part 1   Stardate 2399.31
 
 

The Wolverine glowered down at the Mouse in the labcoat;
"No, that’s NOT what I wanted at ALL, you cretin!"  The
Mouse cringed, but there was some spark of resistance, some
shred of professional pride left; "I…. I'm sorry if we were
unable to meet all your product requirements, Lord Xylex…..
Perhaps if there was more time…….."  The Wolverine growled
at the rodent again, and shook his head; these academics
just didn't understand the realities of the situation.
There WAS no more time.  Something had to be done NOW before
things got completely out of control.  While the tailored
virus wasn't what he'd asked for, it might still have its
uses.  As might the incompetent mouse and his staff.
Reaching out to close the insulated box, the one marked with
all the biohazard symbols, Lord Xylex shook his head; "I am
MOST displeased with your performance, Doctor.  Most
displeased.  Its only the pressures of time, of the
circumstances that we find ourselves in, that force me to
accept the flawed product you have produced.  Your payment
will be forthcoming.  With that he turned and strode towards
the door.

The Mouse sighed when the Wolverine had gone, when his
groundcar had left through the Institute's gates.  Xylex was
a tough customer.  Pity he didn't seem to be able to
understand that creating a biological warfare weapon wasn't
as simple or as straightforward as building a starship, or
an assault vehicle….. and the way he'd wanted his enemies to
die………. THAT was ludicrous to begin with!  At least his
visit had been late at night, after the end of the somewhat
irregular day the researchers at the institute kept; there'd
been no one to see his distress, his loss of aplomb……

With the departure of their prestigious guest, the security
forces at the Institute relaxed.  No one had tried to
assassinate Lord Xylex while he'd been inside their
perimeter, and that was a relief.  Their security was geared
more towards preventing the odd employee from stealing the
secrets held within, than repulsing assassins.  And such,
the guards on duty could be excused for missing the dark-
robed figures that slipped past what few surveillance
cameras there were that were still showing true images.

The Mouse looked up in alarm as several large, armed furrs
burst into his office.  Before he could scarce get out a
squeek, one of them shot him, the bolt from his blaster
cleaving off the top of the rodent's skull.  Efficiently,
the team searched through his records, taking disks, and
data crystals, and in one case, where the password proved to
be too challenging, the whole computer…… and then they were
busy, efficiently setting explosive charges…..

Lord Xylex leaned against the front of his groundcar,
talking quietly to Trotskie.  They both looked up and
grinned when three blocks away, the Institute's main
building erupted in a ball of flame, lighting up the night
sky, debris falling for blocks around the center of the
explosion.

Xylex chuckled as he brushed himself off; "Ah, those pesky
Rebels…. I'm sure the press will lambaste them for
destroying a medical research facility."  The bear just
chuckled; "Until I release all that data you gave me on how
they were working on mind control drugs and biological
warfare weapons….. and of course with their building
destroyed, with their computer records gone, they won't very
effectively be able to counter my claims.  You really were
brilliant in that regard, Xylex."  The Wolverine smiled and
waved a paw depreciatingly; "it was nothing, nothing at all.
I just wish the incompetent fools had been able to develop
what I'd wanted.  But I think what I got might still be
useable."  Trotsie raised an eyebrow; "So what are you going
to do?"  Xylex grinned, his teeth showing whitely in the
night; "Oh, my dear Comrade, its not what I'm going to do,
but what YOU'RE going to do!"

Trotskie shook his head; "I dunno; if they ever make the
connection, the pirates will come down on me with both
feet……"  Xylex just chuckled; "If my plan works out all
right, they won't be around to figure it out.  Even if
something goes wrong, the tailored virus has an interesting
side effect of interfering with short term memory.  They
shouldn't be ABLE to figure out what went wrong!  But don't
worry, my dear Bear, the plan is fool-proof!"  Trotskie
grimaced inwardly, growling to himself "yeah, just like your
last few plans……"

Tanj groaned and squirmed; her master had posed an
interesting problem to her, demanding a solution.  The
penalty for not solving it was an occasional swat with a
quirt, a short, thin whip that found its mark on her belly
and her breasts when he felt she wasn't trying hard enough
to solve her problem.

They were playing rougher than they usually did; with
several provinces on Elysium in open revolt, the Pirates
were busier than ever, both in interdicting Imperial aid, in
aiding the Rebels, and in just pursuing the business of
being pirates.  While things were going well, perhaps even
profitably, everyone was stressed out, Tanj and her
Master included.  And as such she found little fault when he
decided to play rough; most times she relished it, but this
time, the "problem" he'd posed was difficult, and the
penalties just a little more painful than she cared for…..

Tanj stood with legs WIDE apart, held apart by a spreader
bar almost as  long as she was tall.  A chain ran from her
collar to a ring in the center of the spreader bar, pulling
her into a bowed position.  To make matters worse, her
Master had tied cords from her nipple rings to her ankle
cuffs, pulling her over even further, pulling her breasts
apart.  He said this was to make it easier for him to apply
the quirt, and she had to agree it seemed to be working.
Her arms were bound behind her at the elbow, but free at the
wrist.  He'd pulled her back, slightly off balance, his
thick cock buried DEEP in her pussy.  At least he'd
"lubricated" it first, allowing her to lick at it until it
was dripping with her saliva.

Now he was insisting that she make him cum….. but without
moving her body.  She was NOT allowed to rock her body back
and forth, to slide his cock in and out of her sex……  Every
time she tried to sneak in a motion such as that, the quirt
stung her.  And as she looked about, trying hard to work her
vaginal muscles around his shaft, trying to milk him, she
realized that while that would definitely hold his interest,
it wouldn't be enough to bring him off.  And if she didn't
think of something quick, she'd feel the sting of the quirt
again……..

Suddenly it struck her; she knew what she had to do…..
There, lying on the floor was one of her "toys", a latex
dong, rather thick, and heavily studded…….  Given the
position her paws were bound in, she reasoned that if she
worked it in and out of her ass, the sensation, transmitted
through the thin membranes that separated her back passage
and her vaginal canal would be enough to bring off her
master!  "Um, Master?" Tanj purrrred…..  "What is it,
Slave?  Solved the problem yet, or shall I reacquaint you
with the quirt?"  Tanj smiled at his rough growl, and
wondered how he'd sound when he realized she had a
solution….  "would you hand me that dildo on the floor?"
The Lion chuckled and reached around her to wrap his paw
around it.  Lifting it, he put it in her paws, by the small
of her back.  Tanj purrred; "um, I don't suppose it would
be too much to ask for some lubricant on it?"  The Lion just
chuckled; "I think you can scrape up a little, if you need
to, as wet as you are….."  Tanj sighed and turned the
dong in her paws, stroking its head down into the furrow of
her ass, to tease at the back periphery of her sex.  The
Lion's shaft was well coated with her juices, but as she
moved, ever so slightly, trying to transfer some of that
slickness to the dong, she felt the quirt strike up at her
left breast.  Gasping she jerked, and then brought the head
of the dong up to her ass.  Slowly she pushed, groaning as
the mostly unlubricated shaft worked its way into her back
passage.

The Lion purrred in agreement with her solution, a deep
basso rumble.  Tanj gasped as each of the bumps on the
dong's shaft blipped past her anal ring, first on the way
in, and then out; still, it was obvious from the way the
Lion's claws twitched out, pricking her hips, that she was
having the desired effect on him.  And then he was reaching
around her, one finger rubbing at her clitty even as he
whispered a warning in her ear NOT to move.…. Tanj panted
harder, her paws straining to work the dong in and out of
her ass, to stimulate her Master's cock by proxy, until his
teasing of her clitty caused her to loose all control,
writhing as her climax overtook her.  To her amazement, she
wasn't punished for her movement, but instead was rewarded
with the feel of her master's cock spurting, as he came,
filling her pussy with his jism.

The Lion had insisted she leave the dong, in her ass, for
now, as they cuddled on the bed, trying to regain their
breath.  This necessitated that she lay on her stomach…..
and in this case, that meant laying on top of her Master, as
he insisted she hold his softening cock in her sex for as
long as possible.  As the Lion broke yet another kiss, he
looked at her for a moment and then purrred; "and have you
solved the OTHER problem?"

Tanj groaned; she didn't want to get back to business so
soon!  Their interlude hadn't been QUITE what she'd had in
mind, but it was still preferable to their running argument.
"No, Master I have not.  I don't care WHAT jucy tidbits
Trotskie says he has for us, you are NOT going down to
Elysium to meet him.  I can't tell you why, but I don't
trust the bastard, and after the affair on Imroc, I'm
insisting on increased security for things like that.  If he
doesn't want to send us a data crystal with the information,
he can either come here, or send a messenger, or meet us
somewhere "safe."  The Lion looked at Tanj for a moment;
"and where would you feel safe?"  Tanj snorted and then
grinned wickedly; "how about the Black Fleet's station… That
ought to be neutral enough."  The Lion just laughed.

Tanj grumbled as she waited by the personnel lock of the
freighter "Agnes Scott."  The Lion hadn't liked the idea of
meeting at Jenka's station as "neutral ground," and Trotskie
had vehemently objected.  Finally they'd resolved on a
meeting in deep space near the Elysium system.  The Scott
was owned by one of the "dealers" (i.e. "fences") that the
Brethren frequently used to move their booty, and Tanj'd
had to make a run out to deliver a cargo anyways.  Now her
ship sat a short distance away, cloaked and ready, in case
of betrayal.  Hinoki was with Tanj, looking grim in his
pirate's combat armor.  And Trotskie's shuttle was docking.

