Chapter 16

Alex blinked as he woke, taking a deep breath as he yawned. He slowly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, looking down to the women nestled in his arms. Nats and Kas had been damn near insatiable last night! He smiled as he sighed at the memory of what they got up to. He would have been happy to stay there all morning and have a lie in with these fantastic women. But he had an Alliance to run and a ship to maintain.

As gently as he could manage, Alex carefully extricated himself from both women and headed to the bathroom. He felt much better after emptying his bladder and walked over to the shower. He then jumped for a moment, sensing that someone was there, but relaxed the moment he saw that it was his lovers.

“Just how long have you two been standing there?” Alex questioned.

“Long to know that you weren’t coming back to bed. So, we will be joining you in the shower mister, like it or not,” Kasumi informed him with a smirk.

“Oh I likes, very much!” Alex replied with a grin.

Natalya rolled her eyes while she smiled, sauntering up to Alex. She put her arms around his neck, while drawing him into a kiss, pressing her nude body into his. Alex responded to the kiss, wrapping his arms around the woman, while his hands took hold of her plushy ass. She moaned at the touch, then broke the kiss before letting Kasumi take her place.

“My turn.”

Alex just smiled as he kissed Kasumi, moaning as she pushed Alex against the wall, nearly humping the poor man in her eagerness. He chuckled at Kas’ vehemence, before he swatted her rear, causing her to yip, breaking the kiss. She looked up at her man, annoyance flashing across her beautiful face.

“Later Kasumi. Right now, we have responsibilities to attend to. Don’t worry, I have every intention of playing catch up, when we have more time to ourselves,” he promised.

“Good boy. I hope that means some one on one time?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course! I wouldn’t be a very good boyfriend if I neglected the needs of my ladies, now would I?” he responded, opening his arms in invitation. Kasumi took the invite and hugged her boyfriend, snuggling into his chest. She was joined a moment later by Natalya, who nestled herself in his other arm and sighed.

“You know Kas, we really should have some time you know. Just us girls,” Nats said as she fixed the redheaded woman with a meaningful look.

“Oh? You two started something between yourselves then?” Alex wondered, a little surprised at this.

“How do you think we came to an agreement about sharing you, sir?” Natalya asked with a pump of her eyebrows.

“Why? Are you against such things, sir?” Kas asked him with a pout.

“Not at all! Just a little surprised is all!” he responded honestly.

“How about we up the ante?” Nats asked.

“What do you mean?”

“A little surprise for you, after the day’s business is done, sir,” Natalya told him cryptically.

With that she said no more and stepped under the falling hot water, with Kasumi joining her. Smiling and shaking his head at the two audacious women, Alex joined his ladies and got cleaned up. Though he didn’t mind the smell of sex on him, he had a job to do and he wouldn’t be able to do it and be taken seriously, if he reeked of love juices.

He scrubbed himself up until both his hair and skin squeaked, as did his ladies. After they were finished, they all filed out and got dressed. Both women had already thought ahead and brought a work uniform, stowing it in the Commodore’s closet. He looked over at the clothes, then back to the women, who smiled tremulously. Though they were officially together now, Kas and Nats hoped they weren’t going too far, too fast.

“If you two are going to be spending a lot of time here in the evening and sleep hours, it makes sense to have something here for you. Can’t very well have you prancing about in the buff around the ship,” Alex said with a smile. They both squeed in joy and hugged their boyfriend, cooing as they did so.

“We should probably head on to the mess if we’re going to get anything to eat,” Kas said as her stomach rumbled.

“I second that motion,” Alex stated as his middle felt hollow and needed to be filled with food. The three of them got dressed and headed out of his quarters and walked over to the Officer’s Mess. They arrived in the room to find it empty, but the main table had some food left behind on it. There were some breakfast burritos, hot coffee and orange juice, which the trio happily dug into.

“Seems like the Commander anticipated our late start this morning,” Alex commented.

“Well, after all the teasing Mama did last night, it was kind of a given that we would be double teaming you, sir,” Nats said warmly.

