Chapter 4

Slowly, Inari’s eyes pried themselves open, as consciousness returned to her mind.

“Ugh...” the middle eastern woman ground out.

Her vision cleared as she blinked. At first, Inari moved her head slowly, a massive headache pounding its way through her skull. Clutching her head, she leaned forward, groaning in pain. Pushing past her pain, Inari unbuckled herself from the pilot seat and stood up. Shaking her head slightly to clear her vision further, Inari stumbled while making her way towards the rear of the ship.

“Pree? Korsa?” she called out weakly. She navigated around the various items that littered the floor before stopping in the doorway to the ship’s med bay. Like the rest of the ship, the entire room was an utter mess, with medical equipment and supplies strewn haphazardly, like a tornado had just been through.

Inari found Korsa sprawled atop Priya, using her gigantic frame to shield her XO from anything that might have hurt her in the crash. Panic gripped the captain as she saw that there was blood, both human red and Khontaran orange. Though most of the blood was orange, that was staining the bed that her lover lay on, it didn’t stop her from fearing the worst. Hearing both grunting and groaning a moment later, Inari let out a breath she hadn’t realized that she was holding.

Despite the large woman’s attempt to shield her friend, the bed was too large for her to cover effectively. Unlike most ships, the med bay on the Darkstrider was equipped to handle patients that were at least Korsa’s size and bigger. Priya almost seemed child sized while she lay there, strapped into the bed. Various bottles and packets that surrounded both women, shifted as they both tried to move.

“Though I appreciate the assist Korsa, you are kind of crushing me,” Priya said with a weak laugh.

“Unless I get some help, you’ll just have to stay flattened, like that Naan bread you like so much,” Korsa growled in pain. She tried to move, but the sheer amount of supplies on her back, kept Korsa stuck where she was.

Moving forward as quickly as she could, Inari went to help Korsa up and cleared several boxes away from the prone women. Brushing away the multiple packets and other implements, Inari grabbed Korsa by the arms, attempting to help her stand. Hissing in pain, Korsa looked to her right side.

She saw that one of her arms was pinned by a large and heavy medical scanner and it was bent at an odd angle. On top of which, there was a large wet blotch on her arm where the scanner had hit her, that was bleeding steadily. Shifting around behind her friend, Inari moved behind the big woman and pulled the cumbersome machine off her arm.

Breathing out in relief, Korsa then pushed herself off her crew mate and could finally stand. She cradled her lower right arm, which had clearly been broken and was the source of most of the blood. Inari looked Priya over as she removed the bracing straps. She had taken some cuts during the crash which bled, but they were all superficial, as far as she could tell.

“Swaka nach dyn!” (Son of a bitch!) Korsa cursed as she hopped and lay back against the wall next to the doorway.

“What is it?” Inari asked as she helped her lover to sit up. Wincing, Korsa lifted her left leg carefully, taking care not to move it too quickly.

“I’m pretty sure that my ankle is broken, judging by the amount of pain that’s shooting though my leg right now.”

“Shit! Stay put for a moment. I’ll move Pree then come back and help,” Inari told her friend.

After taking a few minutes to clear the area some, Inari loosened the once white sheets and scooped up Priya in them. Linking her arms behind her captain’s neck, Priya nuzzled close to Inari as she was carried out of the medbay. Far more coherent than she was when she first woke up, Inari took her XO back to her quarters without too much trouble.

Since Inari kept her quarters meticulously clean, there was little thrown around in the room. Navigating the room and clearing the bed of the various nick knacks and clothes, took all of a few seconds and Inari lay her XO down on the bed gently.

Looking at the horrid burns that were left behind from her armor, Inari smiled and kissed her love on the forehead, before retreating to the medbay. Korsa was right where she left her, still leaning against the med bay wall. After taking another ten minutes to sort the area some, Inari helped the wounded woman to the bed.

“While you were gone, I looked at everything around here and thankfully, most of what’s here is still usable,” Korsa said as she nursed her broken arm.

“That’s good to know, considering the mess we’re in,” Inari huffed as she lay her massive friend down onto the bed.

