Her nickname is "Tanj", and she's certainly living up to it. For her, it seems, "There Ain't No Justice." As a young engineer on a tramp space freighter, this Cheetah-morph found herself the victim of a scam, sold into slavery, and trained as a sex-slave. Sold to pirates, she finds herself as a pawn in a much larger struggle. This story contains bondage, non-consensual sex, and hopefully some humor, adventure and intrigue. Adults only, PLEASE!

Tanj's Tales: Gotterdamerung, Part 3 By Kittiara Stardate 2401.4

It'd been bothering Juan all week. It really was none of his business; the transactions had all the proper clearances, and yet it was bugging him. Normally that would have been fine; watching for unusual things like that was all part of his job as an accountant in the General Services Administration. But the kinds of things he kept an eye out for seldom had the stamp of the President's office on them...

Lunch break came, and almost to a furr, the offices emptied. The Capital city was still fairly free of terrorist acts, and it didn't take much self-delusion to convince yourself there wasn't a war on. Lingering in the male's washroom, Juan waited a reasonable length of time, and then slipped back into the accounting office. His supervisor's cubicle was vacant, the old Weasel being fond of starting lunch early and finishing late, and as expected, his computer was still running, still logged onto the network... sitting down, Juan entered a few passwords he'd picked up here and there, and a few more he'd been given by a "friend"... Fingers flying over the keyboard he did what he did best; searching out graft, and theft... And sure enough, there was a trail. They hadn't even tried to hide it, at least not from HIS practiced eyes... The upper levels of the Elysium government were starting to move government funds. Investments in major corporations were being quietly sold off, at a rate that wouldn't quite panic the stock markets... A cross check showed "portable" financial instruments and tangible items were being bought up. He couldn't connect the two... not yet. Still, the coincidence was significant, the conclusion inescapable. Making careful notes, Juan scrolled through the downloaded pages, erasing them as he went...

Kenoshi smiled and patted his belly happily. The Thursday all-you-can-eat lunch buffet was one of his weaknesses, one his wife would give him endless grief over, if she ever found out. Settling into his desk chair, the Weasel paused for a moment... it seemed as if his desk chair was nice and warm... ever since the war had started they'd turned the thermostats down in the building, and he was perpetually cold... but this felt as if someone had just risen from his chair... Frowning, the Weasel took a careful look around his office; everything seemed in place, the mouse just where he liked it, the keyboard just so... Moving carefully, he told his computer to review its last dozen actions... What he saw made his eyebrows rise so far he thought they were trying to crawl over the top of his head...

Juan put the disk in an envelope, and calmly walked out of the building. He'd heard the Weasel's yelp of surprise, and didn't think it was something good. Strolling casually, he made his way to the "dead letter drop" and calmly slipped the envelope into the crack in the wall. It was barely visible there. Turning, he made his way back to the office. It was risky, but if he were missing, they'd KNOW he was a... well, not a traitor, but that would certainly be the way the Government would see it. Smiling, delighted to be doing his part for the People of Elysium, he just hoped that the courier found his envelope, and that the Reds could follow his logic...

Sebastian worked the ancient manual hedge clippers, clipping a sprig here, a leaf there. The Hedges were almost perfect, and he didn't really need to be working on them; however, it did allow him to be here, with a good view in through the Parlor window. His employer, head of the household, and senior member of the Senate, was inside carefully wrapping a Ch'ing dynasty vase in bubblewrap. Laying it very carefully within its suspension harness, he turned to find the roll of tape. It had become obvious that the Senator was going to be leaving soon. Some things might be kept from the public, and some things might be kept from the press, but it was almost impossible to fool one's servants.

The evidence had been accruing for weeks. A painting missing from the upstairs hallway, its now empty and comparatively worthless frame stacked in the basement. A rare cloisonné vase was no longer in its display case, and the master of the house had been acting with increasing nervousness. His bubble-headed "trophy" wife had been telling the servants that they were going to store the valuables until after this unpleasantness with the rebels was settled, but no one believed her. SHE still thought they were all going to the beach house in a few months, and that territory was well behind rebel lines now...

The note was brief, written in a cramped style. Looking around, the gardener lifted the rock just outside the servant's entrance, and slipped the folded piece of paper underneath. It was the one dead spot the security cameras couldn't see. Rising, he picked up his weedwhacker and made a few desultory passes, just so that no one would suspect...

Phoebe sipped her tea and listened to the conversation in the lunchroom. A table over, just behind her, sat a covey of "executive secretaries." One, an overly well-endowed vixen, secretary (and part-time mistress) to the Chairman of the Board of the Microware corporation, was giggling to her croneys about the "business trip" she'd be going on soon... Seemed there was going to be a conference somewhere, somewhere with warm sand and tropical skies, and her boss wanted, absolutely insisted that she accompany him. Funny thing, though, he couldn't say just WHEN it would be. Something about security. She's to be ready to leave at a moment's notice... Pretending to read her paper, Phoebe listened, trying to remember names, and what little information the Vixen had. As lunch ended, she scribbled a note on a small piece of paper, and slipped it under her now-empty coffee cup. Leaving the tray on the table, instead of placing it in recycling, she knew one of the bussboys would check under the cup for a note... And pass it on to the appropriate person in her resistance "cell"...

The Serval looked at all the scribbled notes and shrugged; how Intelligence could piece together ANYTHING from all of this was beyond him; still it was his duty to smuggle such stuff through the lines, and deliver it to the appropriate furrs in the Reds organization. Checking to make sure he had his Reds ID well hidden, and that his pistol was fully charged, he moved out of the shadow of the building, and started trotting towards the woods at the edge of town. This was supposed to be a "thin" spot in the lines, and he didn't expect too much trouble sneaking through...

Xyloff leaned back in his chair and grinned at his intelligence staff; "you mean you don't understand what the pattern means? I'm surprised at you, Comrades!" Looking at the blank faces the Wolverine grinned; it wasn't often that he could out-think this group. "Then again, perhaps I understand their mindset a bit better, given my background. The Rats are about to leave what they perceive to be a sinking ship. When they think that all is lost, the key government and industry figures will abscond with what wealth they can carry!" One of the analysts, a Buffalo, rubbed his chin; "I'm not sure, Comrade. I admit some of them may be preparing to retreat to a safe haven, such as the Harbinger mountains. We've heard rumors that the hard core Elysium troops are planning to hold up there. It would be difficult to force them out, and to pursue them into that rough terrain would be... near-suicidal." Another analyst nodded; "And the liquefaction of national wealth might merely be another attempt to import weapons and mercenaries..." Xyloff shook his head; "No, While I admit it could be any, or all of those things, I believe we're seeing the approach of the end." Turning to the Operations staff he grinned; "Now, here's what I want to do to try and hasten their departure. When they leave I want them fully panicked, and moving too fast for caution..."

Marshal Golovko looked at the message flimsy and shook his head. It was incredible. It was inconceivable and yet the Reds Party Headquarters had ordered him to ignore his flanks and drive straight for the Elysium Capital. While the Elysium forces were in general retreat almost everywhere, exposing his flanks to their still not- inconsiderable forces was inviting disaster. Looking up at his aide, the Bear growled; "Political Objectives my ASS!" The aide, a much scarred and much decorated Panther, only shrugged; "Marshal, if you waver in the slightest it WILL be your ass. We have no choice." Sadly the Bear nodded; "Very well, lets take a look at the maps and see what we can do to minimize the damage..."

Senator Delany watched as one of his servants brought the aircar around. He'd always prided himself on driving himself wherever he needed to go, not making use of limousines and chauffeurs... But recently he'd been particularly careful about starting the car in the morning. Politely thanking his butler, Delany slid behind the controls, glancing in the back seat just to make sure there were no assassins hiding there. Now that they were so close to leaving, it wouldn't do to be killed like poor Senator Croft. Still the old biddy had been foolish, taking way too many chances, almost as if she were inviting the Reds "justice" squads to come for her. Lifting off smoothly from his residence, Delany debated which of the several routes to the capital building he should take today.

Brumm smiled as he saw the blip appear on the traffic control radar. They'd tapped into the system that the civil authorities used to control aircar traffic. And of course as important a personage as the Senator had their transponder flagged in the supposedly impregnable system. It made him a whole lot easier to track. And to kill. Nodding to Grimaldi, the Wolverine sat back, letting his associate fly their rented van, as they closed the distance...

Making another random turn, Delany smiled. Traffic was light today. Glancing in his rear-view monitor, he noted a white delivery van, with a rental company's logo on it. Thinking about the transfer of important records from outlying districts now threatened by those rebel scum, the Senator made another random turn. The van followed.

Brumm nodded; "Now, Grimaldi, hold it steady..." Reaching down, the Wolverine lifted the remote control box into his lap. Flipping a switch, he was rewarded with a set of glowing indicator lights and a slight vibration beneath his feet.

Delany's instincts were good. He hadn't survived in the Senate for as long as he had without knowing when he was in trouble. The path of his aircar developed a slight weave, as if the operator were slightly drunk... and slowing down, then speeding up, he managed to make a turn and descend a level, merging into the traffic heading away from the capital.

"He's on to us" Grimaldi growled. Brumm nodded; "fly between the eastbound and westbound "paths". Close on him and I'll take him out from above and behind." Below the van, the optics of the strap-on anti-aircraft laser twitched, as Brumm tried to sight in on the now-fleeing aircar.

Delany scanned his dashboard. No tracking radar; that meant the assassins were going to try for some sort of passive kill. His car was well stealthed, but that didn't mean it was invisible in the infra-red. Glancing in his rear-view he blinked. The Van was gone... Craning his head around, he searched for them, convinced they wouldn't give up so easily.

"You know, Brumm, flying here is going to send a strong signal to every civilian who sees us; flying between the eastbound and westbound levels is supposed to be reserved only for the police. And we don't look like the police." Brumm shrugged: "When we start shooting, they'll know it for sure. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate."

The flicker of laser light licked out, lashing diagonally across Delany's car. On either side, it cut downwards, across city streets. Pedestrians and parked vehicles burst into flames.

Delany swore; his car was armored, a reflective layer just below the paint dispersed most of the beam, and an ablative layer below that absorbed the rest. Still, he wouldn't be able to take much more of that. Horsing the car around, ignoring the traffic rules, he sought an escape.

"Get behind him, I need a better angle!" Brumm couldn't believe the Senator had survived the first hit. He must be flying something very special. As Grimaldi grunted and worked the controls, the Wolverine lined up for his next shot.

Delany felt the aircar shudder, and loose power. It didn't feel as if he'd lost one of the fans, more like one or more of the power cells had dropped off line. Frantically, he looked towards the ground, looking for a good place to crash-land.

Brumm grinned; his third shot had taken out the right side fans, slicing from rear to front. The car had spun out of control. It would have been nice if it had exploded on impact, but unfortunately things like that only happened in thriller holos. Telling Grimaldi to hover for a minute, the Wolverine used the laser to make sure no one could possibly be left alive in the wreckage.

"THERE THEY ARE!" Sergeant Boggs looked at his rookie partner and shook his head. Keying his mike, the German Shepherd growled; "We have the van in sight; they have some sort of laser weapon. We're going to hang back and maintain surveillance until backup arrives. At his young partner's "Aw come on, Sarge, we can take 'em!" the Shepherd just growled and rolled his eyes.

Brumm grinned and leaned back in his seat. The Senator, in trying to escape, had flown into a factory district; there had probably been no living eyes to record his demise. As Grimaldi calmly flew back towards the main traffic pattern, the Wolverine wondered what his next assignment might be.

"Police 491, this is Phantom Lead, moving up from your six, target in sight" "Roger that, Phantom Lead, this is Sergeant Boggs. Central says these goons are a Reds "justice squad", and you are cleared for use of deadly force." "Roger that, 491, we're rolling hot." Boggs shook his head; "I wish they'd let them clear the city before they started using military weapons, but I guess they want to make a point." The kid in the seat next to him just watched in awe as two interceptor missiles turned the van into so much tinfoil. Luckily they still weren't out of the factory district...

In an automated relay station, a small box clicked. One of Brumm's contingency plans, should they need help escaping, was the total incapacitation of the traffic control system. A last-ditch effort, as it would leave too many clues as to who'd done it, and probably let the Elysium government know how to make sure it didn't happen again, the Wolverine had set it up on a timer, figuring that if he didn't countermand the order, he'd either be in real trouble, captured, or dead. In two out of three cases, he might be able to use the assistance... His gizmos didn't disable the system so much as feed it countermanding signals, and to spoof the backup system into thinking the primary was functioning correctly. All over the Capital city, signals went green in three of four directions, speed limits and altitude designations changed, and in some places the flight path indicators "drifted" so that opposing streams of traffic found themselves coming at each other head-on. Chaos reigned.

