A Viper's Nest

"Admiral, we're receiving a hail from the Pride of the Matriarch," the Minerva's Comms Officer called out.

She was standing next to the Tactical Display Table and the green light from the holo projections reflected off of her primary yellow scales. Looking over at the Comms Officer from her command chair, the Admiral noted that the light made both her primary scales and white secondary, green and glowing.

"Open the channel," Admiral Sshuizshallius ordered.

Shortly afterwards, Lieutenant Ena's face was projected just in front of the far wall of the bridge. Those nearby were lit up by the brightness of the projection, Ena's cream-coloured scales warming up the low light level of the Minerva's bridge.

"Admiral, thank you for accepting my hail," Ena said with a slight bow of her head.

"Think nothing of it," Sshuizshallius replied, "to be honest, there's very little to do when you're orbiting a military base with a fleet our size. Even if we are at the edges of Matriarchy space," the Admiral glanced at a pad a junior Officer had handed her as she finished. "What was your reason for hailing me?" Sshuizshallius asked while continuing to look at the pad.

"I would like to request permission to send some of my ships out on patrol," the Lieutenant replied, "we've been running wargames since our arrival and some of the scenarios have my Officers and I worried," as she spoke those last few words, Ena noticed a twitch on the Admiral's usual neutral expression.

"What scenarios?" Sshuizshallius asked as she looked up.

"We've identified a blind spot in the monitor satellite network," Lieutenant Ena replied, "I would like to send a few ships out on patrol. If we position them like this," she said while doing something off-screen, "then while the combined fleets are in orbit, we'll be able to detect any incoming ships," as Ena finished speaking, a new window appeared above the Tactical Display Table.

Admiral Sshuizshallius got up from her command chair and walked over. After accepting the TDT link, the new window split into several new ones. What the Admiral saw in front of her was the planned patrol route, a data readout for the scenarios, and information regarding the newly discovered blind spot.

"Tactical," Sshuizshallius called out, "run these scenarios through the Minerva's computer," she ordered, "coordinate with Lieutenant Ena's crew and see how we can adjust the fleet's composition," the Admiral then looked up at Ena, "thank you, Lieutenant, permission granted," she said.

"Thank you, Admiral," Ena said, again she bowed her head.

Returning to her command chair, Sshuizshallius pressed one of the buttons near her right arm. A few moments later Matriarch Ossih's voice came out of a nearby speaker.

"Yes, Admiral?" she said.

"I have something I think you need to see," Sshuizshallius replied.

"On my way," Ossih said and then the channel closed.

*****

"Captain Thazha?" a voice called out.

Thazha stirred inside her nest. A pair of emerald eyes opened and she looked over to where the owner of the voice was. Looking up, the Captain could see her second in command standing at the open doorway. The light from the corridor outside reflected off the Lieutenant's pink scales.

"What is it Tektla?" the Captain asked.

She had spent the last few hours in a deep sleep. Thazha found orbiting stations for hours and days on end boring. While the Captain would always follow the orders of her superiors, she burned for battle. Her early years as a junior officer in the Navy had been a constant source of excitement. Since Thazha had been promoted to the rank of Captain, however, she had found herself either on long-distance patrols where nothing happened, or just another ship under the command of a more senior officer.

"We've received orders from the Pride of the Matriarchy," the Lieutenant replied, "we're to patrol a blindspot her command staff recently discovered. Our Destroyer, along with the two Frigates and Corvettes from the Pride's fleet, is to secure the blindspot," the door to Thazha's quarters closed as Tektla stepped in, "you're to command the fleet," she said with a big smile on her face.

Captain Thazha rolled out of her nest and crawled over to her basking lamp. Sitting down crosslegged, Thazha used her tail to activate the lamp. A bright patch of light lit up her quarters and the Captain hissed while shielding her eyes.

"Buff my scales while I warm up," she ordered. Lieutenant Tektla bowed her head and walked across the padded floor, kneeling behind her Captain as she picked up the nearby buffer.

"If only we were on a bigger ship," Thazha said as she leaned against her Lieutenant. The Captain sighed as Tektla started to buff her tail.