Hissing in pain at the movement, Korsa shifted her legs, trying to find a more comfortable position on the bed. Once she was settled, Inari went straight to a cupboard located to the right of the bed. Opening it, a cool mist flowed outwards, the chilled air wafting towards the woman. Inari dug through it for a moment, moving aside the various packages of blood that lay within, until she found what she needed.

Pulling two large sealed packs of orange-colored blood, Inari went to work, closing the small door with a nudge. Connecting them to a large tube, she placed the bags on a hanging hook that protruded from the bulkhead, just above the bed. Turning back to where the cupboard was, Inari rummaged around the junk she had dumped on the counter beneath it several minutes ago.

After a few moments, she found the proper gauge of needle she needed, set it onto an empty surgical tray and went back to her friend. Maintaining consciousness, Korsa turned her head towards her friend, eyeing her work.

“Looks like the training I’ve drummed into you is paying off,” the Khontaran woman chuckled. Flicking her gaze downwards, Inari couldn’t help but smirk as she removed the armor plates on Korsa’s arm. Her fingers danced along the smooth metal, finding the hidden catches to make the plates fall away from Korsa’s vacc suit.

Once the relevant plates were removed, Inari went to work, loosening the sleeve on the large woman’s busted arm. As she peeled the material back, the extent of the damage was laid bare. Part of the arm bone had punched through the skin, the sharp point tearing through the skin savagely. Large gouts of blood were slathered all across her arm, the hardened material of the suit forcing it to spread evenly.

“Damn!” Inari breathed after surveying the damage.

“How bad is it?” Korsa asked through clenched teeth, keeping her head still.

“A severe break, easy. You’re lucky it’s not a compound fracture,” Inari replied.

“Ah shit! This is going to hurt, but I need you to grab both the Khontaran Med-Gel and the Torean wound sealer,” the large woman ordered in a clinical voice, as she looked at her wound.

Nodding, Inari turned back to the mess of supplies, searching out both items. Finding them in the space of several minutes, she turned back to her wounded friend, placing both items next to the busted arm. Wincing in pain, Korsa steadied herself for what was to come.

“All right, Korsa, I’m going to reset the broken bone. Brace yourself,” the short-haired woman warned.

Setting herself into a breathing exercise, the Khontaran woman waited. Taking a few moments, the captain shifted any obstructing flesh as best as she could, clearing a path for the bone. Focusing, Inari grabbed her friend’s upper arm with her left hand, while gripping her wrist, the base of the broken bone in her right. In one swift motion, she angled her arm, realigning the broken limb with a snap and a crack.

A massive scream passed Korsa’s lips, the pain of the reset too much for even her to contain. Using her fingers, Inari delved into the wound, checking for anything that might have stopped the bone from lining up into place. Finding that the bone was joined together again, she removed her fingers and reached for the Med-Gel. Applying a large dollop to the wound, the Gel automatically went to work.

It cleaned the wound of any dead matter and disinfected it from any potential bacteria. A cooling, soothing sensation spread over her arm, alleviating the pain that the big woman felt. A half relieved sigh escaped her, as the Gel’s painkillers kicked in, numbing the pain receptors of her arm. Her work only half done, Inari then grabbed the wound sealer and turned it on, the gentle healing beam slowly knitting the damaged flesh back together.

Taking her time, Inari dragged the sealer along the break ever so slowly, making sure that the flesh was fully healed before continuing down the gash. Several minutes later, the beam had done its work and Korsa’s skin stood unblemished. Taking only a moment to clean her hands with some surgical wipes, the dusky-skinned woman moved down to examine Korsa’s left ankle.

Rolling the vacc suit material up, the swelling and bruising around the ankle was evident, the once cherry red skin now a shade of dark burgundy. Turning back to the cluttered counter, Inari rummaged about some more and pulled out what appeared to be metallic bracers of some sort, along with a tablet-shaped device.

The bracers were cylindrical in shape, with what appeared to be gel pads along the inner areas of the circular bangles. They were both connected by some metallic wiring that kept the whole apparatus together. On each piece of equipment, there was also a small readout panel that was blinking with a message that read ‘Standby Mode’.

Carefully, Inari slid the bracers on both Korsa’s injured arm and leg, respectively. Once placed, the captain then powered up the tablet. After it turned on, it showcased a holographic display of it syncing with the medi-mechanical bracers that Korsa currently wore. Once the sync was complete, Inari then cycled through the options of species until she found Khontaran.

