Transposition
Part Eleven
"Raditts'-san? Radittz? Can you hear me?"
He tried to growl, but the effort it took made him feel nauseous. He forced open stinging eyes and tried to focus, blurrily, on Sulu. The human looked very worried.
"I'm sorry. I'd much rather not wake you, but we have a problem."
Fuck, what now? Radittsu gritted his teeth as he forced himself to roll onto his side, biting back a groan as the movement sent a jarring stab of pain through his broken tail... The anaesthetic had worn off, it would seem. So why did he still feel so weak?
He managed to push himself up onto one elbow, the effort leaving him breathless. Sulu crouched down at his side, one hand resting almost weightlessly on a broad shoulder.
"Can you move?"
He'd much rather not - it hurt too much - but if it was a matter of life and limb, he'd manage...
"Why?"
Sulu glanced upwards anxiously: the sky above them seemed to be lit by odd flashes... Radittsu stiffened in alarm. He'd seen that before, too many times.
There was a battle taking place above the atmosphere. That meant a small risk of falling debris, or of being hit by a misdirected blast. Or, more seriously, irradiation from parts of a falling ship. But quite what moving would do to keep them safe he couldn't see. The risk posed by staying where they were was minimal. Sulu obviously thought differently.
"We'd be safer under cover."
Perhaps he felt exposed. Radittsu wasn't sure he had the strength to argue. He was pretty sure he didn't have the strength to move, though. He shook his head.
"Too weak."
Sulu hissed in exasperation and tugged a hank of heavy black mane.
"Raditts'-san, there are still Klingons down here. At the moment they're too concerned with what's happening up there to be bothered with us, but that may change and I'd rather be somewhere defensible than stuck out in the middle of an open plain with an injured, naked Saiyan! Now, can you move?"
Oh. Well, under those circumstances... Radittsu dragged himself to his knees, gasping with pain. Whatever they'd hit him with that first time was still affecting him, it seemed. Sulu caught his arm, pulling wholly ineffectively, and the Saiyan growled.
"You are not strong enough to help, and may strain yourself. And I cannot help you if you do, so stop now, small human."
Sulu swore quietly to himself, then stepped back, allowing Radittsu to haul himself unsteadily to his feet, swaying as the world slowly stopped reeling around him.
"Radittz?"
"Yes, Sulu, I am moving." He stumbled after the helmsman as Sulu hastened to the bluff he'd climbed the previous day. A tumble of fallen rocks at its base provided a small measure of protection, a barrier they could take cover behind and use as a defence if necessary: the flat space behind it was large enough for them both to lie flat. Radittsu struggled over the rocks and collapsed onto hands and knees once inside the protective semi-circle: Sulu checked his tricorder to be sure they hadn't been followed, then turned to his companion, dragging a thermal blanket from his pack and laying it on the crumbling soil for the Saiyan.
"Let me check you over."
Radittsu obligingly crawled onto the smooth material and lay still, his entire body throbbing with pain. Sulu watched the arcane symbols on his tricorder and frowned.
"As best I can tell, whatever they did to you has caused some neurological damage - but I'm not a doctor. We really need McCoy to examine you." He sat back, regarding his friend with some anxiety. "I don't know what to do. If I try to give you something for the pain, I may make it worse, or have you pass out again. And that would be dangerous."
"I am used to pain." The weakness was something else, but there was no point in worrying Sulu any further. He forced himself to sit upright, gritting his teeth against the agony streaking along his tail - what the fuck had they done, a simple break shouldn't hurt this much! - and glancing down at himself. The bleeding had stopped hours ago; the bruising was already spectacular, and would become even more colourful over the next few days, but as best he could tell the internal damage was minimal. These Klingons seemingly hadn't been aware of his denser bone structure, and hadn't beaten him hard enough to break anything. So all in all he'd come off lightly.
Except for the 'neurological damage', as Sulu called it. Every time he moved it felt like fire licking along his nerves, incinerating muscle and sinew. It would hamper his effectiveness in a fight.
