonde hair fell to just above her shoulders in an attractive way that proclaimed her a free sprit. For all her obvious physical prowess, what struck me most about her was the gentle compassion I saw in her emerald green eyes when they met my own steel gray. When she smiled and nodded to me I think my heart skipped a beat.

Our evaluations were interrupted by a booming military voice shouting, "Attention on deck!" A tall man with white hair, dressed in an ornate uniform, strode into the room as we all tried to assume some form of attention, most failing miserably. The man paused dramatically as he surveyed us before walking down the line scrutinizing each individual. Some Candidates he nodded and smiled at, others seemed beneath his notice. The Neanderthal to my right got a smile before the man came to me. I got a scowl, but that's not all.

"So you're the Callaway brat," he said with obvious distaste. His eyes traveled up and down my body before meeting mine squarely. "You don't look like much," he said dismissively. "Make no mistake, Mr. Callaway, I intend to make you prove your worth. Your name means nothing here. Your scrawny ass will earn the right to be in my Navy." With that he turned and moved on, smiling at the Amazon to my left. It seemed he was impressed by physical stature. After he reached the end of the line, he stepped to the front of the room.

"I am Commodore Turpitz, the commander of this training facility," the white-haired man proclaimed. "You are all here because you are the best and the brightest your generation has to offer. Your talents and abilities are, the Navy has deemed, adequate to train you for the honor of being an officer of a Terran Naval warship. It's my job to either mold you into competent officers, or send you back to mommy and daddy to find a new career." Turpitz was looking right at me when he said that last part. It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling to know the Academy Commander had it so in for me...not. "Now, when you hear your name called, approach the table and get your packet. It contains your quarters’ assignment and your training schedule. You will report immediately to your quarters where you will be given 2 hours to settle in, get cleaned up and into your new uniforms, already located in your quarters, before reporting to Orientation. Some of you will not enjoy your time here, some of you will not graduate, but those that do will have the honor of being officers in the TSN, the most powerful Navy in colonized space. Good luck to you all. That is all." With that Turpitz turned on his heel and stalked out.

"Andrews, Brian Waylan!" the officer seated behind a stack of envelopes called. A tall red-blonde young man broke ranks and approached the officer, who handed him an envelope and called the next name. And so it proceeded until he got to me.

"Callaway, Brock Lee!" There was a general chuckle up and down the line at this. I steeled myself, and ducking my head, I broke ranks. I got my envelope and left the room, but as I went through the hatch, I heard someone call, "See ya later, Broccoli." That warm fuzzy feeling was back. Yeah I was really going to enjoy myself here. Just had to keep thinking of that yacht at the end of it.

Once out in the hallway, I looked at the directions to my new quarters, printed on the envelope. They seemed simple enough, so I set off. I entered another hallway and discovered to my pleasure that one wall was nearly all window from floor to ceiling. I was immediately transfixed by the beautiful vista before me; the window provided a view of space. As I watched, ships moved through it on various business. Never had I felt the siren's call so acutely, and I knew I was meant for space.

I don't know how long I stood there mesmerized by the spectacle, but someone yelling, "Hey Brock!" from right next to me startled me out of my reverie. I looked to the side and saw the lovely Amazon that stood beside me earlier.

After seeing that she had my attention, she said, "I said, it's beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah," I agreed, ever the adroit conversationalist.

"Brock Lee," she said, with a small grin of amusement. I nodded ducking my head again, waiting for the standard jokes that generally occurred anytime someone heard my full name. "Hey, no, I didn't mean to make fun of you. It's just, I have never met anyone would could understand what that's like."

"Huh?" I said, cleverly.

At this point, the large guy that had stood on the other side of me passed us. "Hey, it's Broccoli and Cauliflower, the class vegetables," the brute scoffed as he went by. The Amazon girl stiffened and seemed about to cause the swine some serious damage, until I placed my hand on her arm. The look in her flashing emerald eyes softened as they met mine.

"So now you know," she said with a tight grin. "My name is Miriam Kali Flowers, Miri to my friends. Are you my friend, Brock?"

"Yeah, sure," I agreed.

"Well, don't sound so enthused about it," she said, pouting. Again I stood there stupidly, berating myself for offending this girl, that is until I saw her eyes dart over to see what effect she was having, then my brain kicked in, and I got a clue.

"Lady Miri," I began, formally, "I would be honored beyond all comprehension for you to consider me your friend. Surely, were it not so, the sun would fail to rise, and the heavens would open up deluging me for the rest of my days."

Her eyes grew wide and she laughed a hearty musical laugh. "You dolt," she said as we resumed moving toward the living quarters, "there is no sunrise or rain in space."

Our quarters turned out to be directly across the hall from each other, so we parted ways when we reached them. "See ya at orientation, Brock," she called over her shoulder as she entered her domicile.

"Later, Miri," I called to her back as I entered my own quarters.
 
 
Chapter 2
 
 
"Dude! You don't waste any time makin' inroads with the babes do you?" commented one Brian Andrews, my newly discovered roomie.

"It's not like that," I said blushing. "Hi, I'm Brock Callaway."

'Damn, he's friggin tall,' I thought as he took my proffered hand. 'Is everyone here going to be like a head taller than me?'

"Hi, I'm..." he began.

"Brian Waylan Andrews," I supplied smoothly.

"Brian to my friends," he said without batting an eye, and then grinned an infectious grin that had me returning it. I liked him immediately.

"So you're the infamous Brock Callaway," Brian said looking at me appraisingly. "Some how I expected you to be more...er...imposing. In any event, I guess I should feel honored to be rooming with the guy expected to be the star of our class, and destined for Admiralty."

"Oh please," I said, snorting, "I am not 'all that', and I certainly won't be the star of the class if Commodore Turpitz has anything to say about it. He doesn't seem to like me very much."

"Yeah, well, I hear Turpitz is one of those dyed in the wool military types that thinks it's everyone's duty and honor to serve in the TSN. I hear Admiral Callaway promised you your own private ship to get you in. Turpitz is just pissed because you didn't fall all over yourself to sign up to be an officer in his glorious Navy."

"Well, I had more attractive prospects in the civilian world," I explained. "They just had to make the Navy seem more convincingly attractive. Besides, I'm not sure I'm suited to the military way of life. Too oppressive."

"I know what you mean," Brian said. "But some of us really are honored to be here. Some of us have worked our whole lives to get here and they will resent you because to them you had to be bribed to be a part of something they see as a privilege. Personally, I just see the Navy as a stepping stone to get into what I really want, command of a cruise ship, where the real credits are."

"I see," I said. "I am kinda getting the impression that this isn't going to be a pleasant experience for me."

"Don't sweat it too much," He advised. "I can tell you're not the type to be all superior and in their faces about things, so I expect most will come around after they get to know you."

Brian and I continued to make small talk as we got settled in and dressed out in our new uniforms. These consisted of trousers and a tunic-like shirt that zipped up the front. They were made from an elastic azure blue material and were very form fitting for two reasons. One was so that if the artificial gravity failed they wouldn't drift about and get in the way and the other was to facilitate emergency donning of a pressure suit in the event of pressure loss. Still, though they fit very snuggly they didn't restrict movement at all.

I was making the finishing touches on my uniform in the mirror when I noticed Brian staring at me. I turned and asked him why, but he just looked embarrassed and mumbled something about me having the look of command or something. I was prevented from pressing the issue by a tone sounding followed by a command to report to the assembly area.

As I exited the room, Miri was coming out of hers, we both froze when we caught sight of each other. At least I did until Brian ran in to me, shoving me stumbling out into the hallway, not having expected my sudden stop.

"You like?" she asked, twirling around in front of me.

"Oh yeah," I breathed, my mouth suddenly very dry. She was gorgeous; a knock out really, the way the uniform hugged her curves while displaying her hard muscled form.

"You're looking awfully cute yourself," she said, smiling, then snapped her fingers in front of my face to bring me back to reality. "So are you going to introduce me to your new friend?"

"What? Oh. Yeah," I said intelligently. "Brian, this is Miri Flowers. Miri, meet my roommate, Brian Andrews."

"Pleasure to meet you, Brian," Miri said, smiling.

"The pleasure is all mine to be sure," Brian said smoothly, also smiling.

"Well, lets get going, we don't want to be the last ones out there," Miri said before shoving me in the direction of the assembly area and then following.

We entered the assembly area to see most of the candidates already there, milling about in groups, getting to know each other. As the last of the stragglers trickled in, a tone sounded from one end of the open room. Two men and a woman stood there, dressed in dark gray uniforms similar to our own. When they had our attention, the man in the middle began speaking.

"Listen up, people," he said. "When you hear your name and number proceed to the corresponding number you see on the deck." The woman began reading names and numbers from a list. I turned out to be eight, so I went and stood on the eight I found on the floor. It was behind the number one, which Brian was standing on. Miri was fifteen and was standing behind me, followed by another girl who was standing on the number 22. There were 28 of us in all making four rows of seven.

"This is how you are to line up each time we have an assembly. Remember your number. I will be your chief instructor," the first man announced. "You will address me as Instructor Kazanski. The gentleman to my right is Instructor Marshal and the Lady to my left is Instructor Hewitt."

"Your training here will be heavily team oriented. You may have noticed that you are standing in a line with three other people. These will be your teammates. You will have to watch out for them and be responsible for them. If one of them is doing poorly it will impact your team score, which will impact your personal score, so it's in your best interest to help your teammates out how ever you can."

"The first thing we will do today is take you all on a tour of the base to familiarize you with the various places you will need to know. I will take teams A, B, and C. Instructor Marshal will take teams D, and E. Instructor Hewitt will take teams F and G. You will now have about fifteen minutes to get to know your teammates before we start the tour."

Strangely, and I am not sure how this worked out, I already knew two of my teammates. Our forth was a short oriental woman. I turned to her and put out my hand.

"Hi, I'm Brock Callaway," I said. "This giant here is my roomie, Brian Andrews."

The dark haired woman took my hand and said, "Pleased to meet you, Brock. Your reputation precedes you. I'm Kim Li and I am Miri's roommate. It's an honor to be on your team. I know we shall finish well."

"Oh, please," I said, just a bit embarrassed. "I am not better than anyone else and if OUR team does finish well, it will be a team effort."

"Ooo, and he's modest as well as cute. You forgot to mention that when you were telling me of him, Miri," the woman smiled. I looked sharply at Miri who glared at Kim while trying unsuccessfully to suppress a blush. Kim just laughed a light musical laugh. Brian was looking back and forth between Miri and me, with a thoughtful expression in his face.

The tour of the station was awesome. Especially the simulators, they were totally immersive, a mixture of a moveable room and holographic technology. The real thing would be routine after the simulators. Other sites of interest were the recreation deck, the docking bays, and the Observation dome, a huge transparent dome under which were lounge type seats that one could sit in and relax while looking out into space. At the end of the tour we were given our computer logins and our instruction began; we were taught how to stand correctly, at attention, at ease, etc. Then they released us for the evening, with a reminder to check the schedule for our next class.

As soon as we said good evening to the girls and the door was shut, Brian said, "Damn, you poor sod."

"Huh," I said, ever with the quick wit.

"You're a marked man you know. Really, you don't have a prayer," Brian continued cryptically.

"What the hell are you talking about," I demanded in exasperation.

"Miri, you dope," Brian explained. "She is way into you. Have you noticed how she's always walking behind you? She has her eyes glued to your butt. Oh, I'm sure you could try to fight it, but she is bigger than you, and I'm not sure why you'd want to anyway. She is hot, after all. For supposedly having this high powered intellect, you sure are thick."

"Whatever, dude," I dismissed. "I'm sure you're wrong. Anyway, I'm probably too short for her. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. It's been a long day."
 
 
Chapter 3
 
 
The next day I awoke to the sound of the TSN anthem being played over the station PA system. It was far too early for me. I groggily dragged myself out of bed and into what the Navy personnel referred to as the "head".

After I had showered and cleaned my teeth I was feeling much more alert as I reentered the main room, towel wrapped around my middle. I kicked Brian's bed on the way by and told him the shower was free. He mumbled some unkind remarks but got up and moved off to the head. As I dressed I looked over my schedule once again. I had class this morning, presumably with the rest of my team. The subject was "general information". Sounded thrilling.

"I'm headed to the cafeteria," I announced to Brian as he reentered the room.

"Great, I'll be along directly," he said as I left the room.

I sat down in the cafeteria with my breakfast and began going over the material we would cover in class today. A few minutes later I felt a hand slap me roughly on the back, almost causing me to choke on the bite of food I had in my mouth.

"Well, well, if it isn't the star of the class, Mr. Broccoli," the huge blonde cretin said as he sat down next to me. I had found out yesterday his name was Olaf Johansen, and he was on team E.

"My name is Brock, Olaf," I told him levelly.

"Whatever you say, Broccoli," he said. "See, here's the thing. I don't like you. I think you're a snotty little queer with delusions of self-importance. Imagine, giving you your own personal yacht for the privilege of being here. My mind boggles at that. To me you are a waste of space who is only here because of your grandpappy, the Admiral and I plan to make sure you don't become an officer. You don't deserve it." He grabbed the prized real bacon off my tray and ate it, saying something about, "not deserving this either", as he chewed.

"So where is Miz Cauliflower and the rest of Team Vegetable," the bully asked after he swallowed my bacon.

About that time, a hand appeared around his throat and pulled him off his seat backwards, dumping him on the floor.

"I'm right here," Miri said from above him. She was practically vibrating with rage. "I believe you were in my seat," she said tightly. "If I ever hear those comments from you again, YOU will be the vegetable. If you don't think I am man enough to do it, try me, you pathetic worm."

Miri stared him down coldly as he got up. "We'll continue this some other time when your girl friend here is not around to protect you," he said looking at me. Miri took a step towards him and he turned quickly and walked away fast, trying unsuccessfully not to look like he was fleeing.

"Well, now that was interesting," Brian said from behind me, where I didn't realize he and Kim where standing.

"Are you okay, Brock?" Kim asked.

"I'm fine," I said before slamming my fist down on the table. "Dammit, I knew this was a mistake," I said, on the verge of tears.

"Hey," Miri said, putting her hands on my shoulders, massaging my neck, "Don't let one asshole get you down, Brock. We can handle him. If he bothers you again, I'll rip his nuts out and keep them in a jar as a souvenir."

I began laughing at the imagery her statement had evoked. "There, that's better," Miri said leaning down and hugging me, her head next to mine.

"You two, get a room would ya?" Brian grinned.

My time at the academy was pretty much routine. Olaf pretty much left us alone after that, but there was one incident about three quarters of the way through during combat training where unfortunately he and I squared off against one another with pugel sticks. This was the moment he had been waiting for; to show what a weakling I was...

His eyes almost glowed in anticipation as we squared off. He was lightening quick as his first thrust knocked me on my butt before I could even react. I knew I was way over matched and I was about to be pummeled viciously. He evidently wanted to punish me cause he backed off and let me regain my feet. I landed the next blow on his shoulder, which he shrugged off, taunting me.

"You hit like a little girl, Broccoli," he jeered. "Is that what you are, one of those sissy Faggots?"

The gathered spectators gasped and then fell silent because those were very serious charges. Accusing someone of being a homosexual was tantamount to accusing some one of being a communist during the McCarthy era in the 20th century United States. For the last 150 years the Terran Galactic government HAD made it a law that it was a crime to be homosexual or transgendered. Such folks, once discovered, were invariable sent to a sort of penal colony far outside the mainstream and there blockaded. With such charges being made, I had to respond.

"No, I'm not a 'sissy faggot', O-laughable," I jeered back. "Why do you ask? Looking for a date?"

The spectators began to laugh as Olaf's little ploy had backfired on him. Olaf began to glare at the laughing people around him and I saw my chance. With a vicious upward blow, I nailed him in the crotch with all my strength. Miri swore his feet came off the ground. Even with the protective equipment on that blow hurt him. As he doubled over, dropping his weapon and clutching himself, I brought my stick up again in another brutal upward blow, this time catching him squarely in his face, mashing his nose and actually flipping him over onto his butt.

He lay on his side in fetal position, blood trickling from his nose and clutching his crotch; it was obvious the fight was over. I squatted down beside him.

"Never take your eyes off your enemy, Oh-laughable," I advised him, twisting the knife in the wound. "Never underestimate your enemy. And finally, MY...NAME...IS...BROCK." I stood and stalked out of the combat area to the cheers of the other trainees.

This incident was not without it's repercussions. Some were good. Olaf got reprimanded for unofficer-like behavior. This cost him and his team their second place position, bumping them back to fifth. Turpitz finally got off my case and even began to respect me for being cold and ruthless in dealing with my enemies — for being willing to fight dirty if that's what it took. Some were bad. I got officially reprimanded for hitting Olaf in the off-limits crotch area despite the unofficial pats on the back I got from the instructors and Turpitz. This cost me and our team our first place slot, bumping us back to third place.

"Guys, I am really sorry," I said for the fifteenth time as we sat at the table in the cafeteria.

"For what?" Brian asked.

"For knocking us out of first after all the hard work we've done to get there," I said.

"Brock, would you just stop it," Miri said, exasperated. "We have all agreed it was worth it to see you take that prick out.” “My god,” she addressed the others, “did you see the look on his face when Brock connected with his family jewels? I thought his balls had gone all the way up and were forcing his eyes out of their sockets."

We all laughed and I felt somewhat better.

"Remind me never to piss you off," Kim added, setting off another round of laughter after some sober agreements.
 
 
Chapter 4
 
 
By graduation, a little over a year from that first day on the docking bay, our team had regained second place and I had worked back up to third over all. Miri finished fifth and Brian and Kim had both finished in the top ten. Olaf's team finished dead last in the class due to infighting, while Olaf himself faired better, finishing in the upper half of the class.

Each of us got to choose our first ship assignments based on the place we finished in the class. Miri and I both chose dreadnaughts, while Brian chose a heavy cruiser. Kim strangely chose a light cruiser, which had less prestige than the larger vessels. I discovered later that her choice allowed her to attain a command of her own much more quickly.

As we concluded the graduation ceremony and we were sworn in as officers of the TSN, I was told to report to Commodore Turpitz office. Wondering why, and perhaps a little worried that I was in for another reprimand, I entered the Commodore's reception area with trepidation. Soon I stood at attention before Turpitz. He let me stand there for some time before he finally looked up and grinned at me.

"Well, Callaway, I must admit, I was wrong about you. You have the makings of a fine officer and with some seasoning, you will be a fine ship's Captain. But I didn't call you here for that, and I bet you are curious as to why you are here." I nodded. "Please look into the retinal scanned on my desk and place your thumb on the DNA tester." I did as asked, a bit baffled as to what was going on. When the equipment was done, I resumed my attention stance as Turpitz did a few things on his terminal.

"Come with me," Turpitz commanded as he rose and headed out the door. Now I was really perplexed, but as we approached the docking bay I was starting to get a clue. We entered the docking bay and there before me was the most beautiful ship I had ever seen. Her hull was a deep midnight blue and her nose was long and sleek even as her bulk hinted at a spacious interior. My grandfather's Yacht.

"She's all yours, Callaway," Turpitz grinned. "I expect you to make yourself worth this ship, but I can see now that you won't have a problem with that. Congratulations. The entry codes have been keyed to your DNA and Retina prints. I will leave you two to get acquainted, but don't take too long, I believe you have a party to get to."

"Thank you very much, Commodore Turpitz," I said. "Don't worry, Sir, I will do my level best to be worthy of her." I saluted the Commodore who smiled and returned the salute, before patting me on the shoulder on his way out.

Later, after I had examined my yacht from stem to stern, I left to attend the party. It was in full swing when I arrived. Brian saw me come in and walked over to me.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Oh, nowhere special," I said off handedly. "Just taking possession of one Admiral's yacht." Then I grinned a huge grin.

"Awesome!" Brian said with a big smile.

"Cool," Miri said enthusiastically, as she joined us.

"So what's she like?" Brian asked.

"She is showing her age. Her systems are outdated and she is going to need a tune up," I said solemnly, then grinned a huge grin, "But other than that, she is everything I dreamed of. I think I am going to take her out for the week of liberty we have coming before reporting to our assignments."

"Sounds like fun. Too bad I have plans, or I would go with you, but I want to see her," Brian said, then added when I looked as if I was ready to take him right then, "After the party, dork." I nodded and grinned sheepishly.

I basically mingled with our classmates for most of the night when Miri didn't have me out dancing and eventually the party was winding down. Brian came up and asked if I was ready to show him the ship. I told him I was.

"Give me a half an hour, then meet me at the docking bay, okay?" he said.

"A half hour, gotcha," I nodded.

I went around and said my goodnights to everyone, but I couldn't find Miri. I finally gave up and went over to say good night to Kim. She said she hadn't seen Miri in a while either, but she would pass on the goodnight for me if she did.

"Have a pleasant time," she told me with a strange knowing smile.

I headed down to the docking bay. When I arrived, Brian was nowhere to be seen. I called out, "Brian?" That's when I saw her. She moved sensuously out from behind the landing strut of my ship. What she was wearing was definitely NOT TSN issue.

"Guess again, sailor," Miri purred, moving closer until she was right in front of me resting her arms on my shoulders with her hands clasped behind my head.

"Miri? Where's Brian," I asked, a little confused and a lot frightened.

"Do you really care?" She asked then planted, I was sure, the most brain-scrambling kiss in the history of mankind, on my lips.

"Who's Brian?" I asked.

"So, sailor, are you going to show me your big sexy ship?"

"I, uh, sure, I can give you the grand tour," I said.

"Great," she said giving me a mischievous grin. "I am dying to see the Captain's stateroom. Let's start there.”

The tour started with said stateroom and ended there too. Actually it never left there cause Miri proceeded to turn my world upside down and inside out, taking me to heights of passion and pleasure that defied description by my inexperience. The best part though, was afterward, when we fell asleep in each other's arms, snuggled closely. I remember thinking as I drifted off to sleep that her musky post lovemaking scent was delicious.

When I awoke that next morning, I was alone in the bed and I thought I had dreamt the whole thing. I showered and put my new midnight blue uniform on before heading out to examine more of the ship. I wanted to come up with a list of things to do to her first. When I opened the door I smelled food. I followed my nose to the galley where I saw Miri sitting at a table set for two with breakfast. As I entered, she got up and glided over to me, enfolding me in a warm embrace.

"Morning, lover," she smiled. "I thought you would never get up. I was afraid I had damaged you."

"If that was damaging me, then please, utterly destroy me," I laughed.

"Careful what you wish for, sir," Miri grinned. "You know, I have wanted to do that from the first day we talked in the hallway."

"I had no idea," I said.

"No kidding. For being so damn smart, you were utterly clueless at times," she laughed.

"You know, Brian said the same thing the first day," I commented. "He said you would have me, whether I liked it or not. I enjoyed you having me immensely I might add. He said it was just a question of when you would mount your assault. I think it surprised him that you waited this long. I told him he was being ridiculous. A woman like you couldn't possibly be interested in someone like me."

"Now what kind of crap is that, Callaway?" Miri demanded. "Why couldn't I be interested in you?"

"Well, look at me, Miri," I explained, "I am short, not fat, but not athletic either. I am not exactly the pinnacle of the masculine form, while you...you are beautiful. You are tall, extremely athletic, way stronger than I am. You are intelligent as well as physically beautiful. I just thought you would go for someone built like Olaf, less the cruelty that pervades his attitude."

"Oh please," Miri snorted in disgust, "I do not find men like Olaf attractive, cruel or not. That type of overly male character does nothing for me. I prefer gentle caring guys with good heads on their shoulders, not big muscles in their shirts. Yeah, you’re maybe small, but you are not defenseless. Look at what you did to that brute Olaf. The prick is terrified of you now, all because you are smarter than he is and he now knows you are not afraid be very ruthless when you have to be.

"Would it surprise you to know that most men don't find me particularly attractive? It's true. They are intimidated by my strength. Sure, they all say I am attractive and how they want me, but when it comes right down to it they run away as fast as they can. Frankly, I am surprised that you haven't yet."

"Miri," I said seriously, "You have always had my heart for a smile. Ever since that day we stood lined up in the shuttle bay, I knew you were someone I could love. I just never expected that you could actually find me attractive. Trust me, I will never run from you."

"Well good, now that we have that settled, breakfast is getting cold," Miri smiled.

As we ate we chatted a bit more about what we had planned for our liberty. Of course the subject came around to my plan to take the ship out for a shake down voyage.

"So what are you going to call her?" Miri asked.

"Duality," I said, then explained at Miri's expectant look. "Duality, because I'm a free sprit at heart. To cruise around space following my heart while answering to no one; that's what I desire. It's very much at odds with the Naval life I've chosen for myself. Thus...Duality."

"I see," Miri said. "You know, I didn't have any plans for my liberty." She had a mischievous glint in her eye.

-=^=-
 
 
Hi folks, This will be a very long story (I have been working on it since last December), however, I have divided it into smaller parts, in deference to the readers, since I realize that most readers don't want to sit down and read a novel length story in one sitting. I hope you enjoy my first venture into the realm of Sci-Fi =) --LCG
 
I would like to thank those that helped me with the proofing and structure of the story. I would also love to hear any and all constructive feedback. --LCG
-=^=-

"Somebody always has to be the outsider..."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 2: Rescue & Revelations
 
Chapter 5
 
 
Well, a week later, Miri and I docked with the TSN regional command station where we were to rendezvous with our respective ships. I hadn't gotten as much done with Duality as I had planned on but, gosh, I sure had fun not getting it done and I had the ear-to-ear contented smile to prove it. Good-byes with Miri were tearful. We were going to miss each other badly. I also had to leave Duality in storage at the command station while I was at space.

Over the next five years, I spent most of my income on upgrading Duality's systems and components. My career was progressing nicely and there were definite projections that I would soon have a command of my own. Miri was faring similarly. We hadn't seen each other much in the last five years due to our liberties not coinciding, but we kept in contact as often as possible via vid messages and vid phone. Currently, I was the second officer on the dreadnought Aquinas on blockade duty around the forbidden colonies, where the Galactic government sent homosexuals or others they deemed an abomination.

I was standing third watch. It was my favorite time. There wasn't much activity and I was pretty much left on my own while two thirds of the ship slept. I was going over some routine reports when my sensor operator spoke up.

"Contact, incoming, Lieutenant Commander Callaway," he said crisply.

"How far, Mister Peters?" I asked.

"Just entering sensor range. About three thousand AU's, closing slowly," the sensor tech informed me.

"Hail them, please, Miz Larson," I told my comm tech.

"Communications established, sir," she said after a few moments.

"Very well, on the main view screen please," I said.

Soon the main view screen changed from the view of space to a view of the Captain of the incoming ship. I could tell right away that she hadn't always been a she. She was one of those transgendered people who the Galactic government banished to the sector of space we were blockading. The fact that I could tell this was evidence of cheap, inferior genetic tailoring viruses. Otherwise she would have appeared normal female to the untrained eye.

"Incoming vessel," I said after I keyed my mic, "You are approaching a restricted area. Alter course at once or we will be forced to fire on you."

"TSN Aquinas, this is the captain of the UNARMED cargo vessel Tina. To whom am I speaking?" the captain asked.

"This is Lt. Cmdr. Callaway, second officer. Again, I say alter course or be fired on," I replied.

"Lt. Cmdr. Callaway, you must let us through. We carry a cargo of desperately needed medical supplies headed for the planet Diversity. Thousands will die if we don't make it through." The Captain of the Tina's eyes shined with inner peace and conviction that she was doing the right thing. "Please, let us through," she begged me.

"My orders are clear, Tina. No ships go in, no ships go out. If you continue your approach, I will be forced to destroy you," I informed her.

"Very well, Lt. Cmdr. Callaway," she replied. For a minute I though she had come to her senses and was going to alter course, but then it was clear she intended to keep right on coming.

"How long until she is weapons range, Mr. Ireland?" I asked my fire control officer.

"About in two minutes, Sir," he responded.

"Very well, when she gets in range, fire a warning shot across her course. Full volley," I ordered.

"Yes Sir!" he replied smartly.

Two minutes later I heard the ships main batteries fire and watched as the 16 particle beams cut a swath neatly across the cargo ship's trajectory.

"Mr. Callaway, the light show was very impressive, but if you intend to stop us you will have to destroy us," the Tina's Captain advised. She was determined to pursue this idiocy, obviously counting on my humanity to spare her.

I had just decided that it was working for her when my personal comm crackled to life. "Mister Callaway, this is the Captain. Why have the ships weapons fired?"

"Blockade runner, sir. I fired a warning shot to get her attention," I informed my commanding officer.

"Has she altered course?" the Captain inquired.

"I'm afraid not, Sir," I replied.

"Very well, Mr. Callaway, you know your duty. If she crosses the line, destroy her," the channel went dead.

In an hour the Tina would reach the line. If she crossed it I would be forced to destroy her. I would be forced to kill all aboard an unarmed vessel on a mission of mercy. That was something I couldn't live with, though I knew disobeying these orders were going to cost me my career and very likely my life. Yet I knew what I had to do.

Working quickly at my terminal, I hacked the fire control computer and locked it down with an encrypted password. It would be easy to defeat, but it would perhaps give the Tina enough time to get out of weapons range before she could be fired upon. Soon that was done and I settled in to wait for the end of my military life.

The Tina slowly crept across the line into the restricted area. Now the fun would begin. My bridge crew looked expectantly at me. I sat impassively. Finally, my fire control officer, the next in command on the bridge, spoke up.

"Sir, the cargo vessel has entered the restricted area," he stated.

"I am aware of that, Mr. Ireland," I said calmly.

"Your orders, sir?" he prompted.

"At ease, Mr. Ireland," I replied.

"Sir you know our orders are to destroy any ship crossing the line," he said, clearly getting agitated.

"I know what the orders are, Mr. Ireland. I said stand down!" I snapped.

As the fire control officer sat back down and glared at me, my private comm came to life again. "Mr. Callaway, this is the Captain. Has the vessel changed course?"

"No, sir, it hasn't," I replied.

"Has it crossed into the restricted area?" the Captain asked.

"Yes, sir, it has," I replied.

"Then why haven't you destroyed it?" the Captain demanded.

"Because I don't intend to, sir," I said, sealing my fate.

"I beg your pardon, I thought I heard to say you don't intend to destroy the blockade runner," the Captain said calmly.

"You heard correctly, sir," I said just as calmly.

"Am I to assume you have a legitimate reason for this?" the Captain asked.

"Yes sir, I do," I replied.

"Are we about to be set upon be a fleet of war ships?" the Captain inquired, the tension mounting.

"No sir," I stated.

"Then what possible reason could you have for disobeying a direct order?" the Captain said, pronouncing each word in precisely clipped speech.

"Because, Sir, destroying an unarmed vessel on a mission of mercy would be morally and ethically wrong. Respectfully, that is my reason, sir," I said in just as precise speech.

Just then the bridge door slid open and the Captain entered.

"Mr. Callaway, you are relieved. Mr. Ireland, destroy that ship. Lieutenant Larson, call a security detail up here to take Mr. Callaway into custody," the Captain commanded.

"Captain, the weapons are not responding. As soon as I tried to fire them they all went off line. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary, sir, all of them," Lt. Ireland informed him.

"Get them back up, Mr. Ireland," the Captain said, looking sharply at me.

"Captain, the system has been locked out with an encryption code," the fire control officer stated.

"How long until the ship is out of weapons range?" the Captain asked.

"Less that 45 minutes, Sir," the sensor tech replied.

"Then, Mr. Ireland, you have a half an hour to break the code and get the system back on line," the Captain said.

"Sir, it's been set up so that any attempt to tamper with it will cause the system to do a hard reboot," Lt. Ireland informed the Captain. What he didn't add because we all knew it all too well was that hard booting the system would take a minimum of an hour before they could bring the weapons back on line.

The Captain looked at me. "Mr. Callaway, remove the lock and I will not add sabotage to the charges against you," he said.

"Respectfully, sir, I cannot," I said.

"Cannot or will not, mister," the Captain asked sharply.

"Does it matter, sir?" I asked.

"No, I suppose it doesn't," the Captain said with resignation.
 
 
Chapter 6
 
 
The security detail arrived and took me into custody. The Captain ordered them to take me to the brig. I sat in the brig for several hours before the security team returned to escort me to the Captain's ready room. When we arrived, the Captain was sitting behind his desk. He signaled the security team to leave and gestured for me to sit down. I did so.

"I wanted you to see this," the Captain said as he turned the view screen to me.

It was a split screen recording of a communication between the Captain of the Tina on one side and my Captain on the other.

"Goddess' blessing upon you, Lt. Cmdr. Callaway," the Tina's Captain said.

"Lt. Cmdr. Callaway has been relieved of duty. This is the Captain of the Aquinas," my Captain said.

"Then blessing upon you, too for allowing us through. The medicine we carry will save thousands that would otherwise have certainly perished," the strange man-woman said.

"Do not bless me, or thank me. It was only by virtue of Mr. Callaway locking down our weapons systems that you yet live," my Captain stated.

"Then he is a compassionate man and has our gratitude," the Tina's Captain responded.

"Indeed," said my Captain. "I just though you might like to know what the man to whom you owe your gratitude has personally given up to save you and your people. Brock Callaway was a bright young officer on the fast track to make admiral, possibly being the youngest ever to do so. Until now his record had been spotless. I happen to know he was to be given his own command within the next year. Helping you and your people has cost him all that at the very least. Very likely it will cost him his life after the court martial."

"Then he is courageous and honorable as well as compassionate," the Tina's Captain said, her eyes shining with tears at what had been sacrificed for her and her people. "Thank you for telling us about him. He will be remembered as a hero to our people."

"Indeed," agreed the image of my Captain, "He has my utmost respect for his honor and conviction. I deeply regret that I must be the one to bring the charges against him."

"Perhaps you can all learn a lesson from him," the Tina's Captain said sadly. "Perhaps you can learn from him that there are more important things than orders and that maybe there is a higher duty to your fellow human beings."

"Perhaps," my Captain said, also sadly, "but more likely we will just learn the price of disobeying those orders and disregarding the duty to the TSN."

"That would be most regrettable," the Tina's Captain said, a tear running down her face. "Please give Mister Callaway our respects and tell him our prayers are with him. He has our eternal gratitude."

As the display went blank, I looked up at the Captain. He actually looked a bit misty eyed himself.

"Thank you for showing me this, Captain," I said sincerely.

"Son, I truly respect your strength of character," the Captain said, "but now you have put me in an unenviable position, that of having to bring charges against someone I respect. I am not an uncompassionate man, and I can't honestly say that I disagree with what you have done here, but as TSN Officers we are sometimes called upon to perform in ways that do not align themselves with our morals or ethics. Here is the list of charges against you."

He passed me a hard copy document. I read the list and knew I was in deep trouble. Two charges of insubordination, one charge of Sabotage of a TSN warship, one charge of aiding a criminal to escape, and one charge of being transgendered...What? Transgendered? Uh oh. I looked up sharply at the Captain. He reached out across his desk with a closed fist. When his arm reached full extension, he opened his hand and on his desk fell a large translucent pink pill.

"I assume you know what this is," the captain asked.

Damn right I knew what it was. Whatever money hadn't gone into the Duality had gone toward this pill. It represented far more than the sizable monetary investment it had cost me. It was to be my salvation when I left the Navy in another five years and was free to cruise the galaxy in Duality answering to no one but my heart. It was the answer I had sought for so long. It was to me, my completion.

"I've never seen it before in my life," I lied smoothly.

"Then you won't mind if I smash it then," the captain grinned and reached out with his electronic note pad.

"NO! Please!" I cried as I dove forward protecting the precious pill, betraying my dark secret, while receiving a sharp blow across my hands as the pad slammed down on them.

"That's what I thought," the Captain smiled again at me. "Son, look, I might have been concerned about finding this yesterday, but at this point it makes little difference. They will probably execute you from those other charges alone. As I said, I am not an uncompassionate man. I am not charging you with being Transgendered and here's what I am going to do. I am going to let you keep that pill. Keep it hidden however you can. After the court martial, if they sentence you to death, take the pill. At least you can die as who you want to be. If they don't sentence you to death then you decide how best to handle it. This is a gift from me to you, as a sort of recognition of your courage and conviction, and also an apology for what I must do."

The Captain stood and offered me his hand. I rose and took it, tears in my eyes at his kindness. "Mr. Callaway, it was a pleasure to serve with you," he said. "I'm going to miss having someone of your competence holding the watch as I sleep."

"Captain," I stammered, "I...I don't know what to say, beyond it was a joy to serve under you. I pray you never have to make a choice like I did. You're a good man and good men don't deserve such choices." I came to attention and saluted him. He saluted back and I palmed the pill and opened the door where the waiting security team escorted me back to the brig.

Two weeks later I was back at the TSN Regional Command Station. Usually this was a happy place for me because it usually meant liberty and taking Duality out, but this time it wasn't so happy. I was cooling my heels in a cell at the station detention center. My court martial would be in about four month's time. The pill was safely hidden, but for the moment I could do nothing but wait.
 
 
Chapter 7
 
 
I heard a bit of a ruckus out in the hall but I didn't think much of it, assuming it was a drunken sailor they had brought in for having too much fun on liberty as had happened quite often in the three months I had been here. Until, that is, Miri appeared at my cell door.

"Hey Sailor!" she said happily. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Miri? What are you doing here?" I asked.

She squinted her eyes, pantomimed ashing a cigar, and in an unbelievably good Bogart impression, said, "We're here to getcha out, see." The cell door popped open. And she continued, "Com'on , shweetheart, lets beat it before the heat gets here."

"We?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, dropping the flippancy and looking up the hall. "Me, Brian and a friend of his. Come on Brock, we don't have much time."

"No," I said and her eyes bugged. "I can't let you all do this. My career is ruined and I'm possibly going to be executed. I can't let you guys take that kind of risk."

"Too late lover," She said. "We have already taken out the guards, and committed enough TSN violations to put us in the same boat you are, so get your cute ass in gear and let's go. We can argue about it on the Duality."

I got up and followed her down the hall after making sure I had the pill. We moved swiftly through the dimly lit corridors and amazingly encountered no one. We made it to the docking bay where Brian and his friend had the Duality prepped and ready for our flight into infamy. We quietly slipped from the docking bay and slowly made our way away from the station so as to draw as little attention as possible. It didn't last long. The comm chatter picked up, then we received an incoming message.

"Duality, that is a restricted vessel. Your undocking is unauthorized. Return to the docking bay at once," the Station Space Traffic Control demanded. When we didn't respond, they began calling for assistance.

"Everybody strap in," I ordered. "We are in for a bumpy ride here, but I have a few surprises for them."

I engaged the stealth mode and the exterior views of the Duality showed the hull turn to a silvery mirror finish, visually, as well as most other forms of detection, almost invisible. Since speed was of the essence I had to fire wall the throttle, which would make us hot and bright to infrared, but it couldn't be helped, even with the best stealth technology they would have eventually stumbled across us. The Duality leaped forward, accelerating like a racing ship a quarter her size. There was only one ship close enough and fast enough to catch us. It was a destroyer and it was bearing down on us at a tangent to our course. As we neared its weapons ranged, it turned its main propulsion toward us and began to burn to match vectors.

"Duality," came a familiar voice. "Heave to and surrender, or I will be forced to fire on you."

"Sorry, Kim, I don't have anything to lose," I told my old friend. "You now have the same choice I did, except in your case it's a friend, in mine it was an innocent. Fire on me or let me go."

"Brock, unlike you, I will not jeopardize my command by disobeying orders," Kim replied as a warning shot from the destroyer's four particle beam cannon cut across our course. They were nowhere near as powerful as the Aquinas' main batteries, but still a couple of well placed hits could easily take the Duality out.

"We're screwed," Brian's friend said.

"Not yet, I still have loads of tricks," I grinned. I pushed a concealed button under the control panel and a sighting reticule appeared on the main view screen. "Last chance, Kim. Let us go. As your friend, I am asking please."

"It's not going to happen, Brock," she said. "Now heave to and surrender, or the next one is down your throat."

I had carefully drifted the Duality directly behind the destroyer, until the reticule was squarely over the main thrusters. I then pulled the trigger on the joystick controller. The cabin lights went dark momentarily as the single dreadnought main battery particle beam stabbed out, scoring a direct hit on the destroyers drive crippling it. I then vectored the Duality away from Kim's limping destroyer and accelerated out of her weapons range.

As soon as we were beyond the tracking range of any TSN forces I made one more drastic course correction and cut the drives, rendering us virtually invisible. Setting the autopilot, I got up and headed to the galley. I poured myself a glass of fruit juice and sat down at the table. The others followed me in and sat down as well.

"Very nicely done, Captain Brock, sir," Brian's friend commented.

"Brock will do for now. None of us are in the TSN anymore and I wasn't even a Captain then," I replied.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but it seems to me that we are on YOUR ship and we are YOUR crew for the foreseeable future, and that kinda promotes you to Captain," the slight man stated. "By the way, since nobody is going to be polite enough to do it for me, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Dan Chestnut. I served under Brian as a computer tech when he was third officer aboard the heavy cruiser Trinity."

"Pleased to meet you, Dan," I said politely.

"Brock, where the heck did you get a dreadnought class particle canon?" Brian asked. "And more baffling, how the heck did you find room to mount it on Duality without it being visible?"

I grinned, "It cost me my last two years wages and it's amazing the space I saved by upgrading all the ships systems to the newest micronized naval versions. Call it part of my TSN compensation package."

"YOU? YOU misappropriated TSN assets?" Miri laughed.

"Well, I never claimed to be an angel," I told her sweetly.

"So, my Captain, what are we going to do now?" Miri asked.

My look turned grim, "You are all a bunch of morons you know," I said sadly.

There was a general chorus of agreement, which took me off guard and we all started laughing. But I quickly sobered again.

"You have become outlaws to save someone you never truly knew," I said somberly.

