The Reyblade Pt. 05: Arrival

Chapter 1: Promotion

"Could you repeat that please, Ms. Lui?" Roberta asked for the third time into the comm.

"You heard her, Roberta. She's gone now," said the head engineer, Ripper Tennin. It was only Roberta and Ripper on the bridge and it was an arrangement which had recently become the troubling norm.

"But that can't be true. Darla Brown as the new First Mate? Darla Brown from Security? Did she even interview? And what's Yunice Lui doing in the Captain's chambers anyway?"

"Oh you know what she's doing, officer. We all signed The Agreement. Things are clearly going to shit so we have bigger things to worry about than to stand and gawk while it happens."

Ripper was right. It had only been a few short weeks since The Reyblade, a small army cruiser under New Order command, had had an encounter with a navigational anomaly. Although High Admiral Lorna had commanded Captain Eipom to avoid the anomaly's coordinates, The Captain had disobeyed her. Despite seeing and scanning nothing after arriving at the coordinates, events and personalities had been unraveling ever since. The Captain's previously predictable and conservative use of the Free Use Agreement had gone haywire, Rion Flaks had been dishonourably discharged as First Mate, Eipom had taken Navigational Officer, Ami Tanaka under his wing (leaving the less experienced Roberta to manage the position almost full time), and tensions among the crew had hit a fever pitch.

"Well then do I contact Darla or do we go rogue?" Roberta asked flatly. The regularly unflappable Ripper Tennin was stunned. She had served under Captain Eipom for the bulk of her career and like many of her colleagues, she had considered it a near perfect arrangement up until now. He was a competent Captain, but not charming or likable enough to fall in love with to complicate matters and although Eipom hadn't used Tennin sexually in years, those experiences had always been pleasant at worst. But Tennin, along with all of her colleagues, had never seen Eipom acting the way he currently was. Ripper and Roberta had just discovered that The Reyblade had been disguising its flightpath and was closing in on the anomaly that everybody believed they had jumped away from weeks earlier. Yet The Captain hadn't even answered the distress call himself. He was in the middle of an encounter with Ami Tanaka and Yunice Lui in his quarters and sent the latter to announce the new first mate and have her deal with it.

"Both," Ripper finally answered. "If we don't tell Darla she got First Mate it'll just put us under suspicion down the line. Plus, how long did you say we had before reaching the anomaly's coordinates?"

"A few hours."

"Aw shit."

In the security booth, Darla herself found herself once again the only person working while her co-worker Paulina Cabbage and the Weapons Director Jez Farmer fooled around in the corner.

"Don't you have work to do as, y'know, a section head?" Darla said loudly, not hiding her annoyance at the pair anymore. Jez just laughed.

"Oh please, Darla. Do you remember the last time I had to actually send out pilots? We've been a glorified delivery service for years."

"Less talking, more sucking my nipples," Paulina said, presenting her topless chest to the woman she was straddling.

"When did you start giving the commands?" Jez smirked back.

"I learned from the best," Paulina cooed and pushed her left breast into Jez's face, gasping with relief when the 31-year-old Director parted her lips in welcome.

Darla rolled her eyes then proceeded to scour the security video feeds in front of her. She had been feeling increasingly anxious recently and couldn't put her finger on why. Of course, it likely had something to do with how she had been convinced to be part of a underground group to support and pass along information to former First Mate Rion Flaks who still sat in The Reyblade's Prison Ward. But that wasn't the whole story. Darla hadn't been feeling like herself at all recently and the uneasy feeling had been magnified by a very recent sexual encounter with The Captain. Sexual events with Eipom hadn't been uncommon during her five year tenure on The Reyblade, but the most recent time had made her desire him in a way she wasn't used to. She kept thinking back on the event and the mixture of pride and degradation with which Eipom had talked to her. She realized her concentration had been broken when the buzz of the intercom made her jump.

"Officer Darla Brown, Security," she answered as soon as she was able to push the 'talk' button down.

"I think you mean First Mate Brown," came the curt reply in Ripper Tennin's distinct voice. That was enough for even Paulina and Jez to stop their antics.

"I'm not sure I understand," came Darla's reply, but she was lying. Of course. It made sense. This was her destiny. This is what The Captain had been trying to tell her during his last visit to the Security Office. Thoughts swirled in her head and she remembered how former First Mate Rion had seduced her in the showers. How dare she take advantage of me like that, Darla suddenly thought for the first time.

