Chapter 2: Mofta IV... and Beyond

GUSTAV arrived at Mofta IV, the Imperial base in the Epsilon quadrant, after an uneventful three day journey. The repair crews had put the time to good use, however. Most of the damage had been at least temporarily repaired, wreckage had been cleared away and, except for some empty seats in the dining areas, there was little outward evidence that the ship had been in a fight. As good as the repair crews were, however, some of the damage was beyond their capa- bility and required the ship to spend some time in a space repair dock.

I spent much of the time with my wingman, Lieutenant Dromo Acer, and the squadron, overseeing the repairs to our TIEs. We had lost several craft, and their pilots, in the scrape with the Rebels, and most of the rest had been shot up to one degree or another. The entire electronics package in my ship had to be replaced. Nevertheless, by the time we reached Mofta IV and Commander Cibock skillfully maneuvered GUSTAV into space dock, all of the remaining TIEs in Gamma Squadron were operational.

As soon as the docking clamps were fastened and GUSTAV was secure in her berth, we were nearly overwhelmed by repair personnel coming aboard. Shortly thereafter we were informed that Vice Admiral Thrawn, one of the senior fleet commanders, had recently arrived at Mofta IV aboard his flagship, star destroyer VANGUARD, and was coming aboard.

I was on GUSTAV's bridge with J'Una and Commander Cibock when we received the news. Cibock didn't look too happy. We all knew of Thrawn's reputation for being unforgiving and we assumed that, because GUSTAV had had to retire from the action at CT-38 that we would be held accountable for what was ess- entially an intelligence failure. The fact that we had put up a terrific fight against a numerically and qualitatively superior foe would matter little.

Cibock sighed, then turned to J'Una. "Well, Commander," he said, "I'd best go greet the admiral. Assemble the senior officers in the conference room in the event that Admiral Thrawn wants to talk to them."

"Yes, sir," she responded. She directed the Officer of the Deck to summon the senior officers to the conference room over the ship's intercom, then left the bridge. I walked with her.

"Why do you think Thrawn's coming aboard?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, she said as we headed aft, then down two decks. "Could be he just wants to check the damage and see how much repair work we really need. I've only met him a couple of times, but I know people who have worked for him. He can be a real bastard if he thinks somebody screwed up, or if he thinks you're not as loyal to the Emperor as you should be. I'm told that he's a real fanatical follower of the Emperor's, and," she paused dramatically, fire red eyes flashing, "he's trying to get promoted to Grand Admiral."

"Grand Admiral," I repeated, impressed. "Can't go much higher than that. So what's stopping him?"

"Other admirals, of course," J'Una said. "Thrawn isn't human. He was the first non-human to make admiral and a lot of people didn't like that. So, there's a number of admirals who are, so I hear, politicking to deny him any more promotions."

"Because he's not human. Is that it?" I asked. I admit that I am very ignorant in the ways of politics among admirals. And I would rather keep it that way. I have little use for admirals. They usually find new and innovative ways to get the rest of us killed. But this story about Thrawn was interesting.

"That's right," J'Una responded, a little bitterly. "We non-humans, especially female ones, aren't always accepted in high places. Promotion doesn't come easy. Good assignments don't come easy. I'm no admirer of Admiral Thrawn, but he would have been a Grand Admiral already if he was human."

"Think so?" I asked.

"Oh, yes," she said emphatically. I knew that prejudice against non-humans was a real sore spot with her so I treaded lightly. "He has the best record of service against the Rebels," she continued, " But he's not human and other admirals are jealous."

"Like who? Marina's father?"

J'Una nodded. "Admiral Haarkov's one. Zaarin's another. I had to fuck one of Zaarin's aides to get this assignment. Zaarin didn't think a female Bardin would be able to handle this job."

I could tell that J'Una was about to get angry so I decided to steer the conversation in another direction.

"Thrawn's probably here," I said, "to blame us for the fact that, for whatever reason, the Rebels de- cided to make a major move out there. He'll tell us how we need to have more faith in the Emperor, as though that will compensate for flying TIEs against X-wings."

J'Una looked at me and tried not to grin. She failed. "Why, Captain Tallig," she said with a smile, "are you questioning our Emperor?"

