Chapter 5

Ketri was very sore the next morning, and managed to coerce Nate into bringing her breakfast in bed. The sun had begun to rise, but it was still mostly dark outside as they cuddled next to the truck’s space heater and scarfed their morning rations.

“Last night was fuuuunnn...” The little alien purred, stealing a spoonful of instant oatmeal off his mess tin and nuzzling her face into his chest as he cradled her along his right side. “You really stirred up my insides! And there was still cum leaking out of me this morning...”

“You’re a little semen demon, you know that?” Nate chuckled warmly, scratching her behind a pointed ear and stroking her inner thigh. She give him a little nip on his neck and chirped slyly.

“How did you ever guess?” The Sha’dee smirked, flashing her fangs as she wiggled her soft red tail and flicked her ears. Her people’s resemblance to ancient depictions of demons was not lost on Humanity, and had unfortunately led to much persecution from the First Galactic Church. But between the two of them, it was just another thing to tease about.

“God I love you...” Nate mused, kissing her forehead and squeezing her shoulder. The xeno girl flushed, and beamed at him.

“I love you tooooo...” Ketri purred.

“We should probably get moving. I think the others are packing up already.”

“Awwwwwww ... I wanna cuddle more...” She complained, rubbing her body against him plaintively. He laughed, and started tickling her belly and sides. She chittered and thrashed about, playfully trying to fight him off until she fell off the bed and landed on the floor of the truck. Nate slid out of bed after her, and helped her to her feet. A few minutes (and a bit of kissing and fondling) later, they were dressed. Once the nets had been rolled up and stowed, they mounted up and set off.

They made good time, skimming quickly across the desert plains. This world was surprisingly barren, with nothing but desert and crumbling terraforming towers as far as the eye could see.

“Was this world terraformed?” Nate asked idly, glancing out the window at a sand-blasted tower.

“Sort of.” Ketri explained. “The local legend is that there used to be a sapient race on this planet. Conglomerate made first contact with them, decided they weren’t compatible with Humanity, and carpet-nuked the planet from orbit. There’s still radioactive hotspots around that the atmo scrubbers couldn’t take care of. That’s what the geiger counter on the truck is for.”

“Damn...” Nate muttered, somberly. Ketri shrugged.

“It happens. Probably would have happened to my people if we hadn’t been the first race you made contact with. I’ve heard you can still find skeletons from the natives, and someone showed me what they said was a skull once. Looked like a dainty Human skull with horns. But it could have been a fake, I’m no xenobiologist.” The alien girl explained.

“Who knows. This galaxy’s a fucked up place. Thinking about it too hard isn’t good for you.”

“That’s the spirit.” Ketri chirped, smiling. “Can’t change the past. All we can do is make the present the best we can.”

“Cute, amazing in bed AND wise? You just get better and better.” Nate teased, leaning across the center console to kiss his mate on the cheek. Ketri blushed, and kissed him back, somehow managing to keep the truck on course as she devoured his face. Nate reached over and tapped the play button on the sound system, and Ketri revved up the engine, sending them flying towards the horizon to the refrain of “Here I go again” by a band his alien girl identified as “white snake”.

Nate had fallen asleep by the time they arrived at the Forward Operating Base. He woke to the sensation of Ketri’s tail poking him in the neck, and blinked owlishly in the low light. The little Sha’dee had already parked the truck and gotten out of her seat, and was clearly anxious to get out. Nate groaned sleepily, disengaged his chair and stood up, stretching his arms and back as his lover leaned in to kiss him on the lips and gently lick away a trail of saliva that had escaped while he was snoozing. They dismounted, Nate slapping the faceplate of his helmet down and activating his night-for-day, while Ketri’s big green saucers widened even further. The FOB was built inside of a large crater in the side of a small mountain range. These mountains must have been much larger once, but were pocked and fractured with the massive, telltale craters of an orbital bombardment. The base consisted of a collection of prefab buildings clustered around a motor pool and surrounded by sandbag walls and electrified fences. Everything was draped with active camo nets, and many of the buildings seemed to be connected by tunnels. The other trucks had arrived as well, and their comrades were in the process of dismounting as a figure exited the FOB’s front gate and approached them, flanked by Kodos with heavy rifles and black uniforms.

