09 - Touchdown

Tiness gave Tau-Tau and Ochio the same paint job as Spidley, only using a grass green and a sunny yellow on their legs and abdomen. They went everywhere with the girls and Alain and provided help with work and completing the mapping and inventory of both warships. Silth and human differences were ignored and the requested orders for components were handled by all three on both ships to get them done with plenty of free time left before they had to send the cargo drones back to each side. Asitha and Alain went through the documentation of the spider drones and built an interface to the media system so they could participate in the games and even play by themselves.

'Hey, tiger, fluffball.' said Alain when Asitha and Tiness returned from their daily parts run, together with Spidley and Ochio.

'Darling.' said Tiness, and kissed him and stole a piece of fish meat that he was slicing in the kitchen. 'Missed us?'

He put down the knife and pulled her naked body against his. 'Always, and not just because I love looking at you all the time.'

She blushed and chuckled. 'I still can't believe you like to look at me just as much as Asitha when I have that thing.'

He moved his hands down her back and buried his fingers in the thick fur of her behind. 'That's because the most attractive parts to look at are your eyes, your faces, and of course your ears and tails.'

Tiness sensed something growing below against her lower abdomen and giggled. 'You're going to cause me to get the same reaction.'

Alain grinned. 'I don't mind. I take it as a sign that I'm still attractive.'

Asitha grabbed his behind and pulled his face towards her to kiss him. 'You'll have to put it on hold for now, otherwise you'll influence the health test we have to take, lover.'

Alain and Tiness chuckled and let go. 'I almost forgot.' said Tiness. 'I'll go first.'

Asitha looked down at Alain and licked her lips. 'I don't think you'll have any problem with your health test.' she said and chuckled.

He stroked her back. 'The only thing out of the ordinary would be my blood pressure.' he said. 'Until they realise the cause.'

Asitha left after Tiness returned, but when she returned Tiness and Alain went silent at the sight of her drooped ears and her wide eyes. 'Tiger, what's the matter!?' asked Alain as they moved up quickly to her. She looked at him, then at Tiness, and turned away. 'You're shaking! What's wrong?'

She sniffed. 'I.., I'm..'

'What?' asked Tiness. 'Tell us.'

'Pregnant.' Asitha said softly. 'I'm pregnant.'

Tiness and Alain gazed silently at her. 'How?' asked Tiness after a moment. She shook her head. 'Stupid, I know how, but I thought you took your fertility blockers as usual?'

'I did.' said Asitha and clutched her arms around her. 'I don't understand why.'

'Could the machine have been wrong?' asked Alain.

She shook her head. 'I repeated the test.'

He stepped back, sat on the back rest of the couch, and frowned at the floor in silence.

Asitha looked back at Tiness, and she looked at Alain. 'If you don't want to see us, we understand.' she said.

He looked up at Tiness and saw her ears drooped as much as Asitha's, and their tails tucked tight. 'What?'

Tiness took Asitha's hand in hers. 'Hate me all you want, but please don't hate Asitha.'

He gazed at the two for a moment again, then shook his head. 'Why would I hate you?'

'Because it must be me, that..'

He sighed. 'I realise that's the only possibility since I'm a different species, but I'm not going to hate either of you for this. In fact, it should be me who offers to withdraw if you prefer that.'

'No!' said Asitha and knelt in front of Alain and laid her hands on his lap. 'I want this child to be just as much yours as ours! I want you to be a father to it.'

Tiness knelt beside her and carefully put her hand on his lap. 'Please be the father, I might only be good at being a mother to it.'

Alain laid his hands on theirs. 'I will become its father, but I'm worried about the birth and if we can raise it safely here. My mind is occupied with not just the two Silth that I love now, but the one that will come as well.'

Asitha rose and threw her arms around his neck. 'I love you, Alain. I really love you.' she sobbed in his neck.

He smiled softly at Tiness and opened his arm to her. She rose to embrace him tight. 'I love you both, my cuties. I love our whole crazy family.' he said, then slipped backwards from the backrest and tumbled with the girls upside-down on the couch. They laughed and kissed away their worries while the spider drones leisurely played their maze runner game on the media system.

***

Asitha couldn't tell if her pregnancy or ceasing the use of fertility blockers was the cause, but she craved Alain even more and the three shared in their pleasure frequently on the couch on top of their daily time in bed. Asitha rolled in satisfaction on her back on the couch after Alain stilled her carnal hunger. She smiled at the sight of Tiness diligently cleaning him and caressed her larger abdomen. She had thought often about it but Alain had to have something to do with her unexpected pregnancy. There could be no other reason after they had confirmed she showed no abnormalities at the fertility tests and the blockers she had used were fine. The later discovery that she was carrying twins confirmed to her that Alain hadn't changed his feeling for her or Tiness. He worried even more about what was needed for the young ones like a father would. She sighed happily and rested her head, then noticed the priority message led blinking on her tablet.

