The chipmunk swung her foot-paws off the side of the bed, slowly breathing. Slowly kneading her bushy, striped tail with her stubby-clawed fingers. An exhale. Her toes wriggled against the carpet. Inhale. With head leaning back and eyes closing and, "That was nice," she whispered. Relaxing, she turned to him (with eyes now wide open). "Thank you."

The periwinkle-furred bat, still lying down, gave a drowsy smile. "What are mates for?"

Bic flushed beneath her fur. Mates. Hadn't been so hard, had it? Saying the words? Doing this ...

"I should be thanking you. Been too many months ... " He trailed. No simulation (or paw, for that matter) could ever touch the reality of being with a fur-and-blood femme ...

She just nodded. And bit her lip.

"You're worried," he said, reading her mind, "that I'm gonna leave you ... like the others."

"The others," she mouthed, sighing. "It started out like this," she said, "with the others. It always starts out like this. Dizzy. Dreamy." She met his eyes. "They, at first, want you ... but ... "

" ... I know."

"Ah. That's right. When we, uh ... " She nodded. " ... you had my memories." She paused. "I never, uh, knew ... that it worked like that. With bats, I mean."

"I guess I should've warned you." Barrow's sky-blue chest rose and fell. His chest and belly-fur a bit lighter than the fur on the rest of him.

An eye-squinting smile. "It was worth it." A breath. "Now, I know how it feels for a male ... among other things." She sighed. "I got some of your memories, too." When they'd yiffed, they'd been, through his fangs in her neck, mentally linked. Because of his telepathy. Breeding with their own sensations ... and the sensations of each other. Bodies tuned, sharing stimuli. Sharing thoughts, secrets. A pin-wheeling, sparking intimacy. Full disclosure.

Barrow closed his baby-blue eyes.

"I would hope, now that we're mated, that you'll have no more need to slip unnoticed into other furs' minds. You have mine. My mind. Voluntarily."

The bat, blinking his eyes open, said, "I promise. Only you."

"You've always been tempted to use your telepathy ... to cross lines with it," she said. Again, knowing this from when their minds had been linked. "You briefly considered joining the renegade bats. The ones," she whispered, remembering it all from the flashes she'd experienced ... " ... the ones who don't believe telepathy should be branded with any limits."

"I, uh ... heh ... one yiff, and you know my life story. Without a word spoken." A shy smile.

"It's your fangs. Your mating milk."

"I just forgot how intimate it was ... as I said, it's been a while." The bat swallowed, a bit flushed.

"You promise, though ... "

"Darling, I said I did," Barrow whispered, sounding more vulnerable than she'd ever heard him sound. "Besides, we've got a mental link now. I kind of need to stick with you."

"I hope that need is also a want ... "

"It is," he assured. A pause. A hesitation. "Are you gonna lay back down?"

"I was gonna get us a drink ... "

"You need some water?"

"Alcohol," she responded. "But, uh, I think that'd be overdoing it ... maybe ... on second thought."

"I've never been able to handle alcohol very well," Barrow admitted. "I get headaches. Even from a little bit."

"Yeah, it's ... too late in the night."

"Lay back down? Please?"

The chipmunk yawned lightly, and did so. Her head going down on a pillow.

And Barrow shifted to face her, a sky-blue, winged arm draping over her side. Paw on her bare, curved hip. He smiled.

Her eyes shyly darted, unable to stay still, but she, too, smiled back. "My neck doesn't even hurt," she went. "From where your fangs sunk in."

"I told you ... leaves no mark, and no pain, either. Just pleasure."

That last word made her flush. Pleasure. That was a hot kind of joy. Guiltless. Wasn't it? She could never be sure, in these cases, if it was pleasure she was feeling ... or simply ... well, something else. "Barrow," she mouthed.

"Yeah?"

The bedroom was dim. The stars, outside, streaming. Arctic moving through space. And the doctor and the science officer recovering from all they'd done. And what they'd set into motion.

"What is it? Bic?"

