"One more quarter rotation and you'll have it," Lucas murmured to himself, though aware Tatyana couldn't hear.

The control panel pulsed with ambient lights that shimmered in prismatic patterns reflecting off Lucas's polished chrome artificial eye. Although First Mate Bella Brown was the same Osphranter race as Tatyana, with similar features, Lucas was drawn to Tatyana's softer, rounder curves, that belied her hard, strong muscles underneath. The blonde fur setting off her crystal blue eyes, and long snout that seemed to eagerly nuzzle whatever task she focused on.

"Almost there," Lucas whispered to himself, watching her struggle for all she was worth. Bella had suggested breaking for a brief respite, but Lucas knew that the proud woman would not give up without completing the first cycle of this grueling task.

Tatyana grunted in affirmation as she twisted again, her back arching gently as both sets of her bosoms pressed against the large wrench attached to the hydraulic bank.

---

On Station 7, various crews prepared for what they hoped would be a delivery from the heavens. Security and Scanning crews worked in sync, searching the area between them and the Celestial Gate, anticipating the valuable freight container they desperately needed—the recent incident with the Tug from the Therio, a disaster. Yes, by Intergalactic Law, it was forbidden to enter or exit a Celestial Gate and the station was well within their right, in fact their duty, to carry out the punishment of death, but the cargo was much too valuable to destroy so easily.

"Scanning, any sign of a cargo container?" The Station Commander, herself a member of the Serpentes race, hissed with frustration, her long, curled tail swishing back and forth impatiently. The naval officer in the room, Captain Orson Lârion, took a deep breath and sighed. The red glow of the timer influenced the ambient light of the room, counting down the moments until the cargo container was expected.

"Negative, Commander," the Canis Scanning Officer reported from his station, staring intently at the radar screen that beeped rhythmically.

"Well, the High Priestess is on her way to the bridge, she'll want to be updated." Station Commander Kryxxus said. Her serpentine eyes were full of concern as she looked from the timer to Captain Orson Lârion.

"Understood Commander. We'll keep trying." The captain answered with a nod before turning back to the Canis Scanning Officer. He was still staring at the radar screen, transfixed by the empty space on it.

"I am not fond of that newly assigned High Priestess," Scanning Officer Max muttered, rubbing his snout as he tried to make out a sign of the cargo container. "It's bad enough that she's a Zealot, but the fact that she is also Ancient Cursed."

Captain Orson Lârion frowned, his amphibian eyes narrowing slightly. "Being cursed by an Ancient shouldn't concern you, Scanning Officer Max. You should only worry about helping us find this valuable cargo."

Max looked back at Captain Lârion, shaking his head in disagreement. "I can't shake the feeling that she'll be trouble."

"I am trouble for all who sin, for I can see into the hearts of all creatures" The smooth, exotic voice of the new High Priestess echoed in the room, causing a shiver of apprehension among the crew members.

The Serpentes Commander, Kryxxus, bowed low. "Greetings, Priestess Xia. We have received no sign of the Freighter’s container."

"Which vessel is delivering the cargo?" Xia's deep brown eyes gave Kryxxus a cold, calculating stare. "Who is her Captain?" She inquired, her features disturbed Kryxxus greatly. The bottom half of her body was Serpentes, but the upper half was of an accursed Ancient, her flesh pale, her petite bosoms barely covered by proper Serpentes scales. Her face scaleless and furless, with large, round eyes and flowing raven hair cascading down her shoulders.

"Err, um, your highness, it would be the Titans Pillar, Captain Carter's vessel." Captain Orson Lârion responded sheepishly, averting his gaze from her revealing figure. Xia nodded in acknowledgment.

"Captain Carter, with his daughter Tatyana Carter?" Xia repeated the name, her features contorting in recognition.

"Their Tug at least. Knowing Nigel, he isn't on it, but Tatyana follows the cargo, she will be." Captain Orson Lârion continued his response, a hint of confidence evident in his tone.

"How serendipitous," Xia catalogued the information efficiently. With an alluring smile, she agreed with Orson's certainty, "The cargo will arrive as expected."

---

Tatyana exerted herself one last time, biting her lip in concentration as she fought the coupling's resistance. Finally, with an elated cry, she relented, exhausted but victorious. The container was free from the Tug, giving Lucas a clear path to initiate cloaking.

"Tatyana, I'm going to slow us down, that'll put distance between us and the container. Hold on." Lucas warned as he reduced the Tug's speed, causing Tatyana to slide forward off the coupling.

Expecting this, her hand grabbed the coupling end, the momentum pulling on her back as she clung to it, a relieving pop could be heard in her suit. "Oh, that is just what I needed. I could kiss you Chair-Jockey." She chuckled, while checking the container's trajectory in her helmet's translucent heads-up display.

Tatyana's tail coiled against the coupling, and she pulled herself back toward the ship with it, executing a flip with her hand maintaining a firm grip on the coupling end as her plump thighs slid around its length. The coupling pressed firmly into her suited groin, and she couldn't help but release a low, guttural moan at the contact, a heated blush creeping up her neck.

Lucas heard the noise and turned his gaze towards her. Their eyes met for a moment as she rose up causing her figure to straddle the coupling like a livestock wrangler, the weight of her suit exaggerating every curve in bold relief.

Lucas's breath caught in his throat as he stared at Tatyana.

The way she moved was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic. He felt a flutter in his heart and a growing tightness in his loins. He quickly averted his gaze, turning his attention back to the control panel. "Cloaking initiated," he muttered, more to himself than to the others.

Bella, noticing Lucas's shift in focus and color, stole a curious glance towards Tatyana. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion, but she refrained from asking questions. She turned back to the console in front of her, continuing to monitor the external sensors.

"Curious, the bubble of folded space is barely covering the ship. Are we that low on power?" Bella's voice cut through the cabin.

"Seems to be a limitation of the bubble configuration," Lucas responded, visibly uncomfortable. "It's been getting less and less efficient since I've been aboard. I assume it needs calibration. When's the last time somebody took a poke at it?"

"I assume 300,000 Standard Years ago..." Bella replied, garnering a confused look from Lucas. She shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips, making a mental note to explore this problem further later. Under her breath, she mumbled, "I guess I'll look into that."

With cloaking successfully initiated, Tatyana raised her arm in triumph while hooting.