“We should get a move on to the shipwright sector and get the Hephaestus started. With the new materials on board, how long do you figure before its ready?” Kas asked her friend, as she poured coffee and OJ into a couple of tumblers.

“Construction should be done today, and we’ll test it through the night. If all goes well, it should be ready to fly tomorrow morning,” Natalya replied.

“I know that Commander Sunara will be pleased to hear this. I’ll update her on that and you two keep us posted on its progress,” Alex told them.

“Yes, sir!” the women chirped with a salute. They then turned and left; arms laden with breakfast as they made their way to the monorail station. Alex couldn’t help but get an eyeful of their well-formed posteriors, remembering how it felt to hold them both. Smirking to himself, he took his food in hand and made his way to the bridge, eating on the way.

Alex allowed his thoughts to drift to the night before, and to what he said to both women. Though it was unexpected, he was sure in heart that he loved them both. The odd thing was, that he didn’t love Kasumi or Natalya more than the other, but equally. It was a strange, but thrilling feeling to have, one he was more than eager to explore.

He was also certain of their love for him, as his declaration had caught them both off guard. Almost instantly, they both responded in ways that affirmed their feelings for him, and that they were real. Alex shook his head and smiled, a bit overwhelmed by how much he could feel, but enjoying it all the same. He sighed happily, feeling the sensation of pure bliss washing over him.

The elevator dinged in its arrival, the doors opening to admit him to the bridge. Alex looked down and saw that he’d devoured both breakfast burritos and decimated the OJ. He finished the last dregs of it as he stepped out onto the bridge and started into his coffee. He saw that Inari, Priya, Luminia were there, chattering with both Jaesa and Stanley.

“Commodore on deck!” Inari called out as she saw him enter and everyone snapped to attention.

“As you were,” Alex stated as he ambled over. “So Stanley, I take it that being aboard the Perseus is better than the Columbus in its current state?”

“Very much so sir! Thank you for allowing me to be installed onto the Perseus! The amount of space aboard its computers is amazing!” the VI enthused. “That and the company is appreciated! I may be a Virtual Intelligence, but there were times in programming where I ... missed ... interacting with sentient beings.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

“Sir, might I ask what the state of Hephaestus is? I know that you and your ... ladies have just gotten up, but any news on it would be a blessing!” Inari said, almost pleading with the Commodore.

“Be at ease Commander. Both Captain McKenzie and Lt. Commander Vostrikov are in the process of constructing the frigate now. Natalya was kind enough to tell me that it should be done today and ready by tomorrow morning. I have instructed both women to keep us appraised of their progress,” Alex told her.

“Thank you, sir! Might I go and see the construction of the new ship myself?” she wondered anxiously.

“Have at it, Commander. We don’t have any obligations to head down planetside right away, so there is time. Just be sure to report to the Officer’s mess by twelve hundred hours. We will discuss additional plans by then,” he told her.

“Sir, yes sir!” she saluted before turning about to leave.

“So, I am guessing that Taal’ani is over in the archives?” Alex asked Pree and Lumi.

“Yes sir! Talon has her hands full doing the information transfer from the library we recovered. It’s nearly twenty percent done and there is a lot of data to comb through,” Priya informed him.

“And your people Luminia? Any word on how they’re handling this?”

“I spoke with my mother and several chiefs this morning; with a communicator I have given her. Most of the Artucian are with us on holding onto the information, as they consider it dangerous knowledge for anyone to have. The small group that supports Vahltiem seems to have shrunk, as the reality of what happened has sunk in,” Lumi responded.

“That and I’m guessing their wives cuffed some sense into them?” Alex asked while keeping a straight face. Lumi snorted, some of the tea she was drinking squirting out of her nose. She quickly picked up a napkin and mopped her mess while giggling the whole time. Pree was clutching her sides, she was laughing so hard!

“I think you’re right! How did you guess that?” Lumi stuttered, still laughing out the side of her mouth.

“My adoptive father often had ideas of what he should do about certain things or situations. Those two women who taught me how to cook, they would often stop by our home for dinner and were like mothers to me. If they heard an idea he had that they approved, they let him do it. If it was a bad idea, then he was often bullied or browbeaten into submission and would often abandon it,” Alex replied, chuckling at the memory.