Olson sipped his coffee, as he looked over the city editor's shoulder. The stories of death and chaos when the traffic system had been sabotaged were heartbreaking... and should put their news e-publication in great demand. With a sigh he shook his head; it just figured. Here he had a scoop on high level embezzlement that should blow the lid off the Elysium government, and it'd probably be buried on the back page. Of the classifieds section. Taking another sip of his coffee, Olson reflected on his "source"... the shadowy figure had "Reds Political Wing" written all over her. She'd fed him tidbits before, but never anything like this... That and she was one VERY sexy Ermine, and gave head like no one he'd ever run across. Or even heard about. Talk about "deep throat"... that Mink could take ALL of him... Hmmmm. Maybe when his editor asked, as he knew he would, he'd code-name his source "Deep Throat"... that had a neat ring to it...

J.T. watched the monitor, as the editor compiled the "front page" of the latest edition. The report on the sabotage of the traffic control system, and the shocking assassination of Senator Delany served the Elysium Government's purposes well, but this article about some of the financial "maneuverings" that were happening would not do at all. Entering the override code, J.T. quietly rearranged the appearance of the publication. Then, picking up his commlink, he quietly arranged so that those that knew of that particular story would either quietly disappear, or make their own front page as victims of another "Reds Justice Squad"...

Erog looked at the sheaf of reports and shook his head; "This story about our liquidation of certain assets is most disturbing. Are you sure you were able to squelch it?" The Wolf nodded; "Yessir. We haven't caught up with the "source" yet, but we've managed to halt its release on each occasion so far." Erog nodded. Feeding the reports, one by one into a shredder, the President of the Government of Elysium looked up; "we're going to have to move up our departure date. Things are progressing faster than we had anticipated." The Wolf nodded; "Let me talk to the others to see how we can accelerate the timetable..."

The Ermine purrrred softly, and stretched langourously. She knew, without looking, that the Wolf's eyes were on her. Riveted to her. He was close to drooling. It hadn't been difficult at all to pick him up, in the spaceport bar. What had been difficult had been to fend off all the interested furrs, both male and female, that frequented the bar. But she'd been waiting for just this one... not because he was attractive, although he wasn't THAT bad. Not because he was single, although that helped. But because he was the Executive officer on the Ragnarok, one of the few remaining cruisers in the Elysium Fleet. The Reds psychology department had given her a number of possible candidates, but she liked his profile the best. Despite his position, his authority, he was a closet submissive, and that made her job all the more fun...

It hadn't taken much to bring him under her spell. Demanding he fetch her a drink, sending him to fetch her wrap from the cloak-check 'bot. Telling him that they'd be going back to her place. Little touches added at just the right moment. And bit by bit she'd seen the light of desire flare in his eyes. She could almost hear him thinking, wondering if this was the one fem that could give him what he truly desired...

Once back at her rented apartment, she'd become even more insistent, more demanding. Of course her demands were interspersed with kisses, and gentle caresses, mixed among all the preludes to love. Their first coupling had been wild, full of primal energy, with the Wolf thinking that he was leading, his male ego obscuring the signals that she'd been sending, the subtle directions she'd been giving him. In time, upon reflection, he'd realized that she had actually been controlling him, and be all the happier for it. Normally she'd take her time with him, seeing him a dozen times before she sunk the hook, but the political situation just didn't permit that. She'd have to move faster. Recklessly fast. As the Wolf's knot slowly subsided, she giggled and tilting her head up to whisper in his ear, she made a suggestion that he may or may not have been ready for. Such were the needs of the situation, and of the Party...

The Wolf knelt on the floor of the Ermine's apartment living room, wondering just how he'd gotten himself in this fix. He was nude, with heavy cuffs around ankles and wrists, cuffs actually LOCKED on. A heavy collar encircled his neck, the lock dangling at the back. He could feel it sway as he moved. Part of him was absolutely aghast at what he was doing; after all, he'd just MET her. Another part of him was in ecstasy, as evidenced by his raging hard-on. This is what he'd dreamed of, longed for, for as long as he could remember. It was MUCH better than the few sessions he'd timidly paid for, with a professional dominatrix. She really knew how to push all his buttons. Currently she was laying on the couch, on the other side of the room, seemingly asleep, exhausted by their bouts of lovemaking. His gaze roamed over her form, longingly. Dressed only in an amazingly tight corset, which cinched in her waist to an unbelievable diameter, her bounteous chest rose and fell with each breath. Even from across the room, he could still smell her arousal. She'd instructed him to kneel in the corner, to wait for her command, and obediently, he had. Now the locks insured he'd remain there, until released. As he watched her sleep, he wondered if she'd let him loose in time for him to make it back from leave on time. Part of him didn't care.

The Ermine smiled to herself and studied him through slitted eyes. Feigning sleep, she watched, wondering how long it would be, before he tried to rouse her. It wouldn't be long before he'd have to be back to his ship, and given his position, it wouldn't be long until the military police were looking for him, fearing terrorists. Stretching again, she purrred and opened her eyes a little further. "Crawl over here, Slave, and lick me." Shifting a little, the Ermine, dropped both legs over the side of the couch, giving him a good look at her still-dripping sex...

The Wolf groaned. With wrists locked to ankles, and ankles locked together, fulfilling her demands would be hard, and yet he must. Shifting back and forth, fractionally moving closer with each movement, drew a frown from her, and he remembered the riding crop with a shudder of both delight and fear. Thrusting himself forward, he gained a 'standing' position on his knees, and awkwardly, started to "walk" towards her. When he lost his balance and fell on his face, she giggled, instead of criticizing him, and suddenly he felt better about the whole thing; it WAS still just a game, and not something more... wasn't it? Struggling back into a kneeling position and then again rising to his knees, he shuffled forward, all but falling against the couch, his muzzle jamming hard against her cleft, making her squeal in delight.

Later she stroked his head softly; he hadn't been able to shift his position much, upper torso laying on the couch, as he knelt by its side, his muzzle resting on her mons. She wondered what she looked like from there, as she laid back against the couch, legs splayed on either side of him. Grinning down through the valley of her breasts she purrred, and stroked his head, and talked to him of his work, of his position. As expected, there was an undercurrent of annoyance in his voice. Annoyance with the admirals that were controlling the Fleet, annoyance at the constant interference from civilian authorities... Smiling, the Mink stroked him softly and wondered quietly if perhaps a change in leadership might not be so bad, for a patriotic, dedicated warrior. When he didn't immediately object, she smiled, knowing she had him.

The Ermine was still nude, the furr of her thighs still wet and sticky from their lovemaking. The Wolf was back in his uniform, perhaps standing a little straighter. Not caring in the least if anyone saw her through the partially open door, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Remember what I said; Think it through logically. And if you agree; if you want to help, to help the people of Elysium, if you want to help me... if you want to help YOURSELF, come to the party. Bring your friends. Bring those you think might help. Tomorrow night. And I promise, you and I, we'll sneak off somewhere private, and play some more. Just the way you know we both like it..." The Wolf swallowed and nodded, and without a word, turned to stride off down the corridor. If he moved fast, he would make the last shuttle back to his ship...

The Ermine closed the door, and smiled. She needed a shower bad, but that wasn't the first priority. Moving to the comm console, she placed a call. The number was a public comm terminal in the port, and while unsecured, she thought anyone listening in wouldn't know what she was talking about. In any event,k it was something she had to risk. "Hello, Robert? Yes, it went fine. Please keep an eye on him for me; if I'm wrong, I'd like to know as soon as possible. Yes, tomorrow night. Ok, thanks, Dear. Bye!"

The Stoat broke the connection and turning, walked away from the public comm. Dressed in an Elysium starfleet uniform, he attracted very little attention in the port. The Reds had some agents within the Fleet, but not enough for what was planned. They needed to recruit key personnel, and recruit them as quickly as possible. Preferably at such a pace that by the time the recruits had time to think over what they'd done, it would be too late. But then, if anyone could do it, the Ermine could. She was one of their best Agents Provocateur...

"Maria, I simply don't want to hear it. You will do as you have been instructed, without questions, without qualms." The Ermine stared down at the young Skunkette with a stern look on her face. The Reds had provided the females she'd asked for, and while each one was stunningly beautiful, they were scarcely "enthusiastic volunteers." Most had been blackmailed into performing as required, some were here because of threats made against their families. But all had been briefed on the sexual "kinks" of their targets, thoroughly trained in how to please the males they'd been paired with. If none of them lost their nerve, it should all work. Looking at the Skunkette, the Ermine softened her "look;" "I know, Dear; I know. I've been through this before, and I do remember. Anal sex can be painful at first, but if you just relax, it won't be so bad. Many actually like it. I know, I've come to treasure the unique sensations it can give you... Now just calm down. Remember, this is for the good of the Party, and for the People of Elysium. Its TERRIBLY important for The Plan." The Skunkette wiped away a tear and nodded; "you really DO like it?" The Ermine smiled; "its an acquired taste, but yes, I've come to enjoy it. Give it a chance." As the Skunkette turned, padding away, back to the bar for some "liquid courage" the Ermine sighed. The Elysium Starfleet officer she'd been assigned to had a penchant for anal sex; problem was, he was a beast, who frequently left his partners in need of medical attention. The Skunkette was probably going to me much the worse for wear by morning. Still, it HAD to be done. The Mission was just too important to let little things like the desires of one person, or even a hundred persons interfere...

The Wolf slid his arms around the Ermine's waist and whispered in her ear. She giggled, as if he'd said the most delightful thing and turned back to whisper in return; "Go to the end of the hall; last room on the right. Prepare yourself for me. Be imaginative. I want to find you naked, bound immobile, unable to escape without my help, and oh so ready for me. I've got to make sure the party gets off to the right start, but I'll be along as SOON as I can!"

The Stoat smiled as his gaze wandered across the monitors. In each room, fiber optic cameras, thin as a hair, were recording scenes of debauchery that... probably wouldn't faze the current Elysium society in the least. However, coupled with the fact that each of the Fleet officers were with furrs that very soon would be almost universally known as Reds agents WOULD draw their interest. And insure their complete, if grudging compliance.

The Wolf blinked as the door closed behind him. The room was dark, save for a single spotlight; in the spotlight was a large wooden "X" with shackles dangling at the ends of the arms. And in the middle was a large phallic shape, angled upwards. He knew where that was supposed to go. On the floor was a tube of lubricant, a collar, and a bunch of padlocks, all open, all without keys. Smiling, he started to strip off his uniform. What he was about to do might be the stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life, but be that as it may, he couldn't help himself. She would find him exactly as she expected...

The Warthog smiled as he pulled on his uniform. The Skunkette had been just the way he liked 'em. Compliant, tight, and terrified. He looked at her nude, sobbing form, and wondered how long it would be, before someone found her tied to the bed? Shrugging, he grinned and figured that was her problem, not his. Turning he let himself out, locking the door behind him.

The Ermine slipped through the door, and grinned as she beheld the Wolf. Locked tight to the cross, he squirmed slightly. It was questionable as to whether or not he even knew she was there, thanks to the form-fitting leather hood locked around his head. Smiling, she wondered if the horseradish she's smeared on the dong was getting to him yet. Whether it was or not, it was obvious from the size of his erection, that he was thoroughly enjoying his situation. Shedding her dress, she sashayed towards the bound Wolf, and the proper culmination of the party. She just hoped the Stoat was getting all this recorded correctly...

The Warthog stopped and looked at the Stoat wearing the junior officer's uniform. Frowning at the interruption he took the proffered envelope. Tearing it open, he pulled out the photographs, and frowned. They showed him with the Skunkette, the night before. All, except for the last one, which was a printout of a wanted poster, showing the same Skunkette... And claiming she was a Reds Agent. Eyes widening, he turned to look at the Stoat, who just grinned back. Taking the startled Warthog by the elbow, steering him into a side corridor, the Stoat began to explain the obvious benefits of joining "The Cause"... and telling him exactly what was required of him.

The Ermine slipped through the door into the hotel room and smiled. She'd slipped out of the port without anyone seeming to be the wiser, making her way to the capital city. Now, after a quick fur-dye, and a radical change in style of dress, she was making her way back to report. Her mission had been largely successful. Only three of the "recruits" had to be "eliminated" to keep them from telling what they knew. All the others had either joined the Reds of their own volition... or had been successfully blackmailed into cooperation. If everything "held" she'd be able to deliver two Elysium Cruisers and at least four Destroyers to the People's Space Navy, at the critical moment. There were a few more critical personnel that she might be able to suborn, though. Tonight's target was a Commander in the Elysium Aerospace Defense forces... And while this one didn't seem to have any sexual kinks she could make use of, or be susceptible to bribery, there were still buttons she thought she could push. She had evidence that the Elysium leadership was about to abandon the fight, to save their own skins, looting the treasury in the process. His psychological profile suggested that he'll want their heads for such an act, and would do almost anything to "punish" them for such a betrayal. Smiling, and stripping off her conservative business suit, she laid out her dress for the evening... there wasn't much to it... It should catch even HIS eye.