Sitting under her basking lamp, Captain Thazha could feel the sluggishness of the morning evaporate. The heat from the lamp made her body glow as the buffer made Thazha's scales shine. With each passing minute, the dull green glow of the Captain's bioluminescence slowly became brighter.

"You've said that before," Tektla replied, "I imagine these new orders are a test," she said.

"What do you mean? A test," the Captain asked.

"The Matriarchs want to see if you're capable of commanding a fleet," the Lieutenant replied, "Just imagine," she said, "you'll get to Captain a larger ship and I can finally share your nest," Tektla ran the buffer under Thazha's tail as she finished. The Captain shuddered as its soft edges stimulated her.

"I would love that," Thazha replied, "however, I need to be on the bridge," she said and then placed her left hand on Tektla's right arm, "we'll have to find some time later. Once I'm buffed, go get some paste from the Canteen," the Captain ordered.

"Yes, Captain," the Lieutenant replied, "I'll get some of the glowing green paste you enjoy," she said and then made the Thazha shudder again.

*****

"John, this way," Squadron Leader Shalsui said as she walked down a corridor.

Following close behind, John tried his best not to stare too much at Shalsui's ample rear. Even though she was wearing her Nano Flight suit, which has a thicker 'fabric' than normal uniforms, the sheer size of the Squadron Leader's backside meant that it jiggled enticingly with each step. John had also found himself frequently distracted by the way a female Viper's hips swayed and tail swished.

"John," Shalsui called out as she continued to lead him down another identical corridor.

"Yes?" he replied. Hearing his name pulled his attention away from the Squadron Leader's backside.

"While I do enjoy being stared at by a male," she said, "I suggest you try and keep it to a minimum. You've gained quite a reputation amongst the fleet," Shalsui stopped and turned around.

"Sorry," John replied as his face went red. He hated how easy it was for him to get embarrassed.

"Damn, you are a cutey," Shalsui admitted as she stepped forward and ran her left hand through John's hair, "I suggest you try your best not to stare too much," she said, "if you're caught staring at a Matriarch, you might find yourself volunteered as her steward," the Squadron Leader warned.

"I take it there are worse outcomes?" John asked.

"There are, look," Shalsui knelt so that her head was level with his, "I know you've been told how freely we like to have sex but the rules around Matriarchs are quite complicated," she said, "try your best not to stare, even if a Matriarch is trying her best to entice you. Understood?" the Squadron Leader asked.

"Understood and sorry," John replied.

"Just be careful," Shalsui said with a warm smile.

"So, are we nearly there?" John asked.

"Yeah, just down this corridor and we'll arrive at the training room," she replied, "everyone is waiting for us. Flight Lieutenant Nuki will show you what to do concerning the use of a training pod. Any questions just ask her," Shalsui turned around as she finished and carried on down the long corridor they were in.

Watching her walk down the corridor, John laughed when Shalsui made a point to sway her hips more. Shaking his head with a loud sigh, he hurried after the Squadron Leader.

*****

"Ah, Captain Ema, you're here," Matriarch Szaki said as the Captain stepped into the room, "choose a loincloth for your steward and then get yourself into the water," Szaki ordered.

The room that Captain Ema had just entered was one of several private facilities specifically created for any Matriarchs visiting or stationed at Border Station Five. A private bath was behind a simple nondescript door, guarded by two security officers. The door was located in the middle of a large rectangular room, forty-eight feet long by twenty-four and each wall was twelve feet high. Looking up, Ema could see that the private bath had a domed ceiling and the light source for the room was a delicate chandelier, hovering about a foot from the top of the dome and positioned above the centre of the bath. What surprised Captain Ema was the amount of heat coming from it. Not only did it light up the room but it was also a basking lamp.

"Hurry up, Ema," Matriarch Theka called out.

Walking down the steps in front of her, Captain Ema headed over to a nearby table that had several loincloths laid out. Without thinking, Ema selected the one made from a purple cloth and handed it to Hisi. Her steward bowed his head as he accepted it and took a few steps back while deactivating his collar. As the Nanos retreated across his body and towards the reservoir, Hisi tied the loincloth around his waist.