“Wasn’t he a ... Commodore, like you?” Lumi wondered.

“He was, but when it came to dealing with women who were his friends and family, he dared not even try to exert his authority over them. Doing so would lead in him into trouble that he could not maneuver his way out of,” Alex explained.

“Men often need a woman to help guide them Lumi. They sometimes get crazy ideas in their heads that often need to be knocked out them,” Priya said, snickering.

“A wise man listens, while the foolish man acts,” Alex stated, remembering the mantra Neville Hamilton had drilled into him.

“Your adoptive father was a smart man!” Pree said with a nod.

“But that didn’t mean that he didn’t get into his share of trouble,” Alex smirked. The women giggled some more at this remark. It seems that all men, no matter the species, would always find their way into trouble.

“By the way, where are Korsa and Shazza?” he asked.

“Oh, they’re down in Hydroponics, collecting food for something Inari has in mind for later tonight,” Pree informed him.

“Sentries could have easily been assigned to do that,” Alex responded, confused.

“The tests that Korsa wanted to run are finished and it’s just a matter of waiting on the computer to spit out the results. They were both idle anyways and were in need of something to do,” Lumi told him. Alex nodded thoughtfully, figuring that was a sensible answer, before going back to more important matters of the Perseus.

Korsa and Shazza were enjoying their sojourn through the forest that was Hydroponics. Since coming back to full power, the whole area has since blossomed. The various dead and complied plant matter had since been cleaned up and remade into mulch for the growing ones. New saplings and seedlings had since been planted, clearing away the old stale air and cleaning it up.

Shazza admired all the hard work that had gone into this place. It truly was a place of wonder and beauty now, with everything green and growing. All traces of rot and decay had been scrubbed and now, it was like something out her own dreams. Though she had been enslaved to do her Lord’s bidding, Shazza still maintained some thoughts of her own.

Seeing a place like this, so vibrant and full of life, had been something she had wished to see. Most of Shazza’s life had been occupied by training, killing and war, a never-ending vicious cycle. Now that she could see the brighter side of it in person, she was sure that she would never go back to what she was.

She was enjoying herself a mandarin orange, strolling with Korsa, picking up the items on the list Inari had given them. Korsa held a pair of baskets, while Shazza carried one and they were slowly filling up. Both women couldn’t help but snack on some of the fruit and veg as they walked along. Though at peace with herself and what she had done, Shazza was in a state of inner turmoil.

Since the night of the orgy, in which she enjoyed many of the ladies aboard in a carnal way, has had her conflicted. Shazza felt herself drawn to some in such a way that she never thought possible. Since she lost Palesia in the attack which trapped her aboard, she had felt empty, hollow. Now, those feelings had returned, rekindled.

Try as she might, Shazza couldn’t fight or deny the return of these emotions. Despite her best efforts, she could slowly feel herself being drawn to them. She felt that it was a crush, her mind’s way to rationalize her attraction. Though if Shazza was being fully honest with herself, it ran much deeper than that.

Shazza had confided in these feelings to one of them, that woman being Korsa. That night, Korsa had also admitted to being drawn to Shazza, which soon resulted in them consummating their attraction. Though she was currently with one of the women she was attracted to, there were still two others she wanted.

Obviously, there was the handsome and dashing Commodore, Alexander Tomisic. His calm and gentle demeanor, caring and understanding stance, made it easy for her to moon over the man. Followed by his acceptance of her as a living being and the brief, yet torrid carnal affair they shared, it was even easier for her to want the man. The attraction that had shocked her most, was Natalya.

That kiss they had shared, while both women were atop Alex, was ... surprising. The last time Shazza had felt a jolt like that ... was the last time she had been with Palesia. Though the memory of her now dead love tore at her, Shazza couldn’t deny that she was feeling the same thing for Natalya. It was a small spark that had grown into a large flame, fanned by the emotions and feelings that were now revived.

