Cheng Lo sat up in bed, flexing a bronze metal fist. He was wearing a pair of black synthetic-cotton briefs and the silver swet on his well-muscled, golden torso glistened under the white neon lights of the sick-bay, the white plasteen bed-linen was splattered with scarlet blood. "How does it feel?", asked the four-armed Mormosan medic, sitting on the left-hand side of the bed.

The black-haired Oriental smiled, "The finger-joints are a bit tight, but, apart from that, it feels strong, very strong.", Gunner Lo clenched his left fist and punched the metal wall behind him. A cloud of grey steam poured from the hole in the wall, with a loud hissing sound.

"Doctor Ami to engineering. We need some repairs in sick-bay, Mister Lo has just burst a hot-water pipe."

"On my way.", replied the gruff voice of the chief engineer.

"Sorry about that.", sighed Lo, plugging up the hole with a pillow.

The four-armed medic stared at the erection beneath the gunners black briefs and patted the Orientals tight golden stomach with the palm of one hand, "Try not to get yourself over-excited, you've lost a lot of blood and you need to relax." Doctor Ami ran a finger down Mister Lo's smooth, well-muscled hairless chest, to the tuft of black pubic fur at the nape of his navel, "Just let me know if you need some hand relief.", he sighed.

Cheng Lo smiled at the doctor, "I wouldn't say 'No.'"

The four-armed medic slipped a hand down the front of the Orientals black synthi-cotton underpants and squeezed his erect cock, he grabbed the waste-band with two hands and pulled Lo's briefs down to his thighs. "I've never been fucked by an alien before.", laughed Lo. The Oriental rolled onto his side and the four armed Mormosan stroked the young gunners tightly muscled buttocks, slowly sliding a free hand up the yellow mans moist golden arsehole.

The door of the elevator slid open and Chief Engineer Morgan stepped out, carrying a small blue, metal tool box, "I'm not interupting, am I?", he asked, "I can always call back later."

Cheng Lo reached down and pulled up his underwear.

Doctor Ami shrugged his shoulders, "It's nothing that can't wait for a while.", he sighed, "Mister Lo isn't going anywhere, just yet."

"So, what seems to be the problem?", asked the pig-faced Hogian, opening his tool-box.

"Your timing?", suggested Lo.

William Bones was sitting in the captains chair, he took a swig of Aculis-fruit rum (A home-brew concocted by Callico Jack Rackman) from an opaque red bottle and wiped his mouth with the left sleeve of his black cotton jacket. He crossed his legs and span the chair around, several times, with his right foot. "Sixteen men on a dead mans' chest, speak to the Devil and have done with the rest. Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum.", he sang. He stopped the chair to face the aquarium in the corner of the bridge, "Well, that was a successful shopping trip.", he grinned at the beautiful mermaid, swimming about in the pink water.

"I'm not sure if Gunner Lo would agree with you.", gurgled Graccomali.

Teach sat at his work-station, behind the captains chair, stroking the purple dog at his side. The blood-beast was chained to the leg of the Minovans console and rested its heavy head on the giant mans lap. It gazed up, lovingly, at the stony face of his black-bearded master. A trickle of creamy-white spittle, dripped from the corners of its mouth and two large, razor-sharp, ivory fangs potruded up from its lower jaw. "I'm going to call him Chomper.", sighed Teach.

Silver was sitting on his chair, talking to a brown-skinned youth, leaning against the command console. "So, do you think we will find any treasure maps on our journey?", asked Christopher Hawkins, enthusiastically. He had died his hair green and styled it into a Mohawk and the sides of his head were shaved and smooth.

Silver took a bite from a small, soft green plum. he was bare-chested and had a skull and cross-bones motif tattooed on his right arm. "Would you like an Aculis fruit?", he asked, staring at the growing bulge, beneath the young Nubians gold plasteen jeans. A trickle of gooey juice dripped from the fruit, onto Silvers naked pink torso.

Hawkins pointed to the picture on Commander Silvers arm, "I like your tattoo, what is it?"

"It's a Jolly Roger.", replied the young spikey haired Venusian, carressing the silver ring in his pierced left nipple with his right hand, "Doctor Ami is quite a good artist, isn't he, Billy had one done as well.", Silver dipped a finger into the puddle of sticky green juice on his belly and held it to the dark-skinned youths full purple lips, "Try some.", he suggested. The Nubian sucked the juice from Silvers finger and giggled. The young Venusian stood up and unzipped Hawkins gold plasteen jeans.

