WildSpace - Voyage of the Naginata Ch. 04

"Thank you again Cali, you're doing a spectacular job!" Katarina stated.

"Thanks." The engineer replied. Il'taira stood behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

The crew was silent as the ship slipped around the far side of Galwin 3 (the closest planet) and took up position within the ice and rock rings. Katarina powered down the ship's engines, leaving only auxiliary power for life support to run. Only a few lights could be seen in the ship. It didn't take long, but the ship began to grow cold quickly. Cali shivered. Il'taira put a hand on her arm, she was strangely filled with warmth. Cali leaned close to her. "That's a neat trick!" She whispered.

Several minutes passed with no movement.

"What do we-?" Saphina started to say, but Kat held up her hand. A very large angular cruiser emerged from the far side of the planet, slowly moving past the rings at a safe distance.

"They're definitely scanning." Cali whispered.

"It is a Ghint war cruiser." Kat said. "The metals within the rings should hopefully scramble the signal enough to keep them blind to our presence."

After a time, the cruiser moved past them and away. Lexi shifted in her seat as the engines of the war cruiser began to glow brighter and brighter.

"They're getting ready to jump." Serra said quietly. In a flash, the cruiser vanished. The group exhaled as one.

"I'm not sure how we get out of that alive!" Lexi said, pulling Saphina on to her lap. "Thank Mellain!" Saphina kissed her. "I'm not dine with you!"

Serra turned to Cali, "Where are we? What do we need to get my ship running again?"

"We need a couple weeks to fix and replace things, as well as testing and retesting." She explained. The ship began to power back up.

"Do we have enough power to run all the upgraded systems? The Ops was a little sluggish and cycling through firing modes was not good." Lexi added as she kissed Saphina.

"We're definitely running at max possible output when it comes to offenses. We had about 2% reserves." She replied.

"Does the engine need replacing? Or a secondary power plant installed?" Katarina asked.

"That's prohibitively expensive, or we would have done it already. I've been trying to save for a secondary power plant for 2 years." Serra said.

"I bet we could scrounge up a second hand power plant for Ops." Cali suggested. "But, we'd still need a few weeks after we got it installed to program and synchronize it with the Naginata's systems." Cali added.

"Okay, let's see what we can do." Serra said. "Let me bring up the star chart, so we can find a place to park for a while. The VoidStar is out of reach for now."

Katarina went to her side to look over the chart.

"Hmmm..." Serra frowned.

"Ah! There!" Kat pointed to an isolated, inhabited world. "Ferelu? I've not heard of it."

"It's... a fringe world."

"And?"

"The base of operations for the Grave Nebula mercenary guild." She said,

"Is that safe?" Il'taira asked. Cali turned to the pale Kurn and smiled.

"We will be, I know the leaders of the guild. We are... friendly." Serra explained.

"We will trust you captain." Kat replied. Leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. She returned to her seat and fired up the engines.

"Can we keep it at 50% power? If we tax the engines, it could cause even more damage." Cali explained.

"Will do, chief." Katarina replied and throttled up the ship.

"Eta?" Lexi asked.

"At 50% power with just thrusters?... 37 hours." Serra replied. "Why don't you all relax, we've got the first shift."

"Thanks Cap!" Lexi said excitedly. She jumped up, grabbed Saphina's hand and rushed from the bridge. As they hurried off, Saphina was conflicted. She thoroughly enjoyed the physical relationship she had with Lexi, but her thoughts tended to drift to Ginny. She had only known her for less than a day, but she felt a connection... a deep connection with her. Cali and Il'taira also left the bridge. Serra chuckled and put her feet up on the console. "How those two have so much energy, I'll never know!"

They both laughed and settled in.

In Lexi's quarters, she and Saphina ripped at each other's clothing until they were both naked. They kissed as they moved to her bunk. Saphina pushed Lexi into the bed and climbed on top of her. Kissing her way up the woman's tattoo-covered body, she stopped and lavished Lexi's artificially augmented breasts with lustful affection. Lexi reached down and found Saphina's sex. She rubbed her vigorously, causing the Kurn to wriggle and moan. Saphina's mouth found Lexi's and she shoved her tongue in. Lexi's middle and ring finger slid easily into Saphina with a squish. She squealed into Lexi's mouth as her eyes rolled back in her head. She threw back her head and groaned. Lexi plunged her fingers in and out of Saphina as furiously as possible. Her hand was becoming completely soaking wet. Saphina was an absolute "mess" with her juices splashing all over Lexi who reached down with her other hand to her own sex and fucked herself with the same aggressiveness as she fucked Saphina.

