The Captain's Heart CH 08 (Patreon)

Gralgiran looked out onto the dock area. The visible surfaces were all the same gray of what had to be the protective coating. Crates, that

Gralgiran looked out onto the dock area. The visible surfaces were all the same gray of what had to be the protective coating. Crates, that had been confirmed to be empty by the hunters he’d sent out when they’d docked, peppered the floor, indicating it was active, if not currently so.

When the station commander had said they would find his ship a berth, this was not what he’d expected. As he contemplated how much of a fuss he wanted to raise, one of the few of his crew to have taken advantage of being at dock to leave the ship returned.

“There’s no way out,” she told him, puzzled, “Captain, are all Earther stations like this?”

“I don’t know.” The Earthers weren’t required to give them access to the station. Even once they joined the federation, only trade stations had to allow access to anyone docked. Other stations had individual rules about what part of a station was opened to those visiting, even if it was only the dockside. Although, on those stations, the docks were filled with stores and activities for visitors. This snarled at him of ‘leave’.

So, how aggressive did he want to be after three days of such a treatment? He expected the commander would contact him again for an update on the repairs. With Alix still unconscious, it would be the same as it had been yesterday.

“Alpha,” the hunter on duty said as he turned to leave. “What are the instructions if Earthers approach?”

“Report any Earthers you see to your Beta. Be gentle with any who try to step on the ship, but keep them out.”

“If they prove difficult?”

Gralgiran couldn’t imagine one of them would, but it was a hunter’s duty to consider trouble. “Have Comms contact the station so they can send someone to retrieve them. This is Earther territory. We should let them handle their trouble makers.”

“Understood, Alpha.”

Anywhere else, he thought as he walked away, he wouldn’t stand for being treated this way. He had done nothing for his ship to deserve being relegated to a carrion of a berth. If not for his mission, he would probably demand an explanation from the commander. He couldn’t believe the animosity he’d heard in the Earther tone was representative of his species. His people wouldn’t be supporting their entry in the federation if they were so speciesist.

But, as much as access to the station would help his mission, any demand he made could be met with demands from the commander. If the Earther demanded for his people to be allowed on the ship, would he have grounds to refuse? An exchange of personnel was not an unreasonable demand. This was, after all, nothing but a merchant ship.

“Batrix’er’gezbil,” he said and waited for the acknowledgment of the call.

“Alpha,” the male answered.

“Meet me on the bridge with your team. It’s time to consider strategies.”

    *

As he stepped onto the bridge, the changeover was underway. Only comms needed to be occupied while at dock, but no one wanted to be alone for the seven-hour shift, so other bridge crew would sit at their stations and keep their friend company.

That eight people were now taking over for the three that had been there would be considered odd on an actual merchant ship. Even if they couldn’t leave, there was plenty for his crew to do on the promenade. Down time was always used among his crew.

But, while it was a secret to anyone outside the ship, and not something openly discussed with the civilians. The crew knew they were on a Hunter Ship.

“Alpha,” Batrix greeted him, stepping away from the center of the bridge to take a seat at Sensor.

“Alright,” Gralgiran said once the last of the bridge left. “The situation is that we will not be allowed on the station unless I push the issue, which allows the commander to push back. The mission still needs to be carried through, so I need alternatives.”

“Active sensors are off the board,” Batrix stated. “This is a military station as well as a research one. Even if they aren’t hiding how much anti-matter they have, they are going to keep their nose to the wind for anyone scanning them.”

“There’s also no telling how well shielded their stock’s going to be,” the hunter seated at the secondary sensor board said. “The Earther’s tech might be below us on the whole, but they’re bound to have hidden claws. Every species does.”

“Monitoring their comms might give us something,” the female seated at comms said.

“That means we need to bring on others,” the copper furred made in the pilot’s seat said. “You’re the only one who’s learned their language, and you needed six days to become fluent.”

“Are there other hunters who have learned Earther?” Gralgiran asked.

“I was the only one when Leiha taught me,” she said.

“I’m checking with the other Betas,” Batrix said.

“Can the counselor take a shift?” the male at the ship’s support station asked.

“She isn’t a hunter,” Gralgiran replied.

“But she knows why we’re here,” the male said. “And this isn’t you sending us into battle, Alpha. It’s just sitting here, listening to Earther talk.”

He nodded. He didn’t like it, but if he couldn’t find three hunters who’d learned Earther, he’d have to run the idea by her. He doubted she’d refused, so he’d rather not. There were dangers to having civilians, even those part of the crew, getting involved in a hunt.