Her relationship with Korsa had been great since starting it, the banter, the joking and bonding. The sex though, that was something else! The woman was an absolute beast and there were times that Shazza was barely able to keep pace! Though everything with her Khontaran girlfriend was great, she still felt like she wanted more. But she didn’t want to risk hurting her new girlfriend or sacrificing what they had.

Maybe she felt that she was being too greedy, in seeking more than one lover and companion in life. But there was the fact that Alex, Natalya and Kasumi were in a triad relationship now, so maybe she wasn’t. Regardless of this, she wished that she could confess to these feelings like she had with Korsa. Shazza knew though, that it would be difficult, being a woman pulled in different directions.

“Korsa to Shazza, are you in there?” Korsa asked her, waving her free hands in front of her.

“Yes! Sorry! Was in deep thought there for a little bit,” Shazza replied, snapping out of her introspections.

“Well, I was asking if you’ve tried raspberries yet,” Korsa told her.

“No, I haven’t. Are they any good?”

Korsa took a small handful and placed them in Shazza’s open palm. Eyeing the strange red fruit for a few moments, Shazza shrugged and popped one into her mouth and bit into it. The explosion of flavor, of sweet and tart, mixed in with an earthy richness, made the Xuul’khani woman moan in delight.

“Tasty, aren’t they?” Korsa asked and Shazza couldn’t help but nod in agreement. She had never tasted anything like it! Though there had been bounties and tributes of food that had been taken from worlds her people had conquered, this was unique and new! Nothing she could remember tasted quite like these small berries! She made a mental note to keep this fruit in mind, when hunting for a snack later!

“Come on. We still a few more things to gather before Inari’s list is complete,” Korsa told her lover. Smiling and following her Khontaran woman, Shazza stayed on her heels, enjoying the view of Korsa’s ass, as it swayed when she walked. It didn’t take long for Shazza’s mind to meander back to thoughts of Alex and Natalya. She kept pace with her lover, while trying to come up with ways to speak to them, the same way she had Korsa.

Inari walked into the Shipwright sector and moved to the main control booth, where Nats and Kas were. She trotted over and as she got closer, she could see both women having an animated discussion about something. The moment she had crossed into the control booth, both women stopped their conversation abruptly. Though it seemed important, they looked on the verge of a full tilt argument.

“If you ladies don’t mind, what were you to discussing that has you both a little heated?” the Iranian woman asked.

“The Frigate. We can’t seem to agree on one point of its construction,” Natalya stated, to which Kasumi nodded vigorously.

“Well, why not tell me about it and let’s see if we can come to a consensus about it?” Inari queried.

“Well, I am of the opinion that the Hephaestus should be armed with at least some kind weaponry. Even basic cannons would be acceptable by my standards,” Kasumi stated.

“Where I am arguing against it, because we need every ounce of flying power behind the Hephaestus. We can’t afford to waste its hauling capability on basic cannons, because we will need every ton of salvage and scrap that it can haul,” Natalya countered.

“Well, though both sides have merit, I’m afraid that I have to side with the Lt. Commander on this one, Captain. She makes a valid point about carrying capacity and, we already have one battle ready ship with the Hermes. Besides, the Commodore as stated that once the Hephaestus is built and hauling up salvage, we will get to work on building other defensive ships,” Inari said, offering her thoughts on the matter.

“I have to agree with Inari’s statement. Not just because she’s my girlfriend, but also because she is talking sense,” Priya stated as she walked up into the control booth, startling the women there. Kasumi huffed at being outvoted on this bit but could see the sense in their logic.

“At least promise me that we will start building a wing of fighters and corvettes right after?” Kas asked by way of compromise.

“We can do that. Though cannons and shields are going to take a while to fully repair, we will have some defense for the Perseus, should trouble find us,” Natalya agreed.

“But, when it concerns certain materials, some of which are being set aside for the reconstruction of the Darkstrider,” Jaesa stated, butting in on the conversation. “Also, Commander Sunara, you will be pleased to know that you won’t have to wait as long to fly the Hephaestus.”

“Why is that?”

“Because while Kas and I were ... sleeping in ... Jaesa went and got a start in building the frigate early this morning,” Natalya said. “So, by our latest estimates, it should be ready by mid to late afternoon.”

