Transport Ship Arrowhead Ch. 09

Vas could feel herself turning to jelly. She slid the rest of the way onto the bed until she was lying flat. Barret never lost his rhythm. He continued pounding her from behind. Now, he was almost flush against her back, his legs on the outsides of hers.

"This is new," he panted. "We've never tried this position before."

"It's easier on the knees," she mewled. She could feel another climax knocking at her door. She relaxed totally and let herself go. Vas cried out in ecstasy as her body began that familiar dance. Her skin changed color and she began to quake.

Her pussy was clenching down on Barret's dick, and he felt his own climax about to hit. After a few more hard thrusts he erupted. His cock swelled as he shot jets of his cream deep into Vas's waiting tunnel, filling her.

Moans and growls echoed through the room, and only then did the lovers worry about the walls possibly being thin. They were too far gone in their peaks to stop.

After a final hard thrust, they were spent. Barret gently lay himself atop her, resting on his forearms. Her back, slick with perspiration, was sticking to his chest and stomach.

"We... have started... to break in the new bed..." Vas panted.

"Only started?" Barret asked with a chuckle.

"It's an ongoing process," she said. "Now we both need to fuck Larik'Ni in here."

"Together or separately?"

"Yes."

Barret eased off of Vas and withdrew his softening member from her. He rolled on his back, and Vas snuggled into him. "Welcome home, baby," she said.

Barret smiled. "It's good to be home."

----

The mood aboard the Uditch was wrought with tension. The crew, all Nitzhal, gave the grand procurator a wide berth. Unfortunately, the lone Hillot on board didn't have that luxury.

During his many decades in public service, Raasch had seen a lot, but the degeneration of his world from an autocracy to a dictatorship with delusions of empire was the most heartbreaking. He was relieved his parents had joined the ancestors, as had his wife. He was profoundly glad his granddaughter and her family had fled Thelst when the decree of imperial intent was proclaimed and, by many, welcomed. Thelst was not the world he had worked tirelessly to improve for his entire adult life.

Raasch was standing before the grand procurator, who was ranting. All three of Thelst's dominant species arose from a common ancestor, much like the Homo sapiens and Neanderthals of Earth. In fact, Nitzhal had the larger brows associated with those extinct hominids.

Whereas Birrans were tall and wiry, Nitzhal were shorter and stockier, standing about a head shorter on average than their Birran cousins. Hillot tended to split the difference. They were about as tall as Birrans, but more robust. Also, Hillot were bald while Nitzhal and Birrans had flowing hair that was usually a red or golden color.

The similarities were more numerous than the differences; eyes that were varying shades of yellow, skin tones that ran the spectrum from teal to an almost blue-green, and a nutrient sack in the middle of their chests manifesting as either a third breast or what looked like a third pectoral.

Dixat had turned almost purple from his raging. He was shouting incoherently at anyone and everyone. Fortunately, those he was currently abusing were autonomous artificial intelligence platforms without any emotion subroutines.

Dixat was a young Nitzhal on the taller side for his species. His golden yellow hair flowed loosely down to his waist, and his suit was an almost immaculate blue that accentuated his physique.

Raasch, on the other hand, was definitely older. He had turned ninety during the trip from Thelst, and he was feeling his years. He was tired, which may have been why he walked somewhat hunched over. A back injury when he was younger didn't help. His eyes were still clear, showing that his mind was as sharp as ever.

"What do you want, you dolt?" Dixat demanded. Insults and invectives made up most of his vocabulary. Raasch had learned long ago to ignore him.

"I have a suggestion," Raasch said.

Dixat snorted. "A suggestion? You? Don't make me laugh."

"Fine." Raasch turned to leave, but Dixat stopped him.

"What is your suggestion?" the grand procurator asked dismissively.

"You and I both know that we won't get landing clearance," Raasch said. "The planet is about to go back into the radiation jets, which means we're stuck waiting no matter what. Insulting the elected leader of this planet wasn't smart."

Dixat snarled at the older man. "Take care, you old fool. I don't care how ancient you are, speak out of turn and I will have the skin flogged off your back!"

Just try it, Raasch thought. I may be old, but I know how to fight.

"You can't browbeat the flight controllers into allowing us to dock. We need to employ a more diplomatic solution."

"Like?" Dixat was losing interest.

