Byron and his women worked quickly to help the Star Flower. Xana was able to repair the ship's engines enough to get it to travel at sublight speed to a nearby space station. Chetaara used her healing power to stabilize some of the critically injured passengers enough to make it to occupied space. The Star Flower's navigator was killed, so Scarlett set the course for them. Meanwhile, Byron worked with the captain and his crew to make sure the ship was secured and had enough supplies for the trip.

When the Star Flower was ready, Byron and his crew left to the Icarus, and watched as the cruise ship limped off through space.

Scarlett clapped her hands. "Okay, Professor. Where we headed?"

Bah-Tee-Fala smiled. "You can call me Fala. And the next gem is hidden in West Kaleppso on Zemmikabi Prime."

"Zemmikabi." Chetaara's tail twitched. "That planet is the very heart of the pirate guilds. Very dangerous."

Fala nodded while sweeping back her long hair. "True. Dark Storm kept one gem on his person. That's the one I recovered from the museum. That gem pointed to his secret base on Zemmikabi Prime where he often hid from security patrols. Over time, the base became the center of pirate activity in the Galaxy, and Zemmikabi Prime built up around it. Yet the gem has remained undiscovered."

Scarlett sighed. "Man, this is gonna be a shitstorm, but it sounds like it'll be a fun ride. Which I'm totally down for. I'll go plot a course."

She skipped off from the airlock towards the bridge, whistling to herself.

"Thank you." Fala winced and touched her side. "Ah."

Chetaara took her hands. "My healing code is not as efficient as true medical attention. You need at least a medpack."

She stumbled and winced as well.

Xana touched Chetaara's arm. "A-are you all right?"

Chetaara closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes. It's just that all the healing I did on the ship took quite a bit out of me."

"What do you need?"

Chetaara shook her head. "Just rest. No more."

Byron reached for Fala. "Chetaara, you go get some rest. I'll take Fala to the storeroom for some medpacks. Xana, help her out, okay?"

Xana nodded while letting Chetaara lean against her. The two of them moved off through the ship to the bunks. Chetaara was at least a foot taller than Xana and towered over her, but Xana held her by the arm and gracefully led the way.

Byron allowed Fala to lean on him as well, and the two of them made their way to the storage bay. By the time they reached the bay, Byron felt the shudder and distant song that told him the ship had entered hyperspace.

The storage bay had lockers where they kept equipment and unneeded gear. He opened one that had a stack of four medpacks they had bought from Jamaki.

Taking one down, he tapped on it like he'd seen Scarlett and the others do. Lights blinked on it, showing it had been activated.

Fala leaned against a table and unbuttoned the neck of her robe. "I don't think I thanked you for rescuing us."

He smiled. "No problem. Anyone else would have done the same thing."

She shook her head while opening her robe. Underneath it, she wore a skintight white bodysuit that showed the swell of her breasts, narrow waist, and full hips. It was so tight that he could see the outline of her nipples. It took a moment before he realized the sight of her body made him freeze. He shook himself and looked away.

He felt a growing tension between them, wondering if he imagined it. Fala was so beautiful and intelligent, he found it hard to believe she would be attracted to him.

When he turned back to her, Fala held his gaze while shaking her head. "No, anyone else wouldn't have done what you did. Most of the crew aboard the Star Flower abandoned ship once they found out it was Captain Jokah attacking. You are very brave."

Her eyes were like pools of milk as he gazed into them and said, "Uh, no problem. That's what I'm here for."

He had always seen people put the medpacks on the chest to get them to work. Only when he reached for her did he realize that meant touching the medpack to her breasts. He held the medpack up against her ample chest, and the device slowly melted into her.

She breathed a deep sigh as it sank into her body. "That feels so much better. I believe I had some internal injuries."

When the medpack faded away, he smiled. "This should fix them right up."

She held his gaze again while reaching for her neck. "I think you should see if there are any other injuries."

She touched a button at her throat.

Her bodysuit went loose and split open to fall away from her. It dropped off her shoulders and down her arms, freeing her breasts and tight stomach. After a moment of catching on her wide hips, the cloth slithered down her legs to the floor.

His cock hardened at the sight of her creamy boobs tipped with slightly darker nipples, and the thin slit between her thighs.

She turned herself in a circle so he got a good view of her arched back and rounded ass. "Do you see anything else?"

He swallowed as her eyes settled on him again. "Uh, no. You look fine."

Her lips curved into a coy smile. "Just fine?"

He felt his throat catch as he swallowed again. "No. You look amazing."

He reminded himself he was a cool and handsome space captain in the game. Inside, he still felt like the fat, short guy who could never talk to girls.

She stepped towards him and reached up to take his face in her hands. Her fingers felt warm on his cheeks as she kissed him.