"What are you talking about? You are my best friend, Brock," Brian said.

"No kidding," Miri added, "I think I know you better than anybody here, being your LOVER and all. Hell, Brock, I would follow you through hell itself if that's where you were going."

"You're right, sir, I don't know you that well," Dan commented, "but you are important enough to Brian to throw away his career and that's a good enough reference for me."

"Well, I have something to tell you that may change the way you feel," I said sadly.

Everyone looked at me expectantly, so I pressed on. "I have a secret that I have kept hidden from all of you." I paused to take a drink of juice, stalling a bit before continuing. "Geez, I have kept this hidden for so long my throat bulks at saying the words. I...well...I'm transgendered. I have always felt uncomfortable as a man and I have always known on some level I was female inside." They all were looking at me, as if waiting for me to go on, sensing there was something else, so I placed my precious pill on the table, looked at each of them before saying, "I won't be as you see me for much longer. That pill cost me a my third year's salary, and it will make my outside agree with my inside."

"Is THAT all?" Brian sighed in relief. "Goddess, girl, I have suspected that from almost the beginning."

"I am your LOVER, Brock," Miri laughed. "You didn't think I knew this? Damn, you were definitely off in your own little world. Oh, you kept it well hidden to the general population, but I guess those of us you felt safe with kinda saw enough to suspect."

"Well I had no idea," Dan grinned. "You kept it totally secret for the five hours or so I have known you. Like I said before though, if Brian stands by you that's good enough for me."

"I don't know what to say," I said looking down as the tears began to fill my eyes. "Thank you all for being so accepting. I never expected that."

"Sheesh, Brock, we threw away our careers and became deserters who will be executed if we are ever caught," Brian pointed out. "We care a great deal for you and I don't think this changes that a bit, even if it had been a surprise. I don't think you had anything to worry about with us." There was a general chorus of agreement.

"Well, boys, I think us girls need to talk about our relationship," Miri said smiling. "If you gentlemen would be so kind as to take the watch, Brock and I are going to retire to the stateroom for a bit."

"Well Dan," Brian grinned. "I think 'lover' out ranks 'best friend', so I guess we should do as the lady says."

As the guys got up and headed out to the control cabin, Miri got up and got our secret bottle of champagne and a pair of flutes, before giving me that come hither look and disappearing into our stateroom. I picked up my pill off the table and my cup of juice and followed my lover.

-=^=-
 
 
How will the change Brock is planning effect his relationship with Miri? Will she remain his lover, or will they now just be friends? Stay tuned for the next part of the story. --LCG
 
I would like to thank those that helped me with the proofing and structure of the story. I would also love to hear any and all constructive feedback. --LCG
-=^=-

"I guess what I am trying to say is, I always viewed you as my girl."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 3: Evolution
 
Chapter 8
 
 
"So, Brock," Miri said, handing me a flute of champagne and sitting on the bed, "What does this mean for our relationship? Are you a straight girl? Are you going to want a man?"

"You tell me, Miri," I countered. "Are you going to want a man or will you continue as my lover? Cause I told you long ago I wasn't running from you."

"Not fair," Miri laughed, but when I just looked at her, she continued, "Okay, there's something I never told you about why I was so attracted to you. I thought it might offend you before but now...well, now I don't think it will matter much. You were always the more femininely temperate of the two of us, always the more passive and that appealed to me…a lot. When I finally held you, you felt so small and fragile in my arms, just like a girl, even as you trembled that first night we shared together. I loved you for that. I guess what I am trying to say is, I always viewed you as my girl. That you are truly going to be...are...well, I couldn't be happier. Now what about you? You don't owe me anything. If you need something more masculine, I will stand aside and be happy for you. Don't feel like you are running from me."

"Miri," I said, tears again welling up in my eyes, as I threw my arms around her and cried tears of joy on her shoulder. "You're beautiful. I love you more than life itself. If you still want me after, I said it before, you have always had my heart for a smile."

Miri clinked glasses with me before draining hers. I followed suit. "What say we have one last encounter as male and female, before we start the relationship we were meant to have?" Miri suggested, grinning lecherously.

"Sounds delightful," I grinned back at her.

A couple of hours later, as we lay entwined with each other, Miri asked, "So can I pick out your new name, or did you have your heart set on something?"

"You know? I hadn't given that much thought. I guess I was thinking my old one would work, but given the circumstances, I guess I really should use something else," I supposed. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about keep your surname and I have always thought Valerie Nicole would be a beautiful name for you," Miri laughed. "Yes, I was thinking of girls' names for you before this. Told you I knew."

"That's beautiful," I said. "I love it. Valerie Nicole Callaway it is then. Wait until you see what this pill does, assuming it performs as advertised, and I have little doubt it will. I made sure I used the most reputable source the black market had to offer. You're going to love it."

"I love you," Miri said, "and that is enough for me."

"Are you ready?" she asked. I nodded nervously. She got up and went over to where I had set the pill and the juice retrieving them and bringing them to me.

"Are you going to need anything? How long will it take?" She asked.

"I shouldn't need anything," I answered. "In most cases, it's rather messy, I understand, cause there is usually a great deal of mass coming off, but I kinda like my overall size the way it is."

"Oh," Miri said in mock disappointment, "I was kinda hoping for a 5 ft blonde with double D boobs."

I laughed about that until tears were running down my face. As the laughter subsided, Miri handed me the pill and the juice. I took the pill and placed it on my tongue reverently. I looked at her, for a moment and she smiled reassuringly and nodded. Raising the glass of fruit juice, "Cheers!" I said, and then drained the glass, swallowing the pill.

I quickly began to get drowsy and I laid back on the bed. The last thing I remember about my male life was Miri leaning down and kissing me tenderly on the forehead before whispering, "Good luck sweetheart."

-=^=-

When Miri entered the control cabin about an hour after Brock had taken the pill, Brian looked up and asked her, "Well, did you two get things all hammered out? Do you still out rank me?"

"For now I guess," Miri smiled.

"How is he?" Brian asked.

"SHE is resting comfortably," Miri replied.

"He took the pill then?" Dan asked.

"Yeah. I watched the whole process," Miri said. "She slept through it."

"So what does she look like? Shorter? Blonde? With tata's out to here?" Brian asked making Miri laugh at the parallel of her joke earlier.

"Well, you just have to wait and see," Miri said mysteriously and grinned. "She is...ah...surprisingly beautiful."

"Why surprisingly? She took a body-tailoring pill. I hardly think she would have made herself an ugly woman," Dan said.

"You'll see," was all Miri would say about it.

-=^=-

When I awoke, I felt as though I had been letting Olaf pound on my body with a pugil stick again. Groaning, I sat up and found someone had left a large glass of juice and a couple of protein bars on the nightstand. Thanking whoever it was profoundly, I virtually inhaled the protein bars and drained half the juice before slowing down enough to become aware of the new sensations my body was sending my brain.

I looked down and smiled in delight. I had breasts! I quickly jumped up, ignoring the protests of my recently tortured body and floated over to the full-length mirror. What I saw took my breath away. It was just as I had imagined it. My hands began exploring my sleek new curves as I luxuriated in the sensuousness of my own caress. I was held enthralled by my own image in the mirror and the pleasure my own touch was eliciting from my new body, and I hadn't even gotten to the sensitive bits yet.

The spell was broken by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me. I looked around, blushing furiously with embarrassment at being caught caressing myself in the mirror.

"I'll thank you to take your hands off my property," Miri said looking cross for a few moments before it dissolved in to a warm grin. "How are you feeling, Miz Valerie?"

"Like someone was using me as a punching bag after starving me for a week, but aside from that, incredible, wonderful, delicious, but most of all, for the first time in my life, I feel RIGHT," I gushed.

"Well, it's a good thing dinner is almost ready then, isn't it? You have just enough time to jump in the shower and get dressed. I have to ask, little miss smarty pants, did you consider that you now have...er...assets that are going to make your old clothes extremely uncomfortable to wear?" Miri inquired.

"Actually, I did," I commented haughtily. "In fact, I even examined what you keep on board for not uniform appropriate occasions and duplicated it in my projected size, which I hope was pretty close to what I turned out to be."

"Oooo, so you have an LBD and heels?" Miri asked. I nodded grinning. "Awesome, you jump your cute ass in the shower and I'll be right back. And don't be fondling the goods, I want to be the first to have that privilege, thank you very much." She quickly vanished back into the common area of the ship.

I got in the shower and immediately almost had a religious experience as the jets of warm water played across my new and oh so sensitive breasts. My new body, I was finding, was extremely responsive to tactile stimulation. I sighed happily and began to wash myself. When I got down to my new genitalia I did have a religious experience as I involuntarily cried out to the Goddess thanking her for giving me such pleasure.

"I heard that," Miri called from the other room. "Don't make me come in there and wash you myself."

Regretfully, I finished washing the rest of me and stepped out of the shower. I didn't even need to shave now, anywhere, it was an optional part of the package the pill provided. It removed all hair follicles except those on my head, also optionally lengthened to give me a jump-start on my regulation cut, and a small triangle just above my crease. My crease...Goddess, I was deliriously happy.
 
 
Chapter 9
 
 
I came out of the bathroom and caught my breath. Miri was dressed in her LBD and was just putting the finishing touches on her makeup. She had laid out my LBD and the foundation garments that went with it. I picked up the bra, holding it reverently before putting it on with hands shaking with excitement. It looked great. It was black smooth satin and it pushed my nearly C-cup breasts up in a way that created breathtaking cleavage. Reluctantly I tore my eyes from my breasts and picked up the panties. They too, were black satin - the sexy thong type. I couldn't wait to see how they looked on me, but Miri stopped me, instead strapping a garter belt around my waist, handing me a wispy pair of black silk stockings and instructing me on how to don them. Once those were in place and hooked to the dangling straps, Miri took the panties and knelt down, holding them open for me. I reached down, stabilized myself with a hand on her shoulder and carefully stepped into them. She slowly slid them up my thighs, caressing as she went, until the panties were in place, and cupping my mound of Venus in an utterly female way.

"Damn, girl," Miri said as she stood, "you are totally horny right now, aren't you?"

I blushed, and in a dusky contralto that I hadn't noticed until that moment, replied, "How could you tell?"

"I can smell your arousal," she smiled. "It's delectable and I can hardly wait until later."

"Are you," I started, stepping into her, clasping my hands behind her neck, pressing my silk and satin sheathed body against hers, looking up into her emerald green eyes with my own smoldering steel gray ones, "going to tell me that some of that scent is not your own arousal?"

"I am not going to say that at all, nope," she said gulping. "If I did, it would be the lie of the century, but I will tell you one thing...if you don't step away, your sexy female ass may not make it to dinner tonight."

Laughing, I stepped away. Miri indicated I should sit in the chair in front of the mirror. She fixed my hair, drying it then pinning it up on top of my head fetchingly, leaving only two tendrils hanging in front to frame my face. Then she applied my makeup, explaining as she went, so that I could practice to do my own for the next time. That finished, she helped me into the LBD, zipping the back up for me as I delightedly watched the slightly stretchy fabric pull tight, hugging my curves. I stepped into the three inch black pumps and took a few turns about the room to get a feel for them before coming to rest, transfixed by the mirror. Goddess, I was gorgeous. I had been going for plain, not ostentatious, when I had the pill made. I had really made very few changes to my body, overall. My hips were a little wider, my waist a little narrower. Of course, my breasts were much larger than before, but apart from the primary sex organs, I really hadn't changed anything else. Yet, the girl in the mirror...she was heart-rendingly gorgeous.

"Amazing isn't it?" Miri said divining my thoughts. "You didn't change much at all aside from your boobs and crotch. You could still be Brock, the guy, yet you are stunningly and unquestionably female. Very nice choice on breast size, by the way. You have just the right amount of cleavage. And it looks great with that sweetheart neck line."

"You really think so?" I asked, turning sideways and looking in the mirror.

"Oh, please, little Miss Modesty," Miri snorted. "Valerie, you might well be the most beautiful human female in all of known space."

"Miri, don't be ridiculous," I told her.

"Well, it's my opinion and I am entitled to it," she said, sticking her tongue out at me. "Are you ready for your grand debut for the boys?"

"You think they will be okay with it?" I asked, suddenly a bit nervous.

"No, they'll take one look at you and go insane from looking on the face of such exquisite beauty," Miri said, rolling her eyes. "Of course they'll be okay, you dope, but don't be surprised if even those two are a bit thunderstruck at first."

"Why do you say 'even those two'?" I asked.

"Because if my suspicions are correct, if I almost walked in on what I thought I did while you were recovering from your changes, then our friends are a little more than just pals," Miri said, "just between you and me, mind you. They will tell us when they are ready."

"Oh my," I remarked, and then grinned. "Awesome."

"Let's go," Miri prodded. "Let's do this right. Wait just down the corridor until I present you and then make your entrance."

I did as she said and paused just out of sight in the corridor until I heard her say, "Gentlemen, may I have the honor of presenting to you your Captain, the lovely and talented, Miss Valerie Nicole Callaway."

I took a deep breath, put what I hoped was a stunning smile on my face, and swept regally into the common room. Brian, who had been busy pouring himself a scotch on the rocks at the bar, looked up at me and dropped his glass. As the glass shattered on the deck, Dan exclaimed, "Holy shit, she's incredible."

Brian's mouth was still hanging open as his eyes tracked me through the room. I glided up to him and said, "Close your mouth, hon, you look like you're trying to catch flies." I gently placed my hand under his chin, closing his mouth. "Would you be a sweetheart and pour me a brandy?"

"Yes Ma'am," Brian said enthusiastically as he snapped out of the shock and busied himself pouring my brandy while simultaneously trying to watch me as I glided over to the sofa and perched on it, doing my level best to be the picture of a demure female.

Dan then remembered his manners, and jumped up and asked if Miri would like a brandy as well. She said, "Yes, please," and he joined Brian at the bar.

I winked at Miri and began torturing the guys, saying, "You guys sure do look dashing in your dress blues." This about caused another glass breakage. Miri giggled at this.

Soon the guys had our brandies and their own drinks prepared. They brought us our drinks before sitting down themselves. They just sat there, looking curiously at me. I was starting to get really self conscious and I finally had to ask, "Well, are you guys going to just sit there staring or are you going to say something?"

"Damn, Valerie," Brain finally said. "It's really odd. When I first saw you, I thought to myself, you had turned yourself into a most exquisitely gorgeous creature. But now that I am looking at you, and I don't mean this badly, I suspect she was here all along. You still look just like you, or at least your Identical twin sister. I guess what I am saying is that I think even without the pill, you could have achieved a remarkably similar level of feminine beauty. Don't you think, Dan?"

"It is amazing," Dan said. "I was wondering if she even took the pill. You know, like ‘how did you pass as a man all this time?’ Surely, you were female all along and the pill was just a rouse. I know that's not how it was though, or the TSN would have had you shipped off to the Restricted Zone long ago."

"I can tell she took the pill," Brian said, "Her hips are a little wider that they used to be and her waist is a little tinier. And the cleavage! There's nothing fake about that. Brock has always been a master of details and the details, my friends, are what transformed an otherwise masculine appearing guy into the stunningly attractive, literally," he glanced over at where the glass had shattered," creature before us."

"Hear, hear," Miri and Dan agreed.

"I don't mean to seem unappreciative to you guys, but for all that I would love to sit here, basking in the warmth of your appreciation, I am friggin starving," I mentioned.

"Then by all means," Brian said, jumping up and offering me his hand, assisting me to rise, then leading me to the dining room, "let's go eat. Let it not be said that Brian Andrews and Dan Chestnut allowed a pair of lovely ladies to starve to death." Dan got the hint, and offered his arm to Miri and they followed.
 
 
Chapter 10
 
 
Dinner was delicious and soon I was stuffed. It seemed that Dan was a genius with a replicator. The guys had served us and the whole thing was lot of fun. The guys, assuming Miri was right, were supreme actors. They hung on our every word and pretended to vie for our attention, even though they knew Miri and I only had eyes for each other. Still, the kind of non-threatening male attention they gave us was nice.

After dinner, things turned to more serious matters - like what our plans were. Frankly, I was at a loss, so I opened the floor to suggestions. My ad hoc crew brainstormed and we finally decided to try the Restricted Zone. I was fairly confident we could slip through the blockade safely. It would take far too many ships to maintain a full blockade around so big an area as the Restricted Zone, so the net was kept tight using a web of sensor relay buoys. Each buoy also contained a hyperspace inhibitor field, preventing ships from passing into or out of the Restricted Zone in hyperspace. Brian, Miri, and Myself, all having been officers on ships on blockade duty, knew of a weakness.

There was one out-of-the-way jump point that few knew of. Consequently, the TSN only kept it watched by an automated drone, set-up to destroy anything that didn't squawk the correct IFF code. Our gamble was that the drone’s data base hadn't been updated to read the Duality's IFF as hostile. If we could dock with the drone, we had a resident computer genius, Dan, who could hack the drone's computers and rig a bypass that wouldn't see the Duality at all; it wouldn’t matter if TSN updated the Drone’s files or not. The problem, of course, was that the drone packed a hideous amount of firepower. If it saw the Duality as hostile while we attempted to dock with it, we were toast.

Once we were past the drone, we could do a max burn until we closed within detection range of the buoys, then cut the drive, engage stealth mode and coast on through to the other side of the blockade. Unless, of course, we were extremely unlucky, like if something were in our way, a ship or a buoy, requiring us to make a large course correction, the chances of being detected were slim.

"Okay," Dan said, "now that we have a plan, how do we get there? We can't exactly use the government controlled hyperspace accelerators and ships this size aren't jump capable on their own."

"Oh damn," I said in mock concern, "that means the crew cabin I sacrificed for the bigger reactor that I needed for the Particle Beam and the other I sacrificed for the HYPERSPACE GENERATOR that the bigger reactor also powers was all a big waste." I finished with a huge grin.

"Damn, you mean this ship is jump capable? Valerie, sweetheart, you are full of surprises," Brian laughed.

"Um, that brings us to one small issue. I figure there are four of us, so we can have four watches of six hours each, but unfortunately there are only two staterooms and one of them is Miri's and mine. I suppose one of you guys could sleep on the couch when your sleeping cycles overlap, but that will kinda cut down on the recreational space..."

"I think I have a solution for that," Brian interrupted.

"Not a chance, you letch," I countered, "neither of you is sleeping with either of us." I was playing this to the hilt while Miri sat with a slight smile, watching me work.

"That's not what I was going to suggest, Valerie," Brian groused. He looked briefly at Dan, who nodded slightly. "I was just going to say that Dan and I don't have a problem sleeping together."

"Wow," I said, arching a finely shaped eyebrow, "no homophobes in this crowd."

"Correct, dear lady," Dan said grinning. "But the point you are missing is that there are only homos in this crowd."

"Bout’ time you two fessed up," I grinned. "However, could you still pretend to be interested in girls? It was kinda fun having you guys wait on us, vying for our attention and all. I'm glad I don't have to feel guilty about keeping the prettiest girl on the ship all to myself, though."

"You better be sharing her with me, bitch," Miri said flatly.

"What?" I asked, right before it hit me. Then I blushed. "Well, that's your opinion. Mine differs a bit."

"You're too sweet for your own good, you know that, sexy?" Miri replied. I blew her a kiss.

"Okay," Brian announced, "Dinner is officially over. We'll clean up. You girls go to bed...before you start doing it right here on the table. As interesting as that may be, even for gentlemen of our persuasion, I don't think it would be very sanitary."

We all chuckled at this. I got up and started to carry dishes to the recycler, but before I got around the table, Miri grabbed my arm. She took the dishes I was carrying from me and placed them on the table. I just stood there, wondering what she was doing. Her next move was totally unexpected. I let out a shriek as Miri picked me up over her shoulder with frighteningly little effort and carried me to the stateroom.

"See," Brian said above the shrieks, "Didn't I tell you she was going to be the one carrying you off to the cave one day?" I stopped shrieking and looked up at him. Right before we went around the corner, I gave him the finger. "Oh, now that was lady-like," I heard him laugh as we entered the stateroom and Miri closed the door.
 
 
Chapter 11
 
 
Miri lowered me gently to the floor. Even though she had kicked off her heels and I still had mine on, she towered over me by about 5 inches. I snaked my arms around her trim waist and my body melted into hers with my head on her cleavage. She held me with one arm as the other hand traveled up my back, sending little shivers of pleasure up my spine. The hand stopped when it reached my hair. Soon, my hair was free from the artfully pinned pile it had been.

The roving hand drifted down once more and as it went lower I could feel cool air on the bare skin of my back where she had unzipped my dress. She gently pushed me back away from her, and I moaned in protest. The hand caught my chin and tilted my head back. Lowering her lips to mine, she gave me a passionate, yet incredibly tender and electrifying kiss. My whole being seemed centered on that kiss. When she broke it, my dress lay in a puddle of fabric around my feet. I hadn't even noticed her taking it over my arms. I embraced her once more.

This time, my own hands were busy. I didn't need to perform her trick with the hair. Thankfully, she wore her hair shorter than mine and her hair wouldn’t have taken the elaborate style she had given me. It was just as well because I didn't know how it was done. Without my full attention, it would have hopelessly confounded me, and I was far from ready to have given it that. As it was, I caressed her back and flanks, pressing my body into hers while slowly unzipping her dress, almost as smoothly as she had done mine. I wasn't able to get the thing off her shoulders while distracting her with a kiss, though. She was just too tall and in order for me to be in control I had to have one hand on the back of her head, leaving me only one hand to maneuver the dress off her shoulders. She had to cooperate just a bit and that canceled some of the magic, but when we broke the kiss, she was as scantily clad as I was.

We simultaneously released each other's bra straps and shrugged them off. She placed my arms over her shoulders then bent at the knees in a slight squat and wrapped her powerful arms around my waist. Before I knew it, I was being hoisted off my feet. My legs came up instinctually and wrapped around her waist so that her arms wouldn’t support my whole weight. I now looked down on her face and capitalized on the situation by planting another kiss, this time without having to hold her head to control it. I felt her arms release me and I held fast to her with the pressure of my thighs and with my arms on her shoulders. One of her hands drifted down to support my bottom while the other traveled along my still silk-sheathed leg. Her hand reached my opposite leg where it crossed over behind her and traveled towards that foot. She, caressing my foot, removed the pump, allowing it to drop to the floor. Switching hands, she repeated the process on my other leg, and the other pump fell away.

Miri then carried me, placing me softly on the bed. She lay on her side next to me, leaned over and kissed me once again. Her tongue probed my mouth and played across my own tongue, then teasingly withdrew as I sucked on it in a vain effort to prevent its retreat. Her hand traced circles around my breast, slowly getting ever smaller until it traced the edge of my now wide areola. Her hand then changed tactics. It tenderly kneaded my breast before her thumb rubbed my now totally erect nipple, causing my back to arch and an involuntary moan to escape me. Her mouth moved away from mine, causing a moan of protest, but no heed was paid to it. Her mouth instead nibbled and kissed its way down, until a second front opened up on my neglected breast.

Her skilled tongue danced around the edge of that areola, lips teasingly brushing my distended nipple. As her wonderful sensuous mouth began its loving assault on that nipple, the hand that had been on the other breast began to feel its way down, teasingly advancing then retreating. Further and further down it traveled until it was past the waistband of my garter belt, nudging the waistband of my panties. I spread my legs slightly in anticipation of her hand finding its warm dripping target, but the hand wasn't quite through with its sweet torture. It drifted down passed the area that was aching to be touched, until it caught me just above the back of the knee. She gently moved my leg up until it was cocked and leaning open, further exposing my center. Her hand remounted its sensual assault on my inner thigh, slowly drifting lower and lower until it was nudging my satin encased outer lips. Soon, her hand cupped my mound, then began rubbing. Her middle finger glided along my crease, eliciting incredibly intense sensations as it reached the top of its stroke.

Then things changed. She moved her body down until she was positioned between my legs, her face hovering over my mound, as her emerald eye stared into mine. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, her head dipped down and she ran the tip of her nose up the length of my still pantied slit.

"Valerie," she said in a husky voice, heavy with her own excitement, "The scent of your arousal is driving me nuts. I must taste you. Do you want me to taste you?" I nodded my assent, unable to find my voice.

Her tongue flicked out, just touching my button, with unerring accuracy. She tenderly kissed my pantied sex before withdrawing, sliding her arms under my thighs to grasp the waistband of my panties. Slowly, she began to pull and I lifted my hips clear of the bed to assist her. As she pulled the panties down, she lifted my legs until they were straight up in the air. Her hands caressed my sleek silk sheathed legs as they brought the panties inexorably from my legs. Free at last of the panties, my legs once again resumed their position, being spread out before her. Now her hot breath danced with the cool air across my sex. Her tongue darted out and began to play across my labia major. It danced, flicked and teased, first up one side and then down the other, before it clove between. It then slid slowly up until it rested on my engorged button. There it paused until I looked down, finding green eyes looking back at me. They were questioning, asking me ‘are you ready for this?’ The questioning was replaced by amusement at the desperate pleading of my eyes.

Then Miri put me nearly into orbit. Her tongue began an elaborate dance with my clitoris and almost immediately I felt the tide rising, kind of like an electric build up. Just when I thought it couldn't be more intense, she slid a finger into me, then another and began to stroke them in and out in time to her tongue's caresses. My world exploded. My back arched high off the bed and my hips thrashed wildly as a scream was torn from my throat. My body rocked with wave after luscious wave of orgasmic bliss. But it wasn't over after the first tide began to subside. She kept me at that point, orgasms ripping through my body, screams being torn from my throat, for what seemed like hours, until I finally pleaded with her to let me come down, my body limp and spent, my voice all but gone. She at last, relented and crawled up over me, kissing me tenderly. I could taste myself on her lips and I sighed in contentment. She then moved over to the side and, since I was too weak to move, rolled me on to my side, my back to her. She spooned up behind me and pulled the covers over us, then put her arm over me protectively. "I love you more than you will ever know, Valerie Nicole Callaway," was the last thing I heard before consciousness fled.

-=^=-
 
 
I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far. Read on as Valerie and her crew fight for their freedom and make a new life in the Restricted Zone. --LCG
 
I would like to thank those that helped me with the proofing and structure of the story. I would also love to hear any and all constructive feedback. --LCG
-=^=-

" Here I was. Twenty-one years old, beautiful, and female.
I had the love of a beautiful woman whom I loved more than life itself.
I was the captain of my own ship and the mistress of my destiny.
That I was also now a hunted outlaw suited me just fine as well."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 4: Breaking Away
 
Chapter 12
 
 
When I awoke the next day, I was still drained from our lovemaking. Had it not been for the fact that my bladder was about to burst I would have laid there all day. As it was, I almost killed myself as I got out of bed and my knees collapsed under me. I fell to the deck and narrowly missing smashing my head on the edge of a table. I slowly got to my feet and made my way to the head, holding on to things to help stabilize me.

After my bladder problem was resolved, I became aware that I reeked of sex. A shower was definitely in order. As I stood under the hot jets, the water restored the weak spent muscles and I regained some of my strength. I made sure everything was squeaky clean and, in the process, found that things were still painfully sensitive. I stepped out of the shower and toweled off, wrapping a dry towel around my hair in the classic turban. Dressing should be simple today, since it was back to business, just some plain sturdy underwear and one of my new uniforms.

I returned to the stateroom proper and saw the terminal screen was blinking, indicating a message. I went over and opened it. It was from Miri. In the message, she informed me that Dan, the replicator genius, had designed us some new uniforms. She told me to wear something sexy underneath the uniform. "I know you and I know you were probably planning on something utilitarian, but a girl likes to feel sexy even if it's just underneath her uniform. Have you ever seen me wearing plain underwear?" was her exact quote. I had to admit I hadn't. I guess I had a lot to learn. The knowledge didn't come automatically with the body. She also instructed me to just apply a little eyeliner and mascara, and a neutral shade of lip color when I was dressing for ordinary ship’s business, like standing watch. I hoped I would remember what she taught me last night because she said she would be critiquing my work when I arrived on the bridge. Gee, our relatively tiny control cabin was now called the bridge.

I closed the message and went to the replicator to get my uniform and foundation garments. It seemed I now had a choice. The uniforms were all charcoal gray with offsetting black on the shoulders and cuffs, and had accent colors in bands separating the gray and black. We each had our own different set of options to choose from, based on our coloring, I suppose. My colors, it seemed, were a vivid pink, a bright azure blue, or a deep rich purple. I set the replicator to choose for me randomly and it chose the one accented pink. Thinking about my underwear options, I decided to match my underwear to the accent color the replicator picked for me. For the panties, I chose the same cut and material as I had worn last night, but for the bra, I picked a fuller coverage style, though it did push my boobs up into an impressive display of cleavage. What can I say; if you got it flaunt it, I smiled to myself.

Soon, I had my underwear and uniform on, but I almost balked at the boots. When I saw them I rolled my eyes and had serious reservations about their practicality. They were leather and came to a little above my knees, which looked really great, I had to admit, but it was the soles that gave me pause. They had three-inch heels that tapered to a fine sexy point. It looked great, but it would be impossible to get a pressure suit on with them and I was unsure how badly they would impact my agility in a crisis. Then I noticed that the soles came off, leaving a comfortably flatter second sole, which could be put into a pressure suit and would be useful for moving around in areas where the heels would be problematic. I put the boots on.

I sat down at the vanity table and carefully applied my makeup. The eyeliner was going to take some getting used to. My eyelid kept trying to twitch shut whenever I touched it with the pen, but I finally got it on. The mascara and lip color were a breeze. I surveyed my makeup efforts in the mirror. My, perhaps overly critical, eye told me I needed a lot more practice, but it looked passable so I left it alone. Miri had set out some earrings for me that I put in the two holes per ear formed as a part of the pill package. There was also a fine smooth white gold snake rope necklace ready for me, which I also put on, unzipping the top of my uniform and letting it rest against the bare skin of my upper chest, before zipping the uniform back up. Finally, I removed the towel from my rich brown hair and brushed and dried it. When I was done, it hung with an unruly but sexy slight natural wave and framed my face attractively, hanging to just below the top of my shoulders.

I stood before the full-length mirror to make a final check. There was something that just didn't quite fit. In a moment of inspiration, I unzipped the uniform top to reveal a tastefully modest amount of cleavage and the smooth silvery necklace that hung just above it. "Perfect," I thought, and then it hit me.

Here I was. Twenty-one years old, beautiful, and female. I had the love of a beautiful woman whom I loved more than life itself. I was the captain of my own ship and the mistress of my destiny. That I was also now a hunted outlaw suited me just fine as well. I always knew it would come to that as soon as I had figured out what I needed to be complete. Such a feeling of excitement and happiness came over me at that moment that I thought I must explode, but only a bright content smile and a clear warm light in my steel gray eyes radiated the feeling to the outside. As a shudder of utter bliss traveled down my spine, I turned and left the room.

The main deck appeared deserted, so I stopped in the galley and got myself a doughnut and a cup of tea and made my way to the bridge. I carefully made my way up the bridge access stairway unsure of myself in the three inch heeled boots. As I stepped onto the landing that opened out on to the flight deck, Dan was the first to catch sight of me.

"Holy sh..." he started to say then jumped up from his seat, stood at attention and shouted in a crisp military tone, "Captain on the bridge!" Everyone followed his example and even saluted me.

"Oh, please," I said, standing there with my doughnut and cup of tea. "We're outlaws now, not the military. While the chain of command is still important, I'm not gonna have all of you jumping up and saluting every time I come in a room. I'm not standing on formality unless it's called for and I expect you are all smart enough to recognize such a situation. So, for crying out loud...As you were!"

Everybody grinned and relaxed. The guys resumed their seats, while Miri came over to me, grabbed my chin, tilting my head back and turning it side to side. She finally released me, smiling in approval. "Nice job for your first time," she commented. "You'll be a seasoned pro in no time." She was, of course, referring to my makeup. I smiled at the praise. Setting my load down on a convenient surface, I pulled her head down kissed her.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," she said as I retrieved my breakfast and perched in the Captain's chair. I just smiled sweetly at her and proceeded to eat. After a bit, I noticed that nobody was talking and they were all staring at me again.

"I'm sorry," I said, "did I interrupt something? Is there a problem?"

"Um...Your uniform...it isn't all the way fastened," Brian commented.

"I am aware of that, Mr. Andrews," I remarked.

"It looks stunning," Dan commented.

"Thank you, Mr. Chestnut," I said and then added, "nice job on the uniforms, by the way. I love it."

"Thank you, ma'am, but you're the one that truly does it justice," Dan said. "One thing is certain though."

"What's that?" I asked.

"If there was any doubt before as to whether you took the pill, it's gone now. You could only be completely female in those pants," he said.

"They don't leave much to the imagination, do they," I grinned, looking down at my delightfully smooth, bulge free crotch.

"Certainly no room in there to hide any surprises," Brian laughed, as I finished my doughnut and wiped my hands on a napkin.

"So how are things," I asked.

"Shipshape, Valerie," Miri responded. "We are ready for the jump and run to the Restricted Zone as soon as you give the order."

"Would you like to check my figures for our course plot, Valerie?" Brian asked.

"By all means, Mr. Andrews. On the main screen, please," I responded.

"Yes, Ma'am," Brian said crisply, reminding me that I was falling back into the military formality I had just said I wasn't going to use around here.

"Good job on the plot, Brian," I said less formally. "You even took into account that we can't jump as far as a normal ship can. I'm impressed."

Most ships that aren't big enough to have their own jump generators usually have jump capacitors that maintain the hyperspace field around the ship. Once these capacitors discharge or the field is disrupted, the ship drops out of hyperspace. If that happens at an unsafe hyperspace egress, then the ship could punch into a planet, an asteroid or anything that happens to be in the way. All of the capacitors have a maximum standard time, which translates to a maximum distance. While most ships could safely bypass several hyperspace egresses, the Duality was a bit more limited. In order to squeeze the jump generators on board, I had had to sacrifice some of my jump capacitance. The Duality no longer met the minimum standard and had to make more stops to recharge the capacitors than a normal vessel. The payoff was that we could generate our own hyperspace field and didn't have to use the jump accelerators, which were monitored and heavily guarded. Jump accelerators established the hyperspace field for ships not equipped with their own generators and then their jump capacitors maintained this field.

Brian had realized this limitation and planned for it when he charted our course. The trip would take a bit longer because we had to be out of hyperspace for at least four hours on fully depleted capacitors. Of course, we wouldn't fully deplete our capacitors, but we would still be two to three hours between jumps. There was also another positive side effect as well. Because our capacity was smaller and thanks to the greater power availability we needed to run the huge particle beam and the jump generators, our capacitors charged twice as fast as normal ships. This translated into other ships being only about thirty percent faster than we were when using hyperspace travel, less if they had to travel for longer than it took to charge their capacitors to the nearest jump accelerator. All this meant that it would take us about four days travel to get to our current destination.

"So, are we ready to find out what life has in store for us next?" I asked.

"Sure thing, Valerie," Brian said.

"Then let's get on with it. The pleasure cruise is over, friends. Time to go to work," I said. "Everybody man your jump stations. Dan, is there any traffic on the scope?"

"No Ma'am, we're alone," Dan said

"Very well, disengaging stealth mode. Brian, would you care to bring the jump generators online?" I asked. The ship could be fully controlled from the captain's console, including hyperspace jumps, but since this was our first jump together I thought it would be nice to have it be a crew affair, like on a larger ship.

"Yes Ma'am, jump generators powering up," he said. "System checks green, no inhibitors. Engaging jump field. Jump commencing on my mark...three...two...one...mark." We transitioned into hyperspace.
 
 
Chapter 13
 
 
Hyperspace travel is an interesting affair. It's instantaneous and the only sensation you feel is two brief jolts very much like a painless shock of low voltage alternating current. However, your muscles do experience fatigue as if you had been mildly electrocuted. All in all, it's not a particularly comfortable way to travel, but you get used to it after a while.

My watch was the afternoon watch, starting at 14:00 and ending at 20:00, so it was about half way through my watch, 17:00, on the fourth day, when the jump capacitors reached full charge. I called everyone to the bridge, since this next jump could have been our last if the naval drone didn't read our IFF as being friendly. Also, we would all have work to do if it did read us as friendly. Once everyone was up on the flight deck and in position, I engaged the jump generators and we transitioned into and out of hyperspace, the double jolt. Then we held our breath as the drone scanned our transponder. It would either open fire on us or let us be.

"Authorization confirmed," crackled an artificial voice over the comm channel after an uncomfortably long time, and we all breathed out the breath we had been holding.

"Alright, Dan, time to work your magic on our friend, the drone there," I said. "Go grab your kit and I'll dock us." Dan got up and went below for his toys while I maneuvered over to the drone. The thing was only the size of a destroyer, but it packed the firepower of a dreadnought, not needing the space for crew accommodations or life support. The maintenance personnel area was, of course, pressurized, but it was a tiny area, only a computer room and a reactor room, though it did have a recycler and a replicator, in the event someone had to live on it temporarily.

As I neared docking range, I began jamming long-range communications, another optional goody I had installed. Gee, you would think I planned on life as an outlaw, I grinned to myself. The drone was programmed to report any docking with the nearest command center; a transmission that would be repeated until an acknowledgement was made. That is, if somebody didn't go on board and tamper with its supposedly tamper proof systems. I gave control of the ship to the docking computer, shortly thereafter feeling a gentle clunk and shudder as our docking rings mated and pressurized.

"Brian, why don't you go help Dan with his equipment," I suggested. "Miri and I will stay up here and monitor things." Brian nodded and headed down to give Dan a hand.

We had at best two hours to do what we had to do and undock. The Drone reported every two hours on traffic that came in its sensor range, friendly or otherwise. The bypass we were going to install would prevent the drone from recording our passage. What we intended was to insert a virus into its operating system that would respond to a code piggy backed on our transponder. In effect, even if the Drone's database did get updated, it would fail to see us, or any ship that had the code. The virus was very subtle too. About the only way they would know it was there was if they went through every line of code in the operating system and compared it to the original version, something that never happened. In all likelihood, the only way the virus would be compromised is if the drone's computer was destroyed and they had to replace it with a new one, but if that happened, given the amount of shielding and armor around the computer, the drone itself would likely be destroyed.

"Oh Shit," came Dan's voice over the commlink.

"What's the problem?" I asked calmly.

"Um...I have like 20 minutes to get this bypass done and erase the traces of us being here before the drone is scheduled to report," Dan said nervously.

"That shouldn't be a problem for a computer wiz like you," I told him. "I have confidence in you. Just take it easy and go step by step and I'll bet you the first round of drinks that we are out of here with 5 minutes to spare."

"That's not a fair bet, Valerie, cause if I don't make it in time we will never reach a bar for you to buy the first round," Dan said, but it was evident he had relaxed and got down to business.

"Okay, then if you do make it in time, I will buy all night long," I suggested. "How does that suit you?"

"That's works for me," Dan said in a distracted tone.

"Valerie, you have just made a critical mistake," Brian injected. "I've seen that guy drink and you don't have that many credits." We all laughed and the tension was all but gone.

18 minutes later it was back in spades, when Dan announced, "Done!"

"Great work," I said. "Now double time your butts back abroad Duality and let's get outa here."

"Yes Ma'am," Dan said. "I heard that."

Thirty seconds later I heard a crash from down below and Dan came over the commlink saying, "Hatch secured, go go go!" As I released the docking seal and moved us away with maneuvering thrusters, Miri engaged the piggy backed transponder code and turned off the jammer.

Thirty seconds after that, the drone began transmitting while we monitored, ready to run if necessary. It wasn't. The drone broadcast a simple five-word message. "No Traffic, all systems green." It was 17:25.

Brian and Dan reappeared on the bridge grinning like Cheshire cats. "Hope that wasn't anything important breaking in that crash I heard," I said.

"I hope not either. This big dope," Dan punched Brian on the arm, "threw my equipment down the hatch before we hustled it down the ladder."

"Hey we were in a hurry and it saved us some valuable time," Brian said in his defense.

"Well, you better hope nothing is damaged, or you will be replacing it, AND buying my drinks all night," Dan informed him curtly. Brian groaned.

"You did a great job, gentlemen," I praised. "Dan, I guess I owe you a night out on the town..."

"No, you don't, Valerie," Dan corrected, "It took me 18 minutes to get everything done. Our deal was fifteen, so you don't owe me anything."

"Okay," I laughed, "but I am at least buying you a round for quite a few jobs well done around here." I gestured at the blue accented uniform I was currently wearing.

"That, I will have to take you up on," Dan grinned.

"Okay, we're here and we have defanged the TSN Drone," Miri observed. "What now, Valerie?"

"Well, I was thinking," I postulated, "I think I remember an asteroid field that encroaches on the sensor buoy's area of detection. If we could slip in there without being detected, we could plant a passive sensor relay on one of the asteroids near the edge closest the blockade line. Then we could see before we start our drift run if the flight path is clear or if there are any patrolling ships in the area. We should be able to creep in close enough through the asteroid field if we are extremely frugal with the maneuvering thrusters. There are always minor heat flares and changes in the gravitational fields of asteroid fields that should mask short bursts of out thrusters, but it will be a slow process and will require a bit of forethought to avoid any drifting rocks without using much thrust."

"Sounds great, Valerie," Brian said, "but where are we going to get a passive sensor array?"

"Dan, do you think you could adapt the sensor array from a sensor probe for our purposes?" I asked, already know he could.

"Of course, Valerie," he confirmed, "but where are we going to get a...this ships has missile launchers, doesn't it?" My huge grin was enough of an answer.

"Valerie," Miri admonished, "if we are going to be crewing this ship, you should probably tell us about your little modifications."

"When we have time, I will fill you all in," I laughed, "but for right now, there are six single round tubes. Three on each side in the secondary drive struts. Four are loaded with anti-ship nukes, two are loaded with sensor probes, and I have one spare for each tube loaded into a smuggling compartment in the hold."

