Transposition
Part Five
Radittz stripped the last of the flesh from the fish's spiny skeleton and belched. Sulu grinned.
"OK?"
The big Saiyan smirked in the light of their small fire. "It will - 'do', until I can hunt something a little more substantial." He stretched, head back, chest out, his impressive silhouette dark against the golden twilight sky, then looked down at the helmsman. His voice was suspiciously bland.
"When is moonrise?"
Sulu frowned. "Not for half an hour yet. Why?"
He caught a glimpse of white teeth as Radittz shrugged.
"I like moonlight."
"Never thought you'd be the romantic type!"
The Saiyan stared, blankly. "What does romance have to do with liking moonlight?"
Cultural differences - don't you just love 'em? thought Sulu, changing the subject.
"Tell me about your home. Is it anything like this place?"
Radittz looked away. "I have none. Other than Furiizaa's ship."
"No, I mean your homeworld."
"I have none. Vejiitasei was destroyed."
"I'm sorry. What happened? Some kind of natural disaster?"
Radittz stared out across the lake, his voice distant. "It was destroyed by Furiizaa."
Sulu was silent for a moment, not quite sure what to say. Then:
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Uh, how many of your people survived?"
The big Saiyan turned his head to regard the helmsman.
"Four of us. That we know of."
Sulu stared, aghast. "But... Why are you serving Furiizaa, if he..?"
"We did not wish to also die. And there may yet be a chance for vengeance. Besides, as long as the prince lives, it is possible that we may revive our race."
"With just four of you? How many are female?"
"None."
"Then how...?"
His grin was mirthless and positively feral. "Until now, we did not know. But now - the females of your species are... ki'ga'ou?"
"Compatible." Sulu supplied automatically, then frowned. "How do you know that?"
"McCoy's records."
"How did you get access to those?"
Radittz smirked. "Not difficult. Your systems are easier to break than Furiizaa's."
Sulu made a mental note to have computer security overhauled when they returned to the Enterprise. It was easy to underestimate the Saiyan: they all tended to think of him as a barely civilised animal - and the tail didn't help. And the helmsman suspected that Radittz did nothing to try to change their perception: it acted as useful camouflage. But if he was intelligent and skilled enough to break the basic encryption on McCoy's medical database, who knew what else he might be able to do? He was part of a space-faring military, after all. So far he'd been very cagey about his actual function in that military...
Then the significance of Radittz' words struck him. He frowned, considering the notion unlikely without the Saiya-jin having to resort to violence - but then again, given the response of most of the females in the crew to their Saiyan guest... "You'd breed with human women?"
A sneer of distaste passed across the Saiyan's face. "If it were the only way to survive. The notion is not pleasant, however."
"It's not?"
"They are pathetically weak, small, without tails..." Radittz unconsciously unfurled his own and laid it on the mossy grass at his side. Sulu watched for a moment, intrigued by the way it twitched enticingly as its owner frowned at the horizon, lost in his own thoughts - then the helmsman gently stroked the fur, burying his fingers in its warm, rich softness...
The Saiyan's reaction was startling. With a loud, growling hiss he froze, then turned his head towards Sulu, speaking slowly and deliberately through gritted teeth.
"Let. Go. Now."
Sulu raised both hands in surrender, leaning slightly backwards. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Did I hurt you?"
Radittz whipped his tail away from the human and wrapped it securely around his waist, heavy brows drawn together in a positively alarming glare.
"You do not touch the tail."
"Hey, I said I'm sorry!" Sulu moved a little further away, his hand hovering near his phaser. Radittz saw, and forced himself to relax. Sulu frowned.
"If you tell me why I shouldn't, it'll make it easier for me to remember not to."
It took the Saiyan a few seconds to work his way through the somewhat complicated sentence - then he fixed Sulu with an appraising stare. Moments later, obviously coming to a decision, he sighed and unfurled his tail again - this time allowing it to curl on the grass as far from Sulu as it would reach.
"It is very sensitive."
"You mean I did hurt you?"
He shook his head. "No. It would take much more... ats'ryok'...?"
"Pressure." Sulu translated. Radittz' eyes narrowed, memorising the word.
"... pressure than you used. Much more. You do not have the strength. No, it is the sensitivity that is troubling."
He paused, his expression uncertain in the fading light. Sulu waited patiently, but when nothing more was forthcoming he smiled.
"You don't have to tell me anything more than you want to. Though I'm very interested."
The Saiyan regarded him intently, then smirked. "It is very arousing, to be touched."
"Oh." Ooops. The helmsman swallowed nervously. "I'm sorry."
Large black eyes gleamed as Radittz reclined against the slope, resting on one elbow. "Why?"
"Uh, well..." Kuso!! "I mean... we're both male..."
"So?"
Chikusho! "But... but I like women! Only women!"
"Have you ever tried a male?"
"Uh... Well, no..."
"Then how do you know?" Radittz reached out and brushed surprisingly gentle fingers down the helmsman's face. Sulu shivered, then caught the hand and moved it firmly away, faintly surprised that the Saiyan didn't resist. It was definitely time to change the subject.
"So, what do Saiyans do for relaxation?" As he said it he realised it wasn't really much of a change of subject.
Radittz blinked down at the smaller male and smirked. "We hunt, or fight. Or fuck. Which would you prefer to do?"