After making her selection, she then entered the injuries which her friend had sustained and uploaded them to the sleeve like machines. A brief loading screen later, the bracers then collapsed on themselves and tighten. They formed to the contours of what the proper bone structure should be and settled into the shape required for a proper reset, reinforcing the now healed and slightly swollen flesh.

Gasping slightly, Korsa tested moving her arm and leg slightly and found that there was still a considerable amount of pain. Thanks to the tech she now wore, the Khontaran woman now had some semblance of mobility. Sitting up, she swung her legs off the edge of the bed and stepped down onto her right leg first, before stepping onto her left.

Groaning in pain, Korsa hit a small translucent panel on the upper left breast of her suit, in a small sequence of taps. On the final tap, the suit stopped molding itself to her and sagged on her frame, like clothes hanging in a closet. Another small set of taps on the panel had the catches on her suit pop open, freeing her from its grip. Shimmying left and right, dropped the garment off her voluptuous form, to puddle at her feet.

Inari, not wasting any time, picked up several disposable towelettes, handing a few to Korsa. She then cleaned the gel mattress of any remaining blood from the sheets that lay there before. Also, using it to pick up any blood that had dripped onto it from Korsa’s arm, she tossed the soiled garments into the incinerator chute. Grabbing a fresh set of sheets and a thick blanket, Inari remade the bed just as Korsa finished shedding her vacc suit.

After she finished cleaning herself, Korsa hobbled back to the bed, breathing heavily from the pain. Inari was right there in an instant, helping the titanic woman into the clean bed. As she moved, Inari couldn’t help but get an eyeful of the massive jugs that jiggled on Korsa’s frame.

The black bra and panty set that the Khontaran woman wore was simple, elegant, yet left little to the imagination as it hugged every curve like a second skin. Taking care to not stare, she helped the wounded woman with her legs before giving her the blanket.

Walking back over to where she left the needle attached to the bag of blood, Inari did a quick tie off of Korsa’s upper left arm. Quickly finding a vein, she inserted the needle with little effort and set the drain valve on a slow drip for both bags. Having lost a fair amount of blood, Korsa looked a bit pale, but was still conscious and coherent.

“I figure it will take a couple of days, five at most, before all of this damage is healed,” the Khontaran doctor said, as she assessed the damage to herself via the tablet Inari handed her.

Shaking her head, Inari muttered, “If anyone else on the crew was to take the amount of punishment you just did, we’d be laid up for five to eight weeks, rather than a matter of days.”

“Khontaran healing factor, dear. A side effect of everything that my people have gone through just to survive. Now you might want to check on your XO. Those burns she endured will become severe if not treated,” Korsa replied as she reached out and grabbed the burn salve she had applied earlier before the crash had occurred.

Handing it to her captain, Korsa then delved back into the tablet to be sure that there was nothing that was overlooked in her treatment. As the red-skinned woman continued her analysis, Inari stepped out for a moment. Before leaving, she took a pack of disinfectant wipes, a bottle of powerful painkillers, and the salve her doctor had just given her.

Making her way back to her quarters, she opened the door to a near naked Pree, puttering around the room, tidying up the mess the crash had caused. The bloodied sheets she was wrapped in were on the floor, along with anything else that was considered trash, which wasn’t much.

“Priya Rhea Patel, stop your cleaning and get back into bed this instant,” Inari ordered, half concerned, half exasperated.

Whipping around quickly, Pree’s eyes widened as they took in the sight of her lover. As she whirled, she lost her balance and dropped towards the floor. Reacting quicker than thought, Inari caught her XO before she hit the ground and helped steady her to stand straight.

“Oooooooooohhh! I’m a bit dizzy!”

“Probably because your skull has taken a good knock when we crashed. There was lots of debris on the bed before I dug you out,” Inari informed her friend. “Here, sit down and let me clean you up.”

Without protest, the east Indian woman did as she was asked and sat. As her captain cleaned away any blood from both Korsa and the shallow cuts she had sustained, she closed her eyes as a throbbing pain built in her head.

“Ugh ... pounding in my head,” Pree mumbled.