"No, no, Comrade Quistling, you misunderstand me. I WANT the Elysium leadership to flee the planet. There are several benefits should they do so; the first is that when they flee, those still fighting on will be dispirited; they will realize their leaders have cut and run, leaving them in the lurch. Resistance should crumble in a matter of hours! It will mark the end of our Struggle, and be our shining triumph! Secondly it will put all of the traitors in one place, at one time. With the People's Space Navy in place, there should be no trouble at all capturing the key figures for public trial, and eliminating the rest of the vermin! Also, they'll have the wealth of the planet in one place as well, and we'll pluck it from their paws. No chance of those dastardly Blues gaining any of it!" The Lemming looked up at the Wolverine and blinked; "You seem so sure, Comrade; but how do you know that the Peoples Space Navy will be equal to the task? The remaining Elysium forces are not inconsiderable... And then, there's the Brethren to consider." Xyloff made a sour face; "Comrade, I have a plan for the Brethren. You see, our agents have cleverly recruited key figures in the Elysium space forces; at the appropriate moment they'll take over their ships, bringing them over to our side. Between them, and the PSN, we should have more than sufficient force to not only capture the Elysium leadership, AND deal with those Pirate Scum! THINK of the propaganda coup it'll be; the Whole Planet will laud us as Liberators!" Frowning, the Lemming shook his head; "I do hope you're correct, Comrade. It would look bad for us, if they were to escape. Such a political disaster might just prove... "unsettling" for some of our Leadership...

Xyloff blinked at the Lemming, and nodded slowly. Ever since the "assassination attempt" the rodent had been changing. He was no longer the intellectual, the academic bent on teaching the people of Elysium a better way... And now... an implied threat against HIM? Mentally, the Wolverine reviewed his plans, making sure that even with the strongest of will, the little rodent wouldn't be able to upset any of his plans... It SHOULD be foolproof... Forcing a smile, he nodded at the Reds Chairman; "Comrade Quistling, I assure you, this will work exactly as I have explained; I'll stake my life on it!" The Lemming nodded, as if to say "you have".

The Return Trip, part 1

Tanj took another look at the departure checklist and sighed. Fuel. Full. Atmosphere gasses. Full. Consumables. Full, including a batch of fresh donuts from the bakery just down the docking ring. Clearances. That had taken a little wheedling, but she'd finally gotten through the bureaucracy, and had gotten all the required clearances. Hinoki had made a hasty trip to Harriet's, to say goodbye, and to complete some unspecified task with the fantasy simulator... They WERE going to have to think of a better name for it than that. Crew. Telltales showed everyone on board, but she still hadn't seen Zassa in a while. The Vixen was STILL in the cargo bay. Whatever her secret project was, it must be extraordinarily complex. Still, she had the nagging feeling she was forgetting something... Something important. "Oh, well, if its important, it'll come to me..." Scanning the engineering boards again, making sure the ship was ready, she leaned over and flipped the microphone switch on her control column; "Free Trader Beowulf to Gibralter station traffic control. Requesting immediate permission to release docking clamps and leave the station."

Sam looked across at Walt and swallowed. Nodding he gestured for the Gerbil to take the call. Walt shot back a "why me?" look, but keyed his mike anyway. "Um, Free Trader Beowulf, you are cleared to undock. Vector 117 mark 43 at 10,000 KPH until you clear the outer marker. Meet departure control on 143.9 for further instructions. And, ah, Have a good Trip." Tanj smiled and keyed her mike; "Thanks, Boys, 'preciate it. We'll be sure and look you up the next trip!" Blipping the thrusters she backed from the port, making sure all the umbilicals snapped clear. Wheeling the Freighter, with all the grace and agility of a ... Well, if not an interceptor, then at least a Raider class vessel, Tanj nudged her ship onto the proper course, and eased it up to the specified velocity. Changing frequencies, she heard Sam issuing rapid-fire orders to the other traffic in the area, clearing a pathway for them, straight to the jump point. Tanj grinned and wondered what the Fox and the Gerbil will make of their sudden departure from the filed flight-plan, once they'd made the first jump. Grinning wider, she thought of the reputation they'd picked up here; it would probably only inhance the stories already circulating about them. Yes, indeed, returning to this station could be VERY interesting...

The Jaguar slouched in his command chair, the scowl on his face a warning to anyone on his crew who knew him, to keep their distance. He somehow hadn't really expected the Cheetah to call and say goodbye, but then... Well, he'd hoped. Waving a paw in the general direction of his executive officer, he watched, as his crew smoothly moved the Battlecruiser away from the station, and in pursuit of the freighter.

Tanj sat in her pilot's chair, her tailtip flicking nervously. What HAD she forgotten, in her haste to return to the Brethren? To the Action. To her Master. As her gaze swept the flight deck, she frowned at the flash of blue. Leaning closer, she frowned. The cargo bay No.2 monitor was showing only blue. Fiddling with her console for a moment she transferred the image to her pilot's console, and then fiddled with the focus. Fibers jumped into detailed view, for a moment. Fibers? Fabric? And then she grinned; Zassa had been wearing a blue jumpsuit. She'd probably hung it over the monitor, to preserve the secret she was working on there. That was all well and good, but it just wasn't safe. Wondering if something had happened to the Vixen, wondering if she'd possibly been hurt assembling whatever-it-was, she did a quick medical scan of the area. No, everything looked fine. Heartbeat, respiration, electrophoretic activity all looked nominal. What WAS Zassa doing down there. Filing it away for future reference, the Cheetah Fem turned back to her piloting. They weren't out of the system yet, although right now it appeared the trip out was going to be a lot shorter than the trip in, thanks to their friendly traffic controllers.

Hinoki poured himself a cup of coffee and as he settled into a wardroom chair, grinned at Wanda; "Oh, I have LOTS of things planned for our little Vixen. I still mean to punish her for her impudence, in pirating my system like that on the way out." The Wolverine lass grinned back; "but without your little toy, how WILL you punish her?" The Cheetah male leaned forward, over his coffee, to conspiratorily whisper; "The old fashioned way; what I have in mind is, well, its some of the most diabolical things I've EVER planned! And that includes the little trap I left for Harriet's Tiger Assistant." Wanda's eyes grew wide, and she leaned forwards across the table too; "DO tell!"

The battlecruiser was hard to miss, even if it WAS behind them. Tanj watched it with growning concern. It was obvious that they were pushing their ship to its in-system drive limits, and it was just as obvious that they were headed for the same jump-point. At first Tanj had thought that the Jaguar was coming after her for NOT saying goodbye, the obvious thing that she'd forgotten. And then she'd had a flash of paranoia that the Wolf from Intelligence, Chalmers, had ordered them to come and bring her back. After a number of other possibilities had flashed through her mind, she'd settled on the thought that the Imperium was going to check up on her story, about the doomsday device. Very visibly, very pointedly. Maybe if the planet WASN'T destroyed, the Jaguar had orders to bring her back to the Wolf. Chewing on the end of a stylus, she wondered what the best counter-move would be.

Wanda leaned back in her chair, and shook her head; "So when does your little trap for CT spring?" Hinoki chuckled; "Why, as soon as he tries it for himself. I had him don the cranial sensor web for 'calibration" purposes. The System's "learned" his brainwave pattern, and the next time he dons the sensor web AND runs a program, it'll take over." Wanda nodded; "But if this guy's as good with electronics and computers as Harriet says he is, what's to keep him from finding the little trap you'd left?" Hinoki shrugged; "nothin'. But he'd have to go looking. And look HARD. But if he's good enough, yeah, sure." Wanda sipped her coffee and chuckled; "you realize this could mean war. You may never be able to use that system safely again..." Hinoki chuckled and nodded; "Yeah, well, that's all part of the fun. Tell me, WHAT do you think he could program that thing to do to me, that wouldn't exceed the safety limits AND overly distress me?" Wanda got a thoughtful look in her eye, and just Hmmmmed, as she sipped her coffee.

The Jaguar looked at the image of the Cheetah on the main viewscreen. He'd been running a small bet with himself as to whether she'd call, and now that she had, he wasn't sure if he was glad or pissed. The Impudence of this creature! Still, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes on her face, and not gazing at that spot where the zipper of her jumpsuit had been pulled, well below her navel. It looked as if she were about to burst out of the tight fabric... Most distracting. Shoving memories of their nights on Gibralter station off, to be savored later, he cocked his head to one side, and just looked at her.

Tanj smiled, figuring from the angle of the video pickup and all the upturned faces on the bridge of the battlecruiser, that she was rather publically displayed. "Just wanted to apologize for not saying goodbye. I was, um, "recalled" rather suddenly." The Jaguar nodded slowly, his face seemingly cast in stone; "Yes, so I was told." Tanj's eyebrows went up, and she smiled. "Chalmers?" "The Same." Tanj's smile slipped away. "You have no idea how wrong I hope I am on this. But... I AM good at my job, and right now, all the evidence points the other way." The michevious grin reappeared, her eyes flicking out to check position, and Drive Status. Looking back at the Jaguar, hesitating just a fraction of a second she brought her paw down on the Jump Drive button just as she purrred "Race Ya!"

The Jaguar's eyebrows rose, and his jaw dropped, as the freighter vanished in the Jump Point, the comm signal being lost at that instant. Impudent? Impudent didn't BEGIN to cover THIS one. For a moment he was speechless, and then a grin spread over his face too. Lover, or adversary, he wasn't sure which, but this one was DEFINITELY a worthy... Opponent? Turning to glare at his Exec, the Jaguar growled; "Did you HEAR that?" the Exec, a full grown Cape Buffalo standing at least a head taller than his Captain, blanched at the fury in his voice; "Yessir! How DARE sh..." "Never mind THAT, AFTER HER!" Settling back into his command chair, as the pitch of the in-system drive ratcheted up another degree, the Jaguar smiled. At least life wasn't dull.

Tanj's fingers flew over the keyboard. She'd had the cloaking device primed and ready to go, the'd cloaked almost as soon as they'd completed the jump. Now the Warp drive was howling, as she flung her ship back out of the system, its course a curve calculated to throw off pursuit. The fastest route had been mapped on the way out, but now she had a better handle on fuel consumption figures. She figured she could shave at least a half day off their time, on the way back. IF she kept everything perfectly tuned, and pushed her small ship to the limit. It wasn't just the battles raging at home, or her longing for her Master. OR her desire to beat out the Imperials. Some nameless dread was growing within her, as if the fact that the Imperium was sending a ship to monitor the destruction of Elysium only lent creedance to her own conclusions...

Hinoki paused, frowning. The noise the cloaking system made when it engaged was characteristic, as was the way the by-product static field made his fur stand on end. Well, they'd made most of the trip out cloaked, it only made sense, he guessed, to return that way. Shrugging, he hefted his load and headed down towards the cargo bay. He had a score to settle with the Vixen, and time was a'wastin'.

The Jaguar leaned forward in his command chair, watching closely as his ship came out of the jump. How far ahead was the Cheetah? Just how fast WAS that ship of hers? Would she win the "race?" As the screens cleared, he searched the tactical display for a sign of her ship. After a full minute, he turned to his sensor officer; "well, where IS she?" The officer just shrugged; "Don't know, Sir..."

"NoSir, I... well, we DID see a small ship emerge an hour ago, or we THOUGHT we did, but it vanished almost immediately. For a moment we thought someone had made a bad jump, but we couldn't find any debris. In the end we concluded it had been a sensor glitch of some sort..." The Jaguar growled and waved his acknowledgement. Cutting the connection to the system's traffic control center, he sat back and thought for a second. Cloaking devices weren't unknown. His ship had one, after all. But civilian freighters couldn't afford the luxury. It only lent creedance to the story that she was actually working for Imperial intelligence. THEY could afford them, all right. But if she WAS Imperial Intelligence, why send HIM after her? Something was fishy here... Looking up at his Sensor operator, he growled; "Well?" The officer swallowed; "Um, Captain, it would appear, ah, well, there are SOME signs of a ship going into warp in this vacinity, but the vector isn't definite... It would appear to be out-system, on a course of roughly 340 mark 120, plus or minus ten degrees on each vector. If we follow the ion trail, we can probably refine that some." The Jaguar waved a paw dismissively; "No, there are too many tricks to confuse the trail. Navigation! Plot the FASTEST course to the Elysium system, lay in, and Engage!" The Exec cleared his throat; "Captain, if we do that, we'll probably arrive there with dry tanks..." The Jaguar nodded; "Call for a tanker. And make sure the tanker is escorted. Tell them we'll meet them on the fringe of the Elysium system. Nav will give you an ETA." The Exec nodded and turned to stride across the bridge, to consult with the comm officer. Staring at the viewscreen, the Jaguar mused to himself; "Not eight hours into the chase, and we've lost them. Warp drive AND a cloaking device? INCREDIBLE! I wonder what OTHER tricks she's got up her sleeve?"

Hinoki stood quietly just inside the personnel door to the cargo bay. The Vixen was asleep, or so he thought, unresponsive to the quiet "sh-shoosh" that the powered door made. Or if she WAS aware of his presence, she was faking it rather well. Respiration, the slow rise and fall of her chest, suggested slumber. For a moment the Cheetah male watched her chest rise and fall, his eyes roving over her breasts, and the way her harness held them, seemingly offering them up for his touch. How long had she been here like this? Moving with all the stealth of a hunting cat, Hinoki moved over to examine the reservoir mounted on the side of the cage. Taking a moment to trace out the plumbing, it became apparent that one of the phallic shapes mounted inside the cage was for drinking water, the other for food, supplied from the tank. And that tank was down several inches. It was apparent she'd been here a while... Grinning, he moved quietly to set up HIS little toy, leaving the Vixen to enjoy hers.