It was a Sha’dee female, but she was very different from Ketri. Taller (although still short by Human standards) with a slender frame and solid red skin, the other Sha’dee was wearing black armor with some type of powered exoskeleton strapped around it. Nate was surprised, he didn’t think there was such a thing as power armor for Xenos. This stuff must have been manufactured by the rebels. She cut a commanding figure in it nonetheless, her slender, sharply-featured head mostly shaved except for a strip of hair going down the middle of her skull before becoming a ponytail. There were two small, tightly wrapped braids flanking her hairdo, and she had black tattoos around her eyes which made her look like a falcon.

The xeno raised an eyebrow at them, planting her hands on broad, muscular hips. Nate couldn’t help noticing the giant freq sabre strapped to one of them. He heard a gulp, and turned to see Ketri swallowing nervously.

“You. Human in merc armor. What are you doing here?” The stern-looking Sha’dee demanded, her thumb hovering over the sword’s quick-release. Nate felt a chill run down his spine as he realized where he’d seen someone like her before; in war footage from live leak sites, slicing Overlords in half with freq sabres and ripping Human throats out with razor-sharp teeth. This alien was a Marshall Sister, from a rebel cell composed entirely of highly trained and fanatically devoted female Sha’dee, the terror of mercs throughout the Milky Way.

“I’m a defector!” Nate blurted, thankful that she couldn’t see him flinch inside the helmet. “I’m with Captain Thoros.”

“He’s not lying, ma’am ... uh ... I mean, Sister.” Ketri piped up, then flinched and cowered as the other alien gave her a withering glare.

“I’m not your Sister, stripes. You don’t even have a sword, you’re a trucker. Probably for the best too, you’re too top-heavy to be a good duelist...” The Sister sneered haughtily. Nate snarled under his breath, but didn’t dare speak up; he wanted to defend his mate, but he wanted to keep his guts on the inside more. “Alright, traitor. If you’re lying, Thoros will probably kill you himself. But no funny business in my base or I’ll fillet you in front of god and Tits McGee over there.”

Nate nodded, letting the jab at Ketri pass.

“I’m commandeering five of your trucks on behalf of High Command. I’ll keep the crews as well. We’re gearing up for a large mechanized offensive and I need more troop transports. You can take the last one and report back to Thoros. If he wants to complain, he can take it up with command. You can stay here and sleep, but I want you gone by 07:00 tomorrow.” The alien warrior instructed.

“Yes Ma’am!” Nate said, nodding emphatically. The Sister sneered, raised a hand and snapped her fingers. Her Kodo guard lowered their rifles, and the base’s gate began to slide open. Nate and Ketri scrambled back into the truck and booted it up, following the others inside the base. The Sister lept gracefully onto the lead vehicle, handing effortlessly off the side of it and guiding them to the designated parking area.

“You alright there, ‘Ri?” Nate asked, concerned. Ketri rolled her eyes in irritation as she watched the larger Sha’dee stalked off into the night.

“It’s fine, I’m used to it. Marshall Sisters are all massive cunts. They think they’re suuuuch hot shit, with their stupid swords and their lame traditions, just because the High Commander favors them.” Ketri pouted, crossing her arms and blowing a raspberry at the departing alien. Nate smiled sympathetically, and squeezed her shoulder.

“Screw her. She’s probably just jealous...” He assured her with a sly smile and a pointed glance at her chest. Ketri chirped happily, and extracted herself from her chair. Nate pulled his own back, and was about to get up when she stepped over the center console and straddled his waist. Clever red fingers started dismantling his armor, lifting off his helmet and unbuckling his chest rig as she leaned in seductively to kiss him, gently biting his lip as they broke apart.

“Maybe we should close the blast shield...” Nate mused, stripping off his gauntlets while Ketri went to work on his breastplate and abdominal armor.

“Oh who cares!?” The Sha’dee chirped, coaxing him up so she could pull off his backplate as well. “I need you right now...”