"I'm on it," Dan said after I told him how to find the compartment. "Give me two hours and you'll have your sensor relay."

"In the mean time I will lay in a course for the asteroid field," I said. "You two go relax. We are going to need to be as alert as possible until we make it into the Restricted Zone."

As Miri and Brian left the bridge, I began scanning the charts for the asteroid field. Soon, I had the course plotted and entered into the nav computer. Once we cleared the sensor radius of the drone, I re-engaged stealth mode and sat back, rubbing the bridge of my nose. I looked at the clock and I saw that it was almost time to be relieved.
 
 
Chapter 14
 
 
Sure enough, the thought had barely finished going through my mind when Brian reappeared to take over. He walked around in front of my console, stood at attention and saluted. "Second Officer Brian Waylan Andrews reporting for duty," he said with a glint of humor in his eye, and then finished sharply, "Ma'am!"

"Stuff it, Brian," I said tiredly, "I am too tired to be baited." Brian relaxed and laughed.

"You know you’re making a big impression on Mr. Chestnut, don't you?" Brian remarked.

"Am I now?" I replied.

"Yes. You stroke his ego and give him positive reinforcement. He has always been talented, but his efficiency ratings were never stellar, pretty dismal at times, actually," Brian explained. "I think he is coming to idolize you. He's so respectful, even reverent when he is talking about you. I've never seen him work so hard or be so dedicated. That's your influence. Your talent is to make people perform above their normal capabilities, and I think he is coming to love you as the rest of us do. You know that, don't you? I can only imagine that Miri feels, if anything, far more strongly than I do, but speaking for myself, I'd die for you if it were necessary to protect you. Hell, I would kill for you if you said it needed to be done, and you know that's not in my nature. Miri is fiercely protective of you. I believe she would cut my throat and dismember me with her bare hands if I ever even thought about betraying you, not that I would."

"Wow," I said, "I'm honored to have such loyalty." I stood up and stepped around the console. I stepped up to Brian and hugged him. "Thank you. Thank you for rescuing me. Thank you for sticking with me."

"You have our loyalty because there is no doubt in our minds that you are that loyal to us. We take risks for you because we know you wouldn't ask us to take any risk you wouldn't take yourself," Brian said into my hair as he hugged me back.

"Now go down and get some dinner and play with Miri a little. I think she's got some pent up energy she needs to burn off," Brian said mock innocently then added, "I don't see how you women do it. You have just stood a full watch and a stressful one at that, and you smell great still, like you just stepped out of the shower. I always smell like shit when I finish my shift."

"Well, Mr. Andrews, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were hitting on me," I said, feigning dismay. "You're not turning straight, are you?" I narrowed my eyes as if suspicious.

"Girl, to tell you the truth, no. I am not into girls, generally, but in your case, I can say without a doubt that after listening to you while Miri tortured you the first night, neither Dan nor I would turn you down if you offered us a roll in the hay." Brian said this with such conviction that it made me blush. "Now beat it girl!” he ordered. “I got this.” I left the bridge and headed for the galley.

When I arrived, I found Miri was there. She handed me a glass of brandy and said, "Go sit down and relax, Love. I will bring you your dinner." I did as directed.

When she came in with dinner, I was sitting at the table with my legs crossed, my chin resting in one palm and the elbow on the table. The fingertips of my one free hand were resting on the lip of the half-consumed glass of brandy. My eyes were shut.

"Are you alright, Valerie?" she asked with mild concern as she placed my dinner on the table.

"Mm hm," I said, too relaxed to be more articulate for a moment. "Just a bit tired."

"Aww," she said as she sat down next to me and caressed my back, "Well, eat your dinner and then you can go to bed."

"Gee thanks, Mom," I said smiling, "You're the greatest."

She lightly smacked the back of my head and said, "Shut up and eat." I stuck my tongue out at her, to which she responded, "Keep that up and I will put it to use."

"Ooo, you promise?" I said and stuck my tongue out at her again. She leaned over, put her mouth over my tongue, and began sucking on it.

She was still sucking on my tongue a minute later when Dan came in and said, "Oh gross, don't you two have a whole stateroom you could do that in?" Miri didn't even look at him; she kept right on sucking and gave him the finger. "Geez," he said, "What is it with the women on this ship? They are all so crude." Miri sucked for a moment longer then released me.

"There now, eat before you start something you are too tired to finish," she ordered. She then turned to Dan, smiled sweetly, then said, "Shut your friggin' pie hole Mister, or I will tell you about ALL the places we have had sex on this ship, and believe me, you wouldn’t be able to enter a room without getting a visual."

Dan, his eyes bugging, first got very pale then blushed a dazzling red. I about choked on my first bite of food as I snickered. He beat a hasty retreat into the galley.

"Miri, Sweetheart," I said sweetly after I swallowed, "We haven't had sex in EVERY room on the ship."

"I know, Lover," she retorted, "but I was going to be so descriptive of the ones we have had sex in, that even when he went in one we didn't, he would have pictured what it would have been like if we had."

There was a roar of laughter from the galley and Dan reappeared, wiping tears from his eyes as still fought down the tremors of mirth. "You girls are too damn cool, you know that. I love it," he said as he disappeared out the hatch, still chuckling.

"I think he likes us," I mentioned.

"No shit?" Miri asked. "Do you think I have a shot with him?"

"Um...no," I said.

"Oh? And why not? I mean if you're going after him I could see where I wouldn't have a prayer," Miri observed. "I mean, you ARE a lot prettier than me and all."

"What? Me compete with you for a man and you not have a shot?" I said in mock dismay. "I would be on the losing end there because you would just throw me in a closet, lock it and go have your way with him. My superior looks wouldn't even be an issue." Miri snorted with mirth.

"Besides, you’re going to be too busy to chase men," I foretold.

"Is that so," she said, looking dubious. "How so?"

"Because I plan to keep you that way," I told her and reached out and gently tweaked her nipple, with immediately hardened, showing through her uniform.

"Hey! I thought you were tired," she protested, "No fair teasing!"

"There’s always room for Jello and sex," I said. "Or is that Jello with sex, or maybe sex with Jello..."

"That's it," Miri laughed, "Shut up and eat your dinner. You're getting weird and that always means you need to go to bed."

After dinner, Miri and I made our way to the bedroom. We stripped each other and climbed into bed. Naked, we assumed our now customary spoon position, her front pressed against my back. She pulled the covers over us and I rolled into her and turned my head as far as I could toward her. She lifted her head to mine and we kissed tenderly.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you, too," she said.

I nestled into her and she put her arm over me. Her hand casually cupped my breast and she idly rubbed my nipple with her thumb as the combination of the coolness of the sheets and the warmth of her body quickly put me to sleep.
 
 
Chapter 15
 
 
I stirred as Miri squeezed me to her with the arm lying across me then gave my breast a gentle squeeze. She rolled away from me and I moaned in protest. She only made it to her back before I rolled over and captured her, snaking my head up under her arm and resting it on her shoulder while my arm went across her body. What the hell, I even threw a leg across her too for good measure and gripped her tightly as if I might forcibly prevent her from getting out of bed. She leaned her head down and kissed me on the top of the head. I purred.

"Alright, Kitten, let me go, I have to get ready for my watch," Miri said softly.

"Nu uhm," I negated, holding on to her more tightly.

"You're a clingy little thing this morning, aren't you," she said with a content smile in her voice.

"Mmmm," I remarked and nuzzled my head on her shoulder before solidifying my hold on her just a fraction more.

"Okay, Princess, if you won't let go then you will be getting up with me," she explained. Then she rolled me completely on top of her and began sliding us both toward the edge of the bed.

That finally provoked me to produce my first intelligible vocalizations of the morning, "I'm the Captain and I am ordering you to stay in bed with me."

"Stuff it, Valerie," she laughed. "I've probably never been given a more compelling order, or one I wanted to follow more, but I know you don't mean it. I love snuggling with you too, Kitten, but think of poor Dan. He's been working hard and he needs some down time. Now, last chance, let me go or you'll be joining me in the shower and it WILL be a cold one."

Still, I didn't relent, but she was just bluffing about getting up with me attached to her, because in a moment she tried a different tactic. She started tickling me on the tender skin of my sides. I yelped and jumped, eventually forced to let her go to try to get away, but she wasn't finished. She captured me. Sitting atop my hips, she caught both of my wrists and pinned then above my head with one hand, stretching me out and making vulnerable the target area. With her free hand she ran her fingers lightly down the exposed and defenseless skin on my side. I jumped and giggled, and then she started on me in earnest. Soon I was shrieking, laughing, crying, and thrashing, all at the same time. She continued her ruthless assault until I came within a heartbeat of wetting myself. Abruptly, she stopped. She kissed me passionately, and then jumped off, releasing me. Before I could recover enough to retaliate, she ran to the head and slammed the hatch shut.

My hand drifted down to my pelvis where she had been sitting and felt the cooling slick fluid. I smiled happily, even as my breasts heaved from my exertion. Yeah, she may have tortured me until I damn near wet myself, but I wasn't the one going away horny as hell. She had aroused herself tremendously in her tickle torture of me. My smirk got wider as I thought about how frustrated she was going to be by the time that I finished my watch tonight.

I had almost fallen back asleep when Miri crept out of the head. She stalked cat-like around to the foot of the bed, thinking I was sleeping. I watched her every sensual move as she removed her towel. She carefully balled it up, still moving slowly and deliberately as if any sudden move might wake me up. It took every bit of my control to keep from giggling at her, but I lay there impassive as if oblivious to whatever she was about to do.

She sprung her attack. She drew back the balled up towel and lightning fast threw it at my face. Just as fast my hand came up, caught it and reversed its direction. Miri found herself wearing the wet towel she had intended for me around her own face as I sprang up and bolted for the head. I was slamming the hatch while she was still trying to claw the towel away from her eyes.

I heard her do a frighteningly good wicked witch impression through the now closed hatch. "I'll get you, my pretty," she cackled, "And your little towel too."

I giggled as I started the shower, once again luxuriating in the sensations a simple shower sent through my body. When I was done and dried off, Miri had gone to relieve Dan. It was a good thing I wanted to be up early today. We were due to come into sensor range of the asteroid field shortly into Miri's watch. I quickly dressed and applied my make up with a few expert strokes. I was getting good at it.

I made my way up to the bridge after stopping in the galley for a quick bite. I proceeded across the flight deck, perched on the chair at the nav station and swiveled around to watch the tall blonde in the Captain's chair. Eventually she looked up at me from the readouts she was pouring over. "Okay, I can smell the hair burning, what's on that pretty little mind of yours?" she said as I smiled at her, squinting my eyes. "Come on, girl spill it," she said as I still didn't say anything, just sat there watching her.

"Valerie," she cautioned in a warning tone.

"What?" I asked petulantly. "Can't a girl watch her lover and think how beautiful she is?"

Miri snorted at that, "You know it just might have worked if you hadn't added the last bit. What were you thinking about?"

"Well, if you must know, I was trying to figure out what I could bribe the guys with to hold you down long enough for me to truss you up and mercilessly tickle you," I said as I placed my chin in my hand, as if still calculating.

"You had better make sure we are near a friendly planet or something, so there will be medical help nearby for the boys," Miri smiled sweetly.

A warning tone sounded from the console, interrupting out verbal sparring. "Multiple contacts, no heat signatures," Miri informed me.

"Great, we're here," I said. "Close to within 50 AU's and hold that position. We need to scan the field to get an accurate plot so we can pick a target and plan our approach."

Miri stopped the ship at precisely 50 AU's. She was as accurate as ever in her piloting skills. I got down to work scanning the field and the drift of the individual asteroids. The scan took about ten minutes. I studied the screen. There it was. There was an asteroid tailor made for our purposes right near the edge of the closest point the field encroached on the blockade area. It was a little too close for comfort, but it was perfect. It was stationary, with no rotation and it wasn't so big it would block the signal from the sensor relay. I set the computer to plot us a course with a starting velocity of 300AUph and carrying us to a stop very close to the target asteroid with minimum thruster usage.

Fourteen hours later, we hovered over the target asteroid undetected, as Brian made his way down there in a pressure suit to affix the sensor array. We had to stay perfectly still while Brian was out there because he was tethered to the Duality and any movement from the ship could send him crashing into the floating rock or the hull of the ship.

"Okay, I'm in position," Brian informed us. "I am starting to drill for the anchor."

At that moment, a warning chime sounded on the flight deck. I looked at the monitor and saw that a TSN blockade ship had just entered sensor range. I was certain they would not detect us, but there was a chance that a sharp-eyed sensor tech could spot us visually. I mentally urged Brian to hurry.

The ship, a cruiser, was just outside main battery range when it paused. As it sat there, I willed it not to see us.

"Okay, the array is set and anchored. I am headed back," Brian said over the comm.

"Hurry up when you get a chance," Dan told him. "We have a curious TSN cruiser out there."

"Roger that," Brian said. "Expediting."

Brian had just made it to the airlock when the cruiser changed direction and began heading our way.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the jig is up," I said. "The cruiser is headed our way. 10 seconds to main battery range."

"I got this," Miri said to Dan, who was the current watch officer. "Everyone strap in for evasive maneuvers," she said as Dan vacated the pilot's console. Miri brought Duality hard around and began to accelerate into the asteroid field even as we began receiving comm traffic from the cruiser.

"Unknown vessel," the cruiser said, "Heave to and identify yourself." After we didn't respond, she added, "Stop or be fired upon!" It was a bluff of course. They were far too large to enter the asteroid field and they wouldn't have a shot at us with all the floating rock in the way.

Miri flew us through the asteroids at a suicidal pace. I could see the beads of sweat on her forehead from her concentration.

"Cruiser has halted at the edge of the field," I announced and Miri slowed.

We finally drifted out of the field slowly and settled at our starting point 50 AU's from the field. The cruiser held station scanning the asteroid field, looking for us. Time was not on our side here and finally when it was clear the TSN ship wasn't giving up anytime soon, we were forced to make a decision.

"They're not leaving," Brian commented.

"I've been monitoring communications," Miri added. "They have reported and called for backup in the form of fighters that can enter the asteroid field to look for us."

"That means there is a Dreadnought coming," I mentioned. "That leaves us with a choice. Do we run the blockade and take a chance that we make it across and out of weapons range before taking too many hits from the cruiser, or do we quietly slip away and return later?"

"If we leave, they will wonder where we went and might suspect our tampering with the drone," Dan supposed. "It'd ruin our day if we returned to find a TSN warship on station at our jump point when we return."

"We've come a long way," Miri said. "I say we pay our money and take our chances running the blockade. If we start a drift run at a vector away from the cruiser and stay cold until they detect us, they will only get maybe 5 minutes of weapons range time on us before we are out of range on the other side. In any event, we need to decide now because a dreadnought just appeared on the passive sensor relay heading in from the far side of the cruiser."

-=^=-
 
 

 
I would like to thank those that helped me with the proofing and structure of the story. I would also love to hear any and all constructive feedback. --LCG

-=^=-

I chose my pink accented uniform and Miri picked the emerald green one that matched her eyes. Once our hair and makeup were done,
we joined the guys in the common room. They looked great, with Brian in a red accented uniform and Dan in a white accent.
I went over and poured myself a stiff drink.

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 5: A New Life
 
Chapter 16
 
 
It was all settled. We had all decided that it would be better if we ran the blockade. There were several benefits to that action that we just couldn't ignore, the main one being that it would be consistent with a ship trying to escape back to the Restricted Zone. If they assumed we had come from the Restricted Zone then they would have little reason to believe that we had somehow gotten by the drone. The trouble was that five minutes was a great deal of time to shoot at us. We were gambling that they wouldn't hit anything critical.

"Okay, Valerie," Miri said, "we're out of the cruiser's detection range and we have about 1500 AU's of max burn time before we have to shut down the drives and go cold."

"Very well, Miz Flowers," I responded, the stress of what we were about to do making me lapse back into formal military speech. "You've been piloting for a long time. Go take a break, Sweetie, and I'll start the run."

"Roger that, my Captain," she said, vacating the command chair, rubbing her eyes. "I'm gonna grab a bite to eat and some caffeine." She kissed me lightly and left the bridge.

I sat down and began laying in the course for our blockade run. When I was finished, I made the announcement over the Duality's P/A that I was beginning the max burn run toward the blockade line. As the ship's powerful engines came up to full thrust, there was a slight but perceptible vibration of the deck plates under foot and the barest hint of acceleration before the artificial gravity generators compensated for it. We didn't have a long run to accelerate to the detection range of the sensor buoys but we would be moving reasonably fast when the time came to cut the drives and go cold.

I cut the drives as we entered the detection radius and we began our drift. Unfortunately, I saw, as the buoys began appearing on the scope, that there was a buoy standing directly in our path. I decided rather than risk detection with a small burn to try to correct, I would wait and make another max burn for the line at the last possible moment.

We had already avoided detection for three minutes longer than we had projected when the dreadnought and the cruiser suddenly turned our way, the dreadnought launching fighters. I sounded General Quarters and skewed the ship to the new course. The deck plates once again vibrated as the drive went to max power and the Duality surged ahead. We were still about 10 minutes from the line when six fighters overtook us. I brought the point defense turrets on line as the fighters launched their missiles. Thanks to some very good tracking and targeting software that our resident computer guru had further improved, coupled with the state of the art twin lasers in each of the two point defense turrets, the missiles didn't even get close.

I then had to take evasive action when the fighters began using their own lasers. The fighters were tougher targets than the missiles, but we mostly evaded their fire as our own return fire began to take its toll. One fighter just about had us dead to rights, having doggedly slipped in behind us and lined up for a crippling drive shot. Unfortunately for him, in the position he was in, both defensive turrets could target him. The smaller craft exploded as the lasers opened up on him. Shortly afterwards, another blew as he was making a strafing run from ahead of us. One more fell prey to our defenses as we crossed the line and the fighters turned back.

The cruiser wasn't in range yet, but it was coming in fast. Our evasive maneuvering had cost us some time and they were back up to 5 minutes of weapons time before we were safely out of range. The dreadnought, though, was a different story. Her IFF identified her as the Poseidon and I knew she was equipped with huge extended range PBC's. She wouldn't arrive in range until two minutes after we had left the cruiser's range, but she could subject us to another 2 minutes of fire before we moved out of her range as well.

I adjusted course directly away from the cruiser so she could only bring her forward batteries to bear and to minimize her closure rate, and thus our time in her effective weapons radius. While I waited for her to close and open fire, I programmed the computer to make random positional adjustments to make us a harder target.

The computer began sideslipping and rotating the ship to confound the cruiser's targeting as she came into range and opened up on us. She was still at extreme range and her bolts that struck us didn't have the power to penetrate even our lightly armored hull without repeated hits to the same spot. Fortunately, she failed to make any crippling hits on our vulnerable drives. We passed out of her range as she slowed to stay out of the Restricted Zone. One more round of incoming fire and we would be home free.

When the dreadnought opened up on us, her fire was more effective because of the sheer size of her cannon. She still had trouble hitting us, but right as we passed out of range, she scored a bad hit. The bolt had hit on thin armor, already weakened by a previous hit and it had penetrated, damaging our reactor cooling system. We vented quite a bit of coolant before the ship's auto repair system repaired the rupture. Though we were safely in the Restricted Zone, we wouldn't be able to use the main cannon until our coolant was refilled, and that couldn't happen until we reached a port. Also, because our available power was restricted, it would take our hyperspace capacitors longer to recharge between jumps.

"Okay, Valerie, we made it," said Brian an hour later as we all sat around the dining room table that doubled as our conference room. "What now?"

"We don't know that much about what has been going on in the Restricted Zone," I said. "We have no charts indicating which worlds might be colonized, but we do have charts of the jump exit points. Also, the freighter I let though mentioned something about a planet called Diversity. My plan is to start jumping toward the center of the Zone and hopefully run across someone with more accurate nav data that can direct us toward Diversity. Maybe we can find the freighter Captain and she might give us some ideas for our next move."

Everyone nodded. "Okay," Miri said, "Now that we have the semblance of a workable plan, it's time for some down time for our Captain. She is looking a bit disheveled."

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" I retorted.

"Yup," Miri said, smiling. "I need some sleep too. Now come on, Princess, get that cute little butt to bed."

"Aww, Mom," I whined like a small child, "Can't I stay up and play just a little while longer?"

After the guys quit laughing, Miri looked at me and said, "Nope. You’re coming to bed now under your own steam or with me carrying you." She made a move toward me and I danced around the table out of her reach.

"Okay, Okay," I surrendered. "I'm going! Sheesh!"

Miri rolled her eyes and commented as we left the dining room, "This, from the clingy little cuddle bunny that wouldn't let me get up the other day."
 
 
Chapter 17
 
 
Sleeping cuddled with Miri was just so pleasant. It had become my greatest pleasure and I had gotten to the point that unless I was touching her with some part of my body, I didn't sleep well. That's why I awoke when she got up and headed to the shower. I lay there for a few moments until I heard the door shut, then I got up myself, padded quietly out to the galley and got us some tea.

Today was going to be an interesting day. Theoretically, we were safe and wouldn't have to be vigilant and on edge all the time. In practice, we could probably relax somewhat, but there was still a danger from pirates and we were still unsure of our reception from the locals. In other words, unlike Terran controlled space, while not every ship we saw was going to be hostile, they wouldn’t necessarily be our friends either.

After I finished my shower, I joined Miri on the bridge where she had already gone to relieve the guys. She was busy going over some prospective course plans when I arrived. I joined her.

"Well, what do you think, boss?" she asked me when we had finished looking them over.

"I don't know," I said. "Something is bugging me. I mean, we could probably hit every jump exit in the Zone in a year's time and not necessarily find anything. There is a better way, I know it."

"So, I'm all ears," she said. "What do you suggest?"

I thought about it, looking through the charts. "Ah ha!" I crowed. At her arched eyebrow I explained, "Do you remember that when someone is banished here, the TSN always sends him or her across in a life boat at the same place?"

"Yeah, they send them from this point here," Miri said pointing the spot out on the chart. "So?"

"Well there must be a reason for that," I continued. "Look here. This jump exit here is the closest one to the blockade there is and it also happens to be the exact point that the lifeboats are sent across."

"Ah, so you think it's watched?" she said, catching on.

"Well, it makes sense," I agreed. "The residents of the Restricted Zone must watch the spot to collect the lifeboats. It's the only way the people in them wouldn't be set to drift and die in space. Even the TSN is not that coldhearted."

"So you think we should start from there?" Miri confirmed.

"I think that's our best bet," I nodded. "Beats casting about hoping to run into someone."

"I agree. It's going to take us a week to get there, though," Miri said. "It’s almost on the other side of the blockade from us."

"Then I guess we had better get started then, huh?" I grinned at her. "Besides, we may get lucky and find someone helpful before then.

Three days later, we did run across someone, but I wouldn't call it lucky. We just came out of a hyperspace jump and we immediately began to take fire. The weapons hitting us were small and ineffective against our armored hull, but with enough hits they could have done us damage, especially in the area that had already been penetrated by the dreadnought.

Apparently, they thought we were an unarmed pleasure boat, a small freighter or something, because they left themselves wide open for return fire. They were just about to learn of their mistake when we were hailed.

"On the main viewer, please, Mr. Andrews," I said as the shabby little vessel matched course and speed with us, suicidaly close even given our limited remaining firepower. It mounted a single laser cannon in a crude and obviously home built turret near its forward end. The vessel was about half the Duality's original displacement. Crude plates of what I supposed was armor, were welded to the ship's surface in a seemingly random patchwork that left the ship quite vulnerable.

"This is Brenden Salazar, Captain of the privateer ship Picaroon," said the image of a flamboyant giant of a man. It was his mode of dress that was flamboyant, displaying all sorts of garish colors. He actually looked like the classic image of a pirate. "You are ordered to heave to and prepare to be boarded."

"I see," I said, stifling a giggle at the outlandish idiot. "I am Valerie Nicole Callaway, Captain of the vessel, Duality. What happens if we refuse to allow you to board."

"Why then, you stupid cow, I will shoot your ship from under you and collect the scrap for salvage," Brenden Salazar boasted.

"Is that so?" I asked, grinning in amusement for a moment before my face turned hard and cold. "Run away, little man, before you annoy me. You have no idea who and what you are dealing with here. If you fire on us again you will be in over your head. This is the only warning you will get."

"Why you..." the pirate sputtered as his face flushed with rage. "I'm going to kill you and rape your men for that, you fucking cow." The screen went blank.

"He's about to fire on us again," Dan said as he detected the power surge from the laser.

I brought the point defense turrets online. We couldn't use the main cannon because of our low reactor coolant, but it would have been like using a wrecking ball to swat flies anyway. I carefully targeted the nose of the pirate vessel, just aft of the makeshift laser turret. Our military grade lasers cleanly sliced the nose and turret off of the Picaroon.

"Please, please, we surrender," Salazar's face reappeared saying. "Please, spare us!"

"Get out of my sight, you vile prick," I said with disgust, then added. "Quickly, before I change my mind."

"Yes ma'am! Thank you, ma'am!" Salazar gushed, but there was a glint in his eye that I didn't trust.

Salazar pointed his wounded ship away from us and sped off.

"I guess that's the last we'll see of him," Dan grinned, as the Picaroon disappeared from our scope.

"Don't bet on it," I cautioned. "I didn't like the look in his eyes. He's up to something. Keep an eye on the scanner."

Sure enough, about a half an hour later we got another contact coming in at a high rate of speed. It was considerably larger than the first pirate vessel. Long-range scans read it as a small freighter about the size of a destroyer. On long-range visual, as it closed to 2500 AU's, I could make out two large dual laser turrets on it. They looked big enough to do some damage if the ship got close enough.

At 2000 AU's, it launched a full salvo of 12 missiles at us. As before, with the higher-grade military missiles, the point defense turrets picked them off easily.

"Okay," I said, "I gave them a chance to live. Now it's my turn."

I cut the drive and flipped the ship end for end. When a tone indicated I had target lock on the converted freighter, I launched a single nuke, then flipped the ship again and hit the drives to get us as far from the blast as I could.

Our missile was of the stealth variety. It wasn't very fast; attaining its top speed in the first couple of seconds of flight before it switched to cold gas maneuvering thrusters. After the primary thruster shut down the missile was practically undetectable, even to us. At the last instant, the missile's main drive would come back on and thrust the missile toward the target in an attempt to penetrate the target and detonate inside. That's how it worked to take out capitol ships, but smaller vessels, like our two attackers, would be blown to pieces with just a nearby detonation. I had set the missile to detonate on proximity.

We watched as our attackers strained to keep up with us. Dan started counting down, "5...4...3...2...1." When he reached "1" our view screen turned bright white, got a bit of static and went black as the shielding slammed down to protect the sensors from the EMP. When we regained the sensors, Salazar and his cohorts had been vaporized.

"THAT, I believe, is the last we'll see of Mister Salazar," I said with satisfaction.
 
 
Chapter 18
 
 
The rest of our weeklong trip passed without incident. We were all on the bridge, even though it was well into Brian's watch, when our hyperspace capacitors reached full charge. The time had come for us to make the jump I hoped would lead us to contact with the people we hoped to call our own.

"Hyperspace generators on line," Dan called. "Capacitors at maximum charge. Board is green for jump."

"Transitioning to hyperspace on my mark," I announced. "3...2...1...Mark!"

I felt the double jolt and we were back in normal space. At first I thought we were alone, but then I noticed a sensor buoy about 2500 AU's away from us; it wasn't one of the TSN blockade buoys, either. I headed the ship over to it.

As we neared the buoy, a larger contact appeared on our long-range sensors. It appeared to be the size of a cruiser and it was headed toward us. I halted the ship about five hundred AU's beyond the sensor probe and waited.

It wasn't long before we were hailed.

"This is the ZNV cruiser Fortitude hailing unknown vessel. Please identify yourself and your intentions," the comm crackled.

"Fortitude, this is the independent corvette Duality, Captain Valerie Nicole Callaway commanding," Miri said. "Our intentions are peaceful and we are here to make contact with the government of the Restricted Zone." We had decided during our idle time that the Duality didn't really qualify as a yacht anymore considering the firepower she packed. She was more of a corvette.

"Very well, Duality, hold your position until we rendezvous with you and we will escort you to the ZNS Station, Openarms."

"Roger, Wilco, Fortitude, holding position," Miri said.

Before long, we were following the sleek modern cruiser that wasn't in our hull identification database. A half-hour from our hyperspace jump, we were being instructed to dock with an equally modern and new-looking station.

"Duality, Openarms docking control here," the comm said again. "Please proceed to docking bay 12. The station commander, Admiral Shehane will meet you there. Docking control out."

"Roger, Openarms, Wilco. Request an hour to get ourselves presentable before meeting with the Admiral" Miri told them as I headed for the indicated docking bay.

"Roger, Duality, Admiral Shehane will meet you in one hour."

As I got within range, the Duality's docking computer and the station's shook hands. The computers guided us in and the Duality settled gently to the station's deck. We locked and powered down the ship's flight control systems, then we each went to shower and put on a fresh uniform.

I chose my pink accented uniform and Miri picked the emerald green one that matched her eyes. Once our hair and makeup were done, we joined the guys in the common room. They looked great, with Brian in a red accented uniform and Dan in a white accent. I went over and poured myself a stiff drink.

"You okay?" Miri said with her hand on my shoulder. She sensed my tension, I guess.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm just a bit nervous. This is the first time I have ever been around anyone but you three since I changed."

"You'll do great," Brian said.

"He's right," Miri said. "Don't sweat it, Kitten, you're perfect."

I smiled wanly at her then squared my shoulders. "Well, it's time to go meet our hosts," I announced and headed for the exit.

When I reached the bottom of the ladder, I saw a short red-haired woman dressed in a snowy white uniform with some elaborate insignia, standing a short distance away, flanked by two huge women, one, of the dark-skinned race, and the other, a very pale Nordic blonde. They were also very heavily and very obviously armed with huge electromagnetic slug throwers and heavy body armor.

I walked over to them, my crew lining up in sharp inspection formation behind me. I saluted the red-haired woman smartly and said, "I'm Valerie Nicole Callaway, Captain of the corvette Duality. This is my crew." I presented each of my crew and finally requested crisply, "Permission to come aboard, Ma'am!"

"At ease," the woman said and then grinned in amusement. "Ya'll look like you've done this before."

"You could say that," I said grinning back at her.

"I'm Admiral Jessica Shehane, the CO of this station. Welcome aboard the Openarms, Captain Callaway. I would like you to join me in my office to discuss why you're here, but first it's a requirement that you see our med techs to make sure you're healthy."

"And to get a DNA sample from us to see who we are," I added.

"Yeah, that too," the Admiral said her grin getting even wider.

"Point the way, Ma'am," I smiled back.

"Looks like you had a rough ride," the Admiral said conversationally, gesturing at the Duality.

I turned and looked at my ship getting a good look at the exterior for the first time since we began our run from the TSN. I froze and gasped. I wanted to cry for her, as I surveyed the damage to her normally sleek smooth midnight-blue hull. The armor plates were blistered and furrowed where particle beams and lasers had grazed her surface. There was a gaping hole towards her lower aft quarter where her reactor coolant system had been hit. The coolant had frozen and crystallized around the hole as it had vented out. It was now melting and dripping to the deck, as if the ship were bleeding. Most of the paint had been burned away by near misses. No wonder that moron had thought he could take us. We looked more ragged than he did.

The Admiral put her hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Don't worry, Love. We have facilities that can get her fixed up and looking like new. Let's go see those med techs, then you can tell me all about it, 'Kay?" she said to me gently, in what 20th century Earth would have been true Southern Belle charm.

I took a deep shuddering breath, collecting myself, and allowed her to lead me and my crew to the med station where she left us for her office. The med techs scanned us, prodded us and gave us some vitamin shots to replenish some of what we lacked due to our having lived on the recycler for so long. Pronounced healthy, we were escorted to the Admiral's office.

"Ah, come on in and have a seat," the Admiral said standing as we were shown in. "I do have a few questions I wanted to ask you, a few inconsistencies to clear up," she continued after we were all seated. "Firstly, your DNA scan says you are all who you say you are and that you are all officers or technicians in the TSN, except you, Captain Callaway. Also, your ship, while it does match the hull records of the ship called Duality, is listed as a luxury yacht, not a corvette, and it's registered to a Brock Callaway, not Valerie Callaway. Our records, provided by our allies outside the Zone, don't show any female relations to Brock Callaway of your apparent age, so I must admit to being a bit dubious here."

"Did you, by any chance, compare my DNA to Brock's?" I asked.

"Um...no, I don't think we did," the Admiral admitted. "I believe when we scan someone's DNA, sex is a disqualifier in the search for the closest match. Why? What would we have found?"

"I'm betting you would have found that except for the sex coding, her DNA is an exact match for Brock's," Miri grinned.

The Admiral called the med station and had them do a comparison of the two DNA prints. She waited on the line as the techs did their thing. She thanked them and hung up.

"Miz Flowers," the Admiral said, "they found exactly what you said they would. I don't want to make any assumptions here, so I will ask, what does that mean?"

"It means," I smiled, "that I was Brock Callaway, Admiral."

"Call me Jess, please, Captain Callaway," the Admiral said as she looked at me appraisingly. "It's amazing, really. I'm guessing you took a body tailoring pill? I've never seen one so totally effective. You're devastatingly gorgeous, if you don't mind me saying so. Is this what you wanted? Or is it just an attempt to avoid the TSN?"

"Valerie, please," I said. "This is what I have wanted all my life. It cost me a year's salary for that pill. It was the best to be had. I certainly hope it was totally effective."

"You should have seen her before," Brian said. "That's the real amazing part. She doesn't look much different. The differences are very subtle except for a couple of areas. That she is this beautiful makes it all the more remarkable."

"Indeed," Jess agreed. "So, what about your ship, Valerie? Why do you say it's a corvette when its registry says it's a luxury yacht?"

"That's where the other four years of salary went to," I laughed. "That and some creative liberation of some Naval grade hardware and software. She is heavily modified. Her armor plating is thicker. Her point defenses are more effective and heavier. She has the very latest in stealth technology, is hyperspace capable and doesn't require a Jump Accelerator."

"All of which does not a corvette make," Jess pointed out.

"True," I agreed, "but the dreadnought main battery PBC and the six missile launchers do put her firmly in the corvette class."

"Wow," Jess said as I beamed with pride. "A dreadnought main battery cannon? How the heck did you fit that in there and how are you getting the power to run it?"

"Basically, I had the lower deck of the ship gutted; the cannon sits straight down the centerline," I explained. "The cannon is now basically a structural member of the ship. I also upgraded the reactor to the latest micronized technology. Even then, when the cannon is fired, it sucks power from every system but life support."

"Impressive," Jess said. "You obviously have a great deal of your life invested in that ship. I can now better understand your reaction to seeing her all shot up. Speaking of which, I am dying to hear the story of how you came to be here. It's obvious why you are here, Valerie, but what of you companions? Why have they joined you in exile?"

I recounted the events leading up to our arrival in her office, leaving out the part about our free pass with the drone, saying only that it hadn't been updated to see our IFF as hostile. As for my companions, I told her that their reasons were their own. The guys told her that they would follow me to hell if that were where I was going, but that they also fit in here, being gay and lovers as well.

"Hmm, now that causes me a bit of confusion," Jess said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Well, I don't know if I should say anything, but you say the gentlemen are an exclusive couple?" Jess asked. "And the four of you have been in space for 2 weeks?"

We all nodded.

"I don't know how to say this without causing any problems, but they can't be a monogamous couple," Jess said cryptically.

"Huh?" we all said, looking at each other. "Why not?" I asked.

"Because the med techs said Miz Flowers here is two weeks pregnant," Jess said and four sets of jaws hit the floor.
 
 
Chapter 19
 
 
"Pregnant, you say?" I asked, looking pointedly at Miri.

"Yes," Jess confirmed, "Our Med Techs verified it. Miz Flowers, the rabbit done died."

Miri made a small, strangled moan and looked at me plaintively.

"How is that possible?" I asked. "We were all on TSN regulation contraceptives. They are supposed to be 100% effective for women even if they were less so for men."

Miri's eyes grew even wider, then she put her face in her hands and groaned.

"Miri?" I asked, gently.

"I was due for the BC shot three days before I went on liberty for a month," Miri said from behind her hands. "I never got it."

"And while you were on liberty, you met someone and had sex with him before hearing about me and breaking me out," I theorized.

Miri's head came up sharply and her emerald eyes flashed with hurt and anger. "Fuck you, Valerie," she said quietly, then got up and walked out of the room as her eyes misted over. I just sat there looking confused.

"What was that all about?" I asked nobody in particular.

"Valerie, with all due respect to you as my commanding officer and my best friend," Brian answered, "You can be such a total moron sometimes. Don't you realize? That girl is absolutely committed to one person. Hell, I've been on liberty with her and saw her turn down guys that were so totally hot they made me wish I were a woman. She hasn't had sex with any guy, Valerie. Any guy that is, except one."

All at once comprehension struck me as to just whom Brian was talking about.

"So, what is she so upset about?" I asked.

"Valerie," Brian said, rolling his eyes and explaining slowly as if to a child, "how would you feel if she accused you of sleeping with someone else?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You know I wouldn't sleep..." I began, and then understood. "I see," I said weakly, feeling like a total jerk.

"Ah, so you and she are a couple then?" asked Jess, who had been quietly watching this little drama unfold. "That still doesn't explain how she got preggers."

"Admiral, you know how I came to be here," the Admiral nodded and I went on. "Well, right before I took the pill, we had sex as male and female one last time. So actually, the baby is mine. I'm the father."

The Admiral burst out laughing, then seeing nobody else was laughing, visibly got a grip on herself. "Sorry," she said, "but surely, you must see the irony. I think we are done here. I'm satisfied your intent isn't nefarious. Girl, go talk to your love. Yolanda took her to the station's bar. Erika will show you there. When you get things worked out, come talk to me and we'll figure out what to do from here."

"Oh, and boys," Jess said, freezing all three of us as we got up to leave, "You are free to go have a drink at the bar, but give the GIRLS their space to talk about this, k?" I blushed at her emphasis on "girls" because she had caught my little slip and reminded me subtly that I didn't have to respond to people addressing 'boys' anymore.

We left the office and the large blonde woman we had seen earlier led us to the bar, sans the body armor and the artillery piece. When we reached the bar, I saw the other member of our welcoming party, presumably Yolanda, sitting with her arm comfortingly around Miri's shoulders. The big black woman caught sight of me and whispered something into Miri's ear before getting up and heading my way.

"Captain Callaway," Yolanda said as she stepped up to me, "I know it's none of my business, but please, go easy on her. She feels like she's really screwed things up for you, but she's also a little pissed that you think she would sleep with anyone else."

"Understood...ah..." I said, looking at the woman for her rank. I didn't recognize the insignia on her collar.

"Sergeant Yolanda Collins, Ma'am," she supplied.

"Understood, Sergeant. And thanks for the heads up," I smiled gratefully to her.

"No problem, Ma'am," she said smiling back. "If they are agreeable, Erika and I are going to buy your gentlemen friends here a drink, so if you need anything we'll be nearby. Don't hesitate to ask."

"Free booze?" Dan said, grinning. "I'm always agreeable to free booze!" Brian and I groaned simultaneously, then I smiled.

"I understand you may live to regret that offer, Sergeant," I said cryptically as I walked off to join Miri.

"Hey beautiful," I said, stepping up behind her, "can I buy you a drink?"

When she didn't say anything, I perched on the stool next to her and glanced at the nearly empty glass she was staring at intently. She was doing a pretty good job of ignoring me and making me feel even worse when the bartender approached and asked if I would like anything.

"I'll have what she's having, and another for her too please," I told him. Then to her I asked, "A Bloody Mary with a arsenic twist is it?"

"Two PW specials coming right up," the barkeep said and moved off, mumbling something about, "two of 'em, sheesh."

Miri still hadn't looked up from her glass or said anything by the time the bartender returned with glasses of a thick red fluid, presumably PW specials, whatever those were. I offered my credit chit, but the bartender said it had already been taken care of; so I thanked him and sat in silence until he moved away. I was getting really uncomfortable and I toyed nervously with my drink before finally taking a large swallow of it.

I gagged on the thick fluid that had some sort of strange bitter taste. It was everything I could do not to spray what was evidently some sort of vegetable mixture all over the bar. It tasted awful. "What the hell is this," I sputtered.

Miri looked up at me for the first time and grinned wryly at me. "You didn't think I was gonna be drinking booze while carrying our child did you?"

"Hey, Miri, look, I'm sorry..." I started.

"For what? It was my dumb-ass fault," she said, interrupting.

"I'm sorry for thinking that you had slept with anyone else," I corrected. "It was insensitive of me and I feel just terrible about it."

"Don't worry about it," she said. "I guess I overreacted. Must be the damn hormones."

"Miri, about that," I said, "I love you..."

"But we can't raise a child on the ship," she said, putting the words in my mouth. "It's okay. You can just drop me off at the nearest mudball, and start looking for a replacement. I won't hold you back."

I was getting irritated with her stupid self-pity, and I finally couldn't stand anymore of it. I jumped up from my stool and spun her around to face me. I looked her dead in the eye and told her if she interrupted me one more time I was going to pop her in the mouth.

"Listen, I have had about enough of your fucking pathetic moaning," I shouted, shaking with adrenaline. "I love you, you idiot, and this is my child too. I'm glad we're having it, and I WILL be there with you. Sure, we may not have been ready for this responsibility, but guess what? It happens. WE will deal with it together. You got that, Commander?"

Miri, wide eyed with surprise, was shocked out of her self-recrimination. She stared at me for a few moments before she grabbed me, hugged me tight and sobbed into my shoulder.

"I've ruined everything," she sobbed.

"No you haven't," I said gently, stroking her hair. "We just have to take a path we hadn't expected. It doesn't mean it's bad or good, just one we hadn't planned on. As long as we're together, how could it be bad?"