If that had come from anyone else in authority I'd get a little nervous. This statement usually precedes charges of disloyalty and other such nonsense. But I knew that J'Una was being sarcastic. She knew that I was unhappy with what was going on and she was giving me the opportunity to say so, to her, thereby trying to keep me out of trouble. Not only was she a great fuck and a fine officer, she was also a good friend.

"No, Commander," I said somberly. "I'm not question- ing the Emperor. It's just that I'm tired of sending good pilots out in inferior ships and watching them die. Every- one knows that the X-wing is far superior to the TIE fighter. They've been working on this new TIE inter- ceptor forever and we still don't have them in the fleet. I hear that the interceptor, while an improvement over the TIE, still doesn't match the X-wing. It isn't shielded. But, I'd gladly take an interceptor."

"I don't know when they'll be available, Vel," she said. "But I'll bet the first ones go to the star destroyers in the inner sectors."

"I know. I know," I said ruefully. "Because we're not one of the glamor ships we have to take on a major Rebel offensive in inferior starfighters."

"You seem to have survived quite nicely, Captain," she said with a smile. We rounded a corner and were approaching the conference room where the other senior officers had gathered, awaiting Admiral Thrawn and Commander Cibock. J'Una shot me a look which told me that our converation was over, at least for now.

We entered the room and took our seats. I engaged in some small talk with one of the supply officers, teasing him about the food. It's hard for people who don't live this life to understand that when you're stuck on a ship in space for months at a time the quality of the food becomes a critical morale issue. Fortunately the food on GUSTAV was not a problem. I'd been on ships where it was.

I heard a commotion in the passageway outside and then Major Maarek, our esteemed storm- trooper commander, strode into the room bellowing, "Attention on Deck!" We sprang to our feet as Vice Admiral Thrawn, Commander Cibock and the admiral's aide entered the room.

Vice Admiral Thrawn didn't just enter the room, he took command of it. He was tall and power- fully built with a broad chest covered with numerous ribbons and other decorations, and massive shoulders atop which were his admiral's epaulettes. He had pale blue skin, belying his non-human origins, eyes that were ruby red (as opposed to J'Una's which were more fire red) and thick black hair which seemed slick and oily. He exuded power, authority, confidence. He also struck me as someone you didn't want to mess with.

We all stood rigidly at attention as the admiral strode to the front of the room, turned and slowly looked us over. I felt a chill go through me as the admiral's eyes momentarily met mine.

"Please be seated," Thrawn said after running his gaze over each of us. I sat down, feeling the tension present in the room. I thought it odd that we were probably more afraid of our own admiral than we had been of the Rebel fighters we battled with just a few short days ago.

"Commander Cibock," Thrawn began, nodding to GUSTAV's Commanding Officer, "officers of the Imperial Frigate GUSTAV, it is a pleasure for me to be aboard this fine vessel today." There was an aubible sigh of relief from some of the officers present. I wasn't quite ready to relax just yet. Maybe Admiral Thrawn was the type who liked to open with pleasantries, then shoot a laser blast up your ass. You never knew with admirals. I stole a glance at J'Una, who seemed to not share my concerns.

"I am pleased to see," the admiral continued, "that the damage to your ship is not so severe as my staff first reported. Nevertheless I join you in mourning the loss of your shipmates. We will be able to provide you with some replacements, but not enough, I'm afraid." He paused for a moment. He had clasped his hands behind his back, and was pacing back and forth as he spoke.

"Your battle with the Rebels in sector CT-38 was very important to us. Although you sustained damage and the loss of a number of fighters, which we will try to replace, you outfought a superior enemy and, more importantly, exposed a major Rebel effort in that area. I understand, Commander Cibock, that you and your Operations Officer tried to forewarn the rest of us about this." He turned to Cibock, who stood up to answer.

"Yes, Admiral," he said confidently. "Commander Selena and I," he said nodding toward J'Una, "sent several messages with our observations and recommendations, but they were not followed. I assumed that Sector Flag Headquarters had more information than we did." He sat back down.

"That officer," Thrawn said coldly, "has been re- lieved." There was a chilling silence following that pronouncement. I'm sure that everyone in that room was wondering just what "relieved" actually meant in this case. I preferred not to dwell upon it.

