Author's Note: For maximum enjoyment, I'd suggest you read the previous two chapters of this series.

As usual, thanks to my lady love for invaluable input and to my editor, bikoukumori, for turning merely serviceable writing into a good read for everyone.

Warning! This chapter includes tentacle sex, male on futa and vast amounts of cum. All participants are adults.

*****

03: Escalation

The sun crested the horizon and the sky erupted in a brilliant green. Veridius VIII had been settled by the Nor Republic a scant fifteen years ago after a passing science vessel had discovered a wide variety of naturally occurring rare trace elements. The planet had quickly gained the nickname "The Republic's Emerald" due to the particular color of its atmosphere.

Landing Point, the main settlement was a curious hybrid of science station, processing plant and tourist resort, housing a quickly growing population of six thousand plus almost as many tourists. On the main plaza, even at this early hour, scientists, workers and tourists from a dozen worlds mingled as the former hurried to work and the latter prepared their sightseeing trips for the day or had breakfast after a night of otherworldly excess. The processing plant in the east, smokestacks towering over nearly all other buildings in the city, emitted a constant deep rumble interspersed by the occasional clang of metal. In the west, the lights of the pleasure district fought a losing battle against the encroaching daylight. Holographic projections of scantily clad men and women writhed on flat facades in time to stomach-churning bass beats, colorful light beams criss-crossed in the sky, reflecting off green clouds. The Stargazer Hotel's front showed a real-time view of Veridius VIII from orbit, the exhaust of incoming passenger liners colorful plumes of light in front of the slowly rotating green orb. Compared to that spectacle, the main plaza was shockingly utilitarian, encircled still by the prefabricated buildings which had been airdropped to get the city started.

The scientists and workers had already moved out, leaving the boxy white and grey structures available for enterprising traders who had quickly turned the former city center into a busy marketplace for food, drinks and services. From Gravon ganbison steaks to Grey protein paste, leisurewear to paid companions, pretty much everything was sold and bought with equal abandon. Since Veridius VIII sat on the outer edge of Nor space, restrictions on trade were rather lax and many a shady dealer was peddling less than reputable items freely and nobody seemed to care much. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing high or exotic companionship once in a while, which made the Emerald a prime destination for pleasure-seekers, despite its out of the way location.

For this mission, her name was Rejka and she wore the shape of a young Gravon woman, old enough to leave her clan but not old enough to undergo the Maturity Rite, in which her already fit and curvy body would be augmented by cybernetics. A quartet of thin braids of golden hair tickled the patch of bare back skin between the hem of the colorful, skimpy top struggling to hold her breasts in place and the belt of her low-riding shorts. Metallic discs had been woven into the braids, softly clicking against each other when she moved her head. She leaned casually against a street light next to a Zuthrian sand dragon eatery and smiled when pedestrians, male and female, openly ogled her body with a mix of arousal and jealousy. She could feel the small barbs of envy or the heady thrum of blossoming desire. It was like a minuscule hit of endorphin. Her eyes, of a rich emerald green to suit the location, sparkled with amusement. Rejka focused her energy and a Marked Zuthrian passing by, erection budding under the loose loincloth she wore, gasped as waves of pleasure washed over her. The joys of being a Faceless Manipulator.

A telepathic whisper came from within. "Is that necessary for the mission?"

Rejka scowled. "I felt like it and it is not detrimental."

"The Collective thinks otherwise. You should not draw unwanted attention."

She had to fight to keep her mask in place. "Unwanted attention? I am disguised as a barely legal Gravon sex kitten. I could only get any more attention if I were to drop down naked and start handing out blowjobs."

"The disguise is appropriate, your conduct is not. Try to focus more on the mission and less on your amusement."

Rejka concentrated and shut out the voice. The last thing she needed now was the Faceless hive mind looking over her shoulder or, much more irritating, offering advice. Maybe she was becoming too independent, something the Collective didn't exactly appreciate. But without Infiltrators going deep undercover, there would be no Collective, no worlds to secretly settle and no information. She shrugged and turned her attention back to the crowd.

Her mark came into view. His name was Robarth and he worked as an aide to the local head scientist. Lyzanis' research into gene therapy and xenobotany was groundbreaking and the Collective had decided to acquire her knowledge. Sadly, the Nor military knew how valuable the ability to transplant complex ecosystems would be and Lyzanis was under heavy guard at all times. A direct approach was out of the question. A new lover, out of the blue, would only draw suspicion so Rejka had decided on a multi-stage approach. First find someone close to Lyzanis, assimilate him and work from there.

Enter Robarth. She had found him last night in a holo-theater and Rejka had spent most of the evening playing the innocent but willing to learn off-world bumpkin. She had to admit, as far as Nor were concerned, he wasn't half bad. A bit bulkier than most, with scintillating silver hair, amazing blue eyes and a nice tan from the local sun. He reacted quite strongly to her veiled innuendos and 'accidental' caresses or touches and, when she said her good-bye for the night, she playfully had hugged him and checked out his package. After all, to a Faceless, the whole body is a sensory organ and she liked what had pressed against her thigh. She was taller than him, easily a head and a half, but that only seemed to turn him on even harder. Rejka waved and Robarth quickened his step until he could hug her waist and smile up at her.

"So, your call was not a prank?" Robarth asked. "You really want to spend the day with me?"

Rejka bowed her head and looked deep into his eyes, pursing her lips. Robarth was a brilliant researcher but years of postings on unimportant backwater worlds and in assistant positions had eroded his self-esteem. Which in turn made him an easy target for her. Tentatively, he breathed a kiss onto her lips.

"Hmmm, I like that," she whispered, a large hand cupping one of his firm butt cheeks. "You were such wonderful company last night, I had to see you again." She placed a shy kiss onto his nose, causing him to smile in surprise. "But...do you have time for me today?"

He sighed. "Well, I have to collect some data from a recently opened dig which would take me out of the city until the day after tomorrow. They seem to be having trouble with their comms equipment so I have to drive there."

"Oh." Rejka pouted. "Most of it is driving, yes?"

"Yeah. A long, dreadful drive."

Her eyes lit up. "You know, I could keep you company. And besides, you could show me around a bit, places a lowly tourist like me wouldn't see, right?" She pulled him closer and swayed her hips under his hands. "I promise I won't get in the way."

"It's not like the dig site is top secret or anything," he mused. "But I have to tell you, it's a boring trip, just bumpy jungle back roads."

"Don't say that," she purred, caressing up his spine. "You will be there. And besides, we can always pull over and take a break. You could help me with my xenobiological studies and... all... that..." She let her voice drift off suggestively. As expected, a look of surprise and barely concealed lust fluttered over his face and his manhood twitched against her.

"Hell, why not. It's bad enough I have to do this when there are enough interns Lyzanis could send on that damn errand."

"Maybe your boss thinks this an important enough job for you?" Rejka mused. "Anyway, what do we need?"

"Well, since you're coming too, we should probably get another sleeping bag and stock up on provisions. I have only a small kit in the trunk of my HV."

Rejka slid from his embrace. "I'm sure one sleeping bag will suffice for the both of us."

Her right hand touched his chest and slithered down, over his flat stomach, halting barely within a few hairs of his erection. Robarth gasped. Smiling, she twirled away. "Let's buy some food and be off then. Can't wait to see the jungle."

* * * *

"Hmm, the breeze is so nice," Rejka sighed, stretching. The cockpit of the hover vehicle was nice and compact, so body contact was inevitable. Her knee rubbed against Robarth's, who was focused on the narrow, laser-burnt gap between the viciously growing, eyewateringly colorful vegetation. Giant mushroom stalks in orange carried huge, purple umbrella-like hats, teal and blue vines snaked between the stalks, plants with red and brown leaves grew near the ground. The climate controls of the vehicle worked close to breaking point, keeping the temperature just bearable, so she had opened one of the windows. The car's airflow tugged at her hair and caressed her sweaty skin. Even without her conscious effort, her nipples hardened, straining against the fabric of her tight top.

The hover vehicle, gliding over the rough road on a ground-effect force field, barely rocked, only the largest bumps in the path caused it to shudder on occasion. The miners had carved and burnt a trail through the jungle but the vegetation already was creeping back, turning the once wide road into a treacherous, narrow trail. They had driven for the last six hours and Rejka grew restless. You couldn't wear the body of a barely legal Gravon without inheriting some traits, like an overabundance of energy. Robarth stared glumly ahead, trying to thread the boxy hovercar through narrow gaps in the foliage without scuffing the vehicle. He certainly deserved a little appreciation for his efforts. Rejka pulled her top off and adjusted her seat's back rest, tilting it back as much as the cramped cockpit allowed. Her fingers made quick work of her shorts' buttons and she pushed them down towards her knees, along with the tiny g-string she wore underneath. Her hands caressed over her body, one hand on her breasts, the other snaking between her thighs, over her hairless mound. Her fingers made wet sounds as they slithered into herself, audible even over the drone of the engines. Rejka sighed in pleasure. It never took much to arouse her and the heat and slight breeze were more than enough to get her going. She had to remind herself not to apply any Faceless tricks to her masturbation, like fusing her probing fingers into a thicker phallus to fuck herself with or growing a sucking mouth-like opening in her palm on her nipples. As much fun as that was, she was disciplined enough as to not jeopardize her disguise.

"Robarth..." she moaned, licking her juices off her own fingers. "I'm so hot right now..."

That got his attention. He glanced sideways and nearly swerved the HV into a mushroom trunk.

"Maker's balls!" he cursed, slamming the brakes. "How about a little warning next time?" Despite his outburst, his eyes roamed over her body.

Rejka hooked her leg over his, spreading herself even wider. "Do you want to rant some more or help me with this?" she said, panting happily as she re-inserted her fingers into her dripping pussy.

"I guess-," he gulped, eyes fastened on the hypnotic display of two fingers slowly fucking herself, "I guess we have earned a little rest. Hold on." He placed his hand on her knee to push it off his. Rejka's free hand snatched his and placed it on top of her mound.

"Why don't we take...this outside?" Robarth suggested. His fingertips explored her sex, the protruding clitoris, the moist lips.

He was right, sadly. The cockpit was not built for sex. Even now, he had to twist his body uncomfortably to reach her. "Fine. But let's hurry."

Robarth, with visible difficulty, tore his attention away from her and gunned the engine. Only a few seconds later, he swerved off the road onto a patch of relatively open terrain under an enormous mushroom cap, hovering like a cloud nearly a hundred feet over their heads. The HV settled onto its landing skids and Robarth pushed his door open. She heard him rummage in the storage space behind the cockpit then saw him on one of the rear view monitors, shaking out a plastic sheet. The scientist then placed a blanket on top of the sheet. Pushing the shorts and string completely off, now wearing only her trainers, Rejka hopped from the car and made her way over the jungle floor, feeling Robarth's eyes like a gentle caress all over her. He struggled to get out of his scientist's overalls but, instead of helping him with the unwieldy garment, Rejka melted onto the blanket, offering him more views of her snatch and her fingers diving into it. Finally, he had wrestled himself out of his suit and ended up on his knees next to her, his sizable dick near her face.