She looked up at me with hope in her eyes and kissed me thoroughly. When she broke the kiss, I smiled at her.

"Now, if that's all settled," I said somewhat breathlessly, "not being the one pregnant myself, I think I will have something a little more pleasant than a PW Special. What the hell was that anyway?"

"It's a vitamin drink for pregnant women, goofball" she said grinning. "Thus the name 'PW Special'. PW, as in Pregnant Woman."

I laughed hysterically at that until she mentioned something about making it necessary for me to become more familiar with the odious brew. As the color drained from my face, she laughed and said, "What? You didn't think I was going to be the only one of us to have to go through childbirth, did you?"

-=^=-
 
 
Follow our heroine and her crew as they adapt to the family life in the civilian sector in the next part, A Quiet Life. --LCG
 
I would like to thank those that helped me with the proofing and structure of the story. I would also love to hear any and all constructive feedback. --LCG
-=^=-

He pushed me back on the couch and proved to me that just because a man is gay,
it doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to please a woman..

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 6: A Quiet Life
 
Chapter 20
 
 
We didn't stay at Openarms Station for very long, but we learned a lot about "The Zone,” as the people that lived here called it, from Jessica. It turns out that there was a strong government in the Zone with a well funded but small Navy of its own. It also had a bit of a criminal element as well, as we had discovered the hard way. All in all, life seemed to be good here, even considering the enforced isolation. The planetary systems were apparently rich in resources, which gave the Zone a strong basis for manufacturing. Also, a good many of the people being sent here tended to be above average intelligence. This made the Zone technologically on par with Terra, if not a bit beyond.

The technological and governmental seats of the Zone consisted of three main planets: Diversity, Acceptance, and the official capitol of the Zone, Tolerance.

"So, what will you all do now?" Jessica asked me.

"I don't know, honestly," I said. "We had been planning to seek out a freighter captain that I met once and find out if she had any ideas. Last I heard, she was headed for Diversity with an emergency load of medicine."

"You know a Zone freighter captain?" Jessica asked. "How is that possible if you haven't met anyone except us and the pirate since you came into the Zone?"

"I let her in," I said simply.

"Let her in? You mean you were in charge of the detail that sent her across in a life boat?" Jessica probed.

"No, I mean I was the watch officer on a dreadnought. I refused to fire on the freighter until they relieved me. By then I had encrypted the fire controls, forcing them to do a cold reboot of the system to get them back on line. By the time they were on line, she was already across the blockade and out of weapons range," I explained.

"No way! Was this freighter by any chance named 'Tina'?" Jessica asked excitedly.

"In fact, I believe it was," I nodded.

"And this happened how long ago?" she probed.

"A bit over three months now," I told her.

"What was the name of the dreadnought and what was your rank at the time?" Jessica asked.

"Look, Jessica, where is all this going?" I inquired.

"Please, just answer the question. It’s very important," she said.

"Okay, the dreadnought was called Aquinas and I was a Lt. Commander," I told her.

"Oh Goddess," Jessica said, smiling ear to ear, "You are THAT Callaway!"

"Yeah, I'm that Callaway," I confirmed. "So what?"

"Lordy, Girl, you really don't know, do you?" Jessica said.

"No, Jess, I really don't," I told her, just managing to keep from screaming in exasperation.

"Valerie, you have to understand, we all heard that Lt. Commander Callaway was to be executed for his compassion," Jessica said. "That's why Brock Callaway is an official Zone hero. Because he let that ship through, 90% of the planetary population of Diversity is going to live and the quarantine has been lifted. That means you can write your own ticket, Girl. I would suggest you go to Diversity. I'm going to give you a letter verifying your identity as The Brock Callaway. I guarantee they will provide you with a liberal stake to start a new life for Miri and your child. Damn! It's such an honor to meet you. And that you are one of us, well, that's even better."

"Oh please, Admiral, I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done," I dismissed, mildly embarrassed by the big deal she was making of it.

"Don't sell yourself short, Valerie," she said. "You didn't know your friends were going to save you. What you did, you did with the knowledge that it would cost you everything, including your life. And don't say it was nothing either, or I will thrash the hell outta you. There are several billion people on Diversity to whom it was a very big deal, including my family. You have no choice but to take the credit you earned, gracefully."

"Yes ma'am," I capitulated, sounding very much like a chastised child.

"That's better," the Admiral said. "Now, what do you need for your ship? We can't do anything for the hull damage here, but we can replenish your replicator material."

"Well, aside from the hull damage, the only thing we really need is reactor coolant. We lost a lot of it when we took that bad hit," I explained. "With the coolant low, we have had to keep the reactor output low, so it took a really long time between jumps to recharge our jump capacitors. Also, we couldn't fire the main gun without the reactor being at full power so that kind of limited our response to hostiles. In addition to the replicator material, if you could spare us some reactor coolant, and possibly a mark 4 anti-ship nuke to replace the one we spent on the pirates, it would appreciated."

"I'm sorry, did you say your ship is armed with mark 4 anti-ship nukes?" the Admiral asked incredulously. "And that you used one on those pirates? Shit, you don't screw around do you? Where did you get that kind of hardware? I thought that was a military grade missile that only the TSN was permitted to have, and so expensive that they only carried four or so per capital ship."

"She was rather creative with liberating TSN hardware," Miri laughed. "How do you think she got a TSN extended range dreadnought main battery PBC, or that set of jump generators that ship isn't supposed to have?"

"Valerie, remind me not to get on your bad side," the Admiral said. "You are a truly complex person. Principled and compassionate, yet ruthless in dealing with your enemies and not above grand larceny if it gets you what you want." She looked at Miri and grinned, "Are you sure you two are exclusive? Cause, I think I'm fallin' in love with her."

Miri grabbed me and wrapped her arms around me possessively. To the Admiral, she said sweetly, "Valerie is merely ruthless with people that try to take what's hers. I, on the other hand, am somewhat beyond vicious."

"Point taken," the Admiral laughed. "The two of you are such a cute couple, too. I'll get your letter and see what I can do about your requests. The coolant shouldn't be a problem, but the missile might be tricky."

They threw us a huge party on our last night on Openarms Station. We were all much sought-after company. I don't think I have ever danced as much as I did that night. If I wasn't dancing with Miri, I was dancing with the Admiral, and if it wasn't her it was Erika or Yolanda, though Yolanda seemed to prefer dancing with Miri to me. I don't think I sat down for more than five minutes at a time the whole night and the guys reported a similar experience. Miri was able to politely decline a lot of folks that asked her to dance because of her condition, so she wasn't nearly as exhausted as I was when it was time to go.

I climbed into bed and cuddled up to Miri, who was lying on her back. I gently stroked her gravid belly while nestling my head on her shoulder. "I love you so much it hurts sometimes, you know that?" I said.

"Yeah I know, but it's nice to hear you say it," Miri said, capturing my hand that was stroking her belly and intertwining our fingers.

"You realize I can't get pregnant, right?" I asked her.

"Why not? You're genetically female now. Your body should be capable," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but women are born with all the eggs they will ever have," I explained. "Since I wasn't born a woman, I don't have any eggs. They explained that very clearly to me."

"Perhaps we could use one of mine," she suggested. "We can use your genetic material to fertilize it, then implant it in your womb."

"I don't know if that would be viable or not," I said. "Since my body is highly modified from the original, it may not do what it's supposed to do for the developing embryo. As much as I would love to carry your child, I don't know if I could deal with a miscarriage."

"Well, we won't worry about that now. We have plenty of time, my love," she said and kissed my forehead.

Soon after that, we fell asleep, hands still intertwined above our developing child.
 
 
Chapter 21
 
 
We entered Diversity local space three days later.

"This is Diversity Orbital Control to incoming vessel Duality," a pleasant voice said over the comm.

"This is Duality, Captain Valerie Nicole Callaway commanding, go ahead DOC," I said.

"Duality, we were told to expect you. Welcome to Diversity local space. There is a landing pad reserved for you at Norfolk Space Port, and you're clear all the way in. We were told to have you report to the immigration and customs office as soon as you de-ship," the DOC controller said.

"Roger, Wilco, DOC. Thanks," I said.

"Anytime Duality. Have a pleasant trip down, DOC out," the controller said.

The Duality buffeted mildly as she began to plow atmosphere. She free fell to the surface being gradually braked by her anti-gravity generators until she gently settled on her landing struts. We shut her down and made ready to meet the people of Diversity.

It was about noon, local time when we arrived at the customs and immigration offices. We were immediately shown to the Director's office. Refreshments were brought to us while we endured a brief wait for the Director's return. He was evidently at a luncheon, but we were told he had been notified and was on his way back.

"Sorry about the wait," a portly gentleman of Asian ancestry told us as he bustled in. "Welcome to Diversity, honored guests. I am Director Tanaka, at your service."

"I am Valerie Nicole Callaway," I told him, loving the sound of my new name. "This is my crew. The tall beauty there is my beloved and first officer, Miriam Cali Flowers. The tall gentleman is my best friend and second officer, Brian Waylan Andrews. The dark haired gentleman is my good friend and third officer, Dan Chestnut."

"Good to meet you, my friends," the almond-eyed man enthused. "I was told to handle your case personally and that you would have something for me that explained why this was necessary."

"Indeed," I said; handing him the data chip Admiral Shehane had given me.

Director Tanaka took the chip and begged our pardon for a moment while he examined the information on it. I braced myself for the inevitable onslaught I knew was coming. As the Director read the letter on the chip, his eyes grew wide and he looked up at me sharply.

"Miz Callaway, this is indeed a tremendous honor to have you here among us," Director Tanaka said in awe. "As I am sure the Admiral told you, you and Alex Sorin are considered heroes throughout the Zone, but especially here on Diversity. The governing council has even voted in two planetary holidays for each of you, so the people can celebrate the exceptional courage and self-sacrifice both of you possess."

He stuck out his hand to me and I placed my fingertips in it self-consciously. I was shocked to the point of almost snatching my hand back when he bent over it and kissed it. Had it not been for the tingling this caused all over my body and the funny tickle I felt in my tummy, I might have acted on the impulse.

"It's truly a pleasure to meet someone as legendary as you, Mi'lady," he said as he straightened. "We must take you post haste to see the Council. I'm positive they will ensure that your every need is provided for." Director Tanaka got on the phone and made several calls.

"It's all set," the man said when he was finished. "I'll take you to meet with the council in an hour's time. In the meantime, allow me to ask of your plans."

Miri and I thought Diversity was just as good a place as any to settle down with our family. Better perhaps, since Diversity was the Research and Technology Center of the Zone as well as sporting the Zone's largest shipyard. Given my credentials and interest in starship engineering, I was hopeful I could secure a position there as an engineer.

The guys opted to give Diversity a shot as well. Given Dan's computer skills, he could almost write his own ticket and Brian was considering starting a consulting firm to exploit them. They would certainly have a market, once the word got out.

Tanaka then had us fill out several forms. Once finished, it was time to head to our meeting with the Governing Council. Let me tell you, I was thrilled at the prospect of more of the fawning fan fare these folks could formulate. I hoped it would slack off a bit soon because, to be honest, I didn't know how to deal with it. It made me feel self-conscious, embarrassed, and uncomfortable. I could never live up to the legendary status they seemed intent on conferring on me.

The ride to the Council building took about ten minutes. Director Tanaka whipped the Anti-Grav car through the three dimensional skein of modern city traffic like a seasoned professional. We finally settled lightly to the floor of the Council building parking garage. Exiting the vehicle, we were shown to the elevator and transported into the depths of the building. When we got to the Council meeting chambers, we were told everyone was there and were shown right in.

I knew from the information I had read about Diversity that the council was made up of nine members: three gay men, three lesbians, two trans-people, and a straight person. The reality, when it was in front of me, appeared to be six women and three men, though it was obvious that one of the women hadn't been born such.

After introductions were made and everyone was seated, we got down to business. They reviewed the data chip Admiral Shehane had given me. After they asked me a few questions, one of them conferred with someone on an intercom. The door opened and a familiar face entered. I knew the face, though not the name, at least until recently.

Alex Sorin strode confidently into the room. Though it was just as obvious that she was born male, she was dressed smartly in a skirted business suit. She paused when she saw me, her eyes growing wide.

"Oh my goodness," Alex said. "It's truly remarkable. Um...Miss Callaway could you stand up please?"

I did so and turned 360 degrees as Alex indicated with a twirling finger.

"Utterly incredible," she said after I completed my pirouette. "You are, without a doubt, the same person I met at the blockade, or at least his identical twin sister, but you are so beautiful and female where before there was little doubt you were all man. And you changed very little to achieve this. I hate you, you bitch." This last was said with a warm grin as Alex came up and hugged me tightly. "I'm so glad you managed to escape the TSN's firing squad. You'll have to tell me all about it." She held me at arm's length again, looking me over, "Damn, it's hard to believe you are here and that you were actually one of us the whole time. So, are you dating anyone?"

"Don't even think about it," Miri said with a sweet smile that was clearly the velvet glove covering the fist of steel, and then added, possessively, "She's mine."

"Bummer," Alex conceded, smiling. Apparently, her disappointment was shared by several of the women, judging from the saddened sighs that gusted through the room after Miri's declaration. Miri sat there with a smug satisfied smile, having clearly marked her territory.

"So now that we have proven she is indeed who she says she is, and we have all managed to hit on her within two hours of her arrival on the planet," a severe steel gray-haired woman said, "Perhaps we can discuss where we go from here."

"If I may," Director Tanaka said, "Miss Callaway and her friends have decided to settle here on Diversity, so perhaps we could do for her what we did for Miss Sorin."

"Okay," a balding middle-aged man said, "in Miss Sorin's case she was already well known to the people, as she was in much of the news feeds celebrating our salvation from the disease that threatened to wipe out our planet. Many people know of Miss Callaway's role because of the recording Miss Sorin made of her conversation with the dreadnought captain. What we need to do is get Miss Callaway into the spotlight and tell the rest of the story of how she came to be here. The news agencies would kill for an interview with her, I'm sure, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Right," one of the lesbians continued, "then we just ask for donations from the population to provide Miss Callaway with her reward and stake for her new life here. As I recall, Miss Sorin is now a very wealthy woman and has began her own shipping franchise." Alex nodded in confirmation.

"Um...excuse me," I said more than once until I got all of their collective attention. "Look, I don't want to seem ungrateful and all, but I would just as soon you not do that. I can make my own way. I can sell my ship and buy a house. I have four degrees, with a strong background in engineering and physics. If you feel the need to give me anything, perhaps it should be a good word or an in over at the shipyard. Honestly, I have no desire to be in the limelight or to be a public figure. I just want to live quietly, earning enough credits to live comfortably, and concentrate on my coming family."

There was dead silence as the council all sat looking at me as if I had sprouted another head or something. The tableau held for several moments before the Council members turned as one and began discussing how to get my story out again. I slammed my palms down on the table, causing a loud boom to echo through the room. They all stopped and looked back at me.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" I said stridently. "Didn't I just say I wasn't interested in fanfare and notoriety? Did I not make myself clear?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Callaway, but that's unacceptable," one of the trans members of the Council said. "You are a planetary hero here and the people need heroes. We have a made a good life here, but we are, nevertheless, cut off from the rest of the universe. That fact nearly cost the population of Diversity their lives, since the ingredients in the vaccine for the disease that gripped us could not be found in the Zone. This is a fact that everyone is aware of. It's also just a matter of time before the Terran Government decides that isolating us is not enough and comes in to summarily erase our existence. This is the reality that we live under every day. This is why people need to know that there are men and women out there willing to risk everything for them. In return for giving the people their hero, you will not want or need for anything."

"What I will want and need is my privacy," I rejoined. "So, what you people are saying is that it doesn't matter what I want here, it only matters that the people get their hero to gloat over?"

"Of course, it matters what you want, but the people need to see that the Terran Government can be beaten," a younger man with dark hair and a deep tan said.

"Then I'm sorry, but Miri and I will be moving on," I said calmly.

"You can't do that," the steel haired woman said over the clamor that had erupted at my statement.

"I'm a free and independent person above the age of consent. I have a hyperspace capable ship sitting at the spaceport," I said, my volume building with each word. "I CAN DO ANY FUCKING THING I WANT. I don't owe you people anything, and I'll not be a slave to the public eye."

Again, there was a pregnant silence as shock at my fervor prevailed.

"We could stop you, you know," another man pointed out.

"And gain what?" I asked frostily. "My eternal animosity? What kind of hero would I be if I made it abundantly clear at every opportunity that I hold you and your people in contempt and hatred?"

"She's right," said a huge woman built like a lumberjack. "And shame on us for even considering forcing this on her after she said she didn't want it. She has already given us far more than we have a right to ask for. What kind of reward would it be for us to force her into a life that she obviously finds abhorrent?" The woman met the eyes of every member of the Council in turn, holding them until they turned away in chagrin. She continued, "Now, obviously she can be a valued member of our society in her own right and she is obviously willing to take a stand when pushed, so how can we welcome her among us, reward her heroism, and still be respectful of her as a private person?"

"We could give Miss Callaway a grant to help her get established," one of the men suggested. "It couldn't be a lot, or there might be a scandal which would result in the notoriety she wants to avoid."

"I have a better idea," Alex spoke up. "The donations I received as a reward from the people of Diversity total more than three people could ever spend in a lifetime. I am more than willing to split it with her."

"That's a great idea," the outsized lesbian said with a huge grin.
 
 
Chapter 22
 
 
In the end, I got what I wanted, a quiet life for Miri and me. I got the job as an engineer for the Norfolk Shipyard, but not how I imagined it. Miri and I started our own engineering firm, designing all sorts of ships from warships to luxury star liners. Though the Norfolk Shipyard did the actual construction, the hull bore our company name and we were paid handsomely for every hull commissioned.

One of our more lucrative designs was brought about by the Zone Navy's interest in the Duality. They thought, and I agreed, that such a craft would fill a niche as both a heavy fast attack ship and an armed courier. We kept with the same lines as the Duality, but the new ship was about thirty feet longer and about 10 feet wider. This not only gave back the two cabins I had lost on the original Duality, but also afforded space for the original compliment of Jump Capacitors and some extras to further increase the hyperspace jump range. It was fully stealth capable, just like the original Duality, still had the PBC mounted inside down the centerline and it had a far more powerful reactor and drives, making it a faster ship in spite of its larger overall size. It mounted an additional point defense turret, and the number of missile launchers was increased to eight auto-loading models with three rounds each. The cargo space also made some reasonable gains. It was known as the Duality class heavy corvette.

I was gifted with the first production model produced, although the one the Norfolk Shipyard gave me was far more luxurious than the Spartan models the navy would be receiving. We christened the ship the Duality Too.

Brian and Dan started their own company doing computer work, Dan being the talent and Brian handling the day to day running of the company. I, of course, contracted them to write all the software for running my ships' computers. They didn't have to work for anybody but me, but they expanded their business to include other computer applications besides starship computers. After I was presented with the Duality Too, I gave the original Duality to Brian and Dan in recognition of their unwavering friendship.

Miri and I were on our way home from the ceremony in which the Navy formally accepted the first 20 Duality class corvettes, when Miri stiffened with a grimace.

"Um, Valerie," She said through clenched teeth as beads of sweat began popping out on her forehead.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked anxiously.

"It's time," she said.

It took a moment for it to connect, but then I glanced at her hugely distended belly. I pointed the car towards the hospital, liberally applying as much speed as I could. When we arrived, I made Miri, now well into her contractions, wait in the car while I ran in and got an orderly with a wheelchair. As we wheeled her into the hospital, she took my hand in a crushing grip and cried out.

We were quickly conducted to the delivery room where a nurse took Miri's vitals and then gave her a hospital gown to put on while we waited for the obstetrician. The woman energetically entered the room as Miri crushed my hand and screamed again. The Doctor donned a pair of surgical gloves and we helped Miri onto the table, putting her legs in the stirrups. Pulling up a stool, the doctor examined Miri while she asked the pertinent questions about contractions and whatnot.

"Your child should be arriving shortly," the doctor confirmed. "Would you like an epidural?"

"Damn right I would," Miri ground out, then looked at me, her eyes narrowing. "Just you wait, you bitch, it's your turn next." Then she cried out again as the color drained from my face.

After what we were assured was a mercifully short labor, our son entered the world. He was 7 pounds 3 ounces and had all the appropriate appendages in all the right places. I was in awe as I watched the mother, a bedraggled and sweat soaked Miri, hold the infant, our child, close to her and tenderly stroke the child's tiny cheek. The beauty of the scene moved me; tears streamed from my eyes. I was suddenly filled with an impossibly intense love for mother and child as well as a fierce need to protect them against any harm.

Miri looked up at me and I saw the same emotions in her eyes that filled my being. She held out her hand to me.

"Get over here, beautiful and meet your son," she said gently. I went to her and took her hand as I lovingly touched my child's face.

We named him Brock Nicolas Callaway, and he consumed our world.

Two years later, as my 24th birthday approached, Brian called me and asked if I could go with him to the local bar. He wanted to discuss something with me. I agreed to go and he said he would pick me up. It was sort of a game to Miri and me; whenever we went someplace like a bar or restaurant with the guys, we would dress nicely and play as if we were straight couples. This held, even when it was just two of us, because we were all best friends and accepted that none of us was a threat to the other’s relationship.

Consequently, when Brian arrived to get me, he was dressed handsomely in a collared polo-style shirt and a pair of casual dress slacks, while I looked stunning in a midnight blue dress that hugged my reasonable curves, hanging several inches above my knees. Diamonds dripped from my earlobes and a white gold and diamond necklace hung gracefully above the moderate cleavage the dress displayed.

"Wow," Brian said, just like he did every time.

"Shall we?" I asked, with a sultry smile. He gulped and nodded, playing the role of my date to the hilt; at least that's what I thought. I kissed Miri and she told us to have a good time, just like always, except there was something, a glint in her eye perhaps, that bugged me. I dismissed it and Brian drove us to the lounge.

"So, where's Dan," I asked after we had been seated and had ordered drinks.

"He's working late, putting the finishing touches on that latest software upgrade for you," Brian said.

"How's the business doing?" I asked conversationally.

"You know as well as I do, Valerie," he smiled. "That as long as our biggest customer is doing well, we're doing well."

"Great," I smiled. "How's things with you and Dan?" I was starting to feel like I was playing twenty questions. Uncharacteristically, Brian seemed quiet and... nervous?

"Never better," Brian said, glancing at the couples on the dance floor. "Would you like to dance?"

"Sure," I said, getting more curious by the minute about what this was all about.

We danced a couple of songs and then returned to the table, had a few drinks and made more small talk. Obviously, Brian had something on his mind, but I wasn't going to press him on it. Anyway, I was beginning to get pleasantly buzzed and I tended to be a chatterbox when that happened. After a while we got up and danced for a couple more songs until they began to play a slow number and I turned to go back to the table.

"No, please, wait," Brian said, catching my hand as I turned. "Do you mind?" he asked me, referring to the slow dance.

I shrugged and stepped towards him. He put his hand on the small of my back and pressed me into him while holding my left hand with his right in the traditional way. I put my free arm around his shoulder with my hand resting on his neck. Out of habit, I idly stroked it like I did when I danced with Miri. I laid my head against his chest and relaxed into him as we swayed around the floor. It was nice, different from dancing with Miri, but still nice.

Before long he released my hand and put that arm around me, rubbing my back, while my other arm joined its opposite on his neck.

"Valerie?" he asked.

"Yes?" I inquired, as I looked up at him. He looked deeply into my eyes as he leaned down and kissed me thoroughly. This wasn't odd in and of itself. We had played like this several other times, but this had a more serious flavor to it. Still, I was buzzed and relaxed; it felt good, so I went with it. When the song ended he held me for a few moments longer as we kissed. Then we disengaged and he held me at arm's length.

"Valerie, I need to show you something. Will you go someplace with me?" he asked.

"Sure," I agreed and we returned to the table. I collected my purse and went to the ladies room to fix my makeup while he settled the bill. Soon we were back in his car and he was headed out of the city.
 
 
Chapter 23
 
 
When we pulled up to the cabin overlooking a beautiful lake my alcohol fogged brain started putting things together. The glint in Miri's eyes, Brian's uncharacteristic nervousness, the romantic dance, the clever way he had gotten me up here, yup, even the fact that Dan was otherwise occupied; it all added up to one thing: Miri had come up with an elaborate scheme to surprise me with a romantic evening with her. Boy, was I surprised when I found out how wrong I was.

We entered the cabin and Brian asked me to make us some drinks as he went over to the fireplace and started a cozy, romantic fire to remove the supposed chill from the air. I returned with our drinks and sat down on the couch as I waited for the other shoe to drop.

He came over and sat down next to me, close enough that I could feel the heat from his body and smell the faint smoky aroma that he had acquired lighting the fire. The stage was certainly set for something to happen. I looked at him as he took a swallow from the drink that I had made for him.

"So, what did you want to show me?" I asked.

He made a sweeping gesture with his arm and asked, "What do you think?"

"About the cabin? It's great. Yours?" I asked with a smile.

"Yup," he said, proudly, "just finalized it yesterday."

"Awesome," I said as he turned me away from him and began to massage my shoulders and neck. "Mmmm," I purred, "that feels good."

"It's supposed to," he chuckled, while he continued.

He had just about turned me to jelly with a combination of the alcohol and the massage, when I felt his lips on the nape of my neck. It felt divine and I didn't protest, thinking this was some part of Miri's grand design. In fact, it felt more than divine, I realized, as my panties were a bit damp at this point. I almost did protest when I felt him unzip the back of my dress, but his hands continued their soothing magical massage of the muscles down either side of my spine. My bra seemed to be in his way so he unclasped it. I felt my breasts swing free as he gently pulled the dress and the bra off my shoulders and down my arms before resuming his massage and working his way down to my lower back.

"Brian, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Don't you like it?" he asked, avoiding the question.

"No, I don't like it," I said, feeling his hands tense momentarily. "I love it, but what's going on here? The dancing, the kissing, the romantic cabin with the cozy fire, me sitting here topless as you massage me… Mister Andrews, if I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to seduce me."

"Is it working?" he asked.

"Um...it would be except for a rather large woman at home who would have my guts for garters if I cheated on her. That and the fact that I love her more than anything in the world," I said.

"What if I told you this was all her idea and she wants this for you?" Brian asked.

The relaxation I felt was gone instantly and I pulled my dress up, covering myself before I moved away and turned to face Brian. "I think you'd better explain that one, Brian," I said uneasily.

"When she brought this whole plan to Dan and me, she told me that you told her you were curious as to what it might be like being with a man," Brian said. "She said that you would never try it because of her, but she thought you might trust me enough to relax and enjoy the sensations."

"She said that, did she?" I said neutrally. "And what does Dan think about this?"

"He's envious that it's not him here with you," Brian grinned, "but he agreed it should be me, your best friend that gets the honor of your maiden head."

"I can't believe Miri even suggested this," I said, fuming. "I can't believe you and Dan went along with it. What were you all thinking? I don't want to sleep with anybody but her."

"Okay, no problem," Brian said reasonably. "I'll take you home right now if you can look me in the eye and tell me you aren't curious about what it would be like."

I looked him straight in the eyes, opened my mouth and then closed it. I looked away for a moment and then returned my gaze to his and tried again with similar results.

"I thought not," Brian said with a hint of smugness. "Look, Valerie, Miri loves you more than anything in the world except for maybe that little boy of yours, and even that's no more or less than she loves you. She knows you are faithful to her and she trusts you, but she also thinks it's important for you to have this experience, to satisfy that curiosity and experience being a woman for a man even as she has. I was honored that it was me she asked to be the one, and I would be even more honored if you would consent to allow me that pleasure."

I just sat there, confused as hell by this whole bizarre scenario. What was I supposed to do? Miri wanted me to do this. It might hurt her feelings if I didn't, and it would certainly hurt Brian's feelings, yet why was I feeling so guilty? Brian put his arms around me comfortingly this time and held me while I worked through this. I laid my head on his shoulder as he stroked my still bare back for a while.

"So, Valerie, will you allow me to satisfy your curiosity?" he finally asked.

I slowly nodded against his chest. Without a word, he squeezed me then pulled back slightly so he could tenderly raise my chin with his fingers, lean down and kiss me. I let go, surrendered myself to the moment, and soon we were making out passionately. He laid me back on the couch, following me down as his lips and tongue explored my own. His hand started at my neck and stroked its way down, pausing briefly to knead my breast, before continuing down my side and finally stopping behind my knee. His hand then guided my knee up until it was over his hip, causing my dress to ride up and allowing him to grind his hip into my mound while his hand returned to my breast.

When I began to grind back against him urgently he stopped and got up. My momentary confusion was relieved when I saw him begin to remove his clothes. I followed suit, letting the dress fall unnoticed to the floor as I stood and removed my hose, followed by my panties. We stood before each other, completely naked. His member was standing at full attention, bumping against his belly as his pulse forced blood into it. I could feel my own moisture beginning to coat the tops of my thighs. Suddenly we were in each other's arms again and were kissing passionately. I could feel him pressing on my flat smooth tummy.

Hooking my foot behind his, I pushed, causing him to sprawl back on the couch. I lowered myself to my knees between his legs with feline grace. His member was there, pulsing before me and tentatively I reached out and touched it. It was soft and smooth but very firm. As I caressed it lightly he groaned and a single drop of fluid appeared at the tip. I leaned forward and captured the fluid with the tip of my tongue before gently kissing the helmet-like tip of his manhood. Slowly, sensually, I licked my way down the shaft to the base. From there, I teased my way around his testicles before working my way back up, taking my time to coat him with my saliva. I took him in my hand and began to pump him as I looked up at him with my face poised above his member. He looked down at me with such an expression of pleading and lust that I almost started laughing. Instead, I took him in my mouth and began to perform fallatio on him.

I brought him to the very brink, then backed off, as Miri had done with me at times. I carefully kept him in that state as I teased and played with him. His muscles stood out rigidly, vibrating with sexual tension. Still, I did not grant him release until his eyes finally met mine, pleading for relief. I smiled and with the tip of my tongue I traced a line along the big vein on the underside of his member. When I reached the tip, I engulfed him again, quickly sending him careening over the edge. He pumped what seemed like gallons of his seed into my mouth. I desperately tried to swallow it all, but a tiny sticky rivulet escaped the corner of my lips.

Spent, he pulled me up on him and licked his own sticky goo from my cheek before deep kissing me lingeringly. "Valerie, you are amazing. I refuse to believe you've never done that before," he said breathlessly.

"I had an exceptional teacher and the benefit of knowing just how it feels," I grinned at him. "Now it's your turn to show me what you’ve got, Sailor."

He pushed me back on the couch and proved to me that just because a man is gay, it doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to please a woman. His tongue played me like a harp, making my body sing with orgasmic delight. While he was nowhere near the virtuoso that Miri was, he was a wonderful lover in his own right. I think I was on my fourth or fifth orgasm when he stopped and pulled himself on top of me. He kissed me with rough passion and I tasted myself coating his face.

I put my arms around his neck and pulled my legs up around his waist hooking my feet behind him. I could feel his once more ridged member nudging at my opening as if requesting entry clearance. Brian looked into my eyes in mute inquiry. I nodded imperceptibly and closed my eyes. He reached down and passed the head of his member up and down my dripping crease a few times to lubricate it, before he lodged it at my opening and pushed it in just a little. The sensation of his initial penetration caused me to suck in a sharp breath. He stopped, motionless for a moment or two before he began to slowly and tenderly work what he had in by rocking back and forth. Slowly, he went a little deeper each time until he made one sharp thrust. There was an instant of pain, followed by an incredibly pleasurable, impossibly full feeling. He began pumping the full length of his shaft in and out of me. The alternating empty, then full sensation soon tripped me over the edge, yet he persisted. I screamed in orgasmic glee time and time again, before he finally shot his second load of the night deeply inside me, and then collapsed onto me.

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-

According to reports,
the aliens are a non-hostile race...

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 7: A Woman's Work Is...
 
Chapter 24
 
 
Brian and I lay basking in the afterglow of our coitus. Sex with a man was far better than sex as a man, at least now that I was a woman, I reflected. The thought made me giggle softly. Brian stirred from his dozing, as we lay spooned together on the couch.

"I didn't think my performance was laughable," he commented in my ear.

I squeezed his arm that held me tight. "No," I agreed, "definitely not laughable."

"So you enjoyed the experience?" he asked.

"Yes, it was fabulous," I told him.

"Was it better than with a woman?" he probed.

"Well, I don't think I'll be joining the ranks of the straight girls, if that's what you mean," I laughed. "How about you? Was I better than sex with a man?"

"Nice reversal," he laughed. "I have to say, in all honesty, if it was just you and me, and we were not otherwise engaged, I would be very tempted to lead a straight life to be with you. I love you for your mind."

"Oh please," I rolled my eyes. "As if. Seriously though, it was much different than sex with Miri. It was better, or perhaps more satisfying in some ways, but over all, I am attracted to the female shape and scent and any number of minute things that make a woman a woman. You were great, but I think the only reason I was able to enjoy it was because I love you and trust you as my best friend."

"Yeah, I feel pretty much the same," Brian agreed and squeezed me one more time. "I'm thinking we had better be getting back. Miri didn't give you to me for the whole night and I'm sure she is anxious to interrogate you."

"Oh, I'm sure," I laughed.

I got up off the couch and immediately noticed an aspect of sex with a man that I hadn't thought much about before. I felt the sticky goo Brian had left in me begin to drain out of me, running down my leg. I stifled a sound and ran to the bathroom to clean myself up.

When we got back to my house it was close to three in the morning and Brian walked me to the door. I reached out and touched the DNA scanner that secured the door and it unlocked, then turned back to Brian to say good-bye. Suddenly, I was in his arms and he was kissing me passionately again.

"I was told to treat you exactly like this was a date," he explained, a bit breathlessly after we disengaged, "and it's not a date without a good night kiss, is it?"

"Yeah, I'm sure it was all part of the act," I grinned. "Good night, Romeo."

"Good night, Beautiful," he said as I went through the door.

The next morning, Miri grilled me until I had given her a play by play of the whole night in all its gory details. She actually sighed in relief when I told her that while it was wonderful and special, I was still very much a one-woman girl. I felt it was a novelty that, once experienced, no longer held any draw.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Miri said, "though I do have to admit that I do miss the feeling of you filling me on occasion. I'm so glad you enjoyed it."

"So what are you telling me?" I asked. "That you want to have an open relationship?"

"Not on a bet, Lover," she said fervently. "I said I missed YOU filling me. I just wanted you to understand what that's like. And don't go getting any ideas about open relationships or three ways. I'm not the type. I am totally dedicated to you, well, you and our children, and that's all I want."

"Good, because I feel the same about you," I said, and then asked, "Children? Is there something you need to tell me?"

She grinned mischievously for a moment, scaring the stew out of me. "Not at all," she said, "but there is still another little matter of another experience I want you to have."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure I'm ready for that experience yet," I told her. "I mean, if it's possible, I do want to have a child but just not at the moment."

"Some of us don't get to chose," she said dryly.

"Miri..." I began in a warning tone.

"Oh don't get your panties in a bunch," she said, smiling. "It's not like we could right now if we wanted to. However, there is someplace I want you to go with me today."

"And where might this be?" I asked warily.

"I have made us an appointment with an endocrinologist and a geneticist," she informed me. "It's high time we find out if that gorgeous body of yours is going to be able to support a developing child properly. You get PMS and bleed just like I do, so I think the chances are good. I promise, Sweetie, there is nothing like the feeling you get when you hold the baby you carried inside your body in your arms for the first time."

I smiled wistfully and then replied, "and there is nothing like watching the mother of your child holding that child for the first time."

I was sitting in the waiting room, watching Miri play games with little Brock, when I was called into the Endocrinologist’s office. After being conducted back through a maze of hallways into a well-appointed office, I was asked to take a seat. I amused myself during the brief wait by examining the small, personal items the Doctor kept around the office to give it a less austere appearance. I didn't have to wait long before the doctor came in.

"Hello, Miz Callaway, I'm Doctor Rollins," the older, maternal-looking woman said.

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Rollins," I said, taking her offered hand.

"What is it I can do for you?" the Doctor asked, seating herself behind an imposing looking desk.

"Um..." I began a little uneasily, "at some point, I would like to be pregnant with my other half's child. Before we can do that we need to know if my body is capable of properly and safely carrying a child to term."

"I see," Dr. Rollins said. "And is there any reason to suspect this would not be the case?"

"I...um...that is," I said awkwardly, "I was born a man. My body is the result of a genetic tailoring pill."

"Wow," she said. "Impressive work. I would never have guessed."

"Thanks, it was very expensive and honestly it didn't need to do a lot of major changes," I explained.

"You understand that this is as yet an unpioneered field," Dr. Rollins explained. "Most girls with your birth condition, a lot of born women for that matter, prefer to go the tried and true invitro method because it's less risky and a whole lot more comfortable."

"I realize that," I said, "but my life partner has already given birth to our son and she wants what she jokingly refers to as payback."

"Is that what you want, Miz Callaway?" the doctor asked.

"I must confess that I was quite envious of her, even though I was there throughout the process and saw how...er...uncomfortable it is," I explained, smiling at my colossal understatement.

The doctor smiled and interviewed me for a few more minutes before conducting me to an exam room. She took a blood sample and examined me vaginally before sending me into a small restroom to produce a urine sample for her. She then let me get dressed and told me she would call when she had the preliminary results.

The next stop was to the geneticist, where I received similar treatment. He also took a genetic sample and harvested some of Miri's eggs so he could work on implanting my DNA in them. When the time came, they would be fertilized by Miri's DNA, essentially making her the father.

We were just leaving the Geneticist's when I got a phone call.
 
 
Chapter 25
 
 
"Valerie Callaway?" a male voice asked.

"Yes, this is she," I confirmed.

"Hi Valerie, this is John Masters here at the Governing Council building," the man explained. "Would you by any chance be available today to attend a Council meeting?"

"I don't think that would be too much of a problem," I acquiesced. "What time should I be there?"

"How soon can you be here?" Masters countered.

"How's two hours sound?" I asked, glancing at Miri, who was looking at me inquiringly.

"Two hours would be great, Ma'am. I will inform the Council to expect you then," the man said. "Have a great day."

"And you as well," I said before closing the connection.

"What was that about," Miri asked.

"It seems my presence is desired at a Council meeting," I told her.

"Oh goody, that should be a lot of fun," Miri said sardonically. She never did have much use for politicos, particularly after they had tried to brow beat me into being the people's sweet heart when we had first arrived.

"Well, it must be important," I said. "You know they tend to avoid me after I made it clear I wasn't going to be their good little puppet."

"No kidding," Miri said, fondly remembering the incident. "You have the most delightful way of overreacting when someone backs you into a corner. It's so different from your normal sweet amiability. It also has the most interesting effect on me too. It makes me want to take you to bed and have my way with you."

"I noticed," I smiled. "I have two hours before I said I would be there. You can either come with me, or I can drop you at the house, but let's get some lunch first. You can decide then."

"I love it when you take charge," she teased.

"As if," I laughed, "We both know who wears the pants in this family."

"Why, Valerie, what ever do you mean?" she asked in mock innocence.

"Uh huh," was all I said as we each took one of little Brock's hands and went off in search of an eatery.

As I expected, I arrived at the Council building alone. Miri had opted to spend her time with Brock instead of what she described as "A bunch of stuffy self-important egomaniacs." I tended to agree with her, but I saw these little meetings as a necessary tribulation, given the lucrative military contracts I had for my ship designs.

I was curious as to the purpose of this conference, given I didn't have anything big going on at the moment. When I arrived in the antechamber of the conference room, the secretary told me to go right in.

"Valerie!" cried the big lesbian who had spoken up for me during the first meeting. She rushed up and enfolded me in a crushing hug. We had established a friendship as we often attended the same functions. "Thank you so much for coming."

"Sure, Cheryl," I told her. "What's this about?"

"We'll get to that, but first you need to watch the presentation," Cheryl told me.

We all took a seat and looked on as the lights dimmed. A large screen came up, displaying an overview of colonized space.

"Thank you all for coming," a man said from the shadows. "The reason you are here is to view this new bit of intelligence our friends inside the TSN have provided us. It may just provide the key to our salvation. Six months ago, explorers pushing back the boundaries of human controlled space ran upon an unexpected development. When they began exploring out past this border here," the indicated border flashed green, "they claimed to have stumbled on a sentient alien race with technology far in advance of our own." There was a general murmur throughout the room.

"According to reports, the aliens are a non-hostile race, though they are well equipped to defend themselves. The explorers reported that the aliens called themselves the Drandians and they knew our language because they have been watching us for sometime. The explorers went on to say that humans are not welcome in their space because we, as a race, were too immature and violent. Since that time, the TSN has quarantined that section of space."

"We want to send a delegation to the Drandians to see if our plight moves them to help us somehow, either technically or otherwise," the speaker said.

"Who should we send?" asked a council member as the lights came back up.

"The Grand Council suggests the delegation should be composed of a diplomat, an engineer, and an experienced naval crew," the speaker said. "The diplomat is being supplied by Tolerance."

"That's why I have requested that Valerie be here," Cheryl spoke up. "If she agrees to go, I think the Zone's premiere ship designer would be an asset on such a mission. Also, Valerie and her life partner are both experienced line naval officers."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said. "Don't forget, we have a young child. What are we going to do with little Brock? Is this mission dangerous? I have to think about my family. What becomes of my son if we don't return because the TSN or this alien race kills us? Who's gonna look after him while we are gone? If I go then I would want my whole crew with me, including my computer specialist, Dan Chestnut."

"The danger should be minimal," the speaker said. "We thought that perhaps your son could travel with you. It could be helpful for the aliens to see a family to help reinforce what's at stake."