The Bear squeezed through the personnel lock and beamed at
Tanj; "Ah, there you are!  I'm delighted to finally meet
you in person; I've heard so VERY much about you!"  Tanj
nodded politely; "Greetings, uh, Comrade Trotskie.  I'm glad
you could come.  I have some interesting intelligence
summaries to share with you…..  If you'll follow me, we can
talk in the crew's mess."

Tanj led the way, Trotskie following, with Hinoki
bringing up the rear along with Trotskie's bodyguard, a
silent and stern looking Panther.  Tanj had her briefing
information spread out on the table of the Mess, with maps
and charts tacked to the wall.  All of the information dealt
specifically with the areas of operations that the Reds were
currently active in.  And there was pointedly nothing
present that dealt with the Blues or any of the other Rebel
groups.  Trotskie walked around the room, paws behind his
back, looking at the maps and charts, nodding to himself.
Turning at one point he grinned at his bodyguard; "See here
Ioseph!  I told you she was good!  Look at this!  She shows
the disposition of the 23rd Grenadiers in and around
Hagarsburg!  And look at this!  They're supported by the
415th Military Police detachment?  Excellent!"  The Panther
growled softly; "Just because she says it, does not make it
so!"  The Bear made a dismissive motion but Tanj nodded;
"No, he's right; no intelligence is perfect, and I've been
misled before.  Be wise and check out the information you
see here.  This is the best I have; the latest I have; but
it could all have changed by now.   Trotskie chuckled and
nodded, and turned to take the chair at the table across
from Tanj, obviously ready to begin the formal briefing.

"….. and that's why we think the fusiliers are there.  There
might be another reason, but we think they're there for
reconstitution, and do not constitute a significant combat
force."  Trotskie nodded, making another note in his
notebook.  "your information will be of a great help to us.
Now tell me; what of the mood of the people?  Are they
frightened by the revolt?  Do they yearn to throw off their
chains?  Were they content with what was and wish we'd all
go away?"  Tanj thought for a moment and then shrugged;
"as with most things, there are those that are passionately
for the Revolution.  And there are those that are
passionately against the revolution.  But most lie somewhere
in-between.  Those with money lean most towards the status
quo.  Those without, those with less to loose are more
likely to side with the revolution."  Trotskie smiled and
nodded; "you are very wise.  I agree!  In order to involve
more of the people with our revolution, we must first insure
that they have little to loose.  And if it is the government
that takes what they have from them, so much the better!"
Tanj nodded, as she thought furiously; that hadn't been
quite what she'd said, but she could agree with his logic.
But she wondered; how would the Reds manipulate the
government into taking away what the people had?

Trotskie smiled again, and looked from Hinoki to Tanj;
"Perhaps you could help me with another question?"  Tanj
nodded reservedly; her briefing was over, and she was more
interested in what information Trotskie had for her than in
answering his philosophical questions.  Still, what he asked
surprised her……  "I see you wear the collar of a slave, as
does your associate.  If you have escaped the Government,
why do you still wear it?  Or do the Brethren fight for
freedom while keeping slaves?"  Tanj chewed on her lower
lip as she considered her answer.  "First, as you know, many
of the Brethren are……. Mercenaries, fighting only for
profit.  Few of them care if the booty is ships, or cargo,
or slaves.  In order to maintain our……. Operation, to be a
benefit to the cause, we have to deal in slaves, despite our
standing philosophy against it.  Oh, we give the prisoners
every chance to ransom themselves, but for those that can't,
or won't pay, they get….. wholesaled.  As for me, and for
Hinoki….. well, I can't speak for him, but for me, I have
more than enough money to purchase my freedom, but for some
reason, I can't bring myself to do it.  I have a…….. good
relationship with my master, and I guess I fear, that if I
were to be free, it might change.  On the other hand, its
entirely possible that the conditioning I received in my
training is inhibiting me."  Trotskie nodded, as if
considering her words.  After a while he spoke again; "I
understand you were trained as a sex slave, no?  If I were
to ask you to grant me a sexual favor, what would you do?"
Tanj's mouth dropped for a second, and then she closed
her mouth.  After a moment she shrugged; "As I have no
instructions from my Master to the contrary, I would accede
to your wishes.  What is it you would like me to do?"  As
Tanj started to rise from her seat, Trotskie waved both
paws; "Oh, no, no, you misunderstand!  Believe me, I would
never ask you to do something against your will!  I am
completely opposed to slavery and would never command ANYONE
in such a manner; I was merely seeking to understand!"

Tanj settled back into her chair, watching the Bear,
wondering if he was, in some strange fashion, making fun of
her?  Or was he serious?  After a moment of studying her
face, Trotskie smiled again; "I think you've given me
another piece of the puzzle.  In order to liberate the
people of Elysium, we must break their conditioning, for if
the Government was SO efficient at conditioning the slaves
it trained, surely they must have conditioned their citizens
against revolt!"  Tanj frowned and shook her head; "I'm
not sure they conditioned the general pop……….."   But
Trotskie was grinning widely and nodding his head; "it is
the only possible answer; its why there has been so little
popular support for our forces!"  Tanj sat back and
thought "that or perhaps its due to the fact that your
forces seem to kill indiscriminently….."  Trotskie thumped
the table with both paws, and nodded in delight.  He started
to rise, but then, almost as an afterthought, he settled
back into his chair; "Ah! I almost forgot!"  Fishing in his
pocket, he produced three data crystals, and placed them,
one by one on the table in front of Tanj; "These are the
reports of all my field agents and centurions.  Hopefully
you will be able to produce more miracles of data analysis
from the information they contain."  Tanj looked
doubtfully at the data crystals, thinking "Oh, great.  More
rumors and hearsay from amateurs.  I bet it takes me a month
to wade through all the crap!"  Then, with an even grander
flourish, the Bear produced one more data crystal; "And
this, this we took from an Imperial courier.  I don't know
what it contains; its code proved to be too much for us; but
considering the way it was defended, I'm certain its
something important."  And with that, Trotskie rose and
after a small bow turned and left the compartment.

Tanj was still sitting at the table when Hinoki returned;
"They're gone.  Left quietly."  Tanj nodded and turned
over the Imperial data crystal in her fingers.  "He said
they couldn't break the code on this one.  I wonder……."
Hinoki sat down opposite Tanj, in the chair that Trotskie
had occupied; "Do you think it’s a plant?  A fake?"  Tanj
shrugged; "Dunno.  We'll check it out."  Hinoki looked at
her for a moment and then sighed; "and what do you think all
that nonsense about the Elysium Government brainwashing the
populace was?"  Tanj shrugged; "I'd never thought about
it before, but come on, you have to admit its possible.
Subliminal messages in the Holo shows……  Subtle messages in
the education of the children….  Hell, if their advertising
agencies can sell some of the stuff they do, maybe
brainwashing of the populace ISN'T so far-fetched.  What
scares me is that he might decide to try and counter-program
everyone into supporting HIM just as loyally!

Trotskie grinned at Xylex as he exited the shuttle.  The
Wolverine really was being useful, making it very easy for
the Leader of the Reds to come and go, among other things.
"You gave her the crystal?" the Wolverine growled.  Trotskie
nodded; "Of course.  And her intelligence really was quite
good.  It was almost dead on, compared to what you've been
giving me."  Xylex nodded and shrugged.  The Bear grinned
and clapped the Wolverine on the back; "More than that, she
gave me the most marvelous idea.  Tell me; do you think we
could start a covert campaign to subliminally brainwash the
populace to support us?  Maybe if we were to find a way to
insert messages into the advertising.…."  Xylex looked at
the Bear and broke out laughing.  Trotskie looked hurt, for
a moment, and then his face hardened; "You Want To Tell Me
What's So Funny?"  Xylex struggled to control himself and
finally he was able to gasp out; "Oh…. You mean….you're just
NOW….. thinking of….. that?"  Shaking his head, the
Wolverine grinned at Trotskie; "The government's been doing
that forever; and it’s a lot more subtle than mere
subliminal suggestion.  Of course, its limited in scope, as
they want to keep it below notice.  In fact they try to keep
it subtle enough that even a casual examination turns up no
evidence……..  But I tell you what we'll do.  I'll tell you
where to raid, to "uncover" the foul Government plot……
spread THAT information, and it'll hurt the government two
ways.  The populace will be enraged at being tricked AND
they'll all start avoiding certain information services.
They'll have to depend on US for information.  And then
we'll pull the same trick!"  Trotskie just grinned.

The raccoon shook his head as he handed the crystal and a
sheaf of papers to Tanj.  "The crystal was genuine all
right.  Only the Imperials use crystals of that quality, and
format.  And they're jealously guarded; you don't find used
Imperial data crystals on the black market.  And the code
was a recent Imperial code.  In fact, we'd only broken it
about three weeks ago, and only with the assistance of
intelligence YOU provided.  The Transcript of the
information is there.  I'm sure you'll find it interesting.

Tanj sipped her coffee as she read the transcript.  Why
would the Imperials send a messenger to tell the Elysium
government that a messenger would be coming?  It sounded a
little suspect…. But then frequently bureaucracies did
stupid things just like that……  It seemed that the Imperials
had finally decided to intervene, to accede to Elysium's
requests for significant assistance…. For troops on the
ground.  And the courier that was being sent would carry the
data on what was being sent, and when.  The entire Imperial
Assistance Plan.  And it even listed the route the courier
was to follow.  Tanj sipped her coffee, and smelled a
trap… and yet the data crystal seemed to be genuine, seemed
to have the proper background, and history, seals and
authorizations….  If it was a trap, it was a trap conceived
of at the highest levels.  Gathering up her transcript, she
finished her coffee and rose, to go find her Master.