Sulu was watching him closely.
"How badly are you hurt?"
"Not badly enough to leave you to fight the Klingons by yourself." He shook his head irritably, peering at the helmsman. Had the aliens done something to his sight? It was night, yes, but it shouldn't be this dark, surely... "I can defend myself."
Sulu grinned tightly.
"I'm sure you can. I just don't want you any more hurt." He thought for a minute, then shook his head and regarded the tricorder, keeping a wary eye on the Klingon positions. "It might be OK. If we just sit tight and stay down, they might forget about us. They have enough problems right now."
"What has happened?"
Sulu kept his eyes on the tricorder.
"The Enterprise surprised the Bird of Prey, but they fought back. Idiots destroyed the larger moon."
Radittsu's eyes opened wide in dismay.
"The moon?"
"Hai. And then hit the smaller one." He glanced upwards. "There'll be some interesting meteor showers for a while. And Golpagoth will probably end up ringed - which will be pretty, at least. Though it'll change the orbit and most likely the axial tilt, which could cause some major geological upheavals. At least we're not on the edge of a tectonic plate here."
Radittsu's head sank down into his hands. No moon...
He distantly felt Sulu's hand on his shoulder and dragged his head up, gazing into concerned dark eyes. He held out the ki-fettered wrist.
"I will be more useful if you remove this. I will not hurt you."
"I know." Sulu briefly touched the fetter. "But if I use the phaser now, it may alert the Klingons. I promise I'll get it off if they approach."
Well, it was better than nothing. Radittsu nodded, then tensed as a wave of pain rolled through him. Gasping as it ebbed a little, he eyed the human sardonically.
"I hope this will not take too long."
Sulu tried to smile.
"I'm sure it won't."
A brief silence, then Radittsu inclined his head.
"Will your ship win?"
Sulu closed his eyes.
"She has to..."
High above them the Enterprise was going through the usual motions: bridge crew being flung in all directions - not necessarily in accordance with the laws of physics or even with each other; McCoy trying to tend the wounded and making his objections to the ship's shaking known in no uncertain terms as yet another laser scalpel went skittering across a patient's body, removing a couple of fingers as it did so; Scotty yelling something doomful about the dilithium crystals... Kirk flicked off the comm and ordered another round of photon torpedoes...
... which did the trick, slamming the Bird of Prey into - and through - the smaller moon, destroying both completely.
Kirk leant back in his seat, slumping with relief and thumbing the comm back on as his crew began to drag themselves back to their stations. Glancing over his shoulder at his ruffled First Officer, he smirked mirthlessly.
"Status, Mr Spock?"
The Vulcan ran fingers and eyes over his console, then nodded.
"Minor damage only. Minimal casualties. Mr Scott reports he can have repairs to the ship completed in ten hours."
"Which means three at most. Very well. Thank you Mr Spock." He frowned at the viewscreen, Golpagoth 5 floating serenely against the stars, although now lacking its twin moons. Somewhere down there his helmsman was fighting to survive... He twisted to regard the Science Officer.
"Mr Spock, can you pinpoint Sulu's exact location?"
A moment's silence, then,
"Yes Captain. The Saiyan is with him... I would assume from these readings he is injured."
"Sulu?"
"Radittz."
"Hm." Kirk commed sickbay, where a very annoyed-sounding McCoy snapped a less-than-courteous response. Kirk ignored him.
"I need a medical team to beam down to the planet."
"Who's hurt?"
"The big alien."
McCoy growled something incomprehensible.
"Is he dying?"
"Well no, but..."
"Then beam him up and I'll get to him as soon as I've finished saving lives! For god's sake, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a..."
Spock's emotionless voice interrupted the doctor's latest metaphor.
"The transporter is out of action. Mr Scott estimates two hours to effect repairs."
"Damn." Kirk frowned. "Shuttlecraft?"