"Valerie, you should also know that we haven't received any new people across the blockade in a year," Cheryl said. "It's been rumored that somebody in the Terran Government has realized that they have been sending what have mostly been the best and brightest gays, lesbians, and transfolk here. That scared them and now they are summarily executing any of our people they discover. How long do you think it will be before that same fear inspires them to invade the Zone and kill us all?"

"You know, as good as our own Navy is, in terms of the quality of our hardware and personnel, our resources are finite and we are still no match for the TSN because of the sheer numbers and resources they can bring to bear. We can’t hope to match them without a significant technological advantage and perhaps even some allies."

"There is another aspect of the mission as well," the speaker said. "There have been reports that the frontier worlds are banding together, setting up an alliance against the Terran Government that they feel is too harsh and totalitarian. They are chafing under the Terran taxation and they feel they get nothing in return. They have a great deal more resources at their disposal and have already had a few skirmishes with the TSN. Also, it's been suggested that they wouldn't be adverse to our presence in their alliance, so another secondary objective of this expeditionary mission would be to make contact with them and forge some sort of agreement."

"When is this expedition supposed to leave?" I asked.

"In about a month when we get the crew picked out and the heavy cruiser refitted," the speaker said.

"You were planning on sending a heavy cruiser?" I asked.

"That was the plan, yes," the man said. "I take it you have some input here?"

"I have a lot of input here," I said. "Firstly, while a heavy cruiser is a powerful ship, it's slow and hard to hide even with a stealth generator. It generates a lot of heat and it's easily seen. If the TSN spotted us crossing the blockade in a warship of that size, the jig would be up. They would know that we are capable of being a thorn in their side and would, no doubt, do something about it. Our greatest strength at this point is that they have no idea that we are well equipped with our own warships, and right now they are not interested in what's going on behind the blockade. Detecting one of our heavies would surely change that."

"Secondly, we are on a mission to beg for the assistance of this supposedly peaceful alien race. It's my thought that perhaps showing up in a big intimidating warship would be rather counterproductive to our objective. They aren't likely to give us crap for assistance if we go in with a show of force."

There was a general murmur of agreement around the table.

"She has some very good and valid points," Cheryl said to the man giving the presentation. "It's one of the reasons I suggested her for this mission. She has a good keen head on her shoulders, and in addition to having already displayed her courage, I also understand that she’s an unparalleled tactician."

"Very well, I will take your input to the Grand Council," the man said. "What sort of ship would you suggest we send?"

"Why mine, of course," I said. "She's a Duality class heavy corvette. She's relatively small and very fast, which will make her hard to spot. She also packs a huge punch, should we encounter any hostiles. She also doesn't look obviously like a warship, so it won't raise questions if she is spotted."

"So, does this mean you’re going?" Cheryl asked.

"I have to discuss it with Miri first," I said. "She has veto power, but I do think this mission is important to safe guard my son's future."
 
 
Chapter 26
 
 
"Why can't these people leave you alone and let us live a quiet peaceful life?" Miri demanded rhetorically, after I told her what we had been asked to do. "And now they want us to go dragging our son across the back of beyond, and into possibly dangerous situations. Damn them!"

"I know, Miri, I know," I said soothingly. "The fact is, though, we have skills and experience that not many others could bring to the mission. If we don't go, to whom would you trust our child's future? Personally, I think I would rather hold his fate in my hands than let some stranger do my fighting for me."

"You're right, of course," Miri said with resignation. "It's just that I wanted us to be a stable solid family; no risks, no surprises."

"Me too, Miri, but we do have a good life," I said. "It may be a bit too exciting at times, but it has its compensations. It gave us little Brock, didn't it?"

"You're right," she said, hugging me tightly. "So, when do we leave?"

"They are planning on leaving in a month," I told her. "I need to see if Brian and Dan will go as well. I could really use their expertise in this."

Brian and Dan, of course, agreed to go with us as well. We spent the next month getting the Duality Too ready for the voyage. Dan worked tirelessly upgrading systems, and I even installed the latest thing in weapons technology. In place of the rapid firing pulse lasers in the nose turret, I installed new advanced mini particle beam cannons, which packed more punch and range than the lasers. Unfortunately, they also used more power so we were limited to converting just one turret.

Three weeks later we had the Duality Tooready for the trip and the Diplomat was on planet. His name was Samsual Keller. Keller was an absolute hunk of an older man with snowy white hair and a matching Van Dyke. In spite of his age, standing at 6 feet tall, his body was still athletic and muscular. He had an affable yet no nonsense presence that I really liked, and though I would never have admitted it to anyone, when he looked at me with his azure blue eyes, I could feel my panties get wet in spite of myself. As if this wasn't enough, he was also Bi and a widower.

The other three members of my crew seemed to be pretty well taken with him as well. The guys were somewhat shameless in the admiration, as was Miri, though she was more circumspect about it. For my part, I didn't volunteer anything, but when asked my opinion, I would just say, "I guess he's ok if you like the type," which caused everyone to laugh at me. I guess I was pretty transparent.

According to them, he seemed quite smitten with me, providing them with even more amusement. Personally, I didn't see it, but Miri and the guys would sit around and point out to me all the little indications, then giggle about my discomfort. Miri even jokingly suggested that maybe I should invite him to our bed. At least, I thought it was a joke. Wasn't it? Nevertheless, I was determined to be a good girl, and no matter how devastatingly attractive I found Sammy, or how desirable he found me, I was committed to another,r whom I found even more attractive.

During the last week before our departure, we all spent a lot of time together establishing a working relationship and going over every piece of information we had pertaining to our mission. Not all of it was in a conference room, either. We took a couple of days and went hiking in the mountains at Brian's cabin. It was here where I was tested.

Sam, Brian, Miri and I were hiking along a trial in the crisp morning air. Sam and I were talking about my experiences in the TSN. He always seemed to do that when we weren't talking about the mission. Having me talking about myself, that is. As always, he listened in rapt fascination to my anecdotes, and we fell a bit behind Miri and Brian, who were both setting an athletic pace.

"Oh my," Sam said, stopping. "What a beautiful view."

We had come to a point in the trail where the trees broke and revealed a breathtaking morning mountain vista. The sun hadn't yet burned off the cool mist that blanketed the mountains like a fluffy blanket in places. We could look down on the valley below and see the powerful rapids of the river that coursed along the base of the valley.

"Have you ever seen a more lovely sight?" I agreed.

"Just one," he said.

When he didn't elaborate, I looked around for him to prompt me to go on. I found he was looking evocatively at me and I fell into his vibrant blue eyes, transfixed like a mouse before a cobra.

"Valerie, you have the most beautiful gray eyes I've ever seen," he said, stepping up to me. "They can be as hard and cold as the steel they share their color with, but also as warm, soft and inviting as a mother's embrace."

The word "mother" made me think of Miri, being the mother of my child, and that broke the spell. Using thoughts of Miri as a lifeline, I struggled back from the depths of those blue eyes.

"Sam," I said gently, "You know I'm in an exclusive relationship with Miri. Please don't test that. I might be tempted, but in the end you'll lose and I really don't think we need that sort of awkwardness in the days to come."

Sam seemed to jerk slightly, as if coming out of his own spell. "Oh damn," he said. "Geez, I'm sorry Valerie. I don't know what came over me. It seemed that when our eyes met, the rest of the world ceased to have meaning; I fell into your incredible gray orbs and wanted to stay there forever."

"I know what you mean," I said with a sigh.

"Valerie, Sam," came Miri's voice from up the trail, "stop lollygagging and get your butts in gear."

I looked at Sam and grinned. "That's my Miri," I said. "She can be a bit unpolished at times, but I love her for that."

Sam and I turned and hustled up the trail to catch up to the others. Neither he nor I ever mentioned the incident again, although, I would catch him looking at me wistfully from time to time when he thought I wasn’t looking.

The day of our departure finally arrived. We all met at the spaceport with our baggage of personal effects in tow. The baggage pile for Miri and me was somewhat larger than the others' due to little Brock’s need for toys and such. As soon as we had everything stowed, we began our pre-flight checkouts.

All systems were as expected, in the green, and we were ready to commence our journey. If all went as planned, we wouldn't be returning home for six months minimum. Longer depending on how long negotiations took.

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-
 

"Sissy boy is hardly an accurate term anymore is it?" I said gesturing at my body.

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 8: Star Faring For Freedom
 
Chapter 27
 
 
We lifted free of the tarmac on the anti-grav generators. As soon as we gained enough altitude, I brought the main and secondary drives to full thrust. The Duality Too shot up into orbit like a watermelon seed somebody squeezed from between their fingers. As we gained orbit, we contacted Diversity local space control and they vectored us out. The trip to our little pass-through point in the blockade took far less time than it did the first time and we arrived at Stile Station without incident.

Stile Station, getting its name from a stile, or a bridge between pastures, was built to serve as a relay station to assist stealth capable ships making their drift run across the blockade. It was also there to prevent unauthorized runs by non-stealth equipped ships and those that didn't have the code to disable the drone. This back door into the Zone was far too valuable to risk drawing attention to it.

"Duality Too, this is Stile Control. We have you inbound on long range sensors," the Comm crackled. "Will you be stopping with us?"

"Stile Control, this is Captain Valerie Callaway, commanding Duality Too," I said, "We're just passing through this time around. Request sensor relay feed, authorization code Victor Nancy Charlie Mike Charlie Charlie Bravo Nancy Charlie Wun Niner Seven Four Four Two."

"Copy that, Duality Too," Stile Control returned. "Authorization code checks as does your piggy-backed transponder code. Beginning sensor relay feed now. Have a safe trip and come back to us soon, hear?"

"Thanks Stile Control," I said. "We are receiving the sensor feed and setting up for our drift run. We'll be going to stealth shortly. See you on the return trip. Duality Too out."

We laid in our heading and began our max burn. As we approached the transition area of the senor buoys' maximum range we cut the drive and went into stealth mode. We had built up a lot more speed than the last time we'd run the blockade so we wouldn't be in the sensor area for as long.

"Damn," I cursed, as we made it to about a quarter of the way though the detection area. A TSN ship entered our scope.

"What's wrong," Sam asked nervously.

"We have a TSN dreadnought inbound," I said.

"Oh crap," Sam said. "Does she see us?"

"Not at the moment," I said.

"So what's the problem?" Sam asked.

"The problem is that we will cross her course about 100 klicks ahead and above her," I said.

"And?" Sam prompted.

"Stealth mode masks us from sensor detection in all but the infrared and visual spectrums," I explained. "We are beating the infrared by not running our drive and creating a big heat plume. However, at that range, they will be able to faintly detect the heat of our life support. While it's not uncommon to pick up such faint readings in space, we will be clearly visible to anybody that's looking. Our hull is camouflaged, reflecting the star field around us, but it's an imperfect thing. A trained eye will be able to spot us easily."

"So what do we do?" Sam asked. "Shouldn't we turn back, or make a run for it or something?"

"If I fired the drives now they would definitely detect us and by the time we scrubbed off enough speed to go back the other way, our intent would be clear," I explained. "It's not a given that they will see us, just a better than even possibility. We could get lucky and the sensor tech on duty could just assume our heat signature is cosmic in origin without even looking further. That's our best hope at this point so we will continue as we are and watch carefully for any sort of activity that says we've been detected."

"I see that reports of your courage under fire were not exaggerated," Sam commented.

"My decisions are based on what allows us to get the mission done while giving us the greatest chance of survival," I rejoined. "Courage has nothing to do with it."

"Bullshit," Sam grinned at me. "You calmly sit there as we drift into the path of a dreadnought whose firepower would rip us to ribbons instantly and you say that it isn't courage? Goddess, girl, I am scared shitless!"

"And I'm not?" I asked. "My whole family including my son is on this ship. I am risking all our lives here and that terrifies me."

"Yet you are calm and making rational decisions," he said. "That, dear lady, is courage."

I let it go and we continued into harm's way in silence. The tension mounted the closer we got. We were seconds away from our closest point to the dreadnought. They would be reading our heat signature now. I said a silent prayer as we crossed the dreadnought's course. There was no response from the dreadnought as yet. The tension began to release as our drift carried us further from the TSN ship. We were just about to transition out of her gun radius when she did an about face and began to move toward us, deploying fighters.

"Well, boys and girls, they've spotted us," I said, and firewalled the drives. The Duality Too leaped forward as I vectored her immediately away from the dreadnought and her inbound fighters.

"Valerie, we are being hailed," Dan informed me.

"On the main screen please, Dan," I said.

"Unidentified vessel," a familiar face said from the screen. "This is the TSN Dreadnought Aquinas, you are ordered to cut your drives and heave to."

"Sorry, Captain Edmunds, I can't do that," I responded.

"Identify yourself," Captain Edmunds my old CO demanded. "Do I know you?"

"Captain Valerie Nicole Callaway commanding the Duality Too," I returned. "You cannot catch us, Captain. Call off your fighters for their safety. We are armed and will not hesitate to return fire if they fire on us." I was desperately trying to stall until we got out of hyperspace-inhibited range. The fighters were no match for us, but they could do damage and perhaps slow us enough that the Aquinas could close range on us.

"Callaway...I know that name and you do look familiar," the Captain said. "Do I have the honor of addressing a relative of Brock Callaway? His twin sister perhaps?"

The Captain knew full well whom he was addressing but he was respecting the promise to me long ago.

"Perhaps," I said smiling. As long as he was talking he wasn't shooting.

"I must say, I completely understand why he kept you such a secret. You are very beautiful, my dear, and unless I miss my guess, very deadly as well, if you are anywhere near the caliber of your brother," the captain said.

"Fortunately, you won't have to find out," I said as the green indicator light illuminated, letting us know we could now jump to hyperspace. I brought the jump generators on line and began to initiate the jump.

"I'm afraid I will, my dear," the captain said. Just then I heard a clang against our hull and the jump generators went off line.

"They've hit us with a jump inhibitor missile," Dan said calmly. "At the inhibitor field's rate of decay, we won't be able to jump for another minute."

"That means the fighters will have a minute to hit us with another inhibitor missile and try to slow us enough that the Aquinas can close," I said, bringing the point defenses on line.

As the first fighter came in and strafed us, our own guns gutted it as it passed. Another, approaching from above us, took three hits from our new mini PBC turret and disintegrated into a ball of expanding gases. The remaining four fighters launched every missile they carried and followed them in, in an attempt to overwhelm our point defenses. The missiles were swept from space without too much trouble, but then the fighters were on us, targeting our drive. As the turrets reacquired, a third fighter fell prey to the PBC turret while the others began to take damage from the less powerful rapid-fire pulse lasers. They fell back.

"Captain Edmunds, please, for the safety of your crew, call your fighters off," I implored my former CO. "You have done enough to try to stop me and as your fighters have barely blistered our paint at the expense of three pilots and utterly failed to slow us one iota, you will not be faulted for protecting your crew."

"Very well, Miz Callaway," Edmunds said. "I'm pulling my fighters back, but you haven't gotten away yet. That's a very impressive ship you have there. The hull design is not in any of our databases. May I ask where you got it?"

"I built it from liberated TSN parts," I lied smoothly. "It’s one of a kind."

"Oh shit, Valerie, we've got 2 light cruisers and a destroyer inbound from ahead of us on an intercept course," Brian said, his voice breaking under the stress.

"Steady, Mister Andrews," I cautioned. "Mister Chestnut, how long until we can jump?"

"Twenty seconds, Valerie," Dan said, the tension apparent in his voice as well. "The incoming ships will be in firing range in ten seconds."

"Very well. They are playing hardball. They are about to find out what the Duality Too is capable of," I had been trying to keep the Duality's true firepower an unknown, but now we had little choice. "Brian target the cruisers with nukes and I will take care of the destroyer. Our gun outranges theirs and that should give them something to think about."

"Missiles locked on and away," Brian said, as I brought the main gun on line.

The aiming reticule flared to life on the screen displaying various targeting information. I carefully maneuvered the Duality Too until the reticule transfixed the destroyer. As the range display dropped quickly the reticule turned green indicating the destroyer was now in range. I fired the gun. Unlike the original Duality where we lost power momentarily when firing the main gun, the lights of the Duality Too scarcely flickered. Down range, our shot ripped through the destroyer's side, opening several decks to space in an explosion of vaporized hull plates and escaping atmospheric pressure. Her course faltered a bit but she kept coming. I fired again this time the result was more spectacular. First she dropped back a bit behind the cruisers as her drive went off line, then a moment later her reactor went critical and she incinerated herself in a white-hot nuclear explosion. Before the EMP from the exploding reactor even reached the cruisers, our missiles drove deeply inside their hulls and they similarly became bight plumes superheated gas and radiation. All this happened a half a second before they even reached firing range.

"Oh my god, Callaway," Edmunds said over the comm, his composure finally breaking. "You are an animal! You just snuffed out 2100 lives! You’re going to burn for this, you bitch!"

"And you are a fool," I snarled ferally at him. "I warned you to leave us be, but you persisted. Now you have 2103 lives, to be exact, on your hands. Make no mistake, I will protect my own ship and crew at any cost."

"They were following orders," he screamed at me.

"You fucking moron! Didn't you learn anything from me?" I said furiously. "Following orders doesn't absolve you of responsibility! There are just some orders that shouldn't be followed. What I did here was defending myself. Or maybe you just wanted to give me a bouquet and send me on my way, eh?"

"You've just made a huge mistake, Callaway," Edmunds said frostily. "The TSN will never rest until you are hunted down and brought to justice."

"Fuck the TSN and its perverse justice," I said equally as icily. "The TSN and the Terran Government is responsible for far more innocent deaths then the 2100 that died here today. Mark my words, Edmunds, get out while you can, 'cause the butcher's bill is coming due for the Terran Government and the TSN and the price will be paid in blood."

As I said this, the inhibitor field dissipated and we jumped to hyperspace before Edmunds could say another word.
 
 
Chapter 28
 
 
"Wow, that was intense," Sam said after we transitioned back to normal space. "Valerie, you are one vicious woman. 2100 people, dead, just like that because they opposed you."

"Mister Andrews, you have the con," I said tightly as I got up and quickly left the flight deck.

I went straight to my cabin, which was thankfully empty. As soon as the door was shut and locked, I collapsed on the bed and began to sob. I had killed 2100 people. It didn't matter that they meant my family and me harm. Hell, truthfully most of them had no choice but to be there, and I knew it. The audacious words I had said to Captain Edmunds in the heat of the moment were bull. He knew it, and I knew it. It didn't help that I knew him and he would feel just as responsible for the hideous loss of life.

My heart ached for those men and women and their families whose hopes and dreams were vaporized in an instant of nuclear fire. As much as I hurt, I knew I would do it again and again, until there was no life left in the universe except Miri and our son. I didn't like myself very much at that point. However righteous the reasons, when the dust settles, killing is still killing.

I looked up when the door opened and Miri entered the cabin. She took one look at me and her eyes softened.

"Aww, Honey, what's wrong?" she asked gathering me up in her arms and holding me tightly.

"Edmunds was right," I said. "I am a monster. I thought I locked the door."

"You did," she said gently, "but you can't shut me out, Sweetheart. Don't even try to shut me out. I love you and you're not a monster. Did you enjoy killing those people?"

"No," I sobbed.

"And look at you," Miri pointed out. "You're eaten up with guilt. You feel terrible that they had to die. If you were really a monster, you'd have been laughing about it, not grieving for them. You know they knew the risks when they joined the TSN. They knew there was a chance they could get killed; yet they chose to be there anyway. You did what you had to do, to protect us and our people. What you did, you did for all the right reasons. What they did was die trying to preserve tyranny and oppression. Yes, their deaths were useless, but that was their choice. They didn't give you one."

"It hurts so bad, Miri," I sobbed on her shoulder.

"I know it does, Sugar," she said, "I know it does. That's the part that makes you human. If it didn't hurt, you wouldn't be the woman I love. I've got you though, just let it all out and it'll feel better."

Sometime later I pulled myself back together and fixed my makeup before heading back out to the common room. I went to the bar and poured myself a stiff drink. Sam was seated on the couch holding an ice pack to the side of his face with one hand and a potent looking drink in the other.

"What happened to you?" I asked as I sat down on the other end of the couch.

"Let me tell you, that woman of yours has a right cross like a prizefighter," he groaned. "It was like getting hit with a rifle butt, and I would know, I've been hit with a rifle butt before." He pulled the ice pack away from his cheek and displayed the ugly purple bruise that was developing there.

"I think you'd better tell me what happened," I said.

"I'll tell you what happened," said Miri from the doorway. "After you left the bridge, Brian called me up there. He told me that you had left quickly after Mr. Keller made his insensitive comments," she glared at Sam and he blanched, "When I heard what he had said to you, I lost it, blasted him in the head then came to find you." She didn't look a bit repentant about it either.

"That's what happened," Sam confirmed. "I deserved it. I just couldn't believe how quickly that many people died. I was shocked and horrified, but honestly, I was impressed at how efficient you were. I mean, you seemed so decisive, so professional, and so calm, it just didn’t occur to me that it hurt you to do what you did."

"You think killing three ships full of people is easy?" I asked. "My goddess, who do you think I am, Joseph Mengele?"

"I see now I was wrong to think you were that cold-hearted," Sam said, "though I should have known before. I was just so shocked. I owe you a big apology. I'm very sorry."

"No problem," I said magnanimously. "It's water under the bridge. Right Miri?" When she didn't respond, I said again, "RIGHT Miri?"

"Yeah, okay, water under the bridge," Miri said grudgingly.

"I don't know which of the two of you I would want to piss off least," Sam laughed. "You can both be as frightening as you are beautiful, and that is petrifying indeed."

We soon settled into a routine. We would spend at least two months traveling through potentially hostile space, no ports or stations until we reached the reported alien occupied area of space. I knew we had started out this journey on the wrong foot and in two months we would all be sick of looking at each other. It became Sam's job to take care of meals and such because he wasn't qualified to stand watch. I hardly saw Miri, except for brief periods where we either exchanged watches or after my watch before she went to bed, leaving me to watch Brock. Of course, she was up before Brock and I arose.

I was handling our son's schooling; not that it took much, since it was basically jacking him into the accelerated learner and watching him. Still, Miri and I were getting a bit haggard from standing watch on the bridge and then standing another over our child. I guess it was showing some because after I became routinely shrewish with everyone, Brian and Dan offered to stand 8 hour watches so that Miri and I would have more down time together and with Brock, as well as more time to rest. It worked out great and my disposition improved significantly.

Not that there wasn't any excitement. Even though space is a very big place and we were just one small ship, the TSN, I found out later, had mobilized the biggest hunt in history for us. Knowing they would be looking for us, we followed a long, meandering random course to prevent them from amassing a force to catch us as we dropped out of hyperspace to recharge the jump capacitors. Still, there was the odd time we dropped out where a TSN ship would be loitering. Luckily, they were mainly smaller ships like destroyers and frigates and they refused to engage us. Instead, they faded back out of weapons range and shadowed us until we recharged and jumped again.

I kept waiting for us to run into a hero-type, or someone with more balls than brains. As luck would have it, we managed to run into another old friend commanding a missile frigate. Wouldn't you know, it had to be someone with an ax to grind with me.

"Hello, Broccoli," came a voice over the comm channel, soon accompanied by a familiar face.

"Oh-laughable," I said cheerfully. "Fancy meeting you way out here. Did you come all this way just to let me humiliate you again for old-time's sake? Aww, how sweet of you."

"Oh no, you got it all wrong," Olaf said, equally as cheerfully. "I'm here to return the favor, sissy boy."

"Sissy boy is hardly an accurate term anymore is it?" I said gesturing at my body.

"I don't care what you've done to yourself, you're still, and always will be, a fag," Olaf insisted, "and one that has an ass-whooppin' coming. Tell you what, surrender now and maybe I'll just content myself with raping you repeatedly until we get you back for your execution."

"But if you really think I'm a man, then wouldn't that make you a fag too?" I asked. "Anyway, that leads us to another lesson: never offer an opponent surrender terms that would be a fate worse than death. It tends to make them laugh in your face." I suited action to words.

"Doesn't matter to me what you do," Olaf said. "If you surrender, I get to humiliate you before you die. If you don't then I get to kill you. Either way, it'll be my pleasure."

"Olaf, I see you still haven't learned the one lesson that will continue to get your balls knocked into your throat," I sneered, reminding him of our last face off. "You are far too overconfident. Back off, or I will be forced to administer another lesson and this one will be a hard one."

"Big words from such a little girly-boy in such a little ship," Olaf dismissed.

In truth there was some degree of bravado in my words because a missile frigate was nothing to scoff at. It could very well be a problem for us. Olaf's ship carried more than enough missiles to overwhelm our point defenses, but it also had a weakness. Most of the missile load on the frigate was guided by targeting telemetry from the launching vessel. The weakness was the large targeting array affixed to the superstructure of the ship. There was also a little matter of one of Dan's toys I had at my disposal.

"Well, Olaf, I guess some of you Neanderthals never learn, do you?" I sighed. "Let's dance then, tough guy."

As the missile bay doors opened on Olaf's frigate, he launched a full bay of missiles, easily enough to overwhelm our point defenses. But as the missiles sprang clear of the frigate and began to track us, I targeted the frigate's targeting array and fired a shot from the main cannon, instantly vaporizing it.

Olaf's missiles were now blind. I engaged Dan's little goody, which mimicked the mothership's telemetry and sent the missiles where we wanted, which was strait into the frigate's drive. In less than three seconds, Olaf's ship was blind and crippled, mostly with his own missiles. After one more well-placed surgical shot from me, he was deaf and dumb, too as I took out his hyperwave comm array.

"Olaf," I said, adding a finishing touch to his latest humiliation, "go back to school, you stupid jerk. You never could win against me."

"You haven't heard the last of me, Callaway," Olaf bellowed over the comm, as I pointed the Duality Too away and passed out of his comm range.

'Nope, I expect not,' I thought to myself, 'but then what fun would that be.' I would later appreciate the terrible irony of those words.
 
 
Chapter 29
 
 
"So, why did you let him live," Sam asked at dinner. "He obviously hates you and isn't likely to show you the same mercy should the tables be reversed."

"Sam, I am ruthless when I need to be, but I don't enjoy killing," I sighed. "Olaf is a hateful, cruel man, and someone who has been embarrassingly smacked down by me or someone on my behalf every time we've had a run-in. I'm sure he's more motivated than ever to take me out. He's an intelligent man, and an adequate officer. His problem is that he leads by fear, which doesn't inspire his men to go beyond their limitations. His commands will always be mediocre until he learns that fear is not the way to inspire loyalty. I don't have much hope of that. Also, as intelligent as he is, his hatred of me overrides his brain and he doesn't think. These are all factors that'll let me prevail every time. Why would I want to get rid of someone like that in favor of an unknown?"

"I see," said Sam. "What if someday he does change?"

"I always consider him a threat," I said. "I know what he's capable of, and I will never take for granted he will be an easy victory. I won't underestimate him. Anyway, his crew didn't deserve to pay the price for our vendetta."

The rest of our journey was relatively quiet, as we followed our seemingly random course that I hoped would keep the TSN guessing about our ultimate destination. The time finally arrived when we were about to make the last hyperspace jump before entering the alien territory. If the TSN had figured out our mission, this would be where they would be waiting for us. Everyone but Sam and Brock were on the bridge and ready for anything. Anything, that is, except for what actually happened.

I felt the familiar double jolt as we transitioned through hyperspace. Immediately, as we came out of hyperspace, alarms started going off. We'd jumped into the middle of an AI minefield. The mines began to drift towards us when their Artificial intelligence didn't recognize our transponder code.

"Gimme a vector," I shouted.

"Come to bearing three-one-five, azimuth plus oh-three-six," Miri responded.

I pointed the ship in the indicated direction and firewalled the throttles as Brian brought the point defenses on line. Our turrets began to destroy the mines closet to us, but there were so many of them. They began to get closer and closer to us before the turrets took them out and our only hope was to get clear before the gap closed and one struck us.

"Valerie, we've got three heavy cruisers moving on an intercept course to our exit point from the mine field," Miri said.

"How close?" I asked urgently.

"The closest will intercept us at a range of 750 AU's," Miri said, and then added redundantly, "well within range of their guns. The second is vectoring in from the port side and will be on us shortly after we clear the field. The third is still on the far side of the field from us and unless we get bogged down in a firefight, it won't be a threat."

At that moment an explosion rocked the ship as a mine got a little too close before the point defenses took it out. "Damage?" I demand.

"Minor damage to the starboard landing skid. Starboard secondary drive output down 2 percent," Dan responded crisply.

"Okay," I said, "here's the plan. When we get to the edge of the minefield, we'll launch an ECM decoy. That should take care of any pursuing mines. Miri, target the ship closest to us and fire two nukes at it. Set them for proximity detonation. Chances are they won't do much damage, but they are coming through the minefield to intercept us. The EMP will cause the mines in the area to lose their IFF and they will go hostile toward any ship close to them. That should give them something to think about besides us. The other ship we'll just have to take our chances with. Our main gun won't take out a heavy cruiser on one shot, and we won't survive trading blows with her."

"So what are we gonna do?" Brian asked, having faith that I would pull us through this.

"We'll take a shot or two at them and hope we do some damage, and then, with the remaining reserve I kept in the jump capacitors last jump, we jump across to the alien controlled space," I informed them.

We approached the edge of the minefield and Dan deployed the ECM decoy as we burst though. Miri fired the nukes and 10 seconds later the EMP caused all the mines in a 100 klick radius to attack the heavy cruiser in their midst. This all worked better than expected. The mines pursuing us destroyed themselves uselessly against the ECM decoy while the mines attacking the cruiser took out it's fire control array and crippled her drives. Before the mines reset, the cruiser was adrift and no longer a threat.

That left us to deal with the second cruiser. I pointed the Duality Too at her as she came within our range and opened fire on her. She was taking major damage to her hull plates and I even managed to score a hit on one of her main turrets. Still, she came. I fired a full spread of missiles at her. They were harmlessly destroyed by the point defenses as they fired their drives for their final thrust to penetrate her hull. She kept coming, undeterred.

I turned us away from her and brought our drives up to max thrust, making evasive maneuvers as the cruiser entered her firing range and open fired. Particle beams sizzled by us as I jinked and dodged, while anxiously awaiting the jump ready light to illuminate on the console. Finally, it came on.

"Get those jump generators online!" I screamed.

"Done," Brian hollered back.

I engaged the jump generators and transitioned to hyperspace, but right before we entered, the cruiser scored a critical direct hit. I knew it was bad when we transitioned back into normal space. We were tumbling out of control. I immediately took the drives offline and the stabilizing thrusters stopped our tumble.

"How bad is it?" I asked, more calmly now that the immediate danger had passed. I glanced at the engineering station and saw far too many red lights illuminated on the status board.

"It's not good," Dan said. "We lost our port side secondary drive and the main drive. Without the port side secondary, the starboard one is useless. The jump generators are offline and unavailable and hyperwave comms are down. The damage to the drives is too extensive for the auto repair to get them back online. On the plus side, hull integrity and life support are in the green."

Our situation was very desperate. We could survive for years, but we weren't going anywhere. Unless somebody stumbled across us, we would eventually go mad looking at the same walls and faces day in and day out. I shuddered at the thought.

"Okay everyone," I said, "nice job back there. We're still alive and where there's life there's hope. Right now though, we need to unwind a bit. Let's all go have a drink and some dinner and then get some rest. We'll brainstorm about our options when we are thinking more clearly."

Everyone filed off the bridge except for me. I turned on the distress beacon and set the sensors to sound an alarm over the ship's PA if they detected anything, before following my crew. I sat down wearily on the couch in the common room with my customary rum and cola. Miri stood behind me, massaging my tense shoulder and neck muscles. We filled Sam in on our current predicament and he calmly affirmed his faith in my ability to get us out of these dire straits, before setting about making us dinner.

We were just sitting down to the meal when the sensor alarm I had just set went off.

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-

"In our society, we change genders when we reach a certain age," said the alien.

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 9: Allies
 
Chapter 30
 
 
I reached the bridge just in front of the others and just in time to see two more strange...well, they were ships, I supposed, materializing in front of us. The ships, assuming that's what they were, looked unlike anything I had ever seen before. The appeared almost organic, like they were grown instead of manufactured. For all I knew these could have been the aliens themselves, and not their ships.

"Valerie, they are hailing us," Brian informed me.

"Very well, open a channel," I said.

"Greetings, visitors," the creature displayed in the screen said. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting. A BEM (Bug Eyed Monster) I suppose, but this creature certainly wasn't it.

The alien appeared to be classically bipedal humanoid. Its body, where I could see, was covered with a snowy white fur though it did wear clothing. The alien's face, despite the fur, was strangely human-like in its features. It appeared to have fine delicate features and its eyes were totally lavender except for an iris that was slit horizontally. The face was framed with a metallic-appearing silver cascade hair that grew out far longer than the white fur that covered the rest of the creature. The overall effect was breathtakingly beautiful.

"We have received your distress beacon," the alien continued in a high feminine sounding voice. "Your vessel appears to have been damaged by weapons fire. Please understand, we will not allow your kind to bring your petty wars into our space but neither can we do nothing for a living being in trouble. Can we be of any assistance?"

"I'm Valerie Callaway, Captain of this ship called the Duality Too. Our people have sent us to seek you out on a peaceful diplomatic mission," I explained. "We were ambushed by other people that would see our kind wiped from existence. What we need right now are raw materials that our autorepair systems can use to restore our ship's flight capabilities."

"You say you are on a mission of peace, yet our scans of your vessel have shown it to be well armed," the creature said. I looked meaningfully at Sam and he nodded in acknowledgement of the wisdom of not bringing a large military vessel.

"Yes, our vessel is heavily armed for a ship this size, but our weapons are largely used in defense," I explained. "As you can see by the condition of my ship, there are those who would destroy us on sight, just for being the people that we are. Surely, you must see that the ability to defend ourselves is neither warlike nor frivolous?"

"Indeed," the alien said, "we too will defend ourselves with violence if that is the only course allowed us by those that mean us ill. We are an empathic people, and I sense that you have killed many to get here, but that you are saddened at the waste of life. If it so saddens you then why do you kill?"

"Momma Valley," Little Brock asked tugging on my finger, "What's that?" he asked pointing at the Drandian on the view screen.

I picked him up and placed him in my lap. "That's a person we were sent here to meet with, sweetie," I explained to him.

"It doesn't look like a person, Valley," Brock said.

"This is a different kind of person from you or I, honey, but that doesn't mean it's not a person," I told my son and he nodded seriously, as if I had just told him the most important thing he would ever hear. Come to think of it, maybe I had.

"Valley," he said, with a smile, "it's a pretty person."

"This is the reason I have killed," I said looking back to the screen. "This is my child and I will protect him against any that would hurt him."

"Yet you have brought your child with you on a journey you knew would put him in peril?" the alien said.

"He would have been safer at home, I agree, but only if our region doesn't get attacked while we are gone," I said. "Our mission is a long one and his place is with his parents."

"I sense your love and fierce protective instinct for your offspring and also your people, though less so," the alien said. "The resources you need will be brought to you. In the meantime I will talk to my governing body and see if they will agree to treat with you."

We sent the Drandians a list of the materials that we would need, and one of their ships shimmered and disappeared. In the meantime, we returned to our meal to await the Drandian Government's decision to talk to us or not.

After dinner, Brian and Dan watched Brock and cleaned up the remains of dinner, while Sam, Miri and I returned to the bridge. We had been sitting there for about an hour discussing our plans for negotiating with the Drandians when a warning tone sounded, announcing another sensor contact.

"Oh shit," I said as I read the transponder.

"What is it?" Miri and Sam asked at the same time.

"Drandian Vessels," a voice came over the comms, "this is Captain Darius Edmunds of the Terran Space Navy Dreadnought Aquinas. We are here to take that ship and personnel into custody and bring them to justice. We apologize for their intrusion into your space. We'll just pick them up and be on our way."

"Greetings, Terran Space Navy Dreadnought Aquinas, I am called Pack Commander Talia and I must regretfully decline to allow you to take possession of the vessel in question unless you can establish your rightful claim to it," the Drandian we had originally talked to informed Edmunds.

"I'm sorry, did you just say you refused to give us that ship and personnel?" sputtered Edmunds. "I'm afraid I really must insist. The crew of that vessel are wanted criminals charged with everything from insubordination and sabotage of a TSN vessel, flight from justice, desertion, and most recently 2103 counts of murder."

"How do you respond to these charges, Valerie Callaway?" the Drandian asked me.

"The murder charges are the three ships and three fighters I was forced to destroy to defend my crew," I said. "It was only murder if you consider killing someone who is intent on killing you, murder. I consider it self-defense. As for the rest, all of those charges are true and they stem from a single incident. Ask Captain Edmunds about it, since he was my commanding officer at the time."

"Captain Edmunds," the Drandian prompted.

"Callaway was under my command at the time and she, or rather he at the time, was on watch when he let a ship cross the blockade we were guarding practically unchallenged. His orders were to destroy any ships entering or leaving the quarantined area. He also encrypted our fire controls so that we couldn't fire on the ship when he was relieved of duty."

"Ask him why I let the ship through," I prompted.

"Captain Edmunds, why did she let the ship through?" the Drandian asked.

"He said it was because it was an unarmed cargo vessel," Edmunds said dismissively.

"It was an unarmed cargo ship on a mission of mercy," I corrected. "The vessel carried a load of medical supplies desperately needed by a world inside our blockade to cure an epidemic that would have cost 90% of the population of the planet their lives had I not let the ship pass."

"Such orders are unjust and cruel," the Drandian said. "Captain Edmunds, why would you give Valerie Callaway these orders?"

"I didn't," Edmunds told the alien. "They were standing orders given to us by our government. The people in the blockaded zone we guarded were determined to be a threat to our society."

"These are the very people we come here to represent. Ask him why these people were singled out a called a threat?" I suggested.

"Because they are immoral deviants," Edmunds said weakly, obviously not believing his own statement.

"How are they deviants?" the Drandian asked.

"You say your people are empathic, Pack Commander?" I asked.

"Very much so," the Drandian said.

"Okay," I said motioning Miri over to me, taking her hand. While I was looking deeply into her eyes, I asked the Drandian, "Can you feel the love I have for this woman? And she for me?"

"Yes," the Drandian said in wonder. "It's pure, so warm, and beautiful; so strong and intense. How do you manage to contain it? You are both soul mates. Thank you for sharing such love with me."

"Because we are both female, the Terran government says we are deviant to feel this way for each other," I explained. "It is also because I was not born a woman. People like me are also called deviant, despite knowing that there is nothing we can do about it. It’s a well known biological fact that it's the way our brains are wired; we can do nothing about it except take a now illegal pill to make our bodies conform to our minds."

"I know of this feeling you speak of," the Drandian said. "I can feel it in you and it's so bleak and hopeless. What I am feeling is just a memory of the actual feeling and it must be terrible to have to live with it. In our society, we change genders when we reach a certain age. We all start as males and if we survive to thirty of our cycles, we become females. Many of us have a hard time dealing with the change due to the fact that we survived because we were strong and aggressive, while after the change, we are weak and must be protected. Yet our society is matriarchal and our leaders are females because they have the wisdom of experience. We mate and produce offspring, but we usually find our soul mates in our own generation, therefore, with our own gender. There is nothing deviant about this."

"Captain Edmunds, I can feel that you think what is happening to Valerie Callaway and her people is wrong, but I also sense in you a strong sense of duty. You also feel responsible for the deaths that you accuse her of. You don't really blame her for doing what she did, because she was fighting for her life and that of her family. Deep down I sense you respect her and even envy her willingness to stand up for her principles. You feel like you have sacrificed your honor in favor of your duty to an unjust leadership. I'm afraid you must leave our space at once without her ship or its crew, unless of course you would care to join Valerie Callaway in her struggle against the oppression of your leadership."

"I will not leave here without her," Edmunds said stubbornly.

"You cannot take her from us by force, Captain Edmunds," the Pack Commander said. "You command a powerful ship by human standards, but I promise you, my one ship could easily devastate yours in seconds. It would be like Valerie Callaway's ship picking a fight with your ship. But then, if you fire on either my ship or Valerie Callaway's, you won't just be dealing with my ship." Five other Drandian vessels, each larger than the dreadnought, shimmered briefly into view all around the dreadnought before disappearing again. "There are how many lives onboard you ship? 1700? The lives of your crew depend on what you do now. Leave now and they live. Force my hand and they will die."

"Very well," Edmunds conceded. "We're leaving, but if she sets foot out of your space we will get her. We will be waiting for her." With that he turned his ship and left.
 
 
Chapter 31
 
 
"Thank you for protecting my family, Pack Commander," I said sincerely.

"You are quite welcome, Valerie Callaway," the Drandian said. "We do not wish to become involved with your human affairs, but we will not place an honorable person in the hands of unjust enemies. It might interest you to know that our governing body was monitoring that exchange and they have agreed to speak with you."

"Great," I smiled. "Just give me the coordinates and when our ship is fixed we'll go there straight away."

"Actually, Valerie Callaway, it will be faster if I take you there," the Pack Commander said. "I will dock with your vessel and we will go to them."

The Drandian vessel moved into position over the Duality Too. What appeared to be vine-like tendrils shot out wrapping around my ship and pulling us snugly to the belly of the Drandian vessel. The Pack Commander warned us that we would be shifting into hyperspace. We traveled for about three days before we dropped out in normal space and entered orbit around a planet.

"Valerie, your child, your mate, and yourself, as well as Samsual Keller will be required to meet with our leaders on the planet," the Pack Commander told us. "Your ship will be docked with our orbital station where the resources you requested will be made available to the rest of your crew so they can effect repairs."

