That's just a nap...
Bet she's in for a surprise then....
Alex woke up with a groan. But a least no headache.
Fireblade has, in the meantime, moved away, but Beryl was still sitting close. Snoring slightly.
It's been way too long I woke up next to a girl snoring... he thought, with a slightly longing look.
Tempo was also gone. But the guards were still present, even if they moved over to the shuttle's doors.
Then he noticed that the lights of the shuttle have been dimmed.
He smiled at guards and asked "Is everything all right?"
One of them said "Yes."
He looked at her and waited for more information, but no elaboration came.
Ah, yeah. Not used to talking....
The door of the cockpit opened and closed, and Tempo came down the aisle towards him
"Captain Jardin, while you were asleep, the enemy has made the next steps. They have sent another six divisions coming from Rallis, and this time it's a gatecrasher force."
"Gatecrasher force?" he asked.
"That's what we call a minimum supply convoi they use in their attack missions. This group also contains tankers and transport ships." Tempo added.
"Uh... That does not sound good."
"No, it does not." Beryl interjected. Tempo must've nudged her telepathically awake.
"What the Enemy commander said... bypassing Azimol citadel.... What is beyond Enedd?" Alex asked, while his head did start to feel slightly headachey.
"The reserve fleet base at Nezel. If the enemy could break through there, beyond lies largely undefended territory." Beryl answered, with a clear worry in her face.
"Yes. And we've started to observe the Umiak refuel and resupply their vessels." Tempo added.
"Ugh." Alex groaned involuntarily. "How long have I been asleep?" He asked.
"About 400 bima." Beryl replied. "How long is a Human sleep cycle anyway?" She immediately asked.
"Uff. I thought we already talked about that. Aboard the Tempest?" Alex answered, and he felt his throat to be really dry.
"Marginally." Beryl replied. "We talked about Earth, and your time measurements, but not about your physiology."
"Well, it's too early in the morning for that." Alexander replied. "Can I have some water, please. And I'm hungry, so breakfast would be nice."
Beryl looked away, towards the shuttle's doors. Turning back to him, she said "Water, and something to eat will be brought shortly. In the meantime: how long does a Human sleep, on average?"
"I'm sure you've observed me while keeping me safe aboard the tempest, but about 8 hours a night, in a total cycle of 24 hours a day." Alex answered.
"So, as we thought, your home planets rotation also dictates your daily rhythm. About 400 bima in a sleep cycle." Beryl calculated.
"Where are we now?" Alex asked.
"Aboard the station Gora-relay. We had to find a safe spot, and the enemy stopped pursueing us. They are apparently content in blocking the Gora jump point outside our weapon range. But the station's commander has commanded that you are not to exit the shuttle." Tempo said. "The backdraw is, that we cannot move away for now. The station's commander did extend courtesy to us and has refueled us though, even if only as a last-ditch emergency exit. But also she made clear that should the shuttle try to fly away from the station while the system and the jump point are in the Enemies hand, she will destroy us."
"Those are not the news I want to wake up to." Alex commented.
"Neither is this the news we wish to share with friends." Tempo said.
She took a short look at Beryl, and left. Clearly, there have been comments, observations, maybe instructions, using Sanzai.
Alex looked at Beryl, who was apparently always observing him. "Does the shuttle have a sanitary station I can use?"
She pointed backwards, and said "To the left."
He went back, and found a small sanitary room, and something like a hand washing basin. He relieved himself, and then used the basin to spray some water into his face.
Meanwhile, he thought about the lesson the Mizol has given him. Culturally. Apparently, the Loroi do think differently about relations. And apparently exclusivity is slightly frowned upon, especially with lower ranks like active military.
Man, this whole blue-elf space amazon story started to become a male-fantasy trope.
Oh yeah, the Mizol also picked up on the image of Harem.
He flushed slightly.
He saw his ears turn red in a mirror.
And I need to stop getting red every time. I'm not a child, and certainly not a virgin anymore. he thought with a smile.
What else? Yeah, that last question and image. And the reply his mind reflexively gave.