"Phaser hits to the shuttlebay doors have rendered them inoperable. Mr Scott believes repairs will have to made in spacedock."
"So they're on their own down there."
"Indeed." Spock peered at his console. "With... four... no, five Klingons."
"What!"
"There are still five Klingons on the surface."
Kirk slammed the communicator circuit open.
"Mr Sulu!"
Static was the only response. Kirk glowered at Spock.
"Communications?"
"Estimated repair time of one hour."
"I thought you said the ship suffered minimal damage!"
"According to Mr Scott. Under normal circumstances this could be considered minimal: all systems will be operational within a short space of time."
"Tell him communications take priority. And the transporter. We have to get them back..."
Sulu glanced worriedly at his tricorder, then at Radittsu. The big Saiyan had curled up on his side, shaking spasmodically, his skin ashen. The tricorder showed five Klingons getting closer. And his communicator wasn't working. Or maybe it was the communication systems on the Enterprise - it didn't matter which, he couldn't contact the ship. And the fact they hadn't been beamed up yet argued that the transporter had been damaged in the fight. It was possible things could get worse, but he couldn't see how...
Smouldering rock began to drop from the sky. Biting back a cry as a small piece burned through the shoulder of his leisure suit and blistered his skin, he crawled back to where Radittsu was lying, trying to pull the Saiyan further back into the partial cover of the overhanging rocks. Radittsu groaned and shook him off.
"Raditts'-san! You're going to get burned if you stay here!"
Black eyes sunk in pain-shadowed sockets gazed at him, and the Saiyan held out his fettered arm.
"Set me free."
Sulu stared at him, wincing as the alien flinched, burning rock peppering his body, then closed his eyes. If they had to die, he'd at least let Radittz die whole. He took careful aim and blasted the ki-fetter.
Radittsu felt the pain recede a little as ki flowed through him, no longer mostly nullified by the wristbands. Shakily pulling himself upright, he frowned, listening, scenting the air. The Klingons weren't far away, but were also suffering in this meteor shower: their attention was less on their quarry than on their own hurts.
He'd have surprise on his side. He could take them. He hoped.
"Stay here Sulu."
Ignoring the helmsman's stunned expression, he leapt upwards, soaring quickly over the outcrop and above the unsuspecting Klingons. And in a scene of disappointing brevity killed them all, quickly and relatively cleanly: there would be little left for the carrion-eaters once the shower had abated.
But the effort exhausted him. Semi-conscious, he dropped from the sky, landing hard and heavily on the plain, distantly feeling bone snap as he passed out...
He was aware of voices, snippets of conversation, things being done that eased his pain...
"... why is he naked? What did he do to you...?"
"... saved us both, Captain..."
"... shouldn't have removed the wristbands..."
"... was the only way..."
"... what are you going to do now...?"
But little of it made any sense. He slid deeper into unconsciousness, content to let the pain drift away...
Something cool and wet sweeping over his forehead... Something cool and comfortable under him, over him...
No pain.
His eyes flashed open, to find Sulu wincing at the strength of his grasp on a frail human wrist. He relaxed his hold and eyed his friend.
"The danger is over?"
Sulu laughed with relief.
"Yes. How do you feel?"
Radittsu stretched, frowning, then smirked.
"Well."
The human nodded.
"Dr McCoy fixed you up."
Radittsu cautiously flexed his tail, breathing a silent sigh of relief when it moved as supplely as ever. There was a slight lingering pain throughout his body, but it was as nothing compared to before.
"Less inconvenient than a tank."
Sulu frowned.
"A what?"
The Saiyan shook his head.
"Nothing." He gazed around himself, eyes widening as he realised they were still on Golpagoth. "We have not returned to your ship?"
Sulu blushed slightly.
"Um, no."
"Why not?"
The helmsman looked down at his hands.
"Well, I still have shore leave. And you're not fully recovered yet, and I thought this place might be better for you to recuperate than on board the Enterprise... And there's some interesting flora here..."