She reached out and picked it up because she couldn't ignore it and opened up the messaging client. A chill went down her spine at the contents. 'SHAZ!'

Tiness sat up startled and Alain's heart skipped a beat. Asitha pushed herself up and thrust the tablet towards them. 'They're coming!'

Tiness took the tablet to read it. 'What!? Who is!?' asked Alain.

Asitha moved on her knees to him. 'They found out about us living together! They had the cargo drones record the landings here because we drifted out of our orbit and they saw our home!'

Tiness showed him the photos that were sent, taken from above the warships and showing their pod home and the three of them at the side waiting to secure the drone after the landing. 'They've charged us with treason and are coming to arrest us!'

'Fuck!' said Alain. 'When are they coming?'

Her ears drooped and she slumped. 'They're sending a cruiser, should arrive in less than forty days.'

The message led on Alain s tablet blinked and he snatched it from the table. 'Shitshitshit!' he said at the new message. 'Earth is sending a vessel as well. They want me for treason for collaborating with an enemy of the state.' He threw the tablet on the floor and it bounced under the table. 'They're not going to take you away from me!'

Asitha and Tiness hugged him tight. 'We won't let them.' Asitha said.

The three relaxed a little after a long hug. 'We have to run away.' Tiness said softly.

'But where?' asked Asitha. 'We have no decent ship or even enough fuel for one.'

'Now I regret that we didn't keep that bandit ship.' grumbled Alain.

Asitha turned to lean against his side. 'We wouldn't be comfortable having it around, knowing what they did on it.'

He nodded. 'Yeah, but I could live with that if I'd known this would've happened.'

Tiness curled on the couch with her head on his lap. 'I don't ever want to go back, even if they hadn't found out about us.' she said and Alain stroked her head. 'I'd rather be dead than be separated from you two, which will likely happen anyway in the case of treason.' Tears ran down her face. 'If they don't execute me I'll probably commit suicide to escape the torture.'

Asitha stroked Tiness's head as well. 'Please don't say that. We'll find a way out of this. We'll escape somehow and then we'll hide on a far away planet, somewhere with few people or maybe even uninhabited like the planet in this system. We'll disappear.'

Alain's mind went into overdrive at several thoughts clashing together. 'Get dressed! We're going to the Walkurea!'

'What're you thinking!?' asked Asitha while they donned their suits and the spider drones went ahead through the airlock.

'I have an idea but I don't know if it's even possible.' he said and checked the suit's functions. 'I need the navigation systems of the Walkurea to find out. You'll see what I mean on the bridge there.'

The six hurried to the bridge where Alain normalised the environment and activated the consoles. He projected the solar system on the main screen and marked the location of the warships. 'This is our current situation.' he said. 'I didn't know we had drifted out of orbit and should've kept a better eye on it, but it might be in our advantage now.' He turned to Asitha and Tiness. 'What you two said got me thinking, what if we commit suicide to prevent them from breaking up our family?'

Tiness gasped and Asitha froze. 'If there is no other way, I will follow you in death without regret.' Tiness said. 'I have nothing else to live for.'

Asitha put her hand on Alain's. 'If you're sure that's our only way out I'm at your side all the way.' she said and laid her other hand on her belly. 'I want to save them from the painful life they would have if they were born in prison.'

Alain smiled softly at her and Tiness. 'Thank you, but I didn't mean to actually do that.' he said. 'I was thinking of making it look that way.'

Asitha sighed in relief. 'How?'

He took a pen from the console and drew a curve from the ships to the planet nearby on the screen through the console with the smaller view. 'We descend into that gas giant's orbit and plunge into its atmosphere.'

'You want to crash us into the planet?' asked Tiness.

'Not crash. Use it to slow us down and sling us to this one.' he said and drew a new curve towards the second planet from the sun.

Tiness and Asitha looked at him. 'Escape to the uninhabited planet here!?'

'Exactly.'

'They would track us there in a heartbeat!' said Asitha.

'Which is why we make the turn at the gas giant look like we've crashed ourselves into it on purpose.' Alain said. 'They think we omitted suicide to avoid capture. They can't explore the gas giant without special equipment and knowing where we crashed, in the meantime we head for the second planet where we brake into the atmosphere and jump ship to land in a hopefully good spot to live out our lives.' He looked up at the large screen. 'It is a big risk and I don't know if we can pull it off. If you don't want to do this I will try to come up with something else.'

Asitha looked at Tiness. 'What do you think?'

Tiness sat down in one of the chairs at the consoles. 'I don't know. The only other choice I see that we have is being taken away and I don't think we will have a chance to escape or win in a fight against trained soldiers.'

