The Liberty's Sword slip-transited, moving through the higher dimensions as it traveled to it's latest destination. The bridge was quiet as they voyaged on, Allison looking out the viewscreen as her sandy blonde hair fell into her eyes. The bridge was strangely empty, the seats all around her empty but oddly it didn't bother her. "M'love," the voice murmured. Allison turned in her seat, looking in surprise at the woman who stood in the door to the bridge. Jenna's long black hair fell in waves down her back, her blue eyes gentle as she smiled. Entirely nude her full breasts bounced as she walked, and strangely the lovely wings she had shown Allison only once before stretched from her back. Jenna stalked across the bridge then settled down in Allison's lap, stroking her hair from her eyes. "What are you...?" Allison squeaked. "Shh," Jenna whispered as they kissed, her black hair flowing around the two of them as she slid into Allison's arms. "I'd give that a nine out of ten," Kat commented, holding up a sign. Laurel shook her head, "Seven, tops." Sharin frowned, long blonde hair gleaming from where they sat over to the side, "Oh come on, they should get a point added for enthusiasm." "True enough," Amara agreed, her boyish black hair falling into her eyes. "Mistress!" Milly sobbed, cat ears drooping, "How could you?!" "THAT was MY question," the voice boomed out, the shadowy figure standing ominously in the doorway, her gold crown gleaming. She raised a royal scepter menacingly, the end flickered with a dangerous light.... .... and with a gasp Allison came awake, looking around her small cabin in surprise. She turned and felt a flash of relief at seeing Jenna curled up beside her. Allison got up from the bed, trying not to disturb her sleeping lover as she walked out to the small sitting room, sitting down on the couch with a sigh. "Well that was an odd dream," Allison said tiredly, her plain boxers and white t-shirt covering her slim frame. "How so?" the familiar voice asked. Allison nearly jumped before she realized it was Milly, the red headed catgirl carrying a cup of tea into the room without asking. She sat it down in front of Allison, "Can't sleep?" "Something like that," Allison took the tea gratefully then took a drink. "So what did you dream?" Milly asked curiously as she sat down beside her, red tail flicking gently against her legs. Her old fashioned nightdress looked oddly out of place, yet it seemed to suit the young woman very well. "I.. well..." Allison blushed. "Ah," Milly nodded sagely, "one of THOSE dreams." She sipped her own cup of tea, "Something naughty, I take it?" "Yes," Allison softly admitted, her cheeks faintly red. She looked over at the amused but sympathetic catgirl, "Jenna and I were... you know, then we got interrupted by most of my friends and Jenna's mother." "Fun," Milly smirked. She looked at Allison thoughtfully, "You're feeling nervous about us arriving in Throne system soon?" "Yeah," Allison conceded, "it's less than a day from Jenna's home system, more or less, and I still don't know how her mother is going to react." "The queen sent this vessel for Jenna," Milly reminded her, "she must want her and her companions to return home." "I just wish I knew how the Queen will react to us being bonded," Allison shrugged. "I think she'll like you," Milly reassured her then her eyes twinkled, "besides, you're bringing a string of victories in your wake. Four Star Empire cruisers engaged in combat these past few weeks, and three destroyed." "Luck," Allison said gruffly, "and a good crew." "Luck and skill," Milly corrected. She looked at Allison thoughtfully, "You're humble and that's good, but you need to blow your own horn, too." Allison shrugged uncomfortably. Since leaving the Sentinel supply station the Liberty's Sword had faced two Star Empire vessels in combat, battlecruisers of the same or better class than themselves. The battles had been fierce, but Allison continued to find herself astonished at how the two societies went to war. There were rigid customs on how ships approached each other and engaged in combat, ones that made the enemy easily predictable for Allison. "Maybe you're right," Allison conceded, smiling at the girl wryly. She got up with a yawn, stretching a bit, "I'd better get back to bed...." Before she could finish they heard the whoop of the alert alarm, sirens ringing through the small room. Reflexedly Allison bolted to her room, rushing to grab her uniform and pull it on. Jenna blinked owlishly as she sat up in bed, "Wha' goin' on?" "Don't know," Allison answered as she did up her black uniform top, then sat down to pull her pants and boots on. "Mistress," Milly bounded in, the catgirl helping Jenna out of bed. "I'll meet you on the bridge, m'love," Allison said as she bolted out of the room after gently kissing Jenna on the cheek. She raced through the corridors to the lifts, then up to the bridge where the men and women of the night shift worked intently. "Captain on the bridge," midshipman Col' Tyrr announced, his green hair falling down his muscular back in a ponytail. Allison ran a hand through her hair as she walked to the center seat, Lieutenant Sam C'tarn bouncing to his feet. "We've encountered distortion effect from a large number of vessels in slip-transit," the older man reported, bald head gleaming, "identity unknown, but the power signatures match our fleet." "Can we hail them?" Allison asked as she took her seat. The feel of the bridge was nervous but still confident, everyone doing their best to handle their jobs. "We'll have to drop into real-space," Max answered as he took a seat in the chair usually reserved for the second in command, "and gamble they'll do so, too." "They've detected us, I assume?" Allison asked. "Most likely," Amara commented, her sandy brown hair falling into her eyes. She frowned as her scanners beeped, "Sensors say they're transiting to normal space." Allison made a snap decision, "Go to battle stations, please." As the alarms began to wail she looked at the officer on navigation, "Bring us back into normal space." Then to tactical, "I want weapons ready, but keep the targeting systems off-line." "Aye sir," Rachel A'Tor, the midshipman calm and collected at the tactical station. Amara had been working with her on tactical, and was certain that the girl had real promise, which was why she was on that station tonight. There was a shudder as Amara shifted the drives, changing the energy fields around the ship to ease them out of shift-space and back into normal reality. The viewscreen shifted as outer space stretched out around them, then in a wave of distortion the other ships appeared. "My god," Allison breathed out. In a moment the void of space was filled with vessels, or at least that's how it seemed. The vessels raged from light cruisers to star destroyers, and all of them were dwarfed by the flagship, the ship nearly three times the size of the Liberty's Sword. "Home Fleet," Max said quietly, his eyes wide. He frowned, "They normally don't leave the Throne, though..." Silently Jenna settled into a seat, herself dressed in a simple one piece. Unlike Allison she looked lovely, as if she had spent a hour getting ready, not minutes. "It is unusual," she agreed softly. "Hail the fleet," Allison ordered crisply. The connection was made, but surprisingly they weren't connected to some vessel's bridge. Instead an older, regal woman gazed out of the screen, her face oddly familiar. Black hair, touched with silver fell over her shoulders, and her expression was warmly gentle. "Mother," Jenna breathed. Queen Jen'ai smiled, "It's good to have you home, daughter."
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