The lion nodded as he read the transcript.  "Yes, it might
be a trap, but if it isn't, that’s information we want.  I
suggest you set up a mission to intercept this agent, taking
all possible precautions against it being a trap."  Tanj
smiled, and nodded; "looks like I'm going to have to
requisition Mark for the operation, and I suppose it
wouldn't hurt to take Mala either……."  The Lion just shook
his head no as he handed the transcript back to her; "I’m
afraid I've got Mark on a….. Special Project.  And I believe
the Overlord left the station about two hours ago, with Mala
on it.  Make do with what you've got; you know how thin
we're all running right now.  Let me see your operational
plan by tomorrow evening.  Best get goin', you don't have
much time!"

Tanj looked at the scrap of paper in her paw again and
shook her head; "Tunnel 42, Frame 17B, Compartment A247?
I've been living in this station for…. Years, and I've NEVER
heard of this place!"  Shrugging she looked up at the sign
on the corner of the cross-corridors, and turned to head
down a little used tunnel.  After what seemed like an hour
of trudging, as the tunnel became increasingly rough, the
floor changing from smooth-as-marble to rough as cement, to
uneven rock still showing the marks of the drill bits, as
the lighting faded to an occasional maintenance light, she
finally found the door she was looking for.  Twisting the
handle, she found it didn't want to open, and it took all
her strength to force it.  What she found inside was NOT
what she expected.

The chamber inside was huge, a hemispherical bubble hollowed
from the rock of the asteroid.  Some valuable ore body must
have been here once, its removal leaving the large somewhat
irregularly shaped chamber.  Now it was brilliantly lit,
with cables thick as her thigh snaking across the floor to……
somethingvaguely resembling a sculpture of a half-melted
flower made of a flaking, greenish metal.  A moment later,
Tanj spied Mark, who stood right next to the thing, one
finger lightly tapping his muzzle, apparently completely
lost in thought. Grinning, she padded over……

Before she could speak, the Mouse held up a hand for silence
and carefully wiggled a couple of blunt spikes protruding
from the….. thing right where he stood.  The lights in the
chamber dimmed for a moment as the metal pulsed visibly, and
then returned to normal as Mark returned the spiked to their
original position.  He nodded, scribbled a note onto a pad
and finally turned to the Cheetah.  "Well, Hi, Tanj.
What brings you down here?"  Tanj chuckled a bit
uneasily, stealing looks at the "flower" as though it might
sneak up and grab her at any moment; "Oh, just wanted to say
goodbye.  Heading out on a "snatch-and-grab" mission."  Mark
nodded; "Yeah, I heard.  The Imperial Courier.  Should be an
interesting mission."  Tanj Chuckled; "Interesting…….
Yeah.  I just hope its not a Trap.  I sure do wish you were
coming….. But the Boss says you're needed here…. On…….
Whatever this is."  Mark nodded and waved his paw for a
moment; "That’s just what I'm trying to do here; figure out
just WHAT it is.  Its one of the alien gizmos the Boss got
from the Brou.  We THINK it might be some sort of
teleportation device…. Or it might be a way to open a door
between dimension…… or it MIGHT just be an alien garbage
disposal…. Or the Brou's idea of a practical joke.  Pretty
definitely one of the four…..."  Tanj grinned; "and how
come YOU drew the job of figuring it out?"  The Mouse smiled
mischievously; "For SOME reason, nobody else wanted much to
do with a device that makes things just….. disappear
seemingly at random.  Me, I don't mind - if anything, it
reminds me of my last Weird Tech project."  Tanj smiled
and leaned over to kiss Mark goodbye; "Well, I've got to get
going…."  Pausing at the door, and giving the Brou device
one last look, just in case, she turned back towards him;
"Uh, you don't foresee any….. significant problems with my
mission, do you?  Mark Hmmmmmm'ed and closed his eyes in
mock concentration, one hand cupping his forehead.  "I see a
tall, dark, hansom stranger…. No wait, that’s the NEXT
mission.  Sorry."  He opened his eyes again and shrugged
with a grin.  "Harmonic patterns, dear.  I'd tell you not to
do anything I wouldn't, but knowing you, you will anyways…."
Tanj stuck her tongue out at him, and then chuckled,
waved, and wrenched the door open again, and padded towards
the main portion of the station.

Tanj found Wanda in the station's medical facility.
Since she'd gotten her RN licence by sub-space
correspondence she'd been working there full-time, in the
"emergency room."  The Wolverine lass looked at Tanj and
sighed; "I STILL wish you'd consider taking me!"  Tanj
nodded; "I know, and I wanted to, but the Boss overrode me.
While he insists its too dangerous for you to go, he can't
seem to find any more resources for me.  We're going with a
minimal team, I'm afraid.  Everyone's just stretched too
thin these days."  Wanda nodded and sighed; "Yeah, I know;
with the fighting on Elysium, and all the raids we're
pulling, our shop here is busier than I care to think about.
But at least I'm learning a lot……"  Tanj nodded and
kissed Wanda goodbye; "Take care, Dear, and I'll try and
bring you back a little something."  Wanda grinned; "you DO
that!  Male.  Good Looking.  And well built!"  Tanj just
laughed..

Tanj sat at the end of the bar and quietly sipped her
drink as she watched the crowd.  It had been a whirlwind of
activity, leading through anxiety to boredom…… She'd put her
team together, requisitioned the required supplies and
personnel, worked up a plan, briefed the command team on the
plan, revised the plan, added contingency plans, re-briefed
the command team, gotten approval, loaded her ship, gotten
flight clearances, made the trip to the interception point,
established their cover, ……….  and now they waited.  And
waited.  In a way, it had all worked out to their advantage;
they were in place on Pharrpoint Station, with plenty of
time to scout the place out, to search for traps, to watch
for suspicious characters….. The courier's ship had been
delayed; in fact it was three days overdue.  At first
Tanj had wondered if they'd been raided by pirates;
someone else after the prize; then it turned out it was a
simple combination of things; delayed by customs at one
port; a mechanical problem in another……  The connecting ship
that the courier had been scheduled to depart on had left
four hours earlier, and that only made Tanj's task of
kidnapping the courier easier.  If the courier chose to
charter a ship to continue the journey, to make up lost
time, that wouldn't set off any alarm bells, would it?  It
didn't seem like a trap; Tanj thought it was MUCH too
unorganized to be a trap.  But that nagging worry remained.
She'd wished that she'd been able to bring Mark; if there
were any storm clouds on the horizon, she was sure he could
have spotted them.  Tanj and her team had gone through
the motions of checking out the station for hidden assassins
and commandos, trooping about, poking their noses into this
or that area…….  But all they'd found were a few smugglers
and one floating BarLac game that Zassa had immediately
joined.  Until she ran out of cash, much to Tanj's
amusement.  So now they waited, spending their days roaming
the station, trying to look as if they belonged there, and
their evenings in the station's bar, watching the arrival
board.

Zassa watched the bartender struggle to staple a large piece
of paper to the bulletin board near the bar's front door.
It was large and gaudy, with clashing colors; but it
succeeded in drawing attention, and as the bartender
returned to his position behind the bar, the vixen rose from
her seat to move closer, to look at it.  As she read, a huge
smile formed on her face; turning she strode across the bar
to where Tanj sat; "Skipper, you have GOT to come look at
this!"  Taking the Cheetah insistently by the paw, Zassa
dragged her from her barstool, to look at the poster.

Tanj blinked and then chuckled; the poster read; "Do you
think you have what it takes?  Got a good body?  Know how to
use it to please your partner?  Know any "party tricks?"
Enter our Annual Sex King/Sex Queen Contest!  Show the
Universe what you got!  Competitions for Best Male and Best
Female in the following categories:  Male/Female, Male/Male,
Female/Female, Solo, Group, Freestyle, and Dom/Sub.  Enter
Today!  Contest Starts 2000 Hrs, Stardate 2399.12"  Tanj
grinned wickedly and took a sip of her drink; things had
been dull; there didn't seem to be any danger present, and
the contest was the night before the Courier's ship was due
to arrive, assuming the latest estimates were accurate.
Maybe it would be fun to see what they could do; to see how
they stacked up against the other contestants.  The prizes
listed weren't too shabby either…..

Zassa watched Tanj's face and then grinned; she knew that
calculating look… Turning she padded back to her table to
whisper to Hinoki, already thinking about what they might
do…….

It was late when they got back to the ship, but not too late
for Tanj to head down to Engineering…. She had some ideas
she wanted to work on, ideas for their "show," and she knew
she wouldn't be able to sleep well until she'd checked them
out……

Tanj looked up as Hinoki wandered into Engineering
carrying two steaming mugs of coffee.  Her workbench was
covered with strips of leather, pieces of velcro, and short
lengths of chromed and black anodized aluminum tubing.
Grinning, Tanj pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and
set down the gizmo she was working on.  As she reached for
the mug Hinoki had set on the counter, she purrrred; "Glad
you're here; as soon as the oven times out, I think we'll be
ready for fitting….."  Hinoki blinked; "Oven?  I thought I
smelled burning rubber in here… what HAVE you been working
on all night?  Or shouldn't I ask?"  Tanj blinked and
swallowed her mouthful of coffee; gasping, she mumbled;
"huh?  All night?  What time IS it?"  Hinoki chuckled and
sat on the edge of the workbench; "Oh, its about 0900
Hours……"  Tanj opened her mouth, obviously to say
something, but then the timer by the oven dinged and she was
dashing over, to find the insulated gloves, to remove a
ceramic mold…….  Setting it on the workbench to cool, she
turned back to close the oven door and then shut it off.
Turning back to the mold, she looked at it critically as she
spoke; "I got the idea from that drum of surfactant we
picked up for the water recycling system….."  Hinoki
straightened; "you mean that slime that looks kinda like a
barrel full of cum?"  Tanj grinned and nodded; "the
stuff's non-toxic, and it doesn't even smell bad, but it
DOES look like jism, doesn't it?  Anyways, I was thinking
about entering you and Zassa in the Dom/Sub competition,
ordering you to use Zassa, to cover her in cum.  But of
course, even with your, ah, "significant" prowess, that'd
still take all night.  And the contest segments are only  an
hour long, max.  Therefor, I thought you'd need a little
help……."