"Eipom made you First Mate. He's too busy plowing Ami and Yunice to tell you himself, but there you go."

"You will speak respectfully of your Captain, Ms. Tennin. Back to your station."

Darla felt her pussy grow wet from speaking to one of the longest-serving and most respected Section Heads that way and only noticed Jez and Paulina gaping at her after Darla broke communication.

"How the FUCK did that happen?" Paulina said. Her tone was unreadable.

"This is amazing!" Cried Jez. "The ultimate woman on the inside! Let's go break out Rion!"

Darla raised her eyebrows. She had to play it cool until her arm unit was actually upgraded to reflect her new powers. How could she have been pushed around by such a layabout like Jez? She took a deep breath.

"I think that might be a little too rash, don't you, Director Farmer?"

"Jeez, Darla, call her Jez."

"Eipom might be playing at something," Darla improvised. "Why don't I go see him directly so I can get to the bottom of it?"

"You heard Ripper. He's balls deep inside his new toy Ami and... that other person," Paulina said, turning to Jez for the end of her sentence. "Who else did she say?"

"Who cares," grunted Jez who cupped Paulina's naked breasts while locking eyes with her. "We have more important work to do."

"Spin her around to face the video board at least," Darla said dryly as she left the small Security Office. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so excited. Always hard-working but a shy and a strict rule-follower, nobody ever really had a problem with her, but nobody took too closely to her either. She had considered herself resigned to that fate but now a completely new life was laid out in front of her. Clearly she was meant to have power. She knew the importance of rules and structure and so who better than her to enforce it? And Captain Eipom had seen it all before she had. Why had she been so apathetic towards him in her five years on the ship? It was just the culture on board, she figured. Everybody else talked about him like a competent Captain and a good fuck but nothing else so she had just followed suit.

It wasn't long before she arrived at the door to Eipom's Quarters. She put her arm unit to the scanner outside the door to alert him that she was there and requested entrance. The doors opened almost immediately. Even if she hadn't been practically glued to The Captain's side lately, the sight of Ami Tanaka was familiar. All primary Bridge Crew were well known on board. She was on her knees between The Captain's legs. She was naked and was messily trying to lap at Eipom's balls as he pounded away at who Darla figured was Yunice Lui. As a Security Officer, Darla recognized the faces of the crew better than most, but Yunice still didn't particularly stand out to her. The lewd sight only served to make Darla feel more in awe of Eipom and more committed to carrying out his will.

"Ah! Ms. Brown! You've received the news, I take it?"

"I have, Captain," Darla said with her hands behind her back, standing at attention as Eipom ruthlessly thrust himself into the gasping and naked young engineer, her considerable breasts squishing into the wall as she got fucked.

"I'll upgrade your arm unit in - UNH - in just a moment," Eipom grunted over the sounds of Ami's messy slobbering and Yunice's slick pussy being drilled.

"Take your time, Captain." Darla said patiently. The sight didn't particularly turn her on, but she was proud to see her Captain take what was his. Eipom nodded in response but he didn't take long to prove that he had more to say to his new First Mate.

"Were you surprised, Darla?" He asked. He reached back and roughly gripped Ami's hair as she continued to eagerly lap at his sack.

"I suppose a little," Darla lied. "Why not Paulina if you were going to hire from Security? She's younger and has bigger tits."

"Haha, yes," Eipom said, managing a grin on his sweaty face. His pace didn't seem to be letting up although his breathing was clearly heavy. "w-well she seems too, how do I put this - ohhhyeah, Yunice, clench just like that - too laissez-faire. I was actually beginning to suspect her of insubordination."

"You wouldn't be wrong sir," Darla said, not hesitating for a moment to throw her co-worker of two years under a bus.

"We can discuss all that in a - uuggghh - moment, Ms. Brown. I have a couple of dumb sluts to cover with my come."

"Yes, Captain."

Eipom pulled out of Yunice's tight little 18-year-old pussy and pushed her down to her knees. Then he used his legs to clumsily encourage Ami to take a place next to her. Ami had barely gotten into position when Eipom's load began to fly. He clearly had no intention of aiming it in any particular place and Ami and Yunice desperately fought to be the one to receive a larger share. Once he was completely spent and had shook off his shrinking cock he flopped down onto his chair that sat to the side of his large desk.