Deactivating her collar, Ema sighed as the heat from the chandelier warmed her body. The Captain's purple bioluminescence glowed vibrantly as she turned around and faced the bath. She could see that it was a large rectangle and took up two-thirds of the room. While most of it was recessed into the floor, it had a tiled wall going around the outside that was two feet in height. The floor of the private bath itself was made from marble tiles that went around the walls to around six feet. The ceiling and the rest of the walls were the same off-white colour that could be seen throughout the station and Matriarch ships.

"We were just talking about you, Ema," Theka said as the Captain stepped into the bath.

As her clawed right foot entered the warm water, Ema could feel the padded seat against the sole of her foot. Placing her left foot in, she used her tail to steady herself as the Captain stepped off of the padded seat and deeper into the bath. Once her body was fully submerged, Ema pulled herself up and turned around so that she was now sitting on one of the many padded seats, submerged in the bath. The Captain relaxed into the bath so that it covered the top of her shoulders. Shortly afterwards Ema shuddered as her body started to fully relax.

"I see the Captain is enjoying the bath," Matriarch Eztuh said while sipping from a fluted glass.

"It's a shame our ships don't have the water reserves for a bath," Ema said with a sigh, "I could get used to this," she then tilted her head back so that just her blunt nose was sticking out of the water. When she re-emerged, Hisi was standing nearby with a tray of drinks and some food.

"Feel free to indulge yourself," Theka said, "while you're here with us, you'll be able to enjoy some real food for once," she then took a yellow fruit from a nearby tray.

"So, what were you discussing?" Captain Ema asked.

"Your most recent mission, where you rescued the Terran Male," Matriarch Szaki replied, "his effect on the fleet and station crew, and the message you received from your Mother," she said. Ema frowned at the mention of her Mother. She lowered herself into the water until only her nostrils were visible.

"Now don't be like that," Theka said as she watched the Captain, "you know full well this day was coming, and might I remind you that it was all part of your original agreement," Theka pointed at Ema as she spoke. Gesturing to Uszu, her steward walked around the bath and waited for Ema. After a few minutes, her curiosity got better, and she resumed sitting on the nearby padded seat. Uszu handed a pad to her and then returned to where he was previously standing.

"What's this?" Captain Ema asked as she placed her right thumb on the pad's scanner.

"The agreement you signed with your Mother," Matriarch Eztuh replied, "as you can see, it clearly states that your position as Matriarch will be set aside during your military career, however," Eztuh took a bite from the purple fruit offered to her by her steward, "the agreement clearly states that once a suitable male has been found, you are to return home and continue the family line," she said in between mouthfuls of the sweet-tasting fruit.

"I know," Ema said as she continued to read, "I just thought I would have more time," she then held it above her head. Hisi stepped forward and took it from her.

"You'll be free to return to your military career," Theka said.

"Oh I know, but I'm sure Mother will try and convince me to take up my duties as a Matriarch," Ema replied.

"So," Matriarch Szaki said with a cough to clear her throat, "have you fucked your steward yet?" she asked.

"Szaki! You promised you wouldn't say it like that," Theka complained and her counterpart shrugged.

"It's okay, Theka," Ema chimed in as she looked at her, "no, I haven't, yet," she said and looked over to where Szaki was sitting, "I thought it best to wait until John has finished his training and the meeting you'll be having with him," Ema rested her back against the side of the bath as she finished speaking.

"Just make sure that you do," Szaki warned, "I'd prefer it if I didn't get a message from your Mother," she said.

"I am glad that I'm not the only one who doesn't like them," Ema said while trying not to laugh.

The two security officers standing guard outside of the private bath looked at each other as raucous laughter could be heard through the locked door.

*****

"You must be John," said a female voice as he walked through a pair of armoured doors.

Standing just to John's right was a tall and slender Viper. She had a similar build to Security Officer Thissa, however, unlike Thissa, the Viper in front of John was nine feet tall. Her primary scales, which covered most of her visible body, were obsidian black and her secondary scales were porcelain white. They covered her entire lower jaw and went down the front of her neck. John looked up and made eye contact with her and he could see that she had glowing red eyes. She looked down at him and smiled.

"This is Flight Lieutenant Nuki," Squadron Leader Shalsui said as she stepped into the room.

"Hello," John said as he offered the Lieutenant his right hand.

