Lost Flight 3

Story by shetland on SoFurry

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#3 of Lost Flight


Lost flight part three by Raven Fox: Third chapter of Alt Earth stories. A US Naval exercise sends a US Navy destroyer and a RAN frigate to the world of Lost Flight.

North of the Australia Northwest territories 1989, joint exercise with USS Navy and RAN Navy. 2200 hundred hours.

The Spruance class destroyer USS Oldendorf DD-972 cruised in a Northeastern course of twenty knots following the light green colored ships of the RAN. In Aux1, Engineman third class Stan Norm glanced at the gauges of air-conditioning unit number one scrutinizing the parameters of the chill water exiting the heat exchanger. The twenty year old human male with light brown hair made an entry to the log and gazed at the tops of the evaporators with his hazel colored eyes for any steam leaks.

He then walked across the upper level of the space to do the readings of number one high air compressor to complete his hourly readings of the operating machinery for his division. Stan did one last look of the space and descended to the lower level of the space.

"Aux 1 central, configure number one evap to feed." Replied the Engineering officer of the watch.

Stan grabbed the handset. "Central Aux 1, configuring number evap to feed." Answered the human replacing the handset. He went to the back of number evap and turned two valves, one shut the flow of water to the large water number three that he was filling. The other opened sending water to the feed water tank to the waste heat boiler that needed feed water. "Central Aux 1, number one evap configured to feed water." Stan said in the 2JV circuit.

"Central confirms number one evap to feed." Replied the engineering officer.

The human sat down on a chair and opened the manual to study for the test for second class when he felt the air pressure changed as the watertight door opened. Petty officer second class Neil walked down the metal stairs to the lower level of Aux 1 handing Stan the readings off number 3 air-conditioning unit number three.

"Everything's cool in the JP5 pump room, you go down there next hour. I can't wait to go back home in Yokosuka Japan where it's cooler. Having all three A/C units on must have the electrician mates switching loads around the switch boards. I hope those snipes in number two engine room get number two generator fixed soon." Answered the Engineman second class.

Stan chuckled. "I heard that they're almost done changing that accessory drive on that engine. Think about those Australians on those FFGs'. Imagine working on one of those diesel engines on one those skinny ships." The human shudders thinking of working on an engine in a confined area.

The rest of the watch went with no further incidents. Stan and Neil went to the mess decks for mid-rats and hit the racks.

"General quarters, general quarters, all hands man your battle stations!" Said the announcement of the 1MC with the electronic gonging sound of the G Q alarm.

Stan stood on the deck pulling on his dungarees which is a light blue shirt and a type of jeans. He slipped on his boon Dockers and ran to repair locker five. Five minutes later, all stations reported manned and ready. The human glanced at his watch which read 0200.

The captains' voice came on the 1MC. "This is the captain; the RAN Frigate Sydney FFG 4 just reported a fire in their main engine room. We're heading there to render assistance if required. So gents, just stay in stand by if the firefighting teams require any assistance that is all."

0700

Stan just finished morning chow and is smoking a cigarette looking at the light green colored RAN frigate doing only five knots with the aux propulsion units. The human remembered that was the only way the Samuel B. Roberts could move after the US frigate hit a mine in the Persian Gulf back in 1987.

"They should be back up and running in a couple of hours." Said ENC Lear.

"What happened Chief?" He asked flipping the cigarette over the side.

"A fuel fitting cracked spraying fuel on that hot gas turbine engine. It's mainly heat damage to the enclosure, the engine is fine. The captain sent a message that we will be joining the rest of the fleet in four hours." Said the older human.

"Was anybody injured?" Asked Stan looking at the greenish colored clouds suddenly appearing and his division chief shaking his head. He noticed the crew of the Australian frigate staring at the clouds. "This isn't normal by the why those Australians are acting." The human thought to himself as he went to the watertight door into the ship.

0900, inside Aux1 USS Oldendorf.

Stan got ready to take the readings off the equipment when the ship started to pitch and roll. He saw Neil look at him with a puzzled look. "Looks like where're in for a blow." The human said to his friend.

The second class nodded. "You're taking the readings from JP5 pump room. I am staying here."

"Alright, just watch yourself. You been here before, have you ever seen green colored storm clouds?" He asked Neil.

"No, the only green colored stuff I've ever saw here is those RAN Ships." Neil answered getting up to take the readings of the evaps.

The 1MC announced. "Attention all hands, the weather decks are secured due to high winds and heavy seas."

Stan shrugged and ascended the stairs to the upper level to exit the space. While walking the main deck, he grabbed a frame rib as the ship rolled. After going thru a hatch to enter the pump room, the human slipped falling down the stairs as the ship seem to fall from a great height. Stan heard the jet noise of the main engines go at a higher rpm, and then the noise ran down. He noticed that he's floating a foot over the deck due to the theory of free fall. The human remembered seeing the sonar techs jumping in the air in the sonar dome control room when the ship goes thru a storm to do the same thing. "What is happening here?" Stan thought to himself feeling queasy for the first time in his two and half years in the Navy.

Bridge USS Oldendorf.