“Probably sustained a concussion with all that stuff tumbling about. Here, take these,” Inari said, proffering the painkillers she had taken from the Med-bay. Just as Priya took them, a burst of static came over the comms system.

“Kkkkkkssssshhhhsssssss ... Darkstrider com ... Anyo ... ere? Perseus hailin ... kstrider, come in, please.”

Hearing the transmission, Inari rushed out of her quarters and went straight for the transmission console in the bridge area. Reaching it, she entered a few sequences and responded, “Perseus, this is Darkstrider! Do you read me?”

More static answered her before a reply came through.

“We ... ar you Darkst ... Wait one while we boo ... ignal.” Though the reply was broken up, Inari understood what was said. She didn’t have to wait long as the static cleared up in several minutes.

“Darkstrider, this is Perseus, are you reading us?” Alex’s voice came in over the transmission.

“Loud and clear Perseus.” A sigh of relief came over the waves before the next sentence.

“Give us a sit-rep Darkstrider. We saw you drop off of our scanners and we assumed you went down.”

“In a manner of speaking, we did, sir.” Walking over to the cockpit, the older woman punched in a few commands and a detailed holo of the Darkstrider appeared. The image was rendered in a 3D model, with some of the model rendered in green, but more than half of it in yellow or red, indicating damaged areas.

“We flew right into an ice storm, sir, and we took some serious hits. Our engines are down at the moment,” the Lt. Commander replied.

“Any idea how extensive the damage is?” the question came in.

“Not until I step outside to have a look and in this storm, sir, that’s not happening.”

“Understood Darkstrider. You’ll have to hunker down for a few days until we can get something put together up here to come down and retrieve you,” Captain Tomisic told her. “How is the rest of the crew? Did you manage to retrieve Gunnery Chief Patel?”

“We did, sir, but she will need time to recover. Got a little torched on the way down before we brought her in, but she’ll be all right. Our doctor wound up getting hurt as well, but Khontarans heal much faster than humans do. It will be barely classified as a scratch by the time she’s all healed up,” Inari responded.

“Very good, Darkstrider. We should have the foundry and shipwright section of the Perseus online by tomorrow. We’ll keep you posted. Will you three be all right for the next few days?” Alex asked.

“Barring any drastic changes, we should be OK for at least a week, sir.”

“Glad to hear it. You ladies get some rest and we’ll check in with you in the morning. Perseus out,” the baritone voice finished before the line went dead. Slumping back in her seat, Inari smiled in relief. Though the ship was in tatters and a total mess, they weren’t marooned on this icy world. They just had to tough it out over the next few days.

Standing up, she started back to her cabin. As she walked in, she saw Korsa rubbing salve into Priya’s burns, using a generous amount. Taking a brief look about, the entire cabin was cleaned to where it didn’t seem like they had crashed.

“What are you doing up? You’re supposed to be in bed resting!” Inari exclaimed.

“You know me. Once I get past the pain, I can’t sit still and this place is a right mess,” Korsa explained as stood and picked up the soiled sheets and garbage at her feet.

Hands on her hips, Inari glared at Korsa as she stood up. Not one to be intimidated, Korsa gave her captain a bored and contemptuous look, huffing in annoyance. Both women just stared at one another before Priya broke the silence.

“Although you are a faster healer than us humans Korsa, you still need to take it easy. Since we’re literally up to our asses in snow and ice, you really should rest, if you’re going to be of any use tomorrow.”

Both women looked over, looked back at each other, then the Khontaran woman huffed in resignation. “Fine, you win. At least let me clean up the medbay. That place is a total disaster,” the taller woman implored.

“OK, but you will not be doing any lifting with that arm and I don’t want you aggravating that ankle of yours. Clear?”

“Crystal, captain,” Korsa replied.

Filing out behind the middle eastern woman, they both left Priya to rest while heading back to the Med bay. As they entered, the room was still a mess, but not an insurmountable one. Both ladies milled about and in fifteen minutes, the entire medbay was put back aright. Picking up the last of the trash and soiled items, Korsa dumped them in the incinerator chute and set the items to torch with the press of a button.

As the trash was being consumed, Korsa walked carefully back to the bed and sat down on it. The needle apparatus that Inari had inserted earlier was still in Korsa’s arm, but simply disconnected. The other half of the device was attached to the blood tube, but it was designed to halt blood flow until the part that was in Korsa was reconnected with it.