Wide-eyed, she looked up at it. "And what should I do with that?" Rejka asked playfully, her breath hot on his member.

"You can stroke it..." Robarth lamely suggested. "Or... or..."

Maker preserve me, Rejka groaned inwardly. I am supposed to be the student here! "Or do you want it in my mouth?" she suggested, licking her lips.

"I'd like that very much. But only if you feel like it," he said, caressing her hair.

Stifling a groan, she craned her neck and dragged her tongue across the underside of his rampant hard-on. His mental waves screamed how much he would like nothing more than to just jump on her and fuck her silly. But instead of acting on his instincts, he throttled himself, his desire about to be snuffed out by his guilty conscience. Rejka decided on another gamble. She broke character and pulled him close. He dropped to hands and knees and she hungrily engulfed his sweaty rod with her mouth. On her soles, two sets of gills opened as she swallowed his glans, causing the surprised Nor to gasp and whimper at the overwhelming sensations emanating from his dick. Both hands clawing at his firm behind, she nudged him to move, to slide his schlong deep into her throat.

"Maker... Maker...what are you doing to me?" he whimpered hoarsely.

I'm showing you a good time, Rejka thought. Enjoy it for as long as possible before... She didn't finish that thought. Robarth had one hand on her sex, two fingers going deep into her. The last thing she wanted to think about was how she would soon assimilate him. No. She deserved a little pleasure before she had to...

Gurgling happily, she placed her thumb between his butt cheeks and massaged his anus. He froze, ramrod-straight, nearly knocking out her teeth with his pelvic bone. Rejka giggled wetly and released his thoroughly slathered member.

"Relax...you're going to enjoy this," she purred. "I would never do anything to harm you," she added. Until I have to, that is. "Now come, relax." She caught his cock with her lips again. Robarth closed his eyes and resumed his shallow strokes into her throat. Her pussy sucked on his fingers like a second mouth and when she thought him sufficiently distracted, her thumb returned to his crack.

Again, he seized up, a plaintive wail erupting from his mouth. A burning, sour stench attacked her nostrils and gills. Robarth rolled away from her, offering her a glimpse of what was happening. Above them, holes had appeared in the huge mushroom's cap, thick, purple fluid oozing from them. Robarth was rolling around on the ground, trying to deal with his smoking and sizzling back. And while she watched on in horrified fascination, she saw movement above the mushroom, the rapid fluttering of wings. A moment later, an organism she had never seen before dove through the hole, a writhing cluster of chitinous claws, feelers and wings. It convulsed and a gleaming stinger, propelled by a sharp, whistling expulsion of gas, shot down and impaled poor Robarth. His screams redoubled.

Rejka rolled to the side, trying to scrabble to her feet when a vicious stab caught her. Horrified, she looked down. From her neck, at least two feet of gleaming stinger protruded. A nanosecond later, the pain came, lancing through her whole being. Thankfully, a Faceless' body is rather hard to incapacitate. She allowed herself to dissolve into a semi-liquid state and seep apart, getting rid of the stinger in the process. To her dismay, the pain didn't go with it. There was a thumping clot of agony still within her. She reformed a few feet from her last position, only to see the alien monstrosity on top of Robarth. It was holding him down to the floor through weight alone, while a pulsating organ puked obscene amounts of the purple goo onto him. He had stopped screaming but his body still was jerking underneath the monster.

I would have given you a quick, painless death, Rejka thought. Another shockwave of pain hit her, almost bringing her to her knees. She clutched at the source of the agony, the back of her neck. Normally, she could easily regenerate even vast amounts of tissue damage. This time though, there was an ugly, gaping hole which refused to seal.

Around her, she noticed more movement. There were even more monsters around, crawling through the foliage, seemingly trying to burrow into the mushroom stalks and spraying purple goo everywhere. The...thing on Robarth seemed to be finished with the Nor scientist, his body now not much more than a feebly twitching mound of purple slime. It slipped off him and turned to face her, antennae trembling.

The pain throbbing through her made the decision simple. No need to stick around. Survival was paramount. The spine-throwing monster advanced, pointing a shiny stinger in her direction. Rejka grew a hard shell of bone around her. The first shot hit her square in the chest but didn't penetrate. The force of the impact knocked her off her feet regardless. She rolled with the blow and struggled upright again, dodging and weaving until she had the boxy hull of the HV between herself and the monster. She slid into the cockpit and thumped her fist onto the engine activation button. A shrill whistling announced another fired stinger which clanged off the driver side doorframe. Rejka sprouted two flexible tentacles and yanked both doors closed then she floored the accelerator. Another spine-thrower had appeared, landing right in her way on the jungle path. She barreled through him, the ground-effect force field not strong enough to absorb all the impact energy.

Groaning, Rejka used one of the tentacles to rummage through the compartments of the cockpit until she found a first-aid kit. It had a small ampule of painkillers, which she greedily absorbed. The pain receded to tolerable levels; didn't vanish entirely though. She needed a medical scanning station and quickly. There were few things a Faceless couldn't simply grow back and every one of those were vitally important. The dig site would be her best chance to find one. Gnashing her teeth, Rejka looked around. The sky above the jungle was alight with hundreds...thousands of glowing pinpricks of light, like the biggest meteor shower she had ever seen. But going by the riotous explosions of movement, the suddenly appearing columns of smoke, she suspected that these "meteors" were only more of those alien lifeforms coming down from orbit.

She flicked on the radio. Emergency broadcasts on every frequency, urging residents and visitors to remain calm and head for the nearest shelter or evacuation point.
If it's not too late for that already, Rejka thought grimly. She listened into herself. Normally, the hive mind would be there, whispering encouragement or offering tactical advice, but there was only silence.

Maybe they're sulking because I snubbed them off earlier. Feeling more alone than she had ever in her life, Rejka thundered on, not caring if the HV clipped trunks or rocks. She didn't plan on using the HV for the return trip anyway. Gritting her teeth against the dull throbbing in her neck, she drove as if all the devils of Hell were after her.

* * * *

A few hours after sundown, she arrived at the dig site. The HV's roof-mounted emergency spotlight bathed the chaos in front of her in blinding white. Shelters had been torn down, mining equipment toppled and everywhere she looked there seemed to be puddles or mounds of that purple ooze. Slowly she drove on, her heart sinking. There was hardly anything usable left intact and with the darkness around, finding any leftovers would be nigh impossible.

The spotlight pulled a geometric form out of the shadows. Rejka's heart skipped a beat. Was that...? Yes! The stubby, wedge-like shape of a shuttle's nose peeked from behind a burning mini digger. She accelerated past it and used her HV's cameras to look for trouble. The shuttle bore the markings of Nor Mining & Metal's security service. Bodies were scattered around the vehicle, most of them covered in ooze. The shuttle looked badly battered, claw marks and more ooze. No one seemed to be inside but, more importantly, none of the monsters which had attacked them seemed to be interested in the new arrival.

Rejka checked the cockpit one last time before disembarking. Robarth may have been inept in a social setting but he was no fool. Under the driver's seat, Rejka found a plasma pistol with two extra reaction mass magazines. She reclaimed her shorts and top and pulled the garments on, depositing the magazines in her pockets. Altering her retinas for maximum night vision, Rejka slipped from the HV. Plasma pistol at the ready, she crept to the shuttle's side door. Why hadn't the pilot taken off? Where was the pilot anyway? She didn't know enough about the organization of NM&M's strike teams to answer this question but she was glad the shuttle seemed to be intact. She heard groans and cracking noises coming closer. Something moved in the forest nearby. Heart pounding in her throat, Rejka pulled with her free hand on the handle of the door, which opened with a pained squeal.

Great. They could hear that back in Landing Point. The door slid open and the shuttle's interior lights came on. The pilot, still wearing his flight helmet, laid spread-eagled on the floor, a glistening stinger protruding from his face. That's why no one had bothered to fly away.

Behind her, something scrabbled closer. Rejka turned, saw some twitching movement, the wet sheen of undulating muscles coated with ooze. She didn't hesitate, pulled the trigger. The incandescent ball of plasma vaporized the thing, leaving behind a merrily burning heap of biomatter. She pulled herself into the shuttle and yanked the door closed behind her. A moment later, something large, heavy and wet slapped the shuttle's side, rocking the vehicle on its skids. Rejka didn't waste any time and slipped onto the pilot's seat. The machine still was on standby, which would explain the shut door. Automated systems had closed the doors after a set amount of time. Another hit rocked the shuttle. Rejka activated the ship's flight systems and yanked back on the control stick. Outside, an enraged roar was heard as the area around the shuttle was flooded with superheated exhaust vapors. Shuddering, as if it were in great pain, the shuttle gained altitude. Rejka ran a quick diagnostic scan of the shuttle and breathed a small sigh of relief. The exterior was badly mauled but there was no hull breach. The ooze, though highly corrosive to organic tissue, seemed to be much less effective against the multi-layered armorgrade alloy ship hulls were made from.

A renewed stab of pain lanced through her neck. The painkillers had worn off. The adrenaline carrying her wouldn't last forever either. She needed to come up with an escape strategy before her body would cocoon up to prevent her death.

A quick glance at the shuttle's dashboard told her she had reached orbit. The long-range radar pinged madly as it found more and more unknown signatures. None of the alien intruders seemed to be interested in her though. Thinking coherently became difficult but the autopilot was built to work even in emergency situations.

"Get me out of the system," Rejka croaked, trying to hold on to the dashboard for sheer life. She could feel her body fighting her already. "Confirm!"

"Course laid in to system edge," the shuttle's computer confirmed. Whatever it said next, Rejka didn't hear.

* * * *

"When I woke up, I found myself on this ship. The surgeon did his best but he couldn't save my hive node," Rejka said, unconsciously rubbing her neck.

"What's a 'hive node?'" Zamos asked around a spoonful of food. Her cell mate was a curious one. A tall Zuthrian, with a simple military buzz cut and mesmerizing, green eyes. His black skin was tattooed, ferocious red lizards clawing at his chest and shoulders. For a navy officer, he was in incredible shape. Not ripped but well-toned, with broad shoulders for his species and nice six-pack abs. She knew about the claw and teeth marks on his arms, back and butt, since there was no inch of skin she hadn't touched during the past six or so hours while they had had sex. Where most people were at least uneasy around her species, he seemed to enjoy her shape-shifting antics. And if he was at all irritated by being locked up on a slaver ship, he didn't show it.

Rejka picked up her own food and spooned a few bites of lukewarm rice and fruit sauce into her mouth before answering.

