Degenerate Star Ch. 03 - Tension

Finished, Zed dashed the butt out on bedside shelving. The lights winked out when he told them. He was asleep far faster than she expected. She had no such luxury. She lay for a long time trying to untangle the conflicting thoughts. She'd been robbed of her command, degraded, used, but felt a wholeness, a completeness, a calm. She wasn't expected to do anything but please. Decisions were not her own. These things somehow felt right, even though she'd spent a lifetime being told the opposite. Her stunned silence lasted well into the quiet shift.

In her dreams, a thousand hands clutched and stroked her as she floated in the ether. Unable to control her drift she rode the current as unseen shadows stroked her everywhere all at once. It felt good. Just letting go and drifting, feeling the warm hands, feeling wanted. It all felt so good.

She woke with a start to an alarm. The room was filled with a high-pitched incessant buzzing. Zed pushed her aside like a blanket and rolled off the bed. He bent gathering clothes from the deck.

"Speak to me." He said.

Tinny speakers in the room replied, "Boogie closing in from 210 degrees, low altitude, coming in hot, maybe ten minutes."

"Size?" Zed asked as he slipped his trousers on. Riley crawled out of bed and grabbed her jumpsuit.

"Small, somewhere between one and two hundred tonnes."

"Alright. Spin her up and prep for depart. Give the crew a little something to wake them. Out."

Zed eyed Riley slipping into her uniform as he pulled on a shirt and strutted to the door. A loud klaxon blared and a feminine but mechanical voice chimed, "Red alert, stations. Red alert."

At the hatch, Zed shrugged and nodded his head at Riley.

Absentmindedly, she tried closing the front of her uniform, only to remember that Zed had destroyed the fasteners just days ago. She made a note not to move too quickly lest her goods spill out for everyone to see.

Riley followed Zed out the hatch, he was already down the corridor entering the bridge. She followed.

Zed took the command chair. Riley saw one of the human crew members already at the nav workstation busily flicking switches and dials.

"Engines are online. Pre-check was completed last shift. We are locked down and ready to roll." the navigator said.

Zed punched buttons on his console, "Looking good. Let's lift off and lie in wait."

"Aye, captain."

Riley leaned against Zed's chair and whispered to him, "What are you doing?"

Zed ignored her, "Where's Zarina? I need weapons manned now."

"You heard the alarm." The pilot snapped looking back at Zed with a shrug.

Zed looked at Riley as if considering her for a moment. The hatch opened, and a nightmarish wolf-like creature strode in on its hind legs.

Zed asked, "Vagg-r can you take weapons?"

The wolf-thing eyed Riley for a moment then answered, "Zarina was on my tail. She should be here shortly."

"We may not have shortly."

"Aye captain," Vagg-r said as he squeezed his large bulk into the console.

"Six minutes. Prep for an ambush. Must be a rescue party they're headed straight for the science ship." Zed said while working the command console.

"What are you doing?" Riley asked again.

"Setting up an ambush." He peered back at the screen. "Small ship less than two hundred tonnes."

"It's a scout vessel," Riley explained. "A by-the-book rescue of a downed Federated ship."

Zed looked up at her, "How big is the crew?"

"Three or four." Riley had considered not saying but she knew she couldn't hold out against the implants more than a minute, let alone six. "Scout crews tend to be all male. Long times spent out in space doing boring surveys."

Zed eyed her as if weighing each word, "Military scouts?"

"The scouts are their own branch. Quasi-military. Mostly surveying, couriering, small jobs."

"What sort of cargo?"

"None, foodstuffs for long exploration." Riley was feeding Zed info he most likely knew but trying to make it as unappealing a target as possible. "The ship will be well armed. You're bigger, but they'll fight you. They aren't merchants. On board, they'll only have light weapons, but the survivors will fight like hell."

Zed scowled. It was obvious to Riley he'd gotten lucky with her ship. The raider had never taken on military vessels before. His ship was at least twice as large, but then her science vessel had been twice as large as his.

"Helm, time to go. Stay in the echo of these mountains and lets slip away."

"Aye Cap." The pilot said and pulled back on his controls. Through the viewport Riley watched her ship slip away as the raiders made a hard bank and followed a series of valleys.

