Food for Thought

The ship hummed with activity as Logan and Lilith made their way down the Deck Five corridor. They were 15 minutes from departure, and the crew was busy with final preparations. Deck Five housed most of the enlisted crew amenities, but the two lounges were up one deck, one on each side of the ship.

They rode the elevator up and stepped into an almost identical corridor. A passing crewman pointed them in the right direction, and they quickly found the port lounge. It was cozy, with a few different seating options and a relatively large window. Their view was currently dockside.

"Why is the door so big?" Lilith looked back to the entrance they came through.

Logan turned and glanced at it. It was a reasonably robust door that appeared to be armored and set into an equally armored wall. "I'm going to guess the ship's armor plating doesn't fully protect this room since the big window is a weak point."

Walking around the small room, Lilith ended up against the window and ran her hand across it. "Seems a bit silly for a warship to have a weak spot like this." She turned to Logan with a puzzled expression.

"That's why it's not very big and has an armored door and wall. I imagine there are retractable plates that cover the window during combat, but they probably wouldn't stop a direct hit." He sat on the couch across from the window. Lilith smiled and sat next to him hooking her legs over his so her thighs were in his lap. He wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze.

"You don't see these rooms on new military ships. Even though it's a weak spot, they are very relaxing." Logan ran his other hand up her thigh and gave it a squeeze. "The 'Sparrow' is showing her age."

Giggling playfully, she leaned into him and looked out the window. "You know, if the crew is busy with departure, we could probably squeeze a quickie in. This lounge would be fun to have sex in, and I'd enjoy having more of your cum inside me," Lilith mused.

Logan held her tightly and gave a light chuckle. "I need more time to recharge. I came inside you not five minutes ago." His hand slid up her dress and rubbed her pussy through her panties.

Letting out a moan, Lilith spread her thighs slightly and closed her eyes.

"I could get on my knees and give you head while you enjoy the view." Her words were light and far off.

"That sounds very tempting and something I want you to do when I've recovered. I'll enjoy cumming in a different place." Giving her pussy a final gentle rub, his hand retreated to her thigh.

"Tease." She whispered. "You can cum in any hole you want when you're ready."

Logan looked at her as she sat there, eyes closed enjoying the moment. Lilith was being more sexually forward and open, which he was enjoying, but he wasn't sure where it was coming from.

Lilith opened her eyes and caught him gazing at her. "What?" Tilting her head, she smiled at him.

"You're being far more open than any past times we've met, not that it's a bad thing. I was reflecting, and you seem more confident." He gave her thigh another squeeze.

It got quiet for a moment, Lilith seemed to look past him lost in thought. Curling up slightly and leaning into him more, she took a deep breath. "You make me feel safe. You make me feel comfortable. You're familiar, but it's not just that. We've known each other for a while, and this is nice after floating around these past few years."

She looked directly at him. Logan could see the determined and headstrong woman he knew gazing at him, but a tiny cloud was hanging over her. Logan pulled her into his lap and hugged her. He was glad he arranged this. "I'm happy that you feel comfortable around me. I'm enjoying the honest communication." Giving her a final squeeze, he eased up.

"I doubt that's all you're enjoying." Lilith laughed and wiggled her butt into him. Leaning back a little, she looked at him again. "Don't get me wrong, I also like you quite a bit, and I'm horny, so this is an ideal situation." Hugging him in return, she slid from his lap and sat next to him.

"Have you thought about becoming an auditor?" Logan blurted.

Caught off guard by the question, Lilith looked at him in silence. Logan blinked at her a few times as she sat there processing.

"You know, I never actually gave it a thought." Her brow furrowed gently.

"Sorry, I kn—" There was a shudder; Logan looked up and saw the ship had begun to move.

They were both distracted by the sounds and vibration of the Sparrow getting underway. Space slowly filled the window as they pulled away from the station, sitting together in silence as they watched.

The ship turned, and all they could see was the ink black of space dotted with the light of distant stars. A steady but quiet hum entered the room. The Sparrow was picking up speed, heading away from Bendraar. It only took a few moments for a ship as quick as the Sparrow to get the distance needed from the planet's gravity well to open a hyperspace window.