Qmsn Bryce held the overhead bar as he felt the ship plunge as if fell off a waterfall. The young human only saw a light green fog from the bridge windows. He slid the throttles to STOP ENGINES because he heard the sound of the gas turbine engines run away when he felt the ship fall. Bryce did noticed one thing, but he's keeping the sight to himself, the rain floated without falling out of sight from the bridge windows.

Entrance to JP5 pump room.

Stan hit the deck and got up brushing himself off. He checked himself and opened the water tight door to the pump room shrugging. The human spent a few extra minutes inspecting the machinery for any damage while taking readings. While taking the readings, he heard the engines spool up. "No calling to General Quarters, I guess everything's fine." Stan thought to himself going back to Aux1.

Bridge.

The captain looked at the storm fading as the clouds dissipated and looked at the bridge crew who just shrugged and called up for damage reports. The older human ordered their original course and speed. He heard the different departments giving status of his ship and heard the engines spooling back up. "Get me a status of RAN Sydney." The captain ordered and saw the bridge wing look outs scanning the last known area where the frigate was last spotted.

RAN Sydney FFG 4.

Terrick, captain of the RAN Sydney looked at his bridge crew regaining their footing after the wild storm knocks them down. "Come on mates that were just a little blow, you blokes just acted like we just went thru a typhoon. Get up now and find our American friend or they will get worried about us. Get a call to them and our base in Darwin." The human grinned as his orders were obeyed.

"Captain, engineering reports that repairs to number two engine and inspection of number one completed and the main engines are ready to restart and resume operation." Said the bridge talker.

"The American destroyer is two miles behind us." Said the first Lt.

He nodded hearing as the LM2500 gas turbine engines started, seconds later, the deck shuddered as the screw started turning. The captain nodded as the chop diminished as his ship started going forward.

"Captain, we just received a mayday from the Brisbane, they're under attack by an enemy ship and the signal just went dead. They're three miles ahead of us and lookouts can see smoke off our port bow." Said the bridge talker.

The bridge crew saw their captains' features harden. "Set a course to intercept and ready weapons. Load the forward launcher with a harpoon. Ahead flank."

Bridge USS Oldendorf.

"Captain, the Sydney just went to flank heading to that smoke three miles ahead of us." Replied the bridge talker seaman Perrit and he placed his right hand on his ear piece listening. "They just gotten a distress call from the Brisbane that they're under attack."

The older human ran his thoughts remembering the list of RAN ships in this area. He heard of the Perth class destroyer was ninety miles away with the RAN Darwin acting as aggressors in this exercise. "Sound general quarters and have weapons in standby, all ahead flank and keep our distance from the Sydney."

IAT Brisbane DD-41. (Independent Australian Territories.)

Garah picked himself up off the deck wiping the blood from his eyes. The anthro male desert fox looked at the dark gray destroyer fifteen hundred yards away firing its gun at his ship. "Return fire!" He yelled hearing the loud slamming sound as the guns fired. Garah grinned as he saw an explosion as one of the shells hit the Anula destroyer in the stern area.

"Captain, two ships are heading right for us, a small one and a larger one. They're coming at us at thirty five knots." A desert fennec vixen said in an excited tone.

"We have nothing that goes that fast and neither does the Anulas." Replied a male desert wolf who is the first LT.

The vulpine took his binoculars and studied the two ships heading to his ship. One is the same color as his ship and the other one is a gray color. "You stupid bastard." Garah said as the Anula destroyer turned to the larger ship bearing it guns and fired.

Bridge USS Oldendorf.

Colroy, commanding officer of DD-972 glared at the splashes off the port bow of his ship. "We're fired on first and now it's time I return the favor. Ready the harpoon missile launcher and fire missile number one at the ship who just fired at us."

There's a roaring sound in the overhead a second later as the 12 foot long missile launched from its canister.

IAT Brisbane. (Independent Australian Territories.)

Garah saw a smoke eruption from the larger gray ship and watched as a fast moving streak struck between the funnels of the Anula destroyer. The vulpine watched as the ship broke in half and minutes later, both halves sunk. "Oh the makers." Someone whispered as the two ships drew closer to their ship.

"What kind of weapon was that? One just took out a powerful Anula ship." Said the first LT. The male lupine watched as the two ships parked one hundred yards away.

"I don't know LT; the smaller one is flashing a message to us. That big gray ship, I think that's the most dangerous out of both of them if it can sink a destroyer with one weapon shot." Garah looked at the gray ship with the number 972 at the bow and saw the flag flying from the rear mast. Then a memory of an incident happening forty six years ago played in his mind. "Humans, more humans just showed up on our world."

"Ah, the hairless ones, not that many of them. Some are in the United States and some are in the Soviet Union." The wolf is now looking at the flag flying off the large gray ship recognizing the country of origin. "I wonder what those Americans reaction is going to be when they find out that the United States isn't the land of the free."

A few hours later, USS Oldendorf, course 184 degrees.

