A Viper's Nest Ch. 09

Twelve Hours Later:

John stepped into the main hangar for Border Station Five. He had been told by Security Chief Yutsi that Matriarch Theka had wanted to see him and so she had escorted him from one of the station's canteens. Looking around the hangar, John could see that there were several Dropships to his right and a much larger vessel to his left. The Dropships to his right had a series of cables attached to them, as well as Engineers who were busy doing maintenance. John watched as one of the Vipers activated the Jump Pack attached to her Nanosuit uniform and flew up, landing on the top of the Dropship in front of her.

"This way, John," Yutsi said, drawing his attention.

The Security Chief walked down the central path of the hangar. This was an unofficial divide and led from the massive hangar doors, which were currently shut, to the exit that was just behind where John was standing. Looking up at the hangar doors as he followed Yutsi, John could see the familiar blue glow of the shield. It was designed to allow ships to freely enter and exit hangars without the need to vent the atmosphere. Keeping pace with the Security Chief, John thought about the specs for Matriarchy Dropships.

He had been sitting inside his suite one evening, both Etsala and Nisku were asleep inside the nest, and John had decided to do some research. The first thing that he had looked up were the specs for Dropships. John remembered that their length was fifty feet long, they had a width of thirty feet, and a height of fifteen. All four sides were curved and attached to each corner were the engines, a curved box with an engine sticking out one end. The pilot of the Dropship was able to alter the angle of engines, this, in turn, would allow them to take off and land without the need for a runway and provide a degree of manoeuvrability.

A call from nearby brought John back to the present and he looked over to where the Security Chief was taking him. Standing next to the larger vessel were Matriarch Theka and a Viper who he had not seen before. John guessed that she was probably another Matriarch due to her height. Looking at her he could see that she had a flared hood, similar in shape to Quartermaster Milsi. However, unlike Milsi, the unknown Viper's secondary scale colour was bright yellow. She was also wearing a sheer dress and John tried his best not to stare at her enormous breasts, the two bright pink nipples which he felt had been purposely pointed in his direction, or even the glow coming from her groin.

"Hello, John," Matriarch Theka said with a smile, "thank you for bringing him here, Yutsi," she said and the Security Chief bowed.

"Well, it's not as if I had a choice," John replied while returning the smile, "Yutsi made it seem like an order," he said.

"That's probably my fault," the unknown Viper replied.

"Where are my manners?" Theka interrupted, "John, this is Matriarch Ossih," she said while gesturing towards her, "she'll be taking you over to the Minerva for some pilot training," Matriarch Theka smiled at John when she finished.

"If I remember correctly, Terrans shake hands when they meet someone new?" Ossih said as she looked down at John.

"Some do," he replied and took the Matriarch's hand. It dwarfed his and John was distracted by the scales on her hand.

"Do you like them?" Ossih asked.

"Yes," John replied, "it looks like you're wearing fingerless gloves," he said while holding onto her hand.

"Can I have my hand back?" Matriarch Ossih asked and then laughed when John went red. As he let go of her hand, Ossih fluttered her eyelashes at John while smiling.

"So," John said as he cleared his throat, "what's a Minerva?" he asked.

"That," Matriarch Theka replied as she pointed towards the hangar doors.

John looked to his right and watched as the two massive doors opened. As they slowly separated, he could see out into space and the light from the system's star flooded the main hangar. Appearing from the right-hand side of the station's exterior wall was a gigantic ship. John found it difficult to judge just how large it was.

Due to the ship tilting to the left, John could see that the front quarter was a semi-circle that ended with a curved point at the front. The sides were curved as well and appeared to have a series of oval-shaped bumps at set intervals. Just behind the front quarter of the ship was a massive intake of some kind, it glowed a deep orange as it came into view. The side of the ship just behind the intake was flat and at the halfway point the hull curved outwards. Again, the oval shapes could be seen running along the side of the hull. As the rear of the ship came into view, John saw that it was about twice the width of the front. In the middle of the rear quarter were two large circles, each one encased in shiny metal and as he watched they glowed red, the ship swung itself round to face the station, ponderously. Watching the ship change direction, John was able to see five enormous engines at the rear of the ship.