"Yunice, you can clean me off, but Ami gets any on the floor or on your body," he said lazily and turned his attention to Darla. "At ease, First Mate Brown. Place your unit in the console and I'll update it from here."

Darla did as she was told, locking her arm into a device near The Captain's desk. Eipom fiddled with his own unit until a few satisfying soft beeps filled the room, briefly overpowering the eager licking and slurping sounds coming from Ami and Yunice. Darla's pussy once again grew wet when she turned to look at Ami licking the floor clean of The Captain's come. Less from the sight itself and more from the feeling of power it gave her.

"All clear, Ms. Brown. With a few extra clearance privileges than Rion had."

"Sir?"

"Things are about to get a little crazy around here and I need an extra body doing what I would do and I trust you to be that extra body. We're closing in on the coordinates of the anomaly that I thought I had jumped away from. I think it did something to the ship."

"But sir, we never actually jumped to the anomaly's coordinates," Darla said, furrowing her thick dark eyebrows.

"We did, Ms. Brown. I'm not sure why so many people believe that lie, but it's worked out for me, especially when Rion betrayed me."

The truth surprised Darla, but her newfound loyalty for Eipom didn't waver in the slightest because of it. In fact, she only felt herself get more angry at Rion.

"I'm starting to think that Admiral Lorna knew the truth too," Eipom continued, "but it seems like how things went down worked out the best for her as well. Not sure she expected The Reyblade to secretly fly itself back to the anomaly's coordinates, however."

Darla looked down at Ami and Yunice. It was clear that they were picking up none of the top secret information that Eipom was letting fly from his lips. Darla suddenly realized that the anomaly had not only taken control of The Reyblade, but of all its inhabitants. Yunice and Ami were husks of their former selves. Simply sex slaves for The Captain because that's what he wished for them to be. Darla believed herself and The Captain to be free of such control. She believed that they were the enlightened ones.

"Should I go down and secure the Traitor Rion's place in the Prison Ward?"

"Yes. Might as well put her out of her misery while you're at it. I thought she might have some use, but I don't think we have much time. We should only let those on our side survive. I trust you know who those are?"

"Oh yes, Captain. Yes I do, Captain," Darla breathed, finding herself suddenly very horny. But she knew now wasn't the time.

"Good. It's too risky to unlock the lethal capabilities of our arm units. Headquarters would be immediately notified. So it's a good thing I snuck some backup security on board," Eipom grinned, thumbing backwards to his desk as he stroked Yunice's hair. She moaned happily in response. "Your unit should unlock my desk. Bottom drawer. You'll have to riffle through some boxes."

Darla did as she was told and found a small laser pistol in no time.

"I guess I can't practice on them?" Darla joked darkly, indicating toward the naked, busty, come-hungry girls on the ground around The Captain.

"Ah, I've missed having a jealous First Mate. Go now. If all else fails, we meet in the bathroom near the hanger. Got it?"

"Aye aye."

Chapter 2: Pandemonium

Rion held her head in her hands. Time had been a complete blur for her since Eipom and Ami had come to taunt and humiliate her. It had only been a day, but Rion would have believed somebody if they had told her it had been any length from two hours to two weeks. The degrading audio that had been on repeat in the Prison Ward had stopped, but if anything, Rion missed the company. She didn't even know what she wanted. Wasn't Jez supposed to be watching her and looking out for her? Rion's legs were stiff and she felt broken. If Captain Eipom came back, she was ready to grovel, she decided. She was ready to beg for forgiveness and apologize for alerting Admiral Lorna to his treason. She didn't care. She wanted out of the cell. She wanted to shower regularly. She wanted to suck cock regularly.

Then a heavy thud echoed through the Prison Ward. The doors. Not knowing what else to do, Rion pushed her hair back over her ears, as if it would hide the pale sullen mess she had become in that cell. Rion didn't know who she expected to see - or who she even hoped for - but she got Jez and Paulina.

"Where have you been?!" Rion shouted. She was surprised that she was both physically and emotionally capable of the anger in her voice. "I have been losing my MIND!"