Colroy looked at the IAT destroyer being towed by his ship with mixed thoughts, one engine room was flooded and a hit from a shell bent both main shafts. The commanding officer is still reeling that he's on another Earth. "But, at least there are some humans on this strange world. My uncle was on the USS Percival and from what I heard; he's living at Gove Australia. I better look him up and have a talk with him and then make a decision of where my loyalties lie." The human thought to himself seeing EN3 Norm looking at the destroyer being towed, the A ganger is doing a weekly check on the aft capstan. Colroy decided to have a chat with the Engineman. "En 3, how's our fresh water production?" He asked the young human.

Stan turned and gave the CO a salute. "Doing great sir, we're keeping up even with the 84 degree seawater temp. It's a good thing that the Evaporators were refurbished before we left Japan." He looks at the IAT destroyer being towed and saw a few morphs on the bow staring at the American destroyer. "Sir, if we're going to be stuck here, do you think that this world can maintain this ship?"

The commanding officer thought for a few seconds because he knew Stan was right. From what he heard, this young man has a sharp mind and knew almost the whole engineering plant of his ship. Colroy just had gotten a request chit from Stan requesting Air Conditioning and refrigeration school after his tour on this ship was done. "We can replenish fuel, ammunition for the five inch guns. Getting parts for the engines looks good because I heard that a DC-10 from our world landed here. The LM2500 engine on this ship is the same engine the DC-10 uses, I am just glad the airliner that landed here had the same brand of engines this ship uses. Getting new missiles, I don't know till I know more about the level of technology of this world." The older human watched as Stan processed what he just said to him.

The younger looked at his commanding officer nodding. "I see that you have a lot on your mind sir. Did you just receive some bad news sir?"

"I am giving you a direct order EN 3 Norm." Colroy saw him nodding. "I heard some disturbing stuff about the United States on this world and it's not good. When we pull into Darwin, I am going to talk to my uncle who happens to serve on a destroyer during World War 2. His ship was listed as missing in action and he ended up on this world and is now living in Gove. My question is why he is living here instead in the USA, I think there's a good reason he's living here. I might be making a decision soon and some of the crew might not like it. My order to you is to keep your mouth shut and don't talk about the conversation we just had." He said to Stan.

"I understand sir and you are my commanding officer. One thing sir, what ever decision you make, I will go with it because this crew is the only family I have left now." Answered Stan and watched as the captain walked thru a water-tight door into the ship. The human looked at the IAT destroyer again before resuming his work on the aft capstan. He saw a few familiar morphs based off predators of Australia. Stan saw a couple dingo's, a couple of fennec foxes and a couple of black colored morphs. A memory tugged at his mind, when he had liberty at Darwin visiting the library, he saw the predator that the two morphs are based off. "The Tasmanian Devil, I sure hate to get in fight with one of those morphs." Stan thought to himself resuming hid work on the aft capstan.

Bow of IAT Brisbane. (Independent Australian Territories.)

Nambucca the anthro male Tasmanian devil watched as the human kneeled and resumed work on the capstan on the human destroyer. He resumed studying the ship that has destroyed the Anula destroyer that attacked his ship. The crew of the Brisbane counts the Navy ship as theirs. Being a Tasmanian devil with a love of fighting he resumed his gaze studying the gun that looked like the one behind him with a few minor differences. "I wonder what type of weapon that box structure is, is it the same one that sank that Anula destroyer?" He thought to himself watching as a large door opened one level above the box type weapon.

"That's looks like an aircraft hanger." Replied Jabiro, a Male Dingo anthro.

"Must be a small aircraft because that's a small hanger." Nambucca answered watching the door open.

The group of Australian morphs watched as the door continued to open. A group of humans pushed a dark green aircraft out of the hanger. As the minutes passed, a few humans grabbed blades and moved till the four bladed main rotors was unfolded. "It's a helicopter, that ship is carrying a helicopter in that hanger." Exclaimed Ni-Min, an anthro fennec vixen looking at the aircraft with interest. She studied the human male working on the capstan with her pale blue catlike eyes. "Hey guys watch this." Ni-Min said with a grin. "Hey human, you working on the capstan. Look at these." She said opening her shirt flashing her medium size breasts at the human. The reaction the vixen got from the human was a glance and a friendly wave.

"Why did you do that Ni-Min?" Asked Jabiro watching as the human who was flashed gathered his tools and walked back in the ship. He noticed as the other humans went inside the ship as something was announced. "What's going on?" The dingo asked to the group, but his question was answered as the first LT. walked up to them.

"Hey guys and gal, clear the forecastle, the Americans are going to launch their aircraft. You guys and gal can watch the Australians on the fast frigate launch theirs." Said the desert wolf looking at the destroyer. He did a shudder remembering the human ship sinking a ship that requires a lot of ordinance to sink. Burrah saw a familiar shape of a torpedo on one of the hard points of the American helicopter. The wolf knew where the helicopter is going at; it's going to an airbase with the one off the frigate for study. He saw a few humans do a gesture at him to back away. Burrah did a salute and walked to the inside of his ship.

While walking down the passageway, Stan ran mixed thoughts thru his head thinking of the female morph who flashed him. "Well, other than fur, she was cute." The human thought to himself as he walked to Aux1.

