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Part 6

Later that evening, James was left alone in his cabin. Lilly was off with Shauna--he didn't have to guess much as to what that was going to be about, and Tanya was taking her turn staying up through the night keeping an eye on things. He decided to turn in a little early, as there wasn't anything better to do at the moment. No sooner than he pulled the covers back and sat down, the intercom gave a short chime.

/* "James, may I come in?" */

"Heh, Moira, I'm inside you, remember?"

/* "Of course, James." */

He thought he heard a bit of amusement in Moira's voice.

/* "Allow me to rephrase...may my avatar come in?" */

"Of course, Moira," James said with a chuckle.

The back door to his cabin opened as he stood up to greet his visitor. Because Lilly and Tanya generally kept him so warm at night, James typically kept the room temperature lower while they slept. With Tanya staying up all night, and Lilly was going to be late, James had decided to wear his old-fashioned flannel pajamas to bed--at least until Lilly came back.

"Good evening, Moira. What may I do for you?" James asked politely.

"Are you alone?"

"I'm sure you know that I am, my dear. Come on in."

Moira entered the sleeping compartment of James' cabin and closed the door behind her.

"It was proper protocol for me to ask."

"Of course. So, what's on your mind tonight, Moira?" James asked.

"I thought I would ask if you would like some company, since both of your mates are currently occupied elsewhere. Do you mind if I stay with you a while?"

"Well, I was just about to get into bed for the night..."

"Oh, that would explain the attire. I can come back another time."

"Would you care to join me?" James asked, wondering how she might take that suggestion.

"I...may not give myself to you yet..."

"I know, Moira, I wasn't suggesting that. I have another pair of these if you would like to change," James offered, indicating his p.j.s. "They might be a little large, though."

"That would be acceptable, James," Moira agreed.

James got another pair of his pajamas out from a drawer and handed them to Moira's avatar.

"If you'd like, you may change in the head," James suggested, pointing towards the restroom.

"Ah, of course. Perhaps that would be...appropriate."

While Moira's avatar was in the head changing into the pajamas, James dimmed the cabin's lights and sat waiting for her. A few minutes later, Moira returned. The pajamas were indeed a bit long in the arms and legs for her, so James rolled the cuffs up until they no longer covered Moira's hands and feet.

"There, that's better," James said, looking over his handiwork. "Ladies first," he added, motioning for Moira to get under the covers first.

"I have never lain upon a bed before," Moira said matter-of-factly, as she slid over to give James some room.

"So, what do you do all night while everyone's sleeping?"

"If I have no other tasks, I sit on a chair in the computer core and power down non-essential functions."

"Doesn't sound very comfortable," James said quietly.

"It suffices for my needs."

"Well, tonight, we're going to get comfortable. Are you familiar with the term, 'spooning'?"

"No, James, I am not."

"Well, if you will lie on your side, facing away from me, I'll show you. Lilly, Tanya, and I generally sleep like this."

Moira did as James instructed, and he snuggled close to her, putting his right arm over Moira's android body.

"That's it, bend your knees a bit...a little more...that's fine. This is what is called, 'spooning'--like a stack of spoons fitting together in a utensil drawer."

"Ah, I see the analogy. Is this...comfortable for you?" Moira asked.

"Quite."

"James?" Moira asked after a moment.

"Yes, Moira?"

"You may...touch me...if you wish."

"Are you sure?" James asked a little surprised.

"Yes."

"On bare skin?" James asked quietly.

"If it pleases you, yes."

James brushed his fingers across Moira's neck and cheek, just as he would with Lilly and Tanya, though it was still a strange sensation for him to touch a woman in this manner who wasn't furry. Given his preferences for G.E.L.F. females, James had wondered why the A.I. designers gave Moira a human android avatar if he was to be the first captain of Nightwing. James continued by lightly running his fingertips down Moira's arm, touching and holding her hand for a few seconds, before slowly slipping his hand beneath her pajama top. Moira put her arm along her side, allowing James to slide his hand upward unhindered. He marveled at how well she was designed--the contours of her android body mimicked in every detail that of a human female. He felt muscles, a ribcage, and even a navel. He continued along, exploring her breasts with his hand--they felt so real, so lifelike, even the nipples seemed to respond to his touch. Moira's synthetic skin was warm, soft, supple--and no doubt lickable. Moira rolled upon her back, and looking James in the eye, she asked, "Does my avatar's body please you?"

James smiled and replied, "It--and you--do, Moira."

She smiled a little and thought, "Why do I find his touch so...stimulating? I want...more."

"James?"

"Yes, Moira?"

"Touch me more...please?"

"Any place in particular that you would like for me to touch you?"

"Wherever it pleases you," she replied quietly.

"Wherever it pleases me, she says," James thought to himself, "I want to fuck her front and back!"

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips, and Moira returned his kiss. James continued kissing Moira's avatar on the cheek, neck, and down to the space between her collarbones. He unfastened the top button of her pajama top, and lightly kissed her skin a little further down. When Moira didn't offer any resistance, he unfastened the rest of the buttons, opening the top, and proceeded to kiss, lick, and suck on her breasts. Moira began stroking his hair with her fingers.

"That is...very...stimulating...," Moira said softly, closing her eyes.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, please...continue."

James continued kissing and licking Moira's skin, working his way down her front. When he reached the waistband of her pajama bottoms, he paused.

"Moira...do you wish for me to continue?"

"I...I want more, yes."

"James grinned as he thought, "Now let's see how well they made you, my dear," and began pulling the pajama bottoms off of Moira, working slowly. "Oh, my...she's got a gorgeous body! Android or no, she's a hot babe!"

James found that Moira's avatar is anatomically correct down to the individually implanted artificial pubic hair--the only thing missing was a proper scent. He kissed and licked his way down one leg, from the hip to toes, and back up the inside of her thigh. When he ever so lightly kissed her folds, it elicited a response--Moira actually gasped--and it surprised him. James continued the routine of kissing and licking with Moira's other leg, again stopping in between her legs to lightly kiss her labia and lick between them--this time she let out a soft moan, and put her hand on the back of his head.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you desire me?"

"Yeah."

"I...desire you, to be yours, but...I must not yet. I wish to feel you mate with me, I wish it strongly, but I must remain..."

"A virgin?"

"Yes, that term is appropriate. My sisters will know if we go further...please, we must not."

"Okay, Moira, that is not a problem," James agreed, wondering what they might do if they did happen to have sex before she was commissioned and officially turned over to him. James, although a little frustrated physically, helped Moira back into the pajama bottoms, and buttoned up the top.

He lay down beside Moira and held her, caressing her face gently.

"Moira, I'm curious...do you have the ability to have an orgasm?" James asked softly.

"Searching...there appears to be a subroutine written in my programming just for that. It has never been triggered, not even during the exacting final Q.A. testing of my avatar's body."

"Somehow that sounds like it wasn't very pleasant."

"It was not--I had no control over what they did to me."

James noted the subtle difference--"what they did to me" versus "what they did to my avatar's body." Was this the avatar speaking for itself?"

"What did they do...if you don't mind me asking about it?"

"Various devices were used to check elasticity, coefficient of friction, internal dimensions, constrictive force, and other measurements," Moira explained emotionlessly.

"Ye gods...it sounds like they raped you!" James barely whispered in shock.

"I...suppose, in a manner of speaking, yes. However, it was done to make certain I would be able to accommodate you."

"That's just...plain cold! Why couldn't they have done all of that before you were assembled?"

"I do not know--that would seem more logical. James, does that upset you?"

"Yes, it does. I think the first chance we get, you, me, and your sisters need to have a little 'chat' with those designers..."

"You do care about me, don't you?"

"Yes, Moira, I do. You'll never have to worry about me forcing myself on you, or making you do things like that! Geez, android or no, that was just plain...cruel!"

They lay there for several minutes, just holding and caressing each other. Eventually, Moira's hand worked its way down James' side.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"May I...touch you?"

"Sure, if you want."

When Moira slipped her hand underneath the elastic waistband of his pajama bottom, James felt himself start to get hard.

"Does this please you?" Moira asked softly as she gently stroked him.

"Yes."

"I am curious...when you touched your tongue to my skin, how did it taste to you?"

"Well, to be honest, your skin really doesn't have much of a taste, and you don't have a scent like we do," James replied.

"I suppose not," Moira agreed. She sat up and repositioned herself so that she could bring her face closer to James' groin. "I wonder what you taste like."

"Do you have the ability to taste things, Moira?" James asked curiously.

"Yes, my tongue is equipped with artificial taste buds that function much like your own." Moira held him in her hand, looking closer, as if studying it. "James, may I...taste you?"

"Um, sure...it won't violate any of your directives, will it?"

"I do not believe so."

James rolled onto his back and pulled his pajama bottoms down to mid-thigh, giving Moira easy access. Hesitantly, she gently kissed the end of his shaft, working down its length, noticing how it twitched slightly. Slowly, she took him into her mouth--it was a curious sensation for them both. The inside of Moira's mouth isn't wet, but the materials used in the manufacture of her oral cavity have such a low coefficient of friction and a special surface treatment, that it feels as if it is wet and slick.

"Mmm...Moira, that feels...good," James said, moaning a little from the pleasurable feeling.

"Do you wish for me to continue?"

"You can if you want to, though if you keep it up long enough, you'll get me off in your mouth."

"Get...off?"

"Yeah--orgasm, ejaculate--get the idea?"

"Oh, yes. If that will please you, I shall continue."

"Only if you want to, Moira. I won't make you do anything you don't want to--well, at least as far as sex is concerned."

"I appreciate that, James. I should wait, though...my desire for you is very strong."

"That makes two of us, Moira. I don't want you getting into trouble over something like this. Maybe we should ask what is permissible and what is not.--I've never been involved with an A.I. person before, so I don't know what your rules are concerning relationships."

"If you wish, I will call the eldest of our five, and ask if she would be willing to discuss it," Moira suggested.