Zassa came awake slowly. Was that a sound? Sitting up, she turned her upper body, unable to move her head much, due to the stiff posture collar. Yes, that definitely sounded like metal-on-metal. Someone was there! With the ring gag making speech impossible, the Vixen moaned as loudly as she could, trying to get that person's attention...

Hinoki smiled as he put down the wrench. He'd heard her, but had no intention of responding. Let her stew for a while. He had work to do. Picking up the tube of sealant, he turned to the large sheet of transparent aluminum.

Tanj frowned; now the security system showed both Hinoki AND Zassa in the cargo bay. And the monitor still only showed the blue of Zassa's jumpsuit over it. What WERE those two up to? Taking another glance over her instruments, the Cheetah fem yawned. She'd been on the flight deck since departure, save for a few trips to the potty, and to the wardroom for coffee and sandwiches. She'd had a few cat-naps in the pilot's chair, some of them unintended, and she knew she couldn't push it much further without some serious rest. "Ought to get one or the other of them up here to stand watch for a while" she muttered to herself. The Warp drive had gotten them into a different "chain" of interconnected systems, making the Jump Drive once again practical. Still, she'd run some calculations and then run 'em again, determining that she could save time by warping high out of the ecliptic of the system being passed through, staying well away from the gravitational singularities, and although it was more costly in fuel, longer in light-seconds traveled, she could still shave time off their transit across the system to the next jump point. Fuel was the problem; if she didn't watch it VERY carefully, their tanks would run dry before they got home. And that took her at the controls. Yawning again, she strecthed and muttered to herself; "Just let me get through the Acworth system, make the jump, and then I'll get someone to releave me. Traffic control there isn't going to like what I'm gonna do..."

Hector looked at the image of the sleepy Cheetah Fem on his monitor and muttered; "Beowulf, your course to the designated jump point is 301 mark 347. Hold your speed to... um... 25,000 KPS. Advise when crossing the orbit of the fifth planet." The response he got was not the sleepy achknowledgement he expected, but a growl instead; "Acworth traffic control, Beowulf. No can do. We are on a very time-sensitive misson. Now here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to head outsystem on a course of... (yawn) 167 mark, um, 15. I'll alter course at 3 AU, describing an arc around your system's primary, and then approach the far jump point from outsystem. I'll drop out of warp just in time to jump." Hector scratched his head; "First off, that's an illegal maneuver. If you attempt that, I'll have the Guardia waiting for you at the far jump point. Second, its gonna cost you an amazing amount of fuel. What in the world could be that important?" The Cheetah fem just smiled and shrugged; "the fate of an entire world? Nevermind; call the Guardia if you choose. I'm doin' it anyways. Beowulf out." Hector shook his head, rose from his chair, and ambled across ops to find his supervisor. In the wee hours of the morning like this, the place was awful quiet and O'bannon was playing a computer game on one of the spare monitors, obviously doing something, anything, just to try and stay awake. "Um, boss... Ah, red Queen on Black King? We got ourselves a free trader goin' a little berzerk out there...

O'Bannon listened as the Ferret explained the situation. Rising, he gestured back at the traffic controller's station; "Just 'cause she says that's what she's doing doesn't mean that's what's really happening. Show me." Sliding into his chair, Hector pointed at the display; "see right... Here? Hey, where'd they go?" O'Bannon nodded sagely; "See? Just something to throw you off. Maybe they WANT the Guardia at that jump point, while they do something else, somewhere else. Play back your log tape and lets see what happened to your mystery ship..."

Tanj yawned and bumped into the table as she negotiated her way into the wardroom , looking for a cup of coffee. Wanda sat in the far corner, feet propped up on an empty chair as she read one of her nursing journals, raising her eyes above the edge of her magazine as she took in the sight of the rumpled, yawning Cheetah. After taking a long sip from her mug, Trouble grinned at the Wolverine fem; "Do me a favor? Go on down to the cargo bay, and ask either Zassa, or Hinoki to spell me on the flight deck once we get out of this system? I'm about dead on my feet..." Wanda just nodded; " Be glad to have an excuse to see what they're up to down there. Given the last 'toy" Hinoki came up with, on the trip out, I expect BIG things from them!"

O'bannon just nodded sagely as the freighter cloaked; "See. Pirates, no doubt about it. Appraise the Guardia of our situation. They're probably planning on raiding the planet." Hector nodded; "But what if they really ARE after something at the far jump point? O'Bannon shrugged; "nothing of value there; no ships scheduled through there for another forty hours. If they want to leave that fast, let 'em. But lets face it; freighters don't carry cloaking devices. Those are definitely baddies, and I'm afraid of what they might be after HERE. Hector just nodded and shrugged, reaching for his commlink. It was, after all, his boss's call.

The Jaguar looked at the report and nodded; "A freighter, announcing an illegal maneuver and then cloaking? It certainly sounds like her. Bold as brass." Looking up, he nodded to his navigator; "how far ahead of us does this put them, and can we catch up?"

Thinking to sneak up on the Cheetah male, to see what he was up to this time, Wanda exercised all the stealth at her command, to sneak into the cargo bay. What she saw was a disappointment. Hinoki was just filling a large tank to near the top with a clear liquid. The sound of the fluid rushing into the tank easily masked the sound of the door, and she was able to come right up behind him, to brightly ask "Whatcha up to?" Hinoki almost overbalanced, to topple into the tank; as it was he had to drop the hose to catch the edge of the tank with both paws. Turning to glare down at the Wolverine, Hinoki growled "Don't DO that to me! You have any idea how expensive this stuff is?" Moving fast, obvously having problems with the slippery liquid, he reclaimed his grasp on the hose as quickly as he could. Wanda frowned; "Um... no. What IS that stuff?" Hinoki jerked his head around, to shoot a glance at Zassa, and then again almost loosing his balance, he made shushing motions at the Wolverine; "um, nevermind." Wanda, following his gaze, made a small sound of delight, and padded over to look at the caged Vixen. Still, she wasn't distracted for long; turning she made her way to where the hose Hinoki held terminated in a large portable tote-tank. Bending over, reading the label, she smiled; "Ah... yes, this I recognize from my nursing journals. I belive it has applications for treating..." "Wanda will you SHUT UP?" Hinoki stage whispered, shutting a valve at the end of the hose, and precariously climbing down from his perch. Pulling the hose behind him, he came up to the Wolverine to hiss in her ear; "This is my punishment for Zassa. Now DO NOT let the cat out of the bag, or I'll put YOU in there!" Wanda grinned and looked at the tank; "Um, you know, that MIGHT be fun... but of course I know the secret. OK, I'll keep mum, but you have to let me watch. Oh, and later you have to let me borrow it for Kath." Hinoki sighed; "All right, just so long as you filter all the hair out of it when you're done, and, ah, "regenerate" the fluid." Turning, Hinoki threw a valve, and started a pump, moving all the liquid back into its storage tank, a flowmeter carefully monitoring the volume...

Zassa had heard the hushed conversations, only the occasional word clear enough to hear. She was sure, by now, that Hinoki, and Wanda, for she'd recognized the voices, knew she was there, and were ignoring her. There was nothing to do but wait. And wait. She'd felt like she'd been in the cage for months. Just how many servings did that food reservoir hold?

Kath blinked at her mistress; "Um, Yes, Mistress, but now? I still have some cleaning to finish..." Wanda grinned and shook her head; "It seems we're getting into "punishment" phase for sins committed on the way out, and while at Gibralter station. And you, Missy, deserve "punishment" more than any, for not trusting us with your secret!" Kath blushed and looked down, nodding slightly as the Wolverine attached the leash to her collar. The cargo bay was the anticipated destination, but what Kath saw when they arrived there wasn't what she'd expected. Zassa, in the cage, bound almost gently... it didn't look like that severe a punishment...

Wanda watched Kath gaze in confusion at the cage as she strapped and locked the body harness onto her. "Have you figured out the food system yet?" Kath nodded slowly; "Mistress, it looks as if you have to hump that dong in the floor, to get your food delivered through the phallus at mouth height." Wanda cinched in the waist strap another notch and nodded; "and the other one's for water; just suck on it. Hole in the far end for waste." Turning the Mink to look into her eyes, the Wolverine paused for a moment; "you ready for this?" Kath shrugged and nodded; "it seems rather... Bland, Mistress, but yes, I'm ready for my punishment." Wanda nodded and then smiled a little mysteriously. Reaching up, she tighened the straps, forcing the ring gag into the Mink's mouth, and then lifting the visor in both hands she clipped it into place. Taking the Mink by one arm, she maneuvered her to the door in the cage, pushing down, to make her kneel.

Zassa heard the bolt scrape and thought, for one wild moment, that she was being set free. At long last! Moving towards the door, she unexpectedly encountered something soft blocking her way; and then it hit her; she wasn't being let out, someone else was being let in. She had a cell-mate. For a moment, disappointment threatened to overwhelm her... but then she smiled to herself; maybe having a cellmate, with nothing else to do, wouldn't be so bad. Now... who could it be? Moving a little closer, she bent to nuzzle, sniffing, searching for an identifying scent.

Kath felt the Vixen nuzzle her, and giggled softly. Squirming she tried to bring her muzzle around; the ring gag made licking possible, and she knew how good the vixen was with her tongue... maybe this wasn't such a bad "punishment" after all!

Wanda smiled and sat on a nearby packing crate, watching... It hadn't taken the Mink and the Vixen but seconds to begin exploring each other's bodies, as best they could... But the ring gags limited what they could do with tongues, and their paws were useless, mostly; they could please each other, but only in the most awkward of ways... Still, it was fun watching them try.

Hinoki watched the two fems in the cage for a while, and then shook his head; "I'm going to wait until they get good and tired" he wispered to Wanda, "and then I'll fetch Zassa out for the start of her punishment. How long are you going to leave Kath in there?" Wanda just shrugged; "Probably until we get home; alone it'll get grim, shortly. It's the least she deserves." Hinoki nodded and turned to leave, but Wanda's paw on his arm stopped him; "Tanj said that she wanted you or Zassa to relieve her after the next jump." Hinoki frowned for a moment; "You mean she's been on the flight deck since we left?" Wanda just shrugged as she nodded: "Um, yeah, guess so..." Hinoki sighed and nodded, and with a wave, turned to head for the personnel door.

Tanj yawned hard, shook her head, and checked the coordinates again... She'd thought they'd have a hot reception at the far jump point, but there was no sign of the Guardia. With a shrug she collapsed the cloaking device, and reached for the jump drive controls. For a split second she had a flash of paranoia that the Guardia was also cloaked, just waiting for her to de-cloak, so they could attack... but then, an instant later her fingers were dancing over the control panel, engaging the jump drive. They came out of the Jump normally, and the astrogation computer confirmed their position. This system was uninhabited, with three possible exits. Tanj grinned, and smoothly shifted the freighter into warp drive, turning and heading for another system, almost two days distant, one that was on a different "chain" of jump points, one that would lead more directly to home. Making sure the autopilot was engaged, that the cloaking device was working, and that there wasn't any other traffic on the scanners, she rose, to see if she could find someone to spell her on the flight deck. It was time for some serious sleep...

Zassa moaned in frustration as the Mink tried to grind her knee into the vixen's pussy. It felt good, and she knew it would shortly bring her to a climax. It was just... awkward. Still, clumsy as the two girls might be, it was vastly more interesting than just sitting in the cage alone...

Hinoki smiled at the sleepy Cheetah; "looks like you've had a time, Captain. What's our situation?" Tanj yawned again, covering her mouth with the back of one paw: "Um... on autopilot to NC23579. There' we'll pick up the standard trade route towards Elysium." Hinoki blinked; "Already? Surely I haven't been down in the cargo bay THAT long..." Tanj waved a paw; "I dunno, you guys been down there an awfully long time; but then I've been pulling some tricks too; we're well ahead of schedule, compared to the way out. By the way, what HAVE you been doing down there?" Hinoki smiled; "you look like you could use a rest. Tell you what, you go get a shower, and then I'll take you down there and show you." Tanj yawned again; "Can't it wait until after I get some sleep?" The tired Cheetah missed the glint in Hinoki's eye; "No, actually, I think this is something you need to see before you sleep. You won't believe what Zassa's gotten herself into!"

Tanj stood in the cargo bay, nude, and still a little damp, as she watched Kath and Zassa, each restrained by their harnesses, try to pleasure each other. "And you say she locked herself in there?" Wanda chuckled; "Yes, she must have been trying to test it out, see what it was like, convinced that she could escape. Seems she couldn't." Tanj yawned and nodded; "You know, I wish I had time for something like that. Loose myself in the mindless joys of just being a slave again. No cares. No worries..." Behind her, Hinoki grinned, and turned to wink at Wanda; this was working out better than he'd hoped; "Tell you what, Skipper... We're on the straight and steady for about another, um... 37 hours, right? Why don't you join the girls there for a bit; I'll break you out when we get close to the next system. Promise." Tanj turned to look at the male; "Um... I dunno... what if..." Hinoki shook his head; "No buts... You could use the break. Wanda, GRAB HER!"