Hours later, Darwin Australia, IAT base.

Commodore Narara watched as a strange looking ship moored at the pier. The male Tasmanian devil watched as the shore personal tied the ship to the pier. His temper threatens to surface because one of his ships is out of action due to severe damage. "But how can this small ship carry a helicopter?" Narara thought to himself hearing the same noise as that DC-10 that landed at New Zealand eight years ago. The Tasmanian devil did get a chance to look at the three engine airliner. Most passengers went to the United States, but the rest stayed at New Zealand. The IAT flew the airliner to a military base where the helicopters off the two ships are landing at now.

"Moored, shift colors." Said an announcement off of the ships' 1MC.

The Commodore watched as the flag of his country raised off a small flag pole. He watched as a slim human male walked off the ship with the 1MC announcing. "Sydney departing." the human walked up to him saluting.

"Commander Terrick J. Rodney, commanding officer of Royal Australian Navy guided missile Fast Frigate Sydney sir." The human said to the Tasmanian devil.

Narara returned the salute looking at the frigate seeing the red silhouette of a Kangaroo at the stack near the back. "So was it you that sank the ship that almost sunk one of my destroyers?"

The human shook his head. "No sir, it was the Oldendorf that did that. The enemy fired its guns on the American destroyer. Colroy fired a Harpoon anti-ship missile in self defense; he's the commanding officer of that destroyer. They're one hour behind us because he's towing the Brisbane. He looks at the empty pier doing a sigh of relief. "The Brisbane is 437 ft long?" Terrick saw the Commodore nodding. "The Oldendorf is 563 feet long compared to 445 feet of my ship." The human saw the dark brown eyes of the Tasmanian devil widen in surprise.

One week later, USS Oldendorf, Darwin Australia.

Stan stretched on his rack reading a book wondering if the Australians on this world will have replacement bulbs for the lighting on his ship. "Now my home." He thought to himself relaxing. The commanding officer left the ship the day after they tied up to this pier. Stan and his shipmates were allowed to leave the ship, but they were confined to the base till things have settled down. He remembered some of the morphs touring the ship and his space Aux 1. Right now some of them are doing minor repairs on the ship.

Bell clanging in a sequence came on the 1MC. "Oldendorf arriving."

A few seconds later, the commanding officers' voice came on the 1MC. "This is the captain speaking. I spent the last week visiting my uncle in Gove. He showed up on this world back in 1943 on the USS Percival. Things are reversed on this world, the Soviet Union has freedoms and at the USA, people have few freedoms. My uncle was forced to participate in a hunt and was captured by a female of this world, a female desert wolf. After some serious thinking for a few days, I decided to stay here in Australia with the ship. If any of the crew wants to take their chances in the United States, I won't hold against them, but it's a one way trip. So think a while before making your decision, I giving you gents till tomorrow. The ones, who want to go to the United States, be on the pier tomorrow at 0900. That is all."

The next day, 0930.

Stan watched as half the crew left the ship to board some buses parked at the pier. The human watched as a few changed their minds and walked back on board. "Changed your mind Neil?" He chuckled as his friend walked back on the ship.

"I watched that movie Firefox when I was younger on HBO. If the USA is like Russia in that movie, I think I'll take my chances with the land down under." Neil said shouldering his seabag.

"I only have this ship as my home, I admit, I think our Aussie friends are better off than us. How are we going to crew this ship when half of them just walked off?" Stan asked his friend seeing their division officer boarding a bus. "Now we need a new division officer, I wonder who's going to replace him."

Neil nodded seeing a very few personal from engineering leaving. "Looks like we half to recruit, ah no, because after saving one of their ships we're now Australians. Are they going to paint our ship that shade of green now?"

Stan pointed at a truck pulling up after the buses left. He shook his head as barrels of paint are off loaded. The human grinned remembering something about the Australian navy. "Neil, now we can have beer on this ship now since we're now Australians." Stan said in a cheerful voice watching as the American flag is lowered and the Australian ensign is run up the jack staff. "Neil, what's the point of flying our flag on this world. Our United States what that flag represents is on another world or dimension. I know the captain will treat that flag with respect."

"I know Stan; you were always the sharp minded one. It's just going to take a little longer for some of us to adjust. You, me, fireman Pinto and the chief are the only A gangers left. What are we going to do?" Asked Neil sighing.

"You're going to half to train some Australians how to maintain and operate our machinery like you did me. But this time, I'll be helping you." Replied Stan duplicating Neils' sigh.

"All hands report to your spaces for muster." Said the officer of the deck.

An hour later, Aux 1.

Stan, Neil, Pinto and ENC Lear were talking to each other when the chief engineer yelled "Attention on deck!" As the captain walked in the space.

"At ease men." The captain replied looking at the four men. He looked at the four remaining men of A division and gesture to ENC and talked to him for a moment looking at Neil and Stan. "Petty officer Norm and Neil front and center."

Stan and Neil walked up to their commanding officer and stood at attention.

