The Fifth Reich: Beyond The Stars

by J Palliser

  But something nagged at Sonya in the back of her mind. Sonya forced herself to break the kiss, pulling Casana's head to her shoulder, whispering in her ear. "No." The word was almost physically painful to say. "We can't. Not here, and not now," she said, choking back her own tears.

  "Why?" Casana cried softly into her shoulder.

  "Because of Jacob. Because of Korzo. Because of your evaluation."

  "Please, Sonya, please love me," she pleaded tearfully.

  "I do love you. But you have to love me," she whispered, cradling Casana in her arms.

  "I do!"

  "You can't know yet. You aren't thinking. Get through this, and then we'll see what you feel, okay?"

  "But..."

  "Please, Cassie." "I can't!" she screamed into Sonya's shoulder. Sonya pulled her up, until they were face to face, just inches from each other.

  "Yes, you can. You can do this, and you will do this!" she said commandingly. "But, he..." "Screw him," Sonya growled. "Tomorrow, you show him that you are not going to break. You go into that lab with the same energy that you always have. Prove to him that he has no power over you." Casana stared into her eyes for a few moments.

  "Okay," she finally said. She curled back up against Sonya, letting the tears flow. They sat like that for nearly 10 minutes, rocking back and forth, Casana crying into Sonya's chest, Sonya stoking her hair and resting her chin on the top of Casana's head. Slowly, the tears subsided, and Casana let herself relax in the warm embrace.

  "Why are you doing this?" Casana asked. "I love you. And I'm German. And German women are strong. And we don't let people push someone we love around."

  "Really?"

  "That's what my sister's Russian husband says," Sonya smiled. "And after you get your award, we can be together."

  "I might not be the same person then," Casana whispered.

  "I know. Things like this change you. That's why we have to wait."

  No, you don't know, Casana thought.

  ***

  Deck 9, Ambassadorial Suite, 0700 hours Sonya arrived at the Ambassadorial Suite with Zira, and relieved Schultz and Becker. She stood for a moment, looking at the door. "Sir, are you alright?" Zira asked.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," Sonya responded, still looking at the door, preparing herself.

  "Are you sure?" "Yes," she said, turning to face her. "Chief, I want you to go ahead to the Exobiology Lab. I will be by in a few minutes with Ambassador Drax."

  "Aye, sir," Zira said. With a wry smile, she left for the lab. Sonya turned back to the door, and pressed to enter.

  "Come in," Korzo called from the other side, and the door slid open.

  "Are you ready to go, sir?" "Yes, yes Lieutenant, I'm ready. Let's go," he smiled. They walked silently down the corridor to the turbo-lift, and entered it.

  "Deck 14, Exobiology," Sonya said. She waited for a few seconds, her eyes closed. Okay, it's now or never. "Computer, pause turbo-lift." "Is something wrong, Lieutenant?" Korzo asked. Sonya turned on her heels and stepped up to him, staring into his face angrily.

  "You're goddamn right something's wrong, you son of a bitch!" she snarled menacingly. Her demeanor had totally shifted. A moment before, she was the picture of a Kriegsmarine Officer: calm, composed, dignified. Now, she glared at Korzo in a blind fury, barely in control of herself.

  "Excuse me?"

  "No," she barked. "You think you can come in here on a whim, torment my friend, and get away with it?"

  "Lieutenant, you're out of line," he said, raising his voice. "Shut the fuck up!" she screamed into his face. They peered into each other's faces. Sonya's eyes burned with fury, while Korzo's were calm and analytical. "I have watched you push Cassie around for two days, and I've had enough," she said quietly. "So here is what's going to happen: you are going to treat Casana fairly, and with the respect due a Kriegsmarine Officer. You're evaluation will be honest, your recommendation just. Do you understand?"

  "Are you threatening me, Lieutenant?" Korzo asked calmly.

  "Yes," she hissed.

  "I understand," Korzo said, without the slightest hint of having been intimidated.

  "Good. Computer, resume transit."

  ***

  Deck 14, Exobiology Lab, 0730 hours Sonya smiled as Casana stepped past her into the Exobiology Lab. Korzo was again talking to Dr. Rollins, but Casana ignored them. She practically danced across the room to the shrimp tank, humming as she went. Korzo looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Good morning, Lieutenant," Dr. Rollins said.