A small, red, Felitian boy sat at the communications console, licking his paws and scrubbing his fur. The cat-like child purred, contentedly, to himself.

Ebony and Reed lay on the double bed in Callico Jacks cabin, gazing into each-others eyes, they were both naked and feeding each-other from a bowl of Aculis fruits, and the yellow satin bed-sheets were stained in puddles of sticky green juice. The snake-headed Medusan licked her girlfriends left bosom with a long forked tongue and hissed. A tubby, rosy-cheeked man, wearing an eye-patch over his left eye, sat on a chair next to the bed, buttoning his purple and green patchwork jacket. "I'd better go and see if Mister Hands has any more of those plums.", he picked up a red bottle and took a swig of Aculis fruit rum.

Morgan was asleep in the engineering room, resting his head on a console. Half a dozen empty red plasteen bottles lay at his feet and he snored loudly, snorting like a pig.

Christopher Hawkins held his sweater up above his waist and Silver knelt down in front of the dark-skinned youth, licking the Nubian from his chest to his naval with his tongue. He pulled Hawkins gold plasteen jeans down to his ankles and massaged the hard-on beneath the boys red silk briefs, Hawkins lifted his blue and black striped sweater above his head and dropped it onto the floor. Silver pulled down the Nubians underpants and licked the shaft of the youths large, thick brown penis.

A red light flashed on the communications console and a loud "Beep...beep...beep.", echoed around the bridge.

Ben Gunn pricked up his ears and sat up in his chair. "I'm picking up a vessel, heading in our direction, Captain." He pressed a button on his console and the view-screen at the front of the bridge, flickered into life.

Captain Bones turned his chair to face the image of a huge, pale-blue, whale-shaped ship. "Captain to all hands.", he ordered, "Man your stations, we've got big trouble."

"Whatch the problem Thir?", came the slurred voice of Slimus Hands, over the inter-communications speaker, "Woth your dinner unthatithfacory?"

"Thut up.", lisped the captain, "I mean, shut up, Mister Hands."

Commander Silver pulled up his black plasteen jeans and picked up his green and black striped sweater.

Captain to all crew, battle-stations.", ordered the blue-skinned man, buttoning his jacket.

"I'll put the crockery away.", suggested the slug-faced P'tachian.

Christopher Hawkins buckled his belt and sat down at his console. Silver zipped up the fly of his jeans and pulled his chair closer to his work-station, he pressed a button on his console and the cabin lights changed from white to flashing red.

The pale-blue Vontarin vessel was getting closer.

A small, grey skinned, Aculis swamp-rat ran across Teach's console, the giant Minovan grabbed the rodent with his left hand and held it up to his snout, he sniffed it. The green-eyed Rat stared into the face of his captor and squeeked, Teach stroked the rodent and opened his mouth - he swallowed the rat whole.

"Now, that's what I call convenience food.", he smiled.

Hawkins turned his head to face the giant Minovan, "I was going to keep one of those for a pet.", he sighed.

The metal doors of the elevator opened with a soft, squishing sound, and Ebony and Reed stepped onto the bridge. The bald, pale-faced clone stared at the image on the view-screen, "That's the Vontarin mother-ship, we are really in the shit now, Captain.", she remarked.

"I can see that.", sighed the blue-skinned man in the captains chair, the Vontarin mother-ship was about twenty times the size of The Quadagh Mercenary. "Captain to engineering, engage plate-shielding.", ordered Captain Bones.

Ebony stood next to the captains chair, "We won't stand a chance in battle, Billy. 'The Victorious' is the flag-ship of the Vontarin fleet."

"I know.", frowned the blue man, scratching his bearded chin. "Captain to armoury, load the trimorphic torpedoes and arm all weapons."

"Yes Sir.", replied Lo.

"How is the new hand, by the way?", asked Captain Bones.

"It will suffice, Sir.", answered the yellow-skinned gunner, "Now that I have made a few adjustments."

"Captain to sick-bay."

"Yes, Captain, what are your orders?", asked the four-armed Doctor.

"Prepare to be busy. ", suggested Captain Bones.

The image of the Vontarin mother-ship was getting larger.

"Captain to engineering. Morgan, I said engage the plate-shielding." There was a loud snoring sound coming from the inter-communications speaker, "Morgan!.. Wake up, you imbecile, I need shielding, now!", shouted the blue man in the captains chair.

The metal doors of the bridge opened with a soft, squishing sound, and Ebony stepped into the elevator, the doors slid closed behind her.

