Don groaned, raising his hips in time with her movements, as Lessa slowly rode up and down on him. The lights in the Captain's cabin were low, just enough to give Lessa glowing highlights around her brown hair and tanned body. To Don she looked otherworldly, and he wished the wall behind her was gone, her body outlined against the vastness of space. Lessa would outshine any star or constellation.
Don could feel the pressure building in him, and his warrior bride must have sensed the change in him as she increased her speed. He could almost feel her caressing him inside her body, the pleasure growing almost beyond what his poor mind could handle. In the weeks they'd been together, Don and Lessa had moved beyond the unsure fumbling of young virgins, starting the lifelong exploration of pleasures of the flesh, their partner's and their own. Lessa was a quick student, and having peaked twice that evening it was her turn to show her lover everything he meant to her.
Hands tightening on her waist, they both felt him expand within her. A moment later their cries met his release. Lessa fell forward, kissing him, her unbound hair setting over them like a hood, necklace and it's locket hanging down to touch his two lockets. A few moments later, his mind somewhat able to focus somewhere besides where they were still joined, Don rolled them both onto their sides still facing each other intertwined. He brushed the hair away from her face, and they just smiled at each other. He wasn't sure what made is life more complete, the intense pleasure they gave each other, or the closeness of moments like this. He didn't think he could live without either, now.
Don's hand had just wandered down from her face, playing with one of the many toys she had on her body for his enjoyment, when the cabin lights started flashing red. A voice from the darkness called his name. Closing his eyes, yet still seeing the amusement on Lessa's face, he sighed, letting out a "Fuck" before disengaged from her and rolling facing the edge of the bed. He hit the intercom button.
"What is it?"
"We're picking up a distress signal up ahead."
"Is it life threatening?"
"Depends on how soon you get up here."
Turning it off, Don sat up and slid his feet onto the floor. He felt the mattress shift as Lessa stood up on the other side and began dressing. Almost without looking, he caught the pants and shirt she threw in his direction.
****
Villa vacated the command chair as soon as Don entered the bridge. The slightly chunky teen's eyes raised a fraction as Lessa followed behind Don, straightening her tight pull over top, but his survival instincts were strong and that was the only sign he made. As Don sat down, Lessa beside him, hand resting on Don's shoulder, Villa retreated to a seat at a free console.
"So, what's up?" Don asked, eyes scanning the holographic sphere dominating the front half of the bridge. They were once again between planets, heading towards the first of the gas giants, Hikaru, and its twenty moons. There shouldn't be anything out here.
"Distress signal, probably Federation, and rather weak. My guess is an escape pod." Villa hit some keys, sound filled the bridge. It was an automated beeping, along most likely with some encoded data they couldn't translate. Don worked the controls on his chair and rotated the Nav Sphere until he saw the blinking light that indicated the source of the signal. It was close, and ahead of them. He sat back.
"What do you think, Lessa? Trap by evil pirates like us, or to catch evil pirates like us, or real castaways?"
Lessa looked closer at the image.
"Is that a… debris field near it?" Don swung the image around for another angle, as a girl called up from the sensor station two levels below.
"Yeah, we're getting lots of wreckage, although probably just from one ship… I'd say a warship, and probably Feds."
Don considered for a moment, then turned to Villa.
"Try and make contact. Put any reply on the speaker."
Villa complied, but after a few moments shook his head.
"No reply. Although… remember, this IS a stolen Reb ship. Maybe… they're playing dead?"
Don and Lessa exchanged a glance, Don sighing.
"I'm too nice. Patch me in." Villa hit a few buttons, and Don detached a small microphone from his arm rest. "Attention, escape pod. This is the Liberty. We are NOT a Reb warship. We are, however, busy. If you'd like to be rescued, you have thirty seconds to respond with your condition and crew number. After that, we go on our way and I go back to bed."
There was silence for a few moments, Don smiling as he heard Lessa quietly provide the countdown. She'd only gotten down to twenty three when a voice crackled from the speakers.
"Pod to Liberty! Sorry about that. One of our officers is a bit too… suspicious. There are fourteen of us, and we have… maybe 35 minutes of air left."
"Fuck!" Don whipped his head up to Lessa. "Prep a shuttle and go immediately. Bring a nurse and I'll call Kine." She was off down the stairs in a flash, belt communicator in her hand, waking Bella. Don hit another button, red lights embedded in the walls flashing.
"This is an alert! Everyone to standby stations! Prep a shuttle immediately, maximum cargo. Kine to shuttle, Lessa has your orders. Mel call the bridge." He switched over to external communications. "Sorry about that, Pod. We'll be cutting it close but are on our way. I'm sending a shuttle to dock with you. We will be armed, and you will not be. Hope you understand and comply."
"Understood," came the crackly reply after a moment. Don cut the channel, and saw an incoming message.
"Mel to Bridge! What's up?!"
Don could hear movement and cursing in the background… and it sounded like Kine. Don needed to pay more attention to the social order in this place.
"Mel, once Kine gets the hell out of your quarters I want you to get two security details together. One is to secure the shuttle deck- we'll be having 14 rescued Feds on board within an hour. I also want you to find someplace we can put them securely. They're not prisoners, give them good beds and chairs and such, but I want them isolated and guarded. Understand?"