Vice Admiral Thrawn paused a moment, then cracked what I guessed passed for a smile. Al- though the corners of his mouth moved up, there was no smile in his eyes.

"Your conduct of that battle is most commendable," he continued. I was finally beginning to relax. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all. For an admiral. "You showed courage, adaptability, initiative and loyalty. We will be in great need of those qualities in the days and weeks ahead if we are to thwart the Rebel advances in this quadrant. In particular," he said looking toward J'Una and myself, "I would like to acknowledge Commander Selena for the tactical expertise she demonstrated during her direction of the battle, and Captain Tallig for the courage and in- novation he displayed while leading an inferior number of our TIE fighters against the Rebels. You are both to be commended." And he actually bowed toward us as polite applause emanated from our fellow officers.

"Now," he said and the applause abruptly ceased. The pat-on-the-back had been delivered. Time to get down to business.

"Where do we go from here?" he asked rhetorically. Obviously, he already had the answers. "It is clear to us that the Rebel Alliance intends to make a major effort in this quadrant, particularly sector CT-38 and its neighbors. Even though these areas are remote, we believe that the Rebels intend to stir up the local pop- ulace, attack and sieze resources and interfere with commerce beyond the Empire's borders." He paused and his demeanor turned even more cold and threatening. His red eyes narrowed and seemed to glow. "We will not permit the Rebel traitors to spread their infection to other sectors and systems. The Emperor has decreed that we will stamp them out!"

Standing in the corner, Major Maarek broke out in enthusiastic applause which was politely picked up by most of the officers present. Ignoring it, Thrawn continued.

"To that end," he said, "a large strike force, of which my flagship VANGUARD is but the precursor, will be assembled here with the objective of sweeping the area clear of the Rebel scum before they can get established. Once repaired, GUSTAV will play an active role in this operation. The knowledge that you have gained through your long patrols in this area will, I'm sure, prove most valuable." A major strike force? out here? I still didn't get it. With the war raging as it was, why send a major portion of the fleet out here? I guessed that Thrawn probably knew something I didn't. Which was why he was an admiral.

"With regard to weaponry," he said, changing the subject abruptly, "I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to speed development of new starfighters and other systems. We are current- ly developing a new, mobile battle station which, when completed, will greatly assist us in our efforts. I'm afraid I can't discuss that in any more detail, but I can tell you that our new TIE Interceptor is in the testing stage and should be out to the fleet soon. In the meantime, we have designed a modification to the TIE Fighter which will allow you to carry a limited number of concussion missiles. That should help you in future battles, Captain Tallig." He nodded in my direction. A few missiles, eh? I'll take them. Any- thing for that extra edge.

"While you are here," the admiral continued, "technicians will modify your TIEs accordingly. I also want to encourage you to make use of the base's facilities on the surface. It's quite a primi- tive planet, I'm afraid, but there are some recreational diversions you might enjoy. The base commander has been instructed to assist you. Repairs should be complete, I'm told, in four or five days. After that it's back out to space. So, make use of this time. It may be a while before you have this opp- ortunity again." With that he turned and walked out of the room. Major Maarek shouted "Attention on deck!" again and we all jumped up, but the admiral and his aid were gone. Commander Cibock hastened after them to see the admiral off.

J'Una and I looked at each other for a moment. "Well," I said with a leer, "Looks like we'll have a few days to ourselves."

"Maybe you will," she said looking askance. "I'm going to have a lot of work to do."

My vision of having three or four days alone with J'Una away from the ship suddenly vaporized.

"Work?" I said lamely. "You heard the admiral. He wants us to enjoy ourselves here."

"Who do you think has to plan our next mission?" she said haughtily. "Who do you think has to analyze re- ports and attend all those briefings? Who do you think has to work with the admiral's staff to figure out what GUSTAV is going to be doing when she leaves here? Certainly not you pilots!"

"OK, OK," I said. Over the period of my relationship with J'Una I had learned when to admit defeat.

"Are you sure?"I asked.

She softened. "Yes, I'm sure, Vel. You know I'd love to, but my responsibility is here. Besides," she said, her eyes twinkling, black skin gleaming, "I want to get to know the admiral's aid. See ya." With that she left the conference room, striding purposefully down the passageway. I just stood there, staring after her like a complete idiot.