After moving her legs to settle onto the mattress, the red-skinned woman reached out and reconnected the device. Slowly, the blood packs drained into her body, replacing the blood she had lost in the crash. Reaching up front, she undid the snap that held her bra together, unleashing her massive mammaries. Sighing at the freedom she now had, Korsa discarded her bra with a toss. Reaching down for the blanket, she covered herself up, the bitter cold from outside seeping into the ship.

“Mind grabbing me a couple of blankets from my quarters before you turn in Cap? I have a feeling that it will be quite frosty in here tonight,” the large woman said.

“As long as you stay in the bed for the night, I don’t mind at all,” Inari smiled before walking out of the medbay. She didn’t have to go far, just down the corridor and left to the next room, which was squished between the medbay and engineering. Pressing a button, the door to the Khontaran woman’s cabin opened.

Stepping inside was almost like stepping into another world as it was furnished with various items that were clearly made by alien hands. There were several shelves lined with both tablet readers and books, which were considered a rarity in this day and age. On another shelf was a set of old sculptures, Khontaran in origin, though their use and aesthetic was lost on the captain. Despite the mess that permeated the cabin, the room was artfully and tastefully decorated.

Making for the massive bed, which dominated about a third of the floor space, Inari pulled the blankets and sheets off, bundling them up in her arms. As she made to leave, a picture frame caught her eye. It was mid-sized and handmade, containing a single picture. The picture was of Korsa, surrounded by all the human and alien children she had adopted, before she joined the crew of the Darkstrider. It was taken in the clinic she owned on Andaari Station, and everyone was smiling.

‘They all look so happy,’ the older woman thought to herself as she looked at the picture.

Korsa had her arms draped over everyone, half playful, half protective. A pang of sadness gripped the older woman as she remembered when Korsa told her that not everyone in the photo had survived. The incident which had put Korsa on the run for a while had sundered the family she had built there. After saving who she could, Korsa had taken measures to ensure that those who had lived were safe now.

The things that were done to those kids were monstrous. She often wondered how those in power could often get away with what they did, without paying the price that everyone else did. ‘Damn Confederate playboys! We’ll get those bastards, someday!’ Inari thought to herself darkly as she made her way back to the medbay.

Stepping in, she saw Korsa had already begun to nod off. Moving as quietly as she could, Inari unfurled the blankets and settled them over her friend. Feeling the addition weight of the blankets, Korsa didn’t say a word as her eyes were closed. She just smiled.

Smiling to herself, Inari backed out of the medbay and walked over to the cockpit. Checking the readouts of the Darkstrider’s status, she was glad to see that most of the internal systems had remained intact after the crash. She cycled through the different systems until she found the climate control.

Once located, she cranked the heat levels another thirty-five percent, as it was already getting chilly in the ship. Hopefully, the additional heat would help them get through the storm. Her breath still misting as she exhaled, Inari walked back into her cabin. Priya was sprawled out and asleep, shivering from cold air.

As carefully as she dared, Inari moved the blankets out from underneath Pree and covered her. Shedding her own powersuit, Inari removed the armor plating, before stripping down to her thong and crawled in next to Priya. Shuddering at the contact with the cold air, Inari rushed under the covers, eager to keep warm. Snuggling up next to Priya, she draped her arms over the smaller woman’s form and slowly closed her eyes.

Captain Tomisic rose from the captain’s chair and started down the ramp towards the holograms, to see what the scanners had picked up about the planet and the Darkstrider’s location. As he arrived at the relevant device, the door to the bridge opened, admitting both Taal’ani and Natalya.

Startled by their entry, Alex calmed down, reminding himself that they were allies and possibly, friends. Both women made a beeline for him, unspoken questions written across both of their faces. Before they could open their mouths to speak, he raised his hands, gesturing for them to not say anything.

“I’ve made contact with the Darkstrider. They crashed, but everyone aboard is alive. Including Gunnery Chief Patel,” Alex stated. Both women then let out enormous sighs, the relief on their faces clear.

“Are they OK?” Natalya asked, clearly anxious for her crew mates.