"If it will help, and if she is willing, then go ahead."

While Moira placed the call, James hurriedly made himself presentable. Shortly, the holographic projection system came online and the forces coalesced into the shape of a black-furred bat...with arms and wings.

"Ms. Night Spirit, it is an honor to meet you. I hope you will forgive the hour and our attire," James said as he greeted her formally.

"It is a pleasure, Captain Daugherty. Please, call me 'Lilith', being that we will soon be family."

"As you wish, ma'am," James acknowledged with a slight bow. "You may call me 'James', if you like."

The holographic image of Lilith Night Spirit stepped closer to James and touched his cheek.

"I look forward to meeting you in person on Moira's Commissioning Day, as do we all. I must say, Leila was correct--there is something about your appearance, James, which is quite...interesting, I shall say."

"Perhaps it's the wolf in me," James said, and then he smiled, showing his teeth.

Lilith smiled, too, showing a mouthful of very sharp teeth and long fangs like Sylvia's.

"James, if my situation was different, I might be tempted to bond with you myself. However, Moira will be yours, and I wish the two of you well. Now then, what may I help you with this evening?"

James explained the situation as best as he could, being somewhat limited since he could not use his telepathy to accurately convey thoughts, feelings, and desires. Moira also explained her dilemma verbally for James' sake. Lilith listened thoughtfully, and waited until they both finished.

"Your curiosity with each other is understandable. James, you are in a unique position among scout ship pilots in that you already have not one, but two mates. It has been a long standing tradition that scout ship pilots are single and unattached so that they may develop a closer partnership with their ship's A.I. entity. We, on the other hand, are designed to be compatible with our pilots--a throwback to the days of single crew scout and courier ships. In light of the fact that you are a near human, James, and that your mates are G.E.L.F.s, I find it surprising that Moira's developers chose to make her avatar human. Perhaps a wolf would have been more appropriate."

"Heh, Tanya would take exception to that, trust me--she gets rather testy if she even thinks another female wolf might show any interest towards me," James chuckled, shaking his head slowly.

"Perhaps I should relay that bit of information to Leila...to avoid any unnecessary tension," Lilith suggested.

"I've already had a chat with Tanya about her, so I don't think there will be any problem there," James assured Lilith.

"Very well then. As for the other issue you mentioned...your concern for Moira is commendable, James. There have been those who failed to restrain themselves. We impose such restrictions on our own kind to separate ourselves from mere pleasure 'droids--I understand that you have never been with one before."

"That's correct. I've known plenty of people who have, but I just prefer being with a real person."

"How do you mean, 'real person'?" Lilith asked cautiously.

"A 'real' person, to me, is a sentient being, regardless of body--or perhaps even lack of a body, if there happens to be non-corporeal beings somewhere out there," James said, waving his arm to indicate the vastness of the universe. Putting his arm around Moira's avatar, James continued, "Moira's a real person, even if she is a ship and an android, and so are you and the other A.I.s. I could go into this a lot more, but to be brief, I don't consider pleasure 'droids to be real, sentient, self-aware beings with a consciousness such as the A.I.s are. I don't care what the programmers say, I think you can and do have feelings--they may be different in some way or another from how the rest of us experience feelings, but I'm sure you do have them. The reason why I'm sure is because of what I experienced when we made our first jump together, Moira. I saw you, and I heard what you said to me."

"Many biological people have experienced various auditory and visual hallucinations while in hyperspace, James," Lilith countered.

"True, though Sylvia, Mindy, and I have three highest psi ratings of our crew and ours are also among the highest scores of the whole service. Of the three of us, mine's the highest. We heard two voices whispering, Mindy and I both could tell that the voices were distinctly female. I have reason to believe that coincided with when Moira was talking to Leila just as we made the jump. I saw a dark bird flying towards me, followed by a dark figure of a woman walking towards me, and then I saw a face that at the time seemed very familiar. I reached out with my mind to that face and I clearly heard the words, 'I love you'. Moira herself said that she heard my voice calling to her, even though it wasn't coming over any of her comm circuits. Our thinking is that there might be just enough organic circuitry built into Nightwing and I just might be sensitive enough that I may have had some sort of telepathic connection with Moira. We know that hyperspace seems to amplify psi abilities, so...it's a possibility," James explained. "Since the organic circuitry is based on donor material from Terrans, it's also a possibility that the gene that gives us the telepathic ability might have been replicated as well in the organics."

"Are you suggesting that we may someday gain humanity's telepathic ability?" Lilith asked, looking from James to Moira and back in surprise.

"I think it's a possibility, especially as ships become more and more based on organic technology. Maybe one day ships such as you will be grown, instead of built," James replied.

"And then we will no longer be artificial intelligences...we will truly become living ships," Moira added quietly.

"Wouldn't that be something?" James asked with a grin.

"I hope to see the day," Lilith replied softly. The holographic image of Lilith stepped up to James and Moira's avatar, holding out her hands. James held one and Moira's avatar held the other while James kept his other arm around Moira's waist, and she his.

"You have only a little longer to wait--I trust that you will find in yourselves the ability to refrain from going too far. Hugs, kisses, and touching are permissible--and encouraged, though you may not enter her, James. We will overlook this one instance as being simple curiosity, since you both thought it would be best to inquire before going further. On Moira's Commissioning Day, you, James, will join with us and become part of our family."

"And you will become part of my family as well," James added--this caused Lilith to raise an eyebrow.

"That is an intriguing idea, James," Lilith said.

"Lilly, Tanya, and I have plans on getting married when we retire--if Moira wishes to at the time, we will marry her as well."

"You mean her avatar?"

"No, ma'am...all of her. The ship, A.I., avatar--they're all one person."

"To my knowledge, this has never been done before," Moira said.

"How many scout ship pilots know that their ship loves them?" James asked, giving Moira a kiss on the cheek.

Lilith and Moira exchanged surprised looks...which amounted to slightly raising both eyebrows.

"I know this is beyond simple programming, more than canned responses to what I say or do. I know Moira has literally fallen in love with me. It may have started out being a designed set of behaviors meant to make me feel an attachment towards her, but it's gone beyond that--she's been designed too well. Maybe there's another reason why you are called Spirit-class ships, maybe your design and programming have passed some other threshold beyond sentiency, whether by accident or on purpose," James said.

"That is...most intriguing, James. You have such interesting views and insights--if only my own pilot could think of something beyond his next meal or his favorite sports team. If only he would be...," Lilith trailed off, a slight expression of wistfulness appeared on her face.

"Attentive?" James asked quietly.

Lilith paused a moment before answering, "He...does not touch me as you do Moira."

"Oh? Is he rough with you?"

"He does not touch me, period."

"Does your crew know this?" James asked, concerned about Captain Ethanridge's lack of attention.

"They suspect, I think. My engineer has offered his company, though I have not accepted it."

"Why won't Captain Ethanridge give you any attention?"

"He does not like bats."

"What?!" James asked incredulously. "I've never been with one, but geez, I've never seen a female bat that I didn't fantasize about jumping into bed with!"

"Would you take me into your bed?" Lilith asked almost shyly.

Giving Moira's avatar a squeeze, James replied, "If no one objected...sure."

"You will have the opportunity to experience all of us soon," Lilith said with a little grin.

James wondered about that, though he was still concerned about why Lilith's pilot came to be assigned to Night Spirit if he didn't like bats, or how the A.I. designers would have given him one as a ship's avatar.

"So, how come you got stuck with Ethanridge, if he doesn't like bats?" James asked Lilith.

"He was not originally slated to be my pilot. Commander Jonathan Green was, but he was unexpectedly killed in an accident just prior to my commissioning. There was no time to reconfigure my personality matrix or my avatar to accommodate his preferences. It has not been a satisfactory experience," Lilith replied, with a hint of disgust in her voice.

"I imagine not. Can't you request a replacement pilot?" James asked with concern.

"He is scheduled to rotate to a shore command within a year. I trust my next pilot will be more...compatible."

"Well, anytime you need a little TLC, come on over--we have plenty to share here," James chuckled lightly.

"Indeed, my sister, from what I have observed of my crew, they do seem to be quite...fond of each other," Moira added.

"I will consider that proposal. I do have one more question before I go," Lilith said.

"Sure, what would you like to know?" James prompted.

"Why are you both wearing men's pajamas?"

"Oh, heh, that's easy. Since Tanya is going to be taking a turn at being up all night, Moira is going to spend the night with me and Lilly. I let Moira wear a spare pair of my pajamas, since she has none of her own. Normally, Lilly, Tanya, and I don't wear anything in bed when we're all sleeping together. They're covered with fur, and I'm not, so I sleep in the middle. Since Moira and I are both wearing p.j.s, it will serve as a reminder that we're just sleeping together-- nothing else" James explained.

"A wise precaution. It is good that you are providing Moira with practical domestic experience. I will leave you to your rest, James. I look forward to our meeting...and sharing," Lilith said, the holographic projection of her giving James a kiss on the cheek, which he returned, and she gave his crotch a feel. Giving her head a nod, James felt her crotch, too.

Whispering softly in his ear, Lilith said, "I accept your proposal, James...I will have you in me, and feel your affections, if not your love, and in return, I will give you mine. Good night, my dear," and with that, her image dissolved.

"Ooo...how am I possibly going to keep up with these gals?" James thought wryly.

"I think she likes you, James," Moira said when he turned back to face her.

"Yep, I...think so. Well, shall we go to bed now?" James asked.

"As you wish, James. Do you care to 'spoon' again?"

"Sure. Just think, our first night sleeping together," James said with a grin.

"James...I do not sleep."

"Well, um...can you approximate it?"

"I will power down non-essential functions."

"Sounds like sleep to me. In you go, dear," James quipped, giving Moira's backside a pat.

Once they got situated, Moira asked, "Shall I turn off the lights for you?"

"That would be nice of you, dear."

A moment later, the overhead lights went out, and the night vision saving blue light came on. James pulled the covers up over them both, and kissed Moira on the neck.