I wanted to get angry, but I couldn't. I knew that J'Una had strong feelings for me, but her career and her sense of duty were stronger. Sometimes there were conflicts and I won. This was not one of those times.

What the hell, I thought. May as well take ad- vantage of the situation anyway. I figured I'd grab Dromo, go down to the surface and see if we could get into any trouble.

I went down to the hangar deck to check on the modifications to the TIEs, and to see if I could find Dromo. I found him standing in front of one of our TIEs going over a set of schematics with Marina Haarkov. They lift- ed their attention from the plans as I approached.

"Well hello, Captain," Marina said pleasantly. "How was the big meeting with the Admiral?"

"Most enlightening, Ensign," I said feigning importance. I turned to Dromo. "They're going to modify the TIEs to carry a few missiles."

Dromo nodded, indicating the work that had already begun on some of the ships.

"And," I said, "we're going to take a few days and go down to the base."

"What about Commander Selena?" he asked. "Won't you be going with her?" Dromo was well aware of my relationship with J'Una. He also knew that if I was going with her, I wouldn't be stand- ing in that hangar talking to him.

"Commander Selena has other duties to attend to," I said trying to sound detached. Who was I kid- ding? Marina Haarkov had fucked me and J'Una at the same time, so I wasn't fooling her, either.

"You coming?" I said to Dromo my voice betraying some impatience.

"Sure," he said with a grin. "I'll go. Meet you at the shuttle bay." He turned and walked toward the hangar bay doors.

Marina had been silent throughout this little ex- change. She was standing beside the TIE with the schematics in her hand, her face and hands smudged with grease, her coveralls were soiled and her blonde hair was disheveled. I had an idea.

"Would you like to join us?" I asked.

"Why, Captain," she said coyly, "whatever for?"

"Well," I said grinning. "I may have another problem that you can help me with."

She laughed, recalling the "problem" that I'd had. We had been flying stepped up patrol missions non- stop for four days, I hadn't been laid, and I had a raging hardon. She helped me with my "problem."

"In that case," she said with a smile, "I'd be happy to. The base repair personnel have already relieved us of most of the jobs, so we're free to go. Let me get cleaned up, pack a few things and I'll meet you at the shuttle." I felt my cock stirring as she turned and walked away. Maybe Dromo and I wouldn't have to look far to find trouble.

Two hours later a shuttle deposited us at the base on Mofta IV. Mofta IV is one of the few planets in this sector capable of supporting an Imperial base like this one. Mofta IV used to be one large dry, uninhabited desert. Now it's an inhabited desert. Although there were no native inhabitants, several small towns could be observed surrounding the perimeter of the base, which was several hundred square kilometers in size. These towns were the inevitable camp followers and hangers on that arise to provide any military establishment with things that it needs but can't easily get.

Admiral Thrawn was as good as his word, apparently. The base commander had ensured that sufficient officers' quarters were available for GUSTAV crewmembers. Dromo and I shared a suite. Marina had a room to herself. Imperial propriety, you know.

Dromo and I unpacked while we talked about what we wanted to do with our few days off.

"I hear that the towns outside the gates have some pretty wild entertainment," Dromo said as he stuffed some clothes into a drawer. "Lieutenant Trogo down in supply says they've got females from several quadrants who just love visitors." He smiled, and grabbed his crotch. "And my 'visitor' could use some Imperial hospitality."

I laughed. "Be careful where you 'visit'," I said chuckling. "Don't forget Ceraeus where you 'visited' a lady whose husband damn near chopped your 'visitor' off."

Dromo winced at the memory. He had barely escaped that encounter. He didn't learn much from it, either. Dromo was several years younger than I, tall, muscular, good looking. He came from a wealthy and connected family on Coruscant, the Imperial capital. A fine pilot and dependable wingman, he was nevertheless young, brash, impulsive, and tended to think with his cock more than the rest of us. Dromo personified one of my theories of human behavior: "When the little head gets hard, the big head goes soft." Still, he was my wingman and it's always good to have a happy wingman.

"OK, OK, big brother," Dromo said sarcastically. "I don't need a lecture. I just need to get laid."

"Just try not to get yourself killed while we're here," I said. "I'm going to need you once we get back into combat."