  "Morning!" chirped Casana. "Hey, I have an idea about the Dassian Shrimp, so unless you object, I would LOVE to do a couple quick experiments here."

  "By all means, go ahead," said Dr. Rollins enthusiastically.

  "Aren't you going to ask what she is going to do?" Korzo asked curiously. "With Casana, it's better to be surprised," she smiled, turning to go back into her office. The door shut behind her, as Casana and Korzo were alone.

  "So, what are you doing?" Korzo asked suspiciously.

  "It's a secret," Casana giggled.

  "You're just wasting time, aren't you? Playing with the shrimp?" His annoyance was palpable. "You're half right," Casana smiled at him. She finished entering her commands into the computer and pressed a button on the tank. A robotic arm extended from the bottom of the tank and snared one of the larger shrimp in a net, dragging it down out of view.

  "Or are you getting a snack?" Korzo said condescendingly. "I already ate," she smiled. A small hatch at the base of the tank housing opened. Reaching into it, Casana retrieved a small, water filled transparent container with the shrimp inside. She took the container and crossed the room to an examination bench. Casana flipped a switch, and the table top lit up. She placed the container on the bench and retrieved a small vial of clear liquid from a storage closet.

  "Seasonings?" Korzo asked. "Even better: sedatives," she beamed as she walked past him. Casana opened the vial and emptied its contents into the container, and the shrimp immediately stopped moving and sank to the bottom of the container.

  "You killed it." "Nope." Casana rolled up a sleeve and reached into the container, removing the shrimp. Using a small laser drill, she cut a small hole in the carapace. She then picked up a small pair of energy shears and reached them into the hole. Snipping once, she withdrew the shears, which now had a small, yellow-green piece of tissue. Casana dropped it into a dish before returning the shrimp to its tank.

  "What are you doing?" asked Korzo, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. "You'll see!" she cooed, picking up the tissue sample with forceps. She used a small bottle to wash the sample, and the yellow-green material fell from the tissue into another small vial. "Got it!" she said happily. Discarding the tissue sample, she placed the vial into a small device built into the wall, and pressed a button.

  "DNA sequencing?" Korzo asked. "Maybe," she snickered. After a few minutes, a chromosomal map appeared on the display screen. Casana entered a few commands, and the computer searched through the DNA for a moment before highlighting a sequence of code. "Gotcha!" she yelled happily, clapping her hands together. She stored the sequence in the computer and removed the sample from the device, placing it in a cryo-storage unit.

  "What did you take?" "Basket weaving 101, on Earth. Among other things," Casana replied, walking over to a large, cylindrical instrument. Using the controls, she pulled up a view of the DNA sequence she just isolated and entered some commands into the device. "Okay, now we let it cook!" she exclaimed proudly.

  "Are you going to tell me what you just did?"

  "That depends," Casana smiled innocently.

  "On what?" "Whether or not you'll give me a cookie," Casana said with a straight face. Korzo stared at her. "Just kidding! I took the gene for the protein that produces the photoreactive molecule for photosynthesis, and now the machine is splicing it into algae."

  "Why? To make it a slightly different shade of green?"

  "No, for use in terra-forming worlds with nonstandard lig
ht environments!"

  "That is actually not a totally insane idea," Korzo grudgingly admitted.

  "Why, thank you!"

  ***

  2 Months Later, Deck 5, Crew Quarters, 1500 hours Sonya leaned back against the wall of the sonic shower, closing her eyes. She let the waves of sound wash over her, cleaning the sweat and dirt from her body. Sonya was always amazed at how much dirt she could pick up on a starship. Casana was due back in the morning, and Sonya had requested to be present when she arrived.

  After he left the Bismarck, Korzo had written a glowing recommendation for her, noting her resilience and her ability to inspire the loyalty and friendship of those around her. Sonya smiled when she heard the last part. Casana had been accepted, and a few days later she had departed the ship to take part in some ceremony. Sonya had not seen her in 7 weeks, and missed her energetic friend. The Bismarck had left K-7 a few weeks ago, and was nearly to the Kestus colony, the last Reich outpost before they entered uncharted space. A frigate was meeting them to deliver Casana before they left Reich territory.