The Kurn grew silent. Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes. Lexi did not relent until Saphina threw back her head and screamed herself hoarse. Lexi stopped fucking herself and wrapped her arms around the Kurn and held her tightly. Saphina rolled off Lexi and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Lexi grabbed a bottle of water from the side table, took off the top and handed it to Saphina. She drank half the bottle in one swallow and handed it back. Saphina finally found her voice. She turned her head to face Lexi and said four words. "Sit on my face."

Lexi quickly scrambled to her knees and climbed on to Saphina. She lowered herself down and watched as Saphina hungrily licked and sucked Lexi's clit. Her juices drained down Saphina's throat. Her tongue pushed inside her and swirled around. Lexi almost fell onto Saphina as her body was overwhelmed with ecstacy. Saphina reached up and pinched Lexi's already hard nipples. She tugged them hard, causing her to squeal in delight. Then, Saphina's mouth was filled with Lexi's cum. She eagerly swallowed them, savoring every single drop. The Ops officer collapsed onto the bed next to Saphina. The Kurn sat up and cradled Lexi in her arms. Lexi looked at her a moment and shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. The Kurn looked at her confused, but Lexi took the bottle and finished it.

In the engine room, Cali sat quietly looking at a data pad reading the schematics on the Naginata's engine and power supply. Her hunched back and disheveled hair were signifiers that she had not taken any time for herself.Serra is going to kick me off the ship as soon as we land. She probably hates me for everything that's happened lately. It's my job to keep the ship running and I have completely failed! She began to cry, again.

Il'taira stood in the doorway to the engine room observing the engineer in her state of sadness. She thought to use her powers to lighten Cali's mental state. Unfortunately, she was still very weak from helping save Katarina. Cali could feel the room cool slightly and jumped to her feet. She turned to go to the main control console but she saw Il'taira standing in the doorway. She wiped her eyes and tried to smile.

"How long have you been there?"

"Just a moment." Il'taira replied. "May I come in?"

"Of course."

Il'taira entered and approached Cali. "Are you alright? I could feel... sadness before I even arrived." She said, "Can I... help you, in some way?"

"I don't know, I really messed up." Cali said.

"Serra trusts you to keep this ship running and she does not blame you for any of it." She said,

"You can't know that."

"I feel her emotions when she's nearby. When you are near her, she feels warmth, compassion and... very protective of you. In no way does she hold any ill will toward you." Il'taira explained. "And she said as much." She added with a wink.

"I guess that's a good thing." Cali replied. Il'taira put her hand on Cali's shoulder, a feeling of calm began to gently wash over her. She looked up at the pale-skinned woman with tears rolling down her face and smiled. "Thank you." Il'taira smiled and nodded to her. "You should get some rest."

"Will you come with me?" Cali asked.

"Of course I will."

The two of them retreated to Cali's quarters and Cali went to her bedroom. Il'taira sat on the couch in the living area and observed the room. An interesting mix of engineer and child. Schematics, tools, even parts alongside stuffed animals, and assorted items that appeared to be...toys?!

When Cali emerged from her bedroom, she was completely naked. One arm over her small breasts and her other hand over her womanhood. She was painfully shy.

"Oh!" Il'taira said in surprise.

"Could we... just lay together?" She asked sheepishly.

"Of course." She stood up. "Would you like me to disrobe?"

"Please."

The two of them went into the bedroom where Cali climbed into the bed and sat up. Il'taira removed her robes and stood in the middle of the room, naked. Her pale skin glowed in the ambient light of the room. She was... breathtaking, truly "Vey'ael". Cali held out her hand to her. As Il'taira climbed into bed, lying down, Cali curled up next to her. Her head on Il'taira's shoulder arm across the Kurn's torso and one leg on her thigh.

"Is... this okay?" Cali asked quietly.

"Of course." She replied, pulling her close. Cali sighed and soon was fast asleep. Il'taira smiled and focused her energies. A dark gloomy aura filled the room. Cali shifted slightly and sighed in her sleep, a faint smile playing across her pink lips. Il'taira kissed the young engineer on the head, and soon was fast asleep. Swirling black energy... and... something else. A faint blue-green light gently surrounded Cali!

On the bridge Serra sat with her feet up in the console while Kat hung from the bulkhead doing pull-ups. The metal creaked slightly with each pull-up. Serra leaned her head back and watched as Katarina's muscles flexed and bulged.

"Why?" Serra asked abruptly.

