Chapter No.12

Her nakedness he seemed to see.
And breast to breast, and knee to knee,
Tremulous, breathless, swaying, burning,
Body to beautiful body yearning,
In joy and terror, flesh to flesh,
They flamed in passion's fine red mesh,--
Living in one short breath again
The cosmic tide's whole bliss and pain,
Darkness and ether, nebulous fire,
Vast suns whirled forth by vast desire,
Huge moons flung out with monstrous mirth
And stars in glorious hells of birth

- Conrad Aiken -

When George saw Lucia enter a small lounge room that he was sitting in, he gave her a warm smile. She smiled back with interest and sat down next to him.

"How are you feeling, signore?"
 
"I'm still a little sore, but only my pride was damaged."

"Si, I know what you mean. We were fortunate that Angelina did not invite others to watch."

"You're right about that. It's humiliating enough as it is."

She playfully tilted her head and offered him a teasing smile. "Did you find my presence embarrassing?"

His eyes exhibited shock at first, but they settled into a playful flirting gleam. "You are a beautiful woman. I don't mind you seeing me . . . "

She kissed him. "Thank you, signore."

The physical contact escalated when George placed a caressing hand on the side of her face. Her hand went to his before they locked lips for a more enjoyable kiss.

"We will make the beautiful music together, signore."

The next kiss became more passionate, and it lasted much longer.

***

The command deck was busy, despite the fact that the X-5001 was in orbit and not really actively pursuing a mission, but part of the reason for that was that the aliens on this planet had provided a hot lead for a possible Cyborg base.

"I want you and Ninja to reconoiter the base, not attack it " Angie said. "You can't take on a Cyborg fleet by yourselves."

"I understand, Admiral," Marty said. "We may be crazy but we're not suicidal."

"We won't be able to communicate, so you're on your own. We'll stay in orbit here for six days and if you're not back, we'll go to the next candidate system."

Marty saluted. "Understood, Admiral."

Angie watched Marty and Ninja leave the command deck. She experienced the same helplessnness that she felt when they went off to rescue Uma.

Marty and Ninja wasted no time getting the X-501 out of the main hangar and on its way.

"Take us up to jump speed, Delphi."

"Yes, Martin."

"There are no enemy vessels in this system," Ninja reported.

"Good. We don't want anyone to see where we're going."

"If we locate a major enemy base, will we return and engage them?" Ninja asked.

"I'm sure that we will, Ninja. That's why were over here in this galaxy. We have to defeat them here, otherwise we will be battling them in our galaxy."

That satisfied Ninja.

***

When Anna Petrovka walked into Angie's quarters, her right eyebrow elevated when she saw Karl Schneider seated on Angie's couch. She shifted her eyes from him to Angie and back.

"I've invited you here because Mr. Schneider has given his permission for you to watch his discipline session."

She gave her a sly smile. "Interesting!" She looked at Karl. "Thank you."

He nodded.

Have a seat," Angie told her. She turned to Karl. "You may undress in my bedroom."

Karl stared at her for a moment as if in shock. "You want me to undress?"

"Yes, as in strip, peel, disrobe, remove your clothing."

"How much of my clothing do you want me to remove?"

"Everything. You should be nude."

Karl gave Anna a wary look before he slowly walked off to Angie's bedroom.

"I don't think he wanted to obey you, ma'am."

"Some people are naturally modest," Angie said.

After a few minutes, Karl returned hiding his male equipment behind his hand. He moved sideways to prevent Anna from seeing his backside and he stood in front of her obviously embarrassed by his predicament.

"Okay Mr. Schneider, I want you to stretch your arms over your head and then I want you to run in place."

Karl developed a shocked expression. He looked at Angie with pleading eyes, but Angie was not moved.

"Come on, Mr. Schneider. Get on with it. You're being punished here."

"But, I'm naked, ma'am."

"That's not my problem. Now, get your ass in gear."

"Yes, ma'am."

Anna wetted her lips and crossed her legs in anticipation of a very interesting evening.

She was not disappointed.

***

"We are over three million kilometers out from the third planet," Ninja said. "At present velocity we are ten minutes away from a proto comet field."

"Plot a course through the comet field, Delphi, with all power expenditures on this side of the field,"

"Yes, Martin."

"That should prevent us from being detected," Marty said. "We can do some swings around gas giants to hide our approach."

"There are no enemy vessels this far out," Ninja said. "If there is a large enemy fleet in this system, it is near the third planet."

"If it is we're going to have a hell of a time getting in close to the planet."

"I have a suggestion, Martin. We could fit a Mother probe with extra fuel tanks and launch it from further out and use a transponder to boost the signal.

"That may be the answer, Ninja. Good idea." Marty looked at the main screen. "Swing us around that gas giant, Delphi."

"Yes, Martin."

"We should be able to relax for a few hours," Marty said. "I doubt that they can detect us this far out."

"I am able to see the second planet more clearly," Ninja said. "There are at least a hundred enemy vessels in orbit."

"We're going to have a problem trying to sneak a probe past them," Marty said.

"They are not going around the poles of the planet," Ninja said. "We can have the Mother probe approach at the pole that is on the night side."

"That will work."

***

Honey and Wendy looked over the naked body of Arby lying in a large metal pan. His arms and legs were spread apart and his head was tilted back to expose his throat.

"I have wondered what is inside his body that makes him so sarcastic," Wendy said. "Now, I have this great opportunity to indulge my curiosity."

"What I want to do is determine why our species is so smart," Honey said. "I will thoroughly examine his brain."

"I will enjoy unraveling his guts," Wendy said. "Maybe I'll leave them that way."

"You agreed to return my body to its original condition, please," Arby said.

"You are in no position to argue the terms of our agreement," Wendy said before she began to make a long incision down Arby's body to expose his insides.