The top of the gigantic ship was covered in a series of small to large ovals. Each one appeared to be a dome of some kind. Hidden from view due to the tilt of the ship as it emerged from the right of the station, the underneath of the gigantic ship appeared to have something very large attached to the hull.

"That's a Mass Driver," Matriarch Ossih answered John's question before he could ask it, "only the largest of battleships are equipped with them," she said.

"Only the largest?" John repeated, "just how big is that ship?" he asked.

"In Terran measurements, around two and a half kilometres," Ossih replied, "The Ruination of Minerva is a Bothrops class Battleship, she was also the first of her kind to be built," she said.

"Don't forget the flagship," Matriarch Theka chimed in.

"That too, but it rarely leaves home," Ossih said as she looked at Theka.

"And how big is the flagship?" John asked.

"Five kilometres," Theka replied, "however, as I said, it hardly ever leaves home. It's The Matriarch's ship," she said.

"Five kilometres?!" John said, surprised with just how big Matriarchy ships were, "reminds me of Star Destroyers and the Super Star Destroyer," John said as he turned to face the two Matriarchs.

"Terran space ships?" Ossih asked and John laughed.

"No, they're fictional," he replied, "if you want to know how advanced our spaceships are, just look at the Poseidon," John said.

"Oh, I see," Matriarch Ossih said.

"So," John said as he looked up at both Matriarchs, "why am I here?" he asked.

"We've decided to put you through pilot training," Ossih replied.

"Yes, we were discussing the meeting that was due to take place today," Theka said, "and the conversation shifted over to wondering how good of a pilot you might be," as she finished Theka smiled at John.

"Does this have anything to do with the training I received from Yutsi?" John inquired and Matriarch Ossih nodded.

"Yes," she replied, "after seeing how well you were able to learn and adapt to Pistol and Rifle Training, we decided to test your ability to fly," Ossih turned to face the larger vessel as she finished. Removing the pad attached to her right thigh, Matriarch Ossih tapped away at the screen and then a ramp descended from the vessel in front of her.

"By the way," John said, "what is that?" he asked.

"It's one of the Troop Transports assigned to the Minerva," Matriarch Theka replied, "the ship only has one Dropship on board and so they sent over one of these," she then stepped back and gestured to follow Matriarch Ossih as she walked up the ramp. The door at the top had unlocked and was slowly swinging open.

"I don't have much choice in this do I?" John asked.

"We're not forcing you," Ossih said as she turned around and looked down the ramp, "if you don't want to learn to fly any of our ships, we can simply start the meeting in an hour, however," she said while walking down the ramp and stopping in front of John, "considering how much fun you appeared to have during your Combat Training with Security Chief Yutsi, we thought you might enjoy Pilot Training, were we wrong?" Ossih asked and then looked at the Chief. Yutsi bowed her head and then took a few steps back.

John looked up at the Viper and tried his best not to stare at the glowing pussy that was mere inches from his face, or even the enormous breasts with their bright pink nipples that were casting a shadow over his face. John could see that Matriarch Ossih was enjoying this moment as she winked and then smiled at him.

"I'll admit that I'm curious to know what it's like to fly one of your ships," he replied, "plus if it gives you and the other Matriarchs a better impression of me then I should do it," John said.

"Good," Ossih said as she spun around and headed back up the ramp. John yelped as Matriarch Theka pulled him out of the way of Ossih's large tail as it whipped around.

"Don't worry John," she said, "she doesn't bite...much," Theka then smacked John's backside and pushed him up the ramp. He half fell as he took a step and tried to regain his balance.

*****

Matriarch Ossih watched John from her seated position as he entered the Troop Transport. She liked how the red light from above played over his body and face. Her golden eyes glowed in the dark as she waited for John to find a seat. Once he had chosen a crash couch opposite her, Ossih tapped at her pad and signalled the Pilot to ready the Transport for liftoff.

The Troop Transports used by The Matriarchy were designed to carry fifty Vipers. At the front of each vessel was the cockpit, where a lone Viper Pilot controlled the Transport. They were seated inside a specially designed crash couch, each one was made to fit the physiological needs of the pilot. Just behind the cockpit was where the Engineer was stationed. In front of the Engineer were a series of monitors, each one displaying information vital for keeping the Transport in prime condition. The last part of the Troop Transport was where the passengers were kept. Fifty Crash Couches, in four rows of ten and two rows of five.