Fatigue, was the question, and what was his reply. yes, no? Both. Ah, the subtext. No, being fatigue can get in the way of mating; was one question/answer set, and the other was "Yes, fatigue activates the Lotai. How would he know that? Yet that was the answer he gave, and he felt it was true. So, lowering the Lotai would have to be a very conscious, active decision. That's advantageous in protecting his thoughts. Yet the last few times Tempo or Beryl touched him, his Lotai was apparently down right from the start.
He finished refreshing himself, and went back into the cabin.
Beryl had rearranged some chairs at the front, which now included a small table. Some water, and some different dishes with food were there.
Time for a small experiment before I get food I don't like he thought. He walked to the front, deliberately choosing the side closest to the shuttle doors, where the guards stood.
When passing by, he reached out and touched one of them deliberately on the naked hand.
"Hello" he thought.
No reply, but she pulled her hand away, and the other guard had her handarm drawn.
He raised his hands, and simply said "Sorry, I wanted to test something regarding my Lotai." He lowered one hand slowly, and put it forward, and said "This is a human greeting ritual. Hi, my name is Alexander."
One of them looked at Beryl, who was already on the move towards them. The other guard answered "My instructions do not permit me to touch you, or talk with you. You are to stay aboard this shuttle."
Alex shrugged his shoulders, and said "Sorry for the interruption", turned and left for the front of the shuttle.
When Beryl and him met him, they stopped, and without asking he touched her "Hello".
Beryl looked at him, and replied "Uh, hello? What was that?"
"Just wanted to test something. How much effort it takes to pull down my Lotai to Sanzai with you." Alex replied.
"And?"
Her curiousity obviously has won her over again. He started walking down the aisle, forcing her to let go of his hand, to turn around and walk next to him.
He reached out and held her hand. "Nothing." he replied. "I thought of the same 'hello' as I did to you, no further efforts, yet you could understand me clearly, she could apparently not."
She looked back, and when she turned to him again, he saw a smile on her face "Indeed. She confirms she received nothing from you. Interesting."
"Yes indeed. My Lotai is apparently also depending on whether I trust you." Alex commented.
"Don't you trust them?" Beryl asked.
Alex could certainly noticed the mental satisfaction in her reply. Yes, Beryl was apparently very... territorial of him.
"I trust them not to shoot me without reason, but that's about it." he replied. He imagined playing kids on the street, holding hands while running somewhere, and sent that image with a thought of laughter to her.
The reply came faster, much faster than he expected, and included an image at night, of adults, walking hand in hand along a shoreline with a moon glittering over the water.
She let go of him, and he noticed her ears turning a much darker shade of blue.
Ha! he thought. Apparently I can incite reflexive answeres too. One trick learned, Tempo!
He smiled at her, and sat down at the table, which included two sets of dishes, as he noticed. While she sat down, he took a sip of the water. He pointed at the different dishes, and asked "Would you care to explain to me the food we have in front of us?"
She smiled at him, and said "Since we are docked at the station, we are not limited by the recently rather drained stock of the ship, so I had a larger selection brought over, in the hope we could find something more suitable for you. The medical computer of the station here proposed based on the scanned data some foods, which it thought would be most agreeable to you. Most of the stuff actually comes from my home world, Maia. Maia is a planet that has been extensively transformed several times, and most of the transforming empires left quite a range of organisms on the planet. Maia itself apparently never got to multicellular organisms. But we have sea life transplanted from at least 12 different planets, trees from 17 different planets, grains from at least 4 different planets, and so on... On top of that, there is life which has apparently been specifically created for Maia, as well has a large range of Soia-Liron organisms." She started pointing at different dishes, and explained briefly if that was sea food, fish, animal, bird, plant, fungus, (from which planet it was trasnplanted, if the Loroi knew, or whether it was unknown) and how it was processed to achieved the current state. One slice of something caught his attention, because it was made from a grain, soaked in water, mixed, some fungus was used to alter the grains properties, and finally heat was used to dry it again. Next to it was a small dish of a whitish creamy stuff, which apparently was made from maternal milk of an animal.