"Send me and a few of your stewards in a shuttle." The stewards were the robotic attendants Dixat had been railing at. "We will act on your behalf and gain landing clearance so you can act in the emperor's stead."

"And why should I trust a fossil like you?"

"If you don't trust me, trust your robotic servants."

Dixat was silent for a moment, trying to figure out a better plan. "Very well, but be warned, Raasch, if for a moment I think you're shirking your duties..." he didn't need to finish the sentence.

"I understand. I will go to the bridge and have them call Dutilon and get permission for a shuttle to land."

----

Larik'Ni was again standing in space traffic control awaiting communication with the Uditch. In a few short hours, the planet would again be in the path of the pulsar's radiation jets as the collapsed star pinwheeled end over end. Communication would still be possible, but docking would be fatal for everyone involved.

Nari had since gone off shift, and a Birran, an older man named Ga'Tess, had taken her station. Though in his seventies, his hair and beard were still as full and red as they had been when he was in early adulthood.

"The Uditch is now transmitting," he said. Unlike the governor, he was not clan-less. He was also old enough that he no longer gave a damn about the Nitzhals' overinflated sense of pride and self worth. He would be hard pressed to take any shit from those who thought they were better than him, and unwilling to snub those whose only crime was living when their families had died.

"Thank you, Ga'Tess," she said. "Please put them on main speakers."

"Dutilon control," the transmission said, using the name the Nitzhal had given the planet. The voice was grizzled but sounded kinder. There was a warmth to it that was lacking from Dixat. The transmission was also in Interlingual. "Please come in. I am Raasch, speaking with the permission of the grand procurator."

Larik'Ni and Ga'Tess both recognized the name. "Delegate Raasch," Larik'Ni said.

"I'm no longer the Hillot delegate to the Triumvirate, Governor," he said. "I am here, as I said, to act on behalf of the grand procurator. I ask permission to land and open discussions with you."

Larik'Ni had at one time trusted Raasch. Now, however, she was more than skeptical. "You and whom else would be coming?"

"Myself and a half dozen stewards," he said. "I know we didn't get off on the right foot, Governor, and that this visit is not one you were expecting. All I ask is the opportunity to speak with you and tell you why becoming a prefect world is in your best interests."

Larik'Ni was quiet for a few moments. "I must consider this. Haven," she used the planet's correct name intentionally, hoping that Dixat was listening and getting angry, "will be entering the path of the streamers within the day. I will have reached a decision when we again meet you on our orbit. Haven out."

Ga'Tess closed the channel. "Well, Governor, what do you think? He seemed to be spewing the same filth that Dixat was."

"Perhaps he was being overheard," Larik'Ni said, "and perhaps not. I am concerned, though. He said he was no longer a delegate."

"It would make sense," Ga'Tess said. "If our homeworld's government has been reorganized into an imperial model, it stands to reason that the Triumvirate may have been dissolved."

"You may be correct," Larik'Ni agreed. "The emissaries for our people and the Hillot held very little power. The grand regent was already a de facto monarch." She glanced at the flight controller. "Before her death, my mother was running for the Birran seat on the Triumvirate. She learned much from the man whose seat she aspired to."

"Did she know Delegate Raasch?" Ga'Tess asked.

"Yes, as did I. Although the Hillot and Birran representatives rarely spoke outside of chambers, Raasch made it a point to get to know my mother. He was a guest in our home more than once. He seemed very kind."

"Is he trustworthy?" Ga'Tess asked. "Or is he another Nitzhal bootlicker? I know I do not have to remind you how many of our own people have become subservient to our oppressors. I am sure it is the same with the Hillot."

Larik'Ni gave the older man a concerned look. "That is the problem," she said, "I am not certain. He was the one who suggested that my family charter a clan ship to celebrate my mother's formal nomination. In my darkest days I often wondered if it was a ploy to get my mother out of the way so a more 'suitable' nominee for the Birran seat could be installed.

"My mother was very outspoken against the Nitzhal, and was an unapologetic advocate for Birran rights. So'Rit's brother, on the other hand, towed the official stance of Nitzhal supremacy. It seemed too convenient that a marauder ship was lurking just outside our own solar system, waiting to pounce."

"It is a good thing those Alliance and Coalition ships were running joint drills in the same vicinity," Ga'Tess said.

"It was," Larik'Ni agreed. "Otherwise, I also would have joined the ancestors."

"Send them all away, Governor," Ga'Tess said emphatically. "No good can come from meeting with any of them."