"Promise me you're not gonna ... fly off. I know you got wings, but, uh ... "

"I won't ... "

" ... fly away. Oh, do not fly away."

"Baby, I won't."

The chipmunk closed her eyes. "I wish I could believe that." A breath. "I'll try." A swallow. "Gonna take time. I, uh, you know ... bad relationships. I always felt it was my fault. And, sometimes, maybe it was, but ... not every time. But I couldn't let myself recover, because they convinced me it was all me, and I believed them."

"Baby ... Bic ... "

"Don't call me ‘baby.' Call me something else."

"Darling?"

A shy smile. "Darling's fine."

"Darling ... let's just calm down. We'll make it work. We're both in the science track. You know ... so, I don't think we'll be split by orders. Aria runs a close-knit ship. She was on Solstice before this ... we can talk to her about it. No transfers."

"Whatever," Bic whispered. "Whatever. Just ... "

His paw, on her belly, softly scratched. The feel of fingers and claws above her belly button, in her chestnut-brown fur. "Calm down."

"I'm a rodent."

"I've seen rodents tamed ... "

"Maybe."

"You don't believe me?" His muzzle to her breast. The soft, warm feeling of his breath. The airy scent of him, and the exotic realization of ‘I just bred with a bat' ... and ‘wait ... wait, I'm MATED to a bat, now' ...

She sighed. At his lip-nibbles and huffs. And she ran her paw up and down his side, touching his folded wing ... between his arm and side. Before slipping her paw into hers, facing him, belly-to-belly, and his nose moving to her neck.

"You tired?" Barrow asked.

"Mm ... not really." A smile.

A toothy grin from him. "Well, missy, maybe we should ... "



" ... sleep?" Ezri asked. "I don't wanna sleep." She leaned against the kitchen counter. Bare, in the fur, in their quarters on C-Deck. "Honestly, Jinx, you're SUCH a male, you know?"

He, only in briefs, looks to her. "Isn't that why you like me?" A bit of a cheeky look from him.

A huff. "Yes, but ... "

"Then, there you go."

" ... it's not enough. I'm just ... you know, why can't you be more like Ross? Or Ollie?"

"More like a MOUSE, you mean?" The skunk asked, joining her at the counter.

"Male mice are so ... "

" ... effeminate? Wispy?"

"Spiritual. Romantic ... soft ... "

"They also get their sheaths snipped off at birth. No thanks."

"You know, I'M a rodent."

"And if you furs wanna snip the sheaths off your baby males, then go ahead ... I'm just makin' a comment, is all."

"If we have a baby, and we have a male, he's getting' his snipped," she said.

"What?" A blink.

"It's a religious thing, Jinx. It's my faith, okay? You just ... anyway, it's cleaner, and it looks better, and ... my past mates felt pleasure JUST fine," she assured. "Believe me."

"Whatever. Just ... let's not talk about it? Anyway, I can't get you pregnant. You'd have to be artificially impregnated."

"You have a problem with that?" the squirrel asked quietly.

"Ezri, seriously, WHY are we talking about this stuff? This is stupid ... all of it. Who cares?"

"I care!" she squeaked. "I just wanna be serious. Our mate-ship isn't just for fun. It's ... I want it to be lasting. And I want seriousness. I wanna talk about a future."

"Then why'd you mate me?" he asked. "If I'm so frustrating to deal with?"

"Because ... you're ... " She sighed. "You're handsome. Skunks are bold, sensual, strong ... just ... your nerve, and your scent." She took a flushed breath, her bushy squirrel tail flagging behind her. "Skunks are a bit exotic."

"Are we?" he, relaxing, pressed up to her.

"I want us to be for real," she whispered, nose bumping into his.

"We are, darling. We said the vows to each other. We're mates."

"I know. And I love you."

He put his lips up to her forehead.

She closed her eyes.

"I love you, too." Small, soft kisses. "Really, Ezri, I ... know I can be brisk. That's why I'm ... I don't know. I'm not the swooning, sensitive type, you know?"