Space beyond the glass began to distort, and the beads of light blurred as the Sparrow was pulled into hyperspace, a sudden flash replacing the dark of space with gently moving lights. Logan and Lilith watched the passing lights for a few more moments before a grumble from Logan's stomach refocused them.

"Why don't we try and find a snack?" Logan asked.

"I could go for a little nibble on something." Lilith headed for the door with Logan following.

The next few days passed relatively slowly for the pair. Lilith had taken to spending her time in one of the lounges reading, and Logan caught up on paperwork. Their mornings and evenings consisted of either cuddling or sex in their cramped living space. One evening, Logan sat in the cabin alone, reviewing details of the cases he could pick from. Things with the Colonial Government were undoubtedly not the best if these were the jobs being pushed to lower-grade auditors.

Settling on a health code complaint for an apartment complex built using Colonial Government funds, Logan spent the rest of the evening catching up on more paperwork. He wished Lilith had been joking about parking fines when they met on Bendraar; the last few years had been rough for the Colonial Audit Service (CAS), especially on new members. It seemed everything but the kitchen sink was being dumped on the Audit Service like a catch-all for whatever the Government didn't have the resources to deal with. Some level of automation could handle a few of the issues, but whenever it came up, the idea was crushed and forgotten by 'the powers that be.'

The Government was happy to allow virtual intelligences to keep auditors in check but totally resisted their use in streamlining government systems or services.

The crew was friendly enough for the duration of their trip. Logan had spent a few hours here and there befriending one of the engineers who was interested in his Vertec J7. On the other hand, Lilith kept to herself, which struck Logan as odd. Lilith was usually sociable and liked making friends. When they reached Skye, Logan would pry and do his best to find a way to help if he could, but for now, he settled on enjoying the trip, which wasn't hard.

By the end of their trip, Logan had used every available spot in their small room to have sex and fill Lilith's pussy with cum. The final evening was different, though. They were in the starboard lounge with Lilith on her knees eagerly sucking Logan's cock. His hand ran through her hair as he helped her keep a good pace. Lilith was wearing a pale gray wrap-around dress that hung open, showing off her black and purple lace bra and panties. Logan loved every inch of her body and appreciated the amount of lingerie she seemed to travel with.

He gripped the back of her head with one hand and pulled her down his length, and she offered no resistance as he bottomed out in her throat, holding her there for a moment. She gazed up at him and smiled around his cock. "Do you like when I use your mouth like a toy?" He asked, bringing his other hand down to play with one of her breasts. Lilith moaned at the contact and nodded her head slowly. "We should probably finish this quickly; getting caught would not be a good idea." Logan gripped her head a little tighter and rocked his hips. She hummed in agreement but made no move to free her head; instead, she kept looking up at him waiting for him to set the pace.

Logan looked down and took her in, appreciating the beautiful woman currently wrapped around his erection, waiting for him to use her. Lilith had wanted to try something different before they arrived tomorrow, and having her mouth used like a toy in a semi-public space aboard a naval starship seemed to check a box for her. Moving both hands together through her soft hair, Logan moved her head up and down his shaft, slowly enjoying the warmth of her mouth.

Her tongue moved gently along the underside as he began to pick up the pace. Logan stole little glances at the heavy door, hoping no one would walk in. Lilith's hands roamed across her body as Logan eagerly used her mouth to extract the pleasure he wanted. Judging by her moans around his cock, she was enjoying herself too. Logan kept a steady pace. The sight of Lilith on her knees, combined with the risky nature of their location, heightened the sensations. He could feel his orgasm approaching rapidly.

"I'm going to cum down your throat," he managed to get out as the orgasm exploded throughout his body.

Holding her head in place and rocking gently, he came hard. Lilith eagerly accepted his cum, swallowing every drop that was given to her.

After a moment, Logan came down from his high and slowly released her. She briefly stayed in place before sliding her mouth off his softening shaft, making sure not to waste anything.