  She thought back to that week. She remembered Casana breaking down in the turbo-lift, herself screaming at Korzo, Casana's elation when she heard that she had been accepted, and Casana promising to have that talk with Sonya when she returned. Then she remembered the image of Casana and Crewman Becker in the torpedo bay. It still brought her pain, but this time, it also brought something else.

  Sonya felt herself heat up. She ran her hands over her body, from her long, jet black hair, down her neck, sides, and hips. As they passed her rib-cage, her nipples began to harden, and her pussy grew damp. Should have brought the gloves, she thought, smiling to herself as her hands passed over her clit. She brought them back up her stomach slowly, creeping towards her breasts, trying to tease herself.

  The image of Becker and Casana passed through her mind again. But this time it was different. Becker was gone. Sonya had taken his place between Casana's legs, his cock replaced with the programmable strap-on she kept in her wall locker. In her mind's eye, Sonya stood motionless between Casana's legs. She imagined the lust in her voice, the need in her eyes. As her hands reached her breasts, Sonya imagined it was Casana's hands, and she moaned loudly.

  One hand slid back down her body to her now dripping sex, pressing softly as she pictured herself slowly entering Casana. Sonya imagined Casana's chest as she arched her back in pleasure, licking her lips at the thought of those nipples between her teeth. She pictured herself slowly moving in and out of Casana, starting to gently fuck her. Sonya's hand rubbed her clit as she imagined Casana's legs wrapping around her, pulling her deeper.

  She moaned as she plunged her middle finger into herself, her thumb still on her clit, imagining Casana's moans and cries of ecstasy. Sonya's pace increased, both in the shower and her own mind, driving her higher as she imagined doing the same to Casana. Her juices flowed over her finger and onto the floor, filling the shower with the subtle smell of her passion. A second finger joined the first as she neared her peak.

  Sonya imagined Casana gripping her arms like she had Becker's. He pace became frantic, pounding herself as she pictured herself fucking Casana. She pinched her nipple hard, rolling it between her fingers. "Ohh, fuck, I'm gonna come again!" The words rang in her ears, and she reached her climax.

  ***

  Deck 32, Main Shuttle, 0730 hours Sonya stood against the wall of the shuttle bay, speaking to Zira. Daniel and Dejah were at one of the control panels, discussing the upgrades made at K-7. Dr. Rollins was reading something on a smart-pad, probably some new research article. Becker and Schultz sat silently on the nacelle of a shuttle, waiting.

  "Shuttle-bay, Bridge," came a voice over the intercom.

  "Shuttle-bay," responded Danny.

  "Shuttle Gamma has been cleared for landing." "Acknowledged, Bridge." The large doors of the Main Shuttle bay slid open, and a small, two person shuttle passed through the force field and glided silently through the air, coming to a rest in front of them. The door opened, and Casana hopped down from the craft.

  Casana's hair was still tied back as usual, but it was now twisted tightly into a braid. Aside from the hair, she appeared the same, with a small bag over her shoulder. But Sonya felt like something was off. The way she stood was different. Instead standing even on both feet, she now rested her body-weight on one side, tilting her hips. She was biting one side of her lip, and her eyes looked different. For a moment, Sonya thought they seemed older, wiser.

  "Bridge, shuttle aboard. We have her," Daniel said, and the room echoed with cheers and applause. Casana hugged Dr. Rollins first, smiling with her usual glow. Then she shook Schultz's hand before hugging Becker. They didn't kiss, which Sonya at first welcomed, but then she noticed Casana whisper something into his ear, and he recoiled from her slightly. He didn't like that, Sonya thought. She hugged Daniel, and tried to hug Dejah, but was stopped by the Centuri's hand.

  "Welcome back, Lieutenant Olan," she said, extending her hand. "Thank you, Dejah," she said as she took the invitation. "But its Lieutenant Seng now." This gave Sonya pause. She got married?

  "You got married?" asked Daniel. "No, no. It's part of the ceremony. I'm not married," she laughed. She hugged Zira tightly, holding on a little longer than she did with the others. "Thank you, Chief. You were right," she said.

  "I always am," Zira smiled back.