Hinoki had slid from the edge of the workbench, his coffee
forgotten as his eyes roved over the bits and pieces
scattered over the workbench top; "Um, just what DO you have
in mind?"  Tanj chuckled and gingerly tested the heat of
the ceramic mold, finding it still just a little hot to
hold; "Oh, first off, I thought a nice chrome and black
leather cock and ball harness might be nice……. It'd keep you
nice and hard, and provide some interesting stimulation for
Zassa…. AND provide a hiding place for the tube….."  Hinoki
looked down at the table again; "the cock and ball harness
sounds ok, but "the tube?"  You don't mean to tell me…."
Tanj grinned and nodded rapidly; "Yup.  We're going to
give you a little assistance in covering Zassa with "cum"……

Hinoki shook his head and grinned; the device Tanj had
built was a marvel… the cock and ball cage was bright chrome
tubing, seemingly seamless….. and it gripped him
mercilessly, one ring encircling that space between his
balls and his body, another, oblong ring going from behind
his balls, framing his sheath, to hold a smaller chromed
ring over its opening, with all sorts of cross-members,
making it look almost like a piece of armor……except for the
tender bits of flesh squeezed between the metal.  And of
course there was the obligatory section that traveled from
back to front, separating and spreading his balls…. The
trick was that it WASN'T all one piece, but was several
segments that snapped together…..  Tanj had this magnetic
wand, that when she waved it near the junctures, the thing
literally fell to pieces.  At the tip of his sheath, the
device turned to leather and elastic, and more chrome; it
was the classic "gates of hell" just waiting for his cock to
grow from his sheath…… and of course, the underside of the
assemblage held a hidden, black anodized tube……

Hinoki grimaced as he bent over the workbench.  "Hold Still"
Tanj chuckled as she tried to maneuver the special rubber
butt plug she'd made into the Cheetah's ass.  Hinoki
squirmed again; "But its COLD; the least you coulda done was
warm it up some…….  Tanj slowly worked the device into
Hinoki's ass; "Hmmmmm; I had to use a very flexible rubber
for this thing, but that's made it just a bit soft and hard
to get in……  There, finally in place.  Hinoki smiled and
wiggled his bottom experimentally; "Doesn't feel that big;
I've taken worse……"  Tanj just chuckled as she grabbed
the base of his tail, to try and hold him still; "Oh,
this'll be worse.  The part inside you will expand as I fill
it with the surfac….. the goo. Let me know when it gets too
much for you…."  Hinoki nodded, his head turning to look
back over his shoulder as Tanj connected a tube to the
center of the buttplug and slowly started to pump in the
pseudo-cum with a small hand-pump.  Tanj couldn't help
but chuckle as the expression on Hinoki's face went from a
soft smile to a wide-eyed look to a grimace as the head of
the plug expanded, swelling, filling his bowels…. The butt-
plug itself might have been cold, but she'd thought to warm
the goo to just above body temperature, figuring the warmth
would help relax his muscles.  As she pumped she panted;
"Gotta get a larger pump; this one's made for high pressure
and only does 5 cc's per stroke.  But then, at least that'll
give you time to adjust…..  Finally the cheetah gasped;
"That’s it…. Best stop there….."  Tanj chuckled and shook
her head; "Oh, come on, Hinoki, you're barely starting to
show!  You can take more, I KNOW it; why, if I remember
correctly, your record is eight liters!"  Looking at the
Cheetah male, Tanj chuckled and thought she knew what he
really wanted…..  Rising, she grabbed Hinoki by the scruff
of his neck, and growling with mock ferocity, pulled him
back from the workbench, forcing him to his knees.  She
laughed as he squirmed, the four liters or so of goo within
him surging as he moved, putting pressure on his insides.
As he knelt, she moved behind him to shackle his ankles to
the opposite legs of the workbench, holding them well apart.
A few more straps secured his wrists behind his back,
pulling them up towards his collar, and another strap was
run from the front of his collar to a tie-down ring in the
floor, leaving him with his ass high in the air.

Going back to her pump, Tanj slowly started to pump the
warm goo into the Cheetah's ass, filling the inflatable
plug, and as the plug widened, distended, extended, so did
the male's eyes widen.  Hinoki yowled, and squalled,
squirming, his claws raking ineffectually at the air above
his back, and while he was struggling like mad, his face
wore a curious expression of both pleasure and pain.
Grinning, Tanj reached around with her other paw, to rub
his slowly swelling tummy, to try and help relieve the
growing pressures… and of course as she did so, she
occasionally stroked his sheath, and his balls…….  If you
didn't know him, you wouldn't think the growing bulge of his
belly all that remarkable, but now the normally sleek
Cheetah male was starting to look a little plump.  Tanj
grinned as she used one paw to stroke his growing belly, to
fondle him occasionally, as she pumped in the last of the
goo……  Disconnecting the pump from the butt-plug, Tanj
watched Hinoki as she struggled to connect up the tubing the
way she wanted it.

Hinoki groaned and squirmed; the sensations were…. Unique.
The combination of being tied down, and filled so full was
something that strangely delighted him……. But he'd never let
Tanj know that.  As trouble fiddled with the plumbing he
groaned and panted…….

Tanj finally finished and gave the male Cheetah a playful
slap on the ass; "There you go.  Now all you have to do is
keep your asshole clenched until the proper time….. then all
you have to do is relax."  Releasing  the Cheetah's bound
feet and then undoing his collar from the tie-down, she
helped him stand, to lean back against the workbench.  His
stomach did have the most delightful little bulge……

Hinoki winced as he moved, rising to a standing position.
Turning to look at Tanj, he gave her his best "dirty
look."  Tanj just laughed; "Oh, come on; its going to be
great; here, let me show you……."

Hinoki leaned back against the workbench as Tanj knelt
before him, her tongue stroking over the chrome and leather
binding his sex; it took almost no provocation for the
Cheetah male to become aroused, his cock expanding from his
sheath, slipping between the waiting rings…  As he hardened,
as he grew, the flesh of his cock strained against the
encircling rings, pushing against the elastic that held them
together… by the time Tanj's tongue had added a sheen of
saliva to his sex, Hinoki's cock was straining, tightly
encircled in chrome, outlined in black leather.  Tanj
took her time, her rough feline tongue stroking those
exposed, most sensitive places, toying with him, teasing……..

Hinoki squirmed under Tanj's tongue; it was a constant
effort to keep his asshole clenched, to hold in the goop,
especially when he would much rather have released it,
easing the pressure in his bowels.  That effort, that
concentration subtracted somewhat from the pleasures of
Tanj's tongue, but it wasn't enough.  Tanj hadn't told
him to hold back his orgasm, and he gripped the edges of the
workbench fiercely as that moment approached.

Zassa looked up from her console as she broke the connection
with Pharrpoint traffic control.  The Courier's ship was
still a good eight hours out.  Maybe more if they got held
up at the Sou'gre jump point.  That place was always a mess.
Zassa grinned as she thought of the wolf she'd met in the
bar, the one who worked in traffic control.  It was amazing
how a little loving could loosen someone's tongue.  She'd
told him that an old friend was on that ship and that she
was eager to see her, and the Wolf had most obligingly,
between kisses, and some petting, related the ship's flight
plan, revealing to her the whole route the ship was taking.
Zassa had been amazed that the behind-schedule ship would
take a path through the most backed-up traffic jam in the
quadrant, but it seemed in character with everything else
the ship was doing…..  Glancing at the Chronograph, the
Vixen wondered just what had happened to Hinoki.  He'd gone
to look for Tanj almost two hours ago….. Rising she
proceeded to head for Engineering, to see if she could find
them, wondering what was up.

Katherine van der Beck growled in frustration.  The Mink had
been to see the ship's purser several times, each time
getting nothing but platitudes and excuses as to why the
ship was so far behind schedule.  They'd told her they were
doing the best they could, and to please shut up and be
patient.  And it was supposed to be such a reputable
passenger line, too!  Growling she turned and strode from
the purser's office towards the Port lounge.  Turning a
corner she almost ran into a rather large, elderly and quite
overweight Bison, who was maneuvering himself through the
corridor with the aid of two canes.  Somehow, as she tried
to keep from knocking him over, one of the canes jabbed hard
at her foot, making her squall.  And then they had stepped
back from each other, the Bison all apologies and concern.
Kathy just shook her head and assured him she was fine, and
limping slightly, resumed her trek to the lounge.

As soon as she was around the corner, the Bison
straightened, no longer leaning on his canes.  Grinning he
examined the tip of one of them, and then nodding in
satisfaction, turned, and twirling both canes like a
showman, headed off down a different corridor.

