Space Cherry Pt. 09

"Of course Cherry."

"Goodbye Phil. Don't fuck things up this time."

Just as he'd said he would be, Heb was still standing just outside the door where she'd left him. As the door slid shut behind her, just for a moment, when she saw him standing there, Cherry thought she was going to cry. But she didn't.

She just walked forward, her arms spread wide, pulling her Captain into a close embrace, feeling her strength and confidence surge with his arms around her.

"You OK?" Heb asked as she released them.

"Yeah. I'm OK Skip. I'm OK."

***

At Bo's recommendation, they deposited Phil, or Armando Scamaranch as he was now, on a small asteroid settlement that reminded Cherry of the grim junk yard she'd visited with Heb on Gasprol 2. It was conveniently along their route back to AC4, their destination to drop off Bo so he could resume his work for the Melbodian mob there.

Not knowing when she would have the opportunity to meet him again, Cherry made sure their new Meldobian friend spent his last night aboard in her opulent quarters, happy to be able to explore his huge purple body and glowing hot cock in an environment more comfortable than a wrecked shuttle in a stifling desert.

But it wasn't just the spectacular sex that made Cherry happy to have Bo aboard. Their initial positive impression of him continued to be confirmed and, if it wasn't for his day job, Cherry thought the entire crew would have been in favor of asking him to join their partnership. As it was, he accepted gratefully their offer to become a contracted lithium hauler for the planet once the Meldobians had completed their takeover from the mining conglomerates, but only, Heb insisted, as a legitimate enterprise. No debt to the mob was involved. They understood by then that Bo's mission to help the people of AC4 was what he really believed in, that the profit AC4 and his work would ultimately make for the Meldobians was a secondary concern to him, and that was something they could readily get on board with. They bid him a fond farewell as he boarded the shuttle that came to orbit to pick him up, certain they would meet again.

All four of E16's crew stood on the bridge, watching his shuttle enter the atmosphere.

"Would you like to break orbit Skip?" SARA's voice interrupted their reverie.

"Getting impatient SARA?" Fem asked, smiling wryly.

"While I am not capable of impatience Fem, I do believe it would be nice to finally resume our course to Cremufax. I'm excited to meet our new crew member. I think it will be nice to have another woman on board."

"Me too SARA, but she hasn't agreed to join us yet you know," Cherry observed, smiling, her mind drifting to thoughts of Natalie and the warmth of her friendship. "I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up."

"I am certain she will join us Cherry. I don't know why anyone would choose not to."

"Here, here," Tor bellowed and warm laughter filled the bridge as SARA eased the giant freighter gently from the planet's orbit, its silver hull glinting in the light of the sun.