"James?"

"Yes, Moira?"

"Do you think we will be able to wait?"

"I hope so."

"It will be hard."

"It is hard..."

James felt her hand work its way into his pajama bottoms.

"So it is."

Moira wiggled a few seconds and then James felt her work his waistband down enough to where she could free his cock and balls from his pajama bottoms. Moira repositioned herself so that he was up against the crack of her ass.

"I still want you," Moira said quietly, rubbing James' cock between her butt cheeks.

Moira...you remember what Lilith said."

"Yes, you may not enter me yet. However, we may touch each other...and this does not constitute being inside me."

"Moira...if you keep that up, I'm going to cum either on or in your butt..."

"You would like to...have anal intercourse with me?"

"Moira, I want you--front, back, in your mouth, it doesn't matter. The thing is, we gotta wait, so quit being a tease, or we'll both be in trouble!"

"You are right, of course. I am sorry, James, I want you, too--I did not expect my desire to mate with you would be so strong. Perhaps I should return to my usual accommodations."

"No, stay...please. Just don't tease like that--until we're allowed to do something, okay? Let's just do as we intended, and spend the night sleeping together."

"As you wish, James."

Moira slowly let him go and worked her pajama bottoms back up, with James pulling his own up.

"Ye gods, that was close! Another minute of that, and I'd be boning her ass! Oh, damn...what was that Lilith said, 'I'll have you in me' and all that about affections and love? Oh, geez...she's not planning on only having a one-nighter! Damn your hide, Ethanridge! You should've manned up and been a proper mate to that lady, instead of rejecting her like that. It's as if she's in an arranged marriage with someone who doesn't give a crap about her--that's something we Terrans finally got rid of three hundred years ago. Doesn't like bats...yeah, right. How many guys wouldn't give their left nut to be with a female bat, hands down the most sensuous Terran women of all? Forget Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and the others--Sylvia would beat them all, and Lilith would give quite a few a good run for their money, no doubt. Hmm, I wonder..." James thought to himself.

"Moira?"

"Yes, James?"

"When you get time to, would you mind doing a deep background check on Captain Dale Ethanridge, like you did on that other guy back on the station? And while you're at it, see if you can find out what really happened to Night Spirit's original pilot."

"Do you suspect something, James?" Moira asked, turning over to face him.

"It may be nothing, but...something just doesn't quite figure. Lilith said Ethanridge doesn't like bats, and he refuses to have anything to do with her. How did he even get chosen to be her pilot? You saw how guys gawked at Sylvia when we had liberty in Tycho City. They practically fell over themselves trying to get her to look at them. Lilith's avatar may be a little unusual in having both wings and arms, but she is attractive...and Ethanridge doesn't want anything to do with her. That's gotta be hard for her to deal with."

"It has been, James. What you say has merit--I will use my skills to see if there is something to this, when we return."

"Thank you," James said, giving Moira a kiss. "I don't like thinking the worst about someone, but my intuition says something isn't right...and it's seldom wrong. Hmm...just thought of something else."

"What is that, James?"

"A little experiment. When we get back, perhaps we should take a walk in Tycho City with Lilith, and see what kind of reactions she gets. If she gets even half of the positive looks that Sylvia would, then that would be an indication that she's physically attractive to a wide variety of males, and not likely the reason why he won't have anything to do with her."

"Interesting. Do you think it might be some other reason, then?" Moira asked.

"Yeah, I do. Lilith and her avatar were already created, if he had some sort of aversion to bats--even G.E.L.F.s in general--then it should reflect in his psych profile, and he shouldn't have been assigned to Night Spirit. If it had simply been some sort of clerical mistake, then he should be reassigned immediately," James replied.

"Do you think his presence may negatively impact our upcoming mission to sector one-four-nine?"

James thought on that for a moment.

"If he's making things rough on Lilith, then that definitely isn't going to help our chances for success."

Moira touched the side of James' face and asked, "You do care about us, don't you?"

"Always," James replied softly, giving Moira a gently kiss on her lips.

When Lilly came into James' cabin, she saw someone in bed with him in the dim blue light.

"Jamie, you still awake?" she sent privately.

"Hey, Lil. Yeah, I'm still awake. How'd things go with Shauna tonight?"

"Not bad, I got her loosened up enough to lick me. Ya know, her tongue just isn't very flexible..."

"I could of told you that, Lil," James sent with a little amusement.

"Ya, well, at least she tried. Anyway, who's that in bed with you?"

"Oh, Moira's spending the night with us tonight."

"You two been havin' any fun?"

"Eh...other than she's teased the heck out of me, no. She's not allowed to have sex until her Commissioning Day. That sucks, because she really wants me to bone her. Oh, and speaking of sucking..."

"Did she suck ya off?" Lilly asked hopefully.

"Uh...no. She did take me into her mouth once, though, just to see what I taste like...and that almost got her into trouble. Felt good, but didn't get to enjoy it. We had an interesting holo-chat with her sister, Lilith--I'll tell you about it later. Oh, and after that, she rubbed me in the crack of her ass, but that almost caused me to hump her, so we had to stop. We've been lying here just talking, waiting for you to come back."

"Geez, Jamie...gotta boner going, and can't do anything about it."

"Yeah. I don't suppose I could talk you into a little lip action down south, could I?"

"Baby I would, but my licker's wore out tonight...you can bone me, if ya want, though. Front or back?"

"Dealer's choice, Lil...as long as it's warm, and I can get off in it before I get a case of blue balls."

"I can fix ya right up, Jamie...just gimme a min to get undressed and in bed, okay?"

"Okay."

It didn't take Lilly long to peel out of her uniform and skivvies, and then slide into bed next to James.

"Come on, wolf-boy, time to pump some skunk!" Lilly sent, patting her pubic mound.

James gave Lilly a long kiss--when he pulled his pajama bottoms down, Lilly noticed Moira watching her.

"Hi," Lilly said aloud to Moira, giving her a little wave.

"Good evening, Lilly. I hope you do not mind my presence," Moira responded quietly.

"Jamie says you're spending the night with us," Lilly said while James got on top of his cousin.

Moira got a slightly confused look on her face for only a second.

"Ah, the telepathy. Yes, Lilly, I am. Will it bother you if I observe?"

"Nah, it's okay. I'm used to having Tanya in bed with us," she replied to Moira. "Ooo, yeah, Jamie...slide that puppy in. Mmm...you feel good! Yeah, that's it, cuz, fuck me...blow that load in me!" Lilly encouraged James.

As excited as he had been earlier, James knew it wouldn't take long for him to cum.

"Lil...it-it's gonna be...a quick one...tonight..."

"That's okay, baby, fuck me good and hard...fill me up, Jamie...ooooh, yeeeaaah..."

Lilly fingered her clit to get herself to orgasm as quick as she could. She felt James' knot swelling as he pumped her hard, banging the knot in and out of her vagina.

"Uuuh...Lil...here it...comes..."

"Do it, baby! I'm...yeah...me...too...oh, yeah! Do it! Fu-u-u-u-ck me-e-e-e-e!"

"Uhnnnnngh!"

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Lilly didn't have time to really get worked up to having a big orgasm, but she did have one at least, so she was happy.

"Oh, gods I needed that..." James said after a bit.

"Well, you just keep that thing in me until it's ready to come out, and then I'll clean ya up."

About fifteen minutes later...

"Okay Lil...it's coming out...," James said after his knot subsided.

Once he was out of her, James laid down on his back by Moira so that Lilly could lick him clean. Before Lilly could start, Moira ran a finger along his softening cock and then stuck it into her mouth.

"Interesting. Do you enjoy this 'cleaning', as you call it?" Moira asked Lilly.

"Yeah...it's a G.E.L.F. thing, Moira. We lick our mates clean...well, most times. I don't lick him after he's been in my butt, though."

"Do you lick her in return, James?"

"Usually. If we have plenty of time and don't have to hurry, we'll clean each other, though if we are in a hurry for some reason, we'll do a quick clean with some personal cleaning wipes or something."

"Interesting. How do humans usually clean themselves afterwards?" Moira asked.

"Well, probably with soap and water, a washcloth, and a towel to dry with, if they have it, or whatever else they might use," James replied.

"Do you have to do anything special, as far as cleaning yourself, Moira?" Lilly asked--it was a question James had thought of as well.

"Externally, I may use whatever bathing products a typical human female might use. To clean and sanitize my internal passages, I have a cleaning kit with the proper materials."

"So, you can take baths and showers without frying something, right?" Lilly asked.

Moira's avatar cocked her head slightly.

"If I understand correctly, I am waterproof to a depth of at least three hundred meters in either fresh or salt water, so yes, I may bathe or shower as a normal human would."

"Jeezers...that's a long way down! Can you swim?" Lilly asked in astonishment.

"Unfortunately, no. My avatar's body is too dense and heavy to float without mechanical assistance. My hull, however, is capable of operating submerged," Moira replied.

"Wow, like an old-fashioned submarine?"

"To a degree, yes. I cannot use my energy weapons while submerged, for obvious reasons, but I may use my torpedo launchers."

"Yeah, firing the pulsar cannons underwater would be bad...very bad, though I think the forward beam cannons could be used, though for short range. *Yawn* Well ladies, I think I need to get some sleep," James said, feeling his eyelids growing heavy.

"Of course, James," Moira acknowledged.

"Yeah, I'm kinda worn out, too. G'night, Jamie. *Kiss*"

"'Night, Lil. *Kiss* Good night, Moira. *Kiss*"

"Goodnight, James. *Kiss* Goodnight, Lilly."

"G'night, Moira."