"Umm… yeah [get the fuck out of here, Kine!]. Wait, what? Beds for fourteen?"
"Or blankets and stuffed animals. I don't care, just do it. And if it's NOT secure I'll make you re-grow those ponytails just so I can light them on fire."
****
Mari was NOT scared.
Being woken in the middle of the night to flashing red lights in your bedroom was NOT scary. Hearing the Captain speak loudly of unknown things from the ceiling didn't cause the little girl to tremble in fear, and most definitely seeing her three companions also frightened was NOT causing all thought of sleep to flee from her eight year old mind. Thus, when Mari quietly opened the door to their room and led the four of them into the bright hallway, it was not because they all needed someone to tell them everything would be OK.
That would be childish.
The four of them paddled down the corridor, Mari holding three year old Pug's hand while Randy and Andy stayed close while not doing something unmanly like holding your brother's hand. They thought about it, though, as one older teen after another ran past them, not giving the pre-teens a second look.
A door down at the end of the passageway near the bridge suddenly opened, and they saw Shelly come out fastening her pants. Mari's eyes lit up.
"Miss Shelly!!!!"
Shelly turned and saw the four children flying down the hall at her. She unconsciously took a step back into the room she shared with Lessa, bracing herself on the doorframe as they grabbed hold of her legs for dear life. Mari was looking up with wide, frightened eyes.
"We're scared, Miss Shelly! What's happening?!?!"
Shelly could feel them shaking, and her hands went from one head to the other trying to calm them. She took a glance down the hall in direction of engineering, then to the left at the door to the bridge. Sighing, she leaned further back into her room and stretched for the wall intercom.
"Engineering? Shelly. Looks like I'm going to have to babysit for a bit. Call me if you really need me."
"I'm not a baby!" shouted three year old Pug, looking up with indignant tear filled eyes and a runny nose.
"I know!" said Shelly, reaching down to pick him up. "I was talking about Randy here."
"Hey!"
****
Kine and Lessa floated on either side of the shuttle doorway, ready. They could feel the jolt as Ger maneuvered the ship next to the life pod, the banging of the claws coming out to link the ships, hear the hiss of the inflatable seal forming. Kine looked at her.
"Ready?"
Lessa looked back towards the cockpit, making sure the door was sealed, with Bella behind it with Ger. Satisfied, she nodded to him.
"Do it."
Kine hit the combination, main hatch opening. Before them was the scorched white door of the pod. Reaching in, Kine whacked at it with a crowbar. A second later there was an answering bang. Nodding in satisfaction, Kine placed the crowbar into a wall holder and drew his gun, stepping back. Lessa stayed out of sight of the opening, weapon also drawn.
The pod door opened, a small rush of air flowing out of the shuttle. Holding tight with his free hand, hoping that was not a bad thing, Kine looked into the cramped cube. A tall black haired man in an officer's uniform was standing in the doorway, a haggard but confident expression on his face. Behind him, the small space was filled with mostly sitting men now gasping to breathe fresh air. Kine raised an eyebrow.
"They give you guys gravity, but no air. You really should talk to someone about that."
The officer gave an appreciative chuckle, nodding to Kine.
"I'm Captain Horatio Horn. Thank you."
"Yes, you should. I'm Kine. Anyone seriously wounded?"
"Two have burns," the Captain said, turning to look back, "but I think we have them patched up somewhat."
"We have a medic with us, two in fact. OK, we naturally don't completely trust each other yet, so if you would be so kind, have everyone enter the shuttle and float to the right into the back. Best you leave anything weapon related behind so there are no… accidents. Send the two wounded to the front of the shuttle and we'll take a look at them."
The Captain nodded his understanding, Kine backing up as he gave the order to his men. One by one they stepped from the gravity of the pod into the zero g of the shuttle. A couple of them reacted in surprise on seeing Lessa at the far end with a sidearm aimed at them, but most were in no shape to care. The Captain was the last to enter the cabin, now over three quarters filled. From his new position by the bridge door Kine hit the controls to close the hatch and seal the ship.
"Send up the wounded."
The Captain did so, then gave a startled look as the cockpit door opened, young Bella floating out with her medkit. His gaze turned speculative as he looked between Kine and Lessa, but a more immediate thought suddenly came to mind. He swung his head sharply towards Kine.
"Did you get the other pod?"
There was a half second of silence, before Kine yelled, "Fuck!" and bolted into the cockpit.
"Do an immediate sweep of the area for another pod!"
The Captain came forward a few feet, but made no attempt to move closer, even without a reminder from Lessa. He waited for word, his gaze alternating between the teen girl in a revealing outfit tending to his men and the open hatch before him. It was less than a minute before he heard the reply from the radio.
"Found it. It's among the wreckage of the main ship. It's torn open: looks like it didn't get away in time."
"Understood," Kine replied, and closing the connection he turned back to the survivors. "It's just you guys."
****
Captain Horn was the first out the shuttle door, a small briefcase in his hand. His rescuers had not noticed, or at least not mentioned, it so far, and for that he was glad. It wasn't what they were worried about, and everyone would be much happier if it was ignored completely.