"Do you need any help?" Matriarch Ossih asked as she watched John start to attach his chair's eight-point harness.

"I should be fine," he replied, "someone showed me what to do when I came over from the Cruiser," John said as he pushed in the last connector. As it clicked in the lights above his head glowed and then the crash couch adjusted itself to John's physique. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," John half-laughed as he looked up at Ossih.

"Just wait till you start your Pilot training," she said, "I hope you have a strong stomach too," Ossih then sat back on her crash couch as the Troop Transport lifted off.

*****

Wing Commander Zsosu walked onto the Ruination of Minerva's bridge and headed straight to where Admiral Sshuizshallius was standing. As she walked, the light from above reflected off her light blue scales and purple Nanosuit uniform. Zsosu was in charge of the Minerva's fighter contingent and had been summoned by the Admiral for a briefing.

"Admiral," Zsosu said with a nod as she stopped in front of the Tactical Display Table.

"Wing Commander," the Admiral replied, "it's good to see you again. How're things in the hangar?" she inquired.

"Good," Zsosu replied with a nod, "the new Mamba class fighters are performing well. The Ericius failed to hit them during the battle," the Wing Commander placed her hands behind her back as she finished.

"That's good to hear, Zsosu," Sshuizshallius said as she glanced at the TDT.

"Do you know how long we will be stationed here?" Zsosu asked.

"Initially it was three or four days, however," Sshuizshallius replied as she looked up at the Wing Commander, "the Matriarchs have decided to test the Terran," the Admiral said with a smile.

"Test?" Zsosu said as she cocked her head to the left.

"You're going to train the male," the Admiral replied, "after reviewing his ability in the station's Combat Arena, all four Matriarchs have agreed to see how well this 'John' can adapt to our technology," Sshuizshallius said as she looked at the TDT again.

"You want me to train him to fly one of our fighters?" Zsosu asked.

"The Doctor received his bio scan from the Pride," the Admiral replied as she adjusted the image displayed by the TDT, "and the Chief Engineer is currently printing out a new crash couch while her team is adjusting a Mamba," Sshuizshallius frowned as she read a data scroll hovering in front of her.

"Are you sure a Terran's body can withstand the g-forces?" the Wing Commander inquired.

"Doctor Shuka assures me that with the right adjustments to a Nano Flight suit," Sshuizshallius replied as she looked up at Zsosu again, "the male's body should be more than capable of withstanding the same stresses that you and your sisters experience," the Admiral looked to her left as a crew member approached.

"Admiral," she said, "Matriarch Ossih and John will be arriving shortly," the Viper bowed to Sshuizshallius and the Wing Commander.

"I suggest you go and greet them, Commander," Admiral Sshuizshallius ordered.

"At once, Admiral," Zsosu replied while saluting.

*****

John walked down the Troop Transport's ramp and he tried his best not to look awestruck.

The hangar for the Ruination of Minerva had a similar design to the one he had seen on the Cruiser, however, John guessed that the Battleship's hangar was at least twice the size. Looking up, he could see that there were multiple cranes, each one seemed to have a different purpose as the ends had different tools attached. As he looked around, John could see more of the Troop Transports to his left and right. Each one was connected to the deck of the hangar by a series of pipes and cables. There was a group of three Engineers working on the undercarriage of a Troop Transport that had several panels open. John watched as two Vipers activated their Jump Packs and flew up the top of a nearby Transport.

What drew John's attention the most, were the rows upon rows of fighter craft sitting idle in front of where he was standing. He could tell that they were fighters as their design was not too dissimilar to what he had flown as a UN Fighter Pilot. From where he was standing, John could see that each fighter was at least two or three times larger than what was built back on Earth. Each one reminded John of the old stealth bomber, once used by the United States before the Unification War. The light from above was reflected by the black material they were made from.

"What do you think?" Matriarch Ossih asked as she descended the ramp behind John.

John turned around and watched her while trying not to stare at her breasts. With each step, they jiggled and swayed left to right. Ossih noticed he was watching and as a mischievous smile spread across her face, the Matriarch purposely made them jiggle more. She laughed when John made eye contact with her and his face went red.

"The hangar and its contents, John, not me," she said with a smile.