"Simply put, it's an artificial organ which greatly amplifies our own innate psionic abilities. It's one of the few things we can't regenerate on our own."

"So... you lost your psionic abilities?"

"Not quite." Rejka grew a slender tendril from her palm and extended it across the floor. The flexible appendage slithered like a skin-colored snake up Zamos' leg and curled around his flaccid penis. His thoughts were like a calm, placid ocean, churned only by the first waves of renewed arousal. She could see herself through his eyes. At the moment, she wore a species-neutral shape, a busty albino woman of average height and weight with a warm smile on her rosy lips and not a single hair below her eyebrows. He was a bit disappointed at the lack of tentacles. Rejka grinned. He was the first alien she had met who actually wanted tentacles near him.

"I need to touch my vic...partners to read their minds," Rejka said. "And I have lost access to the Faceless hive mind."

"Is that good or bad?" he asked. He was genuinely curious, not making small talk. So, he wasn't just a looker but smart too. Gathering information, assessing his situation. Rejka could respect that.

"More bad than good," she admitted. "The Collective doesn't appreciate too much individuality. As an Infiltrator, I need to act on my own without constant supervision but now that they don't have any control over me, I have become a problem to them. I know too much about the hive mind, how we operate, the Great Plan and all that. Should another Faceless find me, it will try to kill me on sight."

"That's harsh."

"Well, I can hold my own in a one-on-one fight. And the chances of encountering more than one of my kind at a time are pretty slim. Nevertheless, being on this ship isn't bad. I think I'll enjoy Xeltec's hospitality until I have fully recovered then I'll ask him to release me. Let's see how it goes."

"Hmmm," he said, his member hardening under her touch.

"But enough about me. You are awfully calm for being held captive on a slave ship," she remarked. "Aren't you a little afraid?"

He shook his head. "No."

Rejka's tentacle squeezed him. "Come on. You can tell me."

He sighed, as if admitting an embarrassing truth. "Well, if you have to know. After my first sand dragon hunt, our tribe's Wise Woman called on me during the Victor's Feast. She rewarded me for my bravery, as is custom among the tribes."

"How?"

"Oh, first we had sex all through the night. She was Marked." Zamos blushed adorably. His hand closed around her tentacle and squeezed back. "And in the morning, she let me glimpse my fate."

"And what did you learn?"

He sighed. "I'm not quite sure. The images are hazy, like a dream you can't grasp. But I know for a fact that I won't be dying surrounded by metal. It's the unshakable truth of my life. As long as I am surrounded by metal, I won't die."

"That's why you joined the Navy?"

"Yes. Turns out I'm a pretty good shot, even with ship cannons. When the Nor Navy began its exchange program, I was selected to represent the Zuthrian Dynasty." Zamos put down his plastic dish and rose. "Well, now that I've had something to eat, why not resume what we've been doing?" Careful, as not to step on the tentacle, he crossed the space between the bunks and sat down next to Rejka. He placed a hand on her thigh, his nimble fingers caressing her skin.

"Hmmm, I'd like that," she purred, absorbing her tentacle again. "What can I be for you next?"

There were steps outside the cell. Rejka looked past Zamos' shoulder. One of the black-armored guards, Xeltec's Furies, loomed beyond the force field.

"Rejka, get presentable. Xeltec wants you to entertain a customer. You have half an hour."

* * * *

The lowest deck of Xeltec's saucer-ship was a cavernous cargo hold. Several large containers were arrayed in neat rows, while every inch of the curved walls was lined with shelving. Deeva spotted large, clear boxes holding antique-looking weapons, armor pieces and assorted other items. A part of the floor tilted downwards, forming a gently sloping ramp. She waited on the upper end of the ramp, along with Xeltec and three of his Furies. With a loud metallic clang, the ramp hit the hangar deck below. Moments later, five people came up the ramp, an oversized, casket-like object floating between them on a repulsor field.

Iorec Bloodhand, a muscle-bound blonde Gravon male, was the first. At around eight feet in height and possibly three-hundred-something pounds, he easily towered over the rest of his entourage. He was clad in flowing robes made from a metallic fabric, the color shifting through all hues of the spectrum as he passed under the bright lights of the cargo hold. A broad belt was around his waist, with a long vibro-blade and some kind of handgun on either hip. His long mane was held out of his face by a headband made from a dark metal Deeva didn't recognize. His gaze drifted over her and he shot her a lewd smile.

The rest of his entourage were females. One young Zuthrian, her curly white hair parted and going just below her shoulders, shot Xeltec a murderous glare. She wore a zipped-up jumpsuit in dark blue with white accents which looked painted onto her barely visible curves. Her hand went to the gun on her hip. Iorec slowed his step and closed his hand over hers. Sighing, she released the weapon. Her grim stare never left Xeltec though.

The next appeared to be a Felinoid with striking, copper-streaked white fur. Where Tabby was short and curvy, this one was tall, had long limbs and an almost flat body, with just the slightest hint of breasts and butt. She wore shorts and a colorful crop top, over which criss-crossed several belts with throwing knives. She surveyed her surroundings with alert amber eyes. Her tail swayed slowly around her ankles as she strode up the ramp.

The remaining two were Gravon twins, both with tanned skin and dyed hair. One had streaks of yellow and green, the other red and purple interspersed with their blond tresses. They sported no obvious weapons and wore rather revealing leotard-style clothing. Deeva spotted chromed data jacks on their temples and ports along their forearms and wrists.

One of them had a remote plugged into her forearm, steering the repulsor units which carried the casket-like object. It seemed to be made from metal, stained dark with age. It was about eight feet long and five feet wide and easily as tall. Every inch of it had been carved with lavish decoration, although the effect was ruined somewhat by a host of impact marks and small craters. Deeva felt the buzz of excitement pulse through her, nearly strong enough to displace the feeling of sullen desolation which was with her ever since she had to torture Thexus, the Gravon security officer. She had once been a simple researcher, way back before her life became so utterly complicated. She didn't want to torture people. She didn't want to cause heartbreak in her best friend who was now sitting, utterly terrified, in one of the holding cells three decks above them, awaiting whatever fate Xeltec had in mind for her.

"Greetings, Xeltec. I see you have added to your crew?" Iorec's voice was a deep, sonorous rumble. So much like Thexus'. Deeva winced.

"As have you," Xeltec said with a mean smirk, nodding at the fuming Zuthrian.

"If you have laid even a single finger on Lavasi...," the young woman snarled.

"I'm wounded," Xeltec said, splaying his long-fingered hand over his thin chest. "You should know me better than that, Axilia. Lavasi is alive and well. More than that, actually. Last I saw her, she was fucking a cute Felinoid and enjoying herself tremendously."

Iorec again closed his hand around the Zuthrian's wrist. She hissed angrily and yanked her hand free, piercing the Grey slaver with a furious glare.

Unperturbed, Xeltec gestured at Deeva. "Anyway, this is Deeva, my new pet scientist. I think she will be of use in this investigation of yours. Say 'hello,' Deeva."

"A pleasure to meet you," Deeva said, bowing slightly.

"The pleasure is all mine," Iorec replied, again eyeing her. This time, there was obvious desire in his eyes. Deeva noted with interest the slight movement under his robes. "Shall we talk business?" Iorec asked Xeltec.

"Yeah, let's. And do make sure Axilia doesn't shoot me in the back. So, this is it??"

"Yes, that's the thing we talked about earlier. I found it in an asteroid cluster in the Abyss sector."

"At the edge of known space. Interesting. What do you know about it so far?"

"Not much. It's ancient, obviously. I ran a couple tests to determine its origin but I ended up with more questions than answers. The material is unlike anything we know. It doesn't emit any kind of radiation, which itself is an oddity and it is shielded from any kind of sensor scan. I've tried everything short of drilling into it."

Xeltec rubbed his hands together. "That's my kind of puzzle. Have your girls bring it into my lab on deck two. Deeva and I will have a look. In the meantime, why don't you kick back in one of the lounges? I'll show you my new acquisitions."

"Your hospitality, as always, knows no bounds," Iorec said with a smile. "This time I think I will have a look at this Lavasi as well."

"Huh. And I thought you didn't like dicks near you," Xeltec said with a smirk.

Iorec smiled and strode purposefully towards the elevator, Axilia and the Felinoid in tow.

Xeltec tapped his communicator. Xavra's face appeared before him. "Yes?"

"Iorec is on his way. Help him settle in. Show him our new arrivals. See to it they perform. And make sure his bodyguards stay put."

"Shall I dance for him too?" Xavra asked, a little exasparated. "I am your pilot, not your damn used-pussy sales-Grey."

"We all have to do things we don't want to. Right now you have been promoted to hostess, so act accordingly. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Well, I could ask Deeva to become our new pilot. She seems capable of following orders."

"Fuck you, Xeltec. I'll do it, this once. Don't be such a cheap ass and hire someone for this job already." Xavra terminated the connection.

* * * *

A Fury guided the Gravon twins out of the lab. Deeva was impressed. Xeltec's lab was as much cutting-edge as his medical facilities. Around the room, she spotted numerous devices for analyzing xeno-archaeological artifacts. High-end sensor systems, several computers, containment units and neatly organized racks of heavy-duty tools. Everything you'd ever need to discern an item's true value. Or turn a clump of fossilized matter into a priceless collector's item.

"Where do we start?" Deeva asked while Xeltec changed. The frail Grey slid a clear gown over his robe then put on a set of elbow-length gloves and a clear face mask. "Iorec sounded like this was an impenetrable safe."

"He's a pirate," Xeltec snorted. "He may have more brains than your usual loot hound but he's far from learned. Otherwise, he wouldn't need me. You might want to at least put on some face protection. We don't want any booby traps pulverizing that brain of yours."

Deeva nodded. On a tray nearby, she spotted one of the face masks the Furies usually wore and took it. The polarized material interacted with her subdermal circuitry and became fully translucent, with a smattering of sensor readings surrounding her field of vision.

"Now, to pick up where Iorec left off," Xeltec said, rubbing his hands together. "Like many amateurs, he simply ignored the biggest, most obvious clue. Which would be-?"

Deeva shrugged. "I was trained in astrophysics. Xeno-archeology is new to me. But I'm willing to learn," she added when Xeltec's scowl deeped.

"Like I said, the fucking obvious," the Grey snarled, jabbing a finger at the huge box in the center of the room. "What do you see?"

"A container made from some kind of metal alloy, heavily decorated. It has been out in space for a long time, going by the amount of deterioration and surface damage."

"Not bad, not bad." Xeltec nodded approvingly. "What the trained eye sees goes a bit deeper. This construct was made by the metalcrafters of Gorgon-IX. Ever heard of them?"

"The Gorgon system is a known space hazard. All Silician ships have a hard-wired navigational override which causes them to stop at least ten light years away from it."