Nate grinned, and shed his upper arm plates, then reached down to loosen the leg armor so he could wriggle out of the skinsuit. Ketri crowed in victory as the last piece of gear was stripped off of him, and started unbuckling her pants. He smiled at her enthusiasm, and leaned in to kiss her alluring cleavage.

Ketri shuddered as his lips caressed her breasts, biting her lip and tightening her thighs around his waist. Nate took her hand and let her lean back, holding her up while she got her feet onto his chest and managed to shimmy her pants up over her knees and then off. Nate brushed them off his chest, then pulled her back upright, letting her settle comfortable into his crotch. They embraced and kissed hungrily for a while, while Nate slowly worked her shirt up her writhing body and over her head. ‘Ri shook her chest suggestively, making her breasts jiggle, then leaned in, pressing them against his chest.

“I wanna ride you for a change...” She purred, kissing him and grinding against his shaft. “If I’m not too ... top-heavy?”

Nate laughed, and slapped her butt playfully, causing her to sit up and blink in surprise.

“On the contrary, I think your big, round, firm ... assets ... Will only improve the experience!” He crooned in a joking tone, reaching up to squeeze her left breast. Ketri whimpered happily, and scooted up him until her warm, wet mound was pressing his cock against his stomach. Nate gasped, and was about to beg her to let him inside when she pushed her nipple into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his head. She gyrated her hips against his member and pressed his eager face into her soft breast, sucking in and puffing out her chest to pump as much warm liquid into his mouth as possible. The Sha’dee girl whimpered harder as he suckled her, massaging her tender lines with strong, deft fingers. He could feel warm wetness spreading through his lap as her sex started to throb and leak lubricant all over him.

“H-how long do you stay in heat?” Nate gasped, releasing her nipple and starting to tease the other one with his tongue.

“U-usually f-for ... unf ... like ... AH! 5 or 6 standard days ... Kyaaaa...” His Sha’dee moaned, her tail twisting and contorting as she ground herself against him as hard she could.

“F-five or six more days?” Nate mumbled through a mouthful of alien chest. “Mmph ... I dunno if I can keep up...”

“Mmmmmm ... Don’t s-sell yourself ... Unf! Short! Y-you’re an amazing lover...” Ketri chirped, rubbing the unattended breast and reaching down to push her soaked panties aside. She raised herself up and guided his pulsating head into her slit then settled down on it, straining to stretch around his girth until he popped inside of her and she slid gently down his length. They both cried out in pain and pleasure as their sore organs tightened against each other. Ketri raised herself up and slammed down again, impaling herself repeatedly on her Human’s shaft, wincing and squealing. Nate panted, chest heaving as she rode him, clutching her ample hips in his hands and guiding her down onto him.

“Ah! Oh ... Geez, k-Ketri ... You were really sore this morning ... M-maybe you should slow down...” He gasped. Ketri cackled and clenched her muscles hard on his shaft, causing him to moan and bite his lip.

“That’s your fault for being so rough! Mmmmmmm ... Once the pleasure starts to build you’ll forget all about being sore...” His mate purred, leaning in to tenderly bite his neck, filling his veins with warm, tingling venom. She was not wrong, Nate observed as the effects of the bite and her eager, greedy thrusts began to fill his mind with an ecstasy that wiped all the soreness away. Ketri started to moan harder and longer, grasping his hands in hers and hanging back on his arms so that his cock was angled directly into her ridge with each bounce. Nate felt the magma boiling in his groin again as his head punched into her throbbing, convulsing Sha’dee hole again and again with increasing speed. He clenched his teeth and fought the eruption, containing it within his bulging shaft until Ketri’s screams reached a fever pitch. He dug his fingers into her hips and yanked her down onto him, pushing his tip into the tender entrance of her womb and releasing, groaning as he felt the torrent of fluid surge into her depths.

Ketri sang for a good half a minute, then collapsed against his chest, nuzzling her face into his collar and mewling softly. He shuddered with pleasure, and held her tight, feeling her little heart flutter in her chest. Her tunnel continued to knead him for a few minutes afterward, while Ketri purred and rubbed herself against him slowly. Finally, he lost all of his rigor and slipped out of her. She chirped, and rolled over in his arms, settling her ass into his lap. He felt her tail rub against his dick and smiled, reaching around her torso to cup her breasts. He kissed her on the neck as he massaged her chest, feeling the firm softness of her mounds, still damp with sweat and saliva.