The first half of the trip to Proxima Centauri and back went well. Nightwing pulled into Proxima Station, and the crew took a little breather. Moira, through the eyes of her avatar, watched closely the reactions or other people--human and non-human--in the vicinity of Sylvia. She recorded such details as posture, body language, temperature, eye movement, and other factors that would indicate either sexual attraction or revulsion. The few Zadori they met on the station stayed clear of Sylvia, which was to be expected. The Zadori are particularly susceptible to the ultrasonic sounds bats can make, so they tend to give bat G.E.L.F.s a wide berth, and try to avoid dealing with them. It's a sure way to not be bothered by the arrogant Zadori in a bar, having a bat G.E.L.F. with you. The majority who took notice of Sylvia, Moira determined, were mostly males, though a few females also gave Sylvia longing looks. Sylvia didn't seem to mind the attention, taking it in stride from being long accustomed to it. Age didn't seem to be a factor, though there were too few young people on the station to make a statistical comparison. Sylvia knew nothing of Moira's discreet observations, or of James' little experiment regarding Lilith. Moira did notice a small group of humans sitting together at a table away from others, who seemed disturbed at seeing her crew in their black uniforms. Moira took an interest in this group and their apparent discomfort. Speaking to James via his comm-set, she directed his attention to them.

"Can you get a good look at them?" he asked quietly, hiding his face behind Shauna.

/* "Yes, James. Do you wish for me to initiate facial recognition and voice pattern analysis?" */

"Proceed, and check to see if they have any ties to those organizations Captain Delaney was part of."

/* "As you wish, James. Initializing identification program." */

It took Moira all of five minutes to identify the humans and cross-reference them with known associations.

/* "James, I have found a one hundred percent match on the identifications of four of the five individuals in question, and a eighty-five percent match on the fifth, who is facing away from my view. They all share common associations with several others related to one group Captain Delaney's family has ties to. James, Captain Ethanridge is also associated with this group." */

"Ye gods. Moira, share this discovery with Admiral Donnelson immediately, including what we discussed about Lilith. Use priority protocols and scramble, my authorization."

/* "Sending now, James. Shall I advise Lilith of the situation?" */

"Not yet, let's see what the admiral says first, but keep that in mind. We may want to tell all of your sisters about it at once."

/* "As you wish, James." */

While James and his crew were finishing their meal, Sylvia got James' attention.

"Sir, several undercover security agents are working their way in this direction," she sent privately.

"How do you know, Sylvia?" James asked.

"They're too obvious--if you know what to look for."

"Moira, Sylvia's spotted some undercover security agents coming our way. Is there anything on the station's security net about it?" James asked his ship via his comm-set.

/* "Interesting timing, James. I was just about to open a channel to you--a message just arrived from Admiral Donnelson. The crew is to return to me immediately--and the admiral is waiting to speak with you on a secure command channel as soon as you return." */

"Understood. We're on our way. Daugherty out." To his crew James sent, "Sorry boys and girls, but we have to get our tails back to Nightwing immediately--admiral's orders. Let's move!"

Everyone dropped what they were doing, picked up the things they had purchased, and they headed together to the nearest lift. The five people who were sitting together and had been giving them sour looks, all watched as the crew of Nightwing left.

"What's this about, Jamie?" Lilly asked privately.

"Tell you when we get back in the ship," he replied.

A short while later, James accepted the admiral's call in his office.

/* "James, good to see your face. I trust that you made it back to Nightwing with no trouble?" */

"Good afternoon, Admiral. Yes sir, we made it back okay. CWO-3 Stewert spotted the undercover security forces moving towards us--I was just asking Moira if she had heard anything about it on the security net, when she said that you were waiting to speak with me."

/* "She did? Damn, what kind of slackers do they have on that station? Never mind. Anyway, I got the message your lady sent--we've been after those folks since the Delaney incident. The intel on Ethanridge is a surprise. I guarantee some heads are going to roll over that, and that comes directly from the CNO. The Night Spirit has been ordered to return immediately--I want Nightwing to intercept and escort, along with Shadow Storm. Before he gets a chance to override his A.I., I want you to send the A.I. Master Command Override through the private channel--your lady will have to help you with this. Sending the code to you now." */

"Code received and secured, sir. Moira asked if she should alert Lilith...think she should?"

/* "By all means, let her. Ask her to appraise Ms. Leila while she's at it. As soon as Night Spirit returns to normal space, lock him out and order Night Spirit to follow you in." */

"Understood sir. Heh, Lilith is probably going to want to thank me personally for this, you know that," James said with a chuckle.

/* "I'll leave that between you and her, James, my boy," */ Admiral Donnelson laughed. /* "You know, that lady of yours certainly has a knack for rooting out malcontents...what prompted this anyway?" */

"Well, sir...Moira and I had a late night holo-call with Lilith about, er, a private issue that warranted a little clarification. We had a long chat, and Lilith mentioned on her own about how Ethanridge refused to have anything to do with her. Specifically, she said he doesn't like bats, and that was a tip-off for me that something wasn't right. I came up with a little experiment to see if it was just something with her avatar or something else, so I asked Moira to observe how people acted when they saw my Comm Officer. We both know how female bat G.E.L.F.s are, so Moira was gathering baseline reactions. When we get back, I was going to take a little walk with Lilith into Tycho City while Moira observed the people around us. I figured if she received enough appreciative looks, then there might be some other reason he doesn't like bats. Regardless, that should have shown up in his psych profile, which should have kept him from getting command of Night Spirit."

/* "Interesting thinking there, James. Hmm, you're right, if he has an issue with bats, or even with G.E.L.F.s in general, it should have shown up during the selection process for scout ships." */

"Sir, I have another issue that I'd like to work on, and it has to do with the Q.A. jokers that brutalize avatars after they're built. From what Moira told me about what they subjected her avatar to, it basically amounts to rape and torture--I'll ask if she would mind making a written statement detailing the experience, and sending it to you."

/* "You're serious?" */

"Yes sir. The scout ship A.I.s have some sort of--for lack of a better term--'virginity clause' in their code of ethics. Basically, the avatars are forbidden to have sex until their Commissioning Day--kind of like their wedding day. If they violate that, apparently there's some sort of repercussions dealt out by their sisters--it's enough to make Moira nearly fearful, no matter how strongly she wants to. The thing is, though, they're violated after being assembled, activated, and the A.I. personality matrix downloaded. Moira was aware of what they did to her avatar, and she said that it was both unpleasant and nothing she could do about it."

/* "Rape and torture--that's pretty serious allegations, James." */

"Yes sir, I'm well aware of that. A.I.s have rights under the law, too--they're not just dumb machines. Also, those Q.A. folks seem to have certain physical dimensions of the pilots...to make sure the avatars can 'accommodate' them. I don't recall having my privates measured by anyone, and I certainly didn't give anyone permission to know those details."

/* "I wasn't aware of that, either. It certainly isn't among the physical or psych requirements to have a pilot 'fitted' to his ship A.I.'s avatar. James, you're going to give me more gray hairs than my own kids, I swear! Okay, tell you what, when you get back, we'll take a little trip over to check it out. If Moira wants to come along, too, she can." */

"Thank you, sir. I'll pass that along to her."

/* "You do that. In the meantime, make preparations for getting underway--I want you to rendezvous Shadow Storm by noon tomorrow at the following coordinates..." */

James entered the numerical sequence into his PAD so that he could give them to Tanya.

/* "I've instructed Proxima Station's Flight Ops to give you priority departure clearance as soon as you can be ready. Contact me when you meet up with Shadow Storm. Give my love to Lilly." */

"Will do, sir."

/* "See you shortly, James. Donnelson out." */

James was rather please with how this was turning out, even as he was disturbed by the implications He felt a pair of lips gently kiss him on the side of his neck.

"Thank you, James, for standing up for our rights."

"We'll see justice done, my dear. There's no reason you should have had to endure that sort of treatment. Have you contacted Lilith and Leila yet?"

"Already done, James," Moira said, coming around to his side; she had been sitting out of view on the little couch in James' office the whole time he was talking with the admiral. "Lilith had a few choice things to say about her pilot...and an interesting reference about a 'knight rescuing a damsel in distress'."

James laughed quietly, "She did, eh? I'm not exactly the virtuous type, I'm afraid."

"Perhaps not, however, you are coming to her rescue."

"As soon as we can get you moving in the right direction. Let's round everyone up and let them know what's going on." James tapped a control on his desk, "This is the captain. All hands report to the crew's mess immediately. Captain out." James stood up and said, "Let's give them the news."

Thirty minutes after the briefing was over, Nightwing was accelerating at full thrust on her secondary drive and Shauna was bringing the main drive online.

"What the...OH FUCKING CRAP!!!" Shauna bellowed.

/* "Engineering, bridge...Miss Eriksson, why are things beginning to float on my ship?" */ James' voice calmly came over the speakers in the engine room.

Heedless of the open circuit, Shauna bellowed again, "WHERE IN THE FUCKING HELL ARE MY MAG BOOTS?!!! FIFTY-NINE-SEVENTEEN, YOU LITTLE PERVBOT, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY MAG BOOTS??? GET OFF YOUR TAIL, YOU LITTLE CRAP PILE, AND HELP ME FIND THEM!!! Uh, let me get back to you, sir...gotta slight problem with the grav generators. NO, YOU IDIOT, I SAID 'MAG BOOTS', NOT 'MAG CLAMP'!!! Ye flippin' gods, I HATE floating!!!"

Shauna was quickly going into full rant, still not caring about the open comm circuit to the bridge--not that it would have made any difference, since she had floated away from the control panel. Poor SRB-5917 was catching the brunt of Shauna's rant as he vainly ran around trying to find Shauna's mag boots. Shortly...

"NO! NOT THE TAIL!!! GET THAT GRABBY LITTLE HAND OF YOURS AWAY FROM MY TAIL, YOU PERVBOT!!!"

*Punt!*

"EEEEEeeeee!"

*Crash!*

Everyone on the bridge winced.

"That had to hurt," Zach said.

"I hope he's okay...we need him, the poor little guy!" Tanya said worriedly.

"Shall I go back and help, sir? I'm fully qualified in zero-g combat," Sylvia offered.