"That's because the Gorgonites have the unpleasant habit of capturing ship crews and adding them to their gene pool. Nevertheless, the snake-heads are a highly advanced species, nearly as old as mine. They have perfected the art of metallurgy. See all these fine strata?" Xeltec pointed at a corner of the container.

"Yes. It's like armorgrade alloy, only a lot finer."

"Exactly. At a time where the Zuthrians bombed each other back into the stone age and my species dispersed into the far corners of the galaxy, the Gorgonites had developed such advanced composite materials, they could have conquered the whole of known space with fast, almost invincible warships which used high-penetration ammunition no shields could stop. Lucky for us, they picked the Precursors as targets for their first attack and lost. The Old Ones pushed them back and left them rotting on their homeworld. If they haven't by now, I guess they will die out in the near future from constant inbreeding. No amount of luring unwary space ships to their doom will change that."

"So, since we now know who made it, do we know how to open it?"

Xeltec laughed. "If it were this easy, I wouldn't have asked you to help me out. If the composition of the material isn't a clue, the Gorgonites overcomplicate things to the max. I wouldn't be surprised if this shell is indeed tamper-proof."

"Nothing is really tamper-proof. You just need to know where to pry," Deeva said with a smile. "May I examine it?"

"Sure, go ahead. I'll fire up the subspace scanners and try to find out if this thing is really sensor-proof."
Deeva closed in on the Gorgonite box and placed her hands on it. Despite being inside the climate-controlled ship for some time now, it still felt icy to the touch. The lid was smooth and uneven at the same time, every harsh edge sanded away by eternity. She allowed her fingers to disperse into bundles of microscopic filaments, multiplying the area she could examine by a factor of ten. Her internal mapping algorithms formed an image of the surface she touched; every scratch, nick and micro-impact was registered and recorded. And there was something else, a barely perceptible vibration. She looked down. The Gorgonite box was still mounted to the repulsor lifters. The force field should, in theory, cancel out any vibrations the Grey ship would produce. To test her theory, she stepped away from the box and placed a hand on a nearby desk, dispersing her fingers again. There was a vibration but much weaker. No wonder. After all, the Grey disc was moored in the hangar bay of Iorec's mammoth Goliath-class mining ship. The drives were shut off, only the mass conversion power core, supplying the ship with energy, was active. So any vibrations transmitting through the desk were echoes of Iorec's ship. And since they had a different frequency from the box...

"I think there is some powered device in the box," Deeva said. "I can feel the vibration emanating from it."

"Oh?" Xeltec placed a hand on the box, wrinkling his forehead. "I feel nothing."

"We are talking about microscopic tremors. Even with my sensor probes, it's barely there."

"Hm. You sure you're not picking up the repulsors?"

"Maybe. Perhaps we can test for EM emissions?"

"Already done. The box absorbs any kind of radiation going in or out. Even the subspace bands get eaten. Maybe a drill won't be a bad idea after all."

"Allow me to thoroughly inspect the box. Maybe I can find an opening mechanism."

"Sure, be my guest." Xeltec busied himself on a synthesis engine and pulled a box of protein fluid from it. He pierced the top with a straw and sucked noisily on it.

Deeva returned to the box and resumed her exploration. Even with her filaments, it took her quite some time until she had the outside of the box completely mapped. She uploaded her scan to the lab's computer and projected the 3D model into the room.

"Not bad," muttered Xeltec. "The resolution is much better than my surface scanner."

"Too bad I didn't find any hidden buttons or the like," Deeva said, a little disappointed.

"Don't fret. This isn't a holovid investigation. Hidden buttons are for cheap movie scripts. Look here," Xeltec said, pointing at the side of the model. "See these faults in the strata? You were so busy going into microscopics, you missed the big picture."

Deeva bowed her head. "My apologies. They look rather regular, don't you think?"

"Yes, almost like a seam. Let's focus our investigation there."

"On it," Deeva said with a smile. Be it the vastness of space or the intricacies of an ancient artifact, the joy of discovery had her gripped tight. She placed her fingers on the sides of the box and used her filaments to probe the seam. It was a testament to the Gorgonites' mastery over metal that she had missed the seam the first time round and even now, knowing where to look, it was hard to get even one of her filaments in between the layers of metal, something she normally had no trouble with in modern computers. On the other side of the box, Xeltec was softly cursing as he probed the seam with one of his tools. With a loud crack, the tip of his instrument broke and the Grey slammed his fist onto the lid. Deeva, with her head near the box, jerked back at the sonorous gonging noise.

"Huh," Xeltec said, slapping the grip of his tool against the lid. Again, a clear, sonorous tone sounded. "Almost like a damn bell."

Deeva pulled her hand back, trailing filaments. Clear liquid dripped off her fingers as she re-fused them. "Ouch."

"What happened?"

"The vibrating lid has shorn a couple of my filaments off."

"Can you go on?"

"I think so. And I have found something. There are latches on the inside, holding the lid shut."

"Who would build such a crazy lock? Nah, forget I asked. The Gorgonites, that's who. And how are we supposed to get these latches open? There is no lever or anything."

"No but maybe the singing lid is the clue."

"It would be a pretty stupid lock if you just needed to whack it. Every major impact would set it off."

"Didn't you say the Gorgonites overcomplicate things? I don't think a single whack would release the lock."

"No? Enlighten me, o wise one." Xeltec's eyes sparked with, of all emotions, mirth. He's actually enjoying this Deeva thought, sucking on her fingertip. Xeltec used the synthesis engine again and passed her a bioplastic sculpting tool. She used the heated tip to stop her finger from leaking. It would take a few days for her self-repair systems to replace the shorn-off filaments. The injury was the equivalent of a small nick but, since every strand of bioplastic was laced with the Silician equivalent of nerves, it hurt a lot more.

"A single whack would not open it. But maybe prolonged exposure to a certain frequency would?" Deeva suggested.

"Hm. You might be on to something there. We can at least try." Xeltec opened a cabinet and pulled four large, circular objects from it. They looked like dishes or plates, two stacked on top of each other and they seemed rather heavy, going by Xeltec's grunts as he handled them. "Help me set up these resonators."

"Yes, master." Deeva took two of the items and placed them on the lid, near one end. Xeltec did the same on the other side. They wired the resonators to a small energy cell and a control module.

"Let's see where this will take us," Xeltec grumbled and turned on the resonators. The discs vibrated and rattled against the lid, causing a terrible ruckus. The Grey slaver fiddled with the dials on the control module until all four resonators ran at the same frequency. The clattering and banging had resolved itself into a low, clean tone filling up the whole lab and rattling Deeva's teeth. She placed her hand on the side of the box, where the seam was and used her filaments.

"Anything?" Xeltec yelled over the singing box.

Deeva shook her head. She activated her communicator and called Xeltec. "I think we should alter the frequency. Pitch it up an octave or two."

"Sure, why not," came the Grey's reply. He worked the dials and the tone changed, pitching up. The vibrations transmitting through the metal were bordering on the unpleasant. And then she noticed it, an irregular counter-ticking to the vibrating metal. She ran her hands along the side of the box and there was no mistaking it. Something on the inside shook, causing these clicking sounds.

"Can you raise the frequency some more?" she asked.

In response, the tone changed again. It sounded like the hull of a ship singing under full thrust during atmospheric re-entry. The occasional clicks had turned into a regular scraping, interspersed by distinct clicks.

"More?"

"Sure. We should have brought earplugs, damn it." The tone pitched up again then there was a loud click and a hiss. The lid of the box jerked upwards almost a hand's width, revealing a gleaming strip of pristine, silvery metal. Yelping in surprise, Deeva scooted backwards until her back bumped into a desk.

Xeltec turned off the resonators. "Would you look at that," he murmured. He sounded awestruck.

Deeva examined the box from a safe distance. "Now we need to get the lid off. It looks rather heavy."

"No worries. We've got the repulsor units here. You might want to step back from the box, unless you fancy cut-off toes." Xeltec picked up the remote one of the Gravon twins had dropped on a table and powered down the repulsors. With a heavy thud, the box sat down on the floor of the lab. Together they removed the emitters which had been clamped to the side of the box and shifted them up to the lid.

"That's a lot of work for probably just a few boxes of long-spoiled food," Xeltec complained.

"Who knows, maybe we'll find an ancient Gorgonite doomsday weapon."

"With a lockbox like this? Maybe. Or it's some kind of ancient tentacle monster waiting to rip our faces off. Anyway, guessing won't get us anywhere. Ready?"

"Of course."

Xeltec switched on the repulsors and lifted off the lid. Deeva guided the unwieldy rectangle of dark metal alloy away from the box where Xeltec let it sink back to the ground. Then the Grey pulled a small step-ladder out from under a desk and rolled it to the side of the box. He mounted the ladder and peeked inside the container. A long, awed whistle escaped his thin lips. Deeva joined him and peered into the box.

Inside was another container, snugly filling out the Gorgonite box. This one was made from a dark green material with a hexagonal surface structure, neither metal nor crystal, but exhibiting the visual qualities of both. This time though, the purpose of the item was readily apparent. A large, hexagonal screen was visible on one end of the container, while a humming control unit with dials and dimly flickering lights was mounted on the other. To Deeva, it looked like an ancient, mechanized coffin. A large, jagged crack disfigured the screen. That aside, the unit looked to be in decent condition for its age.

"A Precursor stasis pod. Now, that's unexpected," Xeltec said.

"You have seen something like this before?"

"Nah, not in person. But everyone in the trade knows the peculiar Precursor material." He pointed at the green coffin. "They made everything with this stuff. Ships. Planetary structures, heck, even their weapons and armor. And I know a stasis pod when I see one."

"What a curious material." Deeva reached into the Gorgonite box and touched the stasis pod. The material was absolutely smooth, like pristine glass, even if it was not translucent.

"It's psycho-active," Xeltec explained. "With the proper attunement, one could bend this stuff to their will. But the Old Ones took the exact mental wavelengths with them when they vanished."

"Someone must have stumbled across the secret by accident by now," Deeva said.

"If they have, I haven't heard about it. But enough history lessons. Let's crack this thing open."

"Do you think the occupant might still be alive?"

Xeltec squinted at the control unit. "My Precursor is a bit rusty, but from what I can gather, the system seems to be undamaged, if already running a bit low on power. Well, even if the contents is beyond its best-before date, I can always sell both the Gorgonite box and the stasis pod for scrap. Precursor material alone is worth ten time its weight in any currency I might want to get."

Deliberately, Xeltec pushed a hexagonal button. "Here we go. I've activated the resuscitation protocol. Modern stasis pods thaw sleepers in an hour or two. I'm certain this one will be a bit slower. Go, grab a bite to eat, then return. And get the damn surgeon on your way back, we might need him. And a stretcher. Got that?"

"Yes, master!"