An umbilical, that looked exactly that, extended out of the Drandian ship and attached itself over our airlock door. Once we were sure it had a seal we opened the door and entered the umbilical. There was no gravity in the umbilical so Miri had to have Brock hang on to her as she made her way up to the Drandian ship. I had a more difficult time because I had to help Sam who was much larger and also not familiar with zero-G. Gravity returned once we got onto the Drandian ship. It was a lot heavier than our norm, but not enough that we had too much difficulty. I estimated it to be at about 1.25 earth norm. Offsetting that was the fact that the oxygen content of the air was slightly higher than ours, tending to energize our bodies against the constant extra load.

The inside of the Drandian ship looked just as organic as the outside, but there were interface panels and other structures that looked manufactured. The air held a faint pleasant musky odor that I assumed was the scent of our hosts. Lighting was dimmer than what I was used to but not so much that we had too much trouble seeing. Our host, Pack Commander Talia, was a bit of a shock, though. She, we'd found out during our talks that she was old enough to have made the transition to female, turned out to be a very imposing figure, standing about 8 feet tall and rippling with muscles. In person, I could see her movements were very graceful and feline. She approached me with her hands out palms up.

"This is our form of greetings, Valerie Callaway," Talia explained to me. "You should return this by extending your own hands, palms up and then placing them palm down into mine. This would be reversed if you were the host, and I would place my hands in yours."

I did as she directed. Her hands were warm and covered with soft short fur. They dwarfed mine and they were tipped with short pointed nails, which I felt against my wrists. This process was repeated with each of our party.

Little Brock walked up to Talia and raised his arms up to her, hands opening and closing, indicating he wanted her to pick him up.

"Sweetie, maybe she doesn't want to hold you," Miri said to him.

"It's quite alright," Talia said. "I don't mind at all. Your young ones fascinate me. Ours are born in an egg sack and develop to full grown in a communal nursery. We have no concept of individual parental identity. All elders are parents."

Miri smiled and showed Talia how to best hold Brock and then handed him to her. Talia held him exactly how Miri had done, arm around his back and supporting him with her hip. Her eyes widened in surprise when little Brock threw his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. I can't swear to it but I think the Pack Commander actually purred.

"He likes you," I grinned.

"I can feel that," Talia said. "Are all human children filled with such love?"

"Generally, until life teaches them otherwise," I said sadly. "Innocence allows them to love without judgment, but as they lose their innocence they lose that ability."

"That's so tragic," Talia said as she nuzzled Brock's neck, again calling to mind cats.

I suppose I should be clear, Drandians don't really look much like cats. They look like fur-covered humans, except for small details, which are suggestive of cats. They moved with feline grace, brutally strong and lightning quick. Their eyes brought to mind those of a cat, though the iris was horizontal instead of vertical and they had razor sharp needle-like fangs that evidenced their predatory ancestry.

"Come, we must go now," Talia said as she turned, still carrying my son, and moved off down the corridor.

Talia lead us to a hanger deck and entered a small ship. She placed Brock in a seat and motioned us to do likewise. As she brought the ship to life, tendrils came out of our seats and held us firmly but not uncomfortably in place. Talia moved the ship out of its dock and pointed it toward what appeared to be the hanger door. As we moved toward it, the iris door opened and we passed though it and into space.

The flight down to the planet's surface was smooth and very fast. In less than five minutes we were settling gently onto a pad atop another organic-looking structure that proved to be the Drandian capitol building. Talia conducted us to a chamber that was very similar to the Council chamber on Diversity, except of course, for its organic appearance. It amazes me how some things are universal.

Talia introduced us and we stood there in silence, getting the distinct impression we were being examined. Finally, one of the council, I guessed the leader, spoke.

"What is it that you would ask of us?" the Drandian asked.

"We have come to plead for any assistance that your people might be able to give us," Sam said. "Our people are in grave jeopardy and could be wiped out at any moment by our enemies. We are powerless to stop them because they are far more numerous than we are and control vastly more resources than we do. We are asking if there is anything at all you would be willing to do for us that could offset this advantage."

"Please understand that while we are not unsympathetic to the plight of your people," the Council leader addressed us, "we cannot intervene in your human conflicts."

"We understand and respect that," Sam said, "however..."

"However, we are willing to allow you to make your request and negotiate a treaty with you," the Council said. "Will this be sufficient to your needs?"

"Indeed," Sam said. "It's more than we had hoped for."

"We abhor injustice," the Drandian Council said. "We could tell that many of your fellow humans feel that your government is oppressive and unjust. Such a government will eventually be a threat to our peace, though they could not hope to win such a conflict."

"Pack Commander Talia will be responsible for you during your stay here and will see to your needs. Our engineers will need to speak with your most knowledgeable person to get an idea of how we may best help you in the event that we decide to follow this course and which of our technologies your people will be capable of producing. We hope you enjoy your stay and wish you well in your coming struggles. On a different subject, before you go we would like to ask you a few questions about your culture."

The Drandians asked many questions about our culture and why other humans hated us because of it. They were mystified, because our way of life was not a threat to other human people and therefore should have been a non-issue. They sat in awe when they asked to share the love Miri and I felt for each other and our child. They said they had never felt such strong emotions. Finally, they let us go and Talia showed us to what would be our living quarters for the duration of our stay there.
 
 
Chapter 32
 
 
For the next several weeks, Sam was tied up in nearly constant meetings with the Drandian council. Dan and I had sequestered ourselves with the Drandian techs, going over various possibilities where the Drandians could give us an edge over the TSN. That left Miri and Brian to look after little Brock and see to the repairs to our beleaguered ship.

In our working relationships with the Drandians we learned a great deal about their culture and them as a people. In their history, which was much longer than that of humans, they had come into contact with several other alien peoples. They had fought more than a few wars against more aggressive races. The Drandians along with several other beings had even been enslaved once by a more powerful race. Fortunately, they had banded together with the help of one of these oppressor’s powerful enemies and thrown off the yoke of oppression. Thus, they were somewhat sympathetic to our cause.

Though the Drandians as a people were peaceful, individually the young males could be quite aggressive and ill tempered. It was this trait that I ran afoul of and very nearly cost us the help of the Drandians.

Talia had taken Brock, Miri and me out on a tour of the city to see their many sights. The Drandians had a great deal of recognizable culture. They had art and theater, as well as athletic competitions and what not. We were walking down the street after having left a museum when Brock tripped over a join in the walkway, running headlong into a young Drandian male. Fortunately, Miri was walking a little bit ahead with Talia, or things might have gone worse. The Drandian reacted to what he perceived as an attack and instantly had Brock on the ground, wicked claw-tipped fingers wrapped around my child's throat.

I found out later that I went berserk. As brutally strong and as lightning fast as Drandians are, parental rage is a great equalizer. Combat training taking over, I viciously kicked the Drandian in his exposed rib section. The Drandian howled in rage and pain and slashed me with the hand not holding my child down. His claws gouged deep furrows in my belly, but failed to do any critical damage as I smashed my joined hands into his face. His nose exploded into a gory mess. He released my son and lunged for me. We grappled, and my small 130 pound female body was no match for him. He picked me up and threw me though a storefront window, further lacerating my back and sides. He made to pounce on my again to follow up on his advantage, but he wasn't familiar with human martial arts. I caught him on my legs and flipped him over me, using his momentum against him. He crashed through various displays of goods before coming to a halt, momentarily dazed.

As luck would have it, this appeared to be some sort of sporting goods store. As I climbed to my feet, my hand encountered what appeared for all the world to look like a baseball bat. I grabbed it and as I stood up the Drandian shook off his daze and charged me again. I reared back and blasted him savagely in the head with the bat as he came in range, snapping his head back sharply and knocking him off his feet. I made a move to follow up, murder in my eyes, but as I swung the bat toward my opponent, he deftly caught it and ripped it from my grasp. He then kicked my legs out from under me, rolled on top of me, and was about to rip my throat out with a razor-clawed hand. The only thing that saved me was the timely reaction of the other Drandians in the area; they grabbed and restrained my adversary before he could finish me permanently.

I found out at the medical facility that I had also put my attacker in the hospital. My kick had broken several of his ribs and caused some internal bleeding. His nose was broken, and his unscheduled flight through the store displays had fractured a wrist, and finally, the blow I had deliver to his head had fractured his skull. We had both collapsed after the fight was over. For my part, I had multiple lacerations from both his claws and the glass of the window. I had lost a lot of blood and was going to have some nasty looking bruises.

Brock was unhurt, though he had been terrified. As soon as I had gotten the Drandian off of him, he ran to Miri. Talia, for her part, had a cast on her foot. She had to restrain Miri from becoming involved and Miri had broken our host's foot by stomping on her instep as Miri fought to come to my aid. Only little Brock had prevented her from doing more damage to our host.

The whole episode almost cost us Drandian aid, as the council was about to summarily send us packing, except for a very unlikely intervention, the young Drandian male I had fought. As the council deliberated our fate, the Drandian entered into the council chamber and approached. He spoke to the council on our behalf, proving this was indeed a truly alien culture.

After explaining to the council about his error, he then approached me. He knelt on the floor in front of me and leaned his head back as far as it would go.

"Please forgive me for my assault on your young one and yourself, Valerie Callaway," he said.

I stood there staring in wonder. I couldn't believe this being, with whom I had been locked in mortal combat, was now asking my forgiveness. We stood there until Talia spoke.

"Do you wish to forgive him, Valerie Callaway?" she asked.

"I do," I said.

"Then place your hand on his exposed throat," I did so, "And say to him, 'You will live, let what is passed be behind us.'"

I repeated the words Talia told me and removed my hand from his throat. He looked visibly relieved. Later, I understood by making his offer I could have killed him without repercussion, for he had literally placed his life in my hands.

He stood and bowed to me before saying, "Thank you for my life, Valerie Callaway." With that, he left the room.

Then it was Miri who stunned me. She assumed a similar posture before Talia to what the young male had done before me. "Pack Commander Talia," she said, exposing her throat, "please forgive me for the injury I have caused you who is not my enemy."

Talia smiled in amusement, reached out and softly laid her claw-tipped fingers against Miri's throat. "You will live," Talia said to her. "Let what is passed be behind us." She removed her hand and offered it to Miri, assisting her to stand.

The tension was broken and shortly after this incident, the council agreed to help our people with a very limited technological assistance package. In truth, most of their technology was far beyond our capacity to produce anyway, but their engineers gave us some vital insight on improving our own technology in the areas of power, propulsion, and weaponry.

The real gem, though, they gave us as a gift, having installed the prototype on the Duality Too. It was a shield generator that made us nearly invulnerable to light based weapons and took about 30 to 40 percent of the punch out of PBC hits. Included with the prototype was the information needed to produce versions scaled to be large enough for a capital ship.

Preliminary designs were already chasing through my brain for a next generation of ships utilizing this new technology. I would have been in ship designer's heaven if I hadn't also had to worry about getting home alive to actually build them. It was daunting to think of how difficult it was going to be to rejoin our people. I was certain the TSN would be waiting on us and I dearly hoped they hadn't realized the impending danger the Zone now represented and made a preemptive strike.

The Drandians again reaffirmed their position that they would not directly intervene on our behalf. I couldn't blame them really. It wasn't their fight. They did sign a treaty with us though. They explained that eventually, if the current regime continued to be in power, they would eventually decide that the Drandians represented a threat to them and attack. Though they were confident such an attack would not go well for the TSN and the Terran government, they explained that they hated warfare and killing. They would defend themselves, but they hoped to derail any such conflict and would be assisting us to remove the threat, thereby bringing about an amiable relationship between their people and the new government we would form.

For our part, we were only too happy to accept whatever assistance they could offer us.

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-

"Valerie, ARE YOU NUTS?" came a voice over the comm. It was Miri on the Excalibur.
"You WILL NOT surrender yourself, 'cause I owe you an ass kicking!"

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 10: Homecoming
 
Chapter 33
 
 
Once again we stood in the docking bay of Talia's ship. She had taken us to the edge of Drandian space and had provided us with nav data for the heretofore-unexplored region of space bordering the human sphere. This, it was hoped, would allow us to make contact with the fringe colonies and hammer out an agreement with them.

Talia was once again holding little Brock, who was clutching her possessively. He seemed intent on not letting her go. She nuzzled his neck again affectionately.

"I am sorry, little one, but you must go with your parents," she explained to him. "They have big important things to do and they cannot stay any longer. Perhaps when things have been resolved you can come visit me again."

"I don't wanna go, Auntie Tally," Brock said tearfully.

"I know little one," she purred. "I can feel your pain. But your place is with your parents. They love you very much and they need you to be brave for them."

"Okay, Auntie Tally," Brock said, wiping tears from his eyes. "I love you, Auntie Tally."

"I love you too, little one," Talia said tenderly. "Good journeys to you until we meet again."

He reluctantly let go of her and let Miri take him. The others had already said their good-byes and disappeared down the umbilical. I smiled, with just a hint of sadness. What was happening here was very special, given it was basically the first human interaction with an alien race. Talia turned to me.

"Good journeys to you as well, Valerie Callaway," She said, offering her hands in the Drandian form of a handshake. "I hope the beginnings of what has been forged between our two peoples blossoms into a great alliance when your people are ready for it."

"Thank you, Talia," I said taking her hands. "I'm profoundly in your debt for the hospitality that you and your people have shown us. I hope someday to be worthy of it."

"Just take care of that young one and teach him the admirable qualities you have shown time and time again," she said, smiling. "That will be enough."

I dropped her hands and gave her a hug that, at first, surprised her but then she returned with crushing enthusiasm, reminding me that I was still pretty beat up and not quite healed yet. Miri handed me little Brock after I released Talia and followed suit.

"Farewell, my friends," Talia called after us down the umbilical with...was that a tear in her eye?

We undocked with the Drandian vessel and made ready for our jump out of Drandian space. A month later, we arrived at the appointed place where we were to meet with the Fringe Colony Resistance Movement leadership. We spent a month there as Samsual Keller shined in his role as diplomat.

The Resistance had heard of our exploits and were greatly impressed with the agreement we had struck with the Drandians. Still, they were reluctant to commit too heavily to the defense of the Zone. However, it was decided that they would provide us with raw material and labor to begin building a fleet to take the battle to the TSN. In return, we would provide them with nextgen warships that would be crewed by their people.

To protect their investment, they surprised us with one of their greatest coups. They had a whole TSN Dreadnought, the Excalibur, defect to them after the crew successfully mutinied. They sent the Dreadnought to escort us since the TSN was out for our blood, and, in return for this protection, we agreed to retrofit the Dreadnought with some of the new improvements we planned.

During the return trip to the Zone, Sam traveled on the Dreadnought, preferring a ship more spacious if not more luxurious. That worked for us since we could give Brock his own cabin and Miri and I could get some much-needed alone time. It would also make things more comfortable for us, I realized. We had never fully accepted Sam into our crew because he didn't share the bonds the boys, Miri and I had developed in the TSN. He was basically a burden, someone we had to take care of if things went sour.

Our return voyage to the Zone was surprisingly uneventful given that we were the most hunted ship in the history of the TSN. That’s not to say we didn't run into any TSN ships, but they were mostly picket ships and faded away as soon as they sighted us. The few large ships we encountered declined to engage both the Duality Too and the Excalibur at the same time. They likewise faded back.

By the time we reached the last jump without any concerted resistance, I was sure that the next jump would have a nasty surprise waiting for us, courtesy of the TSN. I called a conference with the officers of the Excalibur. It was decided to hold it on board the Dreadnought, so I utilized the capability of the Duality Class corvette that made her so versatile. I docked her in the fighter bay of the dreadnought and we joined the officers in the planning room.

"It's clear to me," I addressed the assembled officers, "that the TSN is planning something. We didn't come this far unchallenged for them to just let us waltz right home."

"Maybe they will," the Excalibur's engineering officer commented. "Maybe they have more important things to worry about than one small ship of outlaws, no matter how badly they are wanted."

"It could be that they are gathering their forces to mount an offensive against the Resistance, or even to invade the Zone," the Tactical officer theorized.

"Unlikely," I said. "They have been monitoring us for sometime now, and in spite of our round about course, they know very well where we are headed. I don't think they fully recognize the threat we present to the Terran government due to the Drandian assistance, but they must figure that we have struck a deal with the Resistance, and they will be keen to stop that from bearing fruit."

"Also the chance to eliminate or recapture a plum like the Excalibur would be a real feather in some task force commander's cap," Brian observed. "No, I think Valerie is right. We are way too high profile for the TSN to ignore us."

"So, assuming you're right, Captain Callaway, and the next jump dumps us into a shit storm," Captain Evan Russell asked, "what do we do about it?

I grinned wryly at him. He was a good officer and just the type that I liked to have at my back when things got dicey. He was also real cute, in a rugged cowboy sort of way. Where did that come from? Sheesh, I must be getting daft or something.

"Well, first we have to consider their options. Put ourselves in their position," I said. "They could mass their ships around the hyperspace exit point, in which case we are toast, but that assumes they know for sure which exit point we will use. They have probably surmised that we are getting past the Drone guarded point somehow, but they don't know that for sure. IF they do have their ships massed around that point and we go through it we are toast. However, for all they know, we could be using another exit point that they don't know about."

"So we could use another exit point," The tactical officer suggested. "We may have to fight off a few ships but it would be doable with our combined firepower."

"It would also be risky. If one of us took damage, "Miri explained, "whatever task force they have amassed there, and you can bet there is one, would easily catch us and cut us to ribbons."

"Here's what I would do if I were in their place," I suggested. "I would keep my task force of ambushing ships back, perhaps hedging my bets by placing the group closer to the jump point I suspected my opponent would be coming in at. I would set picket ships on all the jump points in the area and maintain constant hyperwave communications with them. I might set smaller delaying forces at some of the more remotely located possibilities to give my main force time to get there and engage, but I wouldn't amass around any one jump point. Too much of a chance that my adversary would have intelligence that would let him jump in at a point too far away for me to catch him."

"That's what I would to as well," Captain Russell agreed, nodding. "So where does that leave us?"

"Nowhere good," I said, "but it does at least give us some room to maneuver. There is a chance that if we jumped in and were able to destroy the picket ship before they could get a message off that would buy us some time to get lost. Then they would have to find us again and wouldn't know how much of a lead we had on them."

"And if they do get a message off?" one of the other officers asked.

"Well, I am betting that they don't have the grand fleet waiting for us," I said with a grin. "They probably have what they feel is overwhelming force, probably a Dreadnought, two heavy cruisers and a few smaller ships. The Dreadnought would be the most dangerous ship, obviously, but the Excalibur has the armor and firepower to trade blows with one. That would leave us to deal with her escorts. Here's what I propose..."

Sometime later we had a plan hammered out that everyone agreed on. It was time for me to bring up a point I had been dreading throughout the meeting.

"Because I give the Excalibur a far better chance to get through this than my lighter ship, if it would be alright with you, Captain Russell," I said, bracing myself for the coming explosion, "I would like to transfer Miri and my son to the Excalibur until we get back into the Zone."

"VALERIE NICOLE CALLAWAY!" Miri detonated right on cue. "If it would be alright with HIM?!? What about if it's alright with ME, because it ISN'T! HOW DARE YOU even think about sending me away from your side when you are about to be in harm's way? If you think I will just let you do this, GUESS AGAIN, MISSY!"

Miri stood there glaring at me, green eyes alight with withering fire. The people around the room blanched and looked as if they were about to duck for cover as I evenly met Miri's gaze. I turned my gaze to Captain Russell and arched an eyebrow inquiringly. He put up his hands indicating that as far as he was concerned this was a family matter and he didn't want to be involved. I couldn't blame him really, with Miri glowering at him like a force of nature.

"Captain Callaway," Russell said diplomatically, "Commander Flowers and your child would be welcome on board the Excalibur, but to be honest, I don't think you have a snowball's chance in hell of getting her," he jerked a thumb at the ash blonde Valkyrie standing a few feet away radiating ire, "to agree to it."

I glanced at Miri who was now grinning smugly, knowing that I couldn't make her stay without the assistance that had just been declined. I turned back and winked at the Captain, then drew my dart gun and shot Miri. The look of betrayal on her face as she collapsed from the tranq dart cut me to my very soul and haunted me for the rest of my days.

"She's all yours, Captain," I said tightly. "I suggest you put her in the brig. She's apt to be a might unpleasant when she wakes up." With that, I spun on my heel and walked quickly back to my ship before I lost control of my emotions.
 
 
Chapter 34
 
 
"Do you think that was such a good idea?" Brian asked me when he caught up to me on board the Duality Too.

"No," I said with a sigh. "It was the worst thing I have ever done in my life. I feel terrible about it, but to keep her and Brock safe I would do it again, every time."

"How much safer do you think they will be riding that big target," Brian said. It was clear he was a bit miffed at me.

"Brian, don't you understand?" I asked. "Our chances of surviving this are about non-existent. Sure, they will be wary of the firepower of the Excalibur, but it's us they will be gunning for. Once they see she is not trying to engage them they will concentrate on us. I plan to make it that way by dealing out as much damage as I can. As long as the Excalibur gets through, we are expendable."

"Okay, I agree that it was a good thing to get Brock on to the Excalibur, but don't you think you should have let Miri decide for herself what to do?" Brian rejoined.

"No, because she would have made a choice from weakness," I said, slumping against the wall. "Her desire to protect me would have made her stay with me, and I can't let our son lose both of us."

"I understand," Brian said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You know she will never forgive you for this, if by some chance we live through it."

"As long as she's alive by the time it's over she can hate me all she wants to," I said as the dam began to crumble.

Brian felt my shoulder begin to tremble as my control slipped. He spun me around and held me tightly as I cried softly into his chest.

Once I managed to pull myself together, I set about making ready to put our plan into action. The two ships jumped together because we might need the firepower to take out and picket ships on station. We made ready and on the signal, I felt the double jolt.

As soon as we dropped into normal space we began taking incoming fire. We began evasive maneuvers, but as the sensor data began coming in, it was clear the fire was coming from two picket ships mounting heavy lasers. Our Drandian Energy Shield (DES) absorbed the energy and our hull paint wasn't even blistered. The first Picket ship exploded as return fire from the Excalibur gutted it. The second had taken advantage of the initial confusion to send off an encrypted burst before it, too, disintegrated in a cloud of expanding gasses. So much for surprise, but at least our bypass was still working because the drone was as quiet as ever.

"Okay, Captain Russell, I am starting my run," I said. "Let's hope they assume that you were just escorting us this far and leave you be until it's too late."

"Roger that, Valerie. Holding position," Russell said, "Good luck."

As the scope lit up with incoming ships, I firewalled the throttles and headed toward the asteroid field. There were eight contacts in all. It was worse than we thought. There was one dreadnought, which we expected, but it was clear from her escorts that they were loaded for bear. They were two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and three destroyers. As we began to gain speed, the incoming ships vectored to follow me, just like we had planned. They were closing range on me when suddenly the Dreadnought and a heavy and light cruiser flipped and began to burn toward the direction of the Excalibur. "Damn!" I swore, recalling the old adage about battle plans and enemies and the one not surviving contact.

As the remaining attackers closed on us, I flipped the Duality Too to bring her weapons to bear on the incoming ships. Our range was a little greater than theirs so I got the first shot in. I sent the first shot right down the throat of the light cruiser, causing major damage. She slowed a bit but kept on coming. I launched a full spread of nukes at the Heavy and sent another shot into the light cruiser. Then I had to start making evasive maneuvers to dodge the incoming PBC fire. Our missiles failed to hit their mark, but on proximity, detonated and took out the two turret batteries on the lower side of the heavy cruiser. That cut its firepower in half, leaving only the upper batteries. I sent a third shot into the light cruiser and it began to tumble, dead in space and venting atmosphere.

I launched another full spread of missiles at the heavy and the Duality Too took a major hit on the port drive strut. We lost our missile batteries on that side. Our point defenses were constantly firing now as incoming missiles came in one wave after another. The last full spread I had launched found its mark and the heavy cruiser lit up in nuclear fire. That left the three destroyers. Three big slow destroyers with two PBC turrets apiece. Four under-powered PBC's whose effectiveness was further degraded by the fact that our DES absorbed 30 percent of their damage potential. As damaged as we were, they were toast.

As I watched the last Destroyer go dead in space as it out gassed cabin pressure, I called for a damage report from Dan.

"It's not good, Val," Dan said grimly. "We've lost the upper aft point defense turret. Our port missile batteries are gone, and it's a wonder we haven't lost the port secondary drive yet. It won't take too much more stress before it tears away. Our starboard secondary took a hit and is down to 50 percent capacity. Our armor is paper thin in places, but we are holding cabin pressure..." About then an alarm siren went off and my ears popped from pressure loss for a moment before cabin pressure returned. "Correction, we have just lost cabin pressure in the engineering section. Airtight doors are deployed and holding. On the plus side, our main drive is running at 100 percent and we have 100 percent reactor availability, our DES is still on line and in the green, our main gun is online, and our starboard Missile tubes are functional, although we only have one shot per tube left."

"Alright boys," I said. "We still have some fight left in us, let's go see if we can get the rest of the bad guys off the Excalibur. Do we still have stealth mode?"

"Affirmative, Valerie," Dan said.

I firewalled the throttles back the way we had come, praying we weren't too late. We came upon the second light cruiser limping along crippled by the Excalibur's fire. I would have passed her by and left her be, but as we came in range, she began to fire at us. I finished her with a main gun shot to her drives and she quit firing. We soon got the Excalibur's IFF on our scope and I made for it. I gasped as we came into visual range. She was taking a beating. Her fire had been effective though. The enemy dreadnought was down to 25 percent of its full firepower and the other heavy cruiser was trailing atmosphere. One of her turrets appeared to be damaged and useless.

I fired our PBC into her drives and she began to fall back. The Duality Too was still no match for even a damaged dreadnought and one good hit and we would be vapor. The same went for the Excalibur. She was limping, having sustained drive damage, and most of her turrets were destroyed. It was time to negotiate. I opened a channel to the TSN dreadnought.

"TSN dreadnought, this is Valerie Callaway, requesting a cease-fire," I broadcast in the clear.

"Well, well, well, we meet again MISS Callaway," a familiar face said. It was Captain Edmunds and the Aquinas. "Why would I want to cease fire at this point? You are beaten. You can't hope to take out the Aquinas with your little ship, no matter how full of surprises it is."

I looked at my readout and saw that most of the point defense turrets on the port side of the Aquinas were destroyed. I also saw that we were very close to the blockade line, though we had all stopped when I made my transmission.

"Because Captain Edmunds, I still have one ace up my sleeve. I have four nukes left and you have a very vulnerable port side," I explained. "You’re right, I can't trade blows with you, but I can still take you out. However, I can't be sure that I can do it before you take out the Excalibur. Please don't destroy that ship, Captain Edmunds. My life partner and child are aboard her. Here's what I am offering. If you let her go, I will surrender myself and my crew to you as soon as the Excalibur crosses the line and gets out of weapons range."

"You will surrender to me?" Captain Edmunds asked incredulously. "All I have to do is let the Excalibur cross the blockade?"

"Valerie, ARE YOU NUTS?" came a voice over the comm. It was Miri on the Excalibur. "You WILL NOT surrender yourself, 'cause I owe you an ass kicking!"

"Shut up, Miri, I'm doing this to ensure your safety and that of our son," I snapped, "What do you say, Captain? Do we have a deal?"

Miri sputtered and Edmunds looked pensive.

"Okay, Callaway, you have a deal," Edmunds said after a minute.

"I have your word of honor that you will let them go, right?" I asked.

"You have my word of honor, Callaway. They are free to go," Edmunds confirmed. Miri made a strangled gasp.

"Valerie, how dare you leave me after I pulled you ass out of that TSN brig," Miri ranted. "You complete BITCH. I love you, dammit!"

"I know," I told her as the Excalibur began to limp away. "I love you too, both of you, more than life itself. Do right by our son, Miri. Take care of each other, my love." I reached out and touched the view screen where her face was displayed. Tears were flowing from those emerald green eyes for the first time I could remember. She had always been the strong one of the two of us.

Just then a new voice came across the comm.

"This is the TSN light cruiser Raptor," yet another familiar voice said. "Captain Edmunds, you can disregard your deal with the enemy now, I will take care of the enemy dreadnought while you deal with the other scum." It was Kim Li.

"Negative Raptor, I have given my word of honor," Edmunds said. "Hold your fire."

"Your word of honor means nothing to criminals and traitorous mutineers, Captain Edmunds," Kim Li said. "These scum are all wanted by the Terran government and it is our duty to bring them to justice."

"What do you know of justice, Li," Captain Edmunds said acidly. "I am sick and tired of swallowing my honor for the justice of the Terran government. Break off and do not fire. That's an order from a superior officer."

"It's an illegal order and not one I am obligated to follow," Kim said.

"Kim, please, you were our friend," I implored her. "Miri and our child are on that ship. I am begging you, please don’t fire on her."

"All I wanted to be all my life was a naval officer," Kim said sharply. "It's everything to me. It sickens me the way you all threw it away so blithely. Your deviant lifestyle sickens me. I am no friend of yours, pervert."

"Well, you owe your career to a bunch of deviants and perverts," I said bitterly. "You would have washed out of the academy without our help."

"Big deal," Kim dismissed. "I owe you nothing, freak. Prepare to die."

"Don't do this, Li," Edmunds warned her one last time as she crossed into weapons range.

Kim opened fire with a full salvo. The Excalibur took a critical hit on her drive section and her drives went offline. Then something amazing happened. The Aquinas opened fire on Kim's ship and before she could get another shot, the remaining batteries on the Excalibur joined in, along with the Duality Too's PBC. In seconds, the Raptor's reactor went critical and she was incinerated in the ensuing nuclear conflagration.

After a moment's pause as what had just happened sunk in, I said to Captain Edmunds, "Thank you for that, Sir, but now it seems we have a problem."

"Oh?" Edmunds asked with a raised and very bushy eyebrow.

"Yessir," I said. "As per the terms of our deal, I would surrender to you only when the Excalibur crossed the line and got out of gunnery range. Her drives are destroyed and she won't be getting across the line without help."

"So I have noticed, Miss Callaway," Edmunds commented dryly.

"You also have another problem," I said, knowing full well that he was acutely aware of his position. "You have just opened fire on and destroyed a TSN vessel. While you might have gotten away with letting one ship go to capture me, they will execute you for the other."

"Indeed," he said. "So what do you suggest we do about that?"

"Join us, Captain Edmunds," I said. "We can deploy the mooring grapples, lock both ships together and slip them across the line to safety. I'm sure with your experience you will be a valuable asset to the Resistance and the Zone in the coming war. You are a good man, Captain. It's time to take a stand for what's right."

"You make a compelling case, Miz Callaway, but I need to talk to my crew," Edmunds said. "I won't force them into exile with me."

"By all means, Captain," I granted magnanimously, "but don't take too long, or we will be fighting off more TSN ships and at this point I don't think any of us can take much more."

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-

"Whadda you want, Cheryl?" I asked bitterly from my nest of spent food containers and spent booze containers.
It was absolutely fitting, since I was spent, too.
"Does the council have yet another Mission for me? Sorry, I have nothing left to give. You people have used me up.
I have already given you everything right down to my heart and soul."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 10: Things Fall Apart, The Center Cannot Hold
 
Chapter 35
 
 
We slowly limped to Stile station. The two dreadnoughts were locked together in a weird sort of embrace. Brian said they looked like two whales humping. Typical guy imagery there.

It took us the better part of a week to make it to the station. Captain Edmunds-call-me-Darius-now's crew quickly came to the conclusion that they were loyal to their captain over the TSN, well, all but a handful of them, who were put into lifeboats and sent toward the crippled heavy cruiser. It was hoped when the TSN arrived to pick up the pieces of their tattered task force they would be rescued.

As we pulled into docking stations around Stile, we must have looked a sight; two battered and crippled dreadnoughts and an equally battered heavy corvette, but we survived, however miraculous that seemed. It was decided that we would leave the Excalibur at Stile station to await a repair frigate while the Aquinas and the Duality Too limped back to Diversity where there was a proper shipyard to make the repairs.

Unfortunately, the Duality Too didn't make it under her own power. As we came out of hyperspace after the first jump, the port secondary drive nacelle, which was hanging from a thread, gave way and the drive tore loose. Rather than risk a catastrophic failure, we opted to dock with the Aquinas and let someone else drive us home.

I should say at this point, that Miri had declined to join us on the battered heavy corvette after we got to Stile. She, instead, opted to ride on the Aquinas with little Brock. She was still furious with me for the way things went down and didn't want to see me. I couldn't blame her really. I still thought I did the right thing even if it was a rotten thing to do to someone that trusts you. I had violated her trust in a major way and regardless of the purity of my motives, it had critically damaged, perhaps destroyed, the bond we had. Needless to say, I was miserable and had cried myself to sleep more than a few nights, not that I was sleeping that well. My dreams were filled with the look of betrayal in Miri's eyes when I shot her, and I never could sleep well without being snuggled up to her.

After we got the Duality Too docked and secured on the Aquinas and the errant drive nacelle was recovered, I was requested to join the Captain in his ready room.

"Valerie Callaway reporting as ordered, SIR," I said crisply followed with a smart salute when I arrived in the ready room.

"Now now, enough of that, Miss Callaway," Captain Edmunds said. "We're not in the navy anymore. Please call me Darius and for the love of God, stop that standing at attention garbage and sit down." I grinned as him and sat down.

"You are still the captain of this ship and are due respect as such, Captain," I remarked.

"Then I am ordering you to call me Darius, Miss Callaway," The Captain grinned back.

"Only if you call me Valerie," I rejoined.

"Done!" Darius agreed. "Now, I owe you a huge apology, Valerie. I have said some things in our last couple of meetings that were way out of line..."

"Not at all," I told him.

"Don't interrupt the ship's Captain, my dear," Darius admonished. "I've been talking to Mr. Keller and Miz Flowers a bit. They told me about your grief at the deaths we forced on your hands. I was honored to know that you felt such remorse. I should've known you would, but after seeing that, I'd begun to convince myself that you were the heartless monster I accused you of being. I'm deeply sorry for that. I knew better, having witnessed the depths of your compassion."

"Thank you, Darius," I said sadly. "You're a good man, and I always respected you greatly. Your compassion is also remarkable." I gestured at my body and he grinned.

"That worked out nicely for you by the way," he smiled, "very nicely."

"Thank you, sir," I said, glancing down shyly.

"It's been hard on you hasn't it?" Darius asked. That's one of the things that made him a first-rate leader. He could tell when people had problems. "You want to talk about it? I am a good listener."

For some reason I did. Suddenly, it no longer mattered that I was in a shooting war with this man a week ago. He was reaching out to me and I found I needed that. I needed someone to listen to me that could understand the pressures and hard decisions of command. I started talking and it all just poured out. I told him of my rescue from the TSN brig. I told him of how my friends all stood by me when I told them about the pill. I told him how happy I was when my mind and body finally agreed and how thrilling it was to finally be in charge of my own destiny. I told of my love for Miri and the miracle of our son's conception. I told him about how I was regarded as some sort of legend in the Zone and how I could never live up to their expectations of me. I told him of the life I made for my family on Diversity and how they just couldn't let me live in peace. I spoke of my resentment that they made such demands on my family and myself, but that I couldn't refuse them because I most likely was the most qualified person available. I brought him all the way up to that last jump before reaching the Zone.

He took my hand as I related to him the look of betrayal in Miri's eyes when I shot her for her own good. At this point I had quietly begun crying. I finished with my fears that I had done irreparable harm to our love, at which point the quiet crying became a full-blown sob. Darius, my once CO, and recently my mortal enemy was holding me as I sobbed on his shoulder. He whispered words of comfort in my ear and stroked my hair as I let all the pain, all that fear, and all the guilt flow out of me. From that moment Darius became more like a father to me than my own dad ever had been.

"I miss her, Darius," I said sadly as my sobs wound down. "I miss her so much."

"I know you do, dear," he said gently, handing me a handkerchief. "I would have done the same thing in your position."

I looked at him, mute gratitude in my eyes. He understood. He knew what it was like to make the hard no-win decisions for the good of others who you were responsible for.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Not really," I smiled, "but the pressure is released for now. It seems like I have been doing an awful lot of this lately."

"You've been under a huge strain," Darius said. "Don't sell yourself short. You've had the future of your people resting on your shoulders and nobody to share it with. You're bearing up nicely, considering. I don't envy you a bit. Now, you are invited to the Captain's table at dinner, which should be in a couple of hours. You will be staying in my cabin...not with me, silly," he said, as I was about to protest, "I will be bunking in here."

"I could not possibly displace you, sir," I protested anyway. "I can stay aboard the Duality Too."

"I won't hear of it. You are bunking in my cabin; end of story," he said firmly. "Now as I was saying, if you would like to get some rest and get cleaned up for dinner, I believe the replicator has already been set up for your uniform. Feel free to make use of it."

"Thank you, sir," I said. "That's very generous of you."

"Think nothing of it, my dear," he smiled. "Now run along. You know how to get there."

I took my leave of this wonderful older man and smiled to myself as I made my way to the officer's cabins. I had just rounded the corner into what was termed "officer country" when I came nose to...er...bosom with a force of nature with ash blonde hair and flashing green eyes. It was everything I could do not to run for my life.
 
 
Chapter 36
 
 
"Hi Miri," I said tentatively.

"Hello Valerie," she returned icily.

We stood there for a minute in silence.

"I miss you," I said softly.

"Well I guess you should have thought about that before you shot me and left my behind in the damn brig, huh?" she seethed.

I looked down at the deck, feeling ashamed of treating Miri, the person that meant more to me than anything in the world, like that.

"Look, I am so very sorry I did that to you," I apologized. "I just thought..."

"You thought what?" she demanded. "Did you think you could screw me over like that and everything would be okay? Did you think you were doing me a favor? Stupid bitch, don't you see? All I ever wanted was to share my life with you, all of it. I would have died for you. But now...now I don't know what I feel. You hurt me horrendously. I doubt I can ever get over this."

"Miri, I love you more than life itself," I said as the tears began again. "Don't you understand? I did what I did so I could give you and our son the best chance of survival, so that our child wouldn't have to grow up an orphan. If you can't understand that I did what I did out of love, and the desire to protect my family, then I guess there is nothing more to say, is there?"

Miri grabbed me, and administered one of those toe-curling kisses of hers. I was just beginning to think things might be okay when she pushed me away and delivered a punch that I never saw coming. It felt like my cheekbone shattered as she connected and I was knocked off my feet. My last conscious memory was of Miri standing over me.

"I hope you enjoyed that, bitch, cause it's the last you'll ever get from me," she screamed at me. "But then I doubt you will have anything to worry about. There's always Brian, or Sam or any of the other guys you always have sniffing around you."

When I came to, I was lying on a bed and there was an officer with a ship's doctor insignia on his collar leaning over me with smelling salts. I groaned.

"Welcome back to the waking world, Miss," he smiled at me. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was hit with a rifle butt, Doc," I said groggily.

"It looks like you were too," he laughed. "There doesn't appear to be anything broken, but you will have a nice wonderfully colorful bruise on your left cheek for a while. Did you see who did this to you?"

I nodded, and then thought better of it when my face started throbbing and my head began to swim.

"Can you give me a name or a description so I can have the Captain round him up for some quality time in the brig?" the doctor asked.

"Don't bother," I said. "I had it coming."

"Well, suit yourself, young lady," the doctor said.

"Where am I, by the way?" I asked.

"You are in the Captain's cabin," the doctor supplied.

"Oh, good, that means I don't have far to go before I collapse," I laughed weakly. "Do you suppose the Captain would be too put out if I should pass on dinner this evening?"

"I think he'd understand," the man said. "It's probably best if you get some rest anyway. Here's something for the pain," he held up a bottle of pills. "Take two every four hours as needed. Call me if you need anything, and if you should get hungry, the Captain left instructions to have you call down to the galley and have them bring you something up. Now if you will excuse me Miss, I have some more patients to attend to."

"Certainly, and thanks Doc," I said. He smiled and nodded to me as he walked out.

'Gee, I wonder if he has anything for a broken heart,' I thought to myself, looking at the bottle of painkillers.

I spent the rest of the trip back to Diversity mostly in my cabin in a haze of pain, both my face and my soul. I called down, had my laptop brought up and continued working on my Nextgen ship designs. I sequestered myself because I couldn't stand the people staring at the bruise I had on my face the few times I did put in an appearance. I also didn't think my body or my heart could take another run-in with Miri.

When we arrived back at Diversity, I refused to go planet-side. I had the tattered remains of the Duality Too parked in a docking bay at the Norfolk shipyard orbital platform and I lived on her as I worked on the new designs. My life was empty, where before it had been full. I couldn't bear to go planet-side and deal with the fanfare I knew would greet me. Screw'em! They had used me up. I only had one passion left. She would be my crowning achievement, the biggest most powerful warship the human race had ever seen.

I was a total wreck emotionally and physically I wasn't much better. I had been working day and night, until I dropped from exhaustion. It was the only way I could get any sleep without the nightmares or the preliminary crying. The only contact I had with people was via text messages, and I responded to very few of those that weren't ship design related.

This went on for a month before I got my first visitor. It was Cheryl and she wouldn't be turned away. Still, I didn't let her in at first, but she came back three days in a row. The third day I watched her on approach on the external monitor carrying some sort of equipment.

"Alright, Valerie Callaway, I know you are in there and if you don't let me in I am cutting a hole in the goddam door," she called up to the camera. She actually fired up the plasma cutter and began to cut on the door before I bowed to the inevitable and let her in. Soon I could hear her tromping up the passageway.

"Holy goddess," Cheryl exclaimed as she entered the common room where I had sent up residence. "This place is a wreck! And what IS that stench? Cripes, Val, when's the last time you had a shower?"

"Whadda you want, Cheryl?" I asked bitterly from my nest of spent food containers and spent booze containers. It was absolutely fitting, since I was spent, too. "Does the council have yet another Mission for me? Sorry, I have nothing left to give. You people have used me up. I have already given you everything right down to my heart and soul."