Radittsu raised an eyebrow.
"And your captain did not want me back on his ship."
Sulu grinned wryly.
"And that." He sobered. "But if you want, I can have us beamed up."
"I do not want." The Saiyan shifted to a more comfortable position, wincing at the residual ache across his ribs. "Although I may have to ask you to hunt for us both until I am recovered."
Sulu indicated a large sealed box behind them.
"Already taken care of. There's enough in there to last us at least a month, even with your appetite."
Radittsu nodded, then eyed the helmsman.
"Klingons?"
"All gone - and they won't be back. The Federation is demanding to know what they were doing so far inside our territory, and while that's all sorted out, Starfleet will keep a very close eye on them. We're safe."
The Saiyan nodded absently. For a moment there was silence, then Sulu smiled.
"Are you hungry?"
Radittsu smirked.
"Of course."
Grinning, Sulu delved in the foodstore...
An hour later, hunger satisfied, Radittsu stretched warily and pushed the thermal cover from his body, carefully pulled himself upright from the camp-mattress and stepped out of the shelter. They were back at their original camp-site, though a little closer to the lake. A lake which looked most inviting. He turned to Sulu, one hand gesturing to the expanse of shimmering water.
"I will swim."
Sulu gulped: while he'd been busy tending to the Saiyan he'd managed to ignore Radittsu's nakedness. He was now forcibly reminded of it - and of what they'd planned to do before being so rudely interrupted...
Radittsu smirked broadly and palmed his groin, inkei responding immediately.
"This part was not damaged."
Sulu swallowed.
"... oh good..."
"But perhaps we should wait until I am recovered." The Saiyan laughed at the hastily-hidden look of dismay on the helmsman's face. "Or perhaps not. Will you join me?"
Oh, what the hell... They were alone, with no risk of interruption for at least two weeks, and he'd already decided what he wanted. He grinned and slid out of his leisure-suit, colouring faintly as his body revealed its response to the Saiyan. Radittsu licked his lips, then ran a finger along Sulu's erection, chuckled as the human shivered and hardened further.
"Later, small one. Let us swim first."
They didn't need a fire, but Sulu lit one anyway, for nostalgia's sake, watching Radittsu as the big alien sank down to sit cross-legged on the mossy ground. He tilted his head, gaze running the length of the human's body, then reaching out with his tail to stroke the quivering inkei teasingly.
Sulu moaned, eyes closing, fingers buried in the soft, thick fur, aware of a soft growling coming from the Saiyan, as the tail wrapped his erection and began to pump, slowly. Moments later the human felt himself being lifted and lowered onto Radittus's lap, the Saiyan's rigid inkei rubbing along his own. Sulu gasped at the heat and size of it, firmly telling that anxious little voice to shut the fuck up! as the tail sinuously twined itself around both erections, squeezing firmly. Shuddering, the human forced himself not to come. Radittsu lowered his head to lick Sulu's earlobe.
"Want do you want, small one?"
Shivering as the words ghosted warmly against his skin, Sulu turned his head slightly to kiss the Saiyan's temple.
"I want you, in me..."
He felt the broad chest quiver as Radittsu chuckled.
"Then we have an accord..."
He gathered pre-come from them both onto his fingers, then lifted Sulu, turning him around so they were back to chest. With one arm around the human's waist, he slid the other hand under Sulu's buttocks, probing for the entrance there. Sulu whimpered, making himself relax as a large blunt finger forced its way past the ring of muscle and eased into his body. Radittsu nibbled on his shoulder, tail wrapping back around his wilting erection, stroking and caressing and bringing him erect again.
Another finger, another surge of pain, but this time Sulu was prepared and focussed on the tail, the feel of soft fur and lean muscle fondling him...
"Are you ready?"
It was murmured, the Saiyan's deep voice almost a purr in his ear. He shivered, nodding. He was as ready as he'd ever be...