"Okay, Sylvia...just watch those hooves, she's got one mean kick, as a certain Zadori officer can attest to," James said.

Sylvia unbuckled herself from her seat, and with the grace of a ballet dancer, she shoved off towards the door. She glided with ease down the passageway, stopping by her quarters to retrieve her own "mag" boots. After pulling them on and making sure they were securely fastened, Sylvia glided out of her stateroom towards the lift. While in transit towards Engineering, Sylvia wrapped the control unit for her boots around her right wrist, being that she's left-handed, and then activated the unit. She carefully went over the readout...

Charge Level: FULL

Fuel Pressure: FULL

Grapple Sys: READY

Targeting Sys: STANDBY

Sys. Diagnostic: OK

Sylvia's "mag" boots are not the standard issue for shipboard use. They are actually grav boots, issued to Special Warfare units, with highly efficient micro-thrusters for zero-g propulsion, posi-grav plates instead of electromagnets to allow walking on any solid surface, and a grappling system that can launch the posi-grav plates at a user-selected target and reel the wearer towards it (or the other way around). When the lift stopped in Engineering, Shauna was still ranting like a lunatic, arms and legs flailing about, and slowly drifting towards the engine core.

"Not good...if she comes into contact with the core while it's energized...yeesh. I'm going to have to catch her from a different angle, otherwise my momentum will push us both into it, and I don't feel like getting personal with a resonance string!" Sylvia thought quickly.

Positioning herself in the open lift door, Sylvia pushed off, aiming for the port-side catwalk, and gave the thruster control a quick tap. Halfway to the catwalk, Sylvia executed a tumble so that she would "land" on the catwalk's edge feet first. Tapping the thruster control again, slowed Sylvia's approach quickly, and she gracefully made contact.

"Miss Eriksson!" Sylvia shouted mentally to Shauna. "Stop moving! I'm coming to get you!"

Shauna shouted something verbally, but the wailing of the resonance string was too loud to hear her. Sylvia "shut off" her hearing--clamped tiny muscles down on the little bones in her middle ears to stop them from transmitting vibrations to her inner ears, a means by which bats prevent themselves from going deaf from their own extremely loud ultrasonic vocalizations.

"Shauna! Listen to me! Stop moving and quit yelling like a crazy woman! I'm coming to get you, and don't you dare try to kick me--I'll stun your big ass if I have to, now hold still!"

Sylvia launched herself towards Shauna, using a burst from her boot's thrusters to give her extra velocity. Just before she grappled the Clydesdale with her arms, Sylvia shot the grav plate of her left boot towards the deck, timing it so that it would hit the second after grabbing a hold of Shauna's waist. The very thin and very strong collapsed metal cable changed their trajectory into an arc, forcing them to the deck where Sylvia's other grav boot promptly held. Releasing the grav plate of her left boot, Sylvia reeled it in and then re-energized it so that she could tow Shauna back over to the Engineering Control console.

"Strap yourself in and take the main drive offline so that we can fix the grav system. If we jump now, we'll all be goo on the aft bulkheads--if the core builds up too much, they may not find what happened to us."

"Since when did you become a physics egghead?" Shauna sent back sharply.

"You might be surprised by what I know, Miss Eriksson. I'm going to check on fifty-nine-seventeen, and then we'll try to find your mag boots," Sylvia replied calmly, giving Shauna a pat on the shoulder.

"Bridge, Engineering. Um, I'm gonna take the main drive offline until the grav problem gets fixed."

/* "Good idea, Shauna...I think we can rest easier knowing that we're not going to end up inadvertently breaching the dimensional boundaries, or worse. Bridge out," */ James agreed.

"Fifty-nine-seventeen? Are you functional?" Sylvia asked the SRB once the field producing the resonance string dissipated.

"Braa-ooo-deep."

"Hmm, I'll take that as a 'no'. Let's get you plugged back into your docking station, and I'll have Moira check you out, okay little guy?"

"Woo-e-erp."

Sylvia took SRB-5917 back to his docking station and plugged him in, and then asked Moira to run a diagnostic on him. While that was being done, Sylvia began searching through various lockers, storage bins, and other places that might hold a pair of Clydesdale-sized mag boots. After nearly twenty minutes, she finally found their hiding place.

"Ah, ha! There you are! Let's get you on your owner's feet so she'll quit abusing the SRBs and throwing fits."

"Miss Eriksson, I found your mag boots," Sylvia announced, holding them up for the Engineer to see. "They were in the Tool Crib, stuck to the bulkhead...holding up a coil of optic cabling."

"Oh, um...thanks," Shauna said with a fair amount of embarrassment.

/* "Sylvia?" */

"Yes, Moira?"

/* "SRB-5917 has sustained considerable damage. He will require immediate repairs if he is to perform his duties." */

"Poor little guy. If you have the servicing diagrams, and can show me where his spare parts are, I'll work on him while Miss Eriksson repairs the grav system."

"What? You know how to fix SRBs?" Shauna asked incredulously.

"I can do field repairs on a MK-23, Mod-7 Powered Assault Suit, and take apart and rebuild a sub-space transceiver, among other things," Sylvia replied, giving Shauna an annoyed look. "And in case you're interested, I have a degree in Sub-Space Dynamics with emphasis on Wavicle Propagation, Compression, and Encryption."

Shauna sat and stared at Sylvia, completely dumbfounded.

/* "Impressive, Sylvia. I will assist you with repairs to my SRB. Please bring him into Repair Bay Two." */

"Be there in a moment, Moira." Looking back at Shauna, Sylvia said, "Ma'am, you really should be ashamed with yourself for kicking fifty-nine-seventeen like that."

"He grabbed my tail!" Shauna snorted.

"He was just trying to help by keeping you from floating off, which you probably wouldn't have if you hadn't hurt him. He's been trying real hard to make you happy, and what does he get for it? Bullied and abused, that's what. Mighty big person it takes to beat up on a SRB." Sylvia's voice had a dangerous iciness to it.

"That's enough, Miss Stewert!" Shauna raised her voice, attempting to pull rank, even though Sylvia was right.

"Yes, it is, ma'am, enough abuse on fifty-nine-seventeen--who will be next after you destroy him in another fit of rage? Moira? One of us? Think on it. Now, excuse me while I fix him."

Sylvia didn't wait for Shauna to reply.

Shauna glared after the Comm Officer for a moment for daring to speak that way towards a superior, but only for a moment. She slumped in her chair and stared at the deck--Sylvia was right, there was no reason to have kicked SRB-5917 like she did just because he was just trying to be helpful. Shauna looked dolefully as Sylvia carried the SRB to the Electronics Repair Bay--Sylvia neither spoke nor looked at Shauna as she passed by.

Approximately an hour later, Shauna had the artificial gravity system repaired and online--it took Sylvia, with Moira's help, another hour and a half to finish repairs to SRB-5917. He came wheeling out with the other two SRBs in front of him--Sylvia hung back and watched with Moira's avatar.

"Um...hey guy, feeling better?" Shauna asked quietly.

"B-R-R-R-A-A-A-A-P!!!" SRBs 0266 and 5836 both said in unison, waving their tool arms at Shauna in a gesture to stay back.

Shauna slowly sat down cross-legged on the deck, drooping her ears.

"C'mon, guys, I just wanna say I'm sorry."

There was a flurry of noises between the three SRBs that carried on for nearly thirty seconds. When they abruptly stopped, 0266 and 5836 slowly moved aside to let 5917 come forward. When Shauna held her arms out, 5917 made a sound indicating uncertainty, and backed up a few centimeters. She lowered her arms and head.

"I-I guess I deserve that. I'm sorry for yelling at you, and for kicking you. It-it wasn't your fault. Something...some things that happened a long time ago, messed me up, broke something in me, and...I need fixing, only you can't fix me. It-it's not your fault..."

"WooOOoo," 5917 said softly, and then came forward slowly. Extending his four "climbing" legs, the bot gingerly crawled onto Shauna's lap.

Putting her arms around 5917 and hugging him close, Shauna whispered, "I'm sorry I hurt you, I really am."

Shauna sat there hugging and slightly rocking the bot, and a tear ran down her face. 5917 made some soft noises, and then his grasping arm extended, holding a shop rag up to Shauna's face, trying to wipe up the "leak".

Shauna's PAD beeped, so she pulled it out of her sleeve pocket. There was a message box that read,

"5917 fix leak, all better. We make ship jump now?"

"*Sniff* Heh, yeah, we can. You know, if Moira can love James, I guess I can try harder to be nice to you."

"WooOOoo."

5917 climbed down off of Shauna's lap and she stood up.

"Well, let's try this again, okay guy?"

He beeped happily and they started walking across Engineering--Shauna took a few steps and felt something touch her hand. Looking down, she saw 5917's grasping hand holding onto one of her two large fingers.

Despite the delay, the crew of Nightwing managed to make the rendezvous with Shadow Storm, SLG-75, on time. The two ships drew alongside one another and held their position while waiting for Night Spirit, SLG-74, to arrive. James and Moira's avatar transported over to Shadow Storm to meet Captain Michael Dugan, the pilot and commanding officer, and Leila, the Shadow Storm's A.I.

"Welcome aboard, James!" Captain Dugan greeted heartily, shaking James' hand.

"Thanks, Mike, great to see you again, buddy. How's Trix?"

"Heh, my lil' sis still swoons every time I mention that I've heard from you. You ought to pay her a visit next time you're home," Mike said with a wink.

"I just may. Geez, it's been awhile, eh?"

"Yeah, since that mission to Chandor IV. Hey, you ever hear from that little Corpsman gal..."

"Mindy Sorrel?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Heh, she's a chief now, and she's over on Nightwing as my medic."

"No way! Seriously?"

"Yep, why don't you have dinner with us tonight? I'm sure she'd love to see you again."

"Oh hell, man, you know me, never turn down a free meal!"

"Ha, unless it's that regurgitated mold crap the Zadori consider a delicacy!"