Asitha nodded. 'I have no hope that things might work out sooner or even a lot later when they take us.' she said and looked at Alain. 'I prefer to try and die than die in the end anyway. I want our children to live in freedom, even if it means living alone in the wilderness of that planet.'

Alain smiled and looked at Tiness. 'If you need time to think it over, take it.'

Tiness looked up at him. 'We'll be together one way or another, right?'

He nodded.

'Then I don't need time. We go for it.'

Alain took a deep breath and sat down as well. 'Damn, now that it's settled my legs tremble like no tomorrow.' he said and chuckled.

Asitha chuckled. 'We're heading towards an uncertain future after all. One even more uncertain than it already was'

'That's why I'm glad we do this together.' Alain said. 'It's going to be a literally rougher ride than when we escaped the debris.' he turned the chair and looked at the spider drones. 'What do you say? You can come with us, or we can leave you in an emergency pod for one of the vessels to pick you up.'

He recognised the way they kept still as them discussing between themselves but the reply came fast. They waved their forelegs affirming they'd stay.

He turned to the girls. 'We'll have to calculate the manoeuvres, and confirm them on both the Walkurea and the Amaroth, and if possible a third way.'

'I think these guys can do that.' said Asitha. 'They have the computing power and they can learn about orbital calculations from both ships.'

Alain looked at Tiness. 'Can you do it with one of these guys on the Amaroth? Then I'll do it here.'

She gave him a determined nod. 'Ochio and I will get to work right away.' she said and looked at Ochio. 'Are you up for it?'

Ochio confirmed with a wave of his foreleg and Tiness kissed Alain with quick passion before leaving for the Amaroth. Asitha moved next to him. 'What shall I do?'

He looked up at her and stroked her side. 'We need to determine how much fuel we have left. Maybe our little friends have found something during their explorations that we've overlooked. It wouldn't surprise me if we still had some here on the Walkurea.'

She nodded and looked at Spidley. 'Coming with me? We'll go back home to go through the information you gathered.'

Spidley confirmed and Asitha shared a deep kiss with Alain before she left. Alain turned to Tau-Tau. 'Ready for perhaps the most critical task in your life?'

Tau-Tau first waved negatively, then positively.

Alain chuckled. 'I know how you feel. None of us are actually ready, but we're still going to do it.' he said and turned to the console. 'Come here, I'll connect you to the navigation system.'

***

'There are some smaller fuel pods on the Walkurea indeed.' said Asitha as she looked at the short row of rounded oblong tanks. 'They're close to the impact zone and were probably written off. I'll send you the details.'

Alain looked at the data. 'No wonder I didn't knew about them, the sections there are dead and I never took a look there to recover parts. Good work.'

Asitha smiled as she looked at Spidley. 'It's possible on or two fuel pods are on the Amaroth, I'll let you know when we get there and confirm it.'

'Thanks.' said Alain. 'Tiness, how're you doing?'

Tiness entered the fuel data into the calculations. 'I made a calculation of what's necessary to get to the second planet in single steps for reference. I'm entering the fuel data and will do a comparison next.'

'Well done. I think we can do a first comparison with my calculations when you're done.'

Asitha called again later. 'Just one fuel pod here on the Amaroth but it's full.'

'Still nice.' said Alain.

'I'm going back home now, maybe there's other interesting things in the lists from the spiders.'

'Okay, let us know if you find something we can use right away.'

***

Tiness and Alain sat on the couch and compared their results and those of the spiders. 'How's it look?' asked Asitha as she sat down next to Alain.

'Looking good.' said Alain. 'Minor differences that are within tolerance and can be corrected with the amount of fuel we have available.'

'So we can do it?'

He nodded. 'We should be able to do it. We'll make our first course correction after our rest just like we did before. then we have twenty-six days before we hit the gas giant's outer atmosphere and create some fireworks. After that we brake with the engines with a minimal amount of fuel for eleven days and go dark before either of our sides arrive in the system. Unless they actively search the system they shouldn't spot us. We only activate radio channels at the last moment before we land thirty-four days later.'

Asitha picked up her tablet. 'I went through the spider's data and there might be some survival gear left, We have the cache of weapons of course but we should take tents, portable gear, and certainly rations. We should have at least enough supplies to last a month.'

Tiness and Alain nodded. 'If we can't find any source of food or water in that time, we're screwed anyway.'

Asitha pulled up another list. 'I did some thinking. There are enough emergency pods and cross sections to make a few combinations like this one, if we divide all the gear among them there's a higher chance most will survive the landing. The combined pods also have a bigger chance to land in one piece compared to single ones because of the increased amount of parachutes. We should also move our pod on either the Amaroth or the Walkurea, I don't think it'll be safe here above the impact wreckage when the ships could bend or tear loose in the worst case.'