“Amazing!” Inari squeed.

“You might want to familiarize yourself with its systems though. Here, a bit of light reading,” Nats said while she handed the Commander a tablet that was loaded with all technical specs, and the flight manual for the Hephaestus. Inari dove right in, committing everything to memory about what was needed to maintain and fly the frigate.

Alex, Taal’ani and Luminia, were busy enjoying a light lunch of cheese, crackers and various meats. Lumi had also fetched a fruit platter with what remained in the fridge, to round out their meal. As they were maybe a quarter of the way into it, Korsa and Shazza walked in, carrying the baskets of groceries Inari had asked them to collect.

“Done your shopping for the day I assume?” Alex asked.

“You could say that sir,” Korsa replied as both her and Shazza were snacking on a pom.

They headed straight for the kitchen and found an empty fridge to deposit the food into. Once they were done, the sat at the table with their crew mates, digging into the platters that lay in front of them. Inari and the rest of them walked in maybe minutes later, each one of them hungry for some food.

“Ah! I see that you and Shazza are back. Did you get everything on the list?” Inari asked Korsa.

“Yes, we did. Just placed it all in the fridge maybe five minutes ago,” Shazza replied for the big woman. “Grabbed a few snacks that were too tasty to pass up.”

“Can’t fault you for that!” Inari laughed as she watched both women annihilate what remained of the pom.

“So, Commodore, what’s our next move?” Natalya asked. Though they were boyfriend and girlfriend, she respected him and his position. Since she was his subordinate, showing deference was proper protocol.

“Well, after we finish up here, Inari and Priya will head on down in the Hephaestus and retrieve the Darkstrider. After the ship has been secured aboard the Perseus, salvage ops will resume. The rest of us will head on down to the Ahl’kanin dome and begin our investigation into those caverns. The Sentries have mapped out a fair bit of it thus far, but more of it should be explored,” Alex said.

He then brought up a holographic image render of the cave network. It was immense and from what the Sentries had scanned thus far, it was much larger than they thought. The general direction of the caves led southward, to the Dead Snows. The Sentries, per their instructions, had pressed on deeper into the murk. So far, they had discovered nothing, but there was still much to be explored.

“Looks like you were right sir,” Kasumi said out loud. “That cave does lead to the Dead Snows! Makes me wonder what we’ll find down there.”

“I’ll admit, I’m a fair bit curious about that as well. Jaesa, how are those hover carts coming?” Alex asked.

“Just finished constructing the fourth one sir. The Sentries are loading them aboard the Hermes as we speak. It should be enough to take a large crew with you. I also added on Sentry docking points, per your instructions,” the AI responded.

“Hover carts?” Natalya wondered.

“What? You didn’t think we were going walk the whole way in those caves? Sure, it’s good exercise, but we have work to do and I won’t abide by any lollygagging,” the Commodore told his crew.

“No complaints from me!” Korsa replied. Everyone else voiced or murmured in agreement, happy that they wouldn’t be walking the whole way. They all quickly finished up with lunch before heading down to the hangar bay. Inari and Priya detoured to the Shipwright sector, to be sure that the Hephaestus testing was on schedule. They would be a bit behind the Hermes crew, but they had their own set of orders.

The Hermes crew took a quick pit stop by the nearby armory, to collect their weapons and arm up. Even though the Sentries and their drones hadn’t picked up anything, that didn’t mean that something wouldn’t be lurking in the dark. Every crew member, Luminia included, was soon sporting a set of body armor and they boarded the Hermes. An additional squad of Sentries joined them as Talon powered up the ship.

The moment everyone was aboard, the Hermes lifted off and they were off, headed planetside. They broke through the atmosphere, heading straight for the settlement. They arrived to much less fanfare than they had before, with only Sohlkris and half a dozen honor guard greeting them.

“Greetings, crew of the Perseus. Are you here to help us with seeing what’s down in that cave?” he asked

“We have a fair idea of what’s down there already, but we want to be sure that there is no additional threat to the Ahl’kanin. Our weapons and armor may seem like overkill, but better safe than sorry,” Alex told the man.