"Ooo, that stuff...ew! Yeah, you won't catch me touching that foul stuff!" Mike grimaced.

"Me, neither. It does make a pretty good insect repellant, though. You notice that they're never bothered by bugs."

"That's because they are bugs, tail-for-brains!" Mike exclaimed, slapping James on the shoulder. "Ah, geez, where's my manners?! James, this is Leila...well, her avatar, anyway. Leila, hon, this is my old friend, James Daugherty."

"We've met once, though not in person. It is a pleasure to meet you in the flesh, James," Leila said, giving James a hug.

"And you also, Leila," James greeted her warmly.

"Mike, this is Moira, and her avatar. Moira, this is Mike Dugan, we went to high school and the academy together," James said making the introductions.

Moira shook Mike's hand politely and said, "It is an honor to meet my sister's pilot, sir."

"Likewise," Mike said in return.

"Moira, my dear young sister," Leila greeted Moira with a kiss and a warm embrace.

"Leila, it is good to be with you again."

"Damn, James, they do make these avatars so freakin' real, don't they?" Mike sent privately.

"I'll find out just how real in a few days," James replied.

"Oh, yeah, you've got Commissioning Day coming up, don't you? Ooo, you're gonna be one worn out pup by the time all five of them get done with you."

"All...five?"

"Yeah, you have to prove yourself in bed with Lilith, Leila, Fey, and Cyrilla first, before you get to take Moira. I should feel jealous that you get to bone my Leila...actually, I almost feel sorry for ya man, because she will wear you out!"

"Hmm, well, can't be any worse than getting worked over by both Lilly and Tanya at the same time," James sent, fighting to stifle a laugh.

"Oh, yeah, that's right...is Lilly still the gorgeously hot skunk babe she's always been?"

"Yep, and Tanya's no slouch, either. Oh, but wait until you meet my Comm Off, Sylvia--she's a bat."

"Ye gods, man! Okay, it's official--I'm jealous! Have you taken her yet?"

"No, but she's wanting to, I'm pretty sure of it. Thing is, though, I know Lilith wants me--she's said so."

"Lilith...that's what this little excursion is about, isn't it?" Mike asked.

"Well, it's part of a bigger problem. How much did Admiral Donnelson tell you?"

"Enough to know something ugly is going on," Mike replied mentally. Aloud he said, "Let's go to my office."

Once they got settled in Mike's office, James and Moira filled him and Leila in on the rest, beginning with the incident back on the Fleet Operations Station with Captain Delaney, and ending with what happened on Proxima Station. Mike was stunned.

"Ye gods...I-I don't know what to say," Mike looked at Leila and held her hand, thinking about what had been done to her, as it had been done to all of the other avatars. He felt sorrow, shame, anger, regret, and disgust--sorrow, because she and the others had been made to endure such "testing"; shame, because it had been done by organic people; anger, because she had been violated; regret, because he couldn't have been there to stop it; and disgust, because it took sick individuals to do such things, even to avatars.

"Michael, what has been done is past history. What we can do is to see that the practice is stopped once and for all," Leila said quietly, placing her other hand on top of his.

"As soon as we get back, Admiral Donnelson, Moira, and I are going to have a bit of a chat with those jokers," James stated.

"Damn right we are!"

Mike jumped to his feet and began pacing, his ears laid back and his tail bristling.

"We all should go there, all five crews and our ladies' avatars. I've got a gal pal in JAGC who would probably like to run with this. We gotta see justice done!"

"I agree, Mike. Actually, that's not a bad idea, having all five crews going along, because if you think of it, one of each of our crews has been violated, and we take care of our own. I'll have Sylvia put a call through to the other ships and arrange for all of us to meet somewhere, and then we tell them what happened. Bring your friend from JAGC in on this, too. Moira, this may be asking a lot, but would you be willing to provide a written account of what was done to you, by whom if you know, and how it made you feel?" James asked.

She tilted her head for a moment, and said, "Done. Would you like for me to send a copy to Admiral Donnelson as well?"

"Wait on that a bit, dear. Leila, would you and your other sisters be willing to provide a written statement?"

"If it will help put an end to the practice, yes, I will certainly do so. I will contact our other sisters and explain the situation to them."

"Thanks, Leila. Have all of the statements sent to Moira; Moira, when you have them all, save a copy to a data chip and we'll take it to the admiral. If we can make a case, we'll get FIS , the CNO, the feds, and anyone else it takes," James said.

"And if nobody wants to play...?" Mike asked.

"Then we'll deal with it our own way."

"James, are you proposing violence?" Moira asked with concern.

"Not necessarily. Quiet intimidation would work--the next time they're about to do a final Q.A. inspection on an avatar's body, they get unexpected company. They know damn well how fast and how strong you ladies are, and if other avatars should show up--along with a number of fleet types, and maybe a few squads of Spec War folks--I don't think those Q.A. guys will dare do anything inappropriate. Besides, we can put the weight of our minds on them. In fact, we can all do that when we pay them our visit," James explained.

"I do like how that brain of yours works, ol' friend," Mike grinned ferally.

"James," Leila began, standing up and walking over to put her hands on either side of his face, "you would do all of this for us?"

"Absolutely," James replied.

James thought he saw something in Leila's expression--an emotion of...what?

"May I kiss you?" she asked softly.

James shot a quick look to Mike, who grinned and gave a slight nod of his head.

"If Moira doesn't mind..."

"She is my sister, James, we...share...," Moira said, standing behind James and wrapping her arms around his waist.

For an android avatar, Leila Shadow Storm is one hot, sexy, black wolfess, and she gave James a very passionate kiss.

Captain Mike Dugan and Leila's avatar had dinner that evening aboard Nightwing--or rather, Mike had dinner while Leila sat beside him and joined in the conversation. Tanya, as James expected, bristled when she first saw Leila--two wolf females in the same space--however, when Leila did not respond as a typical biological wolf female would, it threw her. Leila didn't raise her hackles, stiffen her walk, or do anything to show possessiveness of her mate--not even raise her tail. It was as if she was totally oblivious to the usual wolf body language...or else didn't care. If anything, Leila seemed to act very much like Moira, only a little more...mature or experienced, perhaps? Tanya wasn't really sure. In fact, Tanya mentioned this to James privately.

"Hey, have you noticed that Leila doesn't act much like a wolf? She looks like one, but she acts like Moira."

"Hmm, hadn't really noticed. She moves like you do, though," James replied.

"Well of course she does, she's got the body...but she didn't act like she should have when we met. You know how I get whenever another wolf female gets near you."

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious, Tan."

"Exactly. Every wolf female gets a bit aggressive towards another one who gets near their mate, just as the males do to other males who get near their mates. You've done it yourself."

"I thought that was generally during mating season, Tan."

"It's more noticeable then, but you still do it whenever any male takes any interest in either me or Lilly."

"Hmm, I guess you do have a point. Even humans tend to get possessive a bit like that."

"Moira and Leila didn't."

It was a very interesting observation that Tanya had made, so James filed it away in his mind so that he would remember to look for it in the other avatars, especially Lilith.

As wolf G.E.L.F.s go, Mike has always been easy going, though when he feels the need, he can be rather intimidating. A little taller than average, Mike Dugan is nearly as tall as James. They met during their freshman year in high school, and have been friends since. They both flew PCGs during the R'Hinsa Campaign, serving in the same squadron. There was a happy reunion when Mike met the now CPO, Mindy Sorrel. Mike had flown close support when James landed his PCG to pick up Mindy and the other survivors and dead of the ill-fated rescue attempt of the downed assault craft that the marine officer on the Fleet Operations Station was on. He was one of the only three survivors of the incident--Mindy being one of the other two. Upon meeting Sylvia, Mike was floored on two counts--one was the typical reaction many have when meeting her for the first time, and the other was when he learned that she was part of the Special Warfare team that James had dropped prior to picking up the dead and wounded.

"Damn, James, this is like old homecoming week or something! It seems like I know, or know of, about half the crew on this ship," Mike said with a laugh.

"Actually...I think you do. I know you've met my Engineer before," James grinned.

"I do?"

"Oh, yeah. Remember that night in the 'Flying A' bar on Proxima...the Zadori officer who got rude with the mare, and got his ass punted for a field goal?" James asked with a sly grin.

"Ha! How could I forget that night! I just love a good fight, and that was paws down, the best bar brawl we've ever been in!" Mike laughed.

James grinned and made a little pointing gesture towards Shauna.

"No...way...," Mike said quietly in near awe.

"In the flesh, my friend."

Privately Mike said, "I heard a rumor that you and she spent the night together..."

"We did," James sent back still grinning.

"And?"

"And...we did."

"James, you old horn dog, you!"

"Heh, she's got it bad for me, Mikey...Shauna wants to be with me."

"Gods, man...I've never heard of a mare G.E.L.F. wanting to be with one of us normal-sized guys."

"Yeah, ne neither. She wants me as much as Moira does," James agreed.

"Oh, geez...buddy, your cousin Lilly ought to be enough for any guy, let alone her, Tanya, your mare, and Moira to boot!"

"Speaking of avatars, what's it like being with Leila, if you don't mind me asking?"

"She's a bit different than a...er, I wanna say 'real' gal, but that wouldn't be right--she's real enough in her own way, just not...a flesh and blood person, I guess. Anyway, if Moira is anything like Leila or their sisters, she will fuck your brains out! The only thing with Leila, though, is that I really miss not having a real wolf's scent coming from her."

"Hmm, yeah, I've noticed that. Can they 'get off'?"

"Yeah, but again, it's not quite the same. They don't get juicy, and it's always the same level--medium. It's never little ones and really big ones. Oh, and when they're cleaning themselves out afterwards, it's pretty strange. They drink a soapy liquid that kind of foams, then they run a long swab down their throat, and then they run the swab up their butt to clean out the other end. When they're done scrubbing, then they flush it all out. At least they keep themselves clean--avatars seem quite particular about that."