A silence fell on the bridge. Zed said nothing for nearly a minute. Finally, he spoke, "Scout ship is slowing at the crash site. It doesn't look like they've spotted us. Helm, let's maintain course for a thousand clicks. We'll break atmo if they still haven't spotted us. Get the computer working on a jump to the nearest star spinward."

"Got it, captain."

Riley didn't risk a smile, but she knew. The scouts would find the wreckage of her ship. They'd see no bodies. There would be clean impressions of the raider landing struts nearby. They'd piece these events together within the hour. Then Naval Command would be alerted, and ships would start looking for exactly what Zed and his crew were. Raiders.

The bridge crew worked mostly in silence as the ship raced away from the planet. With nerves high and not much to do Zed motioned Riley onto his lap. One massive hand slipped inside her jumpsuit to fondle her breast as the crew continued managing the ship. This was a new embarrassment, being toyed with in front of others.

"I need to find a collar and leash for you." He told her.

Stars no, she thought. Bad enough being casually exposed, clothing being others' choice but not hers. The thought of a collar was humiliating. And it would be proof to all that she was nothing but a pet. Pride stung her.

Riley watched, gauging each member's proficiency, trying to suppress the humiliating feeling of Zed playing with her body in front of everyone. In every regard, she found them lacking. Even Zed seemed good at keeping the crew on their toes but lacked discipline and knowledge. He was a captain only in that he convinced a ragtag band of others that he was.

Zarina entered the bridge minutes later. The weapons officer was a Nyxx, feline-like best described them. She was shorter than Riley and covered in short black fur. When she saw the slave on Zed's lap she purred and twitched a large cat-like ear. She licked her cleft upper lip in what Riley hoped was excitement and not hunger.

Vgg-r growled at Zarina, "There was a red alert."

The cat shrugged as the two traded places, Vgg-r struggling clumsily out of the weapons console while the cat slipped gracefully into it.

Zed seemed more interested in Riley's breasts and exposing them than enforcing any discipline on his crew. She noted that his lack of stepping in to enforce rules meant he might also be lax in getting involved in personally knowing the crew. His cabin was on the command deck well away from everyone else's. He also didn't seem to mind spending a lot of time away from the crew or doing his own thing.

This might be an avenue that Riley could pursue as a means of escape. The only problem was that she didn't know the motivations of the rest of the crew. Zed might very well be the best monster among them. Getting to know the crew herself would also most likely mean exposing herself to all sorts of physical abuse. It would also take time to forge relationships, something she didn't have in abundance. She filed these points away as potential opportunities for escape.

A ping sounded in the bridge.

"Ready for Jump," the navigator called out.

"Anything from the planet?" Zed asked.

Zarina replied, "Nothing, no pursuit."

Zed looked Riley in the face. She said nothing.

"Let's go." Zed barked.

"Spinning up drive... and go." The navigator called out.

The ship lurched, and the stars beyond the viewport shifted, melted into lines, and the ship fell into hyperspace.

Riley knew. Surely the Raiders did, too. Moving into hyperspace would create a jump echo, a little ripple in space. The scout ship on the planet behind them would be able to detect if they were looking for it. The closer the jump to a planet, the easier to find that echo. The smart thing to do in order to avoid detection would have been to burn out past the elliptical plane. The further away from the gravity field, the quieter that echo would be.

She wondered if Zed was testing her. Seeing how much help she'd be to him in her own abduction. She bit her lip and kept quiet.

Now, in hyperspace, the crew seemed to relax. There was nothing to do but ride the lightyears of travel out. Zarina and the navigator got up from their stations and left. The cat eyed Riley as she exited the bridge, licking her cleft lips again as she passed.

"What's the plan Zed?" Vgg-r asked.

Zed stopped toying with Riley and answered the wolf earnestly. "Let's get Serrho and plot out an escape route. We want to skirt Federated space as we make our way back to Coalition territory."

Riley felt vindicated for having guessed this would be the raiders' strategy earlier. If she could keep a step ahead of their thinking, escape would be more likely.

The wolf asked, "When do we want to do this?"

"We've got six hours in jump space, there's no hurry." Zed said as a hand snaked back into Riley's uniform.

Vgg-r licked his chops, very dog-like, and asked, "So... you keeping this one all to yourself?"