"I know," she whispered. "But ... I just wish you'd be a bit MORE sensitive, sometimes." A sigh. "What do we have in common, Jinx?"

"Ezri, stop worrying." He met her eyes. "You want perfection? What do you want?"

"I told you," she whispered.

The skunk sighed. "I love you ... I'm just bein' me. Have you ever mated outside your own species?"

"No," was her confession.

"Well, there you go. It's ... just give it time. We'll find each other's buttons." A smile. "I know we've already found some." He sucked on her bare shoulder, wetting her fur with his tongue.

"What do skunks believe in, Jinx? Why are you ... your species," she said, "is like ... you're the outsiders. You're not entirely prey. But you're not predators. You never believe in the faith as strongly as prey do, but you don't DIS-believe it, so ... I just don't know what you believe in," she said. "I don't know who you are," she confessed.

"Give it time," he urged. "We'll find out ... we'll learn." He was sucking on her neck now. Weakening her resolve.

She made a soft, squeaky sound.

"You tired yet? Need sleep?"

"No. Still don't want sleep," she said, starting to melt. Despite any frustrations, despite anything, she couldn't stay mad at him. He was so strong. Was so many things that she wasn't. He was so ... traditionally masculine. And maybe that's what she appreciated the most: his balance.

Jinx's kisses roved and went and ...

... she rose to the tips of her foot-paws at the sudden, pleasing spot of his wayward fingers.

"Mm ... "

"Oh ... " A huff. "Computer," she managed. A readying beep. "Lights off."



His mousey muzzle pressed forward, at a bit of a tilt, locking with her wet, loosened lips. Surrendering a passion-feathered kiss. A heart-fluttering flight of wet warmth, of having her breath, of ... of ...

... the snow rabbit pushing her muzzle back against his. Her tongue, the more versatile, slipping against him.

Ross's eyes closed. Closed. Just feel it ...

... Aria's paws gripping his pert, furry rump, making sure he didn't give a wayward squirm or wriggle.

To be in such a state!

A young, early-twenties love, blessed with night's coming, and filled with such want, such pure, earnest fire ...

... for the build-up prior to the letting go.

Her grace like falling snow.

His motions that of gentility.

This was how the religious, the pure-at-heart, made love ... with surrender. Writhing abandon. Lust tempered with heavier doses of time-knit love, to make an amalgam of ...



... tangled limbs, clutching paws, and giggles from the maw.

"Wilco!"

"Heh ... mm ... mm ... " He tickled under her arms, and ...

... the kangaroo rat giggle-squeaked, kicking her big foot-paws. Squirm!

Squeak!

"Heh ... heh ... Wilco!" she panted. "No tickles!"

"No tickles equals," he breathed, "no fair." He sank back on his knees, undressed, chest heaving. "Mm." He caught his breath. "Sorry, I ... I like the sound you make," he confessed.

"When I'm tickled?"

A bright smile. A nod. "Mm-hmm." He leaned over her, on all fours above her now. "You only make it when you're tickled," he whispered.

"Didn't realize that ... "

"Mm-hmm."

"But, Wilco ... "

"Yeah?" His twitching, sniffing nose descended to touch hers.

"You tickle ma gain tonight, and I'll kick ya," she said, grinning (but totally meaning what she said, all the same). She rubbed her fingers on his flying membrane, which was loose and velvety at his sides.

"Kick me?" he whispered innocently. "With your hoppy desert foot-paws?"

"Mm-hmm." Her arms and foot-paws went around his back. His lower back. Holding him down atop her body.

"I love hoppy desert foot-paws," he whispered into her ear. "Mm ... you know, you're not acting very femme-like. Not at all proper or civil, this ... mm ... this body-lock you got me in ... "

"You didn't have a problem with it earlier today, during lunch," she reminded, eyes sparking.

"Nor do I have a problem with it now," the flying squirrel assured, sinking further against her, lips busying themselves, and ...



... Ollie smiled shyly, moving in a slow circle with her. "Oh," he breathed. He and Arianna, snow mouse and snow rabbit, both with winter-white fur, naked, warm, swaying sensually in the living room of their quarters, near the couch and the coffee table.