"I guess that's good to know. Say, do they get possessive at all around other females?" James asked, remembering what Tanya had noticed earlier.

"Not that I've noticed so far. Leila doesn't seem to mind my girlfriend, though Leila will say that she's mine and that I'm hers."

"Are you still with Abby?"

"Yeah."

"Were you going with her before you were assigned to Shadow Storm?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering if that makes any difference. I told Moira up front that I've been with Lilly and Tanya for a long time, and that we're planning on getting married. Moira also knows about Shauna, too, so she has to consider that."

"Hmm, maybe. Hey, how come they made Moira's avatar look human? Didn't the A.I. folks know your tastes in women?"

"Good freakin' question, mike...I don't know. I've told Moira that I've never been with a human woman before. She's got a great body, I gotta admit, and damned real looking...all the way down to her pube hairs."

"Don't tell me you..."

"No, I haven't boned her, though I damned near munched her muff. She can be a hell of a tease, though. We had a little holo-chat with Lilith that night, which is how I found out about Ethanridge."

"Did Lilith set you straight on things?"

"Yeah, I specifically asked what's permissible and what isn't--she was nice about it, though."

"That's good," Mike sent with relief. "That's one line you don't want to cross with them."

"I gathered that. Moira really wanted to take me, but yet she acted, well, afraid," James sent.

"Hey, what did Lilith say when she told you that she wants you?" Mike asked out of curiosity.

"Well, she said, 'I will have you in me,' and...let's see now, something like, 'I'll have your affections, if not your love, and you'll have mine,' and then she felt me up."

Mike stared at James.

"Jeezers, she does want you! I wouldn't be surprised if she turns Moira's Commissioning Day into a double ceremony, giving herself to you. The pilot she was meant for was killed before she could be with him, and Ethanridge outright refused her. Then you come along like the proverbial knight in shining armor set to avenge the wrongs. Man, you're either a glutton for punishment, or you're a stud-muffin."

James shook his head at the ancient Terran term.

"Probably more the former, than the later, Mike."

"Ha, that sounds like the James I know!"

Later that evening, James stopped into the crew's mess to get a cup of coffee. Shauna was sitting at her table nursing a glass of apple cider.

"Hey, Shauna."

"Hey."

When she didn't say anything else, it got James' curiosity up. He brought his cup over and sat down next to Shauna--they were the only two in there, so he slipped an arm around her waist.

"What's up?" he asked quietly.

It took a few seconds for Shauna to speak.

"Got a little time for a friend? I...I could use a...a guy friend," she replied hesitantly.

"Sure, your place or mine?"

"Mine...if you don't mind."

"Okay, let's go."

James walked with Shauna to her quarters, which is not far from the crew's mess. When they got in her stateroom, she put her juice bottle on the desk and sat on her rack.

"Any chance we could...get comfy? I mean, if you've got time?" Shauna asked softly.

Setting his cup down, James said, "Sure, I've got time. Want me to get the legs?"

"Yeah...that'd be nice."

James knelt down and unzipped the leg openings of Shauna's uniform, stopping to run his fingers through the feathering around her ankles.

"Ever thought of letting these grow out more?"

"You really like them, don't you?" Shauna asked.

"Yeah, there's just something about your feathering that looks...so...sexy."

Shauna grinned a little and said, "Maybe...for you, I might."

She unzipped the rest of her uniform and worked her arms out of the sleeves, letting the upper half fall away.

"It's funny...everybody looks at my tits or my ass, and you notice my feathering."

"Yeah, so I'm just a little different," James said, sticking his tongue out playfully.

She gently touched the side of his face with her large, three-digit hand, and said softly, "You are at that."

Shauna held her hand to James' face for a few more seconds and quietly sighed. She stood slowly and he helped her get her uniform the rest of the way off. James smelled her scent as it wafted up, filling his sensitive nose, as he helped Shauna out of her skivvies. It took him a little bit to get out of his own uniform, which he carefully set aside, and then joined Shauna under the covers.

"What do you feel like doing?" James asked, gently stroking the side of her face.

"Just hold me...for now."

After a few minutes James asked mentally, "Shauna...are you okay?" the concern was apparent in his sending.

"I...I hurt fifty-nine-seventeen."

James didn't say anything right away; he just kept stroking her face and neck.

"Sylvia...she fixed him up, but she told me off...and...I deserved it. I had a talk with him later...held him, and told him I was sorry. He pulled out a rag and wiped a tear from my face...and then he...held my hand."

"Shauna...?"

"Yeah?"

"Why the anger?"

"He grabbed my tail..."

"Why the anger?"

"Told you..."

"No, you didn't. The Zadori who grabbed your ass, you almost killed him. Fifty-nine-seventeen, in typical computer fashion, took what you said literally, and you ran away from him, scared shitless. He tries to keep you from floating off, knowing that you'd end up gravitating towards the core while it was active, and grabbed a hold of you the only place he could--your tail--and you kick him across Engineering like a football. You told me that I was the only guy you've been with since high school, and the first one you let touch your backside. All this adds up."

Shauna was silent.

"Shauna...do you trust me?" James sent gently.

"Yeah."

"Tell me about it."

"Do...do I have to?"

"Well, I'll put it to you this way--you can either tell me while we're like this, or I put that uniform back on and we discuss it in my office with Chief Sorrel. I'd rather we talk about it here, like this, just the two of us, friend to friend."

After a few moments, Shauna sent, "I-I've never...told anyone..."

Sensing the strong emotions she was feeling, James kissed Shauna on the lips.

"I know it's hard, Shauna. I'm here...let me help if I can. I care about you--a lot. Join with me..."

Shauna closed her eyes and nodded her head slightly, swallowing hard. As he had with Mindy, James locked minds with her and together they shared her memories, going all the way back to her early childhood. Back they went to her parent's house and her life there, her mother leaving, and her uncaring father. They went on to when Shauna moved in with her grandparents, the suspicious, untimely death of her grandfather, and her grandmother's hasty remarriage. Things became extremely difficult when they examined Shauna's painful memories of the things her step-grandfather did to her--sometimes while her grandmother watched, and even held her down as he did terrible things. James understood now the source of Shauna's anger, and why she ran from SRB-5917 when he took what she said literally and made the huge dildo. Shauna still had another unpleasant memory to share, and that was of the one boy in high school that she dated for a time--until he tried to force himself on her. She had grown up without the love of family, and few if any early childhood friends. At least her foster family tried to give Shauna a measure of proper family life, even though they had no idea what she had been through, and therefore had difficulty understanding her. James carefully worked his way deeper into Shauna's mind, sharing of himself with her as he went. He showed Shauna the love between him, Lilly, and Tanya, and invited her into their embrace.

"Let us love you, Shauna, let us share our ancestor's gift with you. Come home to where it began."

"James...I...I do love you."

"Hold on to that, Shauna, let the rest go. Feel my--our--love, find peace within it."

"James...take me, please? I...I want to be yours. I want so much to be yours."

"Shauna, you know that you'll have to share me with--and be shared by--Lilly and Tanya."

"Yeah, I know."

"It's going to get more complicated with adding Moira."

"Yeah. James?"

"Yeah?"

"I still want to be yours."

"Do you accept me, Lilly, and Tanya...and Moira when she joins us?"

"Yes...I accept this."

"Let me call them."

"Okay."

"Lil? Tanya?"

"Yeah, Jamie?"

"I'm here, baby."

"Shauna wants to join us. I've asked her if she accepts us, and she does. Can you come to her quarters?"

"Yeah, be there in a min," Lilly replied.

"Sure, baby. Want me to have Moira join us?" Tanya asked.

"Sure, Tan, might as well."

Tanya, Lilly, and Moira's avatar entered the compartment a short while later.

"I told Moira what was up," Tanya said quietly.

"Okay, so you all know about it now. Shauna accepts being with us...do you accept her into our family?" James asked, making eye contact with Lilly, Tanya, and Moira's avatar.

"Yeah, I do," Lilly agreed, unzipping her uniform, and started to take it off.

"This is gonna be weird at first, but...I accept her, too," Tanya agreed, proceeding to remove her own uniform.

"Moira?" James asked, seeing the hesitation in her expression.

"My original programming was to be only yours, James. However, it seems that my designers failed to account for your situation. If I am to be yours, James, then I must accept and adapt. Question: Lilly, Tanya, and Shauna, will you also accept me into your family unit?"

"What a bunch, huh, Jamie? We gotta near human, a skunk, a wolf, a Clydesdale, and a ship's A.I.--we're gonna need a bigger house...and a huge garage!" Lilly smirked. To Moira she said, "Yeah, like Tanya said, it's gonna be weird at first, sharing our bed with our ship, but...if my Jamie can deal with it, then I s'pose I can, too. Um, I hope you don't mind getting' naked with the rest of us."

Moira looked at James for a visual cue.

"Uh, gals...until Moira's commissioning, we can only touch, hold, hug, and kiss her--no sticking anything in her, period. Don't even think about it. Moira, if you want to, that would be great, though I'll understand if you don't want to," James said.

"If this is your custom, then I will participate--with the one restriction, until I am allowed to participate fully," Moira agreed.

"So...you don't mind if...we kinda...help you outta your uniform?" Lilly asked Moira softly, standing almost against her front.

"You may touch me as James would. May I touch you in return?" Moira asked.

"Yeah, you can, just like we do each other, right, Tan?"

"Yeah. You know, this is going to be different, touching another female...with no fur," Tanya said.

"Perhaps no more so for me to touch any female--other than my sisters, of course," Moira agreed.

"You have sex with your sisters?" Lilly asked with surprise.

"I don't think she meant it like that, Lil...you've got to remember, Moira and her avatar were designed to be with me. Avatars don't get all touchy-feely with anyone but their pilots, and as far as her sisters are concerned, they're just that--they're family," James said.

"We're family, Jamie...," Lilly started to say.

"Yeah, but we're second cousins, Lil, not brother and sister--big difference," James interrupted.