'Good thinking.' said Alain as he and Tiness looked over the list of requirements. 'We can make more or less pod combinations depending on how much fuel we have left to use for the thrusters.' He looked at the spiders. 'We can leave the piloting to them if we set up connections to each pod.'

Spidley confirmed with his foreleg.

'One thing I'd like to take with us is enough of the Walkurea's garden resources to set up a source of food if we can't eat the local vegetation.' said Asitha.

Alain nodded. 'We'll take as much seeds as we can as well. Can you set up a plan for what we can take as a minimum in a four pod combination?'

Asitha nodded. 'I'll also see what we can take in this one.' She looked at Tiness. 'I assume you have no objection to give up your personal pod and move everything into Alain's pod with me?'

Tiness chuckled. 'None at all.'

Alain put his tablet on the table and leaned back in his seat. 'On to our next adventure then.'

***

Tiness snuggled tight against Alain later in bed. 'I'm beginning to feel nervous about the whole thing now.'

Alain stroked her back and kissed her forehead. 'That's normal, fluffball. I usually get nervous at the last moment.'

Asitha chuckled. 'I want to feel nervous but I can't for the kids.'

'You can be nervous all you want after they're born and take it out on me in the meantime, tiger.' Alain said and kissed her.'

She giggled. 'We don't have much time but I'd still like to take it out on you in one way.'

'And how's that?'

She slid her hand down his front. 'I think you can guess.'

'I think that'll ease my nerves as well.' said Tiness and blushed.

Alain smiled at both of them. 'Nothing I won't try for my beloved cuties.'

***

'Here we go.' said Alain at the first tremor.

'I read a slight increase in temperature on the Amaroth's hull.' said Tiness.

'Angle is good.' said Asitha.

Alain was glad to see Asitha and Tiness focus on their console in front of their seats. They rebuilt his original pod to place three pilot seats with consoles connected to both warships. It was a rush job and he hoped they held long enough to last through the first turn. Another, longer tremor went through the pod.

'Temperature rising!' said Tiness. 'We're going in!'

Everything shook while the views from the hulls on their screens showed the first glow of heated air at the edge and a screech of metal echoed through the structure. 'Angle still good!' said Asitha. 'We'll lose more parts of the hull on our way!'

'Temperature rising on the Walkurea!' Alain said and through the shaking they sensed the warships turning slowly.

'Angle changing according to calculation!' said Asitha while everything that was loose rattled around them.

The first flickers of fire flashed outside. 'Time to send our message!' Alain said and unstrapped himself from his chair. Asitha and Tiness joined him in front of one of the viewports and he turned on the camera to record them. 'This is our message for the Silth and Earth vessels coming to arrest us. We, Asitha and Tiness from the Silth, and I,' Another screech echoed through the structure. 'I, Alain from Earth, decided we'd rather spend our final moments together than whatever time we may have left away from each other.' A shock pushed them sideways and the girls clamped Alain's arms while fire flickered brighter behind them and rumbling became louder. 'We're currently entering this planet's atmosphere and will burn up or get crushed to death! We were lucky to have found love between us and we won't let anyone take that away from us!' Alain kicked the camera stand aside and Spidley hit it to make sure it broke. 'That should do it!'

'Well said!' said Asitha and gave Alain a quick and firm kiss before returning to her seat while holding tight onto it through the shaking.

'I could go out happily with a statement like that!' said Tiness and kissed him as well before returning to her own seat.

Alain strapped himself in. 'Remind me to come up with more statements if that gets me more kisses from you two!' he said and checked the console. 'Walkurea hull at two-thousand-and-thirty degrees!'

'Amaroth at two-thousand, hundred-and-ten!' said Tiness over the constant roar sounding through the structure.

'Angle two degrees over calculation but within tolerance!' said Asitha.

A sharp crack rang through the pod. 'The angle between the ships decreased by half a degree!' said Asitha. 'The impact zone is under heavy stress!'

'It should be strong enough to keep the ships together during this turn!' said Alain.

Another shock hit them, followed by a crack and more tearing of metal and a flash of shadow in the brighter light outside. 'Tiness switched quickly through the few camera feeds that were available. 'The Amaroth lost a section of its side!'

'Angle of the ships is reducing!' said Asitha. 'The drag from that breach must be compensating the increase from before!'

Tiness switched views again and gasped at the long trail of fire surrounding them. 'Temperature at two-thousand, five-hundred-and-seventy! Three-hundred above specs!'

'It should hold!' said Asitha. 'Specs are set to long term stress!'

A series of violent shocks rattled them and shadows rushed past them through the bright light of the fire. 'Hull plate loss on the Walkurea!' said Alain.

'Ship's angle to the planet is increasing again!' said Asitha. 'The angle between Amaroth and Walkurea has decreased by two degrees!'