Colroy looked at Stan and Neil. "Both of you men are out of uniform. After talking to your ENC and with his recommendations, I giving you guys the following promotions based of what your ENC said about the two of you guys. EN 2 Neil, I am promoting you to Engineman first class." He looks at Stan giving him a grin. "I was going to give Neil this promotion, but ENC Lear told me that Neil wants to be a chief petty officer someday. EN 3 Norm, I am promoting you to Ensign. After this meeting, you're going to the base stores to get fitted in an officers' uniform. I forgot, Pinto, you better put on a crow on your dungaree shirts. Tomorrow, the replacements will be here. Which brings up another change in our lives, some of the replacements are going to be female. That's another reason I am giving Stan a commission, because I know it will take time before you guys will take orders from a female, a female morph because there are no human females in this country. So we got to do some adjusting like my uncle had to. You gents are dismissed for the day, muster here at the usual time tomorrow." He turns to Stan. "Ensign Norm, you will be taking part in officers call tomorrow morning, just follow the chief engineer and take his advice."

The next day, USS Oldendorf DD-972.

Ensign Norm looked at the officers standing with him at officers' call. The group is standing on the flight deck at parade rest. Colroy the commanding officer is laid back and right now is talking to the Commodore of this group of ships. "Just follow the chief engineers' example and I should be ok." He thought to himself feeling strange looking at the khaki uniform he's wearing now.

"Attention on deck!" Yelled the XO as the captain of the ship walked up to the group with a male Tasmanian devil morph.

"At ease men, this is Commodore Narara of this fleet. Due to the severe damage to the Brisbane and the time it will do to do repairs, some of the crewmembers will be assigned to this ship. One thing I am going to tell you guys, the Navy is different on this world than ours. They have females serving on their combatant ships and some will be assigned to our ship. One thing, we're going to respect these female morphs and I will not tolerate any crude remarks at them and wolf whistling and other derogatory treatment of them. Tell the men under you that any harassment will not be tolerated. Any one abusing any female crewmember will be punished severely. Now my new commanding officer Commodore Narara will say a few words." Colroy replied to the officers.

Aux 1, minutes later.

"Attention on deck!" Yelled ENC Lear at Stan walked in Aux 1.

"At ease guys." Stan pitched his voice looking at ENC Lear and sighed looking at his division. "Alright men, soon our replacements for the members who went to the States will be here. A couple of them are going to be females. I and Chief Lear will not tolerate crude and foul treatments of our female division personal. They're from the destroyer Brisbane because it's going to take almost a year to complete repairs to that destroyer after she was attacked by that Anula destroyer." The human looked at his division as ENC Lear spoke.

"As Ensign Norm says, no harassment of our new division members will not be tolerated." He looks at Stan question ally. "When will our replacements arrive sir?" The ENC asked his division officer who showed a little over a year ago as a fireman apprentice on his ship. The older human was using his friends in the Chief petty officers fraternity to get Stan in the school he requested due to Stan being really smart and squared away. But when their division officer left with half the crew and having a talk with Neil, Lear decided that Stan should be the replacement. "But in my opinion, Mustangs make better officers, but I know Stan is smart enough to ask division chiefs for advice." He thought to himself and saw that familiar look on the Ensigns' face as he thinking of a reply.

"The captain is going to each division with the replacements and giving the do's and don'ts' of how we treat the replacements. We're getting two females ENC, a fennec vixen and Dingo. The rest are different male morphs with a Tasmanian devil. I've been told that the Tasmanian devils love to fight and three times stronger than a healthy human. So for your health men, don't get in a wrestling match or challenge them to a boxing match, that's an order men. Not from me but from the captain." Stan said to his division.

ENC Lear nodded noting that Stan is doing ok, but with his teaching with help from the chief engineer, the shy formal fireman apprentice will shape into a good officer.

Minutes later, Aux 1.

"Attention on deck!" Yelled Stan as the captain walked in the space with a male Tasmanian devil morph with six other morphs wearing medium green uniforms.

"At ease men." Replied the captain looking at the four A-gangers. "This is Commodore Narara my new commanding officer. With him is six members off the Brisbanes' A division. As you noticed, two of them are female and I think your division officer told you guys this morning that any abuse of the females will not be tolerated by me and the Commodore here."

Stan listened and looked at his new division members studying them. His eyes widen when they looked at the fennec vixen. "That's the one who flashed me over a week ago." The human thought to himself as the vixen looked at him and grinned. Stan noted her tan pelt and light tan pelt coloring with very light tan almost white head hair done in a pony tail. She's wearing a baseball cap the same color as her uniform with black lettering: IAT Brisbane DD-41 with her large ears going thru a couple of holes. Stan nodded at her and stood at parade rest listening to his commanding officer.

Ni-Min wondered why the human male she flashed is wearing a different uniform. The vixen remained still and studied the human looking at his slim build. She liked how the kaki hugged his body showing his muscles thru the fabric.

"Leading seaman Ni-Min quit staring at your division officer." Said Commodore Narara. Triggering a blush from the human male. A few personal chuckled but was silenced by the glare of ENC Lear.

Ensign Stan Norm just stared at his division with a firm expression listening to his commanding officer talking to A-division.