"Thanks for the snack." Lilith kissed the tip of Logan's cock and laughed gently. Standing up and tying her dress, she gave him a smoldering look. "This is definitely going to be a good memory for later," she added. Looking up at her, Logan smiled and made himself presentable. Lilith had claimed every drop so no cleanup was needed.

"You're very good at giving head!" Logan reached out and pulled her into his lap, giving her a flirty smile.

Giggling lightly, she settled on him and regarded him for a moment before replying, "What can I say? I have so much raw and natural talent. I'm happy to share with you." She winked at him.

Logan worked a hand up her dress, and finding her panties thoroughly wet, traced light circles across the needy pussy beneath. Placing a few kisses on her neck, he slipped her panties aside and gave her pussy the attention it craved. Letting out a gentle moan, she closed her eyes and opened her thighs, allowing easier access. "I think there's plenty of time left this evening to help a damsel in distress." After ensuring he had taken care of Lilith, Logan led her to their room, spending the remainder of the evening talking and cuddling.

The ship gently shuddered as it passed through Skye's atmosphere. There was no orbital station here, so the only option would be to land at the starport. Upon arrival, Logan would head out to quickly take care of his case and meet with Lilith later in the day.

It was about 9 a.m. for them, but on Skye, the local time in the central city was closer to 11 a.m., not a significant difference. They spent the last few days adjusting their schedule to align with Skye. Most naval starships operated on Terran standard time rather than changing their clocks to their destinations.

The Sparrow broke through the cloud cover and treated Logan and Lilith to a decent view of the main city on Skye, Alasdair. It sounded more impressive in old Gaelic, but according to the translator it was called Alexander. The pair sat in the starboard observation lounge and watched their descent over the city. Most of the prefabricated colony buildings had been replaced with proper structures, making it more like a city than a colony. The sprawl around the central buildings was somewhat well-organized. The streets had grids here and there and looked good for a city of under a million people.

Looming in the middle was the Administration building. It was the one structure that was the same regardless of the colony. While the Colonial Administration provided some generalized assistance to new colonies, their primary source of assistance was delivering and setting up the comparatively colossal Administration building. Standing ten stories above ground, it was easily the tallest building for a long while on any colony; a constant reminder of the 'big dog' in town.

"I don't think I've ever had a view like this before," Lilith sat up against the glass, looking down at everything. "It's quite pretty from up here."

"Pretty for now. Eventually, it will probably look like Bendraar. I don't think planet-wide cities are attractive, at least with Terran architecture."

Lilith let out a single chuckle and gazed at the rapidly approaching city. Logan could see the city center more clearly. There were more than a handful of buildings about as tall as the administration building now. The surrounding sprawl looked to be roughly three to five stories in places. They were making good progress.

The ship banked lightly, and the city was lost from view as they approached the starport. Watching Lilith, Logan didn't pay much attention to anything else out the window until they had landed, and she was suddenly in front of him.

"Hey, we're here!" She waved a hand in Logan's face.

"What?" Focusing back on her, he blinked a few times and realized he had spaced out watching her.

"It's time to get off," Lilith groaned internally, realizing what she had said.

"You sure we have time for a quickie? I think they might want us to leave soon." Logan wasted no time jumping on that opportunity and standing quickly, pulled Lilith by the waist, and hugged her. She sighed and returned it.

"I walked into that one." Leaning into him, she enjoyed the embrace, which seemed to go on forever. The door opened loudly, and a Marine entered, shaking the pair from their embrace.

"The Captain has asked me to ensure you make it off the ship." He smiled politely at them.

"I think we are being asked to leave," Logan mused.

They followed the Marine and found themselves outside the starport with their belongings.

"So, I guess I'll see you later today?" Lilith asked hesitantly.

"I wouldn't miss it," Logan replied.

The pair shared a long stare before slowly parting. Logan located rental lockers and stashed his small bag in one, before walking to the street to find a hover cab. The case he had chosen should only take an hour or so to complete. A series of complaints against an apartment complex's managing corporation on Skye had triggered an audit.