He bit his lip to stop himself crying out as something huge pushed its way into him, slowly, little by little. Panting, he gripped Radittsu's hand where it rested against his belly and hung on, nails sinking into the pale skin, fiercely resisting the urge to try to pull away. And still it went on, hot, rigid flesh forcing itself in until it felt as though it hit the back of his throat and he'd never be able to walk again...
Radittsu paused, giving him time to accustom himself to the length and girth of the organ now deeply buried within him, and Sulu told himself weakly not to be stupid, his body could cope with this, it was flexible, he hadn't torn, Radittsu wouldn't damage him... which was all very well, except that he felt as though he had a fucking tree stuck up his arse...
Then the Saiyan slid a hand down to join the tail wrapped around tender human flesh, thumb rubbing over the head, tickling his balls, and Sulu collapsed back to lie against his chest, legs widely splayed.
And Radittu began to move. Slowly at first, tiny movements in and out, moving with a delicacy that was extraordinary given his size and power. But it helped, the burning sensation lessened and pleasure began to vie with the pain as that massive inkei brushed his prostate.
He groaned. Radittsu increased the pace as Sulu's hips shifted in time with his own, growling softly as he rose to his knees to be able to thrust more easily, the helmsman still on his lap. Sulu cried out as the change of angle allowed the solid flesh to slide repeatedly over that sensitive inner spot, feeling his own arousal climbing. Reaching up and back he wrapped his arms around the Saiyan's neck, crying out as he came in long, luxurious spurts as Radittsu pounded harder, teeth nipping at the juncture of the human's neck and shoulder...
Sulu gritted his teeth as the Saiyan came, hard and copiously, filling his body with hot, slick wetness. It wasn't until a few minutes later, slumped against the hard strong body as the heavy inkei slid wetly from his arse, that he realised Radittsu had bitten him. Resting a hand against the stinging wound, he frowned inquiringly over his shoulder. The Saiyan grinned, a little shamefacedly.
"I am sorry, Sulu. I forgot myself."
Trying not to wriggle as semen oozed from him onto Radittsu's thighs, he stroked the tail that was idly stroking his sticky groin.
"Why did you do that?"
"It marks you as mine."
Uhoh. Sulu wasn't too sure he liked the sound of that.
"Yours?"
He felt the Saiyan nod as firm hot lips suckled his neck, making him shiver and sending a jolt of arousal through his inkei.
"You didn't ask me if I wanted it."
Radittsu paused, then kissed his shoulder and lifted the human, turning him around to regard the sombre face.
"I am sorry. You are too tempting."
Gratifying as the sentiment was, Sulu frowned and gripped hanks of mane at either side of the Saiyan's face, holding him still.
"What does it mean?"
"That I will care for you, protect you, make you happy."
"And on my part?"
"You will not fuck anyone else."
"And that's it?"
"Mostly..."
Sulu sighed.
"Raditts'-san, I need to know the whole of it."
The Saiyan growled, then sighed.
"You belong to me. You will not fuck anyone else, nor touch them intimately, nor engage in any intimate activity, nor entice anyone else to do so."
"And what happens if I do?"
"I will kill them."
Sulu's lips tightened.
"I see. And do you belong to me as well?"
"No. But I pledge you I will do none of those things either."
Wonderful. Sex-slave to a Saiyan.
Though that's not such a bad thing, really, is it? whispered a very treacherous little inner voice. Sulu managed a creditable growl of his own.
"And if I do not agree with this?"
"You have no choice."
Sulu hit him. Radittsu hardly felt it, but he stared in shock nevertheless. The helmsman slid from his lap, stood, and crossed his arms mulishly over his chest.
"Yes I do. You aren't on your homeworld now, nor on your captor's ship. You're in my universe, and I am not your possession."
"But..."
"Shut up!" He began to pace. "Humans don't belong to other humans. And I will not be dictated to. You did this without my agreement or permission. It means nothing."
Radittsu's lips were parted in astonishment, eyes wide.