'I see structure at the wreckage moving!' said Tiness. 'Part of it has come loose!'

'Angle six degrees above calculation!' said Asitha. 'If it gets to nine we might tumble off course!'

'We're almost through the turn!' said Alain and gripped the arms of his chair.

The shaking decreased but another crack and screech of metal sounded.

'Angle at seven degrees!' said Asitha.

'Temperature steady at tow-thousand, seven-hundred-and twenty!' said Tiness, counting on that as a good sign.'

'Walkurea at two-thousand, six-hundred-and fifty!' said Alain while a constant rumble accompanied another series of shocks.

'Angle at eight degrees!' said Asitha. 'It's close!'

Another sharp shock hit them but the shaking decreased slowly. 'Hull temperature decreased by thirty degrees!' said Tiness.

'We're exiting the atmosphere!' said Alain.

'Angle at nine degrees!' said Asitha and gripped her harness. 'Hull angle decreased by another degree!'

"You're going to make it!" thought Alain. "You're supposed to be a pair of damned tough warships!"

The roar died down and the light outside dimmed while the shaking lessened more, and a few counts later the three breathed in relief at the sudden silence. 'Angle kept at nine degrees.' said Asitha.

'We can correct that.' said Tiness and slumped in her chair. 'So glad that's over.'

Alain unstrapped himself and went over to Asitha. 'How are you doing?'

She smiled gently at him. 'Shaken but all right. I don't sense any discomfort.'

He laid his hand gently on her belly and Tiness joined them, putting her hand on Asitha as well. 'You should check to be sure as soon as you can.'

Asitha gave her a smile and laid her hands on both of theirs. 'I will.'

Alain looked at the spider drones at the back of the pod. 'You guys all right?'

All three waved their forelegs to say they were fine. Even Ochio, who lay on his back.

Tiness looked at the mess in the living a minute later. 'At least it's not worse than that first time.'

Asitha chuckled. 'Maybe we should leave it like this. It'll happen anyway when we land on our new home planet.'

'That reminds me, how will we name the planet?' said Alain. 'The administrative designation doesn't sound very inviting.'

Tiness groaned. 'Naming a planet is even worse than naming a person.' she said and looked at Ochio. 'Or even a pet in one form or another.'

'We'll need some time to think it over.' said Asitha.

'If we can't come up with something, I nominate Bob.' said Alain.

Asitha raised an eyebrow. 'If we call it Bob I'm revoking your right to name the kids.'

Alain sniggered. 'I'm going to check the Walkurea with Spidley.' he said and went to get his suit.

Tiness sighed. 'I'll go check the Amaroth with Ochio. We have plenty of time to prevent Bob from happening.'

***

'Good, just a little more.' said Alain while the spiders guided the emergency pod carefully with their wires towards the other three to complete another four pod structure. It touched the hatch adapter and Alain locked it quickly from the inside and gave a thumbs up through a port window to Tau-Tau. He opened the pod hatch to have a look inside the bare interior. 'Last one done.' he said to himself.

Tiness secured the pod's struts to the hull. 'It's secure.' she said as she gave the okay sign to Alain.

Alain gestured it was time for their break and Tiness gave a thumbs up.

They headed home with Tau-Tau as escort while Spidley and Ochio returned to the Walkurea and Amaroth to retrieve various containers and crates with supplies to be taken down to the planet. Tiness sniffed the scents of the hot meal Asitha had made inside the living. 'I'm really hungry.' she said.

Asitha chuckled and Alain kissed her and stroked her back.'Last pod is connected to the others, I'll test it after our break.'

'Our spider team did well on retrieving the pods and pulling them along with their wires.' Tiness said and pat Tau-Tau's head.

'I'm just glad there were enough pods left to build three more units.' said Alain. 'We're sure to have redundant resources if they all land safely.'

'I'll show you the data that I gathered on the planet and the estimated landing zone while we eat.' said Asitha and gave Tiness and Alain a pat on their behinds. 'Go grab your plates.'

Asitha arranged tablets on the table with images and data. 'This is what I collected from the information banks on the Amaroth and the Walkurea and both the active and now passive scans. Because of the conflict neither side could conduct more than a brief survey, thus there's only little we're sure of. The planet is mostly land unlike our home planets and is littered with lakes and rivers.' She gestured at a slide show on one tablet with images captured by survey satellites from Earth and the Silth,

'You can literally walk from any point on the planet to another.' said Alain.

'That would take a lot more time than if we could on ours.' said Asitha. 'This planet is roughly one-and-a-half times the size of ours.'

'Gravity?' asked Tiness.

Asitha gestured at a summary on another tablet. 'Surprisingly not much more at an estimated one point one G.'

'Then the planet is less dense.' said Alain.