Biting back his nervousness, Sulu averted his eyes. "Why don't we just get some sleep? If you're determined to hunt tomorrow, we should make an early start."
"I am not tired."
"Well I am." Sulu pulled a thermal sleeping bag from his pack and unrolled it close to the fire, very aware of Radittz watching his every move. He climbed into the bag, ostentatiously drawing his phaser and making sure the Saiyan could see it in his hand. Radittz just smirked, then turned his head to the horizon. A soft, pearly light hazed the sky from below the hills.
"Moonrise soon."
He stood and began to pace. Sulu frowned, more than a little concerned by the expression of anticipation on the beautiful face...
Nani? 'Beautiful'?! Where the hell had that come from? But he had more important things to worry about right now - like, why was Radittz grinning at him like that? He made sure the phaser was in plain sight, and Radittz laughed. It would have been an attractive laugh, if it hadn't scared Sulu half to death...
"Soon, little human. Soon..."
As the first moon crested the hills, flooding the land with a pale bright silver, he swung his head towards the horizon and stood very tall, seeming to drink in the light. Seconds later he looked down at himself, his expression puzzled, then alarmed, then almost panicked. He held his hands before him, staring at the wristbands - then flung his head back with an anguished howl, dropping heavily to his knees and pounding at the ground, his mane whipping around him as his tail lashed furiously in the air.
"Radittz! What..?"
The Saiyan was too distraught to even hear him, and Sulu was afraid he might hurt himself - or his human companion, which seemed more likely. But he was loath to use the phaser: even with that astonishing metabolism it would still hurt Radittz. So he did the first thing that came into his head - he grabbed the wildly flailing tail and squeezed as hard as he could.
Radittz froze, his tormented cry dying in his throat, then slowly turned to stare at the helmsman, pain and disbelief in his eyes.
"You..."
But he didn't attack. His body shaking, he hunched over, fingers digging into the ground.
"Kusoyaro! This is how you betray my trust?"
Sulu bit his lip.
"I'm sorry, Raditts'-san. I was afraid you'd attack me. If you've calmed down, I'll let go now."
"I will kill you!"
Sulu swallowed. Perhaps letting go isn't such a good idea, then... He lightened the pressure a little, then, keeping a firm grip with one hand, began to stroke the soft fur with the other.
Radittz sank helplessly down onto the grass, on his stomach, still shaking, his eyes tightly closed. Sulu gradually increased the strength of the strokes, burying his fingers deeply in the pelt and kneading gently at the thinly-fleshed bone underneath. The Saiyan gasped.
"Ee... tom'..."
Not a chance. Not if it's the only thing keeping you from tearing me in half!
Sulu redoubled his efforts, using both hands and sweeping down the length of the tail in long, slow, firm strokes, ruffling the fur near the base and running the tip between his fingers. Gazing in fascination at the shuddering, groaning body below him. Suddenly realising he was enjoying having the powerful Saiyan at his mercy. Then feeling guilty for thinking something so unworthy...
Radittz suddenly froze, gasping, his hips jerking hard against the mossy ground, then the Saiyan crumpled with a long sigh. Still keeping a wary hand on his tail, Sulu brushed heavy locks of mane away from his face. His eyes were closed, his expression calm, almost soft in the firelight.
"Are you OK?"
One large eye half-opened.
"You can let go. I give you my word I will not kill you. Or maim or hurt or even touch you, if that pleases you."
Sulu nodded and released the now limp tail. Radittz rolled over and sat up, frowning in distaste at the large damp, sticky patch at his groin, then gazing at the helmsman. He grinned.
"I underestimated you. You have an interesting way of overcoming enemies." He frowned momentarily. "And I have been too long without." He glanced at Sulu, speculatively. "You are resourceful, human. I must remember to keep my tail from your reach."
Sulu grinned back, relieved that the Saiyan was back to normal, and didn't seem to resent what had been done to him.
"You seemed to be enjoying it."
Radittz raised one eyebrow. "It is more satisfying if one is buried deep in a warm body at the time. But yes, I cannot say I found it unpleasant. However," he glanced down at himself again and rose to his feet, "now I must bathe. Will you join me?"
Sulu shook his head. "Not tonight, thanks." I think I've had quite enough excitement for the moment... "Maybe in the morning."
Radittz wasn't gone for very long, nowhere near long enough for Sulu to analyse his feelings about the evening's events. The helmsman watched, suddenly very aware of the hardness between his legs, as the naked, dripping Saiyan returned from the lake and spread his wet bodysuit to dry near the fire. He glanced at Sulu, the low flames firing the water droplets in his mane and the thick, curled hair at his groin with gold, and smirked.
"You like what you see, little human."
Thankful for the dim light that hid his deepening blush, Sulu shook his head.
"I told you - I only like women."
Radittz crouched down beside the helmsman, far too close for Sulu's comfort. He had a wonderful musky smell, like clean, sun-warmed fur. The human swallowed nervously as the Saiyan chuckled.
"Your scent says otherwise. But I will not hurry you. Tonight, at any rate."
As Radittz settled, pulling a blanket around his muscular body and almost immediately dropping into silent sleep, Sulu was left lying sleepless, trying vainly to resolve his conflicting feelings...
This was not going to be a very restful shore leave, of that he could be sure!
© 2001 (September 28th) Joules Taylor Part Six