Tanj eeped as the Wolverine's strong arms closed around her, as Hinoki approached with another of those harnesses. "hey, now, I'm really not sure... UMPH!" Hinoki grinned as he buckled the ring gag into the Cheetah's mouth, clipping the blinder on as soon as the head harness was in place and reasonably secure. As he tightened the straps, the male chuckled; "Its not mutiny, Captian, if you can't say no..." With both Wanda and Hinoki working, Tanj was bound like the other two fems in mere minutes, and then Hinoki was tugging on her right nipple ring, pulling her over to the cage door...

Zassa heard the door open and again her head came up, but it wasn't open long enough for her to escape. Sensing the warmth of another body, her nose filled with Tanj's scent she purrred, thinking to herself; "Oh, goodie, another playmate..."

Kath moaned as the vixen's tongue left her pussy; she'd been flat on her back, knees raised and spread, as the Vixen had licked insatiably at her sex. Given the distraction she rolled over awkwardly, got to her knees and shuffled over to the water phallus. As much as she liked it, it was time for a break. Lord, that girl NEVER got enough...

Tanj purrred as she felt the tongue stroke across her mons. Looking down through the thin gap at the bottom of her visor she could just make out Zassa's nose nuzzling her. Grinning, she rocked her hips forward, doing what she could to offer herself to the Vixen's tongue... Suddenly she wasn't all that sleepy...

Hinoki watched for a while, smiling as the three girls clumsily worked at pleasing each other. He was tempted for a while, to position himself next to the water phallus, to see if any of them, mistakenly or otherwise, would come suck on him, but figuring he'd wait until Kath was bored to tears, he turned to go check the flight deck. Tanj was right, it shouldn't be left alone too long... Still, he'd have to risk it a little for what he had planned later...

Hinoki sipped his coffee, and watched the instruments. Boring. Nothing on the scanners, in interstellar space. Not even a rogue asteroid. Making sure everything was set correctly, he gave the fuel calculations one more check. Tanj had cut it AWFULLY close... but if her numbers were right, they'd make it. Just. Rising, he headed down towards the cargo bay. If he had anything to say about it, things would be getting interesting down there soon.

Tanj snored softly, flat on her back in the now crowded cell. After giving the Vixen at least three climaxes, and receiving at least twice that number of her own, things had kinda spiraled down, until the three girls were about as quiescent as they got. Kath was slowly humping the food dildo, seemingly having trouble keeping up the pace while it fed her... that or she was just enjoying playing with it... Zassa was also on her back, probably asleep. Hinoki took in the tableau and grinned. It was time. Waving to Wanda, signalling her to be quiet, he picked up a leash and stepped towards the cage.

Kath heard the door open, her upper torso turning, the food phallus slipping from her mouth, to face the noise. For a moment she thought her Mistress had come to fetch her, or perhaps Tanj was being let out to attend to some piece of ship's business, but then she heard Hinoki calling the Vixen. And he didn't sound too happy.

Zassa felt the paw on her collar, and before she could come fully awake, she felt herself being dragged headfirst out of the cage. The door slammed closed behind her, and strong paws moved her into the slave's kneeling position. Not knowing what was happening, she fell back on training, and instinct, and kept quiet, and still...

Hinoki unclipped the visor and looked down at the Vixen's face; "Zassa, I told you that when you "pirated" my little invention for your own pleasures, that I would get back at you for that. Now is the time. Your punishment is at hand...

The bridge crane lifted the vixen easily, moving her over the hollow rectangle of the tank, and lowering her down, to lay in a heap of tangled ropes on its floor. Hinoki clambered into the tank, using a portable ladder, dragging gear with him. Squirming around, Zassa tried to get a suitable look, but bound in the tight hogtie, it wasn't easy. After a minute, the Cheetah male turned from his gear, and bent down to undo some of the ropes. Zassa groaned with relief through the ring gag as the strain on hips, shoulders, and back was released... but then Hinoki was bodily picking her up, dragging her to what could only be described as a cross between a hassock, a bench, and a mounting couch. The squarish shape was rubber-coated and well padded, and the vixen lay on its narrow confines, her breasts falling to either side, her chin propped up by its ends. Hinoki quickly placed cuffs around her thighs and knees and locked them to the fittings in the other end of the couch. Her collar was likewise locked to a matching ring in the couch, holding her prone along its length. Next Hinoki untied her wrists and locked each in turn to the base of the front legs of the couch. As a final touch, he tied the tip of her tail to the back of her collar. Running a paw over her ass, the Cheetah grinned; "Now, Zassa, in a moment we'll begin. The tank is slowly going to fill with water. I've got a breath mask, you don't. If I time it just right, we'll both climax just as you drown. They say that the most powerful orgasms come at the moment of asphyxiation; pity there won't be a way for you to tell me if that's true." Grinning at the wide-eyed look of horror on the Vixen's face, Hinoki turned and pulled on the self-contained breathing apparatus, the mask making his head look strangely bulbous. Moving around behind the Vixen, Hinoki put his paws on her rump and gently squeezed...

Wanda chuckled and shook her head; the only real danger was of Zassa being frightened to death. But, there WAS a trained nurse standing by, with all the appropriate rescue gear. And the "reverse" switch on the pump was clearly marked; she could abort the whole thing if she thought something was going wrong. Glancing down at the medical scanner, she pointed it at the Vixen to get baseline readings... Idly she wondered if it would work through the fluid as well as it did through air.

Kath turned her torso from side to side, seeking to hear just what was going on out there; she knew something was up, but couldn't figure out quite what. Hinoki's speech had been muffled and distorted somehow, almost as if he were in another room... What WAS going on out there?

Zassa blinked as the water started to gush into the tank... it had a funny smell, but that was the least of her concerns. Was the Cheetah REALLY going to kill her? Just for messing with his invention? Geez, if he was that touchy about the thing he should have installed a password that she couldn't have guessed! Struggling a little against her restraints, she groaned as the Cheetah slathered her ass with the cold fluid... it felt a little more slippery than ordinary water... Maybe Hinoki was going to drown her in lubricant... now THAT would be fitting she thought wryly to herself.

Hinoki chuckled and drove his cock slooooowly into the Vixen's pussy. Even now, she was dripping wet, a fact that only slightly surprised the Cheetah. Pumping her a few times, he grinned and pulled out, to press the head of his cock against her anus...

Zassa groaned loudly as the Cheetah thrust his cock into her ass... It wasn't really the way she wanted to go out... not that she had any say in the matter, it seemed... Squeezing hard, clenching her anal ring around the Cheetah's shaft, she wondered if she made him cum early if he'd have to start the sequence over? She could feel the water covering her paws now, slowly climbing up arms and legs... Somehow it seemed to be rising much faster than she wanted... she was nowhere near cumming yet...

Hinoki chuckled and reached down, fumbling under the clear liquid; this fluid had the damndest refractive index, and while he could see the big, knobby vibrator, he had to move his paw around a little to find it... Grinning through his mask, he lifted it free of the liquid, to shove it into the vixen's dripping pussy. Giving it a twist, he turned it on full, and then, lifting his paw, letting the slick fluid drip down onto where his cock was working in and out of the Vixen's ass, he picked up the pace a little... it wouldn't be long now...

Wanda squirmed a little from where she was sitting, one paw sliding between her thighs... She wondered what it would be like to be so very helpless, your death apparently creeping up your limbs, time slipping away... and all the while being fucked in SUCH a manner... shuddering she smiled and undid the button at the front of her pants sliding her paw under the waistband, stroking herself a little more directly...

Zassa shuddered, so lost in her impending climax that the first cold tickle of water against her chin almost wasn't recognized for what it was... suddenly the sensation, the gentle lapping of the fluid against her body, waves formed by the Cheetah's rapid humping, brought her back to reality, and with the first pangs of panic, she lurched against her bonds...

Hinoki smiled, and reached around under the Vixen, to stroke her now submerged quim, his fingers lightly dancing over her clitty, knowing that this might just distract the Vixen from what was about to happen...

Zassa's eyes went wide as the fluid crept up over her nose. For a moment she spluttered, and then she realized that now she had to hold her breath; the liquid had risen too high... and all the while the Cheetah's incessant thrusting, the angry buzzing of the vibrator, and his slick touch upon her clitty were all serving to drive her towards the most powerful climax of her life...

Hinoki felt the Vixen's body start to shudder; she'd been holding her breath for almost two minutes, and he knew she was near the end. Grinning through his face mask, he leaned forward, to capture her breasts; pinching each of her nipples HARD, he felt the nature of her writhing change, from impending drowning to a sharp climax! As the last vestiges of air escaped from her muzzle in what might have been a cry of ecstacy, or a wail of despair, he felt her pussy clench down hard, spasming around his cock as she entered some place between life and death, between heaven and hell... It was more than he could take and with a silent roar, his orgasm arrived, his seed pumping hard into her throbbing ass!

Wanda watched the Vixen's vital signs, heartbeat spiking... and then slowing. Grinning, she wished she could read blood gasses on this thing; but she could monitor lung action; the Vixen was breathing again, albeit at a MUCH slower rate...

Zassa's vision slowly cleared; that HAD been the most powerful climax of her life... maybe. Slowly it dawned on her that her vision wasn't fading, although the burning in her lungs had been quenched when she'd inhaled a huge lungful of water... THAT had been a unique, and not all that pleasant sensation. Now she was just kinda floating in a post-orgasmic haze. The vibrator still droned in her pussy, although the Cheetah had pulled out of her ass... Wondering when she'd loose conciousness, the Vixen waited for what came next...

Hinoki panted hard, leaning back against the wall of the tank. Little droplets of cum had escaped from the Vixen's distended ass, and were now floating lazily around in the fluid. He watched them for a moment, wondering how to filter them out. After a bit, he chuckled and reached out to grab the bottom of the vibrator still stuffed in the Vixen's pussy. Twisting it slowly left and right, he grinned, wondering how long it would take Zassa to figure out that she wasn't dead...

Zassa moaned softly, the sound strange, under water. She could feel the vibrator moving in her pussy, and that was very nice... but aside from that, she thought being dead was kinda dull. And she'd never figured Hinoki for a necrophiliac... sighing she tried to concentrate on the pleasures the vibrator was giving her, as she waited for what came next...

Hinoki stroked his rapidly hardening cock with one paw as he teased the Vixen's quim with the other paw... Talk about a wet pussy, this one couldn't get any wetter... grinning he pulled the vibrator out of her pussy, and pressed it against her bottom, shoving it where his cock had so recently been. Moving forward a little, he drove his cock into her pussy, feeling the fluid squish out around his shaft...

Zassa purrrred, eyes closed as the Cheetah started to fuck her again... If this was beind dead, well, it wasn't quite hell, now was it? Giggling to herself, she clenched her vaginal muscles down around his shaft, doing what she could to milk him...

Exercising all the mental control he had, Hinoki made it last as long as he could; still, the novelty of fucking Zassa underwater like this was... most stimulating, and she WAS very talented, even tied hand and foot. It took him less time than he'd wanted to cum. Figuring it was time to start phase two, he pulled out, and then bent down to search for the ring of keys he'd dropped on the tank's floor.

Zassa laid on the floor of the tank, exhausted. It was a task to "breathe" the fluid, even if she didn't have to inhale/exhale as often as with air. Her chest was starting to hurt. And she was bored to tears. Hinoki had left her in the tank, with nothing. Well, nothing except the classic "Ball and chain" locked around one ankle. Even with that anchor, the fluid density was close enough to her body's density that she neither floated or sank... Well, given time,she'd drift to the bottom, but with that ball it was challenging, VERY challenging to swim to the top of the tank. And that ball and chain was the ONLY thing he'd left her. He'd even pulled up the "mounting couch". She felt like a goldfish in a glass jar. Looking up at the surface of the liquid, she wondered once again, if she had the nerve to try and 'escape"... Her first attempt at expunging all the fluid from her lungs had been a painful one... and she'd discovered that she just didn't have the strength to pull herself AND the ball and chain up and over the tall side of the tank. If the fluid level had been closer to the top of the tank, it MIGHT have been possible... "Maybe they don't KNOW I can't do it?" she wondered to herself. Glancing over at Tanj and Kath, still in the cage, still visored, she wondered how they planned on feeding her? Could she drink this stuff? Did fish drink?

Hinoki took a last look around the flight deck, making sure all was in order. Strolling down the corridor, he found Wanda reading in her cabin; "Ready to drain the Vixen?" Wanda nodded, putting down her book; "You realize that she's gonna kill you for this stunt, don't you? It must have been scary as hell to "drown" in the first place, but now she's gotta go through it again as she clears the liquid from her lungs. That's gotta hurt." Hinoki chuckled and looked at the small pouch in his left hand; "Oh, I think I've got a way to keep her from killing me; at least not yet. You know, there are MANY ways to train a slave... And Zassa's about to learn yet another one..."