Her bobtail flickered like a flame.

And his tail, ropy and pink, snaked, hung in the air ... as if conducting this. Oh, living, beating symphony! Oh, mind and matter!

Oh, the slanting, the grinding of her hips.

And the smiling, wrapping hold he kept on her, and ...

... how her ears stood tall.

And how his own ears flushed (and swiveled). Even more so at her whispers. And his brow raised. "Ear-sex?" he said aloud.

"Why not? We are both able to peak," she said, eye-smiling (in that enigmatic, snow rabbit way), "through ear stimulation alone." Only a paw-ful of species could do that. Mouses and rabbits happened to be among them.

"Well, I ... " Ollie's eyes darted. It was always a bit funny, really, to know God heard all these conversations. Every single one. Every single word. Saw all these things they did ... and did it amuse Him? Did he find mortal love, at times, to be cute?

"Well?" Arianna asked.

"Heh, uh ... " A swallow. He put his muzzle close to hers, flushed beneath his fur. "I kind of like the feeling of, uh, bein' in you ... and, uh, you know, that kind of, uh ... "

" ... full-frontal contact?"

"Heh. Uh ... "

"We can do both. Can we not?"

"Darling, I ... you don't need a down-time between climaxes. I'm a male. I do."

"Mm," she rabbit-purred. "We have all night. IF you must recharge for a bit ... well, then, you must. We will occupy ourselves in myriad ways." An eye-smile.

And, wow, something about her tone of voice was really working the mouse up.

"Shall we waltz to the bed? Or flop onto the couch?" A furthered eye-smile (oh, envious body language) ...

"Oh, uh ... "

BLARE!

Ollie jerked, ears swiveling, eyes widening at the sudden ...

" ... alarm," stated Arianna, with a much greater calm than the mouse expressed. "Priority alarm."

"W-what's that mean ... " The mouse's heart hammered.

BLARE!

"I should report to my station," Arianna stated, reluctantly pulling away from her mate, slipping her panties on, lifting one leg at a time.

He marveled at her beauty as she dressed. Even though his anxiety ...

"You may come with me," she told him, knowing that mouses, when frightened, couldn't stand solitude. She knew he'd start crying the moment she left. "Dress," she urged.



Ten minutes later, the senior staff was assembled in the conference room (just off the bridge). The alarm silenced, and the furs in their chairs, all looking distracted.

None of them were fully-dressed. The femmes were in shorts and bras. Most of the males only in shorts (though Ollie had a t-shirt on).

Aria, foot-paws bare, her bra white (matching her fur), sighed. It was after ten-o'clock. And, not mincing words, she quietly said, "Judging by our collective attire, I assume we were all breeding ... when the alarm sounded?"

Ollie shyly replied, "Uh ... almost."

"We were," Jinx said, sighing, smiling at Ezri.

"What's wrong with Barrow?" Ross asked.

The bat's eyes were paler than normal, and he was slumped forward, elbows on the tabletop.

Aria's eyes (along with everyone else's) went to Bic.

The chipmunk swallowed. "We were, uh, breeding, too. Bats bite," she explained, "during, uh ... well, they have to. And when the biting isn't seen through to climax," she said, "it throws their bodies out of whack."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Ollie asked, concerned for his friend.

A flush. "Not until we can finish what we were doing. Until then, he'll feel ill."

"I promise," Aria said, "to make this quick. I realize our breeding instincts are flaring. And I know, also, we are all tired. But ... " She paused. Paced to the window. Paced back. "We are going to change course. There was an ‘incident' ... "

The furs sat up straighter, eyes widening. Looking around at each other ...

"Incident?" Arianna finally asked, tensing. "Where?"

"What happened?" Wilco asked quietly.

Aria returned to the table, but couldn't make herself sit down. "For whatever reason, the wasps had a personal interest in the outcome of our war ... as you'll recall, they meddled in our affairs," she said, "a few times. But ... "

"You mean the war between the snow rabbits and Arctic foxes?" Ezri asked.