"In three weeks the alterations will done to the ship, soon after that is done." Colroy looked at the Commodore and resumed his speech. "Then we will go on a three day training cruise to familiarize our new crewmembers with the operation of this ships' systems. We will do fire drills and attacks. I will be with the Commodore to learn more about these Anulas during the three weeks." He said seeing the division nodding in agreement.

Minutes later while leaving Aux 1, Stan was stopped by the Male Tasmanian Devil Commodore by a grab on his arm. "Commodore?" He asked question ally.

"She likes you Ensign, do you want me to take her off this ship? I'll get someone else to replace her." Asked the Tasmanian devil.

Stan grinned. "I can handle her sir, no need to remove her. Later on, I'll have a talk with her with the rules sir."

The Commodore chuckled. "We Aussies follow the rules on a ship, but..." The Tasmanian devil grinned showing his teeth. "Off ship, males are easy targets of females' affections. Unlike the rules in the states, enlisted and officers can have relationships, but only off the ship. So Ensign, if you give into her advances, you won't get in trouble as long it happens off ship." He slapped the Ensign on the shoulder and left.

Four weeks later, bridge of the IAT Oldendorf DD-972.

"Got to get use to this shade of green." Stan thought to himself looking at the IAT Sydney thru a pair of binoculars. The frigate is four hundred yards to starboard going the same ten knots as the destroyer. A quarter of the crew of the fast frigate was reassigned to research projects along with a some ex-Americans. The human male knew that both commanding officers of the ships are in the process of training new crewmembers. "Plus training new officers." He thought to himself watching as the deck division wound a mooring line around Mount 51 on the deck. Stan knew the reason for the thick rope on the deck. When the gun fires, the spent shell casing ejects above the barrel falling on the deck. Without the rope, the sharp edge of the casing will damage the nonskid paint on the deck. Right now, the Independent Australian Territories are getting the mix of the non-skid right because they used something else. One other thing is, Terrick, the commanding officer of the Sydney gave a harpoon missile with some ordnance to the IAT ordnance manufactures.

IAT Sydney Combat Information Center.

The anthro female dingo shivered as she looked at the sonar readout. She was a sonar tech on the Brisbane, but she noted that this equipment was more advanced than the equipment she used on her other ship. Sheryl thought what the equipment on the larger ship might be like as a readout got her attention. The dingo held the headphones tighter as a familiar sound came thru the headphones. "Enemy sub is flooding tubes bearing 180 range five thousand meters!" She said in the combat circuit.

The combat officer walked up the sonar station taking the offered headphones. He listens just hearing the sound of compressed air expelling something out of a tube. "OH SHIT, torpedo in the water!" The human yelled and the ship went to general quarters.

IAT Oldendorf, bridge.

Stan held the overhead bar as the helmsman did avoidance maneuvers. He watched as bubble wakes head to the ship, but the twelve year old 563 foot long destroyer is nimble as a speed boat. The human heard the loud PING as the AN/SPS-65 bow mounted sonar pinged for the sub. "Fire an ASROC!" Stan heard the commanding officer ordered, a few seconds later he heard the roaring sound of the weapon firing.

Above the bridge, the signal shack.

Nambucca the male anthro Tasmanian devil watched as a rocket suddenly flew away. He watched the weapon streaked a distance away and it fell to the water with a parachute opened. The Tasmanian devil saw it vanished in the water with a puzzled look directed to his officer, a male human.

"That is an anti submarine rocket; right now the mark 46 torpedo is now pinging for that submarine that just shot at us." The officer said to him.

Nambucca heard a sound and looked seeing a white explosion four thousand yards away. He grinned to himself knowing that a sub that tried to sink his ship is now going on its last dive.

Bridge IAT Oldendorf.

Stan watched as the explosion dissipated looking thru a pair of binoculars. He was offered a chance to serve on submarines, but he declined the offer. "Why would anyone board a ship that was made to sink?" The human muttered to himself earning a chuckle from the male fox at the helm.

IAT Sydney, Combat Information Center.

Sheryl looked at her display and listened to the sounds of the sub sinking. Shivers ran up her spine as the sounds of tearing metal came from her headset. "I am glad those Yanks decided to go on our side. I sure glad that ship is on our side." She said to the officer and heard a loud popping sound. "Target destroyed."

"That's why they are called destroyers." The human said to her watching her nod.

IAT Oldendorf.

Stan watched as an oil slick formed on the surface. He looked at the area seeing a figure swimming at the area. "There is a survivor in that oil slick." The human said out loud.

"Lower the whaleboat and have an armed detail with them." Ordered Colroy.

Hours later, Aux 1.

Ni-Min entered the readings in the log looking at number one A/C unit. The vixen walked across the space looking at the opening seeing the tops of the evaporator units thru the opening of the deck. She did have the chance to talk to Stan really liking the human. "I'll get my chance with him." Ni-Min thought to herself looking at the number high air compressor.

A couple of hours later Ni-Min watched as Stan walked down the stairs entering the space. The fennec vixen chuckled as the human stuck his legs straight out using his hands to slide down the stairs using the rails. She saw the tendons on his forearms flex holding his weight. Ni-Min jaw dropped open knowing that the human she has feelings for seems strong for the stunt she just witnessed.