He took a slice, and took a bite. Hmm. he thought. Finally something bread like.
Beryl looked at him, and seeing his relaxed facial muscles, commented "Finally something to your liking, Enzin?"
"Yes, this is actually close to something we have on Earth we call 'bread'. Whether my stomach will agree remains to be seen, that could take up to 10 hours to find out, but at least it tastes good. Would you care to show me the customs of your world, by joining me for this breakfast? And show me how you on Maia eat this stuff?" Alex asked with a smile.
Beryl also took a slice, and a knife, and showed him.
In the cockpit, Tempo observed the situation in the passenger cabin on a small screen, and with a telepathic command ordered the two guards to leave the cabin and guard the shuttle from the other side.
She took a look around. Yes the shuttle's cockpit has changed, but they've had more than enough preparation time while the totally exerted Beryl caught up on her sleep deficit, and while Alex had a complete Human sleep cycle. But it was the only smaller room available, besides that rather cramped sanitary room. When he had to sleep aboard, this room would have to do.
Whether Alexander would be as goal-oriented as a Loroi male remained to be seen, but she would not have that Listel have 'first contact' (as Alexander's mind playfully described on of the situations) all alone. This would definitely teach him differences in their societies on a practical scale, which is more useful than just telling it theoretically.
His mind has proven to be a very rich source of entertaining on this subject.
This time aboard could become very entertaining, and if that happened, well, this cockpit would have to be much more comfortable than sleeping in the chairs in the cabin...
She continued observing the two, so she could interfere if something happened. And if nothing would happen, she would interfere too.
But apparently Alex was hungrier than a Loroi male would be in his situation, or he was stronger resisting her suggestions than she expected him to be.
Luckily for her, Alex and Beryl did not use sanzai now, so she could hear everything.
But for most parts it were rather boring elements. She explained the food, usually several times, and showed him how the inhabitants of Maia combined them. But clearly, both became aware of the setting. 'romantic dinner' was what Alex' mind has said. Interesting concept, but not unheard of in the kind of literature any military does not want aboard, but invariably is always aboard a ship. And it was obvious that the Listel was revelling in the attention he drowned her in.
Alex finally put down his cutlery.
Using her Mizol clearance, Tempo made one last check whether the systems of the shuttle have not been infiltrated by the station, and that anything said and done inside would not be monitored from the outside.
Tempo stood up, and indeed, Alex put one arm with his hand towards Beryl over the table for Beryl to be taken.
She pressed a button, which switched off the monitors and the audio feed from the cabin.
She left the cockpit. "Sorry to interrupt" she said. Just in time. she thought, noticing the two have not touched hands yet. "Captain Jardin, I must remind you that you are not to leave the shuttle. As the commanding officer of the diplomatic convoy, I have been tasked by the station's commanding officer to keep an eye on you, which is her way of saying she wants no Mizol on her station now. Beryl here will continue to be your primary contact, as her experience as Listel will be most beneficial in having a picture as complete as possible about humaniti when we get somewhere where decisions can be made. As such, I give you now the option to either enjoy our presence and have ask us about whatever topic you wish to learn more about, or whether you would desire to continue your training regarding your mental disclipline and your Lotai?"
I've made an elaborate setting, I know. But the fact that Tempo is interrupting at this precise moment is very disturbing for a Human male libido (having first-hand experience myself...). So Alex might resent this and thus go for something else (like discussing tactics, or stories of old of the Loroi and their creators, the Soia,...) instead of going for knowledge about these two enticing females. Feel free.
Sorry, got much longer than I intended to.
I also I hope I didn't mess up the shuttle layout, or anything else. (At least not accidentally.)
Again: if you feel like you prefer a previous point to pick off from (preferably with a link to the post you wish to continue), please ignore my ramblings.
Yes, perhaps Tempo, or more likely Fireblade, might know much, much, much more than they let on.....
- but she's definitely in for a wakeup call that humans do have a much bigger baggage riding on relations between genders.