He slipped his hands around her waist and drew her close. She pressed her soft breasts against him, and he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. Her hands moved down to trace the curve of his jaw, and he could smell a sweet scent like honey on her skin.

She moved away while her eyes narrowed. "I'm glad you like it. Now I want to see you."

She reached up to take hold of the zipper of his armor. Her slender fingers pulled it down, exposing his broad chest and washboard stomach that he still couldn't accept belonged to him.

Fala smiled as she took in the sight of his body. "No injuries yet. But I think there needs to be a closer inspection."

She dragged his armor down his upper body, and pulled it free of his hips. As she peeled his pants down his legs, she dropped into a crouch. When his cock sprang free, she looked up at him while opening her mouth and taking him in.

He groaned as he felt her tongue flick around his shaft. Looking down at her, her breasts swayed gently as she moved back and forth along his length, still keeping her eyes on him. Her long hair flowed down her back like water to collect over the roundness of her ass.

As Fala sucked on him, Scarlett came to the entrance of the storeroom. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then stopped when she saw Fala on her knees in front of him. She smirked and gave him a thumbs-up before slipping away.

Fala reached up to hold the base of his cock as she released him, and planted gentle kisses along the shaft. "I wanted to thank you properly for what you've done."

He smiled. "You, uh, don't need to."

She raised her eyes to him. "No, I don't. But I want to."

She stood up and wrapped her hands around his shoulders to pull him in. They kissed again, and he pressed her up against the wall behind them. His cock throbbed up against her leg, still wet from her mouth, and she moaned as it pressed against her thigh.

She slid her head around to whisper into his ear. "Take me."

He reached down and guided himself into her wetness. As he entered, she went rigid and gasped.

"Oh yes," she moaned.

Her hair slipped down over his shoulder as she leaned her head against him. His hips pinned her up against the wall as he pushed his cock deep. Her breasts rippled against his chest as he thrust back and forth, and her skin felt smooth and soft against his.

Her legs spread open and encircled his waist, urging him deeper. Her moist pussy hugged his shaft as it accepted him.

He reached down to cup her ass and hold her up while the two of them moved together. His fingers sank deliciously into her cheeks. He wouldn't have had the strength to lift her in his real body, but his virtual arms and legs kept her up easily.

He groaned and whispered in her ear, "You're so beautiful."

She gently chewed on his earlobe while whispering, "You're so handsome and brave. I wanted you from the moment I saw you."

The wall behind them thumped with every thrust of his hips. She gasped when he filled her, growing more and more insistent.

"Oh yes," she called out. "That's it."

She tightened her arms and legs around him until she trembled with pleasure. Her hips jerked with every squeeze of her depths around him, and she let out a soft squeak. He kept moving inside her, trying to prolong her orgasm as much as he could.

When her climax faded, she let go of him and slipped him out of her. He felt disappointed until she turned around to place her hands on the wall and present her plump ass to him. The pink hairless slit of her pussy beckoned him.

"Take me," she moaned.

He put his hands on her hips and pushed his cock between her rounded cheeks with a single thrust.

She gasped as he filled her, and lowered her head so her long hair poured down her back to the sides of her face and shoulders. "God, yes. I needed this so bad."

He kissed her neck as it arched before him while his fingers sought out her breasts. The nipples stiffened as he played with them. Pumping his hips made her butt ripple in front of him in a way that was hypnotic and made his legs tremble.

He'd never had sex standing up before, partly because his old girlfriends weren't into it, and partly because he wasn't strong enough. He found it an amazingly powerful position to be in.

She cried out into the wall as her legs gave way. "Yes! Don't stop!"

He held her up with his own thrusts as she came again, forcing her back up to her feet. Sweat dripped from his face onto the small of her back, glistening in the dim light.

His own peak struck him then as his legs threatened to collapse. He pushed up into her and filled her while she groaned. He kept himself standing through sheer force of will, even as his body fought to put every ounce of his strength into her.

When the pleasure faded, he leaned forward to press her body against the wall in front of them. She felt slick with sweat as they both slowed their breathing, and she hummed softly under her breath.

Fala eased his softening cock out of her, and turned herself to face him. She smiled as her hands stroked the small of his back. "Mmm, that was so good. After all that chaos and death, I wanted to celebrate being alive with you."

He grinned. "I like that celebration."

She kissed him, and her tongue slipped into his mouth before she whispered, "We should get going."

"Yeah." He reached down to pull his armor back on.

When he straightened, he looked up at Scarlett, who leaned in the doorway with her arms folded and a grin on her lips. Fala gasped and snatched up her robe to shield her breasts from view while he still got a good view of her bare ass.

"All done, Captain?" Scarlett asked. "Because we have arrived."