"At ease." Stan said to the vixen landing on the steel deck after releasing his hands. He looked at Ni-Min grinning at her and walked around the upper level of the space.

The vixen followed her division officer as he walked and slid to the lower level doing the same stunt. She felt her body temperature rise as she stared at his back as she walked down the stairs. Ni-Min watched as Stan nodded at EN3 Pinto doing the hourly readings of the Evaporators. The vixen watched as he looked at the gauge that reads the gallons of water per hour being made by the evap. She felt her heart raced as the human walked up to her.

"We just fished a survivor from that sub that tried to sink us. Did your people ever capture an Anula?" Asked the human.

"Sir, according to what I heard, they kill themselves. Nambucca told me that he saw one jump over the side of the destroyer holding a shell to drown himself. So I don't know what they look like. We always get in a skirmish with them with no help of the United States. The only countries that help us are the Soviet Union and New Zealand." The vixen replied to him looking at his eyes. Ni-Min looked at his light tan face with facial hair growing on it. Most of the humans decided to grow beards due to the Independent Australian Territories navy say that they can if they want. She overheard EN3 Pinto talking to a friend in deck division that they have more freedoms in Australia than the United States back on their home world.

"We just fished out a human male from the water. Right now we're heading back to base because we just finished the training. Plus your country wants to experiment landing a few types of helicopters to see if our ships can use them due to the techs of your country is reverse engineering the helicopters we arrived with. One thing, I am taking a few days leave after we moored at Darwin. I need a vacation." Stan said to the vixen and walked up the stairs to leave the space.

The vixen did a grin knowing that she already had a one week leave coming up after they moor at home. Ni-Min licked her nose pad and looked around the lower level of Aux 1 not getting tired of this amazing ship she's stationed on.

That evening, Darwin Australia.

Ni-Min went to one of her places she likes to go when off duty. The Americans now Australians are leaving the base to see the sights. She walked in the club because it always do live entertainment. The vixen sat at the table she always use and was taken aback of what's happening on stage.

Stan and Niel sat on a couple of stools holding acoustic guitars adjusting the microphones. "This is one of my favorite tunes from the 1970's by a talented artist named Jim Croce. The name of this tune is called Operator." The human said and started to play the instrument.

The vixen stayed quiet as the human male she has deep feelings for sang a beautiful song. She noticed that the club stayed quiet except for the song being played for the patrons. Ni-Min noticed and knew that Stan and Neil must practice a lot to keep this sync right. The vixen felt her temperature rise with pleasure as the two humans sang a duet of the beautiful song. She was sad when the song finished and the crowd of Australians cheered and demanded more songs sang by the two humans.

The next day at the beach.

Stan lay on the beach on a towel looking at the different morphs enjoying the day. He noticed that a few are looking at his direction with curiosity with a few doing a friendly wave. The human got up and walked to the ocean to swim.

Ni-Min tracked Stan to have a talk with him. "Off the ship and he's fair game." The vixen thought to herself seeing that the human decided to swim. She decided to wait because she didn't want to spend a long time cleaning her fur. The salt water made her itch if she let it air dry. Ni-Min watched Stan double over screaming in a way she never heard.

He didn't see the Stonefish when he stands at the shallow. The brown colored fish swam away, but one of its poisonous spines brushed against the humans' calf. Stan grabbed his lower right leg sitting down feeling as if his skins on fire and the feeling of every joint are being pulled apart. The human yelled a scream like the time he broke his right wrist when he was twelve years old. He heard a splash and someone grabbed him pulling him to the beach.

The vixen is strong for her petite size. She grabbed the human and pulled him ashore with the help of a male Dingo. "Looks like a Stonefish got him from the wound and the why he yelled." He said to the vixen. "They may look strange, but I don't wish the pain of a stonefish sting to my worst enemies."

"Except the Anulas, I was on the Brisbane." Ni-Min said to the canine as they laid Stan on the beach. "I carry anti-venom in my bag over there; hold him while I get it." Ni-Min said as she got her bag. The vixen opened a jar with a paste and smeared some on the humans' calf. She turned to the Dingo. "Thanks for your help; can you help me carry him to my car?"

The canine nodded and grabbed a side of the human who is mercifully is unconscious. "Where are you taking him?"

"To the Navy base, I am going to take him to that large destroyer because he's stationed on it. That ship saved us from a trip to the bottom of the ocean." The vixen said as she put Stan at the left front seat of her car. She waved to the dingo and walked to the right front seat of her car and drove to the base.

Ni-Mins' onshore living quarters, Darwin Navy base.

Stan woke up on a bed and got on the floor feeling a little dizzy. He heard the sound of a laughing; he knew it's a type of Australian bird called a Kookaburra. The human examined his surroundings recognizing it as an ashore living quarters. Stan heard the powerful fur drier running, a minute later it shut down. A minute later, Ni-Min walked out of the head or bathroom.