Asitha nodded. 'Yes. Thanks to that we won't have to deal with the extra heavy burden of much higher gravity.' She gestured at more images. 'The planet is rich in plant life, even at the snow covered poles from what I could see from the few images of those regions.'

'How could that be?' asked Tiness.

'No idea.' said Asitha. 'There's not enough data on a lot of things since the satellites were withdrawn soon after the conflict for this solar system began. We have no idea about what sort of flora and fauna exists and so far there was no sign of any civilisation.'

'That might be an advantage because we wouldn't have to deal with most likely hostile natives.' said Alain.

'They might be nice though.' said Tiness.

'With primitive beings the reaction would likely be fear and we'd be seen as hostile.' said Alain. 'Only when they have a certain amount of intelligence so we can communicate, then the risk would be less. But that would mean there had to be at least some indication of tribes.'

'We should be ready for worst case if we'd encounter any sort of tribe.' said Asitha. 'Observe first, make careful contact if deemed safe enough.' She looked at the surface images. 'That encounter seems remote though. As for the atmosphere, pretty similar to ours with a difference like between our planet and Earth, apart from the somewhat higher oxygen content. We should be able to breath freely.'

'All right, so if we find safe sources of nutrition and water we should have no trouble living there in theory.' Alain said.

Asitha nodded. 'As for the landing zone, since there's not much variation on the surface, aiming for the equator is best and gives us the longest braking distance.'

Alain nodded. 'We'll try that on the last fuel for the main engines and as late as possible to minimise detection.' He leaned back in the couch. 'Presuming we touch down in one piece with all our supplies, we might live out our lives peacefully there.'

'What if they want to colonise the planet?' asked Tiness.

'From what I've read, it would take a very long time before either of our sides can claim ownership.' said Alain. 'And since this planet is at the edge of the border between our territories there's not much haste in actually colonising it. Ownership is enough while the current colonies are still small and spread thin and need a lot of resources to grow.' He chuckled. 'Let them quarrel. By the time they might have settled the case, we've colonised the planet and took ownership.'

Tiness giggled. 'King Alain rules with his two queens.'

He held up his hands. 'No way, it'll be queens Asitha and Tiness and the house-husband Alain. I'll leave the ruling to you.'

Asitha walked two fingers up his chest and smiled deviously. 'Since you're the only one left at the moment, that would mean the both of us rule over you.'

He chuckled. 'You already sort of do. You girls are my number one priority.'

Asitha caressed his cheek. 'Well, good queens should make sure their subjects are happy, of course. Don't we, Tiness?'

Tiness took his hand in hers and blushed. 'I'd rather be ruled.' she said softly.

Asitha stroked Alain's chest. 'We'll have you keep ruling us in bed then.' she whispered in his neck.

Alain chuckled but blushed. 'That, I don't mind. I'll be the only human man with two Silth lovers in the universe.'

***

'This is it.' said Alain after a final check of the three pod combinations with supplies intended for the planet. He put his tablet down on the table and sat back in the couch. 'All the pods should be loaded with the necessary supplies to survive on the planet. I suggest we leave it until sixteen hours before hitting the atmosphere to do a final check.'

Asitha looked over the task list on her tablet and put it down. 'I can't think of anything else to add to our deployment.' she said and snuggled back against Alain.

Tiness nodded and leaned back against Alain. 'Same here.'

'I'm glad we reached our goal with enough time to spare.' said Alain and embraced the girls. 'This will probably be the biggest moment of our lives.'

Tiness put her hand on his chest. 'I'm afraid.' she said softly.

He kissed her forehead. 'You're not alone.'

She looked up at him. 'Take me, darling. I just want to feel you all around me until we take the plunge.'

Alain looked at Asitha, who nodded and kissed his neck. 'We'll forget about everything but our desires until it's time.' he said and kissed Tiness.

***

Alain woke up embraced by his two Silth lovers and kissed their foreheads, then slipped out of their embrace with great care and went into the living. The spider drones were sitting silently in the corner that became their resting place. 'Hey, guys.' he said. 'Ready for the big drop?'

They gestured affirmative with their forelegs.

He gave them a quick smile. 'Whatever happens, I want you guys to know that we're really glad to have you with us, and appreciate all the work you've done. We hope you'll stand by us and our children in the years to come.'

Spidley moved forward and put one foreleg on his thigh.

Alain put his hand on it. 'Thank you.' he said, then took a deep breath. 'The decisive moment is coming. Our entire future depends on how we get through the next hours.'

'We'll make it.' said Asitha and embraced him from behind.

He stroked her hip. 'We have to. I can't image a future without you girls by my side.'

***

'Angle is good.' said Asitha. 'We'll hit the atmosphere as calculated.'

'Control of all pods is good.' said Tiness. 'The team has full control of the three pods.'