Zassa smirked as she entered engineering, to find Tanj on
her knees, tongue stroking the male Cheetah's cock.  From
the look on Hinoki's face, he was about to explode, but what
happened next surprised even Zassa.   Throwing his head
back, Hinoki yowled loudly, and as his cock started to
spurt, Tanj sat back, his jism splattering her chin,
throat and chest.  But the Cheetah didn't stop; his cock
seemed to spurt for minutes, to spurt until Tanj's whole
front was a white sticky mess…… and the look on Hinoki's
face was somewhere between terror and ecstasy.  Zassa just
stared in amazement, as Tanj started laughing….. Finally
the Cheetah ran dry, and his eyes opened, and then widened
as he saw Tanj.   Tanj took one look and started
laughing again, little white droplets flying from her as she
shook.

Zassa shook her head in amazement, as she padded closer, her
eyes moving from the laughing, cum-covered Tanj to the
panting Hinoki; "Tanj what have you DONE to him?  How'd
you make him….. I mean he's never…… I've never seen even a
stallion or a bull cum that much!

Tanj chuckled and rose to her feet, to look down at
herself; "Hinoki, you show her what we've been up to; I've
GOT to find a towel or something…..  Dripping, Tanj
padded across the workspace to look for something to wipe up
the mess with, as Hinoki grinned at the Vixen; "It’s a
pretty interesting device, really…. It all works from this
VERY inflatable butt-plug……  and you wouldn't believe the
sensations; when I came; it was like I lost ALL control, my
ass spasming around the plug, the sensation of the goo
flowing out, my belly deflating, it all just seemed to
combine to keep my orgasm alive for hours…..  And the look
on Tanj's face!  It was Great!

Kathy sighed as she sat down in the Lounge.  That damn Bison
should have looked where he was going.   SHE should have
been looking where she was going.  Bending over, she looked
at her left foot, where the Bison's cane had jabbed her.
Sure enough, there was a tiny drop of blood on her fur.  But
it didn't look too serious.  Ignoring it, she signaled the
bartender, deciding on something STRONG to drink……

Tanj was still chuckling as she headed down the corridor
towards the head; she'd used up half the disposable wipes in
Engineering trying to clean herself up, but she was still a
mess.  At least the surfactant didn't dry like genuine cum;
it was still a sticky smeary mess.  As she rounded the
corner, she almost collided with Hinoki; panting the male
Cheetah gasped; "Good think I caught you in time; I got to
thinking………Tanj, if you try and wash off all that
chemical, you'll screw up the water recycling system
royally.  You should know better!"  Tanj stopped and
stared at Hinoki for a minute and then groaned.  "Dammit,
you're right.  I hadn't thought of that……  Oh, Hell, NOW how
am I gonna get clean?"  Hinoki just chuckled and shrugged
and gingerly stepped around Tanj, continuing on his way,
leaving the messy Cheetah fem in his wake.

It'd taken Tanj another couple of hours, but she'd rigged
up a "bath" in Engineering, from some shipping containers
and some plastic sheeting, and had finally scrubbed herself
clean enough to use the shower…. Rising from the "tub" she
grinned; she felt like she'd been slimed….  Still dripping
on the floor, she rigged a transfer hose to let the vacuum
of space suck the slimy water from the tub.  Then the
plastic sheeting went into recycling.  And the shipping
containers were collapsed and stored.  And THEN she padded,
nude, and still dripping, towards the shower……

Tanj was yawning by the time she finished the nice hot
shower.  As she let the hot air from the fur dryer swirl
around her, she fantasized about a soft bed and clean
sheets…… When the dryer clicked off, she straightened up the
bathroom and headed for her cabin…. Only to run into Zassa
as the Vixen headed towards the bathroom; "Contest starts in
about two hours!  You gonna be ready?"  Tanj blinked at
the Vixen, and then mumbled an assent.  Slipping into her
cabin she groaned as she saw the Chronometer; she'd worked
all night, and then spent all morning with Hinoki, and then
all afternoon trying to get clean….. and now it was time to
get ready……

Tanj was still yawning while she fiddled with the tubing
connections.  She'd done her hair, decided on a "pattern"
for her living dress, consulted with Zassa with respect to
what she had planned for her part of the scene with Hinoki,
and on what the Vixen was going to wear (or not wear, as the
case may be), and now, finally, just before they were to
leave the ship, Tanj was again on her knees, in front of
Hinoki, as he perched on the edge of the workbench.  Hinoki,
for his part, was wearing a stout leather collar, with
chrome bosses and buckle, and the cock-and-ball harness
Tanj had fabricated, and nothing else.  Bending over, he
tried to both watch and not fall off the workbench as
Tanj connected the tubing to the hand pump, and slowly
started to fill his ass with the warmed surfactant.
Tanj's gaze alternated from the Cheetah's face to her
pump, to the tubing connections and back as she rhythmically
squeezed the hand pump, loading the inflatable butt-plug in
his ass with the goop.  Finally she exchanged looks with
Zassa and then, looking up at Hinoki; she growled; "That’s
where you were last time; want to stop here?"  Hinoki
grimaced and then shook his head no; "Last time there were
spots of you that HADN'T been covered; lets go a little
more.  After all, if we're going to do it, lets do it
RIGHT!"  Tanj grinned and gave the hand pump a dozen more
strokes, and then disconnected the line.  She'd added a
tiny, remotely activated valve, tucked into the leather
behind the Cheetah's balls; he wouldn't have control over
the device until she was ready to "let him loose"……..  After
all, none of them knew how long it might be before it was
their turn to perform…….

Kathy groaned as she lay nude on the bunk in her stateroom.
She'd had MUCH too much to drink.  Her head was swimming,
her vision blurry.  And for some reason she was horny as
hell.  If she'd felt just a little better, she decided,
she'd go back to the lounge and find a suitable male…. As if
there was a suitable male on the whole flaming ship…….
Sighing, she blinked, and resigned herself to being alone
tonight.  Watching the ceiling slowly revolve, her paws
moved to stroke between her thighs.  LORD she was wet……..

They had to walk carefully, but it wasn't any worse than
walking in the coffle back at the academy.  Tanj's living
dress sheathed her in gleaming black, coating her like a
second skin.  The middle of it resembled a corset, with
half-cups, barely supporting her breasts, but doing the job
in making them stand out prominently.  It descended from the
corset to form a miniskirt of indecently short length.  And
from her exposed nipples, thin gold chains ran from her
nipple rings, one to the ring in the end of Hinoki's hard
cock; the other to Zassa's clitty ring.  Her left hand held
a small purse, swinging at her side, but her right held a
short riding crop, symbol of her authority over her slaves.
Both Zassa and Hinoki were more or less nude, both wearing
matching collars.  Hinoki was outfitted in his cock-and-ball
harness, the leather and chrome seemingly making his sex all
the more prominent.  Zassa sported short chains ending in
jingle-bells from nipple and labia rings, and she made music
as she walked.  From the way their little parade had turned
heads on the way to the bar, Tanj was sure they were
going to make a classic entrance.

Sure enough, despite a room full of sexily dressed, scantily
clad, or just plain nude furrs, all eyes turned when Tanj
and her slaves entered the bar.  Hinoki's tightly bound cock
and balls, and Zassa's bouncing breasts drew their share of
appreciative looks as they moved through the crowded bar.
As Tanj signed them in Zassa and Hinoki knelt behind her,
showing very good form (although Tanj was convinced that
they were teasing her, considering the way the chains
between her nipples and them seemed to go tight from time to
time……..  Tanj was assigned a number, and flicking her
riding crop as a signal, Zassa and Hinoki rose smoothly as
they wheeled and moved off to a vacant table near the stage.

After Tanj had sat, Zassa and Hinoki at her feet, Tanj
bent over to whisper; "We're Number 17.  They're currently
on Number Eight, so we've got a while to wait.  Think you
can handle it, Hinoki?  The Cheetah just nodded.  Tanj
sat back and when the waitress came by, ordered a pitcher of
Sangria.  Periodically giving Zassa, or Hinoki a sip, she
settled back to watch the show.

Tanj smiled as the male/female act finished up.  She had
to admit she'd never seen a Mouse/Clydedale couple before…..
and the Mouse had to have been the best-hung Mouse she'd
ever seen.  Still, she thought the Mare's cries of ecstasy
were just a little…… staged.  The Master of Ceremonies (the
Bartender) waited until they were off the stage and then
stepped into the spotlight.  Thanks to Brent and Dahlia for
an …… interesting performance.  Judges are you ready for the
next act?"  After a moment the head judge nodded and the
bartender turned back to face the audience; looking down at
his notes, he grinned; "Next we have Duke…. and  Bruce, the
third contestants in the Male/Male category."  Tanj
sipped her Sangria and smiled as two muscular and well-
formed Rottweilers took the stage.  One of them grinned at
the other as he pulled off his shorts; "Standard Rules?  We
wrestle for who's on top?  The other Rotweiller grinned back
and nodded, and slipping off his own shorts, fell into a
wrestler's crouch.  Tanj smiled as she admired the way
their muscles moved as they circled each other, thinking
this could be interesting…….