"Nice to see you up and around sir." Said the fennec vixen wearing a one piece bikini that split above her pubic area doing a V shape covering each breast. Ni-Min looked at the human standing against the wall staring at her. "I am going to do a trick for you, I think you'll like it much as I like you sir." The vixen said stepping on to the bed. "Stand at the edge of the bed to get the full effect."

The human stepped to the edge of the bed, due to it being set different than the ones of his Earth. He's looking at the vixens' navel, but she bends herself backwards. A second later, Ni-Mins' head is touching the bed between her feet and her pubic are is waving at his face. "Geeze she's flex able." Stan thought to himself looking at the blue piece of fabric near his face. The human saw a wet stain and smelled a musky smell.

Ni-Min stood straight up blinking her light blue catlike eyes grinning at the humans' expression. She grabbed the humans' chin feeling the beard growing on his face.

Stans' heart raced as he felt the vixens' hands explored his body. The human couldn't say a word when Ni-Min undid his pants. "Should I still be weak from that sting?" He asked as he's pushed onto the bed.

She grinned at the human sitting on his skinny body undoing her bikini and took it off.

The human calmed himself looking at the fennec vixen sitting on him naked. He looked at her slim body feeling his penis throb while he gazed at her firm medium size breasts. Stan felt his penis at her ass with Ni-Mins' furry tail brushing his thighs.

Ni-Min felt Stan's organ tickling her ass, so she gave him a kiss and got up a little. She lowered herself on his eager length feeling it slide inside her.

It was over a month ago when he last had sex in the Philippines. The gal was a working girl at one of numerous bars in Subic city. Stan did like her and he always got her when she was available because she had a really dark shade of tan skin with raven black hair. One feature about her was that she had cornflower blue eyes. ENC Lear told him that she might have been from Vietnam because the country was a French colony. "I don't care, but I find blue eyes sexy. " Stan thought to himself stroking Ni-Mins' firm ass petting her tail and sucking on one of her breasts triggering a moan from the vixen.

Ni-Min is feeling ecstasy feeling the wide organ in her and Stan gently sucking on one of her breasts. The vixen shuddered as the human use his fingers going down her back. She felt strange when Stan started to scratch the base of her tail.

The human chuckled watching the vixen starting to act strange. He stopped sucking on her breast and watched her arch her back watched as she licked her nose pad. "It must be a sweet spot on her." Stan thought to himself flinching as Ni-Min orgasm. The human felt some fluid flow on his scrotum sack. He looked in her eyes and hugged after stopping the scratching on her tail base.

She felt drained because she didn't orgasm like that in her life. The vixen felt the human hug her tight and felt his gentle touch on her.

Stan relaxed while hugging Ni-Min, he love the feel of her short pelt on his naked skin with her firm breasts pressing on him. The human relaxed looking at the vixens' muzzle features. "You know that I'll be different to you on the ship when you're on duty." He said to her.

Ni-Min nodded giving him a kiss. "I know sir, like to Commodore said to you on the day I reported on board. No showing of feelings on board the ship, off ship you were fair game. I was going to have a talk with you on the beach, but you gotten stung."

"What was that paste? I would have been in pain for days." Stan asked the vixen stroking her tan white head hair.

"It's an anti-venom paste; I'll half to give you some more tonight. Then tomorrow, you'll half to see to Hospital Core men to get a prescription for more paste." The vixen said to him pressing her body tight against the humans'.

Stan nodded and yelled as he emptied into Ni-Min. He saw her grin and felt her stroke his check. The human relaxed and fell asleep.

She looked at Stan and snuggled up to him and fell asleep feeling his body.

Epilogue, Mar of 2017, San Diego California.

Raven watched as the medium green colored green IAT Destroyer moored at one of the Navy Base piers. He remembered with pride of the forceful change of the government of this country a few months ago. Right now the United States is more like the country he left over five years ago on another world. The human directed his gaze to the name of the destroyer and his blood ran cold.

"What's wrong hon?" Asked Maya looking at her mates' expression with concern. "You're acting like you just saw a ghost."

The human sighed. "The USS Oldendorf in my world was decommissioned in June of 2003. In August of 2005, she was sunk as a target in a naval exercise. That ship is from another Earth like mine, but I don't mind it one bit because I thought the Spruance class destroyers looked better than the Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyers that replaced the Spruance class. I sure like to talk to any Earth crewmembers that went thru the transition." Raven said looking at the destroyer.

The female maned wolf put an arm around her mate. "The captain, Commander Stan Norm was a crew member who was on it. Right now, the IAT has thirty of those destroyers and there are plans to make that one a museum ship by doing the same thing we did to one of our destroyers."

Raven nodded remembering the Fletcher class destroyer he visited with his great uncle. He grinned looking at the Australian flag being run up the jack staff. "Well I spent the last five years trying to figure out how I ended up here. Now I am back to square one because this Aussie destroyer showed up because that ship was sunk on my Earth and this one showed up back in 1989. Oh well, I am going to find out how this happen and have a talk to Stan Norm." The human thought to himself and gave Maya a kiss.

THE END ??? Not yet, there will be another chapter. RAVEN FOX :)