“Chief Patel was a bit burned up as she was entering the planet’s atmosphere when they scooped her up, but she’s alive and recovering. Doctor Korsa was also injured, but according to Commander Sunara, they would classify it as little more than a scratch by the time it’s healed,” Alex continued.

Natalya then relaxed completely, her posture softening. Taal’ani pulled her friend in for a hug, both women grateful that their family was still alive. Looking at the captain softly, Talon then asked, “Do you know exactly how they crashed and where they crashed?”

Turning back to the hologram, Alex then called out, “Jaesa, have you triangulated the exact position of the Darkstrider’s transmission?”

“Affirmative sir! The position should be coming up on your display now,” Jaesa’s haunting voice replied. On the holo right behind them, a fully rendered model of the planet below popped up, along with exact geo-positioning coordinates of the crashed ship.

“In response to your second question, Miss Taal’ani,” Alex went on, “After they pulled Chief Patel in, they couldn’t break free of the planet’s gravitational pull as they were too deep in. So, they flew in, hoping to use its gravity to slingshot free, but wound up flying through an ice storm. Their engines were damaged, and it wasn’t enough to keep them airborne.”

“Can’t we go down there and get them? There should be smaller ships aboard this one!” Natalya piped up, her anxiety apparent.

“There were until the attack which crippled us happened. It took every ship we had just to fight off the Xuul’Khani fleet which engaged us,” the young captain said.

Looking back at him, Natalya seemed lost, unsure of herself. “So, what do we do?” she asked, a slight quaver in her voice.

“That depends on you, Chief Engineer. The Perseus has power, but not nearly as much as he should. Many of the various couplers and conduits that power up the different sections of the ship were damaged, destroyed, or have atrophied. Whether we have these areas restored to full capacity or not, is in your hands,” Captain Tomisic spoke, while looking at her questioningly. Taking a deep breath, Natalya centered herself.

‘It’s OK girl. You got this. Mama and the girls down there are depending on you.’

“Well, I’ve gone over everything that needs doing as far as engineering is concerned. I have a few other adjustments to make, to increase the power output of the Solaris reactor. After that, it’s simply a repair job. Do we have the materials to effect repairs?” Natalya queried, her resolve renewed.

“We do, but not enough for the whole ship. Several zones can be restored, but they will have to be selected carefully, until we can gather more materials to craft more replacement parts. What is your assessment, Chief Vostrikov?” Alex wondered.

“What is online currently?”

“Life support, navigation, cryo storage and sensors. Though that last one is still calibrating at the moment. Jaesa is working on it,” the big man replied.

“Good. That makes it easy. Engines should be first, followed by the shipwright section. Since this section of space is not on any known star chart, weapons and shields can wait,” Natalya said as she analyzed the hologram of the Perseus in front of her.

“I don’t like being defenseless,” Alex grumbled. “Though you make valid points. Since we are effectively in unknown space and cut off from the rest of the galaxy, we have some time.”

Nodding, Natalya was about to go on, but then she yawned, tired from the entire ordeal. Grimacing, the large Croatian man barely suppressed a yawn himself, despite having just come out of cryo sleep. Shaking his head, Alex tried to clear the cobwebs from his mind but found it increasingly difficult.

“I think it’s time that we all got a little rest. We won’t get anything done right while we’re all tired. Both of you ladies can select a vacant cabin on the officer’s deck.”

“Thank you, sir,” Taal’ani said as she too was fighting to stay awake.

“If you ladies will follow me then,” Alex gestured as he got up. Leading the way, he took both women away from the bridge and towards the corridor that led to the officer’s deck. As he was walking, he called out, “Jaesa, put me through to Commander McKenzie, please.”

“Aye sir, patching you in,” came the AI’s chirpy reply. “Go ahead, sir.”

“Commander, secure the prisoner in the brig, then get yourself some rack time. Jaesa, the ship is yours for the moment. Wake me if anything significant changes aboard the ship,” the big man commanded.

“Aye aye, sir!”

“Aye aye sir!” came Kasumi’s response, a heartbeat behind Jaesa’s. The inter-ship comms switched off with an audible beep, just as the group came to the main door with led to the officer’s deck. Alex then pressed his palm on the scanner, opening the door. Walking through, he went straight for his old quarters, mentally deciding to move into the Captain’s quarters later.