"But Sulu..."
"NO, Radittz. I don't belong to you." He glared as the Saiyan growled and leapt upright, looming over the smaller human threateningly. "And if you don't back down, I will leave you here, alone."
The Saiyan halted, staring in what could be horror - mixed with a little respect, Sulu thought. Well, hoped, anyway. Radittsu dropped back to the ground, watching the helmsman warily.
"You would do so?"
"Yes."
"I would not enjoy that..."
"I'd rather not do it. But I will not have you think you can tell me what I can and cannot do. Do you understand?"
Radittsu snarled a 'yes', then pulled himself upright and rose into the air. Sulu forced down his alarm: he'd had no time to get used to the ability yet. The Saiyan glowered down at him.
"Hunting. I will be back later."
Which was good, as it gave them both time to think. If Radittsu were capable of something so sophisticated, thought Sulu sourly to himself...
It was evening before the Saiyan returned, a large, unidentifiable animal slung over one shoulder. He dropped it by the fire, then limped down to the lake to wash off the blood. Sulu watched him narrowly: he was moving stiffly again, had probably done too much too soon. He'd need to rest...
Radittsu eased himself down beside the fire, rubbing at a muscular shoulder.
"You're hurting?"
The Saiyan nodded reluctantly and Sulu laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Dr McCoy left painkillers, in case we needed them..."
Radittsu growled quietly and shook his head.
"I will be alright." He hesitated, then turned to regard the human.
"I... apologise."
Sulu nearly fell over, but managed to hide his shock. He nodded gravely.
"I accept your apology. Now what do we do?"
"I cannot undo what has been done. But..." He swallowed hard, then forced himself to resume. "If I do not see it, or scent it... If I know nothing, then I can do nothing. It would be best if you were to leave. Go back to your ship. Leave me here - this planet is amenable. It has all I need."
Sulu stared. Everything except company.
"You would do that? Resign yourself to a lifetime of loneliness?"
"I would prefer not. But I have no right to impose my... customs upon you."
"Hm." Sulu frowned. He'd spent the day thinking, and come to the conclusion that there were worse things than being a Saiyan's mate. Though he might have to insist on Radittsu wearing ki-fetters when they were with others... He knelt down beside the despondent alien.
"Perhaps we can reach an agreement...."
Kirk stared at the helmsman in a 'you must be joking!' manner, gaze flicking between human and Saiyan. They both looked... extraordinarily well, if truth be told, contented, languid... He frowned at the neat oval scar on Sulu's neck - then at the distinctly ragged and still bleeding bite on Radittsu's.
"Do I want to know?"
Sulu smirked.
"Probably not, sir. Just let it be known that we're... partners now. I'm requesting special dispensation for Radittz to join Security - as a trainer, perhaps, or as a bodyguard for onworld missions. I'll need to request larger quarters for us both."
Kirk pursed his lips.
"I see. Will he wear a proper uniform?"
Sulu grinned at his lover. He'd look good in red.
"Yes sir."
"And the mane?"
"Oh, that has to stay, sir. But I'll try to persuade him to tie it back."
Kirk glowered at the Saiyan.
"And you'll agree to be bound by all Starfleet regulations?"
"Yes. Sir."
"You'll not harm anyone? You'll be subject to my authority?"
"Yes. And I won't harm anyone unless they try to harm me - or Sulu."
"You understand there'll be a probationary period?"
"Yes. Sir."
Kirk wasn't very happy about the situation - nor the just-this-side-of insolent attitude - but it appeared it was either accept Radittsu or lose his helmsman, and Starfleet had invested too much in Sulu's training for him to be willing to do that. Reluctantly he nodded.
"Very well."
Sulu grinned happily and stroked the tail that was wrapped around his waist, the tip flicking lightly over his groin. Radittsu saluted, smirking.
Kirk could swear there was mockery in his eyes...
© 2006 May 31th Joules Taylor Epilogue