“Oooooooh yes ... Mmmmmm ... Rub my poor aching tiddies with those big Human hands...” She crooned softly, reaching between her legs to stroke her pussy with one hand, and wrapping her other over one of his, guiding his rubs and squeezes. Nate buried his face in her hair, rubbing his cheek against the side of her cute little head.

“W-wait! Nate ... Don’t move quickly, but look outside.” Ketri whispered, slowing down and freezing. Nate shifted his head and stared into the darkness, searching. Then he saw it: two bright yellow Sha’dee eyes staring back from the top of the truck across from them. A long, slender, solid-red tail arched in the air above them, waving slowly in the night breeze.

“Holy shit, is that...” Nate whispered, narrowing his eyes.

“She’s watching us!” Ketri breathed incredulously.

“Well then Jesus Christ, close the blast shield. Those Sisters creep me the fuck out.” Nate shuddered involuntarily. Suddenly, the eyes blinked, then disappeared. The two stared into the night, and Nate thought he made out a shadowy figure streaking silently away. As soon as the figure was gone, Ketri slapped the blast shield button and they stared at each other in confusion as the shield lowered over the windshield.

They didn’t see the Sister again, and that was fine by Nate. The truck had been unloaded while they slept, and they were able to get out of dodge early the next morning before the 7:00 am deadline. Once they had left the FOB’s envelope, Nate clambered up into the turret and lifted his faceplate, feeling the cool morning air against his face as Ketri guided the massive vehicle through the dunes. This planet was oddly beautiful in its desolation, with shifting golden sands stretching as far as the eye could see. It was enough to make you forget that all of this was the result of nuclear holocaust. After a few hours of driving, Nate noticed something odd, half-buried in a fast-approaching dune. He reached down with his toe and gently tapped Ketri on the shoulder. She looked up, and he pointed.

“Wanna stop and check that out?” Nate shouted over the wind and the noise of the engines.

“Why?” Ketri questioned, with a puzzled look. Nate shrugged.

“Dunno, just an instinct. Besides, we’ve got time. We started earlier than the Captain expected.”

“Alright hun, have it your way.” His mate chirped, and geared down, slowing the vehicle and pulling it to a stop in front of the anomaly.

They dismounted and approached, Ketri grabbing her carbine from it’s rack next to her seat. The thing which had caught Nate’s eye was a building, or what was left of one. It was a facade of slowly crumbling grey brick, bombed out and flooded with sand. Nate drew his rifle and slowly advanced, discretion being the better part of valor. They found themselves standing on what had once been a balcony, though now it was at ground level. There must be several stories buried in the sand, Nate mused, as they found a door and knocked it open with a rifle butt. The door had once held glass in its frame, but this was long-since gone.

“This must have been a city once.” Ketri noted softly, waving her phone around. Nate could hear the ticking of its geiger counter in her hand. “Radiation’s not bad, at least not bad enough to harm us, but it’s there.”

“Bombs fell here...” Nate muttered, looking around the room they had discovered.

“Nukes. Humanity’s calling card.” The alien girl said, only half-joking. Nate frowned inside his helmet as he surveyed their surroundings. This looked like it had once been an apartment, maybe even a penthouse of some kind. The walls were tiled with rough stone, with the tattered, petrified remnants of artwork hanging forlornly from rusted-through nails. They wandered around the room, shining the lights on their weapons into every nook and cranny. Ketri’s natural Sha’dee curiosity had taken over, and she was poking through piles of sand.

“Hah! Hun, come here, I found something!” She crowed, slinging her gun and reaching down to pull something out of the sand. Nate abandoned his down poking, and strode over to glance across her shoulder. She was holding an alien skull, slim and oddly structured, but clearly humanoid. It had the bone structure for pointed ears, just like a Sha’dee skull, but unlike a Sha’dee it had no fangs and the cracked remains of a Y-shaped horn erupting from the center of the forehead.