"I will take it under advisement. Thank you, Ga'Tess." She turned to leave.

"Larik'Ni?" Ga'Tess called out. "Whatever you decide, I have no doubt you will act in our world's best interests." He gave her a warm smile. "You have come a long way from the scared young woman I trained for this job."

Larik'Ni returned his smile. "Thank you, my friend. I am glad to have your support."

----

Larik'Ni decided she needed the counsel and company of her consorts. She joined Barret and Vas at their home for dinner. While they cooked, Larik'Ni told them what had transpired.

"I agree with Ga'Tess," Barret said. "Letting them land is a disaster waiting to happen."

Larik'Ni was sitting at the circular dining table while Barret put the finishing touches on a human dish called fettuccini Alfredo. Vas was taking the garlic bread out of the oven. "I have that fear as well. I am also afraid that the Uditch may destroy any ship coming or going. I cannot allow innocents to be hurt or killed.

"The Arrowhead has more protection than other ships here. You are a Space Command veteran, James, which allows you the armaments you have. Others here have vessels with only the most rudimentary defenses. Some do not even possess energy shields, save for those used to protect from space borne debris.

"And do not forget that the Coalition fleets do not patrol here as regularly as they once did. From what Dismer Bor told you, it sounds as if the Coalition is siding with the Verokk Imperium against one of their own. Also, there are fewer Terran Alliance ships passing through, since they have been rerouted to the Pendall System." Larik'Ni gave Barret a smile. "I am glad your people stand by their allies."

Vas brought plates to the table. "So, what then? Are you going to let this guy land?"

"I had thought about it," Larik'Ni replied. She had told Vas and Barret her suspicions about her family's deaths. "I want answers. I want to know if Raasch knew anything about those marauders." She looked over at Barret. "Then I remembered what you said your grandmother told you when the arsonists who set the fire that killed your parents were caught."

Barret nodded. "She told my sister and me it was good to have peace of mind," he said, "but it wouldn't bring my parents back."

"I desperately want that peace of mind," Larik'Ni said, "but the safety of this world is too high a price to pay, and there is no guarantee I would get those answers." She looked over at Vas. She had finally made her decision. "To answer your query, I will not let Raasch land. I am but one woman. The needs of my constituents outweigh my own desires. Besides, I do not trust the crew of the Uditch. They could sneak a platoon of commandos aboard that shuttle and attempt to take over the city. It is safest to leave them out in space."

"I want to know why they're here in the first place," Barret said. "Haven is a barren hunk of rock orbiting a pulsar. This system has absolutely no strategic value whatsoever. The planet is rich in minerals, but mining here drove the Maylogi corporation that used to own this place to bankruptcy. It doesn't make sense."

"Not to mention," Vas added, "coming here couldn't have been cheap when you account for fuel and provisions for the crew. An eight-month round trip journey doesn't make sense when So'Rit had an entanglement communicator, and they could talk to each other in real time."

"Too many mysteries," Larik'Ni agreed. "However, not every puzzle needs to be solved."

"What about when it's time for ships to depart or land?" Barret asked her. "I sure as hell don't want to get into another shooting match with them."

"Then, I am afraid, we will have to use our planetary defenses."

----

Once dinner was finished and the dishes cleaned up, the three lovers adjourned to the bedroom. Vas and Larik'Ni were locked together, their mouths joined and their tongues dancing. Barret was sliding his hand down Vas's pants to grab her firm ass. Unfortunately, Larik'Ni's bodysuit made it impossible for him to do that to her.

Vas broke the kiss. "I think James wants us to get undressed."

"Then he must do the same." Larik'Ni then reached for Barret's shirt and began pulling it over his head.

"I can do this," Barret said after he got hung up in the garment. While he took his own clothes off, Vas and Larik'Ni undressed each other. As soon as Larik'Ni's bodysuit was pulled down and her breasts exposed, Vas proceeded to gently bite the nipple of Larik'Ni's center breast.

Barret was totally nude and reclining on the bed while he watched his ladies, both topless, playing with each other's breasts. He started to languidly stroke his length.

"I love watching a man pleasure himself," Larik'Ni said.

"The only time I get to watch him cum when he's not fucking you is when he's jerking off. However," she peeled herself out of her pants and underwear, "I'd rather he cums because of us playing with him rather than by playing with himself."