Kathy was panting hard.  She'd never had a hangover like
this before.  Her head was pounding, and she was sweating
bullets.  And her mouth felt like a battalion of Imperial
Marines had marched through it in their sweatsocks. The
liquor she'd had the night before must have been real rot-
gut……  And she was hornier than ever despite the fact that
through the sleepless night she'd stroked herself to at
least a half dozen climaxes…….   Panting she hoped she'd be
feeling better by the time the ship docked in a few hours.
She was scarcely in any shape to be seen like this……

Tanj winced as she watched, her mind flashing back to her
time in the academy.  The Dom/Sub scene that had come up
next in the contest's rather random order seemed to consist
solely of the heavyset male wolf showing just how much pain
his partner, a rather svelte lady Rabbit could absorb.  He'd
brought in a portable bondage cross, lashed her tightly to
it, and started with a paddle, working over her ass until
she squirmed.  Then he'd exchanged the paddle to work over
her back and her upper thighs with a cane.  As Tanj
looked over the crowd, she noted that most of them were
having the same reaction she was…. And the Judges didn't
look too happy either.  On the other hand, the Sub still
tightly clutched the white handkerchief in her left paw.
That was her "safeword"; if she dropped it, her Dom was
honor-bound to stop….. and thus it went on.  Bending over to
give Hinoki a sip of Sangria, she looked into his eyes for a
moment and they both nodded to each other; they'd been
through things like this in their respective training, and
had both found it something to be avoided.  Turning to give
Zassa a sip, however, Tanj found her eyes bright with
facination; the Vixen was almost squirming in place.  After
taking a sip, Zassa whispered back; "LOOK at her!  She's
LOVING it!  Look at how WET she is!"  Tanj lifted her
head to look, and sure enough, the Rabbit's thighs were
matted with her juices.  And when the Wolf exchanged the
cane for a heavy bullwhip, in a bar suddenly gone deathly
quiet, Tanj caught the low moan of delight and
anticipation from the Rabbit.  Sure enough, by the third
stroke, the bound Rabbit was writhing through the throes of
a powerful climax.  The Wolf finished up with a powerful
stroke with the bullwhip, bringing its tip up to snap
between the Rabbit's well-spread legs, its sharp pain
seeming to only drive her further into her climax, her
juices visibly flying from the impact.  After a moment, the
Wolf untied her legs and then her arms, and the Rabbit
turned, to throw her arms around him, to kiss him hotly.
Slowly, he helped her off the stage, someone else coming to
retrieve the cross.

The Bartender again stepped into the spotlight, looking a
little shaken, staring off stage at where the Wolf and
Rabbit had gone.  Then, clearing his throat, he looked down
at his notes.  "Ah, our next contestants are …… Muffy and
Buffy, the sixth contestants in the female/female category……

Kathy grumbled as she tried to brush out her hair.  She'd
taken a long, cold shower, and had packed.  The ship was
about to dock, and while she felt a little better, the
headache receding, she still felt hot, as if she was running
a low-grade fever.  And she was still horny as hell.  She
didn't know what was wrong with her, but she'd NEVER felt
like this before.  No matter.  She had a ship to catch, if
it hadn't already left.  She was an Imperial Courier; she
could handle this.

Tanj softly stroked Hinoki's head as she watched the next
act.  The fact that the lady Porcupine was doing a "solo"
act hadn't really surprised her, but the way she was using a
variety of fruits and vegetables……. Tanj just had to
grin.  Finally, she'd brought herself to a screaming orgasm
squatting above a rather large gourd with the most amazing
protuberance on top, and as she padded off stage, the
Bartender once again took the spotlight. "Um, if our judges
are ready, our next act is Bartholomew and the Gibbs
sisters……"  Tanj took another sip of her Sangria and
smiled as two nude White Tigresses led a rather short Bobcat
to the stage.

Kathy stood in the middle of the Pharrpoint station
embarkation area and groaned.  Her connecting ship was LONG
gone.  And there was nothing else heading towards Elysium
for almost two weeks!  Grumbling she checked her bags in a
locker, and turned to see if she could find a ship to
charter.  As she headed towards the station's offices, she
stopped to look into the bar, in response to a loud cheer.

Tanj did her best to maintain her composure when, as the
two ladies led a rather exhausted and drained Bobcat from
the stage, the announcer called her name.  Taking a final
sip of her Sangria, as the spotlight swung to her table, the
Cheetah fem took her time, rising only when she was ready,
Hinoki and Zassa rising smoothly behind her to follow.
Gaining the center of the stage, Tanj paused to release
first Hinoki's chain from her right nipple ring, and then
Zassa's chain from her left.  Bending, she passed the end of
one through a convenient eyebolt towards the edge of the
stage, and then connected one chain to the other,
effectively securing both her slaves to the stage.
Straightening, she looked at Hinoki and then at Zassa, and
then growled; "Slave, I command you to cover the vixen in
cum.  Use her any way you like; command her as you will, but
do NOT leave this stage until she's inundated!"  Shifting
her gaze to Zassa, Tanj growled; "Obey this slave; do as
he wills, and do NOT let him leave with a drop of cum still
within him!"  Turning, Tanj walked as Regally as she
could back to her table, to resume her seat.

Hinoki grinned down at Zassa, his face almost forming a
snear; "On your knees, you worthless slave.  How low can you
be, to be a slave to a slave?  Put your paws behind your
neck, crawl over here, and lick me!"

Kathy watched from the doorway, and something within her
stirred.  For a moment, she wondered what it would be like
to be that naked and collared vixen in the middle of the
stage, commanded to lick the male?  Shivering, she looked
towards the station's offices and then sighed; they were
probably all closed at this late hour anyways.  And she
could use a drink.  Slipping through the doorway, she found
a barstool, and ordered a soft drink, her eyes on the couple
on the stage…….

Hinoki stood there, hands on his hips as the vixen ran her
tongue over his hard cock.  He was turned at an angle, so
that most of the patrons of the bar could appreciate the
Vixen's talent in using her tongue.  Zassa first ran her
tongue, not over the Cheetah's bound cock, but over his
bulging balls, stroking him with the tip of her tongue, as
if to call the attentions of the onlookers to the way the
chrome and leather so tightly encircled the male's sack, how
it made his balls bulge, and strain, how forcefully they
were held away from his body.  Slowly Zassa's tongue worked
its way up along his sheath, until it got to the bright pink
of his hard shaft.  There, she lingered, stroking her tongue
over all the exposed portions of his sensitive flesh.  And
the results of her actions were seen on his face.  Hinoki's
eyes closed, and a delighted smile spread over his face.  He
suffered her attentions for a while, and then looked down at
her and growled; "Enough.  Turn and crouch before me, ass
high.  And don't take your paws from behind your neck!"

Kathy watched intently, her drink forgotten.  She could feel
herself getting VERY wet at the scene being played out
before her; so wet she worried about spotting through her
dress.  But she couldn't bring herself to leave, to tear her
eyes away.

Zassa turned meekly, showing her left side to the majority
of the bar's patrons, her legs spread, her tail held high,
her generous breasts squashed against the floor of the stage
as she held her paws behind her head.  Hinoki stroked a
finger across her rump, a gentle caress, followed by a quick
surprising slap to her ass, making her flesh bounce
delightfully.  Moving up behind her, he presented the chrome
and leather encased cock to her pussy, and slowly shoved
forwards.  Zassa took the cue and pushed back against him,
moaning as she felt the rings surrounding his shaft force
their way inside her, stretching her a bit wider than usual.
Hinoki moved slowly, always pulling out enough to show the
crowd that he was indeed burying his cock in her pussy, her
juices causing his shaft, and the leather to shine slickly.
She was panting hard, and obviously on the verge of a climax
when he stopped and pulled out.  The Vixen let a small
whimper escape as she felt his cock leave her, and that only
earned her another slap on the ass.  Then Hinoki was
pressing the head of his cock against her anal ring, and the
Vixen HOWLED as he slowly drove his beringed cock into her
ass, the chain from the ring in the "eye" of his cock being
dragged along.  The Vixen writhed in both pain and pleasure
as Hinoki fucked her ass with increasing fury, each ring
shoved through her anal ring making her gasp.

Kathy moaned softly to herself as she watched, and literally
had to force her hand away from her crotch; she wanted soo
much to touch herself, as she noted so many others doing in
the bar…..  As she watched, she wished more than ever, that
she was the one on her knees on the stage, instead of that
flame-hued vixen.

Tanj grinned and thumbed the remote from "safe" to
"Armed."  It wouldn't be long now…..

The Cheetah on stage grinned wickedly and snaked one  arm
around her waist to rub between her thighs, to tease and
torment her empty pussy….. until at last Zassa convulsed, a
powerful climax ripping through her.  Hinoki slowed a bit,
but didn't cease his motions, until at last he jerked his
cock out of her.  Zassa moved quickly, and the suddenness of
her move, the wantonness of her action made even Hinoki's
eyes go wide as she slurped the Cheetah's throbbing cock
back into her mouth.  Seconds later he was spurting, his cum
flying from his cock….. and as his muscles spasmed, as his
whole body shook, he lost the tight clench he had around the
plug in his butt, the pressure of his bowels forcing the
fake cum through the tube.  Zassa had pulled back, and was
grinning, eyes closed, as Hinoki's cum rained down on her,
bathing her.  From the expression on her face, you would
have thought that it was the most sensual experience she'd
ever had….

Hinoki panted and managed just enough control to
rhythmically clench his ass, making the "cum" seem to spurt
from his cock.  He took his slick shaft in hand and played
the globs over the vixen, covering her face, her breasts,
and on down over her belly and thighs….. it seemed to go on
forever.

Kathy watched in amazement as the Cheetah seemed to spurt
endlessly.  Never in her life had she ever seen ANY male cum
like that!  It looked marvelous, and as she gazed in rapt
attention, her paw unconsciously stealing to rub at her
crotch, she decided she HAD to find a way to have the
Cheetah slave do her, like he'd done the vixen.  Perhaps she
could approach their owner about borrowing or renting
him……..

Tanj's eyes weren't on Hinoki and Zassa, but were on the
crowd.  Aside from the very liquid noises coming from the
stage, from Hinoki's grunts and Zassa's moans, the room was
dead quiet.  Here and there, one fur or another caressed
themselves or a partner, but for the most part, Hinoki and
Zassa had captured the audience's complete attention.