"It's impressive," he replied while clearing his throat by coughing a few times.

"You were told not to tease him," came a voice from inside the Troop Transport. John looked up and watched as a male Viper appeared. The light from above reflected off his dark red scales and his eyes glowed bright green.

"I can't help it," Ossih said as her head turned and she looked up at the male, "are you jealous, Sani?" the Matriarch asked.

"No," came the reply, "when this is all over, John will be gone and I'll remain as your steward," Sani said as he made his way down the ramp of the Troop Transport.

"Gone?" John said, looking up at Matriarch Ossih as she stopped in front of him, her steward waiting nearby.

"You've been told about the meeting the Matriarchs will be having with you?" she inquired and John nodded, "well, once you have made your decision, you will be leaving the system. Don't forget John," Ossih said as she walked around him, "we're on the edge of Matriarchy space. It'll be several months before you reach the core systems," she then looked to her left as a Viper approached.

John followed her gaze and watched as a tall and slim Viper stopped near to where they were standing. He guessed that she was around eight and a half feet tall and her primary scale colour was light blue. They were located on the top half of her head, the back of her hood, and John could also see them run down the part of her neck that was close to the softer, inner part of her hood. The newcomer's secondary scale colour was white and they went from her bottom jaw, down her neck, and covered the softer inside of her hood. She also had a random dark blue pattern of scales dotted around her head and hood, although John noticed that they only appeared on her light blue scales.

When the newcomer stopped in front of Matriarch Ossih, her steward, and John, the light from above reflected off of the Nanosuit uniform. Looking closely, John realised that he had not seen this particular type before. It took a few seconds for him to realise that the Viper was wearing a flight suit. To John, it looked like a more advanced version of the anti-g suits used by the UN. Before he could ask questions about her Nanosuit, John was distracted by the turquoise glow of the Viper's eyes. She then opened her mouth to speak and he saw that the inside of her mouth and tongue were also glowing turquoise.

"Matriarch Ossih," the Viper said with a bow, "welcome back to the Minerva. Admiral Sshuizshallius sends her greetings, and to you, John," she said and then looked down at him.

"This is Wing Commander Zsosu," Ossih said, gesturing to the Commander with her left hand.

"Hello," John said as he smiled up at her.

"Hello to you," she replied, returning the smile, "so, you're the Terran they picked up?" Zsosu asked as she placed her hands on her wide hips.

"That's me," John replied.

*****

Wing Commander Zsosu looked down at the Terran as he smiled at her again. She had read the reports, examined the bio scan, and even watched some of the footage that was slowly becoming popular amongst the fleet. Zsosu was surprised to find that John was rather ordinary when she was finally face-to-face with him. He was taller than a Viper male but had no scales, just smooth pink skin. The Commander looked at John's body and saw how the skintight Nanosuit uniform showed the muscles underneath.

"Zsosu?" Matriarch Ossih called out.

"Yes, Matriarch?!" the Wing Commander replied, snapping out of her thoughts on John. She could hear a few of the Engineers nearby giggling.

"Has Admiral Sshuizshallius informed you of our plan?" Ossih inquired.

"Yes, Matriarch," Zsosu replied while nodding, "I am to train John in the use of our Mamba fighters and then proceed to do a series of live combat exercises," she said.

"Good, has the Chief Engineer finished printing out the new crash couch?" the Matriarch asked.

"Not yet," the Wing Commander replied while shaking her head, "she's currently modifying one of the training pods," she said and then looked down at John, "I'll be taking you to Engineering, we need to have a Nano Flight suit made for you otherwise you'll blackout on the first manoeuvre," before Zsosu could say more a voice was heard from behind.

John looked behind Zsosu and saw a Viper walking over. Her overall body shape reminded him of Quartermaster Milsi, however, this new Viper was wearing a similar anti-g Nano Flight suit to the Zsosu. Her backside was as big as Milsi's and her breasts were just as impressive. When she stopped next to Zsosu, John saw that her primary scale colour was a warm dark grey. It started at the front of her blunt nose, covered most of her head and went down the back of her hood. She had a secondary scale colour of light grey and it covered her lower jaw, the softer part of her hood, and went down the front of her neck. She smiled at John when he made eye contact and he noticed that her eyes were glowing yellow.