Alain looked at the status display of the Walkurea. The two warships would serve as a shield to the pods while they dove into the atmosphere, until they cut loose and descended towards the planet. 'Walkurea status normal.'

'Amaroth status normal.' said Tiness and clawed her arm rests.

They kept silent until the first tremors ran through the pod. 'Entering atmosphere.' Asitha said although it was obvious to everyone.

'Hull temperature Walkurea rising.' Alain said.

'Amaroth rising as well.' said Tiness.

'Angle still as calculated.' said Asitha.

Alain glanced at the spider drones behind them in their secured position. 'Spidley, Tau-Tau, Ochio, I want you to know I'm glad to count you as members of our family. Asitha, Tiness, I've never been more lucky than to have met you in my life.'

'I think I speak for both of us when I say you're the highlight of our life.' said Asitha.

'You made our lives worthwhile.' said Tiness.

Alain smiled. 'Let's grab our new existence with all our might.' he said while the shaking around them increased and flickers of fire lit the edges of the warships.

'Descent on target!' said Asitha through the shaking.

'Hull temperate seventeen-hundred-forty!' said Tiness.

'Walkurea at seventeen-hundred-ten!' said Alain.

Metal groaned beneath them. 'Hull angle nine-and-a-half degrees!' said Asitha. 'It might not hold all the way!'

'Doesn't matter as long as it's long enough to let us land safely!' said Alain. 'Pod controls ready!?'

The console showed positive confirmation from the spider drones who'd steer one extra pod combination each.

'Speed eleven-thousand kilometres an hour and dropping!' said Tiness.

'Angle of attack forty-five degrees!' said Asitha.

'Firing engines!' said Alain and hit enter on the command sent to the Walkurea and Amaroth's engineering systems.

Everything rattled when the engines of the warships ignited and directed their thrust forward to slow down the speed of re-entry. 'Speed ten-thousand-and-two-hundred!' said Tiness.

Metal screeched and a flash sparked through the fire surrounding the hulls of the warships. 'Losing hull on the Walkurea!' said Alain.

'Angle still good!' said Asitha!

'Speed nine-hundred-and-sixty and dropping! said Tiness.

'Angle of attack forty-two degrees!'said Asitha while the shaking intensified.

Alain looked at the estimated curve of speed and distance on his console. 'Still good!'

'Speed nine-hundred!' said Tiness while fire flickered bright through the portholes.

'Angle forty degrees!' said Alain.

Several sharp shocks ran through the structure. 'Hull angle at eleven degrees! said Asitha. 'Imminent break!'

'Get ready to detach at maximum speed!' said Alain.

'Speed eight-hundred-eighty!' said Tiness.

'Ready pilot chutes!' said Alain and put his hand over the deployment switch..

'Speed eight-hundred-ten!' said Tiness.

A dark flash through the fire around them followed another screech of metal while everything rattled around them.

'Speed seven-hundred-eighty!'

'Angle thirty-eight!' said Tiness.

'Deploy chutes!' said Alain and hit the button underneath his hand.

Tiness did the same and the spider drones followed for each of the pods under their control.

'Speed seven-hundred-thirty!' said Tiness.

'Detaching pod!' said Alain and released the locks on their pod's struts.

The pod detachment punched them in their gut but it followed straight behind the Walkurea and Amaroth.

'Detach pod one!' said Alain.

Spidley released the lock on the pod under his control and it shot away from the Amaroth's hull.

Alain followed the separation of the pods on his console. 'Second pod, detach!'

Ochio released his pod with a shock from the Walkurea's hull.

The pods distanced themselves from the warships in a stable trajectory. 'Pod three, detach!' said Alain.

At the same moment Tau-Tau let the pod loose from the Amaroth a loud metallic groan rang and a part of the Amaroth's hull tore off. 'Watch out!' said Alain.

The section hit Tau-Tau's pod and careened into the middle of the others. 'Hold on!' shouted Alain.

The hull section hit Ochio's pod on the side, then grazed the main pod with a metal screech and tumbled away.

Loud and wailing metallic groans sounded through the pod from outside. 'The ships are tearing apart!' shouted Asitha.

'Deploy landing chutes!' shouted Alain and hit the release switch on his console.

The instant force hit them hard from underneath but the girls and Alain held tight onto their chairs and had braced themselves. Through the shaking Alain saw the other pods had deployed their parachutes and they distanced themselves from the warships while they tore apart and pieces of their exposed structure came undone and flew away. 'Fire thrusters!' Alain said and the spiders ignited the thrusters of the pods at the same time Alain hit the console switch.

The pod rotated and Alain hit the thruster controls until the defective thruster fired and stabilised the pod's direction. Burning debris from the warships flew around them while they watched the two separated warships tumble and fall further away from them in a fiery mass on their screens. The third pod swayed on his screen and Alain hoped it would survive the hit it had taken.