Hinoki sighed as the last of the fake cum dribbled from his
harness.  Winking at Zassa, he turned to face Tanj,
adopting a proper kneeling position, as if awaiting her next
command.  Zassa, already kneeling, just grinned…. And
dripped.  A not inconsiderable puddle was slowly forming
under her.  Tanj arose, languidly, as if the performance
had been merely satisfactory, and padded to the stage (being
careful of where she stepped), to unchain her slaves.
Heedless of the crowd, she took their chains in her left
hand and headed back for her table.  And THEN the crowd
burst into cheers and applause!

The Bartender mounted the stage, also being careful of where
he stepped.  Gazing down at the puddle, he shook his head,
and then he turned to glance at the judges.  "Um, if
everyone's ready, the next contestants are Bethany and
Samuel, Contestants Number twenty-three in the Male/Female
category…..

Tanj gave Hinoki a long sip of Sangria and then gave
Zassa a sip; "Very good, you two, I'm PROUD of you!"  Zassa
giggled and shook herself a little, droplets splattering
everyone for several tables around; "That was GREAT!  But
how do I get clean?"  Tanj chuckled; "we'll get you clean
when we get back to the ship.  Right now, you just kneel
there and look incredibly sexy."  Tanj clipped the chains
to the leg of the table and sat back, to wait her turn in
the solo competition……

Kathy watched the couple on the stage make slow, tender and
passionate love to each other and just sighed.  That wasn't
what she wanted.  She wanted something rougher, something
more forceful…..  Maybe, given her job as a courier and
liaison for  the Imperial government, a position of some
power and authority, had left her hungering for something
else……  Her eyes kept straying to the Cheetah fem in the
strange dress, with the two slaves.  As the current act
concluded, she had just about made up her mind to approach
the Cheetah Fem, and ask her if there was some way she could
borrow her male slave……

Tanj smiled when the Bartender again called her name.
Moving gracefully, she mounted the stage, to stand in the
spotlight.  As she moved into position, she formed a mental
image, commanding the creature that was her living dress to
shift, to shrink, to form a thick, tight corset, pulling in
her waist, pushing up her breasts.  As the creature flowed
over her she heard a collective gasp from the audience, and
the buzz of conversation.  Smiling at the crowd, she
squatted, center stage, knees widespread.  Dropping one paw
to her crotch she relaxed her muscles and slowly a standard
pool ball appeared, squeezed from her pussy.  Grinning she
held it up so that everyone could see it was the No.1 ball……

Zassa leaned over to whisper to Hinoki; "where'd she get
those?"  Hinoki chuckled and shrugged; "must have been
holding them there since we left the ship, a feat, I'd think
on a parallel with me holding the opening to that inflated
butt-plug shut all that time!  Zassa just giggled and shook
her head; "noooooooo, she's been sitting, remember!  Easier
to hold when you're sitting."  Hinoki just chuckled softly
and turned back to watch.

Kathy blinked as the Cheetah produced a solid-colored ball,
numbered "2", and then another striped ball numbered "3",
each glistening with her juices.   Then, as everyone
watched, she made great show of holding up the Number 1
ball, and reinserting it into her pussy.  Then the No.2 ball
disappeared in the same fashion, and then the No.3 ball.
The Cheetah rose, to do a small dance, twirling about, as if
she were in the middle of some exotic dance routine, and
then she again fell into a squat, immediately in front of
one of the stage-side tables.  Grinning at the male Stag
there, she calmly produced, again, the No.1 ball, then the
No.2, and then the No.3…. for a moment it was lost on the
Stag, and it almost looked as if he were about to shrug, to
say "so what?"  And then realization dawned on his face.
The No.1 ball had been the first she'd inserted into her
sex, but it had been the first one out!  No.3 had been the
last one in, but it also had been the last one out.  The
Stag's mouth dropped in surprise and Tanj laughed and
bent forward to kiss him on the nose;  "Tell me sir, what
order should I put them back in, and what order would you
like to see them emerge in?"  The Stag grinned; "put them
in, one, two, three, and THEN I'll tell you what order to
remove them in!"  Tanj just laughed and nodded, making a
great show of spreading her labia with the fingers of one
paw, inches from his face, and inserting the pool balls as
requested.  The Stag nodded as the last disappeared, and
then chuckled; "Now, lets see you remove them, two, one,
three!"  Tanj rose, as if to resume her dance but the
stag grabbed her tail, pulling her back down; "No, no" he
chuckled; "I don't want you pulling any kind of a switch.  I
want you to stay RIGHT here.  Tanj chuckled and dropped
one paw to her mons as she squatted at the edge of the
stage, shamelessly caressing herself.  After a moment or
two, she let out a low moan, her body shaking, as she teased
herself to a small climax.  Then, grinning at the Stag, she
expelled the No.2 ball, then the No.1 ball, and finally,
with a flourish, the No.3 ball, which she presented to the
Stag.  Rising, she bowed to the judges and with a saucy
walk, sauntered back to her table.  As she moved, her living
dress expanded, flowing up and down her body, to form a
strapless sheath that covered her from just above her
nipples to just below her crotch.

Kathy shook her head in amazement; either the Cheetah Fem
was a master at slight-of-hand, or her vaginal muscles were
incredibly dexterous…….  Deciding that perhaps this Fem was
just the one that could help her with her sudden…. itch,
the Mink left her barstool, almost untouched drink in hand,
to push her way through the throng.

Tanj was still smiling, when her eye caught the motion.
Turning to look, she had to make a conscious effort not to
let her mouth drop open.  There, pushing through the crowded
bar was a female Mink, looking almost exactly like the ID
picture that had been on the Imperial data crystal… the ID
picture of the Courier!  Grabbing Zassa's head, Tanj
turned her forcibly to look in the direction of the Mink,
and bent to whisper in her ear; "do you SEE what I think I'm
seeing?"  Zassa reached up to the table and grabbed the
glass of Sangria, to take a quick gulp.  Blinking she looked
again and then turned her head up to look at Tanj;
"OHYEAH!  And if SHE'S coming here, maybe this IS a trap!"
Tanj took another look at the oncoming Mink, now stymied
by two large Bears that seemed to be having some sort of
argument.  The Mink was looking left and right, as if trying
to find a way around the two arguing ursines.  Tanj
scanned the crowd but couldn't spot anyone who looked like
security forces, or commandos……. Unless you counted the lady
Hippopotamus in the sheer Teddy…..  but no, she looked much
too happy to be preparing for a fight.  Hinoki had shifted,
following their gazes and had nodded sagely; "Yup.  If its
NOT a trap, I'd love to know what's going on, as it’s the
DAMNDEST coincidence.  And us not armed with anything more
powerful than a thoroughly drained cum shooter…….."

Tanj hissed at her two "slaves" to behave, to kneel as
they should, and as they adjusted their postures, Tanj
slipped her right paw into her purse, to grasp the small
nerve disrupter she had placed there, as surreptitiously as
possible, as she turned to look at the approaching Mink.

Kathy sighed and then GROWLED as the two bears continued
their argument, blocking her way.  As one, they turned to
LOOK at her, and then without a word, each stepped back to
let her through.  Moving carefully as to not spill her
drink, Kathy stepped between them with an icy "Thank You"
and resumed her trek towards Tanj & Co.

Tanj looked up curiously as she sipped her Sangria,
holding the glass in her left paw.  Frowning she looked at
it; somehow it had been almost completely drained……. Ah…..
Hinoki and Zassa had been into it without permission while
she was on stage.  Naughty.  She was going to have to
"punish" them for that…..  A polite cough from the Mink
brought her attention back to her and she tried to look up
with the cool haughty smile of a Mistress.

Kathy looked down at the Cheetah fem and blinked; "Um,
Ma'am, I couldn't help but notice the ….. performance of
your  slave a few moments ago….. And I was wondering if I
might…… If I could arrange to……."  As Tanj looked at the
stammering Mink, her nose told her that this lady was very
aroused, and she smiled, having a flash of insight.  "You
liked what you saw, there on stage, didn't you" Tanj
interrupted.  The Mink's gaze flicked from Tanj to Hinoki
and back, and she nodded, a quick almost convulsive jerk.
Tanj smiled softly; "and as you watched, you wished that
you were in the Vixen's place, the subject of his…..
attentions."  Again, the Mink's head jerked up and down, in
a quick nod.  Tanj smiled and reached out her left paw to
stroke Hinoki's head; "I can understand that; he's really
QUITE good……..  But he's not for sale.  Or for rent.  On the
other hand, under certain circumstances, he MIGHT be
available…. As a favor."  Kathy swallowed; "Um…. What
conditions might you have in mind?"  Tanj smiled again
and abandoning her caresses of the Cheetah male's head,
picked up her drink to sip slowly.  "I’m always in search
of…. amusement.  I think that you're interested in exploring
your…. Submissive side, am I right?  Again, Kathy's head
nodded.  Tanj looked at her and noted that she hadn't
pulled out one of the other chairs and sat, or even asked if
she could sit down.  Instead she stood, as a supplicant, as
if awaiting her mistress' permission, or acknowledgement.
Nodding to herself in approval, Tanj smiled; "let us take
you to somewhere quiet, and we'll see if we can fulfil your
fantasies.  For a time of my choosing.  Activities of my
choosing.  We'll see how well you care for that side of
life.  And while I won't tell you exactly what will happen,
or exactly what we'll do to you, I will promise you that you
will get all of the stud you could ever want.  And all of
the Vixen too.  And possibly, if I'm pleased with you, I'll
take you into my own bed."