"I'm sorry, Rion, but there's no time. Eipom's made Darla First Mate and he gave her a laser pistol. Did you even know he had those?" Jez was out of breath and motioned for Paulina to go to the cell and begin cutting the lock.

"N-no, I didn't, and hey, that's going to trigger the alarm," Rion said. She was beginning to get a headache.

"Yeah, no shit. Did you miss the part when I said that Eipom made a Security Officer first mate and gave her a GUN?! This is a glorified cargo ship, Rion, you know that. Something messed up is going down and we need to get in front of it."

Then a lot happened very quickly. Paulina finished cutting through the door to Rion's cell and the alarm immediately began to blare, cutting off any ability to hear anybody speak. The alarm triggered an emergency shutdown of the Prison Ward doors, but just before they could close, Darla Brown slipped through. She shot at Rion but hit Jez in the shoulder instead. Jez collapsed and Paulina used her arm unit to taze Darla who fell to the ground with wide crazed eyes and her hand clutched tightly around her laser pistol.

Rion scrambled out of her cell and ran off towards the showers and Paulina ran to Jez who seemed to be blacking out.

"Get her gun," Jez managed to say before she passed out and although Paulina couldn't hear her, she could read her lips and dashed to Darla. The new First Mate was still conscious, but could only move her eyes. She was clearly furious, even with her limited expressive capabilities and Paulina felt unsettled as she reached down to take the laser pistol away from her former co-worker. Darla's fingers were frozen shut however and Paulina could do nothing to pry them open shy of snapping her fingers off and Paulina wasn't willing to do that.

"Shit," she said into the sonic void of the deafening alarm. Where the hell did Rion go? Leaving the two women laying on the ground, Paulina dashed to the showers. It was a relatively small and open room but Rion was nowhere in sight. Paulina even looked at the ceiling and walked around the edges of the wall, tracing it with her hand. "How in the..."

But then the alarm stopped and Paulina's stomach dropped. It wouldn't stop that soon without somebody stopping it manually. She rushed back to where she had left Jez and Darla but only Jez remained and she was in far worse condition. Darla had apparently escaped but not without finishing off Jez first. The door to the Prison Ward was open again. Paulina wanted to be brave, but she didn't even know where to start. Without Jez, Paulina had no direction. She stepped backwards, moving herself back into the showers. She sat in a far corner and fixed her eyes on the entrance.

Rion didn't know how she knew, but she knew that the ship would make a path of escape for her. This was no ordinary ship. She had realized this in just the past few moments. It had been a great discovery hiding in plain sight. And now it was returning to its birthplace. She was traveling a hallway that she had never seen before and that quite possibly had only recently come into existence. The hanger. She had to secure a ship. And a pilot. There would be one at the hanger. Wouldn't there?

The hallway that Rion walked down had a consistent curve to the right such that she couldn't see more than a metre in front of her. The walls appeared to be made of the same material that walkways normally were in The Reyblade, and the colour was certainly the same, but the shape was completely different. Instead of the large boxy corridors of the main ship, this hallway was rounded and tube-like except for the flat half-metre under her feet. She walked briskly with her hand on the inside wall. She never broke into a jog, but always threatened the pace. The end of the corridor came up so suddenly and without visual warning that Rion smacked right into the wall. Despite her adrenaline, her body was still frail and she immediately fell to the ground. Her vision was blurred but she could make out movement above her.

"Rion? Rion Flaks?"

Rion didn't recognize the voice but the blurry shock of red hair that her sight afforded her gave her enough of a clue.

"Just who I was looking for."

"What the hell is going on? Everybody's freaking out but nobody has any information. Where did this hole come from?"

"Hang on Ms. Ipsen, I'm coming up."

Rion knew how clumsy and near pathetic she must have looked to Jessi, but she didn't care. She couldn't afford to. She stayed on the ground and moved her feet around the hole in a circle with one always touching the wall. She knew that the ship would have left a ladder built into the wall for her. She felt a divot and held her foot in place as if it would disappear if she took it away. She curled in until she could feel the divot with her hands and she moved up onto her knees.

"Did this hole just appear now?" Rion asked, her tone a little crazed as she used the ladder to pull herself into a standing position. Her vision had not improved.

"Yeah, I had to jump away!" Jessi called down. "Are you okay?"

"I ran into the wall. Blinded me, I think," Rion replied. It was all or nothing with trust right now.