* * * *

"You two wait here," Iorec said, squeezing Axilia's shoulder. His free hand indicated the anteroom they were in.

The Zuthrian girl scowled up at him. "You said I could come too, see how Lavasi is doing."

"She has to come through here. Say 'hello' when she does but stay put. I will take her along, as promised. But you really don't want to watch me try out the others."

Axilia grinned lewdly. "As if I haven't seen that first-hand already."

"We should keep up appearances. You are my comms officer now. Act like it."

Behind them, the door hissed open. A Grey entered, carrying a tray with a small plastic cup and a large goblet. Her face bore a sour expression.

"I am Xavra, your host for today. Here are complimentary refreshments and the mandatory medication. I'm sure you know how it works."

"Of course." Iorec picked up the small plastic cup off the tray and tossed back the thick, viscous liquid inside. He made a face at the unpleasant taste. "Temporary contraceptive and inoculation. Not that I would need either but since this is Xeltec's ship, I'll respect his rules." He undid his weapons belt and shrugged out of his robes, handing both to the Felinoid. Naked, he strode into the next room, the Grey hot on his heels.

The showroom was little more than a large cabin, dominated by a spacious bed and a semicircle of platforms with metal poles connecting floor and ceiling. The walls were covered with purple fabric and the ceiling was mirrored. Indirect lighting emanating from thin illumination strips between the floor and walls produced an intimate atmosphere. It was warm and quiet.

"Settle in," Xavra said, barely managing a cheerful tone. "The...girls will be along shortly."

Iorec claimed the goblet and sat down. He sniffed. The sweet aroma of Zuthrian ale, flavored with cactus flower, wafted from the goblet. "A good choice," he said aloud. The Grey grunted and left the room.

Iorec busied himself by activating the room's sound system sunk into the headboard of his seat. He chose a playlist containing Zuthrian pop music. Polyrhythmic tribal drums laid a low, driving framework over which multi-layered choir arrangements were placed. On occasion, a flute or an exotic string instrument crescendoed from the simmering beats and haunting choirs.

The door opened. A Felinoid came into the room first, her inquisitive hazel eyes widening as she looked at his imposing, chiseled frame. She had a long, auburn braid going all the way down to her shapely behind. Her curvy body was covered in short, auburn fuzz. Her cat ears, sitting high on her skull, twitched and her tail swished nervously around her ankles.

"My, you're a big one," she said, openly examining his package. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure you're only supposed to speak when spoken to first," Iorec said mildly. He flashed her an encouraging smile. It was refreshing to see someone not being afraid of him for once.

She shrugged and hopped onto one of the platforms, turning her back on him and swaying her behind invitingly. Over her shoulder, she said, "And who's gonna enforce that? The Furies are shuttling the others into the anteroom and that Grey is busy preparing Vecora for you." She grasped the pole with a hand, pushed her ass out and spread her legs, her fingers caressing her folds. "Wanna pet my pussy?"

Iorec laughed at her brazenness. "In time, kitty. I am Iorec Bloodhand and I'm looking forward to your fur cave. Who's Vecora?"

"Vecora is a cute Nor. She probably isn't in the mood right now. Understandable, really. But I'm a pragmatic kitty. If I need to fuck you to get off this tub, I'll happily do it. I'm Tabby, by the way. Nice to meetcha." Tabby twirled playfully around the pole and blew Iorec a kiss.

The door hissed open, announcing a new arrival. A busty albino woman entered, her creamy-white skin spotless and her long pale-blond hair swirling around her back as if it had a life of its own. Hips swaying sensuously, she stepped onto the platform next to Tabby's. Her eyes roamed over the swaying Felinoid before settling on Iorec.

He looked her up and down then a slow smile spread over his lips. "I am surprised to see a Faceless. And in captivity, no less."

She shrugged. "I allow Xeltec to keep me safe for the time being. I had an accident recently which puts me at a disadvantage to other members of my species."

"And you 'allow' him to put you up on display?"

"Why not? Maybe I can find a better protector. If not, at least I can have some fun. You can call me Rejka, for the moment. It's the name of the last mask I wore and I like the sound of it. Besides, one name is as good as another."

"Am I too late?" a smoky voice from near the door asked. A tall, black-skinned Marked Zuthrian with long, white dreadlocks walked into the room. Her ample breasts and stomach were tattooed with a snarling skeletal dragon head. While surveying the scene, her penis slowly rose to attention. Iorec found his gaze magically drawn to it. Usually, he considered himself straight as a laser beam but he had to admit that the combination of long limbs, ample curves and that particular extra appendage was very intriguing.

"Hey handsome, my eyes are up here," the Marked Zuthrian said.

Iorec grinned sheepishly and made eye contact. "You are Lavasi, I presume?"

"Indeed. I'm not quite sure if I should curse you or praise you to all my Ancestors," she said, her tone very serious.

"Did Axilia say 'hello?'"

"Yes. It was a nice surprise seeing her here. Even better, you seemed to have taken good care of her. I...did not expect that."

"Not only the Faceless are full of surprises," Iorec said. "If you want, I'll take you along this time."

"I'd like that, very much," Lavasi said. "Anything to get off this ship." She stepped onto a vacant platform.

"Don't get your hopes up too soon." Xavra strode into the cabin, guiding a naked, pink-haired Nor along. The Nor's eyes, a mesmerizing purple, were wide. She panted with parted lips and her nipples looked like tiny signal beacons, proudly standing away from her small breasts and flushed with blood. One hand caressed her hairless mound, occasionally a finger dipped between her folds. "Xeltec has final say over who leaves. You, onto that platform."

"Why? I wanna...fuck...him," Vecora moaned, pulling on the Grey's arm.

"Stop it right there," Iorec growled. "How often have I told Xeltec I don't care much for girls high on EuphorEx?"

"No idea. It's my first day on the job. Xeltec said, and I quote, 'Show him our new arrivals. See to it they perform.'" Xavra slid her hand between Vecora's thighs, causing the Nor to wail in need. Her fingers came away glistening wet. "She's ready, so knock yourself out."

Iorec rose from his seat, towering over the Grey. "You listen up. Take this poor thing back to her cell and let her rest. How am I supposed to gauge her usefulness when she's stoned out of her mind? Take her away and count yourself lucky I don't call Xeltec."

"Sheesh. Calm the fuck down. Okay, you win. Come, honey. Uncle Iorec doesn't wanna bone you."

Vecora struggled and tried to pull away from Xavra. "He's got such a nice dick... Let me..."

Iorec strode to the door, causing Xavra to flinch. He slapped the control pad. "Out!" Xavra fled, pulling Vecora from the room with her.

The door hissed shut behind the softly cursing Grey and the still moaning, struggling Nor. Iorec stomped back to the bed and sat down, sighing heavily. He felt the gaze of all three women on him.

Even Tabby had stopped writhing. "What, no party?" she asked, a hint of disappointment tinging her voice.

"Give me a moment," Iorec sighed.

"You are a strange man," Rejka observed. "Despite buying sex slaves, you seem to have a conscience."

"I'm not just 'buying sex slaves,'" Iorec grumbled.

"Shh," Lavasi said, stepping off her platform. "I'm pretty sure even this room is bugged. We should try and keep up appearances." She went to her knees in front of Iorec, one hand gently pushing against his chest, the other going for his deflated dick. "How about I try to get this party started again?" She lowered her head and gave his large glans a hungry lick.

"Appearances, huh?" Iorec said, leaning back to give Lavasi some room. Her fingers and lips had him hard in no time, despite the churning pit of anger in his stomach.

Tabby and Rejka slid onto the bed on opposite sides of him. Tabby's head rested on his hip bone. Her behind smoothed itself into his large hand. She maneuvered his fingers so his index and middle finger rested on her pussy and she purred loudly while watching Lavasi give head. Rejka kneeled next to him. She raised her hands. On her palms, two small mouths were visible, full lips smacking and tiny tongues wriggling.
"Relax," she said. "I'm not gonna hurt you one bit."

* * * *

Deeva dabbed the napkin against her lips, cleaning away the last crumbs and juice spatters of her meal. She felt somewhat content for the first time since she had regained consciousness on Xeltec's ship. Working with Xeltec had been a nice change of pace and she was genuinely thrilled to find out what was hiding in that Precursor stasis pod.

Don't forget why you're actually doing this, a small voice in her head cautioned her. Right. She wanted to help her crew mates off the ship. And to do that, she needed to make sure they trusted her. She knew Tabby and Vecora would be with Iorec, along with probably some others. Which in turn meant she could check up on Zamos and Thexus, see how those two were doing. Xeltec was busy monitoring the resuscitation of the stasis pod's inhabitant so he wouldn't miss her right away.

Deeva left her cabin and took the lift down to the holding cells. She went past the Aquarian holding tank. All three females were still inside. They eyed her curiously as she walked past.

Thexus' cell came up first. The large Gravon sat cross-legged in the center of his cell, as far away from the walls as possible, with his back to the force field. He had a sheet from one of the bunks draped around him as a makeshift cloak. Deeva's eyes were drawn to the warped frame of a bunk, the one he had nearly torn from its moorings when she had tortured him. After the ordeal, Xeltec had copied access codes for all cells into her memory. She connected wirelessly to the lock and shut down the force field. As the soft humming died, Thexus looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened when Deeva strode into his cell. The force field reactivated a moment later.

"What-" he began but she stopped him with a finger to his lips. Deeva walked slowly around him, as if she was assessing his usefulness as a sex toy. Then she knelt down next to him and pushed the sheet off his head. Grinning viciously, she licked his cheek. He recoiled at the forced intimacy.

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier," Deeva whispered. "You must hate me right now."

Thexus gnashed his teeth. "I'm...not keen on humiliation," he growled.

"I know. And I'm really sorry." Deeva pushed the sheet further off him, revealing his nakedness underneath to the cameras. Her hand went for his penis, fingertips gently stroking his organ. Her other arm went around his neck, pulling him close. Her lips closed around his earlobe and she nibbled on it, causing him to writhe against her. It was obvious he was very uncomfortable at the enforced closeness, something Deeva hoped the cameras would pick up. "The good news is that Xeltec has accepted me as a crew member," she breathed into his ear. "He doesn't trust me but if we play our cards right, we could get off this ship. Or take it over." Her hand slid down his shaft and cupped his balls, squeezing softly.

Thexus inhaled sharply at her touch. "What are you doing?" he snarled. Deeva stroked his hardening cock.

"Checking out my options," Deeva said, loud enough for the microphones to pick up. "I might call on you for a little entertainment soon." Her hand went up his cock, pumping his shaft encouragingly.

"And what makes you think I would want anything to do with you, traitor?" Thexus growled.

"You could pound me into submission with this nice tool of yours," she said, squeezing his rod.