Ben Gunn turned his chair to face the captain, "I'm receiving a transmission, Sir.", he pressed a button on the communications console. The image on the viewer at the front of the bridge flickered and danced, only to be replaced by the face of Bodika, the Vontarin empress. She was a short, fat, ample bossomed, orange-skinned woman with long, feathered, jet black hair and gold and silver jewellery, encrusted with various glittering crystals of red and blue. She was very beautiful and wore luminous yellow face paint around her eyes and on her swollen lips.

"You are trespassing on Vontari territory.", announced the Vontarin empress, her voice was loud and harsh.

Captain Bones stood up, "My apologies, Your Magesty, I was unaware that the Vontari had conquered this sector of the galaxy.", the blue man bowed his head. "Please forgive our intrusion.", he paused, "Commander, stand down Red-Alert.", he ordered.

Silver flicked a switch on the command consule and the lights of the bridge changed from red to white.

The plump orange woman gazed at the thin blue man, "Your ship is an Association vessel, it was a wise idea to customise it. If It had not been painted, I would have blown your ship to smithereens without a second thought."

William Bones turned his head towards the mermaid, swimming about in the aquarium, behind him. "My navigators idea."

Graccomali splashed her tail and gurgled, "It is an honour to make your acquaintance, Oh gracious Eminence."

The Vontarin Empress smiled, "Princess, you are a long way from Atlantis, what are you doing on a pirate vessel?"

The mermaid smiled, "I am on an adventure, Magesty Bodika.", she gurgled.

There was a loud clunking noise, like the sound of a metal box, filled with cans of baked beans, falling down a mountain made of steel. The plate-shielding engulfed the Quadagh Mercenary like the shell of an armadillo.

The blue-skinned man sat down in the captains chair, "Bones to engineering, lower the shield."

"Are you sure that you want to do that?", asked Ebony, sitting in the chief engineers chair.

"Just do it.", ordered the captain.

A pig-faced man sat on the metal floor of the engineering room, beside the snake-headed Medusan, clutching his broken snout. Blue blood poured from Morgans flat, bruised, broken nose.

"Borgood to thick-bay, I deed you id edgideerig.", he snorted.

There was a loud clunking noise, like a giant iron butterfly, stretching its rusty iron wings. "Plate-shielding dis-engaged.", announced the serpent woman at the engineering console.

The metal doors on the bridge opened with a soft, squishing sound and Teach stepped into the elevator, the doors slid closed behind him. "Captain to all crew, return to your normal du...", the blue-skinned man was interrupted in mid sentence by a high pitched whistling sound, like the noise of a swarm of giant quizzel-wasps.

A white light flashed on the view-screen and the image of the Vontarin empress was replaced by a small golden arrowhead and ten green Association Viper-class batlle-cruisers. Chomper, the purple, spikey-furred Aculis blood-beast, tucked his horned tail between his hind legs and crawled under Teach's console.

Reed sat down at the science station, "The Vontarin mother-ship is withdrawing, Sir, she is running away."

"Captain to engineering, engage plate-shielding.", ordered the blue man in the captains chair.

"Make up your fucking mind.", hissed Ebony.

"Captain to all crew, Red Alert.", ordered Captain Bones.

There was a loud clunking sound, like a hundred computers being thrown out of the window of a tower-block, the plate-shielding engulfed the ship like a steel window blind.

Commander Silver pressed a button on his console and the lights changed from white to flashing red.

"Beep...beep....beep."

"I'm picking up a transmission, Captain.", announced the small, red, furry Felitian boy, it's on an Association frequency."

"Put it on the main viewer.", ordered Captain Bones.

Ben Gunn pressed a button on the communication console and

the angry face of an Association fleet-admiral appeared on the view-screen. "I always said that the Vontari were cowards.", smiled Frank Durake.

William Bones tapped a button on the left arm of the captains chair with a blue finger.

"It won't work a second time.", sighed the orange-haired admiral.

The blue skinned man shrugged his shoulders, "Just thought I'd try.", he sighed.

Two of the Association ships broke formation and headed towards the retreating Vontarin mother-ship.

"Dis-engage your weapons and lower your shields.", suggested Admiral Durake, "Activate the energy field.", he ordered.

A bright yellow light engulfed the The Quadagh Mercenary like a celestial fishing net.

The pirate vessel hung, motionless in space, like a ship in a bottle, or a wasp trapped in a spiders web. Five green Viper-class battle-cruisers surrounded the pirate ship and a beam of golden lazers criss-crossed a path between the Association vessels.