“I can probably crack their code,” the muscular female leaning against the programming console said. “I familiarized myself with their lexicon on the way here. It’s not all that different from Slirak, or Tur’tirol, or even our own Kaprek. It’s going to be more figuring out the exact syntax than anything else.”

“What are the dangers that they will detect what you’re doing?”

“It depends on how long I have,” she replied. “You don’t rush hunting farmisans if you don’t want to get gored.”

“At this time, the clock is in weeks, two at a minimum. That is how long medical expects our Engineer will take to regain consciousness. There will be more, but they won’t know how much until he’s conscious.”

“If I can have unrestricted access to this board, I’ll have enough in three days to get in.”

“You aren’t getting unrestricted access,” Batrix said before Gralgiran could agree to it. “I’ll allow you three shifts if you promise to sleep the fourth. The instant I learned you spent time with your friends instead, I’m pulling you off the hunt.”

She looked at Gralgiran hopefully, but he shook his head. While he had the power, as alpha, he wasn’t overriding his beta’s decision. Batrix knew the people under his command, not him. But he would talk with his beta about a lesser punishment. His team had the best hacker on the ship, and she was already familiar with Earther code. He couldn’t afford for her to be taken off the hunt.

“I know he isn’t a hunter,” the copper furred male said, “but have you considered asking the quartermaster?”

“I have,” Gralgiran said. “And this is not to be discussed with him. I’m well aware the male has contacts none of us should even be able to find, but this hunt is too important to risk his greed. As much of an asset to this ship as he is, never forget that he is Ta’halan.”

“Yes, Alpha,” they answered.

“How large is ventilation?” Batrix asked. “Zor had a hunter in her squad that is barely larger than a cub.”

“We will keep breaking into the station for if I have to resort to demanding to be let on, and refused,” he answered. “And with listening to their comms and hacking into their system, we at least have a starting point. Have the Betas answered you regarding any hunters knowing Earther?”

“Rarigar is the only one,” Batrix said. “None of the other hunters have a crew post that requires them to interact with other species.”

Which meant that not only would have to see if Leiha was willing to help, but he needed to go through his comm officer’s files to find two he could trust with this work while Leiha taught the language to three more hunters.

“Find seven volunteers to learn Earther.” While his beta did that, Gralgiran headed to his office to go over every hunter’s files to see who knew which language. If he couldn’t find eight of each, he’d have to arrange to stop at stations with a Kelsirian counselor who could teach them.

    *

He shook himself before stepping out of the shower, then called up his reflection. His mane was too distinctive. He didn’t want to be the ship’s captain this evening. He wanted to dance the night away as another crewmale. Those who had manes either let it grow long, or, if their positions needed it kept shorter, sheered it off. It was vanity that kept him from sheering it; he understood that, and he was fine with it.

He gelled it before tying it back; this hid that it wasn’t a full mane. Then he called up the list of scents. He wanted something subtle and inviting. While he didn’t want to shove other males’ nose in his ulterior motive for dancing with them, he wanted them to be able to make a decision quickly once he verbalized his intent.

His identity masked as well as it could be with what he was willing to do to his mane, and properly scented, he moved on to pants. Something on this side of sheer. He wouldn’t expose himself for all to see, but as with the scent, he wasn’t interested in hiding his intent.

He clipped rings to his left ear so light reflecting on them would draw attention to him. He added the crew identification bracelet to his wrist so he wouldn’t have to worry about paying for his drinks, then considered chest decorations, and dismissed them. Pants were needed outside quarters and the leisure alleys. Exposing his chest would be inappropriate if he was on duty, but as someone out for a good time?

He flexed.

And his muscles were one of his assets, so covering them wouldn’t serve him tonight.

    *

The rhythm took him as soon as he stepped into the club; the percussion moving him among the other bodies, scents of pleased exhaustion, outright exhaustion, and desire mixing with that of wines and juices.

One of the club’s server presented him a tray with a variety of glasses. The juices were identified by a gold band, while the alcohols a green one. He took one with a green band and passed his bracelet over the scanner, and the server moved on.

He moved with the others who let the beat carry them, brushing against some when the scent was appealing, and others brushed against him. While never a guarantee, since those didn’t exist in clubs like this, holding a glass was usually enough to keep someone from insisting. Those drinking were still in the process of switching from duty to fully off-duty.

Gralgiran simply liked to take the time to see and smell what was available.

Once his glass was empty, he set it on one of the shelve attached to the columns that peppered the club and joined a group of males and females dancing together.

Now, when contact was made, he was pulled against the partner and they moved in sync, or not always, to the beat, before switching to someone else. When Gralgiran pulled a male to him, he turned them so their back was against his chest so he could breathe in their neck as they moved. It wasn’t foolproof, but over the years of using this technique, he’d found he had an easier time smelling how receptive to his intent other males were in this position.