"Jamie...," Lilly sent privately to him, "...what if we had been? Would we have..."

"Let's not go there, Lil," James sent firmly. "This is Shauna's night, remember?"

"Okay. Yeah."

When Moira's avatar was finally out of her uniform--with a little help from Lilly and Tanya, they joined Shauna and James in bed. There wasn't much room, given Shauna's size, with Tanya against the bulkhead, then Shauna, James, Moira, and Lilly, who kept an arm and leg wrapped around Moira to keep from falling off the edge.

"We're definitely going to need a bigger bed, Jamie," Lilly chuckled.

"Yep, I think so. Moira, I don't suppose you'd mind if we remodel my cabin to accommodate all of us..."

"Not at all, James. When Shauna has the time, perhaps she and I can design a new bed. I will put an order in for the materials, and have the SRBs build it."

"I'll see what I can come up with," Shauna agreed. In almost a whisper, she asked, "James...um, how are we going to...I've never done it like this...except..."

"I know, Shauna," James said, kissing her on the lips, feeling the velvety softness of her nose against his face. "How do you want me?" he asked, kissing her again, this time slipping his tongue into her mouth.

"Mmm...lick me, and then...take me, human style."

"You got it, babe," James said still sucking on her thick tongue.

James slowly and purposefully kissed and nibbled his way from Shauna's mouth, along her cheek, down her neck, stopping to give proper attention to her large breasts. After several minutes with each, he continued working his way down to her waist. From there, James elected to "take the scenic route", by kissing and nibbling down Shauna's right leg all the way to the top edge of her hoof, before working back up her exquisitely toned leg along the inside of her thigh. Ever so gently, James teasingly kissed the outside of Shauna's opening, giving it the lightest of slow licks as he could. Shauna moaned and grabbed the bottom sheet of her bed in her hands.

"Ooo, James...you damn tease! Eat me already!" she groaned.

"Nuh, uh...," he smirked, repeating the entire process down and back up her left leg.

"Ye gods, he's driving me nuts!" Shauna exclaimed in a near whisper.

"*Giggle!* That's the whole idea...and Jamie's really good at it!" Lilly intimated. "See what you got to look forward to, Moira?"

"James has given me an abbreviated demonstration--it was nearly my undoing," Moira replied quietly.

"I'd like to lick you...," Lilly whispered into the ear of Moira's avatar, and then to make her point, Lilly lightly licked Moira's neck.

"Unfortunately, there is not enough space available on this bed to explore that experience at the moment," Moira said quietly.

"Yeah, I guess...maybe we could later?" Lilly suggested, giving Moira's neck a kiss.

"That would be acceptable, Lilly."

James slowly inserted his long wolf-like tongue as far as he could into Shauna's vagina, and sucked as he pulled it back in, causing Shauna to quiver.

"Oh GAWDS James!" she exclaimed with a slight whinny, thrusting her hips into his face.

Grinning, James took his time performing oral sex on Shauna, drawing out the experience as long as he could. When she was close to peaking, James got on top of Shauna and entered her.

"Oh...James...make me...yours! I want you!"

"Almost...there, Shauna..."

"James, I-I'm...it's...oh, gawds, NOW!"

He exploded inside her, shooting his load as deep as he could into Shauna's depths. She came hard, the hardest she ever has so far since they first had sex. Not being an equine, there was no way James could fill much of Shauna, but she didn't care--he is the only male she trusts to give her love to, and she gave herself to James completely, and she was accepted willingly, totally.

"James...I...love you!" Shauna sent, being too out of breath to say it aloud.

"I love you, too, Shauna, we all do," James sent back.

"Yeah, Shauna, I love you," Lilly sent happily, reaching over Moira to touch her.

"I love you, too, Shauna," Tanya added, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

When Shauna looked at Moira, James said, "She can't hear our thoughts. Moira, Lilly, Tanya, and I have all told Shauna that we love her using our telepathic ability, because only truth can be sent. How do you feel about her?"

Moira's avatar lightly touched Shauna's face with her hand and said, "I do love James in the way my kind can feel love for another. It is through James that I am able to extend and expand my love to include his biological mates. If I understand the significance of this particular act correctly, then you are now one of James' biological mates. Therefore, I shall, through my love for James, love you as well," and with that, Moira kissed Shauna's cheek.

"Heh, welcome to my pack, Shauna Eriksson," James smiled broadly and then kissed her deeply.

The next morning, ship's time, Moira woke James up promptly at 0600 so that he could start his day. Night Spirit was scheduled to arrive at the rendezvous point by 1000, and James wanted to have everyone on both Nightwing and Shadow Storm ready. James, Lilly, and Tanya went back to his cabin to shower and dress in clean uniforms, Moira went off to her cubicle in the computer core to do what she needed to do, and Shauna gave herself a thorough scrubbing in her shower. She never had so much sex in one night in her whole life--between James getting off in her three times, and then having both Lilly and Tanya going down on her while she did her best to suck James off--it was quite a night. Moira did no more than feel Shauna's body, and give a few exploratory kisses. At breakfast, Shauna noted the large amount of food James and Tanya ate, most of which was meat and eggs with cheese. Shauna was content to munch her usual bowl of oats, alfalfa sprouts, and chunks of apple, along with water and coffee.

When the crew was finishing their breakfast, James got their attention, and filled them in on what was to happen today. Over on Shadow Storm, Captain Dugan was doing the same.

"We're going to have to do a little unpleasant business today," James started. "At 1000 this morning, Night Spirit, SLG-74, is scheduled to meet us here. Our task is to escort Night Spirit to the F.O.S., where Admiral Donnelson will meet us. Captain Dale Ethanridge, currently commanding Night Spirit, is to be relieved of his duties pending an investigation into his conduct and certain affiliations. In case he attempts to override his ship's A.I. and make a run for it, or do something else that he shouldn't, I've been given orders to make sure he can't. Moira, as soon as you can establish direct comms with Lilith herself, pipe me through to her. Shauna, keep the secondary drive ready, and the main drive in hot standby. Sonya, how good are you at quickly plucking individuals out of close quarters with the M.T. ?"

"Sir, I can snatch an egg from a Zadori hive, if you need me to," she replied with a grin.

James grinned, too, and said, "Let's hope we don't have to try that. Okay, here's the plan--as soon as Night Spirit returns to normal space, I say a few words to Lilith, Sonya, you transport Ethanridge over to Nightwing, and have Canberra and McElroy with stunners standing by, just in case. Make sure he's not packing anything. As soon as he's secure, we will make the jump back to home world and deliver him to the admiral."

"So, we're taking him into custody, correct?" Zach asked.

"Correct, and the authorization comes directly from the CNO," James replied.

The crew exchanged surprised looks--a high-level order such as that must be very serious.

At 1008 hours, Zach called out, "Hyperspace tunnel endpoint forming at prescribed coordinates...a ship's coming through. It's the Night Spirit."

"Moira, get me Lilith now!"

/* "Connection established, James." */

"Lilith Night Spirit, this is Daugherty, James, Captain S.F.S. Nightwing, SLG-78. A.I. Master Command Override Code ZOO-LOO, ZERO, ZERO, NINER, AL-FA, TANG-GO, WUN, FI-YIV, ECKS-RAY, OSS-CAH, SEVEN, FO-WER, ZOO-LOO(4) . Accept!"

There was a pause of a few seconds, but then finally, /* "Override command accepted. James, I am now yours to command--what do you wish for me to do?" */

James and the others on the bridge were relieved.

"Lilith, where is Captain Ethanridge now?" James asked, glancing towards Zach.

/* "He is in the pilot's chair at the moment." */

"We're transporting him here...standby."

Zach sent the target location to Sonya, who initiated transport.

/* "Transport room to bridge. We've got 'im...and he's about as happy as a kitty in cold bath water." */

"Understood. Please escort out 'guest' to the brig."

/* "And if he resists?" */ Sonya asked almost playfully.

"Follow standard procedure, Miss Redhill. Bridge out." James glanced over to Sylvia and said, "Miss Stewert, get me Captain Dugan, please."

"Onscreen, sir," she replied as Mike's image appeared.

/* "James, we detected the transport--do you have him?" */

"Yep, he's on his way to the brig, if he's not already there by now."

/* "Good. You folks ready to head home?" */ Mike asked.

"Think so. I'll contact Night Spirit to let them know what's going on, and have them stay between us."

/* "Rodger that, James. Let me know when to punch it. Shadow Storm out." */

"I've got a Commander Sochilini online, sir...he's the navigator on Night Spirit," Sylvia announced.

"Put him through, Miss Stewert."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Good morning, commander. Sorry about the quick snatching of your CO--I've been ordered by the CNO himself to relieve Captain Ethanridge of his command and take control of his ship's A.I. Moira, please send a copy of the orders to Commander Sochilini."

/* "Done, James." */

/* "Captain Daugherty, this is...quite a relief, actually. Sudden, but..." */

"Understood, commander. We are to escort Night Spirit back to the F.O.S. Your crew will be debriefed on arrival. Lilith is now following my orders--prepare to make the jump to Sol System; signal when ready. Nightwing out."

James visibly relaxed in his pilot's seat, and Tanya reached over and held his hand.

"We're ready to go, James. I've got the course set in the navigation system...we can go at any time."

"Thanks, Tan."

/* "James?" */ it was Lilith's voice over the speaker.

"Yes, Lilith?"

/* "Thank you..." */

"You're welcome, Lilith."

/* "James, my crew reports ready to execute jump. I await your command," */ Lilith said the last in an almost sultry voice, which caused Tanya to roll her eyes.

Opening the All Call circuit, James announced, "All hands, prepare to make jump."

When they were ready a few moments later, James issued the command to go.

"All ships...jump!"

---

(1) JAGC - Judge Advocate General Corps.

(2) FIS - Fleet Investigative Service

(3) M.T. - Matter Teleporter.

(4) Spoken in the international phonetic alphabet; it reads as "Z009AT15XO74Z"