"Oh yes, I've heard Terrans greet new people like this," Nuki said and took hold of John's right hand. He noticed that the armoured claws of her Nano Flight suit were glowing red. Once she had shaken his hand the Flight Lieutenant let go and took a step back.

"I'll go get into my pod," Shalsui chimed in and walked over to one of the large egg-shaped pods.

Watching her as she pressed her right hand against a palm reader, activating the training pod, John looked around the room. There were a total of twenty egg-shaped pods inside a well-lit square room. The training pods were laid out in four rows of five, with a desk, chair, and computer terminal set against the wall that had the only door. Each pod appeared to be roughly twelve feet by six and had a series of thick cables attached to the top and sides. Looking up, John saw how the cables connected and ended in the middle of the ceiling. A round device was recessed into the wall and it emitted a low hum, while a series of lights and readings were displayed upon its surface.

"Your pod is over here, John," Nuki said as she gestured to her right.

The Flight Lieutenant led him over to a training pod that had a few extra devices and wires attached to it. John felt a chill run up his spine and despite the thermal protection of his Nano Flight suit, he could feel goosebumps on his arms. Nuki placed her right hand against the pod's palm scanner and after a few seconds, it beeped.

"Don't let the cold alarm you," Nuki said as she turned to face John, "when they're in use, the training pods generate a lot of heat," she then stepped to the left so that he could get a good look at the interior of the training pod.

Looking inside, John saw that the interior had been modified so that he would be able to use it properly. The materials used reminded John of plastic, metal, and leather, but with the customary off-white and grey colours, he had become accustomed to. Near to where his feet would be were adjustable foot pedals and he guessed they worked similarly to those found in planes back on Earth. The 'chair' that John would be sitting in had lumbar support and a headrest that also appeared to prevent his head from moving too far to the left or right.

For his left hand, there was a horizontal control that moved forward and backwards. The way that it looked reminded John of an old computer game controller, and it even had a red button for his thumb. For his right hand, there was a flight stick, similar in design to old joystick controllers. Near the left and right-hand controls were several keypads, each one had a different colour lighting it up.

"I suggest you get in and get comfy, John," Flight Lieutenant Nuki said, interrupting his inspection, "you're going to be in there for several hours. Oh and don't forget to connect your waste pipes to their ports on the pod," she then walked over to the nearby screens.

Looking down at his Nano Flight suit, John found the two ends of his suit's waste pipes and then tried to find where they fitted into the training pod. A few minutes later, he found them directly behind his chair and realised that he would need to be sitting for them to reach.

"When you're ready, press that blinking green triangle on the keypad near your right hip," Nuki said from her seated position.

Climbing into the pod and sitting down, John leaned forward with his right hand and connected the waste pipes. Sitting back, he pressed down on the blinking green triangle and the interior lit up. The low hum from before increased and then the pod closed with John sitting inside.

"I take it that was meant to happen?" John asked without realising the pod was now effectively airtight.

"Yes," the Flight Lieutenant replied. Her voice was so clear it was as though she was standing next to him. "The green triangle activates the training pod," she said, "it'll do a quick systems check and then you'll be ready to go through the tutorial. Make sure you activate your helmet otherwise you'll run out of air," Nuki said and then John's pad started to beep.

Removing it from his right thigh, John looked at it and could see that it had detected a drop in oxygen. Accessing the controls for his Nano Flight suit, John pressed his right index finger against the 'activate helmet' button. As soon as he touched it, the interior of the training pod was lit up as the familiar bright neon blue light was emitted by his collar. The remaining Nanos stored inside rushed out of the reservoir and started to form a helmet around John's head.

"Can you hear me?" Flight Lieutenant Nuki asked, "my voice should be coming through the speakers inside your helmet," she said.

"I can hear you," John replied, "very well too. Just like the speakers inside the pod, it's as though you are standing next to me," he said.

"You can thank the Matriarchy's best Scientists for that," Nuki said, "as long as you remain within Comms range of a ship or station, you'll always have clear communications. Can you see a progress bar on your HUD for the pod?" she asked.

"Yes," John replied, "it says eighty-five per cent," he said.

"Good. Once it gets to one hundred, I want you to lean forward and push the round blue button on the side of the pod," the Flight Lieutenant ordered.