"A warrior is like a sword, to prevent it from going dull and worthless, you must always sharpen the edge." She replied. Serra leaned back and looked at the Kurn upside down. "Uh huh."

Katarina pulled herself up, and held there for ten seconds, then dropped to the floor. "Serra, I was Lord Marshall of the Crimson Empire's forces for years, if I didn't keep my edge, I would be dead. We were very warlike and notorious conquerors. I could have been as easily killed by one of my soldiers, as an enemy." She explained.

"Oh." Serra blushed, feeling embarrassed. Kat leaned down and kissed her. "Plus, I would have never met you."

"Now that truly would be a tragedy!" Serra replied. Kat kissed her again.

"Agreed!"

A while later, Lexi and Saphina arrived on the bridge. "We're here to take over Cap." Lexi said and dropped into her Ops seat.

"Glad to see you two found clothing." Katarina said sarcastically.

"We didn't want to wear anything, but Saph insisted." Lexi said, winking at her.

"Uh huh." Serra said, pulling her feet off the console. "Hey Lex, why don't you teach Saphina some of the basics of each of the stations? No harm in having more redundancy."

"That's a great-" Katarina stopped mid sentence. She swayed on her feet for a moment.

"Kat?" Serra said standing up. Kat smiled at her, then her eyes rolled up and she fainted. She hit the deck with a loud "thud".

"Shit!" Lexi exclaimed.

"Kat?!" Serra knelt next to her.

"Let's get her back to the med bay." Saphina said.

Lexi, Serra and Saphina rushed the limp warrior to the med bay and laid her down.

"What's happening to her?!" Serra said frantically checking her over.

"It might be internal bleeding." Saphina said.

"How will we know?" Serra asked.

"I... I don't know," Saphina replied helplessly. "I'm no doctor."

"Il'taira! She's the one who helped her before!" Lexi said.

"I'll go get her!" Saphina declared and rushed from the room. She arrived at Cali's quarters and rang the chime... no answer. She knocked on the metal door... still nothing. Finally, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Cali?!" She called into the gloom. The room was unusually dark and cold. "This is weird." She said to herself. She peered through the door into the bed area to see Cali and Il'taira naked, in a restful embrace. "So sweet."

She stepped back and knocked on the wall. "Cali?!"

"Huh?" She replied groggy.

"We need Il'taira in the med bay, Kat collapsed." Saphina said. No response... a few moments later Cali appeared, clothed and sleepy. "What happened?"

"Katarina has fainted, can you bring Il'taira?" Saphina asked.

"Oh no!" Cali turned and rushed back into the bedroom. Returning moments later with Il'taira. The three of them hurried back to the med bay to find Serra and Lexi hunched over Katarina's prone body.

"Please, help her." Serra pleaded. Il'taira stepped forward, her face shrouded in concern. "Serra... Captain... I'm sorry. I don't know if I have the power to help her."

"What?!"

"I used a great deal of my power to help her the first time, but there's only so much I can do." She explained. Cali took her hand and squeezed it gently. "It's okay."

Serra just looked at them, tears in her eyes. Il'taira released Cali's hand and kneeled next to Katarina. She held her hands over the Kurn and closed her eyes. She began to tremble as inky black mist came forth and surrounded Kat.

"What the-?!" Lexi stated, but Saphina put a hand on her shoulder. Il'taira grunted and her entire body shook uncontrollably, the room temperature dropped 20 degrees. Serra watched her as she began to struggle and sweat. A stop of blood rolled out of her eye. Serra grabbed her arm. "Stop!"

"What are you doing?!" Cali asked, Il'taira looked up at the captain, her face seemed ragged and suddenly very tired. She wiped away the blood tear and fell into her posterior. Cali kneeled beside her. "Are you okay?"

"No," Serra said. "She's killing herself... to save Kat."

"She... she's my... Empress..." Il'taira said in a shallow voice.

"What?! No!" Cali responded.

"It... is possible... I can save...her right now..." she tried to catch her breath. "But I would have to use a large portion of my life essence to do so."

"We can't ask her to sacrifice herself?!" Cali said, helping her to get feet.

"She is my...Empress... I must do what I can." Il'taira said.

"No, we need to get her stable until we make planetfall, then we'll try to get her aid." Serra said, fighting back tears. Cali nodded grimly and walked Il'taira out of the med bay and to her quarters. After they arrived, she sat with her on the couch. "Why would you do that?!" Cali asked.

"Do what?"

"Sacrifice yourself."

"Katarina is an important part of your crew, I just wanted to help." Il'taira explained.

"So are you!" Cali replied. "You already saved her life once."