"And don't try to run away.", smiled the Admiral.

Captain Bones shrugged his shoulders, "The thought hadn't even entered my mind."

"Any weapons fire will be deflected back from the shield. May I recommend that you surrender, or blow yourselves to kindgom-come with a trimorphic torpedo, the choice is yours.", sighed Admiral Durake.

A small white monkey with one big red eye jumped onto the blue-skinned mans left shoulder, "Captain to armoury, disarm all weapons and disengage the plate-shielding.", he ordered.

Captain Bones stood up and stared at the orange-haired man on the view-screen, "I ask that you show my crew some mercy."

"Tell your pilot to transfer all controls to my ship.", ordered the admiral, "The password is 'Piggy-back."

"Captain to pilot."

"I heard him.", replied the sharp metallic voice of Exquimillian.

There was a loud clanking sound, like a pair of steel gauntlets, peeling a giant iron prawn.

Christopher Hawkins stood up, he stared at the face on the view-screen and bit his bottom lip. "What will happen to me?", he asked.

"The sentence for dessertion is twenty years in solitary confinement, on one of our asteroid prison-colonies. ", explained Admiral Durake.

The young Nubian sat down in his chair and rubbed the back of his kneck with his right hand.

"However, the only sentence for piracy is execution. You will be put into an air-lock and ejected into space, without a space-suit, if you are lucky.", sighed the ginger-haired officer on the view-screen. "We call it, 'Walking The Plank', except of course, there is no plank to walk.", laughed the Admiral.

Commander Silver scratched his head, "What do you mean, 'without a suit, if we are lucky?'"

Admiral Durake smiled, "How long can you hold your breath? Suffocation is a very slow and painful death and space can be a very lonely place to die."

The young Venusian rubbed his throat with his left hand and gulped.

Ben Gunn curled himself into a ball of soft, red fur and rolled under the communications console, shaking with fear.

A small, white chiki-monkey clutched tightly to its masters head. "Chiki! Chiki!", chirped Chiko.

"Open your shuttle-bay doors and prepare to be boarded.", ordered the ginger-haired man on the view-screen.

William Bones unbuttoned his jacket and took out a flat silver box, he opened the case and picked up a long purple tube. He put the Venusian cigarette between his lips and lit the tapered end with a gold cigarette lighter, the blue-skinned man inhaled deeply and breathed out a plume of violet smoke. "Captain to engineering, open the shuttle-bay doors.", ordered Billy Bones, "We have guests."

A grey skinned swamp rat nibbled at the toe of Reeds left boot, she gazed down at the rodent and stamped on it.

William Bonnay stood up and walked towards the elevator, "Mister Silver, come with me. We don't want to keep our visitors waiting."

The doors of the bridge slid open with a soft, squishing sound.

The young Venusian stood up and followed his captain into the elevator, "Miss Reed, you have the bridge". The blue man held tightly to Silvers left hand and the doors slid closed behind them.

"Shouldn't we go past the armoury on our way.", suggested the silver-haired youth.

Captain Bones smiled at the young handsome Venusian, "We wouldn't stand much of a chance against that kind of fire-power."

Commander Silver shrugged his shoulders, "At least we might be able to take a few of them down with us."

"You're beginning to sound like General Custer.", laughed the blue-skinned man, kissing his companion on the cheek.

"Who?", asked Commander Silver.

"He was slaughtered by red indian Apaches at the Battle Of The Little Big Horn.", explained Captain Bones.

"I've never heard of it.", sighed the silver-haired Venusian.

"It happened a long time ago, on planet Earth." The blue-skinned man put his right arm around his boyfriends shoulder.

Silver looked at his captain, "Billy, there's something I need to tell you.", Commander Silver took a step away from the captain.

"Can't it wait?", asked Captain Bones.

"No.", the young silver haired Venusian frowned, "I don't love you any more, I'm leaving."

Tears welled up in the blue mans eyes, he took a deep breath, "Its one hell of a day to get cold feet, you could have picked a better time to tell me.", he sighed.

"Sorry.", muttered the young Venusian, "I was waiting for the right moment.", he explained.

"If you hadn't noticed, Mister Silver, we are about to be boarded by a squad of Association troops. I hardly think that this is the right moment."

"We can still be friends.", suggested the young handsome Venusian.

"I hope so.", replied the blue-skinned man, but at this moment in time I don't need a friend, I need a first officer.", Captain Bones shook his head and frowned.