"You can count yourself lucky I don't crack your neck like a rotten stick," he hissed. His hand slapped her thigh and tried to push her away. She redoubled her hold around his neck and bit his ear. Thexus grunted in annoyance.

Deeva chuckled throatily. "I could call one of my sisters. I heard you like the Furies quite a bit."

"Don't you dare. I'm sick of your games." His fingernail clicked against her thigh plating. A quick, irregular rhythm. Deeva straddled his lap, grinding her body plating against his by now rock-hard erection.

"I haven't started to play just yet," she purred, crossing her arms behind his neck and forcing her tongue into his mouth. Thexus bit down, hard enough for her to recoil, not hard enough to really hurt her. And again, his fingernails clicked against her thigh casing. She used her body recorder to play the rhythm back. Her signal analyzers recognized the pattern, a series of knocking signs used in emergencies when there were no reliable communication systems left to use.

It said: "Understood."

She slid off his lap again. "You haven't seen the last of me, handsome. Promise." Her hand closed around his member and squeezed, hard. He gasped. To Deeva, it didn't sound like pain. To the contrary. She wiped her hand on his sheet and rose. Walking towards the force field, she sent the key code again and left the cell.

Zamos' cell came next. He was alone, curled up on a bunk. So the Faceless was with Iorec in the showroom. The Zuthrian gunner seemed utterly at peace, smiling happily even in his sleep. Deeva opened her memory to send the key code for his cell when a shrill wail echoed through the corridor. She recognized the voice as Vecora's. With quick steps, she sprinted along the corridor until she reached the cell her lover shared with the copper-haired Gravon.

Deeva froze in front of the force field. The Gravon was on the floor in the middle of the cell and Vecora knelt over him. Her skin was flushed with blood, her amazing purple eyes wide, pupils dilated so much they appeared like black holes. Her mouth was slack, saliva dribbling off her chin. Her pussy was stretched almost to breaking point by the massive rod of the Gravon and Vecora brutally pinched her nipples as she slowly, laboriously slid down his shaft.

"Cock, coooooock," she crooned.

"What...what are you doing there?" Deeva called, shocked. What Vecora was doing didn't look at all pleasant, the monstrous organ of the Gravon barely fitting her opening. Deeva knew that female genitalia were stretchable to accommodate giving birth but the display in front of her rattled her to the core.

The Gravon grunted and his hips came up, driving his shaft deeper into the body of her friend. Vecora tossed her head back, oblivious to the observer outside her cell, and screamed again, a primal sound filled with defiance and barely controlled need. Her hand landed on her sex, wetly rubbing her clitoris.

Vecora's head rolled forward and her eyes, those unnerving openings into the void, locked with Deeva's. "What I'm...doing here? I'm fucking...my brains out. Obviously!" To the Gravon underneath her, she snapped, "Fuck me, hard!"

He grunted again and grabbed her hips, driving his tool deep into the lithe Nor. Vecora moaned, her voice rising to a heated crescendo as a climax crashed over her. A thin rivulet of blood dribbled over the Gravon's scrotum.

"Stop it at once," Deeva snapped. She deactivated the force field and stormed into the cell. Behind her, the force field went up again.

"Vecora, please. Get off him. He's hurting you!"

Vecora snarled, her arms flailing, raining ineffectual punches onto Deeva's body. The Silician grabbed Vecora under her shoulders and heaved with all her might. Roaring in fury, Vecora lashed out. "Get off me. He's my cock! He's mine!" The Nor pushed with both arms and Deeva, caught off-balance, stumbled backwards until she collided with the force field. Angry lances of pain raced through her body, blue arcs of electricity flickered over her. The last thing she saw was Vecora, desperately gyrating on top of her cell mate. Then her face hit the deck.

* * * *

"My turn neow," Tabby mewled. Lavasi, lips and chin wet with a mixture of saliva and Iorec's precum, looked up. She pulled Tabby into a quick hug and kissed the Felinoid, causing her to moan into the Marked Zuthrian's mouth.

"Allow me," Rejka purred. She closed both hands around Iorec's erection and the Gravon groaned in pleasure as her palm-mouths went to town, licking and sucking at him. Tabby added her mouth as well, nearly dislocating her jaw as she struggled to get his glans between her lips.

"And what am I supposed to do now? It's awfully crowded down there," Lavasi complained.

Iorec curled his finger in a "come here" gesture. Lavasi's eyes lit up and she scrambled up the bed. She presented her sizable erection to him like a sacrificial offering.

"Hold on," Iorec said, blushing. "I may be adventurous but not that adventurous, yet."

"Aww, and here I thought I'd get a masterful blowjob from you," Lavasi said, chuckling. "What's on your mind then?"

"Let me get to know you a little first," he said, before a groan tore itself from his lips. Tabby had given up on gulping down his tip, instead she was happily licking at his glans, her tongue fluttering against it.

"Sure, whatever you want." Lavasi melted down next to Iorec, offering her breast for a lick. His large, warm hand played with her butt, cupping the firm cheeks or caressing the spot just above her crack. His tongue lapped against her nipple, doing a quick circle around it, just before his lips closed around that engorged nub. He sucked playfully.

"I'll make you a Marked fanboy in no time," Lavasi breathed. She intercepted his hand and positioned herself so that she could guide it to her own rampant erection. "How about a little feel, hm?" A moment later, she gasped happily as his strong fingers closed around her. His grip was hesitant but to his credit he didn't pull away. Instead, he carefully explored her whole length. He only recoiled when the first globs of hot pre-cum dribbled over his fingertips.

"I don't think I can take this bad boy, meow," Tabby complained. She sat astride Iorec's hips, her wet pussy sloppily rubbing along the length of his shaft.

"You don't have to, yet," Rejka said. "How about this? I'll take him and make you a tailor-made plaything?"

"Can you really do that? You're my first Faceless, Rejka."

"Just you watch, sweetie. Now move, please."

Tabby slid off Iorec's lap and watched as Rejka took her place. The Faceless knelt over Iorec's pelvis and angled his huge cock upwards, caressing herself with his glistening tip. Her labia engulfed his glans. Iorec held his breath. To him, it felt like a velvety glove was pulled over his member, so tight was the fit. But Rejka didn't even flinch. With every eye in the room on her, she slowly slid down his shaft until her pussy rested against the smooth skin of his pelvis. The Faceless panted happily.

"Nothing to it," she huffed. "Just a matter of reshuffling my internals and...hmmm...adding a few extra coats of...nerves and stuff. Damn." Carefully, she moved, gently rolling her hips. Iorec gasped in pleasure. Rejka used some internal muscles to add extra stimulation, as if the delicious pressure wasn't intoxicating enough.

It was suspiciously quiet around them, except for the smacking sounds her pussy made whenever she moved. Rejka opened her eyes and looked around. "What?"

"You look a lot like a Gravon, all of a sudden," Lavasi observed. The Marked Zuthrian sounded breathless. Iorec's hand on her cock had become much more daring, squeezing and pumping her shaft.

Rejka tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling mirror. Gone was the busty albino woman and in her place sat the blonde Gravon sex kitten she had been back on Veridius VIII, braid bobbing against her butt cheeks as she slowly fucked Iorec.

"What can I say...my lovers sometimes shape my form," Rejka said with a chuckle. Her shape became indistinct for a heartbeat and the golden-haired Gravon had vanished, replaced again with her albino self. "All right you two," she said to Tabby and Lavasi while two tentacles sprouted off her shoulders. "Ready for it?"

"I...I dunno," Tabby stammered. "Be gentle, okay?"

"Promise, kitty." The flesh-colored appendage slithered over the sheet and over Tabby's leg before it bumped her sex.

"Do you need help?" Tabby asked, carefully wrapping a hand around the wriggling organ. Rejka gasped happily. "Hey, the tip looks like a mini-penis!" Tabby squealed.

"Oh, you naughty alien you," Lavasi purred. The second tentacle had settled between her butt cheeks. A tiny tongue was insistently licking her crack, distributing lubricant around her anus. Iorec watched the hypnotic display of the flesh-colored appendage writhing between Lavasi's black butt cheeks in the mirror.

On his lap, his massive cock still deep in her, Rejka again had changed. This time, she was bald and blue-skinned, her eyes like twin azure lights.

"A Silician?" Iorec asked, out of breath.

"That's gotta be my doing," Tabby said, laughing. Rejka's tentacle, now blue, had disappeared between her folds and the Felinoid rolled her hips. "Meow, she's filling me up! And it's tickling everywhere!" She grasped the tentacle with both hands and pumped it greedily. "Meow! Meow!"

Next to Iorec, Lavasi gasped. "It's slithering in," she whispered, her eyes going wide.

"And now the Silician has cat ears too," Iorec observed. He licked the tip of his index finger and favored the panting Zuthrian with a thoughtful stare.

"What? Enjoying my taste?" Lavasi asked between gasps.

"I might need another sample," Iorec said, pulling her closer by the hips. Her cock was only inches from his lips now. For the first time in years, the mighty Iorec felt intimidated. He had fought harrowing space battles, escaped both Nor and Zuthrian authorities, had hunted a ganbison with nothing but a loincloth and a simple spear but the thought of opening his mouth and wrapping his lips around the Zuthrian's cock gave him pause. He tried a careful lick on the shaft.

"Coward," Lavasi teased him. "That low, my cock tastes much like my breasts."

"I know," Iorec conceded. He wrapped his hand around the tentacle slowly pumping in and out of Lavasi's ass and pushed it deeper into her. Whatever Lavasi wanted to say next turned into a lusty groan. Rejka contracted around him, nearly throwing him over the edge. It took all his willpower not to erupt inside the moaning and gasping Faceless. "But nobody calls me a coward."

He grasped the hilt of Lavasi's cock, to keep her rolling hips from driving it too deep into his mouth and went for it. He had tasted his own cum off the lips of his lovers and sex slaves before but it was his first time licking someone else's cock, tasting the tangy flavor off someone else's glans. To his surprise, she didn't taste that different than many women he had gone down on, the saltiness which usually accompanied male fluids was suspiciously absent here.

"Good space pirate," Lavasi crooned encouragingly, caressing through his long hair. "You can use your tongue more, please?"

"I can't take much more of this," Rejka panted. She tried to steady herself on Iorec's chest as her butt rose and fell. Her pussy made squelching noises. Next to her, Tabby mewled incoherently as the tentacle sluiced around in her.

"Make another for me, please," Tabby suddenly said.

"You sure?" Rejka panted.

Tabby's eyes sparkled madly. "Let. Me. Blow. You. Meow!"

"You are crazy, kitty." Off Rejka's back, a new tentacle grew. It slithered over Tabby's fur-covered stomach, between her breasts and poised like a snake over her chin. Tabby snatched it and guided it to her mouth, suckling on it.

"I...I can't take much more of this!" Rejka called, collapsing onto Iorec's chest.