In front of him on the hanger floor stood a half dozen teens with weapons drawn. Their leader was a tall bald girl, and the look she gave him was not a pleasant one. With luck, this wasn't the captain. Horn had his men, who now looked better with some fresh water in them and some hope of surviving, stand in two lines in front of the shuttle. Their saviors, weapons still drawn but not pointing anywhere in particular, stood behind them. There was movement off to the side, and a smaller teen boy in a clean but battered rebel uniform approached the bald girl. He nodded, looking over Horn's head, and Kine and Lessa walked around and came to stand beside him. He spoke.
"Greetings, Captain. I'm Don. Welcome to our happy ship."
Horn nodded his head slightly. When in doubt, be polite.
"I'm Captain Horn. Thank you for picking us up."
"Save your thanks till we see how this goes. Rescues don't always turn out well with us." There was a self mocking tone in the boy's voice, which Horn filed away for future contemplation. "Anyways, we're not really equipped for visitors so we're going to have to make due. Mel here," and he indicated the bald one, "has cleared out and equipped a room you and your men can stay in. We'll give you what you need, but ask that they stay confined in there. Given the makeup of your crew…" and here Horn noted for the first time they were all men, their rescuers being a bit more diverse, "I'm sure you understand our position."
Horn nodded.
"Yes. That's probably for the best."
"Good. Mel, take them to their quarters and make sure they're settled in. After he's seen to their needs, show the Captain up to the conference room."
****
Horn followed the very polite, but not friendly, Mel up the bridge steps past the Captain's chair and through the door into the conference room. Four teens sat at the far end of the table- Don, Lessa, Kine, and a new dark skinned one. Don stood up, motioning him into a chair. Bowing his head respectfully, Horn sat while Mel closed the door and stood guard. Don sat down.
"Is everything at least not too prison like for your men?"
"On such short notice it's more than adequate, thank you." Horn looked around the room. "I've never been on a Rebel ship before. Very nice."
"Thanks. It's home." Don reached up, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand, yawning. "Sorry, it's the middle of our night shift. So!" He rotated his shoulders, stretching. "What are we to do with you." Lessa leaned her head in towards his.
"Is this where we tell him we're space cannibals?"
Don ignored her.
"We're heading towards Hikaru, and while that's a ways away you're more than welcome to stay and be dropped off at the first non-Rebel port we come to. We'd rather… not deal with military bases, Reb or Fed."
The Captain nodded, understanding.
"If worse comes to worst, that's a reasonable offer. Thank you. However, it's possible my ship is still within communication range. Would it be possible to contact it?"
The dark boy raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't your ship in small pieces?"
"No, no, that wasn't mine. I was on her with some men to help test something." He was glad, now, he had left the case with his lieutenant. His eyes probably would have gone to it just then, giving too much away.
"You're supposed to blow up OTHER people's ships!" the girl exclaimed. "That's what we've been doing wrong, Sean!"
"Well, you, maybe…"
Don held up his hand, chuckling.
"OK, enough of that." Leaning forward, he put his elbows on the table and regarded Horn. "Now, I think, Captain to Captain, we'd both agree it's best if neither of us asks many questions of the other. Secrets are good, and keep everyone alive and friendly." Horn leaned forward himself, nodding. He liked this kid. "That said, I'll let you try to contact your ship if you will give a vague answer to a question."
"Vague I can do," Horn replied chuckling.
"Good. Now, we haven't traveled this part of space before. However, I've noticed… too much activity between the planets, when we've been told there should be nothing there. So, if we don't want to see anything that people more powerful than us don't want us to see… are there any unimportant places we should steer clear of as we come up on Hikaru?"
That, Horn had to admit to himself, was a well structured question. Looking at this boy, who couldn't be fifteen yet, he thought of his own infant son. The child could do worse than to grow to be as quick witted as this one. However, if he grew up to look like the brown haired boy Horn would have serious questions for his wife. He considered his answer.
"Well… if, for no particular reason, you were to stay in the very center of the orbital plane, you most likely would never be bothered by anyone."
"Thank you. By strange coincidence, that was what we are now going to have always have been planning to do anyway." There was a general chuckle around the room. "Mel, take him onto the bridge and try to make contact with his ship. We'll monitor the transmission, naturally. If they can meet us up ahead, just one ship or we flee, mind you, we can happily transfer you and your men back to her."
"You're too kind," Horn replied, standing and bowing.
"Don't worry, I'm trying to change."
****
Three days later the Federation destroyer Avon caught up with the Liberty. Don monitored from the bridge as both ships sent shuttles to rendezvous half way between them, and gave a huge sigh of relief when Kine radioed that the exchange had gone off without a hitch. He looked up at Sean standing next to him.
"Well, we survived helping someone. That's a first."
"We're still in weapons range, but I agree it's looking good so far." Sean gave him an appraising look. "Damn gutsy thing to do with us hauling a ton of stolen uranium."
"Exactly. What are the odds someone tries to board and search us now, in Fed space? We should be good until we reach Hikaru."
Sean nodded.
"Just take things one planet at a time."
"No other way."