Kathy listened with growing agitation.  It was just what she
wanted.  Exactly the sort of thing she wanted.  But she was
on a mission…...  But she'd missed her ship and the next one
wasn't for almost two weeks.  She had authorization to
charter a vessel, but no mandate to do so…..  Would anyone
miss her if she took some time for herself?  With a groan,
she felt herself get even wetter as she considered what it
might be like, felt her nipples stiffen, and she knew she
had no real choice…….

Tanj smiled as the Mink whispered softly; "I agree.  As
long as no one gets seriously hurt…… I'm yours to do with as
you will."

Tanj shook her head; it just couldn't be this easy.
Something HAD to be wrong.  But what?  Still, she'd be a
fool if she sent away the furr she'd been sent to kidnap.
Smiling, she indicated a place between Hinoki and Zassa;
"Take off your dress and kneel there.  We have some
unfinished business here but soon we'll leave."  Tanj
watched carefully to see if the Mink would obey, or if she'd
back out.  Or if she'd call for security or go for a weapon,
or simply vanish… To her amazement, the Mink bit her lower
lip, in a moment's indecision, and then with one quick
motion pulled her dress off over her head, to step between
Hinoki and Zassa, to turn and face the direction they were
facing, kneeling as they knelt.  After a moment, Tanj
bent to undo the chains from Zassa and Hinoki.  She clipped
the ring on the end of Zassa's chain about the length of
Hinoki's chain, and the ring at the end of Hinoki's chain
around the length of Zassa's chain, forming a noose that
could slide if tugged from either side.  Knowing it would be
grim for her friends if the Mink decided to bolt, Tanj
slipped the noose over the Mink's head, lifting her hair
from the nape of her neck as she did so.  Then, smiling,
looking at her THREE slaves, she sat back to finish the
Sangria.

The Gerbil smiled and shook her head; The Pirate had indeed
made contact with the Imperial Courier, although she'd NEVER
anticipated THAT approach!  It was almost as if the Pirates
KNEW what was to come, and had acted accordingly.  COULD
they know?  Could they have a spy inside the Red's
organization?  Inside Xylex's organization?  Could they have
THAT complete a psychological profile of the courier?
Shrugging, she finished her drink and headed out of the bar.
She'd report what had happened, and let THEM sort it out.

Tanj smiled as the winners were announced.  In general
she agreed with most of the Judges' decisions, even agreeing
that the Tigress that could tie the most amazing knots in a
piece of string using just her tongue was more impressive
than she'd been in the solo/party tricks category.  Of
course, going on to demonstrate just how useful so dexterous
a tongue could be on one one of the Judges probably hadn't
hurt……. Still, Tanj was satisfied with the second place
prize, and the money that it brought.  And as she'd hoped,
Zassa and Hinoki had taken first place in the Dom/Sub
category.  When all the congratulations were concluded, and
the prizes handed out, Tanj signaled her slaves and
without looking back to see if they were following, left the
bar, and headed for her ship.

Zassa watched the Mink from the corner of her eye as they
walked.  Hinoki was carrying the trophies and Zassa had the
cash, and both were walking to either side and just behind
the Mink as they followed Tanj.  That way, they could
anticipate sudden "tugs" on the chains that were still
attached to their most sensitive parts…..  But so far, she
was following Tanj meekly, her eyes seemingly locked on
the Cheetah fem's swaying ass…..

Tanj keyed open the airlock, checking her telltales for
signs of tampering, or unauthorized entrance.  It looked
OK……  Padding through the airlock and waiting for the others
to follow she closed and sealed it.  "Hinoki, take our new
friend down to the Cargo hold.  Lay out a mat, and then hog-
tie her.  Tightly.  I'll leave the use of the "dancing egg"
vibrators to you, but I do NOT want her to climax.  Not yet.
Then report back to me.  I'll be…… trying to clean up Zassa"
Hinoki chuckled and reached up to undo his chain from
Zassa's, handing the Vixen the end of her own chain.
Twirling the end of his own chain in his left paw, the
Cheetah male wrapped a paw around the Mink's upper arm and
guided her down the corridor…..

When they were out of sight, Tanj turned and looked Zassa
up and down; the vixen had stopped dripping but her fur was
a matted sticky mess from her chin to her knees.  Combining
a sigh with a smile Tanj shook her head; "I'm afraid I'm
going to have to leave you to your own devices, Dear.  Our….
Guest checked her luggage in a locker on the station, and I
need to go retrieve it before we leave."  Zassa blinked and
shrugged; "that’s OK, I think I know what to do to get this
stuff out of my fur.  But don't you need a palmprint to open
the locker?"  Those things are supposed to be tamper-proof."
Tanj just chuckled and winked; "Oh, some of our friends
back home have taught me a thing or two.  I think I can do
it……"

Tanj entered her cabin and ordered her "living dress"
into its container.  Obediently, the creature flowed up her
body, and then down one arm, almost completely filling the
container.  Tanj looked at it and grinned, thinking she'd
been feeding it too much lately.  What would she do when it
got too large for its container?  Would it subdivide?  Or
just keep getting larger and larger?  How DID the thing
reproduce?  Putting it away, she pulled on a pair of jeans
and a khaki top, gathered a few items, and dashed out.  She
wanted to empty that locker, and undock from the station
before anyone started wondering where the Courier had
disappeared to.

Zassa purrred as she ran the water in the shower, getting it
adjusted to steamy hot, before stepping into it.  The goop
on her fur was supposed to be non-toxic, but she still
wanted it out of her fur as soon as possible.  Grabbing the
giant economy sized bottle of liquid soap, she slid into the
shower and sighed.

Hinoki grinned and pointed to the gym mat in the center of
the Cargo Bay.  They'd never had the hold so full of cargo
that they'd had to move it, and that mat had seen some truly
wild sex in the time they'd been together aboard the
Freighter.  Obediently, the Mink moved to kneel on the mat,
adopting the same posture she'd seen Hinoki and Zassa use.
Hinoki pawed through the "toy box" for a while, finding a
few items, and then, paws full, strode back to the Mink.

Kathy watched from the corner of her eye as the Cheetah male
moved.  He was in good shape, lean and muscular, his muscles
rippling under his fur as he moved.  Her loins were still
burning, her pussy literally dripping with anticipation, her
mind filled with the images of things she'd seen, things
she'd read about and heard about, and only imagined.  When
the Cheetah male returned, to buckle a stiff, wide leather
collar around her neck, she almost moaned, her eyes closing
at its embrace.

Hinoki worked smoothly, efficiently.  Cuffs went around her
wrists, locked in place, and then locked together.  Other
cuffs went around her ankles, again locked in place and
locked together.  A soft rope went around her waist twice,
tied with one end dangling in front of her.  And then Hinoki
gently lowered her face down onto the mat.  The loose end of
the rope was retrieved from between her knees and brought up
through her crotch, to be tied to her wrist cuffs, the
strand pulled so tight it spread her labia, burying itself
out of sight in her sex.  And then another piece of rope was
tied from her ankle cuffs to the back of her collar, bending
her back in a slight bow.  Hinoki looked at her for a second
and then looked at the pressure door at the entrance to the
Cargo Bay.  Looking back at the bound Mink he chuckled;
"Mistress will never know, and probably not care…. And after
all, she only said to make sure YOU don't come yet.  With
that, he wrapped his left paw in the Mink's long hair, to
pull her head back, as he moved to press his still-bound sex
to her muzzle; "Lets see how good you are, as an amateur; if
you do REAL good, I'll leave you with that vibrator…….  If
not, I'll just leave you here for a while."

Kathy groaned deeply, her tongue flicking out hungrily to
explore the chrome and leather that still encircled the
Cheetah's bound cock, her tonguetip toying with the chain
that still dangled from the ring in the end of his cock.  As
the Male groaned "OhYES!" she took the head of his cock into
her mouth, to suck hungrily.

Tanj smiled; the locker was an old one.  She shouldn't
have any trouble at all.  Sliding the magnetic key card into
the slot, she put the little black box against the scanner
surface and laid her own paw over the box to conceal it.
Soft buzzing noises were heard, and then a *beep* and the
locker popped open.  "Piece of cake" Tanj thought to
herself as she gathered the two suitcases and the carryall.
One quick look to make sure that the locker was completely
empty, nothing taped to its ceiling, nothing hidden in a
crack, and she slammed it shut, to heft the bags, to head
back to the ship, humming happily.

The Gerbil looked at the Mongoose and grinned; "See.  Told
you she'd have no trouble with the locker.  They're supposed
to be Professionals, Remember?"  The Mongoose shook his
head; "I dunno.  This is working all too smoothly.  NOTHING
happens this easily……"  The Gerbil sighed and nodded; "Yeah,
I know what you mean… but honestly, do you think Xylex has
sold us out?  And HOW?  Even if the Pirates and the Imperial
Courier are in cahoots, something I think is extremely
unlikely, even if they're just going through the motions
pretending to capture her, how could that hurt US?  And
don't forget what we did to the Courier!  You don't think
they've got a vaccine against that, DO YOU?  The Mongoose
just shrugged; "I don't know… but it wouldn't hurt to let
the Reds know we got our suspicions….  Just in case someone
DOES pull something on us….

To be continued……..
 

This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to
any characters, living, dead or imaginary is purely a
coincidence.  Tanj is copyright Kittiara's player.
Kittiara can be found on Furrymuck; telnet
209.100.167.128 8888).
Hinoki, and Zassa are copyright their players
(Zassa can be found on FurryMuck, and Hinoki
on Tapestries (or as Jollimon on FurryMuck).  Mark is
copyright Ann'katar's player, who also can be
Found on FurryMuck.  Copyright 1999.  Comments,
suggestions, or flames can be directed to
ha_seng@hotmail.com.