  Then Casana came to Sonya. Sonya smiled at her, and Casana reciprocated, but she was clearly forcing it. Something is wrong. Casana wrapped her arms around Sonya just long enough to whisper in her ear. "We need to talk." Sonya knew immediately what she needed to say.

  Painful tears began to fill her eyes.

  16

  Fifteen

  Tranquility...

  2299, Uncharted M-Class planet, 40 light years outside of Reich space, 0200 hours equivalent local Sonya bit down hard, and was rewarded with a sharp gasp. She released the woman's flesh, licking the spot on her shoulder that she had just bitten. Sonya's finger continued to pinch and pull sharply on the woman's pussy lips, her juices dripping down Sonya's hand onto the grass. Her other arm ran under the smaller woman's arm and across her chest, pulling her into Sonya. She nipped at the woman's shoulder again, this time closer to the neck, and again soothed the pain with her tongue.

  "You like that?" she growled, and bit down again.

  "Ow... oh, yes," the woman moaned as Sonya licked the mark she left.

  "Yes, what?" she said before biting down on her sensitive neck.

  "Ahh! Yes, ma'am," she cried. "I know," smiled Sonya. She released the woman from her arm, and pushed her roughly forward. The woman fell forward, her face on the ground, arms outstretched. Sonya rubbed her free hand over the woman's back as she continued to play with her pussy. Without warning, Sonya raised her hand and brought it down with a crack on the woman's ass. At the same moment, she drove two fingers into the woman's opening.

  "Ohh! Ohh, fuck," she squealed as her hands dug into the soil. Sonya slammed her fingers in and out of the woman's pussy, filling the air with wet slapping sounds and the thick smell of sex. "Oh, shit, I'm gonna come!" the woman moaned.

  "Not yet," Sonya said teasingly as she slapped the woman's ass again. She continued to thrust into the woman, who struggled to contain her orgasm. Sonya bent over and kissed the red hand-print on her ass, before biting down softly on it.

  "Oh, fuck..." the woman moaned. "Not yet," Sonya said as she kissed the spot where she had bitten. She added a third finger, pushing as deeply as she could into the woman.

  "Please!" she begged, panting desperately for air.

  "Wait," Sonya whispered. She slapped the woman's ass a third time. "Wait." Sonya rubbed over the swollen red flesh, gently squeezing. "Now," she whispered softly, squeezing the flesh in her hands tightly.

  A long, high, deafening shriek split the night air.

  ***

  Planet Surface, 0623 hours equivalent local time Sonya sat quietly on the hillside, watching the suns
come up over the plains to the east. This is one of the things she had always dreamed of seeing: an alien sunrise. But she was not happy. Her expression was blank, her eyes tired. Even as the wind tossed her long hair about, the cold morning air biting at her flesh through her undershirt and against her bare legs, she gazed off into space. The last few years had been a blur. Nothing really mattered to her. She simply went about her daily work, filled out reports, slept, ate, and drilled.

  Four years of charting gas giants and barren rocks had begun to drain Sonya of her enthusiasm for exploration. The most exciting thing they had encountered on their nearly complete five year assignment had been an unusually small sloth-like creature, and this planet's atmosphere, which prevented transporters from working. Time seemed to have no meaning deep in the bowels of a star-ship. The corridor lights were always on, the sounds always the same. All that changed was whether or not you were on duty.

  Sonya peered down at the figures in the valley below. They were a few hundred meters away, but her keen eyes could still recognize some of them. Commander Saul was the easiest, being Antarian, and Dr. Rollins' white hair stood out from the others. Somewhere down there was Zira, Schultz, Becker, and Casana.

  Casana. Sonya had tried to think about her as little as possible in the last four years, but every time she had, it was painful. She thought back to the conversation after Casana's return from her ceremony. She had effectively ended their relationship before it began. After it had become clear what was happening, Sonya fled in tears. They had not spoken much after that. Casana had changed shifts, so they did not see each other much, and Sonya did not try to change that.

  Something stirred beside her, and warm flesh touched her thigh. Sonya looked down at the naked body next to her, wrapped in a blanket. This had been the closest she had gotten to a real relationship: a one-night stand with some anonymous crewman. God, what was her name? Sonya tried to think of it, but she couldn't quite remember. Sarah? Samantha? Sandy? Eventually, she gave up.