As they walked towards the cargo bay, Wanda mused "you know, Tanj probably isn't going to be too happy about this either." Hinoki just shrugged; "That, my dear Wanda, will ALL depend on Zassa's reaction to her experience. I'm sure its not something she would have chosen, but now that its been forced upon her, how much do you want to bet she'll wind up actually treasure having been through it? Wanda looked at the Cheetah critically; "Um... I'd put a month's salary on it, 'cept if I'm right, you'll be too dead to pay up." Hinoki just laughed.

Zassa watched with no small trepidation as the Cheetah started the pump. Slowly the liquid level in the tank started to fall. She'd HOPED that he'd climb back into the tank with her, to fuck her again... now that she was used to it, it might be kinda fun... But he hadn't done that. In fact, he hadn't given her a second glance... As the liquid descended, she too fell, from a standing position, to a crouch, to a kneeling position, to hands and knees, and finally to prone. Once again, the liquid passed her muzzle, this time on the way down, and "exhaling" as hard as she could, she prepared to take her first breath of air in what seemed like days...

Hinoki scrambled down the rope ladder, moving quickly while the Vixen was still coughing. She'd risen to hands and knees, and her posterior was a perfect target for the hypodermic...

Zassa YELPED, her voice sounding both normal, and strange in her ears. Growling she turned to look at the Cheetah, but he was already swarming back up the rope ladder, pulling it out of her reach just before she could grab it. Glowering at him she growled; "I AM going to get you for this, you know that, don't you?" Hinoki just chuckled, grinning back from the other side of the transparent aluminum tank wall; "I doubt that; if you kill me, or even make me mad, well, you won't get any of the antidote for the tailored virus I just gave you!" Zassa's eyes went wide, and her mouth fell open. By the time she'd recovered, Hinoki had sashayed out the personnel door.

Wanda followed the Cheetah Male with her eyes and then turned back to her medical scanner. The Vixen seemed OK; there were no signs of rising temperature... what HAD he injected her with? Could this be just another hoax? Moving to the bridge crane controls, Wanda started moving the hook over the cage. "Hang on, Zassa, I'll get you out, and then we'll get you down to sick bay, to see what we can see..."

Zassa sat on the examining table, cold, dripping wet, and miserable. Something was starting to happen... Her chest still hurt, tired more than anything, from "breathing" a liquid, but beyond that, well, she just felt "funny"... Wanda couldn't seem to find anything with any of her tests either, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything there... Could it all be psychosomatic?

Wanda shook her head; "I don't know, Zassa, I just don't know. You have an elevated white blood cell count, but not outside of tolerances... it COULD just be from your recent experiences. And you're running a low grade fever, but that could be from any number of things. Maybe you picked up a bug from the fluid..." Zassa shot the Wolverine a glance; "you knew about this, didn't you?" Wanda grinned; "Yeah, he didn't tell me, but I figured it out when I saw the labels on the drums. I've run across it before in the hospital on the base." Wanda looked at the soggy, "Drowned" Vixen for a moment and then stepped over to give her a hug; "Hey, you don't think I'd actually let him hurt you, do you?" Zassa sighed; "I guess not; and it was a neat trick of him, suckering Tanj into the cage like that; I bet she still doesn't know what happened..." Wanda chuckled and took the Vixen's head in her paws; after an all-to-brief kiss, she pulled back to look at her; "So tell me, do you think Kath would "enjoy" the experience?"

Tanj heard the cage door open, and felt someone move close. A moment later, the visor was removed... Blinking in the sudden light, the Cheetah fem looked around, her eyes locking on the Vixen... she looked like she'd been dipped in mousse, her fur all spiky... Zassa smiled, a cold, chilling smile; "Come on, Tanj, you've had enough rest, I think; there are things that need attending to..."

Counterspy

The trick was ancient, but it worked. The Mouse stood close to the wall, an antique stethoscope pressed against a certain place, listening. No electronics to show up on detectors. No fancy spy gizmos. Just simple sneaking around. There wasn't an electronic bug detector in the world that could pick him up as he listened like this. As long as he didn't have another coughing fit... As he heard the Wolverine's heavy tread move towards the door, he stepped back, dropping the stethoscope into the trash bin of his janitor's cart. A moment later, the Wolverine hurried down the corridor, not five meters away. For a movement that supposedly honored the working furr, no one ever seemed to notice the janitor, as he quietly mopped the floors.

Kasoff watched the Mouse mop the floor. He moved efficiently for one in such a menial position. He'd been in the break room when the Mouse had stopped for coffee, and they'd said a few words. He seemed too intelligent for a mere Janitor, as well. Yet, in this time of chaos, there were an awful lot of furrs taking any work they could. And he knew the Mouse was sick, too. Maybe that had something to do with his inability to find work more fitting his obvious intelligence. Still, there was something about the quiet, unassuming, and unusually diligent Mouse that worried Kasoff. And since he was head of security for the Reds Party Headquarters building, it was his business to worry over such things. Picking up his commlink he quietly ordered a tail to be put on the mouse...

The fit of coughing passed as it always did. The Mouse looked at the bright red of his own blood on the handkerchief and sighed. Couldn't be long now. Smiling, he straightened and hurried down the street, all too conscious of the amateurs following him. The first "drop" was at a café; the note was almost casually passed to the waiter, with his money. The second was a burst transmission, from what almost anyone else would think was a portable stereo. The odds of detection were low, but still finite. Finally, he passed what he'd learned to a friend, at a local tavern, as the two spent a few hours engaged in a game of chess. Confident that the message had been passed, irrespective of his "tail", the Mouse returned to his dingy apartment. Tomorrow was another day, and you never knew what you'd hear...

The burst transmission was recorded by the spysat. As fate would have it, it had just transmitted its day's take. Meticulously recorded in the satellite's memory, the message sat, awaiting the next transmission.

The Beaver lay face down in the alleyway. He'd come out to dump the garbage from the café, when the Reds security agent had hit him with the blackjack. By the light of a dim bulb, over the café's back door, the agent went through the Beaver's clothing. There'd been nothing in his wallet, not even enough money to pocket. No sign of any passed messages, or communications. But an experienced agent wouldn't just stuff a message in his pocket... Finally, the agent gave up. It was more likely that an experienced, well-trained agent would read the message, commit it to memory and then destroy the message. This one was going to have to be brought in, for questioning.

Pieczinik was moving fast. His Aerospace fighter had been launched from the Elysium Wutan spaceport, and had been under almost constant acceleration ever since. He'd popped three spysats so far, with a fourth growing in his sights. However, his actions hadn't gone unnoticed, and one of those damn Pirates that were working for the Blues was vectoring in on him. He'd have to finish this one and then head dirtside just as fast as he could. His fighter was good, but it couldn't match one of those Raider ships, not one-on-one.

The spysat disintigrated under the fire from the Elysium fighter, its memory burned out almost instantly, all the day's transmissions lost.

Black smiled and took his papers back from the Reds officer at the checkpoint. Stepping onto the train, he wondered how his friend, the Mouse was doing. Lung cancer was a horrible way to die. Shaking his head at his old friend's bravery, he wondered if he'd have the guts to give his final days meaning by daring such a risky venture, as spying on the Reds.

Kasoff frowned; "what do you mean the one he played chess with has vanished? Who was following him?" The Rotweiler blanched; "Um, that was Willoff, but it was my mission; I should be held responsible. There was no way to know that the Mouse would talk to so many furrs, stop so many places on his way home. I just... Ran out of furrs." Kasoff shook his head; "You'd better bring in the Mouse, then, and hope that he's NOT what I fear he is!" The Rotweiler swallowed hard and nodded, saluted, turned and departed hurriedly.

The nondescript fur paused before the public post box, and fumbled inside his coat. Withdrawing a few crumpled envelopes, he slid them into the box, peered nearsightedly at the scheduled pick-up dates, and then, nodding to himself, turned and walked towards the bus stop. Standing in the queue, Black glanced casually around. As near as he could tell, he hadn't been followed. The intelligence from his friend the Mouse, had been encoded onto a microdot, a centuries old technique, but still one that often passed the most rigorous inspection. The microdot was just another period in the letter to his "niece." It would get to the Brethren's Mining station soon enough. The situation in the South demanded his immediate attention, and this route would have to do...

The Mouse smiled a little lop-sidedly at his interrogators, and then broke down into another coughing fit. Most of the heavily muscled thugs stood against the far wall, as if whatever he had might be contagious, a fact that amused the Mouse no end. Here they were, having tried for a week to torture him for information, and afraid of him all the while. Their task had proven a difficult one; the drugs that might pry the information out of his brain might also kill him, something they knew the mouse would welcome. Physical pain no longer had much meaning for him, a constant companion of late. And how do you threaten someone who knows they're going to be dead soon anyways? It was a fascinating situation... The Mouse was almost enjoying their predicament...

The Lion looked at the print-out of the Microdot's contents, and sighed. While the information was critical to their planning, essentially it changed nothing. They would still have to intercept the Elysium ships when they made their run, whether the Reds PSN was there or not. The Doomsday device would have to be stopped irregardless. However, that didn't mean there were things they couldn't do. Rising, the Lion headed out to find Ben. They had things they had to do, and quickly too.

Kassoff looked at the pictures and then threw them down to his desk. It was a truism that EVERYONE broke eventually under interrogation. No one could withstand modern methods for long, although, because of this Mouse's condition, the interrogator's work had taken MUCH longer than it should have. Still, in the end, the Mouse confessed to his espionage, and the transmitter in his lodging had been found, and examined. The satellite it had been keyed to had been destroyed, and the odds were the information had never reached its final destination. They should still be secure. There should be no need to inform Comrade Xyloff... Looking again at the pictures, Kassoff growled quietly; he just wished it had been that thrice-damned Pirate BITCH called Tanj that had been interrogated, and not that Mouse. He would much rather have had HER suffer... but eliminating her agent would just have to do... for now. Pity there wasn't enough left for a public trial; he could have used the propaganda against those Pirate Scum!

Evacuation

Secretary Llewellyn pushed his aircar as fast as it could go, irrespective of the traffic laws. The signal had come, the signal that it was time for the core of the Elysium government to "withdraw." Hustling his family into the vehicle, grabbing the bags he'd prepared, he'd started out in nothing more than a moderate haste for the Gulan starport. However, as he'd driven, he'd gotten the increasing feeling that something wasn't right. For one thing, the defensive installation at the edge of the capital city had seemed deserted, at least as seen from the air. Then he'd been passed by a military convoy. It had been a Mercenary unit, part of the Reavers. Part of the unit that was SUPPOSED to be defending the city. And here they were headed for the Starport? Something was very wrong.

The young Captain stared at the grizzled old mercenary; "Um, Colonel Hawke, Sir, I don't know a DAMN thing about what you're saying. I have NO information that the Elysium government is about to flee the planet. Starport traffic this day is completely normal, with NO indications of a mass exodus." "Listen, Sonny, the word we've been given is that we're being sacrificed, to hold the capital while those Dogs that hired us skip out, leaving us in the lurch. And right now, it doesn't look like those bastards, the Reds, will honor any contract involving Mercenaries. From what I've heard, they're shooting captured Mercs in complete contradiction to interstellar law." Moving a little closer, the older Panther growled; "I am perfectly willing to fight according to our contract, but I will NOT be sold out! If they're leaving, by God, we're goin' with them!"

"Bayonnet Three to Lightning Prime; we've got a situation at the Gulan Starport, checkpoint Bravo." "This is Lightning Prime; go." "Bayonnet Three. Seems someone leaked the news to the Reavers. They're moving in on the Starport." "Lightning Prime. The Capital Guards Division will just have to handle it, if they want to be part of the exodus. I'll pass word to their commander. And we'll give them as much covering fire from the incoming ships as possible. This must NOT be allowed to interfere! Lightning Prime, out."

The elderly Rat looked at the message flimsy and shook his head; he'd been afraid this would happen. Oh, well, this is what they paid him, and his overpolished troops for. Looking up at his adjutant, he sighed; "Tell the troops to check their weapons; it seems, if we wish to leave, we're going to have to do a small job first..."

Spike blinked at her Sergeant in amazement; "we're WHAT? Dammit, the only reason I volunteered for this outfit was because it DIDN'T involve fighting! The Sergeant, in an immaculately pressed set of combat fatigues, shrugged; "you can stay here, and take your chances with the Reds, if you wish. But me, I'm headed for the starport. The Reavers are a bunch of Mercs from an impoverished planet; they've got the reputation of being cannon-fodder for hire. How tough can they be? Besides, you know we always got the best weapons available... Spike blinked and nodded slowly... all their vehicles were painted glossy, instead of matte, and like their weapons, they shone... but they worked too. Maybe it wouldn't be so tough... A little fireworks on the way to the ship out... "OK, Sarge, I'm in."