Zed's chest expanded, and he sat straight up, adding centimeters to his already large stance. He eyed the Volgarian coldly, "For now... The other five aren't enough for you?"

"Variety and spice... However, that Human saying goes."

"This one is the most valuable of the lot. Think of it as me protecting the crew's take."

The wolf snorted, "Then you are the least likely to... keep her intact. Sarina has spoken of your size."

Riley understood now why the cat girl had eyed her. A type of jealousy. Was there status in sleeping with the captain of this crew? Or maybe the Nyxx had feelings for him. The thought of Zed fucking the smaller cat girl made Riley anxious, although she wasn't entirely sure why. As if reading her thoughts, Zed squeezed a breast hard, making butterflies tumble in her stomach.

"Enjoy the five while you can. Soon enough the whole lot will be sold." Zed said evenly.

The wolf sized up for a moment. Zed's muscles went rigid under Riley. Then Vgg-r tilted his ears back and his head dipped low. He stormed out of the bridge, grumbling without further acknowledging Zed. The crew, or at least the Vulgarian, were ready for a coup. Riley didn't like the lack of professionalism but acknowledged that Zed had been quite ready to tussle if it came to it. She wondered how the rest of the crew felt. More avenues to explore, but void be damned time was short.

"Now where were we," Zed asked while squeezing Riley's tits again.

She wanted to just melt into it, let him have his way with her, but she had a duty to her crew. "I'd like to assess the ship for damage."

Zed's hand froze. "Oh? Would you?"

She turned to face him, feeling very much like a small child in his lap asking for Starmass presents. "Yes. There are open panels all over the ship, maintenance looks lax, and it took the computer far too long to calculate jump points. This will give me something to do."

"You already have things to do," Zed smirked as he ground his hips into her ass.

She could feel him through his breaches. Jumping singularity, did he ever slow down? "I'm serious. Your ship is just one failed system from catastrophic failure. Let me help. I don't want to die on the next jump."

He frowned, "You think it's that bad?"

"When you were prepping for the ambush, I could see that one of the hardpoints wasn't drawing enough power. If a hyperspace relay has that problem mid-jump, we all vanish."

Zed's eyes bore into her. "And what might you do during repairs captain?"

"You think I'd sabotage a ship my life depended on? I'm not going to kill myself to spite you."

He considered it for a few moments, "Very well. But you'll have one of our engineers with you the whole time."

"Thank you." She said while throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her chest to his. It was a ploy she hoped would soothe him but found that it felt so right that her thighs and breasts tingled. She couldn't help but coo in his ear.

"Ever fuck on a bridge?" he asked.

Oh void, here we go, she thought. His question was just wrong. Wrong to her very core. The Federated Worlds were the very best humanity could offer. Democracy, meritocracy, plenty for all, a golden era ideal humanity had worked countless eons to achieve. A starship bridge was the pinnacle of that ideal, ships built to explore, protect, and spread freedom through the galaxy. Zed had turned it tawdry with a single question.

Before she could answer Zed lifted her and threw her down across his console. His elbows came up under each knee, and he folded her legs back to her chest. She could feel him hardening in his breaches as he pressed his crotch to hers. Without a doubt, she knew she was making a mess inside her uniform.

Thick fingers found the torn opening of her uniform and grabbed each side. He yanked it open down to her navel. The fastners ended there. He moved his hands down to each side of her belly button while she squirmed. She found herself bucking her legs trying to get him closer to her.

"Please don't..." she began.

He yanked again, tearing the fabric of her jumpsuit. Another yank and the sound of ripping filled the bridge. She knew he was tearing it for access to her. It would no longer be of any use covering her. Another tear and she felt the seems split up along her ass.

The thick girth of his cock hidden behind trousers ground into her bare pussy. She looked down to see a stain spreading across his breaches, her juices. She gasped, the rough fabric felt so good on her, but she wanted to feel him, wanted the magic wand buried in her.

"Unbuckle me." He commanded.

Riley beat the passenger to it, her fingers working feverishly at his belt. When he was exposed, he brushed her hands aside and grabbed himself, slapping his meaty cock against her. She gasped with each blow, it wasn't enough, she wanted him slapping it inside her.

Wriggling, she tried to find a comfortable spot as buttons and switches dug into her back. Frustrated that he couldn't line himself up properly with her wiggling Zed grabbed her by the throat. Something inside the captain snapped and she felt her whole body go limp. She no longer seemed to have control of her limbs. All she could feel was his huge hand wrapped around her delicate neck.