Colonial money meant Colonial oversight. Some corporations used Colonial Government funding for expansion on new colonies to build housing and other services. Tensions had been rising for a while between the Colonial Government and most of the star systems outside of the Inner Sphere. Many were clamoring for reform to ensure adequate representation within the government and for better management of overall Colonial affairs.

Logan pushed the thoughts from his mind, worrying about politics wasn't going to help at this moment. He had a job to do and a friend to help. Slapping the corporation in charge of managing the apartment complex with a fine and ban on Colonial Government services was probably the end result. The penalties would also apply to any current CEOs or managers. If the issues were especially grievous, the CAS had the power to freeze whole corporations until they underwent an internal restructuring, which included removing any culpable individuals pending arrest.

Rain had begun to fall, and he wanted to wrap this up quickly. As the cab landed, Logan could already see a few issues. Stepping out, he pulled up his Terminal and started taking notes. The four-story apartment complex was in a state of disrepair. After asking a few residents, the situation had deteriorated rapidly over the last month. The water wasn't working, and a putrid odor came from the vents. The guy responsible for local management said he would make repairs but disappeared. That struck Logan as odd, as tracking him down would be easy.

Logan shook his head. He didn't become an auditor to do glorified health and safety inspections, even if it was important. Heading towards the maintenance entrance in a side alley, Logan could hear a commotion somewhere in the distance, but the rain muffled the sound.

Lights flickered on, revealing a dimly lit corridor under the building. All the building's services were down here. As he walked further, the smell got worse; like something died, causing Logan to stifle a gag. He proceeded down the hallway looking for anything obvious, when he spotted what looked like a set of tools on the ground.

Logan walked over to pick one up when he caught movement in the corner of his eye, a man shuffling towards him ten feet away. Logan hardly had time to register what was happening before he was almost face-to-face with what resembled a walking corpse. The man lunged at Logan, grabbing on to him. The two struggled, for a moment but Logan pushed him off and reached for his pistol. Before he could pull it free of the holster, the man was on him again, throwing his full weight against Logan, and the pair tumbled to the ground. Logan threw a punch connecting with the man's face, but it didn't seem to faze him.

The man grabbed onto Logan's arm and bit into it, his clothing offering little resistance. Pain flooded Logan's senses, and warmth spread over his left arm. Pulling back with all his strength, Logan ripped his arm away and kicked hard, separating the two. The pain intensified as a chunk of flesh was torn from his arm. Logan slid back, freed his pistol from the holster, aimed it at the creature then froze; it was chewing on the piece of his arm. It looked up at Logan and let out a deep groan starting for him again.

There was a momentary flash of light as Logan pulled the trigger. The energy pulse hit the creature, pausing it but doing little to stop it. Wasting no time, he toggled the weapon from stun to lethal and watching the creature advance, Logan took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The energy pulse threw the creature back, causing a deep burn on its upper right torso.

A moment passed. Logan stood up and watched the creature closely for movement. He started to lower his pistol, but it moved, stumbled to its feet, and came at him. Logan didn't hesitate this time; he fired another two shots, one hitting the creature's abdomen and the other catching it high in the chest, throwing it back again. Still moving when it hit the ground, Logan advanced quickly, leveled his pistol at the creature's head, and fired. Standing over the burned creature, Logan stared at it for a long time, silently hoping it didn't move again. After what felt like an eternity, the pain and heat from his left arm pulled him back. 'What the hell was that?' Logan exhaled and stepped back.

His arm was pulsing with pain, and the wound left by the creature was bleeding heavily. He had to get out of this basement and find help. As he turned and started to go, his head began to spin. His steps grew heavy, but Logan pushed forward up the stairs. A trail of blood was visible leading out to the side street, where Logan collapsed on the ground. Thoughts of Lilith filling his mind, he reached for his Glass and tapped a few commands, his left arm screaming at him.

Rain was pouring around him as he lay there, and a distant siren was muffled against the downpour. He thought he heard an explosion in the distance. Logan struggled to sit and finished tapping a message to Lilith. His head was spinning, and he wasn't sure if his message was coherent. There was no strength in his legs to stand. The world seemed to dim, the edges of his vision blurred, a high-pitched ringing noise filled his ears, and everything went dark.