Dromo was about to say something further when we heard a knock at the door. "Hey, boys! Are you ready?" It was Marina's voice.

I opened the door and Marina walked in. She had changed her clothes and was wearing a silk wraparound that hid little. Her blonde hair was draped over her shoulders, her breasts were prominently outlined, her blue eyes sparkled. To put it mildly, she was stunning and knew it.

"You guys aren't even ready yet!" she said scornfully, looking from me to Dromo. I was clad only in utility shorts and a loose shirt, Dromo in shorts only, his muscular torso bare. Marina's eyes lingered on Dromo. After a long moment, she turned to me, smiling coyly.

"Why, Captain," she said feigning innocence, "it would appear that your wingman has a problem."

"Problem? What problem?" said Dromo, clueless.

I looked at the front of Dromo's shorts. Sure enough. The sight of Marina had had its effect. His cock was stirring, creating a prominent bulge.

"You're right, Ensign," I said, acting serious, "It would appear that the lieutenant does have a problem."

"What problem!?" Dromo exclaimed in exasperation.

Marina walked up to him, reached down and grabbed his stiffening cock through his shorts.

"This problem," she said huskily, flicking her tongue over his nipples.

"Oh," Dromo said, finally catching on. "That problem." Sometimes even the most oversexed of us is slow on the uptake.

Marina reached inside Dromo's shorts and grabbed his cock with both hands, jerking it up and down. Dromo's cock was quite large and had grown into a full erection. He reached down and pushed the shorts off of his hips, letting them slide down to his feet. He stepped out of them and backed against a table as Marina kept jerking his penis.

I was starting to enjoy this, and my cock had gotten hard, bulging out against my shorts.

Marina glanced at my protruding erection and smiled at me. "Looks like you have the same problem, Captain," she said as she bent down and licked the tip of Dromo's cock.

"I guess I do, Ensign," I said. I quickly stripped off my shirt, shucked off my shorts and walked over to where Marina was now eagerly sucking Dromo's cock.

Marina straightened up, Dromo's cock sliding out of her mouth with a soft plop. She very deftly unwound her wrap from her body, letting it pool around her feet, revealing her nakedness. Her magnificent breasts stood out proudly, her nipples already erect with excitement. Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes narrowed in lust as she grabbed our cocks.

Dromo and I stood on either side of Marina as she worked our cocks with her hands. She turned to Dromo and kissed him deeply, then did the same to me, our tongues battling. I fondled her breasts with one hand while I squeezed her ass with the other. Dromo reached a hand between her legs and shoved two fingers into her cunt. Marina moaned. I could smell her wetness on Dromo's fingers.

Marina squirmed against our ministrations, her hands working on our cocks. She released my throbbing erection and turned to Dromo, grabbing his dick with both hands.

"Fuck me," she said. "I've got to have this thing in me. NOW."

Dromo didn't need to be told twice. He picked Marina up and laid her on her back on the table, her legs draping over the edge. He got between her legs, grabbed her hips and pulled her to him as Marina grasped his cock and guided him inside her. Dromo slid in to the hilt, causing Marina to gasp in pleasure.

Dromo started pounding away, his big cock sliding wetly in and out of Marina's pussy. He put his hands under her knees and raised her legs so that they draped over his shoulders. Marina gyrated her ass to meet his thrusts.

Dromo looked over at me, a big smile on his face. "She's got a great pussy, Vel," he said between thrusts. "She really knows how to squeeze a cock."

"Glad you're enjoying it," I said. "Anything for a happy wing- man." I was slowly stroking my cock as I watched Dromo piston his cock into Marina's sopping cunt. Marina reached up and pinched his nipples as she thrashed about on the table. Her breasts were flushed a deep red, and her nipples appeared to be as hard as my cock. Dromo's balls slapped noisily against her ass.

I decided that I had been watching this arousing scene long enough. Cock in hand I approached the table. Marina smiled at me and reached out to grasp my dick with her hand, pumping it slowly. She pulled me closer, then took my cock into her mouth, slurping noisily. I could feel her run her tongue around the head as I began to thrust into her mouth.

Dromo's thrusts were becoming harder and more insistent, causing Marina's entire body to shudder under the impact. As a result her mouth was vibrating around my cock as she sucked voraciously while her hands fondled and squeezed my balls. It felt terrific. I grabbed her head and began thrusting my turgid cock harder into her mouth, keeping time with Dromo's powerful hammering into her cunt.