“I agree. What are those?” Sohlkris wondered, pointing to the hover carts.

“A little something we built to help us cover more ground without burning too much daylight. If you’ll hop into one of the seats, we’ll head on down,” Kasumi replied.

Nodding, he and the honor guard climbed onto one of the carts, with Kasumi piloting it. Nats, Talon and Alex piloted the other three, with the rest of the crew spread out among the carts. Each cart held four Sentries, currently in standby mode, which could be deployed in seconds. The ensemble carried on through the village, or what remained of it.

The rest of the Artucian people were busy dismantling their homes, as Valessa had ordered them to do. With the ice below melting, it was only a matter of time before the floor beneath their feet became unstable. Already, nearly a quarter of each domicile there had been broken down into the basic materials that made them.

Anything made of crystal, metal or leather was taken, along with any personal possessions. The ice itself, which made up more than half of each home, was left behind. The Ahl’kanin were certainly an industrious lot, wasting no time and preparing themselves for what was to come.

The crew and their guests headed into the ice cave, which led to the dome below. Because they were on carts, it took them less than three minutes to traverse. They were soon greeted by the sight of the dome running on full power, the heat of it enough to cause some mild sweat on everyone present.

“High Chieftaness Valessa has asked to speak with you, concerning the investigation into the cavern. You should speak with her before you depart,” Sohlkris told Alex.

“I will. Taal’ani needs to check on how the reactor core is holding anyway, so we’re in no rush,” the big man told his escort.

The crew neared the entry point of the dome and dismounted, not needing the carts inside. The walked through the double doors, through both chambers, before walking into the now warm atmosphere of the dome. Artucian children played and frolicked through the newly growing greenery, while older children minded them. Those who were old enough to help the adults with moving, were doing so.

A smile crept onto Alex’s face as he surveyed the scene of bliss. It was a major change, for the children to be playing around and enjoying themselves. Just a few weeks before, when he saw them up in the settlement, they were all huddled and keeping to themselves, rarely moving about or playing. Seeing this new change that he and his crew had wrought, was heartwarming to say the least.

“Ah, Commodore! You’ve arrived! I take it that you received my message?”

“Yes, I did. What was it that you wished to speak to me about?” Alex wondered.

“The chiefs of the Assembly are preparing to return to their own lands, to start working on excavating their own domes. I wished to speak to you about the finding of the Ark and how long it would take. That is one thing that the chiefs wish to see before they leave,” Valessa informed him.

“Well, so far, it is looking likely that it may be a couple of days before we can physically locate it,” the Commodore told her.

“That soon??” she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Yes, mother. The Sentries set to guard and explore the cavern have not been idle. Much of the cavern has been mapped out and it heads in a southwards direction. Latest reports state that there are fragments of metal the Sentries have spotted while exploring,” Luminia told her.

“This is most welcome news! I take it that you are all heading into the cavern to get a look for yourselves?” the high chieftaness asked.

“And bringing a fair amount of firepower with us. After the encounter with the Tashkuun Alpha, we’re not interested in taking risks,” Alex stated, giving pointed looks at several of the crew. They remembered the incident which had almost seen a couple of them dead and didn’t want any repeats.

“A wise decision. Since you are going into the caves, I would ask that several of our warriors accompany you. So they can see for themselves, just what lies beyond the dark,” she said.

“Very well. We have four sleds and enough room to accommodate twenty additional warriors. Have the chiefs pick out those they wish to send and muster them outside the dome. We will wait there,” Alex told her before saluting the woman.

Valessa bowed in respect to the Commodore, which had him smile before turning about and heading back outside. The crew followed on his heels, each one of them keeping their eyes on him. Though they had the Sentries, the women of the Perseus felt that Alex was in need of a living honor guard. In light of the fact that there were no other crew members to take up the job, they did so happily.

“They really seem set on finding and seeing the Ark for themselves, don’t they?” Alex mused.

“Yes. It is a part of our history, one which had been lost and abandoned as the snows closed in. Hopefully, we will not only find answers that we are looking for, but the lost technology and relics that had been left behind,” Luminia explained.

“Lost technology? Relics?”