The space pirate didn't listen. He was engrossed in his own private pleasure-dimension, with Lavasi's rock-hard member between his lips. She tried - and failed - not to fuck his mouth too hard but the tentacle up her rear spurred her on. With the moaning Faceless on his chest, Iorec didn't have the leverage to push her off him, so he resigned himself to suck her off as best he could.

Rejka was the first to climax. With so many incredibly sensitive probes and tentacles lodged in tight openings, let alone Iorec's massive cock throbbing inside her, it didn't take much to push her over the edge. Her moans increased in pitch and volume then she jerked upright, tossing her head back. All her tentacles yanked out of whatever opening they had been in and she came, screaming her release while her tentacles began spewing hot, clear, sweet-smelling liquid everywhere, showering her lovers, spattering against the walls, even hitting the ceiling with solid, wet thwacks. Her contracting pussy pushed Iorec over the edge. His free hand slammed onto her hip and pushed her down onto his cock, which promptly exploded inside of her, dousing her insides in a veritable flood of Gravon cum. Throughout his climax, he moaned around Lavasi's cock, pushing the Marked Zuthrian over the edge as well. Bucking helplessly against Iorec she came, flooding his mouth and nearly drowning the space pirate in her juice, before she found the wits to push herself away from him, generously spraying his body, the sheets and pillows with her cum.

"Hey, not fair," Tabby complained, trying to snatch at the tentacles Rejka had withdrawn from her. "I'm so cloooose, meow!" But the Faceless was already reeling them in, hiding their sensitive nerve endings inside her own body. Grumbling, Tabby used both hands on herself, driving two fingers deep into herself and using the other hand to play with her clit. In mere moments, the Felinoid came, meowling pitifully as she did.

For a few moments, it was quiet, apart from quick breaths and the occasional wet splat when a spatter of Rejka's ejaculate dripped off the ceiling. Then Tabby cleared her throat. "More?"

* * * *

"Someone will have some serious explaining to do," Xeltec grumbled. The cell in front of him looked like a damn war zone. There was blood on the floor and on the unconscious Gravon's thighs. Purple choke marks disfigured his throat. Spatters of blood could be traced into the shower, where the pink-haired Nor had collapsed, the detachable shower head still wedged between her thighs, still pumping water in sharp impulses against her sex. Next to the force field was Deeva, her face frozen in a mask of despair and pain. What had happened here?

Snarling, Xeltec invoked his command utility and loaded the surveillance feed for the cell, starting at the last time the force field had been deactivated. He saw the Nor struggling to get the Gravon's massive cock into her pussy, then Deeva strode into the cell. She unsuccessfully tried to get the Nor off the Gravon and earned a shove into the force field for all her trouble. But what had possessed the Nor to go crazy like that? He skipped backwards. This time, the Nor, huddled in a blanket, sat in the farthest corner of the cell, untouched food in front of her while the Gravon slept. Xavra entered the cell, accompanied by Fury #4. She gestured at the Nor, and slowly, like a marionette fighting against her strings, she jerked upwards, shedding the blanket in the process. Xavra held out her hand and the Fury placed an injector into it.

"Oh you stupid-" Xeltec snarled. He had learned the hard way that Iorec wasn't too keen on high-as-a-kite sex slaves. Maybe he should have told Xavra. In frustration, he watched as Xavra caused the Nor to bend forward until she could fire the EuphorEx injector directly into the base of her neck. Xeltec watched in horror as he saw the indicator on the injector go from green to yellow to orange to red. That explained everything. Usually, you just use one shot to cause a subject's inhibitions to vanish. By using the whole damn cartridge, Xavra had turned the Nor into an incoherent nymphomaniac, intent on satisfying her desires, fuck the consequences. And in this case, the consequence was some serious internal injury thanks to the huge Gravon cock.

Xeltec called the surgeon and a Fury to his position. A few minutes later, the Nor arrived. "You know, I do have my own work to get back to," he snapped at Xeltec.

"Right now, your work consists of taking care of my merchandise. It looks like a damn Gravon tragedy in there. Get them back on their feet. The quicker you manage that, the sooner you can go back to whatever you do in Sickbay. By the way, what exactly are you doing right now?"
A sickly sweet smile spread over the Nor surgeon's face. "Remember that green-haired Nor you said I could have? I have turned her into something amazing you could show Iorec. He loves his exotics, right?"

"Yeah. Well, see to these first." Xeltec tapped his microphone. "Xavra. Get your ass over here."

Under guard by the Fury, the surgeon entered the cell and went to work. First, he connected a device to Deeva's data jack. Within moments, the Silician was awake. She looked around warily then sat up. Groaning, she rubbed her temples in a surprisingly lifelike version of a hangover.

"How bad is it?" Xeltec asked the surgeon as the Nor bent over the Gravon.

"He'll live," the Nor said with a shrug. "You should see the claw marks on his shoulders. Whatever had had him wasn't exactly gentle." His voice trailed off as he connected the obvious clues around the cell. "Damn. Did she do that?"

"EuphorEx overdose," Xeltec spat. "I hope the Nor still has a brain after this."

"At least she'd have died happy," the surgeon quipped. "There is a pulse so she's not a lost cause yet."

"You wanted to see me?" Xavra said, none too happy. Her robe was open and she carried a pungent-smelling bowl in the crook of her elbow. "I'm busy watching over your sex slaves."

"Care to explain yourself?" Xeltec yelled at her, sharply gesturing towards the rather crowded cell. "When exactly have I said you should turn one of my exhibits into a raving, super-strong, foaming at the mouth lunatic? Because that's what happens if you pump a full cartridge of EuphorEx into a bloody fucking Nor! You're supposed to use a single dose to make her a willing fuck toy!"

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't read the fucking instructions. You said 'make her perform' and I did. If you want a job done right, hire the right person for it. I'm a pilot, not a pimp, damn it."

"You can count yourself lucky you'll have a job after this," Xeltec threatened. "This little fuck-up of yours will have consequences. Hopefully Iorec isn't too angry right now."

"Oh, you're worried about Iorec but not about me? Fuck you, Xeltec. Once we reach the next Waystation, I'm so outta here!" Screaming in fury, Xavra tossed the bowl at Xeltec's feet. The fragile container burst and viscous white slime spattered everywhere. The smell was nauseating to Xeltec. The Grey slaver turned away retching, fighting to keep his protein paste down.

"So it is true. Grey don't work well together," Deeva said softly.

"The fuck we don't. Other Grey are so damn irritating!" Xeltec spat. "You should come back, our guest has nearly defrosted. And you-," he pointed at the surgeon, "make sure shit is spotless when I come back." He motioned for Deeva to follow him and left for the elevator.

The surgeon, loading the pink-haired Nor onto a freshly-synthesized stretcher, flipped Xeltec's receding back an obscene gesture.

* * * *

Xavra's blood boiled. It had taken all of an hour after she had signed on with Xeltec to realize that, even for a Grey, he was a colossal jerk. He was stingy when it came to anything besides his precious antiques. He bossed her around all the time, he ignored her attempts at bonding and even if he screwed up, it always were the others who had to take the blame. She had just done what he told her, even though she had clearly stated - several times - that she wanted no part in his flesh-dealing business. And what did he do? Instead of dealing with Iorec himself, he had her play host, wheel naked people around the ship and get yelled at by a - damn hot-looking - space pirate. She, who was probably more intelligent than the rest of the damn ship combined. She could do damn astromechanical calculations on the fly!

Xavra took a deep breath and sat down the statue of Xijit, the Grey patron of ambition she had been about to chuck through the nearest wall. What good was thrashing her cabin? Unless she could get a slave to clean up her mess, that tiny bit of catharsis wasn't worth it.

Fuming, she left her cabin and took the elevator down to Sickbay. The surgeon was bent over the pink-haired Nor, checking the status on some med readouts next to her head. Next to the Nor, the copper-haired Gravon with his cute choke marks was laid out on a bed.

"Hey you," she snapped.

The surgeon looked up and sighed. "Would it be too much to ask if at least one person on this fucking ship would use my name? I'm-"

"I don't care. Do you have some super-strong laxative or emetic?"

He flipped a lock of his venom-yellow-streaked hair out of his face. "Do I want to know what for?"

"Oh, I'll tell you. I want to ruin Xeltec's day, big time. Not kill him, mind you. Just make him as miserable as I feel right now." She looked around. Her gaze fell onto a healing tank in the next room. Indirect light played over long limbs. Something was off with the colors. "What's that?" Xavra pointed.

The surgeon's eyes lit up. "That's a little something I've been working on for Xeltec. A full-on sex toy bodysculpt package. Remember the green-haired Nor he said I could have? Her identity chip said she's called 'Gaia.'" He motioned for Xavra to follow him. Despite herself, she did.

The woman inside the tank had been heavily modified. For starters, parts of her skin were blue now, especially the area around her genitalia. Thin, green fuzz sprouted from her skin and a long, sinuous tail hung limp off her ample behind. Her breasts and hips had been similarly enhanced, she was much curvier than your average Nor. Her fingers and toes ended in sharp claws. She was bald and the leaf-green ears atop her skull looked out of place, but Xavra noted a lustrous green wig on a box nearby. With that, she would be quite a looker. A cable had been connected with a data jack near the base of her skull and a clear rebreather made sure she wouldn't drown in the thick, clear healing solution.

"How long did you have her?" Xavra asked.

"Less than eight hours. The facial reconstruction and the grafting of the Silician parts were the tricky bits and took me almost three hours. The rest of the sculpt was done rather quickly, all things considered. A few subcutaneous injections, a bit of nano-machine magic, especially for the alteration of her skin and hair roots. They worked on their own while I did the delicate bits."

"This looks really impressive. What's with the claws?"

"Fully retractable and a kinda last-minute addition. I've seen Iorec's bed warmer and bodyguards. It's terribly inefficient to hire two people when one can do the job, right? Once the mental conditioning takes, she will be the best fuck toy and bodyguard money can buy."

"Ingenious. But why Silician bits?"

"Do I need to spell it out?" The surgeon opened the box. Inside, on top of some flimsy bits of see-through lingerie, rested a thick Silician phallus, encased in clear plastic. "Ultimate flexibility. Whatever the master eventually desires, she can provide. With this process, genetics has become irrelevant. Just pick your options off a menu and boom. The perfect plaything for the ultimate hedonist."

A devious plan began to blossom in Xavra's mind. "When can she be ready?"

The surgeon checked the healing tank's readouts. "The grafts and wounds are fine. I'd love for her to have more fur before decanting her. And the conditioning hasn't fully taken yet."

"But she'd be ready for a test run, eh?"

"Technically speaking, yes. Why?"

"Because Iorec is still aboard. You could kill two birds with one stone. The ultimate sales pitch and Xeltec would be super-happy when Iorec orders more of her kind. You can make more, right?"