"I'm not here in an official capacity," Cheryl said gently. "I am here as your friend."

"Oh, so this is an intervention," I spat. "You're wasting your time. I don't wanna be helped."

"So that's it then?" Cheryl asked. "You're just gonna roll over and give up?"

"Why not?" I demanded. "Is that so bad? What have I got to look forward to? I am empty, a mere husk. Beyond these ship designs," I gestured to the detritus around me, "I am nothing."

"Val, is that what you really think," Cheryl asked incredulously, "that you are nothing? That's the most unbelievable bullshit I have ever heard. It's pure self-pity. Look at you. You are young and beautiful and charismatic, you have more money than a person could spend in a lifetime, you are a genius at designing ships, and I understand you're an exceptional leader and a damn brilliant tactician. You certainly seem to come out on top time and time again against staggering odds."

"I don't have HER though," I said wearily. "Without her, none of the rest has any meaning. Don't you see, Cheryl, everything I have done, with the exception of taking that pill and letting Alex through the blockade, I have done for her. Period. I've done it so she can be protected and raise our child. Now I have lost her."

"Let me lay a little wisdom on you, Peaches," Cheryl said. "I didn't get where I am because of my traffic stopping beauty, or my tremendous intellect. I got where I am because I am a keen judge of people. I can generally read them like an open book. Miri loves you utterly. Do not doubt that for a microsecond. Her problem is not that she is mad at you, or that you betrayed her, although that's what even she believes. She cannot admit the truth, especially to herself. She is a very strong woman. She prides herself on that and she isn't afraid of anything or anybody. This is Miri to the core of her being.

"The problem is that you terrified her. You showed her a part of herself that she cannot deal with; the part that fears and is as helpless as any other woman. She loves you so much that she is terrified of a life without you, and you made her feel helpless in the face of that fear when you tranq'ed her and left her on that ship while you went off to face horrific odds to ensure she lived. Then, as if to make the point crystal clear, you, indeed, negotiated away your very life for her safety.

"So, she had all these feelings that are so abhorrent to her core identity. She felt fear of a life without you with her, she felt helpless to do anything to help you, and she was faced with the very concept that she was putting your head on the executioner's block because if not for her, you would have destroyed the dreadnought and lived. That circumstances intervened and you both lived didn't change the fact that she was terrified and helpless and guilty for nearly costing you your life in return for hers.

"Because she couldn't deal with this she had to find another coping strategy. The fear she had turned to anger. The helplessness became betrayal and the guilt became confusion," Cheryl concluded.

"How can you have this sort of insight into Miri, when I have been her lover for almost ten years and not know it?" I asked skeptically.

"Because for one, I have been dealing with women as a woman for a lot longer than you have, and let's just say I know the type," Cheryl replied.

"So, you are saying she wants me back?" I asked with a faint glimmer of hope.

"Of course, she wants you back, Bonehead," Cheryl laughed, then sobered. "She isn't ready to have you back yet, though. You see, right now she is facing her fear, a life without you. And she needs to be tested to see if she can stand by and not try to save you if you're in over your head.

"You have to give her time, Sugar. She has to find her own answers and realize that she still needs you. For now she is having a rather painful phase of personal growth."

"Thanks, Cheryl," I said, "but I doubt it will stop the nightmares or let me sleep again. I am just so lost without her. How is she, by the way?"

"She would probably be in a similar state as you seem to be in, except she has Brock to worry about. She doesn't have the option to let herself go like you have," Cheryl said, wrinkling her nose and looking around. "She's doing okay, aside from her inner turmoil."

I nodded.

"Look, Valerie, you need to get out of here," Cheryl observed. "You may not believe me, but looking at these same walls day in and day out is depressing you even more as well as stifling your creativity. You need to take some time with a friend. Go somewhere where there is no pressure and you can just relax. I know this great place in the mountains that fits the bill perfectly. It's remote and secluded and very few people know about it. What say you and I get out there and do a little camping and hiking? I have a week or so free."

"Sounds nice, Cheryl, but I'm afraid I wouldn't very good company," I said, not sounding incredibly interested.

"Val, I seriously doubt you could ever be 'not very good company' as far as I am concerned," Cheryl snorted. "Current personal hygiene aside, of course. If we went and sat in silence for days I could deal with that. I like doing that; it kinda lets you think, but still allows for companionship. So, what do you say? Are you game?"

"I don't think so Cheryl," I declined. "I've got work to do."

"Suit yourself," Cheryl smiled mischievously, "but it will be awfully hard to get any work done with a constant stream of your friends coming by to check up on you. And they will come once they hear what you are doing to yourself."

"You wouldn't dare," I said, looking at her sharply. She just sat there, meeting my gaze evenly, as if to say, 'Try me.' On second thought, she probably would dare. That's one of the things I liked about her, she wasn't afraid to antagonize people if she had a good enough reason.

"Okay, you win," I sighed. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as you get your pretty ass in the shower and wash that stench off," Cheryl said, grinning in triumph. "Don't worry about bringing anything. I already have your pack all made up, clothes and all. I'll lay some stuff out for you while you are in the shower. Now get, girl."

I got up, tiredly resigned and listlessly made my way to the head.
 
 
Chapter 37
 
 
Camping with Cheryl was just what I needed, it seemed. I complained bitterly for the first two days of hiking. I wasn't used to this type of exertion and my back and feet were in agony. Then we reached the glade Cheryl had unerringly guided us to. It was breathtaking.

About midway through the third day, just when I thought I couldn't walk another hundred yards, the trees opened up into a sunlit grassy glade, rife with wild flowers that produced a display of colors that would shame a rainbow. And that wasn't the best part. There, in the middle of the glade, was the most perfect waterfall. It looked like something you would see people frolicking in, pictured in a travel brochure. It spilled down a small rock face, perhaps 15 feet high, at the edge of the glade before collecting in a crystal clear pool almost exactly in the middle of the glade, about fifty feet across. The edge opposite the waterfall formed a shallow stream that traveled a short way before plunging over a cliff. Standing at the edge of a cliff revealed a spectacular vista of untouched mountain forest. It all looked very primal and very unspoiled.

We set up camp on the shore of the pool and it was here that we would stay until we felt like returning to civilization or until our supplies ran out. The wonders of modern technology did tend to take the "rough" out of roughing it. For instance, not being men, we could hardly go pee behind the closest tree, so we had a nanite cube that, once activated, used the available materials to build a small outhouse. We set this up at the far edge of the glade. It would process our waste into an ecologically friendly byproduct and when we left it would disassemble itself into the component parts, leaving the area as unspoiled as when we arrived. We had similar cubes for our tent and even for seating and a table. All we had to really bring with us was our clothes, sleeping bags, and foodstuffs, which Cheryl greatly extended by knowing what we could find naturally.

Though it was a bit chilly in the mornings, it warmed up considerably during the day. In the mornings, we would wear jeans and flannel shirts over our tee shirts, but in the afternoon, we would swim in the pool and even shower in the waterfall. I was beginning to enjoy myself in spite of my determination to be miserable. How could you help but feel serene and peaceful in such an idyllic setting?

On the afternoon of the fifth day, I was sunning myself in a nanite lounge chair, which I had placed on a small stone hump that had an inch or two of water coursing over it. Though clothing was strictly optional in this secluded setting, I was wearing a bright azure blue bikini. My hair was pulled back in a scrunchy and I had a pair of sunglasses on.

Cheryl swam up to the edge of my stone perch and placed her elbows on the edge of it, chin on her interlaced fingers. She just watched me with a slight smile, not saying a word. As she considered me, I also was considering her. Cheryl was a stone butch lesbian, one of the types that I never could figure. She was dressed in a pair of loose men's swim trunks and an oversized tee shirt. She was built like a lumberjack, and aside from her long flowing hair, she appeared to reject all the trappings of femininity. In spite of that, she seemed very comfortable with the fact that she was a woman.

Cheryl was a stark contrast with Miri. While Miri was also a big woman, she was sensual and feminine even with her rippling hard muscle. Miri was lithe and graceful, while Cheryl was a wall of flesh and had all the grace of a charging bull. Not that it was a bad thing; it worked for her, but the two big women were as different as night and day.

"You're very beautiful," Cheryl said, breaking me out of my thoughts. I smiled at her languidly, and then slowly stretched my entire body, teasing her a bit.

"I should be, I took a body tailoring pill," I said after I released the stretch.

"It's more than that, and you know it," Cheryl said. "It's your personality. Physical beauty is just a pill bottle away in this day and age. True beauty comes from inside. Haven't you ever wondered why people fall all over themselves to take risks for you?"

"I had wondered that, yeah," I commented. "Goddess knows I am not worthy of it."

"See, that's just it," Cheryl explained. "You are a strange mixture of competence and child-like vulnerability. Add to that the caring and compassion you display time and time again, throw in a generous portion of raw sensuality and people just can't help but love you." I frowned.

"I'm not 'all that', Cheryl," I dismissed. "I've done some very ugly things. I'm personally responsible for the deaths of thousands. That hardly qualifies me for sainthood."

"War is hell, Peaches," Cheryl said. "The fact that you regret every last one of those deaths says a lot. The fact is, if I were to have to pick out one glaring fault about you, it would be that you can't take a compliment gracefully, but then again that's part of your charm. People that are 'all that', and know it, are unbearable."

I didn't have a comeback to that so I just sat back and thought about what Cheryl had said. Why couldn't I accept that I might just be the good person everyone thought I was? I couldn't find an answer. Perhaps it was because I had just seen and done too much bad stuff. I let it go. This place was too tranquil for such introspection.

"Come on, Peaches," Cheryl said abruptly, "Let's get cleaned up for dinner. If you wanna collect the firewood, I will start prepping the food."

"Sure," I said, getting up with my chair and wading back to dry ground.

-=^=-

I awoke suddenly with all my senses sharply alert. I don't know what woke me, but I lay there motionless, listening as Cheryl slumbered. All I could hear was the sound of the waterfall and the gentle susurrus of Cheryl's breathing. I was just about to dismiss it and go back to sleep when I heard it again. It was the snap of a breaking twig and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. There was someone out there.

I nudged Cheryl, who grunted softly in protest. I shushed her. She picked up on my tension and came fully alert.

"What is it," she said in a barely audible whisper.

"There's someone out there," I hissed.

"Who is it?" she asked quietly.

"How the hell should I know?" I shot back.

"Oh yeah, right," she conceded. "What are we gonna do?"

I took stock of our position as we began to hear more sounds all around us. Ground based combat is not my specialty, but my best guess was that there were five of them. From the sounds, I judged that they had surrounded our tent and were slowly converging from a distance of about 50-ft away. We were armed. We had two military hand lasers. They were the ground action type that didn't get used on ships because of the danger of puncturing the hull. Beyond that, we had nothing but a flare gun for emergencies.

Our visitors didn't seem to be overly competent, or we wouldn't have known they were there. They also didn't seem to know we were aware of their presence. That meant that at least they were inexperienced. They were probably using infrared night vision glasses in spite of the moonlight. That thought made me wish I had brought mine.

I was just beginning to formulate a plan when, in the dim moonlight that that was penetrating the fabric of the tent, I saw a shadow at the door flap. The flap moved aside and a small tube slid in. As I heard it start to hiss softly, I drew my weapon and shot the shadow. It crumpled and the tube withdrew. Now we had given up our one advantage, the fact that they thought we were unaware of them. There was a three-centimeter burning hole in the tent where my laser had passed through it.

While our assailants dropped back to figure out what to do, now that surprise wasn't in their favor, I quickly sketched out my plan to Cheryl. They obviously wanted us alive or they wouldn't have tried to gas us. We could use that against them to a point, what that point was I wasn't sure. I felt through my pack until I came up with the flare gun.

"I am going to fire a flare," I explained. "That should momentarily blind them by overloading their night vision. When I do, we are going to run for the waterfall. The cold water will prevent them from locating us via our body heat. Then we can wait for an opportunity to take them out or escape. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Cheryl said tightly.

I opened the tent flap and fired the flare, keeping one eye closed as I did so I wouldn't ruin my own natural night vision. I heard curses as our attackers were blinded and I threw open the tent and ran, Cheryl close on my heels. I made it to the waterfall, and as I ducked behind it, gasping as the icy water showered me. As the initial shock of the frigid water wore off, I became aware that Cheryl wasn't with me. I looked back and saw that she must not have closed her eyes when I fired the flare. She had tripped over the body that was lying outside the tent and even now the attackers were moving in on her. Damn.

I left the waterfall and took cover behind a rock outcropping. I began to snipe the assailants as they got close to her, but the others, a few more than I had originally guessed, began returning fire, forcing me to duck down. I had a good position. They couldn't outflank me and they would never survive a direct assault, but they had another card to play now.

"Alright, Callaway," a male voice said. "Give it up and come down here now, unarmed or your friend dies." Damn!

"Don't listen to them, Val! Don't worry about me! Save your...ooff!" Cheryl was cut off when one of the men punched her in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of her.

"You have to the count of ten, Callaway, then I burn a hole in the back of her head," the man called.

Cheryl was right. If I let them shoot her, they wouldn't be able to get me before I wiped them out. I could hold out here indefinitely. However, while I was willing to die for my friends, I wasn't willing to let them die for me, not if I could do anything about it. The count had gotten to five when I stood up, holding my gun above my head. I threw the gun into the pool as I stepped down from my position.

"So this is the Great Captain Callaway," the man holding the gun to Cheryl's head said. "You don't look so tough." I didn't say anything.

"Good work, Salazar," said one of the men in TSN commando fatigues. "The Terran Government will reward you handsomely for your assistance."

"Salazar?" I said. "That name sounds familiar."

"It should," said the man holding the gun on Cheryl. "You killed my brother, bitch. I am Birchell Salazar and I must say it's quite a pleasure to meet you under these circumstances. Lieutenant, you said you only wanted Callaway, what are we going to do with this one?"

"I don't care," the man in charge said. "Shoot her. No loose ends to get caught up in later."

"No!" I shouted. It was too late. Salazar shot Cheryl in the head, killing her.

"NO!" I screamed in rage and grief, charging Salazar. My hands were almost around his throat when a rifle butt struck me in the back of the head. I hit the ground and blacked out.

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-

"I am become death," I said softly, "On a pale horse I ride..."
I raised the gun one last time, this time to my own head.
I couldn't live with what I had become."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 12: The Dying Of The Light...
 
Chapter 38
 
 
When I came to I was on a shuttle. The commandos were sitting on benches on either side and I was dumped on the floor like so much refuse. I was bound hand-and-foot and could do very little but lie there and cry about the treacherous death of my friend. We soon docked with a large freighter where I was carried on board and taken to a room where my hands and feet were cut loose before being tossed inside.

"Valerie?" I heard someone say. I looked around me. It was worse than I had imagined. It was Dan that had spoken. They had gotten him too. They also had gotten Captain Edmunds. He lay on a bunk unconscious. It looked like he had sustained a bad hit in the upper chest area, judging from the bandages.

"Valerie," Dan said again in a strangely quavering voice, "Brian is dead. They killed him." Worse and worse. I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut and I sat down hard on a nearby bench with my face in my hands.

"We had just brought Miri and Brock over to the house for dinner," Dan began. "We were planning on talking to her about the two of you. It was just so obvious how much you were both hurting. We got in the house and they were there, Valerie. They were in our house, OUR house. Well, Brian and I always carry, ever since that time we were almost mugged. We started to lay down covering fire, and got Miri and your son out of the house. We held them pinned down while Miri got Brock to the car and took off, but one of them had a laser rifle. He was about to hit the car, so Brian stood up to get a shot at him. He took the guy out but he had left himself open to return fire. That’s when they got him. I kept firing and firing until my weapon charge was depleted. They knocked me out and I woke up here."

"They were using slug throwers, Valerie," Dan said in a dazed sort of shock.

"Stop it," I said. "I can't listen to this."

"There was so much blood," Dan continued as if not hearing me.

"I said stop it, Dan," I said again.

"He took a round in the face, Valerie," Dan continued, lost in his own world of grief. "His beautiful face...I couldn't even recognize him. It was just a mass of blood and shredded meat."

"STOP IT!" I screamed hysterically, and then collapsed weeping in anguish. This snapped Dan back to reality. He collected me in his arms and I held on to him tightly as we both wept on each other's shoulders.

Sometime later, when we were both cried out, I told Dan how they had got me. Dan radiated anger when I related how they had outright executed Cheryl. She was closer to me than to him, but she was a friend and didn't deserve to die like that. Dan told me he didn't know how they had captured Darius. They had brought him in about two hours after Dan, and about six hours before me. He had been unconscious all that time. Dan was certain Miri had gotten away with Brock and that meant they wouldn't get her now. They couldn't afford to be too high profile and she was certainly well protected by now.

A little while later we felt the familiar double jolts that marked a transition through hyperspace. That hopefully meant there wouldn't be any more of our friends joining us. I was relieved about that. Darius finally came around and had told us how he was returning from a debriefing with the military brass when his car was hit with an EMP blast and disabled. He said commandos had pulled him out of the car, and he fought them. He managed to get one of their side arms as they pulled him out of the car and in the ensuing firefight he had been shot. This was the first thing he remembered since then. I could tell he was in a lot of pain. He was pale and drawn and probably needed medical attention.

Darius had just finished telling us about how they got him when the door opened and we had a visitor who made my blood run cold. It seemed that one Olaf Johansson was masterminding this whole operation. We were in deep trouble.

"Well, fancy meeting you here, Broccoli," Olaf said. "Gee, you look like crap, and why the long face? You would think someone had killed your best friend." He smiled sadistically. "Oh wait, someone did kill your best friend."

Dan started to get up and charge the brute but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it as hard as I could. He sat back down and fumed.

"What no glib come backs?" Olaf jeered. "No pearls of wisdom?"

"You have the upper hand, Olaf," I said, bowing my head in defeat. "Why are you here?"

"Well, it seems that the brass has finally gotten curious about what's going on in the Restricted Zone," Olaf said grinning. "Nice little set up you queers got here. Too bad when I bring you back and report, it will be wiped out. Of course, I won't lose any sleep over it."

"No, I didn't expect you would," I said tiredly. "So, did you come all this way for me? I should be flattered."

"In fact I did," Olaf said. "When I heard about this mission, I just had to volunteer. Just think, it's a ways before we get back to non-queer space and we can use all that time to catch up." Something about the cruel smile and the tone of his voice said that he wasn't talking about sitting around chatting about the old days. "And I have a special surprise for you, sissy boy."

He held up a translucent amber pill. I could tell it was the same kind of pill that I had taken to finally feel right with my body. I didn't even want to think what this one would do.

"Not even curious about what it's going to do, Broccoli?" Olaf taunted. I didn't say anything because as I suspected, "I'll tell you anyway. It's a body-tailoring virus. Damn, these things are expensive. This one I had special ordered, just for you. It's gonna make you a bald hideously fat guy. Too bad we failed to get your Amazon bitch of a girl friend. I would have loved to have seen the look of disgust on her face when she saw you after I forced this down your throat." I shuddered in spite of myself.

"Don't worry though, sissy boy," Olaf jeered some more. "I'm not going to give it to you just yet. I'm going to let that Salazar freak play with you some first." Olaf started laughing at the look of horror on my face and he turned and left.

And play they did. Olaf and Salazar came in once a day for four days. They took me out to their special torture chamber and--well, I won't go into disturbing details, but suffice it to say I'm going to carry those scars for the rest of my life. I was never a vindictive person. I never had any desire to kill someone that wasn't trying to kill me, but I promised myself, the first chance I got, those bastards were history, and I was going to take great pleasure in killing them.

I was changing, not because of the pill, which Olaf never missed a chance to taunt me with, but inside. The love and compassion I had were slowly being burned away by a white-hot fury. Each session, each taunt, each time they told me about how much they had enjoyed killing my friends, the fury grew, burning away more and more of the good. I was beginning to live for only one purpose...Vengeance.
 
 
Chapter 39
 
 
After the fourth session with Olaf and Salazar, I could barely stand. Walking was out of the question. So after we jumped through hyperspace on the fifth day, when the guards came instead of Olaf, I was relieved. They were moving us. I didn't know where and really, I didn't care anymore. There was only one thing keeping me breathing in the dark place I was in...Vengeance.

So it was, when the guard dragged me up off the bunk I was lying on and shoved me toward the door, I fell on the ground and didn't try to get up. I didn't even flinch when the guard viciously kicked me in the ribs. I felt at least two ribs break, but it was meaningless. It was just one more pain in a sea of pain. Dan picked me up and carried me, to prevent the guard from doing any further damage.

The guards brought us to the main airlock of the ship. Olaf and Salazar were there, waiting, along with the TSN Commando squad. Olaf leered when he saw me. Salazar gave me a predatory look.

"Won't be long now, sissy-boy," Olaf said to me. "Soon we will be back on my ship and headed home, and you will be having another change." He laughed evilly. I glared pure hatred at him, willing his flesh to blacken and begin to melt off his bones. He just laughed harder.

We all stepped into the airlock after we heard a clunk, indicating the ship had docked with something. The inner door closed and the outer door opened, revealing another airlock belonging to whatever we had docked with. We moved into that one and the outer doors closed. This time, though the inner door didn't begin to open when the outer door closed. Instead, a mist began to fill the room. I saw men begin to cough and then drop to the floor before my own awareness fled me.

When I came to, there was a doctor standing over me. He had injected me with something and his face looked very grim. Then the face of a red-haired angle appeared in my view. I thought I must have finally lost it. The pain had driven me mad.

"How is she, Doc?" Admiral Shehane asked the doctor.

"Not good, I'm afraid," the doctor shook his head. "She has been tortured physically and sexually." How did he know that? "She is bleeding from her rectum and her genital area." Oh, that's how he knew. "She has at least two broken ribs and possibly some fractures in her legs and arms. Her body appears to be 60% covered with bruises. These psychos really did a number on her. She needs a hospital very soon." I groaned and they realized I was coming around.

"It's okay, sugar," the Admiral said in her southern drawl. "You're safe now. We have the slime that did this to you in custody."

"Help me up," I croaked. The doctor started to protest but the Admiral gently moved him out of the way while Yolanda and Erika carefully picked me up and set me on my feet. Lined up on the other side of the room with the TSN commandos were my two tormentors. I displayed a predatory grin and they flinched. I reached down and pulled Erika's side arm. It was the reduced power space combat laser. It wouldn't penetrate the bulkhead, but it would burn a hole right through flesh. By force of sheer will, I slowly and painfully walked across the room until I stood before the objects of my hatred. Salazar was first. I slowly raised the handgun and aimed it at Salazar's groin. He began to whimper. Some of the people in the room moved as if to stop me, but Dan was on one side of me and the Admiral was on the other. The motioned everyone to stand down.

"Valerie, Honey," the Admiral said, "are you sure this is what you want?"

Beads of sweat popped out on Salazar's head as I considered the Admiral's words. As an answer, I pulled the trigger and vaporized Salazar's genitals. A collective gasp echoed through the room. Salazar screamed in agony and collapsed to his knees on the deck, but still the Admiral and Dan kept anybody from interfering. I moved to stand before Olaf next. As I raised the gun and pointed it at his genitals, he began to tremble visibly.

"So, Olaf, are you scared?" I taunted him. "You are about to lose the thing that makes you believe you are a man. How does that make you feel? You're going to look awfully stupid running around wearing dresses."

"Please, Broc...Valerie, no," Olaf began to plead like the worm he was. "Kill me if you want, but please don't take my manhood. Please, don't make me wear a dress." I pulled the trigger and he screamed and fell to his knees like Salazar. I stood there for a moment, taking pleasure in the agony my tormentors were now in. Olaf looked up at me, his eyes filled with shock and fear. I smiled cruelly at him and raised the gun once more. This time before anyone could stop me I executed both of them with a shot to the head in quick succession. Everybody stood frozen at the surreal scene that had just played out before them. As the lifeless bodies hit the deck heavily, I searched my soul for any hint of remorse. I came up empty. That's it then--they won in the end because I had just killed two living beings and I felt no pain, no regret, and no guilt. I only felt satisfaction.

"I am become death," I said softly, "On a pale horse I ride..." I raised the gun one last time, this time to my own head. I couldn't live with what I had become. As I placed the barrel to the side of my head and began to pull the trigger, Jessica snatched it from my hand as easily as if I were a child. She had prevented me from killing myself, but she was too late. My light had died, my fire had gone out. I just stood there staring at the bulkhead; my words playing over and over in my head, "I am become death. On a pale horse I ride..."
 
 
Chapter 40
 
 
Over the next few months, I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings. I spent a while in the hospital as the Doctors nursed my body back to health. They removed many of the scars my tormentors left on my physical body, but they couldn't do anything for my mental wounds, not that they didn't try; a whole corps of shrinks was brought in to try to break through my catatonia. None of it helped. The only thing that provoked a response was when Dan brought me my laptop and I began working on my ship designs again.

I vaguely remember going to both Brian and Cheryl's memorial service. Dan made me go; he dressed me and guided me around like I was a blind woman, but I didn't respond at all. I just stared straight ahead and exhibited no reaction, never saying a word. Miri was there, but she kept her distance, even kept Brock away from me. I didn't care. I felt nothing. I was nothing. I was the living dead. "I am become death. On a pale horse I ride..."

I should say that most of my recollection of this time wasn't at all as complete as I am making it sound. I'm largely going by what my friends told me later of that period. I remained in this mostly dead state for weeks. All I did was design ships. They were the only things that could reach me, perhaps because they were warships, therefore instruments of Death. The weeks stretched into months, in which my first designs started to float out of the shipyards in massive numbers, and finally, after nearly a year, something unexpected happened.

One afternoon there was a great stir on the planet Diversity. Strangers had come, in peculiar looking ships that seemed to materialize out of empty space. They were the Drandians, Pack Commander Talia and her crew, to be precise. A delegation was sent to treat with her. However, there was much consternation when she informed them she was not interested in diplomacy. She informed them that she had to see one Valerie Nicole Callaway, without delay.

Well, governments being what they are, they harrumphed, and did delay as they figured out how to slip a Drandian down to the planet surface without causing a huge public disturbance. In the end they decided on a simple hooded cloak and a limo with privacy glass. Masters of disguise, huh?

Dan was with me, as he most always was these days, when Talia entered the room. He took care of my every need, all except one that is. He simply refused to let me die.

"Look Valerie, Talia is here," Dan said gently, not really expecting a response. He wasn't disappointed. I just stared at my laptop screen, busily designing.

Talia removed her hood and looked intently at me. She recoiled, wincing.

"She is unaware of us, Dan Chestnut," Talia told him, sadly. "Her light has died and she is dead."

"She's not dead," Dan protested. "Look, she's breathing and moving, and since she's designing ships, her mind must be functioning. How could she be dead?"

"Because she feels nothing, Dan Chestnut," Talia explained. "Nothing but the pain and horror of the things she has seen and experienced. She is able to design ships, well, because she perceives them as instruments of death."

"So that's it?" Dan asked incredulously. "You came all this way to pronounce her dead? Why did you come all this way, anyhow?"

"I felt her suffering," Talia explained, "as did many of my people who touched her mind, particularly the one who owes her his life. He is mad with rage and violence over what has happened to her and has had to be restrained. His connection was deeper than mine, so he feels her pain more acutely than even I do."

"So, there is nothing that we can do for her, Talia?" Dan asked "Surely, that's not true."

"You are correct, Dan Chestnut, there is one thing we can try," Talia said. "We can try to re-light her flame and restore the warmth and glow of her inner light."

"Okay, this sounds way more metaphysical than I know anything about. How do we do it," asked Dan.

"We must gather together all those that love her and I will try to channel the love into her," Talia explained.

"Well, that's just it," Dan told her sadly as he stroked my hair. "Valerie is running a bit short on friends these days. They keep dying or quitting on her."

"Ah, that would explain some of the torment she is in," Talia said. "Where is her mate? And her little one?"

"Miri is not willing to see her," Dan said bitterly. "I have tried, hoping she could bring Val around, but she refuses. She even refuses to let their child see Val. She says that she wants the child to remember the vibrant person his other mother was, not the vegetable she is now. Honestly, I don't know what to think. Miri is acting so cold. That's not like her, especially since it's all out of proportion to what caused their breakup. I mean, Val did kinda do her dirty, but it was for the right reasons."

"What happened?" Talia asked.

Dan told her about the whole sordid affair that happened just outside the Zone. Talia smiled a bit when Dan got to the part about Darius changing sides.

"Yes, that does seem to be an odd overreaction," Talia said. "I need to talk to her. I am glad that Captain Edmunds decided to join you. I sensed he really wanted to. Is he still around?"

"Yeah, he's with the Zone military now," Dan said.

"Good because he loves Valerie Callaway as well. In the same way that Valerie loves the little one, I believe he loves her like a father would love a daughter, in your terms," Talia explained.

"Talia, we simply have to do something to bring her out of this," Dan said with raw emotion, "She is all I have left, and she was Brian's best..." Dan got too choked up to continue. Talia came and laid a softly furred hand on his arm.

"Do not worry, Dan Chestnut. We will find some way to re-light her fire," Talia comforted. She could feel the raw pain all of these people felt, and she silently grieved for them. They were good people, too good to have to feel this way.

"Thank you, Talia," Dan said, once he pulled himself together. "I'll go call Miri and see if she will meet you here. Please keep an eye on Val in case she needs anything."

Talia nodded and sat down beside the bed as Dan went out of the room to call Miri.

-=^=-

"Greetings, Miri Flowers," Talia said to Miri as she walked in the house.

"Hi, Talia, how have you been?" Miri asked.

Talia noticed immediately that Miri had lost the glow she had had before. She looked haggard, a shadow of the vivid personality she had been. "Miri Flowers, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Talia, why do you ask?" Miri said defensively.

"Miri Flowers, you cannot hide your pain from me. I am an empath, remember?" Talia chided her.

"Yeah so," Miri said irritably. "I fail to see how it's any of your business what's going on in my head."

"You would be correct, Miri Flowers, except for one thing," Talia pointed out. "The forgiveness ceremony you performed with me. That created a life bond and what you feel, I also feel. Miri Flowers, this is important. You have been denying your heart for long enough. It's time to open up to someone. Why not someone who really knows what you are feeling? Shall I tell you what you are feeling, or would you like to start?"

"Piss off, Talia," Miri said getting up. "I don't need this shit. I have enough to worry about without being psycho-analyzed be an alien busy-body." She made for the door.

"You are afraid," Talia said. It was a statement of fact, not a challenge, but it made Miri stop dead in her tracks. "You are not just afraid, you are petrified, beyond anything you have ever faced in your life."

"Okay," Miri said, "What am I afraid of then if you know so much?"

"I am an empath, not a telepath," Talia told her. "I know what you feel, but I can't read your mind. I could guess, but you tell me what you are afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of anything," Miri said, as if trying to convince herself.

"You know, Miri Flowers," Talia said gently and showing far more insight than Miri had expected, "when we give our hearts to someone as completely as you have, there is always the fear that that person might not be around as long as we would like. Would you like me to tell you what you are feeling?"

"Please do," Miri said, then added sarcastically, "Lord knows, you seem intent on doing so anyway."

"Okay, Miri Flowers, I can sense your sarcasm is covering a genuine confusion," Talia said. "You really don't know what you are feeling because the emotions are so objectionable to you, you have repressed them. You are terrified. I have said that already. You feel helpless. You feel guilty. These are the main things you are feeling, but I sense you have tried to bury them with anger and betrayal. The anger and betrayal are what's keeping you from resolving the others. Beneath it all, is the root cause of all these emotions, and the thing that you have lost sight of because of them--love. Your boundless love for one person is what's causing you this turmoil." Miri popped. She started talking for the first time since Valerie had negotiated her life away for her.

"I love her so much," Miri said collapsing in to a chair. "I just can't face losing her. I feel so helpless because I know I can't always be there to protect her and I just can't bear to lose her. I damn sure can't deal with her dying for me. When I thought she was surrendering to the TSN to save my life, I just couldn't deal with the guilt that caused, to know that I was the reason she was going to die. I want to protect HER. I don't want her protecting me, not with her life anyway."

"Miri Flowers, you are losing her now," Talia pointed out.

"I know," Miri said sadly. "But at least it's my choice."

At that moment Dan walked in the room. He had been passing by to get Valerie some juice when he heard that last exchange. It so filled him with anger after so recently losing his own lover that he couldn't help but speak his mind.

"That's the fucking stupidest thing I have ever heard, Miri," he said, seething. "I am dealing with the very thing you are so afraid of. I lost Brian, and let me tell you, I wouldn't have traded one moment of our time together in spite of how empty I feel now, or how much pain it has caused me. At least we made each other happy while we were both here. At least we made each other more than what we would have been if we hadn't had each other. You know what? There are hundreds of people out there that will NEVER have what you have, or what I had. I think you're a COWARD, Miri. That's right, I said you are a coward! It's perfectly natural to experience fear. It takes courage to love someone in spite of that fear.

"And another thing," Dan was in her face at this point, and as each telling blow hit squarely on the mark, she cringed away from him, "you are about the most selfish bitch I know. There's a stricken girl upstairs who’s in the shape she's in because you withheld the love and support she needed. Maybe she wouldn't have let go like she did if she knew you were there to love her through the horror she experienced. I was there, Miri, I saw what they had done to her each day they brought her back to the cell. I saw her as she died a little more each day. I saw her beautiful loving personality implode, squashed by the horror of what those animals did to her, until she was little more than a broken and bleeding shell. It could have been different, Miri. Yes, she could have had your love to cling to, to give her warmth and light in the darkness that gripped her soul as they broke her. Yeah, she would have had the scars, but at least she wouldn't have given up. But you took from her that one piece those bastards could never have taken, your love.

"Yet in the face of everything she has had thrown at her, all the loss she has had crash down on her small shoulders, you have the gall to sit here and say you are afraid. It's your fear, Miri, that has caused that beautiful, tragic girl up there to give up on life. You make me sick, Miri. You're pathetic," Dan said, winding down as a stray tear slid down his face. He spun on his heel and left the room, leaving Miri reeling from his verbal assault.

As Miri sat stunned by Dan's onslaught of recrimination, she realized the truth in what he had said. Another of her fears was brought about. She'd deprived Valerie of the one thing that could have allowed her to hang on, to have hope. She had let Valerie down because she was too afraid to deal with her own feelings.

"What have I done?" Miri asked nobody in particular as she put her face in her hands and wept.

"It's not too late," Talia said to her. "You can still redress the weakness that has betrayed you."

"How?" Miri asked disconsolately.

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-

"My fear?" she said smiling gently. "I will still be terrified every moment you are gone that you might not come home.
I would still be afraid of a life without you to hold. But, Valerie, Jesse is right, you do belong out there with the fleet.
You are a marvelous ship designer, and you are an utterly incredible lover and life partner, but Valerie,
you were born to command a starship in battle. You are more alive, more at ease there than anywhere I have ever seen you,
excepting, of course, when I have you in bed."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 13: Serendipity
 
Chapter 41
 
 
Talia had decided that the attempt to restore me would take place in the glade where Cheryl had died. In spite of the tragic event that took place there, after having heard what I had told Dan about the place, she concluded that the place had some sort of mystic healing energy that would be helpful to them. So, several days before the actual rite would take place, Dan, Talia, and Miri took little Brock and me to the location.

This time it wasn't a pleasure trip. They had brought ATV's to help carry all the necessary supplies, equipment and also to carry little Brock and me since we were not up for the grueling hike that Cheryl and I had made. Throughout the next few days, people who had been asked to be there began to show up. It wasn't a huge crowd or anything, but the numbers did surprise me.

The evening of the ritual began and everyone was there. There was the original group: Talia, Dan, Miri and Brock. In addition to these, Darius had come and Sam was a surprise. We had kind of avoided each other after the diplomatic mission. Evan Russell was there. We hadn’t really gotten to know each other that well, but saving someone's bacon by offering up your life in exchange tends to inspire loyalty and love. Alex Sorin was there, too. We had remained friends, even though we hadn't got to see each other much. We had been just too busy with our own lives, she in space as the captain of the flagship of her shipping line and me mostly pounding ground with my family. We still shared the bond forged in those tense moments, years ago. Jesse Shehane was there along with Yolanda and Erika. They were the ones that were invited. But there were some who had heard what was happening and showed up as well, like the whole management and creative team from my design company. There were about twenty people there, all told, who felt connected intimately enough and loved me enough to be there.

I would like to say something spectacular happened that night as the moon rose above the tree line, and in fact something did, but it wasn't apparent to the casual observer. Well, I should say, that it looked like a big group hug, with me at the center of it. Talia required that it be held unbroken, starting from when the moon rose above the trees until it set below the trees. These people must have really cared about me to stand there like that for hours and hours. I can't imagine how torturous that must have been for them, and even Brock managed it. They told me afterward that it hadn’t seemed like hours. It had only seemed like a few minutes to them.

Basically, while we stood there like that, everyone had been instructed to think about me and the things that made them love me. Talia would gather these loving emotions and channel them into me, much like sunlight and a magnifying glass, to burn away the death and blackness from my soul. During the ritual, nothing seemed to happen. Talia had told everyone to expect that. Once the moon set, everyone dispersed to their various sleeping arrangements. Though they said it seemed like it only took a few minutes in the group hug, they all felt really emotionally drained and most of them went right to sleep. Talia, Miri and Dan didn't sleep; they sat around me, awaiting the dawn.

It was dawn when the miracle happened. As the sun broke over the trees, an errant beam streamed down into my face where I lay sleeping. My eyes fluttered open and the first sight I saw was my angel, my Miri. Through she looked drawn, she was radiant to me. My heart felt full of love for the first time since I had shot her with the tranq dart.

"Miri?" I asked. "Where am I?"

Miri's face split into an impossibly huge relieved grin. She launched herself at me, gathering me up in her arms. "You are home, Darling," she whispered through her tears of happiness. "You are home now and everything is going to be okay. I've been such a fool. I almost lost you. I almost caused the one thing I feared the most. You're safe now princess, nobody can hurt you now."

I clung to Miri, not quite understanding what was happening. I just knew it felt like forever since I had been in her arms and drank in her scent. I closed my eyes and hugged her tightly. Indeed, I felt like I had finally returned home after a dark horrifying journey.

There was a huge celebration in the glade that day. Everyone was rejoicing that I had returned to the land of the living. Slowly, I began to remember the things that brought us here. I remembered Cheryl being killed here. I remembered Dan telling me of Brian's death. I remembered the tormenting I received at the hands of Olaf and Salazar. I remembered my cold retribution when Jesse and her team saved me. I remembered it all up to that point, before the catatonia took over.

"One thing I can't figure out," I said to Jesse.

"What's that, Sugar?" she asked.

"How did you come to be on that station?" I asked.

"Well, after hearing about all the attacks, the planetary security forces figured that you, Dan and Darius had been taken off planet. After checking the ships in orbit, the freighter they took you to was the only one that appeared suspicious. It had sat in orbit for five days without loading or unloading anything. Then abruptly it left after only some minor personnel shuttle traffic. We researched her registry and found that a front company for the Salazar family owned her. The station they took you to was long suspected of being the syndicate's base of operations. I happened to be in space doing an inspection tour when I heard about your abduction and where intelligence suspected they were taking you. I wasn't very far away, so I threw together a team and burned for the station. We knew we hit pay dirt when we got there and found a TSN commando ship docked. We took over the station, had our ships pull back out of detection range, and then we waited. Sure 'nuff, they showed up and when they docked, we hit them with sleeping gas in the airlock and took them all into custody while they slept. That's when we found you, Dan, and Darius."

"Thank you so much for being there," I said to Jesse, Yolanda and Erika. I hugged each of them in turn. "I can't tell you the unspeakable things they did to me, but you saved me from the worst thing, Olaf and that loathsome pill of his."

I turned to see that Miri had moved away while I was thanking Jesse and her people. She had slipped off down to the edge of the pool and I could tell by the slight tremor of her shoulders that she wasn't doing too well. I went to her.

She became aware of me as I approached. She straightened up and passed her hand under her eyes, as if wiping away tears. She smiled bravely to me as I walked up beside her. For a few minutes I just looked out into the pool. Then I spoke.

"Miri, what's troubling you, Dearest?" I asked.

"Nothing, Valerie," she said.

"Bullshit," I said with a kindhearted smile. "Let's not do that anymore, please?"

"Valerie, I should have been there," she said. "It should have been me saving you. But because I was too big of an idiot to know what's really important to me, I let you down. I failed you."

"Hey, we both failed each other there for a bit," I shrugged. "But that's in the past now. It's like the water over that cliff face there. It was there, but now it's gone. We survived, and we are stronger for it. I know I love you now more than I ever did, if that's possible. I forgive you, can you forgive me?"

Miri turned to me and enfolded me in her arms. "Of course, my love," she told me, her green eyes shining with an intense passion and devotion.
 
 
Chapter 42
 
 
Of course, the main problem with Miri and me wasn't forgiving each other. It was forgiving ourselves. That was going to take a bit more work, but both of us made a commitment to the other that we would work on it and communicate about it. For my part, that Drandian rite seemed to have also had the effect of making my ghosts just that, just things that once were but now lacked substance. I still, to this day, wake up screaming at times, but it isn’t the all-consuming horror it had once been. The Drandian rite had replaced years of therapy in helping me to make those things just something bad that happened to me once.

Once we had returned home, I discovered to my great surprise, that while in my catatonic state, I had nearly completed the designs for the ship that would be my crowning achievement. It was amazing. It was completely unconventional in terms of every other ship in the human space-going fleet. Instead of being long and basically cylindrical, she was round along the horizontal plane. She resembled the classic flying saucer that had been rampant at the dawn of humankind's space age.