"That is me you are cutting up," Arby said. "Please be careful."

"You have lots of squishy guts," Wendy said, as she began to pull his intestines out so that she could see what was in his abdominal cavity near his bladder and urinary tube. After probing around, she found something. "What is this?"

Honey looked over at where she was working. "What are you referring to?"

"This is some sort of gland connected to his urinary tube and there is a tubular organ in here that is also connected to his urinary tube. Is this an extra urinary organ?"

Honey came over and examined the organ. "Could this be a vestigial sexual organ? There is an opening near his urinary opening, and this organ is connected to it." She turned to look at Arby's face. "Are you able to extend this organ outside of your body?'

"You don't know much about males," Arby said. "We males are able to make our organ protrude and swell up."

"I have never seen that," Honey said. "Although, since I was matured outside of our planet, my knowledge of such things is limited."

"Why do you have an organ like that?" Wendy asked. "We are an asexual species."

"I don't know," Arby said. "I just know what it is able to do."

"Okay," Wendy said. "I will be easy on you, if you agree to show us your organ in action."

"I agree," Arby said. "Just don't cut it off of me."

"Why would I do that?" Wendy said. "I want to see what you can do with it."

"You will not be disappointed," Arby told her.

***

Brigit smiled when Jean-Michel walked into the common room between Angie's and Marty's quarters. "Hello, Mr. Pelletier."

"Good evening, Ms. Lindgrin. How are you this evening?"

"Fine, and you?"

"I am fine, although, that may change after I receive my punishment from Admiral Sarasota."

"You, too? That's why I'm here. Have you been punished before?"

"No, and you?"

"No."

"I have heard that it can be very painful," Jean-Michel said.

"I have heard that it is very embarrassing," Brigit said.

They both stood up when Angie emerged from her quarters.

"Good evening, Admiral," Jean-Michel said. "I trust that you are well."

"I am well as can be expected under the circumstances." She smiled. "Enough about me. I requested that you come here so that I can punish you for your infractions of Space Command rules. I was given a direct order to severely punish both of you."
"We are here to take our punishment, ma'am," Jean-Michel said.

"You didn't let me finish," Angie said. "I don't really want to hurt you, but I have to do something to you. I'm tired of doing these discipline sessions. I will allow you to tell me what you want me to do to you."

Jean-Michel and Brigit exchanged glances.

"I assume that you had intended to punish us together," Brigit said.

"Not really, but I can if you wish me to."

"What did you do to the others?" Brigit asked.

"I usually make them undress and then do things like walk on their toes or run in place, you know."

"What do you think?" Jean-Michel asked Brigit.

"I don't know." She turned to Angie. "Where are these punishments done?"

"I usually do them in my quarters, but we can go wherever you wish."

"I have a suggestion, ma'am," Jean-Michel said. "I understand that the brig has a virtual paddle and whip cell and . . . "

"Ah, I can't use that," Angie said. "It would constitute indirect physical contact."

"How about if we do it to each other? All you will have to do is show us how to operate the controls."

"Yeah, that'll work."

The three took the elevator to the recreation deck and then went directly to the brig.

"That's the cell," Angie said, pointing to it. You'll have to remove your clothes to enter it."

"I'll go first," Jean-Michel said.

"Why don't we both undress," Brigit said.

Jean-Michel gave her a smile. "No, I will go first."

Angie and Brigit watched him strip. Since this had never happened before, Angie wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she knew that it would be interesting.

***

"Launch the Mother probe, Delphi. Send it in stealth directly into the south polar region."

"Yes, Martin."

"I don't believe that they've detected it," Ninja said. "There is no activity."

"Good. The sooner we get the intel and get out of here, the better off we'll be."

After the Mother penetrated the atmosphere, Marty flew it to a position near the Cyborg base. He had the Mother probe release insect probes and directed them to descend on the base.

"We are getting video feed," Ninja said. "There are many Cyborgs on this base. We will require a large attack unit to assault it."

"What the hell is going on there?" Marty said, pointing at a screen.

"That is a long line of Dragons," Ninja said. "They are female because they do not have tails."

"They all look very pregnant," Marty said. "What the hell's going on here?"
"There are some human females in the line," Ninja said. "They are also pregnant."

"I don't like the looks of this," Marty said. "We will record as much as we can of this. Why don't you direct some insects to the weapons and fortifications?"

"I will, Martin. We will have good information to plan an attack."

"We really should be going down there to do it right," Marty said. "But, our orders were to get the information and get back."

"We can not attack this base by ourselves," Ninja said. "We will be back."

Marty wasn't so sure of that.

***
Angie pointed to a touch button on the control panel for the brig cell. "Press that."

After a selection menu popped up, Brigit looked up at Jean-Michel who was suspended in the cell by manacles. "What do you want me to use on you?"

"What do you suggest, Admiral?" Jean-Michel asked.

"Try the wide leather strap," Angie said.

Brigit pressed some virtual buttons to select a virtual wide leather strap. "I'm going to have it smack you right in the ass," she said.

"Go for it," Jean-Michel said.

A holographic projection of the strap swung back and then collided with Jean-Michel's bare behind, causing him to flinch.

"Did that hurt?" Brigit asked.

"Yes, it did."

She increased the force and had it do another whack.

"Ow!"

Brigit turned to Angie. "I don't know if I like this. He's going to do the same to me." She turned her head to look down at her bare behind. "And, my ass is softer than his."

Angie smiled at her. "Sorry, but this wasn't my idea."

"How many whacks do you want me to give you?" Anna asked Jean-Michel.

"That's up to you."

"Are you going to do the same to me?"

"No. I do not wish to hurt you," Jean-Michel said. "I will take the punishment for both of us."

"You are a true gentleman, sir," Anna said.

Angie smiled.