At times, females pulled him to them, and he danced with them. Occasionally, one made him an offer, and he turned them down. As much as the scent he’d picked was designed to appeal to males, no one reacted exactly the same way to them. And he enjoyed the interest. He simply didn’t seek the pleasures he was looking for this evening with females.

When he made his selection, the male was shorter, his head resting against Gralgiran’s neck while they moved to a languid beat. He smelled willing, but to be certain, he nipped the male’s neck. He felt the rumbled moan and smiled.

He nuzzled the ear and whispered. “You want to go find a nook?”

The male turned and rubbed his muzzle against Gralgiran. That was enough for him.

They made it to the closest leisure alley by ways of stopping and nuzzling and rubbing muzzle and nipping at exposed body parts. His partner’s hunger was pungent well before they reached the alley, and he was out of his pants before they even reached a couch, grinding his hardness against Gralgiran’s leg. At the couch, his own pants vanished, and he satisfied his own hunger; to his partner’s loud pleasure.

    *

Sound woke Gralgiran. Conversations, sounds of electronics. Maybe a ballad was playing? He cracked an eye open and a handful of people were walking through the alley. On the other side, light reflected off that room’s black wall. He thought it was early for someone to watch a ballad.

Someone resting his head on Gralgiran’s chest made a pleased sound.

“Hi,” he said when the male looked up at him.

The responding ‘hi’. Was stretched nearly as wise as the smile. The eyes moved further up before widening. He buried his head in Gralgiran’s chest and muttered something.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t believe I’ve had sex with the ship’s captain.”

Confusion struck, then he realized the gel, as well as the mane band, wouldn’t have survived their hectic sex.

“If it’s so shameful,” Gralgiran said, grinning, “you’re welcome to deny it to anyone who accuses you of it.”

“No!” the male looked at him, then his ears folded back as a couple walking by glanced in their direction. He relaxed. “No, it was good. I just never thought it would happen to me.”

“Now you’ll be able to boast about it.”

“I wouldn’t—”

“Do it. You’ll be amazed how many are going to want you because of it.”

The male planted his shoulder in Gralgiran stomach a little harshly and rested his head on his hand, narrowing his eyes. “You say that as if I have trouble finding partners.”

“I say is as someone who believed that all baits should be used in a hunt. It’s not because the herd is large that you shouldn’t get as many of them as you are able to catch.”

The expression softened. “I like that saying.”

Gralgiran chuckled. “You’re welcome to use it. It’s been around since before we left Kelser.” He rubbed his muzzle against the other male’s. “But while I am off duty today. A captain always needs to be ready. So I need to head back to my quarters.”

“Can we meet up again?”

“Sure.” He set his identification bracelet to receive data and offered it.

“I’m not crew.”

“What’s your name, then? And contact?”

“Zizsarel.” He added the contact information.

“Well, Zizsarel, I’m Gralgiran. You simply have to ask to be connected to the captain. Even when I’m off duty, I answer to that. If you’re ever unable to find a partner, let me know and I’ll help.”

“I’d rather it be because I want to have sex with you again.”

Gralgiran licked Zizsarel’s nose. “That works too. But now I really need to go. My bladder’s woken up.”

    *

He entered Zizsarel’s information in his pad as soon as he was in his quarters, then took a long shower. He was brushing his mane when the door chime sounded. “Grant access.” It opened and closed. “Be right there.” He finished brushing and stepped out of the shower room, then into the lounge, where a stranger waited for him.

The male looked him over appreciatively while Gralgiran got over his surprise enough to take in how his visitor was dressed.

“Ambassador?” then he needed to get over that surprise to continue. “How can I help you?”

“Querik will suffice, Captain. I’m only an ambassador to other species. But I am here as part of my ambassadorial duties. Commander Jackson as asked me to fetch you, because he has a solution to your reactor troubles.”

Author’s comments

• What I had to work from

Outline section

no outline

My additions

At dock, but without being able to get onto the station. Need to come up with an alternative way to investigate. Introduce Querik?

A social scene of Gral going out to blow off steam. Do some dancing, pick up a guy and have fun with him.

An aspect of making humans less of a caricature involved making them smarter about their security than I imply them be in the draft 0 version. This led to this chapter, showing some of the hurdles Gralgiran needs to overcome.

The club scene was planned for a bit because if there is one thing I want to make of sure with this story is that my main characters are not workaholics. But Gralgiran and Jeremy have hobbies and a social circle.