Llewellyn yelped and struggled for control of his aircar as the shockwave hit. In the back, the children screamed as the vehicle almost rolled over onto its back, and then almost smashed into the side of the parking structure. Then suddenly they were right-side-up, and pancaking down on the parking structure's roof. It wasn't a landing to be proud of, but it was one they could walk away from. Or run, as the case may be. There seemed to be a firefight at the edge of the spaceport, the sound of light weapons filling the air, accompanied by an occasional explosion. As he hustled his family towards the stairs, suddenly NOT trusting the elevators, the Secretary turned and gazed upwards; there was a growing silver dot, the first of the ships arriving. And he was determined to be the FIRST one on that ship and the first one out of here!

Ben looked at the data PADD and nodded. Scrolling down, the old Wolf grunted, and then looked back up at the messenger from Intelligence. "So its starting. OK, keep us posted. I'll be in Ops as soon as I can round up the Boss."

Hitchcock smiled at Melissa Cummings as she tightened the last strap. Such an apt name. She was going to cum until she died, at least if Hitchcock had anything to say about it. Straightening, the 'roo smoothed her outfit and grinned down at the mouse, her former rival for the attentions of their mutual boss. The Minister of Agriculture was a widower, a rather hansom Stallion despite his years, and he'd been playing Hitchcock off against Cummings for years, letting each vie for his attentions, for the right to be his sole Mistress. So when the rumor mill had kicked into high gear, about a coming "relocation to somewhere a little more safe", Hitchcock had waylaid her rival, only to find her with passes and travel documents... It seemed the old Stud had selected the Mouse over her... well, that'd change. When she showed up at the Starport, he'd have to take her... Still, she hated to loose her favorite toy... But... Pausing she took one last look over Melissa's situation; she was tightly bound, sitting on a saddle-shaped seat that was a highly automated female masturbation device. Vibrating dildoes were already busy at work in the Mouse's pussy and ass, each thrusting from time to time, each leaking their own lubricant. Leads attached to the mouse's hard little nipples, delivering small shocks that were more erotic than painful. In her mouth was a thick phallic plug, held on by a tight head harness that also obscured her vision and deadened her hearing. Attached to the plug by a hose was a bottle of nutrient goo, that slowly leaked through the porous phallus... And a catheter shared her pussy with the dildo, draining her bladder to a bottle. She wouldn't die of thirst, or even starvation anytime soon. The whole thing was set up to make her last as long as possible... And underneath the thick foam pads filling her ears, tiny speakers repeated Hitchcock's triumphant laughter over and over... Making sure the door would lock when she left, holding the passes tightly in her left paw, the 'roo departed, grinning, heading for her "salvation"... And, she hoped, her Lover.

Goshi Blinked as the announcement came over the loudspeaker in the subway station. As it started to repeat, she turned, to push her way through the crowd, heading for the information booth. The bleached blonde bunny behind the counter looked up with a truly annoying plastic smile; "May I help you, Miss?" Goshi growled; "That announcement about the line to the starport being cut; what's going on?" "Oh. Oh Dear. Did you want to get to the starport? I'm afraid there's some sort of fighting going on there." "What? But the Rebels are still a dozen kilometers from the city! There shouldn't be any fighting there yet!" The bunny just shrugged, still smiling reassuringly. Goshi wondered if the smile ever cracked. At night, when she'd crawled off to whatever hovel she lived in, did the smile fade? Or was she that insipidly happy ALL the time? Pushing that thought from her mind, she turned to push through the station, heading for the escalator and the surface streets.

The Cabbie looked at her in derision; "are you KIDDING, Lady? They're SHOOTING at furrs there? Ain't NO WAY I'm heading in that direction, no matter HOW much you offer! Just who the heck do you think you are, anyways?" Turning away, Goshi growled to herself. A few days ago, she would have retorted that she was the undersecretary of finance, and a VERY good friend of the President himself, but now, with the Reds and their egalitarian philosophy so close, that probably wouldn't have helped. It might actually have been counter-productive. Tugging on the strap to her luggage, she moved off down the street, looking around for some way to flee the city. Time was running short...

Fargo smiled; the keys in his hand were to a brand new Hokosawa Meteor, one of the fastest and most expensive sports aircars in existance. Trotting into the parking garage, he failed to notice the cheetah fem in the severe business suit... He'd gotten the gullwing door open, and had slid behind the controls, when he noticed her presence. The nerve scrambler in her paw was supposed to be illegal, but it was easily recognizable from the adventure holos... "Out. NOW." Swallowing hard, Fargo complied, sidestepping towards the rear of the vehicle. The Cheetah threw her bag into the passenger seat, slid into the driver's seat, and pulled down the door. Then, with a whirr of fans the Meteor rose unsteadily, wobbled, and then shot off towards the exit. Fargo watched the aircar depart. Part of him was pissed at not having gotten to drive the hot car, even for the few hundred feet to the valet parking stand. Part of him was pissed at the fact that he'd had a vehicle stolen out from under him. With a sigh, he turned, to trudge back to the valet parking stand. Some dignitary was going to be really pissed...

Goshi struggled with the controls; she hadn't actually driven in years. Life in the capital city scarcely required it. When she needed to go somewhere she hired a cab, or even occasionally a limousene. Trying to remember her basic instruction, she struggled to maintain altitude, as she tried to figure out which way the Starport was... Passing through a stream of traffic, obviously against an unseen signal, the Cheetah started to wish she'd forced the parking attendant to fly her, instead of trying to do it herself.

Chang watched the aircar through the sights of his missile launcher. It was a fancy aircar; he couldn't quite identify which make it was, but it was obvious that it was some rich furr's toy. And it was well outside the usual traffic patterns. But it was headed towards Sartha, and the Blues lines. And that fact alone made it an enemy. Squinting carefully, he took a breath, let half of it out, and when the missile launcher gave him the correct tone, he squeezed the trigger...

Goshi looked up from the built-in navigation system, still wondering where the thrice-damned Starport was, as something started flashing on the dashboard. Frowning, she wondered what THAT meant, just as the missile struck.

Lieutenant D'artagan ducked down behind the wall, and shook his head at his radioman; gesturing, for the handset, he squeezed the transmit button and growled; "Sigma Six to Blackhorse Six. We've got a platoon sized unit of Elysium regulars holed up in a shopping center at map reference 236440. Recommend we bypass them, and continue on towards the Capital. It shouldn't take much to keep 'em in place." After a moment, a voice filled with static came back through the earpiece; "Roger that, Sigma Six; keep moving. We'll have a militia unit move up in your wake, to keep that pocket isolated. GO! Blackhorse Six out." D'artagan handed the handset back to his radioman and looked around. There wasn't much left of his company, but they were still effective. And their vehicles still ran. "OK, here's the plan. We'll fall back about a half a click and shift to the west. If we can put those buildings over there between us and the shopping center, we can probably slip past their strongpoint. Remember, the first unit into the capital gets a Month's leave! Now lets get going!"

McGowan looked at the realtime satellite feed in the Blues command center, and shook his head. The situation around the planetary capital was breaking down, military units moving this way and that, with no cohesive lines. Here a Reds mechanized unit had bypassed a strong point, only to have stronger-than-expected forces emerge from the strongpoint to savage the support units following. There a Reds unit had been lured into a dead-end salient, cut off, and was being destroyed piecemeal. But overall, the Reds were slowly driving into the heart of the Capital. It would be a major propaganda coup, but if their intelligence was correct, that's all it would be. By the time the Reds got to the capital building, the building would be deserted, the government fled. And if their intelligence was correct, well, the Blues time and efforts would be better spent pursuing other goals. The Lhasta industrial region, for instance. Strategically, it was a critical area that the Reds had bypassed, in their drive to the capital. And the city of M'upaha, at the Rhone river crossing... And the isthmus of Macarac. All strategic goals, goals that would be well worth having, should the Reds actually attempt to seize power by force of arms after the fall of the Elysium government... After having fought for freedom for so long, the Blues were NOT about to just roll over and let the Reds establish just another totalitarian regeime... McGowan studied the satellite feed and hoped, sincerely hoped, that their intelligence was wrong... But somehow he doubted it.

Erog paced the departure lounge in the Starport, and checked his watch for the hundreth time. He SHOULD have detailed a detachment of security troops to see to Goshi. But his mistress was usually so reliable, so self- sufficient. Now they would have to leave soon, and he hated to leave her behind. ESPECIALLY as his wife had shown up not only in the right place, but actually early, something she hadn't done in years. Decades. He'd been convinced that things would have worked out just opposite from what seemed to have happened...

The Lion looked at the tactical display. There had been a significant movement of ships to the Gulan starport. It wasn't the closest Starport to the Elysium capital, but it was a good choice, a little further from the approaching Reds, and significantly larger than the other available starports. Looking at the distribution of known, and suspected Elysium ships... and the known and suspected locations of the Reds People's Space Navy ships, the Lion nodded; "I think you're right. This is it." Looking up at Ben the Lion sighed; "the situation is coming together as predicted; the primary plan should be adequate. Or as adequate as anything we've yet come up with. Lets put it into motion." Ben nodded, and looked around Ops; "OK, folks, you all know your assigned tasks. Operational control will now be transferred to the flag bridge of the Overlord..."

Sayed looked at the slip of paper and shook her head; "No, this isn't the right departure lounge; you're supposed to be on the P.T. Barnstead. They're at... E17. Take the tram, but HURRY." The Starport was chaos. Periodically the building shook, as Elysium warships, in low orbit, or in the upper atmosphere pounded rebel positions just outside the perimeter. Who could have guessed that the Mercenaries, those Reavers, would have actually been working for the Rebels? Wasn't there a law against Mercs breaking their contracts? With every near-miss the crowd in the terminal seemed to grow more panicked. If things got any worse, Sayed thought, she'd have to start using her stunner to "quiet" things down...

Erog looked at the list and shrugged; "it's a shame more of our people didn't make it through. Whoever leaked word to the Reavers really screwed up everything. Even so, the Captial Guards should still have handled them... Still, as not all the ships made it in, its probably just as well." Looking up, the President of Elysium fixed his aide with a steady gaze, the one that worked so well on the vids; "We still leave on time. Wait for NO ONE.

Spike shuddered as another near-miss shook the ground. It was muddy at the bottom of her shellhole, a broken water line mixing with the soil, and the Sergeant's blood. He'd taken a direct hit from some sort of flechette weapon, his shredded corpse spread all over the far side of the shellhole. And he was starting to stink. Somehow, Spike had known that death carried foul odors with it, but this was her first real experience with it... Glaring at the mess, she growled; "you were wrong, Sarge. The Reavers may not have had as sophisticated weapons as we did, but they had something more valuable. Experience. All the sims I've trained in, not a one of them matched this Hell! And now I probably don't even have a decent chance at getting back to the city, to find a place to hide from the Reds... You've screwed me over real well, Sarge!" Spike inched her way up, to peer over the edge of the shellhole. For a moment all was quiet and then some sort of energy weapon opened up to her left, crimson flame washing in her direction. Sliding back down to the bottom of the hole, to the mud and blood, she cowered as it washed over, intensely hot for a moment, singeing her fur. "If I didn't know better, Sarge, I'd say that was Tasmann. Tasmann, the Prefect's son..." For a moment she giggled uncontrollably; "The Prefect's son. Boy, he sure got his son a soft, cushy position, all right. Kept the spoiled brat out of combat he did. Now the jerk can't tell the difference between friend and foe. He's probably so scared he's shitting his pants..." Yelping as the ground convulsed, Spike cautiously crept back to the lip of the shellhole. The position where the energy weapon had fired from was a smoking ruin. Someone had seen the display and decided to silence it. Whether it was the Reavers or the Guards didn't matter to Spike. Moving almost convulsively she crawled from the shellhole, moving as fast and as low as possible, heading AWAY from the starport, away from the fighting... Maybe she could get somewhere, somewhere where she could shed her uniform, loose her ID, and pretend to be just another civilian caught in the fighting...

Behind her, a roar slowly built to a creshendo, as the first of the starships carrying the Elysium elite slowly rose towards the heavens...

The Return Trip, part II

Tanj stretched and looked at the Vixen; "What happened to you; you look like... um, well, "ridden hard and put away wet" comes to mind." Zassa grinned and turned to crawl through the cage's door, dragging the harness Tanj had been wearing after her. Tanj took a look at Kath, and then looked questioningly at Zassa; "Oh, Wanda says she stays, for a while. Something about having time to reflect on her sins." Tanj shrugged and dropped to crawl through the low door. Zassa closed the door quietly, and bent to make sure it was latched correctly. Rising, the Vixen jerked a thumb over her shoulder; "Hinoki had me in the tank there, for a whle; come on, I'll tell you ALL about it." As the two left the cargo bay, Kath whined through her ring gag; she'd wanted to hear all about it too!

Tanj grinned as she sipped her coffee; "Lord, this tastes good, after all that cum-flavored-and-textured goo." Zassa chuckled; "Yeah, but on the other hand, that stuff sure does make your coat shiny... Wonder what's in it?" Tanj shrugged and ran her palms down over her tummy; "Dunno, but for just the short time I was in there, I bet I lost two pounds... Now, tell me ALL about what our male's been up to... Zassa winced and settled down to relate the tale...