Marina was in cock heaven. She was moaning deeply and thrash- ing about. She lowered her legs from Dromo's shoulders to wrap them about his waist and draw him even deeper inside her. At the same time she thrust her mouth forward onto my cock, burying her nose in my pubic hair. She was too much!

Marina's mouth continued to work hungrily on my cock, as Dromo continued his methodical thrusting into her cunt. Her hands squeezed my balls as she sucked me nearly to the back of her throat. My dick was rock hard and I could feel the explosion churning in my balls.

I wasn't the only one close to cumming. Dromo's thrusts had taken on an increased urgency as Marina moaned around my pulsating erection. Dromo gave one final, mighty heave, his fingers dug into Marina's thighs and he bellowed his ecstacy as he pumped his sperm deep into Marina's cunt. Marina shuddered in her own orgasm and her hands and mouth gripped me ever more tightly. Dromo disengaged himself from Marina and staggered back, his cock glistening, cum oozing from Marina's pussy.

I slammed my cock harder into Marina's mouth. She moaned and grabbed my hips, pulling me harder into her face. The climax churning within my balls broke free and travelled up the length of my penis to explode outward with gut wrenching force. My cum shot deep into her throat, gagging her, overwhelming her. I was cumming like I hadn't cum in a long time. Marina's mouth and throat tried valiantly to swallow my sperm, but couldn't keep up. Cum filled her mouth and flowed out around my cock and ran down the corners of her mouth. My turgid penis kept bucking and jerking wildly, pumping more and more semen into Marina's mouth. She seemed to hunger for it and attempted to suck it all down. Finally, she pulled my cock out of her overflowing mouth. I sprayed her face and tits with the rest of my cum.

I was finally spent and, knees weakened by my orgasm, I collapsed into a chair, my deflating cock hanging limply between my legs.

Marina smiled and sat up on the table. Her face and breasts glistened with cum. She looked longingly at Dromo's fat dick then said to me, "I think we've fixed the Lieutenant's problem, Captain."

I grinned back at her. "It would appear so, Ensign," I replied.

Marina got on all fours on the table and turned so that her ass and cunt pointed directly at me. She reached behind her and spread her pussy lips with her hands.

"Now," she said lustily, "how about your problem, Captain?"

My rapidly reviving erection preceded me as I moved across the room toward her.

For the next couple of days we did just about everything. The three of us sucked and fucked for hours at a time in our suite, in Marina's room, in the pool, behind a bar. Marina couldn't seem to get enough and Dromo and I were only too happy to accomodate her. We nearly drowned her in our cum, but she always seemed to want more. Once, while taking Dromo's dick up her ass and mine in her cunt, she nearly passed out from ec- stacy.

Dromo was a walking erection the whole time. We went to the nearby towns and he chased after virtually every female we encountered. One evening, after he'd been forcibly ejected from a gambling establishment, he hit it off with a four-armed female stripper from Acros2. She proved to be absolutely incredible sexually and did things I'd never dreamed of, including jacking off Dromo and I, herself, and Marina at the same time! Unbelievable.

So, for a couple of days, the three of us completely lost ourselves in sensual, and sexual, pleasure. We became totally absorbed in fucking, eating (food), drinking, gambling and just having fun. Not exactly the stereotype of Imperial warriors, but I've never been accused of that, anyway. It was a bit unusual for someone like Marina, however, the daughter of an admiral. Nevertheless she was probably the horniest of the three of us. She was really taken with Dromo's sexy physique and huge cock and impaled herself on him every chance she had.

As much fun as all of this was, what was more important was that, for a short time at least, we forgot. We forgot the war, the Rebels, GUSTAV, Admiral Thrawn, combat, the Emperor, storm troopers, everything. Time nearly stood still as we lost ourselves in ourselves and the three of us, each of whom had sacrificed so much, for our ship, our shipmates, the Navy and the Empire which it served, took a little back.

Reality, however, usually finds a way to intrude upon such revelry. I was awakened from a stupor before dawn on the third (fourth?) day by the incessant buzzing of my comm link. All Imperial Navy personnel carry these so that you're never too far out of touch.