"I..."

"Please... Il'taira, I know we've only known each other a short time, but I can't lose you already!" Cali's eyes filled with tears. "You've made me feel things... I never thought I ever would."

"I feel a connection with you as well,I told you that." Il'taira took a deep breath and gave Cali a sorrowful smile. "I fear our time together will be short."

"But... why?"

"My visions of you and your crew were very brief. I was meant to find you and help you off Wrolmar, but after that..."

"What?"

"I fear our relationship will come to an end very soon." Il'taira said, trying to smile.

"You can't know for certain." Cali said. "Please... don't leave me!"

Il'taira turned to Cali, taking her face in her hands. She wiped a tear from the young woman's cheek. "I will not leave." She said confidently. "Until you tell me to leave or Necrath, the goddess of death takes me."

"Thank you." Cali said through her tears. Il'taira kissed her sweetly and smiled. "I'm here, I'll do what I can to help."

"But don't sacrifice yourself!" Cali giggled.

"No sacrifices..." Il'taira echoed.

"Good," Cali said. She noticed Il'taira's eyes getting heavy and slid away. She patted her lap. "My turn to comfort you, please, rest."

Il'taira nodded and laid down, resting her head on Cali's lap. The Kurn sighed as Cali stroked her white hair.

On the bridge Lexi and Saphina chatted quietly about all the events leading up to now. "Well, it's always been a little wild aboard the Naginata, but as of late, it's been quite a wild ride!" Lexi laughed. "It all started... well, when you and Kat came aboard." Saphina chuckled, but felt a little hurt. "Lex..."

"Oh, sorry!" Lexi reached out for her. Saphina took her hand. "I never meant anything by that. I was only teasing."

"Teasing? That's not really a thing the Kurn do." She replied. "We're very stern and serious people." She explained.

"You don't seem that way... if anything, you're just kinky and insatiable." Lexi winked at her.

"Speaking of insatiable..." Saphina said, getting up from her seat.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!" Saphina replied, kneeling in front of Lexi. She unbuckled Lexi's belt and yanked down her pants. Lexi propped her feet up on the console and leaned back. Saphina swept her white hair back and buried her face between Lexi's thighs. The tattoo-covered woman writhed in pleasure as the Kurn hungrily devoured Lexi's sex.

"Mmm... holy shit! You are so good at that!" She groaned. Saphina's tongue caressed her womanhood. She savored the taste more and more each time she got it. "You are so beautiful!" Lexi said as she looked down at Saphina with lust filled eyes. Saphina had a sudden flash in her mind of how kind and complimentary Ginny was during their very brief time together.Why can't I get her out of my mind?! Even now, here in the moment? Her attention was drawn back to the current events when she felt Lexi's legs begin to shake and she grabbed Saphina's white hair and held tight. Her thighs tightened around the Kurn's head as she began to climax.

"Ffffffuuuuck!" She groaned, collapsing until her seat. Saphina stood and wiped her face. "I'll never get over just how good you taste!"

"Thank you, I think it's time for me-"

An alert chime sounded on her console and Lexi took her feet off it and sat up.

"What is it?"

"Ferelu... we've just entered the system." Lexi said. "Why do we keep getting interrupted?!"

"We'll have another chance." Saphina reassured her. Lexi began to put on her pants and flipped the comms switch. "We just hit the Ferelu system."

Moments later the crew entered, minus Katarina, of course. Serra unlocked the pilot controls for her console. The ship coasted into the system, heading for the fourth planet. As they approached, they could see thousands of objects orbiting the world and two space stations.

"Two stations?!" Lexi questioned.

"Yeah, they keep their ships in orbit and use shuttles to go planetside." Serra said.

"We're being hailed." Lexi said.

"Put them on."

"SS Naginata, this is guild commander Galrin, what is your purpose here?"

"This is Captain Serra Harkner, we're just her for some repairs." Serra explained.

"What makes you think we'll help you?" He replied.

"Tell guild master Kyree... Serra is here." She said,

The comms went silent for several intense minutes. Then, the comms crackled back to life. "SS Naginata, clearance to dock in station two, bay 47."

"Acknowledged." Serra replied.

"Okay, well at least Kyree doesn't hate me... anymore." Serra said.

"Anymore?!" Lexi asked.

"Long story." Serra replied curtly.

The Naginata limped into port and landed roughly. They powered down the entire ship and disembarked, bringing Katarina out in an antigrav stretcher. As soon as they reached the bottom of the ramp, the doors on the bay opened and a group of heavily armored soldiers entered.