Tanj shook her head; "The bastard! I bet you were scared to death!" Zassa frowned and shrugged a little; "To tell you the truth, I wasn't as afraid as I thought I'd be. I expected to panic, to throw a screaming fit, but, well, he really IS good at what he does; I was so lost in my approaching climax that I hardly noticed... until my lungs were burning really bad, and by that time I was cumming so hard, well..." Tanj moved closer, to give the Vixen a hug; "And is it true, what they say, that a near-death experience yields the most intense sex?" Zassa Hmmmed; "Well, I'm not sure about that..." Lifting her chin, Zassa looked at the Vixen; "Um, Tanj... do me a favor?" Tanj blinked; "Yeah, sure, if I can." The Vixen looked almost shy; "Make love to me?" Tanj blinked and stole a glance at the wardroom's chronometer; "Um, yeah, we shouldn't be coming up on the next system for, um, almost three hours... I guess there's time... sure, come on..." Taking the Vixen by the paw, Tanj led her down the corridor to her cabin...

Hinoki grinned, ducking down as if expecting a blow, as the flight deck door slid open. He'd watched the security monitor, as the pips indicating Zassa and Tanj left the cargo bay... paused in the wardroom, and then shifted to Tanj's cabin. They hadn't been there that long. Still, the pain in his right ear was unexpected and he yelped as Tanj used her handle to pull the Pilot's seat around. "What the FUCK did you DO to her? No, I don't mean the tank; THAT I could expect from you. What did you inject her with?" Hinoki did his best to smile, but it still came out half-wince; what HAD she been sharpening her claws with? "Um. Just as I said. A genetically engineered virus. You know, you really CAN buy anything on Gibralter station, if you know where to look..." Tanj released him and crossed her arms over her chest; "and just what does this virus do, besides the obvious?" Hinoki did his best to look innocent... alright, to look "reasonable"... "It just deprives her of what she values most. Sensation. More specifically, touch sensations. She can still feel hot and cold, still taste good food... and bad, I suppose. She has enough tactile sensation not to be a danger to herself, or others. She just can't feel the texture of fine silk, or the pleasure of a good brushing..." "Or sex. I tried for a half hour to get some response from her, and with all my caresses, with all my licking, with all my skill, she never even got wet. The poor girl's close to a nervous breakdown! NOW, where's the antidote?" Hinoki raised one eyebrow, a self-satisfied smirk forming on his face; "Why, Captain, its right here." Tanj frowned; "right where? You're not wearing anything; you don't have any pockets." Hinoki chuckled and put his paws behind his head, to stretch, arching his body towards her; "Why, Captain, I'M the antidote. Specifically, my semen. The virus was genetically engineered to be counteracted by MY cum. And believe me, that was a quirk those mad scientists had never even considered before. In fact, I may stand to make considerable profit from that little contribution to medical science. Royalties and so forth." Tanj put her paws on either armrest of the chair and leaned forward until she was nose-to-nose with the male; "and just what does she have to do to get this... "cure" from you?" Hinoki chuckled; "you know, she DOES deserve to be punished for tampering with my machine." At the look on Tanj's face, he went on hurriedly; "If she's my slave until the end of the trip, until we return to base, I'll see to it that she gets what she needs to... "retain" her sense of touch each day until then, and when we get home, I'll see she gets a more permanent cure. With certain provisos, of course...

Zassa wiped her eyes and looked at Tanj; "Now let me get this straight; in order to FEEL him fucking me, or anyone else for that matter, he has to fuck me twice a day? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of!" Tanj just chuckled wryly; "I dunno; it puts you squarely under his thumb. Piss him off and he DOESN'T fuck you, and then a little while later, you can't feel anything. For someone into "control" it makes perfect sense." Zassa sighed and shrugged; "Yeah, I guess. Well, I've been a slave before, I suppose I can do it again, for a bit." The vixen looked up, that 'sly fox' look on her face; "but, you've got to promise me, that when this is over, you'll help me plan a suitable revenge..." Tanj just laughed and nodded.

The look on the Vixen's face was composed. Almost frozen. The look in her eyes was... daunting. And yet the form was flawless as she presented herself to her new "master". Hinoki smiled down at her in stern regard; "You give yourself to me, for the duration of the trip?" Zassa nodded slowly. "Say it." "Master I give my self to you, freely, to do with as you will, for the duration of the trip." Hinoki nodded; "very well. Rise, and go about your standard shipboard duties. Oh, and put something on. I don't want to see you nude until I tell you so. Zassa blinked in obvious confusion, but obeyed, rising, to head for her cabin.

Wanda looked across the wardroom at Hinoki; "well, that was unexpected. Just what are you going to do with her, now that you've got her?" Hinoki smiled; "Nothing." Across the wardroom, Tanj almost choked on her coffee. "Nothing?" Hinoki nodded to the Wolverine lass; "that's right. Zassa's been getting a little too wild of late. Too far from the norm. I'm going to force-feed her normality, for the duration of the trip, see if I can't get her acting a little more like... well, like normal folks." Tanj quit coughing long enough to croak out; "you mean, no more latex catsuits? No more... Um, well, you know" Hinoki chuckled and patted the Cheetah fem on the back; "Nope. Standard jumpsuits, or conservative dresses. And plain vanilla sex. No pain with her pleasure. Nothing kinky. No collars, no leashes, no restraints, no sex toys. Nuthin'!" Tanj shook her head; "Good Lord; when you get done with her, there won't BE any Zassa!" Hinoki chuckled; "Oh, you know as well as I do that as soon as she hits that station, she'll be back to her usual ways, but maybe, just maybe, this'll tone her down a little..."

Tanj scanned the Imperial News Network summary; they were passing through the Alatchuacola system, and the broadcast was coming in clear. There was a small report on the events in the Elysium system, and Tanj flagged it, sending back a request for more information. The results were less than satisfying. The drones the news agency used were well stealthed, but they were expensive, and it was obvious that INN was sacrificing the quality of their reporting to conserve assetts. Apparently the fighting was particularly vicious. There was propaganda footage from the Reds, and a small rebuttal from the Blues. The government had deigned not to reply, and that in itself was curious. All in all, there wasn't anything she wasn't getting from the intermittant intelligence packets that managed to find their way through to the ship. That in it self was significant, suggesting that things at home were so frantic that forwarding information to Tanj for analysis was no longer a priority... Turning from the monitor, Tanj went through her fuel calculations once again. Stopping to tank up would cost them more time than it would save at this point. And there just wasn't enough left for any more warp dashes between jump points. Maybe if she could contract for a tanker to rendezvous with them...

Zassa groaned, and drummed her heels into the small of the Cheetah's back; their first "session" was almost boring; not having had any of the "antidote" yet, she could barely feel him in her, and wasn't getting much, if any pleasure from it, no matter how hard she tried. Still, her frantic efforts to achieve the sensations she was used to, the sensations she expected, seemed to be pleasing the Cheetah. Maybe the next 'session," in the morning would be better. As the male Cheetah howled, announcing the arrival of his orgasm, Zassa just sighed. He wouldn't even let her out of his bed, but insisted that they cuddle through the night. The Vixen was convinced that was to keep her from playing with herself, testing to see if the sensitivity was returning... As she yawned, she hoped he didn't snore. And that SHE did. And that in the morning he'd choose something a little more interesting than the missionary position...

Gotterdamerung

In the hustle and bustle, as the crew hastened to make the Overlord ready for departure, the hooded fox, pacing through the corridors of the Brethren's base, with an even, unhurried tread, seemed an island of calm. Over the months, the crew had gotten used to seeing the Fox known as Entity, although usually in the company of the Boss, and his presence was not considered remarkable. What was remarkable, or would have been, had anyone noticed, was the way he passed through the airlock, and into the Overlord. The guards on duty there never seemed to register his presence. There was no recognition of him, even as a friend, as he passed, their eyes seemingly looking right through him.

Deep in the core of the battlecruiser, the ship's main computer noted the presence of the Fox. However, quite some time ago, it had been given instructions that he was on the "permitted" list. Visitor's quarters had been assigned, and a meal card issued. He was listed in the security files as a "guest", nothing more, but no restrictions were put on his movement. The fact that this had been done by the Fox himself made no difference to the computer; he'd had all the proper passwords... With more important things to do, the main computer turned its attentions elsewhere.

As he moved down the corridor at a measured pace, Entity slowly relaxed. His people were highly skilled with computers, and hacking into the main computer on this vessel had not challenged his skills significantly. Passing through the airlock was the first hurdle; passing the scrutiny of the ship's computer was the second. Turning the corner, he made his way to the turbolift. For the moment he'd wait quietly in the quarters he'd assigned himself, waiting for the conflict to come.

Marshal Kozlovko looked at the message flimsey and grunted. Turning to his communications officer, he growled; "Signal all units in the Third Reds Shock Army. The Elysium Government is fleeing. All units are to move on the Capital, heedless of risk." The Kangaroo nodded and turned to carry out his orders. Looking up at the look of wonder on his Operations officer's face, Kozlovko grinned; "This is it, Boris! The end is nigh!"

Lieutenant D'artagan blinked as he listened over the radio's handset. Command had been urging them onwards, demanding they move faster, and now he understood why. It would have been marvelous to have captured those slimy bastards... but now that they'd fled, what was the hurry? Surely as word of their departure spread, morale among the Government troops would crumble, resistance fade. Why risk the lives of brave troops NOW? Shrugging, he turned to look through his binoculars once again. The way towards the capital might be clear... And given his orders, he'd just have to chance it.

Windham smiled as he hit the "enter" key. The warning from his friends in the Blues had been most distressing. While he had come to loathe the Elysium government, he still had many comrades on the Cruiser. And the Captain wasn't such a bad sort either. But now, his friends had told him, other officers on the ship were going to mutiny, to wrest control, and to declare for the Reds. And apparently it was all part of some larger, darker plot. For a long time, he'd wondered what he could do? Taking the ship over to the side of the Rebels was fine with him, but he wasn't particularly enamored of the Reds. Something about their strident propaganda just didn't ring true... and he'd heard whispers, hushed tales of some of the strangest things associated with them. Finally, he'd hit upon what he thought would be the safest plan. To warn the Captain of what he'd heard would probably lead to a "purge" of too many of his friends. And in this case, that was most likely a purge through the airlock and into the vacuum of space. And yet, to allow their plan to go forward... He just wasn't comfortable with his ship being "instrumental" in some Reds plot... Grinning, he watched the clock in the corner of his monitor screen. It was now running about five percent fast. Oh, he had no doubt the "mutiny" would come off as planned... but it would now come off just a little bit early. Disrupting their timetable wasn't much, but it was all he could think of to do...

Kuykendall blinked and held the earphone hard against her head, listening hard. After a moment the rabbit lifted her head; "Captain, I have a priority message from the Flight Control Center in Havaas! They say that Security has uncovered a spy, and that our departure plans have been leaked to the Enemy! They advise that the enemy will not have sufficient ships in this sector to pursue everyone, and recommend we scatter on the first sign of detection!" Captain Reeves frowned; his freighter was no match for almost any combatant, and to leave the protection of the escorting warships seemed suicidal... And yet, if everyone split up and headed in different directions, he could see how pursuit might be complicated... the Wolves would obviously get some of the lambs, but some might also escape... And his ship was a little faster than most. "Navigator, I want you to plot an evasive course. If we get jumped, we're outta here!"

Sometimes a message relayed by others carries more weight than one received directly. Admiral Soames looked at the communication officer's monitor and shook his head; "I don't know WHO down on the planet came up with that idea, but its ridiculous! Issue orders to the fleet to stay together, no matter WHAT." As the communications officer bent to his task, the Admiral became aware of President Erog's cold stare. Turning to face the politician, the Admiral drew himself up, and looked back. After a moment, Erog growled; "will they obey that order?" The Admiral nodded; "most of them. Some of the commandeered merchant ships might flee, but we have officers on all the critical ships and they'll make sure the orders are followed..." As he turned to look at the tactical display, the Admiral muttered to himself; "I hope..."

Brock smiled. The Blues commandos had taken the Flight Control Center in Havaas less than an hour before, and it had taken the communications team only a few minutes to figure out the passwords that let them take control of the powerful transmitters. Now dozens of false messages were going out, to the Elysium ships, and to the Reds Peoples' Space Navy... And if the increase in message traffic among the fleeing ships was any indication, it was working...

a few others in the Reds' Peoples Space Navy, it was from the Reds Party Central, and bore all the correct codes and identifiers. And yet the very subject made him wonder at its authenticity. From something called the "Fifth Directorate" it talked of an internal plot to "steal the fruits of the labors from the workers and soldiers who had labored so long to make the revolution bear fruit." Hartz had scratched his head over that one for a while, and then had uncharacteristically asked the bridge crew of his destroyer, if THEY could make any sense of it. All agreed that the convolute