"Yes." A breath. "The wasps wanted the Arctic foxes to win. They believed it would serve their own future purposes ... to have predators in control of our sector. But we won. Not the foxes."

"What are getting at?" Jinx asked, squinting.

"Do not ask me to explain the rationale behind this, but ... according to the communiqué that came with the priority call ... " She trailed. Eying her officers.

Barrow looked very near to throwing up. He kept licking his fangs weakly, dripping some kind of milky fluid onto the table ... his eyes hooded. A bat's biting instinct provided, oh, such pleasure during yiff ... but the gift was a delicate one. And, at the moment, was causing him great pain.

Bic kept squeezing at his paw, her worry evident.

Aria would've dismissed them both ... due to their unique circumstances, but ... she needed the doctor to hear this. Now. With the others. For Barrow's services were going to be needed ...

Alabaster was sitting at the end of the table, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, and adorned with just a pair of boxers. Fluffy bobtail sticking out the back. Which member of his breeding party was he sleeping with tonight?

Ollie and Ross, the mouses, were whisker-twitching crazily.

Arianna was composed.

"Ma'am?" Wilco whispered, his bare, brown chest rising, falling. Eyes waiting.

Aria blinked. Taking a deep breath. "The wasps launched a device into the Arctic fox's sun."

"A device?" Jinx went.

"It is beyond our own technology. Odds are, the wasps didn't even create it themselves ... rather, they assimilated or stole it." Pause. "But the device destabilized the sun. It will go nova in two weeks. Maybe less."

Dead quiet.

"In the face of extinction, the Arctic foxes have sent out code one distress calls ... " The snow rabbit trailed. "They lost most of their ships during the war." Her eyes darted. "They need our ships," she whispered, "to evacuate their populace off the planet."

"How many foxes are there?" Ross wondered.

"Twenty-nine million."

Silence. The stars streaming outside the window.

And it was Jinx who said, whispering, "Even round the clock ... I mean, in two weeks? The Furry Federation's fleet is only JUST back to full capacity," he said, referring to Captain Wren's fleet-wipe of a two/three years back. "And most of them are WEEKS from here. I mean, only Solstice, Luminous ... and that crazy snow leopard's ship ... only those three are even assigned to the Uncharted Territories," he said, referring to the perimeter of known space. The snow rabbit's system rested barely on the explored side ... everything after it was yet to be mapped in detail. The main furry Home-world was a month away, and they kept their ships closer to home, and the snow rabbits were only now getting past their isolationist tendencies, so ... no one had bothered to extensively map what was out there yet. But, as mentioned, a few ships had been and were out here ... including Arctic.

"Kalmbach," Ross whispered. "The snow leopard ... Kalmbach."

"Whatever. So, three of ours ships," the skunk continued, "are in range. How many of yours?" he asked Aria.

"We lost ships during the war, too, but ... including Arctic, forty-two vessels. However, half of our ships are modest. Like Arctic. Forty to eighty crew-furs. We do have bigger ships, freighters, but ... " She trailed. "You are correct," she told Jinx, meeting the skunk's eyes. "We will not be able to save them all. Not nearly ... " A pause. A whisker-twitch and an ear-waggle. "They will have to be ferried across the border to ..."

" ... our space?" Arianna asked.

Alabaster, too, tensed.

"Yes," Aria continued. "Until a replacement snow world can be found for their relocation ... they will be given temporary residence on our second moon, which is a habitable ice-moon ... "

"That moon is a vacation spot," Arianna said plainly. "There are no big cities there."

"Then, consider, if it pleases you, the refugees to be ‘vacationers' ... but they will be staying on the second moon, regardless."