She measured over a thousand yards across, and about a hundred yards thick at the outer edge, tapering from the 250 yards at her center. She had a revolutionary drive arrangement. Each of the main drives, 16 in all, was each contained in their own module. These modules could be moved independently from each around the outer edge of the ship. The computer simulations showed her to be impossibly maneuverable. She could outmaneuver everything from a heavy cruiser, which was slightly less than a third her displacement, on up. In addition to this innovation, unlike any other human ship built as yet, she didn't have gas-reaction based maneuvering thrusters. She used gravity fields to change pitch and yaw. This was one of the technologies we gained from the Drandians, as it required a far stronger gravity field than anything we had been able to develop until then. The system wasn't much, if any, more effective than the gas-reaction based equivalent, but the benefit was that it took up far less space and she could maneuver without a big heat plume marking her position.

Her armament was just as impressive. She carried 16 PBC turrets that mounted 4 of the Ultra PBC's each. The Ultra PBC's were also based on technology assistance we had received from the Drandians. They had a similar range as our conventional ER (extended range) PBC's, perhaps a negligible amount more, but they had a horrifying rate of fire. In ancient historical terms, they were rotary cannon compared to conventional machine guns. The turrets were situated 8 per upper and lower side. 8 turrets could target a ship anywhere in her sphere of fire at once. A conventional dreadnought normally mounted 8 turrets with two to four PBC's apiece. And in order to bring all her weapons to bear she needed to be presenting her side to the target. This meant that this new ship, which I called a super dreadnought, could not only bring to bear as much or more firepower on any one point as a conventional dreadnought could, but do it on two sides at once. There was no outmaneuvering her. Any way you approached you were facing the equivalent in numbers of a full conventional broad side, only with stronger PBC's.

One of her more impressive aggressive weapons innovations was her missile launcher. She had no need to carry spare missiles for each of the 80 tubes she mounted. The missile launchers, configured in groups of ten, four groups per side, covering each quarter of the ship's plane of fire, possessed their own nanotech factory which could produce a new missile from raw material every thirty seconds. This was a far slower rate of fire than a conventional auto loading missile system, but the benefit was that, for all intents and purposes, we had a nearly endless supply of missiles.

If she had one weakness (well actually she had a few), it was that she was so big. That made her easy to target and hit. To provide some defense against this, she sported the DES systems. To cover her completely, she mounted 8 generators. This made her immune to conventional laser fire and took some of the sting out of PBC hits. To defend against missile strikes, she had nearly a continuous band of the mini PBC point defense turrets located around her outer edge, with another band of them located about three quarters of the way toward the center.

Among her other combat features, she had a full ECM suite, including communications and missile guidance jamming. She didn't have stealth generators. Because of her size, they wouldn't have been very effective; besides, as a side effect, the DES system masked about half of our energy emissions.

All these things required a hideous amount of power. Four super-efficient reactors located in the core of the ship provided this. One was dedicated to the drive modules; two were dedicated to the weapons systems; and the last provided power to the systems that allowed the human elements to interface with and live on the ship, such as in Life support, Computers, C&C, etc.

In spite of the fact that she was the size of two conventional dreadnoughts, she could be produced in the same amount of time as one. There was a price though. In addition to requiring a little over twice the resources of a conventional dreadnought to produce her, she would also require a special orbital platform to construct her class of ship.

Time was pressing, though. It had been a year since the TSN had sent in their covert mission to capture us. I hoped that had been the only one, and that it was largely based on their desire for my head on a pike. Realistically, though, there had been others that we hadn't detected. So, as I was applying the finishing touches on the design for the super dreadnought, Norfolk shipyards designed and built a platform for her. Dan, of course, threw himself into designing the control software for her along with most of the employees at his company. He had recruited a lot of talent and since I had become the premier ship designer since coming to Diversity, and he was my main software and computer supplier, he could afford the very best people.

A little over a year after I was pulled back from the abyss, the first super dreadnought emerged from the construction platform. She was christened the Serendipity of Freedom. While Miri, Brock and I accompanied Admiral Shehane onboard the Serendipity for a shakedown tour of the Zone, my design team adapted my design to a whole new generation of ships. With any luck, when our fleet took to space, it would be with ships similar in the Serendipity's layout in every class, from super destroyers up to super heavy cruisers, joining the Serendipity class super dreadnoughts.

Meanwhile, we still produced our upgraded versions of our conventional designs for the Resistance. The resources were coming in a steady stream now, thanks to a computer genius that even Dan bowed to. He came up with a virus, based on the idea we used with the drone, that, once slipped into the operating system of one of the sensor buoys that comprised the net surrounding the Zone, spread to all the buoys and not only allowed a ship carrying the correct code to pass undetected but informed them beforehand if there were any TSN patrols in the area. This effectively negated the blockade.

The TSN was increasing the hostilities with the Resistance and were taking it on the chin. However, it was only a matter of time before they would realize that the powerful Resistance ships were being manufactured in the Zone and then they would turn their offensive to us. I only hoped we had enough time to build up our own fleet before that happened.
 
 
Chapter 43
 
 
Fortune was with us, it seemed. The Fringe Colonies were now fully committed to a shooting war with the TSN. The Terran Government forces were taking heavy casualties thanks to the technological edge the Resistance ships possessed. But then the TSN could afford to take a lot of losses. Our own Fleet construction was slowed by the need to produce two resistance ships to every one of ours to replace their losses in battle. Still, the TSN was falling back, not necessarily in disarray, but they were definitely slowly giving up space.

When our own fleet of ships reached 12 Serendipity Class Super dreadnoughts and a complete set of escorts, it was decided that it was time to go on the offensive. The plan was to slip in behind the TSN and start taking out ship production capability, as to make the attrition the TSN was experiencing more painful for them. It was a risky gambit, but given the limited number of our fleet, we felt this would be the best way to make the most impact. Another job of the fleet would be to take out as many TSN forces as it could. We all knew that eventually the TSN would have to amass enough ships to take us on with overwhelming numbers. That would take the pressure off of the Resistance and allow them to make significant gains. Though our fleet would most likely take a beating, it was hoped that we could do enough damage to make any victory the TSN won a pyrrhic one.

The Fleet was in the last stages of making ready to go to war. The last of the new ships were on their shake down cruises when Admiral Shehane came to visit me. She had been tapped to lead the attack fleet, and we had seen a lot of each other while getting to know the new ships, their capabilities and devising new tactics to utilize their incredible fields of fire and unparalleled maneuverability. She seemed a bit anxious this time though.

"Hi, Jess," I greeted her with a hug. "How's the fleet coming? Is there something wrong?"

"The fleet is great, Sugar," she replied, "but we do seem to have a bit of a glitch." I arched an eyebrow and waited for her to go on.

"As you know, we have divided the fleet into task forces," I nodded. "Well, I will be commanding Battle Group Alpha, and Darius Edmunds has graciously consented to head Battle Group Charlie, but the problem is we don't have a seasoned enough officer to command Battle Group Bravo."

"So, what will you do?" I asked, not really liking where this was going one bit.

"Well, Darius and I studied the personnel records of our senior people, but time and time again only one person came up that would fit the bill. Unfortunately, this person is now a civilian," she explained. "She is a seasoned naval officer and unlike most of the others we reviewed she has combat experience."

"Jesse, you know I love you, but NO WAY IN HELL," I said emphatically. "I have given enough to the cause. I need to be here with my family, designing ships for us to win the war with."

"That's what we thought you would say," Jesse said sadly. "Valerie, we need you. You know these revolutionary new ships and what they are capable of better than anyone; add to it that, you are a brilliant tactician and would be a tremendous asset to the fleet when it drops in the pot, and it will drop in the pot. Valerie, I need someone steady I can depend on to hold the line. You are that someone."

"No, Jesse," I declined. "I have done my part. I've had my fill of being in harm's way against overwhelming odds. I have to think about my family. I need to be here for them. I promised Miri that I wouldn't leave her again. This is someone else's fight now."

"Hi, Jesse," Miri said as she walked in the room. "What's going on?"

Jesse explained what she was asking me to do and gave all the reasons they needed me. Miri came over and sat down beside me. She took my hands and looked into my eyes. "Dearest," she asked, "what would you do if you didn't have me to worry about?"

"I'd probably go back to catatonia," I said with a smile.

"I'm serious," she said. "What would you do if I said I think they do need you and that I would be willing to let you go?"

"I would probably go," I said sobering. "But, Miri, what about my promise, what about..."

"My fear?" she said smiling gently. "I will still be terrified every moment you are gone that you might not come home. I would still be afraid of a life without you to hold. But, Valerie, Jesse is right, you do belong out there with the fleet. You are a marvelous ship designer, and you are an utterly incredible lover and life partner, but Valerie, you were born to command a starship in battle. You are more alive, more at ease there than anywhere I have ever seen you, excepting, of course, when I have you in bed." The last part was said with a lecherous grin. "Valerie, I want you to go. I can deal with my fear now. I know I can't protect you from everything, but I also know you won't take any stupid risks either. Just promise me that you will try like hell to come back to me?"

I thought about it for a while. I didn't want to be parted from Miri any more than she wanted to be parted from me, but she had purposely taken away my unselfish justification for refusing to go, and well...I never was too good at being selfish when there was something I could do to help.

"Okay, Jesse, Miri, you win," I sighed. "You got yourself a Battle Group Commander, Admiral."

"Damn right I do," Jesse said. She winked at Miri and I knew I had been set up.

-=^=-

For the next three weeks I was almost completely engaged with shaking down my new crew. We had to get to know each other and build a working relationship before we went into harm's way or we were toast. The first thing I did was to go through the crew roster. I had to admit they had given me a very competent crew. They were the cream of the Zone naval forces. Some of them I knew personally from interactions with the admiral's command staff, but for most I had only their efficiency reports to go by.

There were two very big surprises, though. As I was going through the personnel roster, I saw a pair of very familiar names on my command staff, one Lieutenant Commander Dan Chestnut, my Computer Control Officer, and one Commander Erika Voss, my new XO.

Wow, neither of them had even been officers before now, but our Fleet was growing so much that the more competent enlisted people were promoted by leaps and bounds. Indeed, personally the last official rank I had held was light commander, now I was a full-blown Vice Admiral. Darius now held the rank of Admiral and Jesse was a Grand Admiral.

Three days before departure, the expeditionary fleet was given a three-day liberty to say their good-byes and get the pent-up nervous energy out of their system. I chose to have Miri and Brock come up to my assigned flagship, the Serendipity of Freedom. Dan also chose to remain on the ship since we were the only family he really had at this point. This all worked out according to Miri's plan because while Dan was giving Brock a tour of the ship Miri used that time to make sure I didn't go to space frustrated.

On the final evening before we shipped out, Miri and I lay in my bed in the rather luxurious suite of rooms I rated as an Admiral. We lounged in each other's arms basking in the post-orgasmic glow. That's when she proved that even after all those years she could still shock me.

"Val?" she asked me.

"Yeah, Beautiful?" I replied.

"I want you to do something for me," Miri said.

"Anything, my love," I smiled.

"You know Erika has like this huge crush on you, right?" Miri said.

"I wasn't aware of that, no," I said, mildly surprised.

"Well, she does," Miri confirmed. "She knows that we are life partners, and that she doesn't have a chance to come between that, but she requested as a personal favor from Jesse that she be assigned to your ship. She said something about learning from you."

"Miri, where is this going?" I asked her.

"Valerie, I want you to play with her a little," Miri said.

"Miri? Why? That would be so wrong to toy with her like that," I said in dismay.

"I didn’t mean toy with her," Miri clarified. "I just want you to enjoy each other. You know, in case either of you doesn't make it back. She's a good woman, Valerie. She deserves someone as good as you, even if it's only for this mission."

Now I know that, in the TSN, fraternizing with other crewmembers is frowned on, and some people would be screaming stridently for even thinking of Miri's suggestion, but this wasn't a standard type of Navy. We were all Zone, and we found that if the crew established bunkmates that they were intimate with, they seemed to perform better and be less stressed when at space for long periods of time, so this wasn't an unreasonable idea as far as the Zone Navy was concerned. I, on the other hand, couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Miri, you can't be serious," I said. "You know I am faithful to you. You know you are the only one I want."

"I know, Val, I know," Miri said, tweaking me on the tip of the nose. "This is not about you being faithful to me. This is about giving a great girl something she really wants. It's about making Erika happy since she might not be coming back."

"Miri, I thought you said you weren't sharing me with anyone?" I said, still not believing she was doing it to me again.

"Well, I am willing to share with people that I think are special and that I think you might be interested in," Miri grinned. "I am not threatened here. I know where your heart is, Babe. This is about sharing comfort and pleasure with someone special that otherwise wouldn't have a chance. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want either of you to die alone."

"Shit, Miri, that's morbid," I said, still shocked.

"Not really," she said. "Valerie, are you not attracted to her?"

"It's not that, Miri," I said. "She is very attractive in a Viking sort of way, it's just, well, I dunno, I would feel like I was cheating on you. Okay, I will consider it, but I can't say I will."

"Great!" Miri smiled and kissed me before her head disappeared beneath the covers, proceeding to turn my world inside out again. Damn, she could push my buttons!

-=^=-
 
 

-=^=-

"We are here to liberate the human race from the tyranny of the Terran Government. We ask that you surrender immediately.
If you choose to oppose us in the fight for freedom you will be destroyed."

 
by Lisa Caitlin Grey

 

---

 
This story is dedicated to my beloved friend and soul mate who passed away in November of 2002. Dana, I will always miss you terribly.
 
Part 14: Liberation
 
Chapter 44
 
 
There were more than a few tears shed when we saw Miri and Brock to the shuttle that morning. Shuttles were beginning to arrive with returning crewmembers as Dan and I watched Miri's shuttle depart. I sighed, hugged Dan, and then squared my shoulders and slipped into my "Admiral" persona.

"I am going to miss her terribly," I said to Dan.

"Me too, Valerie," he said.

"All right, it looks like the kids are coming back," I said turning to business. "As soon as they are all back and settled in I want to get started on our pre-launch checks."

"Aye, aye, Admiral, ma'am!" Dan said, smiling at me. "I guess you made Admiral after all, huh."

"I guess I did at that," I smiled back.

I had to admit; our fleet was impressive. The three task forces were based on the same breakdown. In my command, in addition to the Serendipity, I had three other super dreadnoughts. Each of the dreadnoughts was escorted by four of the heavy super cruisers, six light super cruisers, and twelve super destroyers. In addition to these forces, the dreadnoughts could deploy 40 fighters each and also had four Duality MkII class corvettes that could be used when needed. When the appointed time arrived, 276 ships made the first jump of our expedition. A week later, we sat at the edge of the blockade's detection range waiting for TSN traffic to clear the area.

"Miz Albright, get me a feed to all Task Force Bravo ships and have them pipe this to all personnel," I said.

"Yes, Ma'am," my comm officer said crisply. A few seconds later she informed me the channel was open.

"Alright, boys and girls," I said to my crews, "this is it. We are about to enter hostile territory. From this moment on, I need each of you to be on your toes. We are an untested fleet, in untested ships, with mostly untested crews. That's all about to change. The crucible of battle will forge us into the highly efficient, highly motivated, cohesive unit that will make our enemies tremble before us. Either that or we are dog meat.

"But I know each of you was handpicked for this mission because you are the best and brightest the Zone has to offer. I know you will shine when it drops in the pot. When we cross the blockade and jump, we will be engaging any TSN ships that we might happen on. At first this won't be a big challenge, but eventually, we will be noticed and the opposition will get stronger. I want you all to remember this. This is not a suicide mission. Many of us won't be coming home, having given the most anyone could possibly give for their brothers and sisters, but that doesn't mean we are expendable. We carry the hope of our people with us. We go to free humanity from its oppressors.

"Remember, between the Resistance and the Zone blockade, fully half of their fleet is tied down. Another third will be guarding their assets, which means we will be facing less than a quarter of their fleet. That's still a tough nut to crack, but we have the talent, the motivation and the power to pull this off. Victory WILL BE OURS! Good luck to you all. That is all."

Over the next couple of weeks my battle group shook down nicely. We hadn't seen a great deal of the TSN, mainly just a ship here, or a couple of ships there. When we exited hyperspace, if there were any TSN ships, we would annihilate them before they had a chance to get word out about us. We were able to stay out of the TSN's sight for longer than we expected.

So it was, when we arrived at our first target, a dreadnought manufacturing facility, we caught them flat-footed. Six dreadnoughts and their associated escorts guarded the facility. It was to be our first real test in combat. One of our battle groups would take out the defenders while another would go for the facility. The third battle group would hang back just out of detection range and ambush any reinforcements.

My battle group, being the least experienced, although that was a negligible distinction, got the task of eliminating the defenders, while Admiral Shehane would take out the manufacturing facilities. My tactics here were simple, as are the best tactics. We would approach in the classic wall formation, with a twist. We didn't have to turn broadside to bring our full firepower to bear so we could move our "wall" forward. We also had the advantage of having range on most of the TSN fleet so we could stand off just out of their range and pound them. One thing was certain though, with so many enemy assets in the area with long range Hyperwave comms, the TSN would now be on to us.

We went in broadcasting in the clear on all channels. "We are here to liberate the human race from the tyranny of the Terran Government. We ask that you surrender immediately. If you choose to oppose us in the fight for freedom you will be destroyed."

I watched as a small fast ship broke formation and jumped out of the system. The jig was up, but they hadn't had time to gather intel on our capabilities. The TSN would make a few blunders sending ships into our teeth before they realized the power we had.

There were no surrenders, as we expected. People wouldn't surrender to an unknown force without knowing that we had a chance to win. Good enough, though. A few examples would need to be made before we received respect as a combat force. I moved my group in to engage the enemy.

It was a slaughter. Our new ships proved to be as combat effective as I had hoped. As we closed to the extremes of their gunnery range, they opened up on us. Their fire virtually just bounced off our hulls, thanks to the DES units. Our return fire was more effective. Several of their lighter ships were taken out. Still, we closed range. Our higher rate of fire began to take its toll as the first of the dreadnoughts vaporized in a reactor overload. The space between our forces was thick with missile fire and our point defenses were constantly sweeping our path of the incoming missiles.

We still had yet to take any serious damage. One by one, their ships-of-the-line fell silent under our withering fire, until all at once, we had no opposition left. They had simply been over-matched and had been annihilated. I hoped this wouldn't happen too much more because it was a terrible waste of life, but my resolve was clear. I would do whatever it took, kill as many as stood against me until my family and my people were free.

After allowing everyone to abandon the orbital facilities and go to the planet surface, Admiral Shehane demolished the factory platform and the rest of the orbital assets in the area. For our first taste of combat as a fleet, we had done very well. Our moral was high and we had renewed hope that we might just live through this. Our analysis of the battle showed that per class, our ships could stand toe to toe with two of their TSN counterparts and still be reasonably assured of victory, thanks to the amazing fields of fire and the DES units.

Over the next few months the TSN learned this the hard way, as they sent task force after task force at us. They caught on to our objective, began to reinforce their shipyards and increasingly, the forces we faced were getting more numerous. We lost a few of the smaller ships, but largely our fleet remained intact, thanks to the very shipyards the TSN was trying to protect. They provided all the raw resources we needed for our auto-repair systems to restore our damages. Still, I knew that the TSN couldn't afford to allow us to continue with our success. Sooner or later, they would have to put together a fleet of ships that would overwhelm us with numbers. I suspected it would be sooner rather than later. It turned out I was right.
 
 
Chapter 45
 
 
This is not to say that fleet life was one battle after another. We had stretches where we wouldn't see another ship for days. During these times I would watch my XO. Erika was shaping up to be a fine command level officer. If I had to fault her on one thing, it was perhaps that she was trying too hard. She took things just a little too seriously, which was okay because we were about deadly serious business, but she needed to lighten up a bit. She was just a little too demanding of the crew. They were human and under a lot of stress. A good commander recognizes that and makes allowances without compromising discipline or reasonable performance expectations. In her zeal to please me, she set her expectations of the crew just a touch too high.

Having thought about the best way to handle it, I decided to do as Miri suggested. The girl seemed to idolize me. She had placed me on this pedestal that nobody could have lived up to. Then she tried to be worthy of that ideal. It was time to disabuse her of some of that, to make myself a little more human in her eyes. So it was, that one evening I discreetly invited her to my suite for dinner. I arranged it so we would have the whole night to ourselves. Being of flag rank meant that my command staff and I could be sequestered for hours in fleet planning sessions. Due to this added responsibility, we weren't expected to stand watch as well, even though I did myself and encouraged my other command officers to do so as well from time to time, to give the junior officers a break.

I made ready for the evening by having Dan, who was privy to the conversation that Miri and I had about Erika and could be trusted to be the very epitome of discretion, come up and work his magic with the replicator. While Dan was setting up the scene with dinner and atmosphere, I got myself ready. Poor Erika didn't have a chance. I laughed lightly at the incongruity of that thought.

It's not that I was dressed very sexy, on the surface anyway, but I did do my makeup in a dramatically sexy way and I was wearing my dark hair down in unruly silken cascades that framed my face in a devastating manner. I stood in the mirror, looking at myself in my jet-black uniform. I made a few adjustments here and there, and then, on an impulse, pulled the zipper down to where just the black lace edge of my lingerie could be seen if one was looking. And I knew she would be. She was always looking at me with a hungry look when she didn't think anyone was watching. I smiled at that. I was going to let her have her fill tonight. Satisfied that I was irresistible, I went out to chase Dan out of the room. Erika would be more comfortable if she thought nobody knew about what was going to happen.

-=^=-

Right on time, the door chime sounded. Punctual as always, I smiled. "Come in," I called, and then when I heard the door open, I said, "I'll be right with you. What would you like to drink?"

"Fruit juice would be great," Erika said.

"Fruit juice it is," I said from my position at the bar. "Go have a seat on the couch and I will bring it to you in a sec."

"Sure," she said. She still hadn't really seen me, as I had intended.

Also, as I had intended, she was sitting on the couch transfixed by the vista afforded from the floor-to-ceiling-wall-to-wall view screen that made up one end of the common room. It was currently depicting a 3D view of from one of the Serendipity's external cameras. I had to admit, the carefully chosen view of deep space, carpeted thickly with stars, was indeed a moving sight. It would make a wonderful backdrop for what was happening here tonight.

"Penny for your thoughts," I said, stepping up to her and offering her the glass of juice. She looked up and froze, eyes widening a bit when she saw me. She visibly gulped then accepted the glass when I arched an eyebrow.

"Thank you, Admiral, Ma'am," she said.

"Stow that crap," I told her. "It's just Valerie tonight, okay?"

"Yes Ma...er...Valerie," she said, smiling at her slip.

I sat down beside her with one leg tucked underneath and leaned back with my elbow on the back of the couch. "So, what were you thinking?" I prompted, as our knees 'accidentally' touched.

"I was just thinking it's so beautiful," she said looking into my eyes. "The stars, I mean," she clarified, clearly NOT meaning the stars.

"You really think so?" I asked, looking down demurely, seemingly inadvertently causing a bit of lace to peek out from the top of my uniform.

"Absolutely breathtaking," she said, smiling this time, having caught my unspoken message that we both knew that she wasn't talking about stars.

I grinned at her. "Are you hungry? Or perhaps you would like to go right to dessert?" I asked. She gulped again.

"Famished," she said recovering, with her own grin. "But I will save room for desert."

Throughout dinner we continued the innuendo and double speak. By the time we got through the excellent lasagna that Dan had coaxed out of the replicator, poor Erika was visibly excited. Her skin was slightly flushed and her breathing was a little bit more ragged than normal. I was having fun. I usually only used this part of my femininity with Miri. It was a powerful thing to twist somebody on the hook like I was doing. Of course, I would never have teased Erika if I hadn't intended to follow through.

We finished eating and I began to pick up the dishes. Erika followed suit. She followed me into the small galley area where I put down my load in the receptacle. Unburdened, I turned and 'accidentally' stepped into her, very close. I could feel her tension. She was very excited, but didn't want to over step her bounds. It was then that I shamelessly used her position, hands full of dishes, standing between me and the counter, unable to retreat.

"Did you save room for desert," I asked her breathlessly, leaning into her while I slipped my knee in between hers and gently ground my upper thigh into her mons. She nearly dropped the dishes in surprise. A tortured look briefly crossed her face, then was replaced with resolve.

"Valerie, I can't do this," she said, nudging me out of the way and putting up the dishes. "I don't poach on another woman's territory."

"Who says you're poaching?" I asked, smiling.

"I know you and Miri are life partners," she said. "I don't want to come between you two. I respect both you and Miri too much."

"Who says you would?" I asked. "What if I told you it was Miri's idea that we enjoy one another?

"You honestly expect me to believe Miri would share you?" Erika asked.

"She will when she feels that the person is special enough or deserving enough," I explained. "Provided, of course, I agree with her and am interested."

"Oh, so this is just some meaningless sexual reward?" Erika asked with evident disappointment.

"Not at all, Erika," I explained. "I'm not some prize you win at the arcade. If I were, I assure you, I would be the booby prize. What I am offering you is a chance to be close to me, to take pleasure in my company, in my body, to release the pent up stresses of battle - for both of us. I will be honest and say that I am completely committed to Miri, so I'm not saying that you and I are going to get married or anything. What I am offering you is comfort in the arms of a comrade. That, my dear, is not at all meaningless."

"Valerie, the day you are the booby prize, I wanna see what they are giving as the grand prize," Erika said without a trace of humor, "It would have to be the rights to the Fountain of Youth, or a one way trip to Paradise, eternal happiness, perhaps. Even still, I think I'd rather have the booby prize. Now why would Miri want you and me to enjoy each other?"

"Honestly, you should be honored," I told her. "I think she likes to put me in situations like this with people she respects. I think it boosts her ego when I always come back to her. To be honest though, it's only happened once before. And I was the mark in that little scheme. She and Brian set me up good, I'll tell you. I never saw it coming."

"And what if you didn't come back?" she asked.

"Then she'd hunt me down and beat me to death," I said glibly and then smiled. "Seriously though, there is very little chance of that. Don't get me wrong, I think you are gorgeous, but Miri and I are soul mates. Do you know what that means?"

"I...um...think so," she said hesitantly.

"Then you don't," I said. "Having a soul mate goes beyond simple attraction or respect, or even love. When you meet your soul mate, you feel an instant connection. You may have only met them five minutes ago, but you will feel like you have known them all your life. You feel instantaneously complete. Each time you see them, they will be more beautiful than the last time you saw them, even if it's just after you get up with them in the morning. After a period of time, this person becomes the center of your universe. Little else matters to you but their well being and happiness. When you lose your soul mate, you feel desperately empty inside, like half your heart has been ripped out and the wound will never heal, like the space will never be filled again. That's how I feel about Miri. That's why I will always come back to her."

"And what if the other person doesn't feel the same?" Erika asked.

'Uh oh,' I thought, 'Time to be diplomatic.' "Then perhaps the timing is not right," I said. "Perhaps the other person isn't ready for it. In that case, and I am no expert, you should keep your options open, take what solace you can and maybe you will meet a soul mate that is ready."

Erika looked pensive for a minute, then looked up and smiled at me. "Okay, Valerie, I think I am ready for dessert now," she said. I smiled and stepped up to her. She took me in her arms and we kissed. As the passion got too much to bear, we stumbled to my bed, still making out and trying to get undressed as we went.

Though Erika had the physique of a body builder, it was apparent she was just as much a woman as any of the rest of us. When she took off her uniform, there underneath it was the cutest little pink satin teddy. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.

Erika was an accomplished lover, I found out. We enjoyed each other frequently after that and her interpersonal skills with the crew improved greatly. Happy people tend to be less demanding, you see. Things worked out great.
 
 
Chapter 46
 
 
Well, it had to happen. We just hadn't expected it to be like this. We jumped into the next target system and we found ourselves screwed. There, surrounding us, was the overwhelming fleet we had been waiting for...and then some.

Surrounding us, were the most ships I had ever seen in my life. There had to be more than a thousand ships. They hadn't started shooting yet, so I figured they were going to make a demand for our surrender. I was sure they were dying to get their hands on our ships so they could see how we were punishing them so badly.

"Alright, boys and girls," I said, "this is it. This is where we go down, but we are gonna hurt 'em real bad before we do. Donalson, find me a weak spot in their englobement. If we can get break through before they close to firing range we can put some distance between us and take out their heavies first. Albright, get me Admiral Shehane." It was time to earn my keep as the tactical genius.

A second later I had Jesse on the horn. I explained my plan and she approved it. "You lead, and we'll follow you through," she told me as the surrender demand came through.

We none too politely declined and out of sheer bravado issued our own demand for their surrender. There was no reply. Donalson found what I was looking for. It was an area that contained mostly cruisers and destroyers with only about ten dreadnoughts to bolster them. Only ten...sheesh, and that was the weak point.

We burned at full thrust for this spot. Meanwhile, I explained the plan to the commanders of our fleet. We would run until we just got out of their gunnery range, then slow to let the faster, more foolish, ships close with us. Then we would pick them off as they came into range. This would only work until we obliterated the first few ships. Then they would realize their error and not repeat it. Well, that's how I was thinking it would work.

"Admiral!" yelled a sensor tech, "There's a massive mine field beyond those ships in our flight path!"

"Damn!" I swore. "All ships break off. Battle groups, separate, and deploy; we are in the pot now. All we can do is deal out as much damage as we can until they get us. Bravo group, assume covering fire deployment. Deploy all fighters and corvettes; we need all the firepower we can get. Fire-control officers, pick your targets and concentrate your fire, one target at a time for every gun that can bear on it. Helm, keep us moving, and I want you to keep us as far away from any massed dreadnought group as you can. We'll shred their lighter ships, any small groups of dreadnoughts and then pick the large groups off piecemeal. Everyone, you know your job. Let's get it done!"

I watched the plot as the two fleets performed a deadly ballet. Jesse and Darius were using the same tactics we were; keep moving, stay away from the heavy concentrations. That was basic Sun Tzu. Where your enemy is weak, be strong. Where your enemy is strong, don't be there. Still, Bravo group seemed to be doing the most damage. We were leaving a trail of shot up and dead enemy ships behind us as we danced the dance. Miraculously, the Serendipity had yet to take a serious hit. In fact, my three other super dreadnoughts had only taken negligible damage. Bravo group had only lost four of our super destroyers and two super cruisers thus far, but it was about to get ugly, I saw.

Two groups of dreadnoughts had managed to come at us from both the front and the rear. There were more than 25 of them in each group. We had just about had it. That's when Darius circled his group around behind the group in front of us and engaged them from the rear. The dreadnoughts turned broadside to him and they began to pop like popcorn as Darius' fire began to take its toll. Then we were in range and opened up on them. The return fire was horrendous. We lost ten more of the smaller ships and our large ships were taking a pounding. Most of them had lost turrets and their combat effectiveness was being slowly degraded. The Serendipity herself had a few decks open to space, but she maintained her battle abilities.

"Thanks, Admiral Edmunds, I thought we were toast that time. You up for round two with the group behind us?" I asked.

"Bring um on, Admiral Callaway," Darius said. If anything, he was fairing worse than I was after that exchange. We had lost about 20 percent of our forces so far. The TSN had lost nearly fifty percent of theirs, but these were mostly heavy cruisers and lighter. We were NOT going to win a battle of attrition. Darius had lost all of his super destroyers and all but two of his light super cruisers, but he still had most of his heavies and all four super dreadnoughts.

"Okay, I'm breaking high. If they follow me, you engage them from behind and I engage them from the front," I said. "If they engage you, then I will hit them from above."

"Roger that," Darius said.

They came after me, making a critical tactical error. Before Darius could engage their six, I slowed and engaged them from the front. However, I kept moving so they had to pursue and couldn't turn broad side to us. That meant they could only engage us with half their firepower. Then Darius started picking them off from the rear. As the last of the dreadnoughts went reactor critical and incinerated itself in nuclear fire, I searched the plot for Alpha Group.

"Holy mother..." I said. Admiral Shehane's group was in the middle of the biggest fur ball I had ever seen. Ships seemed to seethe to the surface and then disappear as they maneuvered. "Admiral Shehane, hang in there! We're coming."

"Don't bother, Valerie," I heard Yolanda say. We're all but done. The Liberty is the last of our group and she can't take much more. We got a little surprise for them, though."

At that moment, what had to have been all four of the reactors on Admiral Shehane's ship went critical at the same time. The resulting explosion incinerated the whole engaging force that was pounding them. I was stunned. I felt numb inside at the loss of a lot of good friends. I didn't have time to dwell on it, though because the battle was still under way. Battle Groups Bravo and Charlie worked together seamlessly. We used our ability to outmaneuver the TSN heavies to flank them and time and time again obliterate them in the crossfire. Our super dreadnoughts engaged the TSN dreadnoughts while our cruisers destroyed anything smaller that entered our field of fire. It got to the point where the TSN forces gathered together, refusing to commit to our bait and be out flanked, so we stood off just at the edge of our weapon's range and concentrated our fire on one dreadnought at a time. Seeing their return fire was ineffective, they would have to charge us, but we maintained the range until their formation broke up, and then we caught them in the pincer again.

After what seemed like hours of fighting, it came down to Darius and I. The Serendipity was pummeled and just about done. Half her decks were open to vacuum and she was down to four turrets. Darius' ship, the Insurrection, was in a similar state. Two thirds of his decks were open to vacuum and he had six functional turrets. Surrounding us was the last of the remaining TSN fleet, four moderate to heavily damaged TSN dreadnoughts. The Serendipity and the Insurrection stood back to back, figuratively speaking. We had taken positions relative to one another where the bulk of the Serendipity covered the Insurrection's weak side and the Insurrection covered ours. We stood our ground and slugged it out.

Darius and I coordinated our fire on one dreadnought at a time. First one drifted dead in space venting cabin pressure, then another was consumed in secondary explosions. The Serendipity was down to one turret and the Insurrection was down to a few missile batteries. The remaining dreadnoughts continued to pound us while we responded with ineffective return fire.

I never saw the nuke that hit us. It punched through the hanger bay at the bottom of the ship and penetrated five decks into the core of the ship where the reactors were located before it detonated. I found out later that, due to a design quirk and some fortuitous battle damage we had received, the rotating top ten decks that made up the control center of the ship and housed the officers quarters, the computer rooms, Navigation, Fire Control and Tactical Control all blew off into space when the nuke blew. The Serendipity's reactors chain-reacted with the explosion and the resulting nuclear fire sent the Insurrection's reactor critical as well. When she went, the resulting blast and huge pieces of debris took out the remaining TSN dreadnoughts.

I guess we were spared due to a combination of the heavy EMP shielding on the computer deck, the fact that the initial blast had sent us rocketing away and the intervening six decks. The only decks left intact were the top three. Those of us still alive were out cold, so we never saw the Duality MkII corvette blast free of the hanger deck of one of the destroyed super dreadnoughts and make a hyperspace jump.
 
 
Chapter 47
 
 
When the forty survivors came to, we found that the airtight doors had slammed shut and we were holding atmosphere. We had power, but we were effectively blind and dumb. The external cameras were all offline and our antenna array hadn't survived. We could do nothing but survive. The replicator ran off of emergency power, as did the air scrubbers and the heat.

"Okay people," I said, as everyone became alert enough to follow orders. "Our priority now is survival." I looked at the fearful visages around me, waiting for me to give an order, some order that would save our lives. After a moment of introspection about what had brought us to this point, I began to issue orders.

"Erika, I want you to pick some people and give me a damage estimate. What is still available? Dan, I need you to get working on the radios. See if you can come up with some way to communicate. Albright, find someone trained in first aid; collect and treat the wounded. Donalson, I need you to get with Simmons and you two work up a rough estimate of how long our air, food, and heat will hold out on emergency power," I clicked off crisply. I suspected we were screwed, but if I kept my people busy they wouldn't have time to be fatalistic.

The remnants of my crew, disciplined to the last, got down to work. The wounded were being cared for. All of them had relatively minor injuries - broken bones, bangs on the head - that sort of thing. Dan reported that he might be able to get us audio reception. He had found that although the lifeboat was in-op and heavily damaged, he might be able to salvage the locator beacon from it. That was good news. Erika reported that we were sealed in to Fire Control, Tactical and Navigation. She said we had no pressure suits and no airlock to use them with if we did. She informed me that we were maintaining cabin pressure and it seemed that we would do so indefinitely. Okay, that was sort of good news. At least it meant we were in no immediate danger. Donalson reported that according to his team's best estimate, we were air and heat critical. The recycler would last four months if we were frugal, but the heat would go about a day before the air scrubbers would be used up, two months from now.

Well, I tried to put a brave face on that report by saying that we would be rescued long before two months went by, but everyone knew it was bullshit. We had no idea where we were, or how far out we had been blasted, or which direction we were drifting. Odds were, we wouldn't ever be found. And, to be frank, it turned out that surviving for two months was, for most, a generous estimate.

A month and a half later, the space dementia set in and people started going mad. When things started to get violent and discipline crumbled, Dan, Erika and I, the last sane ones, barricaded ourselves in my ready room, located on the Tactical deck. The air soon began to get stale and the howls and cries of my insane crew died down. Then the heat failed and the temperature began to slowly drop. The three of us huddled together for warmth. They insisted that I be between them as we crawled into the emergency blankets in our underwear to facilitate heat transfer between us. We lay there cuddled together while we slowly froze and suffocated.

I don't know how long I had lain there. Erika and Dan were unconscious which I thought was for the best as the oxygen swiftly ran out. I knew hypoxia had set in when I began to hallucinate. I saw a bright light. 'This is it,' I thought to myself. 'I'm dead. I'm sorry, Miri. I love you and tell Brock I love him, too.'

Thinking of Miri influenced the hallucination because suddenly she was there. She was reaching out to me as if telling me not to go, but then everything went dark.
 
 
Epilogue
 
 
When I became aware again, I was warm. I was in a nice comfortable bed, and the air was sweet and pure. It smelled like Miri. Yup, I had to be in heaven. As my senses returned, I became aware of someone lying beside me. I stirred. Then someone moved.

"Valerie? Are you awake, baby?" a voice that must have been an angel asked. She must have been an angel cause she sounded just like my Miri.

My eyes fluttered open. I squinted a little because the light was too intense, but they soon adjusted and I saw the face of an angel above me.

"Hello," I said to her. "You must be an angel cause you are as beautiful as my Miri and she's not dead yet, at least I don't think so."

"I'm not dead yet, and neither are you, you goofball," she said to me. A moment later, her words penetrated my brain. I wasn't dead? We were rescued?

"Oh, Valerie," Miri said, collecting me in a bone crushing hug. "I thought I was too late. I thought I had lost you."

"Miri, I love you," I said happily.

"I love you too, Sweetness," she responded.

"How long have I been out," I asked. "How are Erika and Dan? Did any of the rest of the crew make it?"

"You've been in a coma brought on by hypoxia and hypothermia for a week," Miri said. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I am starving," I said, suddenly feeling my hollow belly, but I still didn't miss Miri's attempt at misdirection. "But what about Erika and Dan?"

"Honey, they saved your life," Miri said as her eyes shined with tears.

"Miri, HOW ARE THEY!" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, baby, they froze to death while they were keeping you warm," Miri said with a breaking voice.

I felt like I had been gut shot. I lay back in the bed and looked up at the ceiling as my eyes filled up with tears. The tears leaked out while I silently mourned for my dear friends.

"Guess who did survive, though?" she asked me in hopes of making me feel better.

"Who?" I asked.

"Your favorite redhead," Miri said smiling.

"No kidding? How? I saw her ship go up and take about a hundred TSN ships with it," I said.

"Well, it seems Yolanda decked her and stuffed Jesse in a life boat right before she detonated the reactors," Miri told me grinning. "You shoulda heard her cussing when we found her. I saw the recordings of the battle, from the Serendipity as well as the ones brought back by the survivors of the Liberator. You and Darius were awesome. The way the two of you coordinated your groups, out flanking TSN formations and catching them in the crossfire between you. It was incredible. You two were the right and left arm of justice out there. Do you even realize how many ships the TSN sent against you?"

"You know, come to think about it, what are you doing here?" I asked. "Not that I'm not glad, but we lost. The TSN is still out there."

"Nu uh, Dearheart," Miri smiled. "Actually, the battle was a draw thanks to the heroism and sacrifice of the Zone fleet. However, the TSN sent 1500 ships against you. 1500! And you all fought them to the last ship. Both fleets were utterly destroyed, but here's the best part. The TSN didn't want to commit that many ships. They had to spread their fleet too thin on the front where the Resistance was fighting. But the Terran Government was so terrified of your fleet and the damage it was causing, they ordered the TSN to pull ships in from the blockade and the Resistance front. Once they did that, the Resistance rolled right over them. Systems are falling left and right. The TSN is nowhere to be found aside from some token resistance. Word is they have pulled back and consolidated their fleet around the Terran system. As soon as we rebuild the Zone Expeditionary Fleet, we are going to link up with the Resistance and open negotiations for the surrender of the Terran Government. If they refuse, we will go in and take them out."

There was still fighting to be done, but I was going home. I had fought my last battle and Miri, Brock, and I were seriously thinking about going on an extended visit with the Drandians. Diversity finally got me into the public eye when they asked me to preside over the memorial service given for all the heroic men and women that died in the clash between our fleets. It was an emotional service for me. I lost a lot of friends in that battle. I was going to be all right, though. I had Miri and Brock and that's all I ever really needed.

Happy news! In 4 months I am due with Brock's sister. My baby, her name will be Erika, seems to be developing fine. Miri and I plan to have two more, one per each of us with Brian and Dan's DNA. They had planned to ask us to carry their children, but events had conspired against it. Dan left this all in a note to me, along with the location and authorization to use their genetic material, delivered to me by his attorney when I arrived home.

I looked down at Miri, sleeping with her head in my lap, pillowed against my gravid and hugely distended belly. Goddess, I love her. I marvel at how beautiful she is every time I look at her - especially when she is sleeping. She looks so sweet and innocent, dontcha think?

-=^=-
 
The End
 
We are beautiful,
In every single way,
Words can't bring us down...

-=^=-