Larik'Ni said nothing, she merely shed the remainder of her clothes and climbed on the bed. Instead of crawling up to Barret and kissing him, she put her face between his legs and took his rigid cock between her lips.

"Lay back, baby," Vas told him. As soon as he was fully reclined, Vas straddled his face. He immediately extended his tongue and ran it up and down Vas's dripping slit.

Vas fought to keep her eyes open so she could watch Larik'Ni take Barret's cock all the way into her throat. "That is so hot," she said, her voice trembling as Barret continued lapping at her slit. She felt the delicious tension building up in her with each swipe of his tongue.

Barret, meanwhile, was struggling to concentrate on Vas's pussy while Larik'Ni continued to inhale his length. Vas's breathless narration didn't help.

"Fuck," she groaned. "She's taking you all the way... she's got you in her throat. Does that feel good, baby? Do her lips and tongue feel good massaging your cock? Your tongue feels so good on my clit, James."

Barret sucked her clit into his mouth and began to nip at it with his teeth. He needed to calm himself down lest he blow his load before he had a chance to get his lovers off.

Larik'Ni felt her consort tensing up. She released him from her mouth and began to slowly stroke him. "Do not hold back, my love," she said. "If you cum now, then you can watch Vas and me please each other while you recover." She gave his cock a light lick. "You have not yet cum on my face. I would enjoy that. I would enjoy feeling your semen running down my cheeks."

Barret stopped licking Vas long enough to say, "You two don't play fair."

"All's fair in love and sex," Vas said.

It's love and war, Barret thought. He decided to take control. He reached down and moved Larik'Ni's face away from his cock, then he reached up and tickled Vas's ribs. She shrieked and dismounted Barret's face to get away from his onslaught.

Barret looked down at Larik'Ni. She saw the unabashed hunger on his face, and it made her pussy almost gush. "You want me to cum on your face?"

She smiled at him. "I would enjoy it. In truth, I enjoy wherever you paint me with your seed." Larik'Ni looked over at Vas. "I enjoy cleaning you out of Vas, as well."

"You two get into a sixty-nine," Barret told them.

Vas had wanted to be in the pilot's seat but liked the idea of mutual pleasuring with her Birran lover. Vas got on her back with her head near Barret. Larik'Ni climbed on top of her and happily put her face between Vas's open legs.

Barret positioned himself behind Larik'Ni and aimed the head of his cock at her dark blue slit. His balls were over Vas's face. "This is a nice view," she said. "Fuck her, baby. Fuck her while I suck her clit."

Barret eased his cock into Larik'Ni's inner warmth. He moved slowly, sliding himself almost all the way out, then sheathing himself again.

Vas, meanwhile, was lapping at Larik'Ni's clit, licking from her nub to where Barret was penetrating her. Vas would run her tongue on and around the part of her mate's cock not buried in Larik'Ni's depths.

The feeling of her lovers both pleasuring her made it impossible for Larik'Ni to reciprocate. She was a moaning puddle of euphoria unable to concentrate enough to even try licking Vas's slit.

Vas was perfectly okay with this. She enjoyed the noises Larik'Ni made as she and Barret brought their lover ever closer to her climax. She loved seeing Barret's cock sliding in and out of Larik'Ni's dark blue folds, and and sounds of her moaning in ecstasy.

Larik'Ni was lost in her bliss. From the cock plunging repeatedly into her depths and Vas's tongue massaging her sensitive nub, she could feel herself building to her crescendo.

"Faster, James," she begged. "I am so close... fuck me faster... please!"

Barret did as requested and started slamming into Larik'Ni even faster, driving her ever closer to her climax.

"Cum for us," Barret panted. He thrusted into her harder, filling the air with the sound of their flesh clapping together.

Larik'Ni moaned louder. With each beat of her heart and pump of Barret's hips she got closer to her inevitable climax. "Fuck me... James... please..."

Vas sucked Larik'Ni's clit into her mouth and started nibbling it, and that pushed Larik'Ni over the edge. She let out a howl that grew into a near scream. Larik'Ni trembled as her orgasm tore through her. Barret held onto her hips to keep her from wriggling away.

Vas kept sucking and licking her lover's nub, trying to see how long they could keep the Birran woman in the throes of orgasm.

Larik'Ni was almost too sensitive. Her scream faded, and she fell still. Barret withdrew himself from her, and she rolled off of Vas. She was fighting to catch her breath.