"And what if they don't wish to leave once they get there?" Alabaster posed. "What if ... "

"We will not go off on tangents. This is an imperfect plan, but ... it is the ONLY plan. From their words to ours, at maximum speed ... it's three hours. Maximum warp. Our solar systems border." A pause. "For two weeks, we will be strained. The foxes, despite our saving their lives, will resent us ... it is the nature of things. And we have a tense history." A sigh. "We all need to breed between two to four times a day, depending on species," said the snow rabbit. "I understand that. We'll also need sleep. But ... I expect, as a warning, that deprivation may be unavoidable during this mission. Know your limit. If you become unable to perform your duties, satiate yourself ... it's ... this will be stressful. The foxes will need to be kept under guard. I will not have them roaming the ship. Engines will be working near unsafe temperatures ... and I could go on. However, I suggest we pray, stay calm, and do what we can. Our fates, as always, are in the Lord's paws ... "

There was a pause.

"Wilco," Aria continued, "before you return back to your quarters, set a course for the Arctic fox world. It will take us three days to get there from our present location. We will be late. The rest of the ships will probably already be going back and forth, ferrying refugees. Traffic will be heavy. I suspect we may see one of the Furry Federation ships out our windows, from time to time, but ... we will probably work more closely with the snow rabbit vessels. So, we will be reporting to the High Command."

Twitches, nods, and tail-flicks. No one voicing a problem with that ...

"Rest up for the next few days. That is an order. Spend time with your mates. Breed at a slow-burn. Savor it. I will not lie to you: there is a chance than the sun may collapse ... unexpectedly, before schedule ... maybe we'll be out of range ... or maybe not. Even though our objective is to be a rescue ship, the mission is still dangerous." A sigh. "I'll inform you with more details as we get closer. So far, I only know what the Snow Rabbit High Command just sent us ... " She swallowed. "Dismissed," she whispered.

A pause. Some whisker-twitches.

"Wow ... I'm depressed," Wilco finally said quietly, sinking.

"I am not," Alabaster said coldly, and he stood. "I am going to finish my breeding." And he strode out of the room.

"What's his problem?" Ezri demanded, frowning.

"His sister and mother were killed during the war," Arianna said pointedly. "They were murdered."

The squirrel went quiet, looking down at the tabletop.

Aria met Arianna's eyes. The two exchanged something in a look. And Arianna broke the gaze first, and said to Ollie, "Let us go ... "

"Well, dire news or not, we don't have a choice," Bic said. "We gotta ‘be furs' ... come on darling ... I got ya ... " The chipmunk pulled Barrow out of his chair. The bat mumbling incoherently, his paw-pads clammy. She guided him out the door, making a beeline for the lift ... counting the seconds to their quarters.

And, slowly, the rest of them filtered away, as well.

Leaving Ross and Aria alone in the room.

"You will ask Ollie," she requested, "to organize a prayer service in the church?"

The meadow mouse nodded quietly. "Course."

"It is ironic ... "

He looked to her.

"That God would use prey ... as instruments to rescue a whole species of predators."

"Yeah. Ironic. But, hopefully, humbling ... for both sides. Maybe something will come out of this ... "

"Yes." A weak nod. "I want that prayer service organized."

"I said I would. It's ... very late," Ross said. "Aria?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

A hesitation. "There are times when I have hated the Arctic foxes. I ... I killed them. During the war. You know this. But I never wished such a thing as this," she said, "upon them. I just feel chastened, is all."

"Christ knows, and I know," Ross assured, "that you don't have a vindictive heart. You have a graceful, noble heart ... one of passion. And ... and don't worry, okay? This isn't our fault."

"I think it must be. This must be everybody's fault. If we stopped fighting each other and fought the wasps, instead ... they wouldn't have ... " She bit her lip. And sighed. "But you are right," she realized. "Retroactive thinking does not make a future ... as much as active living does."

"We'll do all we can," Ross whispered.

A nod. And a sigh. "Of all the times to need to breed ... " She bit her lip. "I am sorry to ... to ask."

The vole stood, holding out his paw. "I'm well-used to your bein' rabbity. And, believe me, we'll have no problem making love. I don't think I'll have any trouble holding you warm and dear."

She eye-smiled, feeling better ... just from her mate's simple, hopeful spirt.

And, together, they retired for the night. (Or, well ... not quite. But, regardless, they went to bed ... )