"Sure, I only need more bodies." He looked thoughtful. "And you'd think Xeltec would be okay if I let her loose on Iorec?"

"Absolutely," she said with her most convincing smile. "Just make sure she has her claws tucked away. We don't want any accidents, now do we?"

"Being yelled at today was more than enough, thank you," the surgeon said. "Give me some room, please." He initiated the release protocol. With long, slurping sounds, the tank began to suck away the healing fluid surrounding the sleeping Nor.

Xavra used the intercom to check up on Xeltec. He was busy working in his lab, that blasted Silician Deeva at his side. If she timed it right, she could be out of Sickbay and with Iorec before he even knew that something was afoot. No, killing Xeltec would be way too easy. Souring his business deals was another story entirely. And the best part - she could always use the surgeon as the fall guy. After all, he didn't tell her about the claws, or omitted the bit about the mental conditioning not working. Yes. It would all work like clockwork.

It took Xavra nearly all of her self-control not to stalk through Sickbay as she waited for the healing tank to drain. Then the Nor was doused in cleaning fluids and finally, after what felt like an eternity, the tank hissed open. The surgeon fiddled with the cable and rebreather. Xavra joined him as he injected some kind of pick-me-up into Gaia's neck. She could feel the stirring consciousness of the Nor and used her own mental abilities to clamp down on it, only allowing the basic motor functions of the body to work. Without proper conditioning, Gaia would go catatonic as soon as her psyche tried to grasp the magnitude of changes her body had been subjected to, something Xavra couldn't let happen just yet. First, she had to perform. And Xavra would make damn sure this one would perform, a show no one on this ship would forget.

"Hey, how do we feel?" the surgeon asked. Xavra heard his voice twice, with a little offset. Once with her own ears, once with the ears of the Nor she was remotely controlling.

"I'm horny," she had Gaia purr. It had been some time since she last had fully taken over another living being, way back when she was an inquisitor for a militant Grey sect, but it was like flying a low-altitude race car. You never forgot how. Gaia's hand came up and slithered under the surgeon's smock. He was already hard as a pipe. Obviously, playing God had arousing side-effects.

"Can you stand?" he asked, pulling away. "And for the Maker's sake, mind the claws!" His hands went under the smock to check the integrity of his privates.

"I saw that you were already standing straight up," Xavra had Gaia quip. As herself, she said: "Isn't it odd that she's horny already?"

"No idea. It's the first time I've done this particular kind of full-body sculpt. Maybe I've misjudged some values in the firmware of her Silician parts. I'm happy she's not a screaming vegetable." He looked immensely pleased with himself.

Xavra imagined long claws retracting and on Gaia's hands and feet, three centimeter long razor blades hissed into sheaths underneath long fake nails. Now, sitting up. Going from a hand to the whole body took a bit more effort, but within moments, she had the bodysculpted Nor stand. One hand held her steady against the tank, the other was caressing over her flat stomach and lower, until she brushed the top of her slit. Xavra jerked as the flash of arousal jolted through her. Her Grey body never felt like that when she touched herself. The concentration of nerve endings around each individual probe or opening was much lower and needed a concerted effort and often outside stimuli to get her off. Gaia moaned as Xavra's concentration slipped and the Grey gnashed her teeth to focus. Yes. Better. The surgeon was busy fitting the wig over Gaia's head, threading the cat ears through cut holes and making sure the fit was good. It was a marked improvement to her bald former self.

"We will be off then," Xavra said. "I'll let you know how things worked out." To Gaia, she said. "Walk, baby."

"Yes, Xavra. Baby." Gaia mumbled. Carefully, she took one step after another. She teetered precariously on her feet but thankfully her sense of balance kicked in. Each step more confident than the last, she walked towards the elevator, Xavra in tow. The grin on the Grey's lips was not at all pleasant.

* * * *

A melodious chime played from the control unit in the base of the stasis pod and the sound of locking bolts sliding back could be heard from the chassis. During her absence, Xeltec had used the repulsor units to move the stasis pod from the Gorgonite box to the lab floor proper. The box and its heavy lid had been removed and the stasis pod stood upright in the center of the room.

"Let's hope this whole ordeal wasn't in vain. I'm so angry right now," Xeltec grumbled.

"Tell me about it," Deeva said, unconsciously touching her head. "That force field hurt."

"What were you doing in there anyway?" Xeltec asked, handing her an industrial-strength suction cup.

"I...uh...wanted a quick after-lunch fuck. She was my preferred playmate, after all."

"Uh-huh." Xeltec slapped his own sucker onto the stasis pod at around waist-height. "Looked to me like you were scared at the sight of her being plowed by that Gravon."

"It looked painful. And bloody," Deeva admitted, fastening her cup at around head-height. "I might not love her like she did me but I hate to see someone hurt."

"No good deed goes unpunished," Xeltec said. "You think you can work?"

"I'm at eighty-nine percent operational capacity," Deeva said. "Fit enough to help you with the stasis pod. Afterwards, I can take a break to self-repair."

"That's the spirit. Ready?" At her nod, he counted down. "Three. Two. One. Heave-ho!"

Together they pulled. At first, there was no discernible result. Then came a wet, sucking sound, to which was added a disgusting, tearing noise as some long-baked together seal broke. A torrent of green liquid ran from the crack in the seal and drained through grates in the lab floor. The top of the stasis pod hinged open, nearly knocking both the Grey and Silician off their feet. Inside the pod was a wet, naked humanoid figure. An opaque mask connected to the pod by a thick, segmented hose hid its features. The body was definitely male, going by the slight v-shape of the torso and the obvious genitalia. His hair was metallic silver. The pod's inhabitant had a good muscle tone and fair skin without any visible blemishes. There was a watertight softshell container between his legs.

"All that trouble for a damn Nor?" Xeltec asked incredulously.

"I'm not sure if this is a Nor, master." Deeva gestured at the pod's inhabitant. "The proportions don't quite fit. To me, he looks like an albino Zuthrian." She picked up a medical scanner off a table nearby and ran the sensor over the stranger's chest. "At least we have life signs, even if they're rather faint. Seems like the pod couldn't quite rouse him."

"And what does the scanner say in regards to his species?" Xeltec asked. "I swear, if Iorec walks out with three of my best girls and all I get is a bit of trash, I'm so gonna space somebody tonight."

"The scanner says 'Inconclusive,'" Deeva said.

"What's that mean?"

"It means, the scanner detects traces of all the Precursor species in this one. The psionic aptitude of the Nor. The endurance of the Gravon. The adaptability of the Zuthrians... and more."

"All in one being? That's impossible."

Wordlessly, Deeva handed the scanner to Xeltec. He checked the readout, did a reset of the device, scanned the pod's inhabitant again and got the same result. "Bloody hell. Normally, I like mysteries. But today, I'm utterly sick of them."

Deeva unclipped the face mask and carefully pried it off the stranger's face. It came away rather easily. Some clear residue smeared on his cheeks and jaw remained and she wiped it away with a soft cloth. The face underneath the mask was classically handsome, with a strong jaw and pronounced cheek bones. His forehead was bisected vertically by a sharp bone ridge, which began at the base of his nose and ended atop his skull. Several metallic spots lined the ridge. Deeva carefully pulled up one of the stranger's eyelids. His eyes were completely white, without discernible pupil or iris.

Xeltec cleared his throat. "You done? We'd best get him down to Sickbay before he croaks. That would be the fucking icing on today's shit cake. Let's get a stretcher."

* * * *

"I'm sorry I made a mess out of you," Lavasi said, swiping at Iorec's face with a soft cloth.

"Nah, it's at least partially my fault too," the Gravon pirate said, chuckling. "Must have done something right."

"Did I convert you?" Lavasi asked, swabbing at some more cum spatters on his neck.

"You at least made a damn fine argument for bringing you along," Iorec said.

Besides them, Rejka stepped behind Tabby. "How about a special treat, just for you?"

"Now you're talking my language, baby," Tabby said, going on hands and knees.

Laughing, Iorec turned his attention towards them. Rejka, wearing the form of a broad-shouldered and impressively hung Zuthrian male, rubbed her cock against the Felinoid's pussy. "Shouldn't it be my pleasure to play with her?" he asked.

"Admit it, you want all of us in your bed tonight," Tabby purred, pushing herself onto Rejka's erection. "No need to try, just buy us already. Meow. And I happen to know some damn fine new crew members you could also take along."

"So you have seen through my little game already, kitty."

"It doesn't take a Wise Woman to see that you're not your average slave buyer," Lavasi purred. "Seeing as these two are already going at it again, how about I show you what else I can do with this?" She placed his hand on her own re-emerging erection.

Tabby had lowered her head on her forearms as Rejka picked up speed, pounding her into the mattress with powerful strokes. A slender black tentacle had emerged from her stomach and was teasing the loudly purring Felinoid between her butt cheeks. Tabby closed her eyes and enjoyed the ride, mewing happily as the Faceless gave it to her.

The door hissed open. "Oh, don't mind me," Xavra said, striding into the room. Her face was twisted into a sinister smile. "Here's another exhibit, with the boss's best wishes." She made a flourish towards the door.

A Felinoid entered. Long, leaf-green hair fell down over her shoulders and back, the occasional strand reaching the swell of her breasts. In contrast to Tabby, she was tall and curvy, with the first hints of green fuzz covering her body and limbs. The skin on her pelvis and around her pussy was dark blue, much like on a Silician. To Lavasi, she looked not quite finished.

"Hey there," the Felinoid breathed, sashaying into the room. Her voice had a slightly absent quality to it and Iorec sat up.

"I hope she's not high again," he rumbled.

"No, no. She's here of her own volition, aren't you, kitty?" Xavra asked, patting the Felinoid's behind.

"Yes. I'm here to play. And she said there would be cocks here." The green-haired Felinoid's eyes swept the room. "Oh my. I'm gonna have so much fun."

She closed the distance and straddled Iorec's lap. Her hand closed around his semi-hard cock. "You and I will have so much fun, big boy. And you-," she indicated Lavasi, "can plug my mouth with yours. How about it?"

"What's your name, furry one?" Iorec asked.

"Who cares?" the Felinoid purred. She reached between them and coated Iorec's rod with her juices until it was nice and hard, then she mounted him. His lustful gasp nearly drowned out a similar noise made by Xavra.

The Grey leaned against the wall next to the door, her brow furrowed and eyes fixed on the Felinoid's back. Beads of sweat dotted her oversized head as she mustered every ounce of her concentration. Thankfully, everyone only had eyes for Gaia as she reached for Lavasi's hardness with an eager gleam in her eyes.

...to be continued.

I hope you enjoyed my latest twisted fantasy. If you did, please vote and/or comment. Even if you hated this piece, let me know. How else am I supposed to improve? Thanks for your time.