'Speed four-hundred!' said Tiness. 'Three-hundred-eighty, three-hundred-fifty, three-hundred-ten!'

Alain switched to a view of the terrain ahead and adjusted the thrusters to steady the descent. 'Try to keep straight ahead!' he said and the spider drones tried to steer their pods with the thrusters. The view of the surface became clearer and hills loomed up into the distance in the direction the pods were flying. 'Try to hold this altitude!' The drones followed Alain's attempt and fired the thrusters at maximum while they rushed towards the forest covered hills.

Asitha and Tiness braced themselves against their consoles as the pod hit the crowns of the trees. It crashed through them at the top of the hill but cleared the slope behind it, then slowed down enough for Alain to regain control, and he steered the pod towards a sparsely covered area. With sweat dripping down his brow he landed the pod with a thud on the soft ground. The spiders steered their pods as close to the main one and set them down as best they could. The one Tau-Tau commanded crashed hard onto the ground and one pod broke off from the cross section.

'Kill thrusters!' said Alain and released the breath he had held since skirting the hill. He slumped in his harness. 'You girls all right?'

Asitha unstrapped herself and leaned on his chair. 'We made it.' she said and kissed him.

Tiness staggered forward with shaking knees and knelt next to his chair. 'Don't ask me to do this again.' she said and Alain cupped her cheek. 'We should never have to fly again.' he said.

***

The three made a quick inspection of the pods after extinguishing a fire in the broken module and covered the hatch openings. 'They're secure for the time being.' said Alain and sat back on the couch.

Tiness slumped against him. 'I could sleep for days now.'

Asitha chuckled. 'That makes two of us.' she said and rubbed her thighs to lessen the last trembling of her legs.

Alain rubbed his face. 'How're the drones doing?'

'They're fine and guarding the area.' said Tiness. 'I told them to notify us as soon as they see anything coming close.'

'Thank you.' Alain said. 'I suppose we can relax for a short while now.' He stood up and held out his hands to Asitha and Tiness. 'Join me for a well deserved sleep?'

The girls took his hands and followed him gladly to bed.

Epilogue

Most of the supplies were undamaged to the relief of the three, and the intact pods were quickly transformed into artificial gardens. The damaged pods that had landed a short distance away had been decoupled, and with some effort rolled onto logs and moved closer to the rest, to be used for storage of materials and tools.

The spider drones explored the area and with their help the testing for edible plants and the small creatures began and a portion of the clearing between the pods was tilled to begin a local vegetable garden. Larger predators or herbivores hadn't been seen but Tiness suspected she'd seen something larger move further into the trees one early morning.

After a while of brainstorming, Bob was rejected in favour of Thaness. Alain thought using the last parts of Asitha and Tiness's names made for a name that sounded good. He refused to use part of his name in it because that would make the planet sound more like a constipation remedy.

With the necessities taken care of, Alain went out with an electric bike the drones had found with the survival gear on the Walkurea and Spidley and Ochio. The goal was to reach the top of the hill in the direction the two warships had gone down in and find out what had been their fate. The view was high enough for Alain to see two scars through the tree cover in the distance and them ending in a wide lake. He was glad to see the burning wrecks hadn't set the entire valley ablaze, and that the local fauna quickly covered the damage that had been done to the forest.

Any plans to take a small expedition towards the lake was put on hold when the weather turned colder, and Tiness discovered that the planet didn't tilt like their world or Earth, but that the planet rotated completely around two axes. Preparations for a long and cold winter were made and when the first few days of snow had passed, Asitha went into labour.

Alain gritted his teeth and endured the tight grip of Asitha's hand on his. 'Push gently.' Tiness said as Asitha groaned at the contraction. 'I can see the head.' Asitha groaned again. 'You're doing fine.' Tiness said and held the head of the red furred baby. Asitha groaned more with each contraction and her first offspring came out slowly..Tiness wrapped it up in a towel and cut the umbilical cord and cleared the placenta from the newborn's face. It mewled softly and Tiness handed it to Alain while Asitha huffed quickly before the contractions came for the second baby's delivery.

Tiness breathed deep to focus on the birth of the second. 'Here comes the second one.'

Asitha groaned and gripped Alain's hand tighter as the contractions worked to deliver the white furred baby. Tiness supported it as it appeared while ignoring its looks. 'Almost there.' she said. 'Just a few more pushes.'

Asitha groaned and tensed at the pains rushing through her, then slumped in relief when the baby slipped out of her. Alain was glad for her releasing his hand and stroked her forehead. 'You did it, tiger.' he said with pride.

Tiness wrapped the second one in a towel and held it alongside Asitha. 'I have no words for how incredible this is.'

Asitha smiled happily at the twin boy and girl, one with white hair and one with red, and both with half human, half Silth faces.

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