When he squeezed, she couldn't breathe. He was choking her, but all the pressure was on the sides. The more she squirmed the harder he squeezed. Her fingers wrapped around the edge of the console her ass was hanging off of trying to keep herself in place. Stars danced in her vision as she felt him shove into her.

The dancing nubs worked magic inside her. She rolled her eyes and let her head fall back. The other consoles came into view upside down. Dizzy, her vision shifted red. Everything faded into crimson as Zed pounded into her furiously. The more he rocked her body the tighter he squeezed. The tighter he squeezed, the more the red mask covered everything.

Riley tried to speak, to tell him she couldn't breathe. He was lost in pursuit of his own climax ignoring her completely. As everything faded into darkness, she heard him bark at her, "Cum right now."

Too late, she slipped into the void.

Only to come crashing back to reality as her body contorted, thrashed, danced without her. She screamed out with an empty voice feeling him still riding her into oblivion. Darkness engulfed her and she floated.

She came too again, able to draw shuddering breaths into her quivering body. She felt cold and alone. Zed was no longer in her or atop her. Her hands loosely held the edge of the console while her toes touched cool deck below.

What in the void, she wondered. Another perversion added to the list. She'd soon be nothing but a collection of them.

She slid off the console and to the floor. Zed sat in his command chair watching. He looked exhausted, exposed, and messy.

Fluids trickled out of her. She reached down wanting to staunch the flow. Zed smirked down at her. Whatever was in her was leaking out copiously. It was too runny to be cum. Lifting her hand she saw it was thin and milky, like cum, but diluted. "What in the void?"

Zed laughed. "Not sure how much anatomy they teach you in Academy, but men only have three shots in them, they create about a shot a day. If they're running low, you know, from too much fucking, they fire what they can, but it can be painful or cause nausea. I've had my boys programmed to draw other fluids if they are empty."

Riley could only look down in disgust as the runny fluid spilled down her legs staining her uniform. Rather than walk around with a stained crotch she considered the benefits of being paraded naked through the ship. At least with Zed she wouldn't have to worry about being hijacked.

"I got some things to take care of," Zed said stuffing himself back in his breaches. "You go ahead down to the cargo bay. At the back you'll find a door to engineering. Tell those lazy fucks to help you with your little job."

She nodded, debating on whether to go naked or in the stained uniform. Either way, she knew she'd draw nothing but attention to her pussy.

Riley considered keeping the jumpsuit on. She had to hold the front near her navel to keep it from completely exposing herself. Zed had not only ruined the front fasteners all the way to her belly button, he'd torn it all the way down and around to her ass. In addition, his watery replacement spunk had stained everything at her crotch.

Not wanting to deal with the hassle of holding the uniform closed, and the crew making fun of her, she decided to simply go naked. If the crew wanted to use her the ruined jumpsuit would do little to stop them. Also, she thought, it felt good without clothing, there was just a little buzz inside knowing she was doing something naughty. She cursed at the implants. Even knowing the effect they had didn't help with the physiological responses.

Leaving the bridge she padded on bare feet through the corridors. She slipped past the galley quickly afraid that the doors might open with someone coming or going and she'd be pulled into one of the crew's parties.

At the cargo hold, she came face to face with Jadaciux, the tree-like Pinaxion. Remembering how savagely he'd used her Riley couldn't help but feel a tickle of need. She did and didn't want him pounding away at her at the same time. His left arm was missing and in its place was a small branch of an appendage. He seemed to have spots of thick orange goo, like tree sap, spattered about his thick bark-like skin. He scowled at her and stomped past.

She moved through the hold to the aft of the ship and found the hatch Zed described. She pushed through it into the engine rooms and froze up. One of the hyperdrives had its cowling removed, and she could see its internals working furiously. Without its protective cover, it would occasionally send a shower of sparks through the engineering bay.

The impulse drives were shut down for the moment, but a huge column of jerry-rigged wires and tubing stretched from the overhead down into each. Tools lay scattered everywhere. If the ship ever lost its deck gravity, there would be a maelstrom of floating clutter. Given the open drives and ramshackle nature of the bay Riley was outright horrified.