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Meeting Lieutenant Mayflower	By : RoyalLightShip Category: +S through Z > Treasure Planet Views: 2011 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Treasure Planet, nor the characters from it. No money has been, or ever will be, made from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Meeting Lieutenant Mayflower
- 1
The port ferry eased into its berth on Crescentia with a weary hiss of thrusters and hung there for a moment, wallowing in its own wake, before the longshoremen on the dockside hurled across the lines to draw it in close enough to let down the gangplank.
“All ashore who's going ashore!” shouted the pilot.
“Who are going ashore,” muttered Delbert Doppler, as he waited for the plank to be secured.
“Eh?”
The pilot was eyeballing him in confusion. Doppler sighed.
“Oh, never mind. Thank you.”
“Have a good day, sir.” The pilot touched the brim of his greasy cap and waved him off. Doppler made his way onto the dock, trying not to look down. Fortunately, this was not too hard. The ferry had brought them to the southern tip of the gigantic spaceport, and the view was spectacular. The port curved above them, a mass of buildings glowing in the starlight. The northern promontory was directly overhead, as if threatening to fall at any moment. Doppler admired it for a moment, then focused his gaze on the large domed building that was set at the heart of the orbital metropolis, a small smile forming on his features. The bustle behind him warned him to keep moving and he stepped aside to allow the other passengers to disembark, heading off to the small cab rank nearby. A handful of vehicles was waiting there, the bored drivers lounging beside them and chatting or smoking. Doppler picked out the most reputable-looking of them – a Zandarian wearing a red woollen hat and a battered leather waistcoat.
“You want a ride, boss?” it said.
Doppler nodded. “Admiralty House, if you please.”
“Admiralty House?” Several of the driver's eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, and rather quickly, if you don't mind. I have an appointment.”
“Ah, of course you do.” The driver nodded sagely.
“And what does that mean?” Doppler paused in the act of climbing aboard the solar carriage. The driver shrugged and slithered into his seat.
“There are many people with appointments there now. All of them urgent, so it seems. So, who is it that you are needing to visit?”
“My wi...er, I mean, I've been summoned by the new Admiral,” Doppler coughed nervously.
“Ah, so. Just like all the rest.” The Zandarian opened the small solar collector and disengaged the handbrake. “I hear a great deal about this new Admiral. She is all the talk of the port.”
“Is that right?” Doppler tried to be polite.
“She has been making some impressions on some impressionable people. Not an easy one to work with, I hear.” The driver eased the carriage out onto one of the spaceport's main arterial roads. “I tell you this as a friend, boss. Just for advance warning.”
“I'll bear it in mind.” Doppler hugged his briefcase on his knees and looked out of the window. The spaceport was a hive of activity at all hours, a stark contrast to the quiet desolation of Montressor that he was used to. Adjusting to it always took him a while, even in the quieter parts. The central roads were a steeper learning curve. In theory they were divided into lanes travelling in different directions, but the mass of traffic defied the control of the few autoconstables on duty. In any direction, Doppler could see half a dozen collisions being narrowly avoided. The Zandarian didn't seem to care, steering the elderly carriage with one hand while rooting around under the dashboard with the other in search of a lost half-sandwich. Doppler tried not to yelp as a heavily-laden cart pulled by a team of bullyadous pulled in front of them and immediately turned to cut across four lanes of traffic to disappear down a side alley.
“Is it always this busy?” he said.
“No, boss, not really. Often times, it is much busier.” The driver was chewing his sandwich happily. “So, what is it you need to see the Admiral for? Or is it, ahem, hush-hush, yes?”
“Um, in a manner of speaking,” said Doppler, deciding to assume the persona of an intergalactic man of mystery instead of tell the driver about the dinner set and packages of food his case contained.
“I understand, boss. I'll get you there in time, not to worry. Eat my dust, fool!” The Zandarian laughed and waved at the driver of a slower vehicle as he overtook it.
“Just so long as we get there in one piece,” Doppler murmured, adjusting his glasses which had been knocked askew by the sudden acceleration.
“Oh, yes.” The driver dodged around a racing solar surfer. “Trust me, yes? Money back guarantee!”
“Small comfort when I haven't actually paid you yet,” Doppler noted to himself.
They reached an intersection where a work crew was balancing on ladders to reach the overhead traffic signals. A trio of autoconstables was positioned in the middle, attempting to control the inflow of vehicles from the converging roads, but the motorists were paying little heed.
“You see this? Whole place is falling apart. Hey, watch where you're going!” The driver yelled at a passing rickshaw, braking so hard that Doppler buried his nose in the back of the headrest in front of him.
“Slow down, sir,” intoned one of the robots. “You will get your turn.”
“Hey, I'm on a deadline here!” the Zandarian objected. “I got a very important fare on board! He's going to see the Admiral! You want to keep her waiting?”
The robot seemed to pause to consider it for a moment.
“You will get your turn,” it finally decided. “You will wait.”
The driver sighed and pulled on the handbrake. “Sorry, boss,” he said. “We're stuck here for a bit.”
“Suits me fine.” Doppler rubbed his nose tenderly.
The robot rotated its head full circle and then nodded. “Very well. You may-”
The 'go' was lost in the screech of engine as the Zandarian accelerated away, throwing Doppler back into the seat. The solar carriage bounced across the intersection, hared off down a side street at right angles, straightened up and turned again, this time onto a wide and handsome boulevard that was a complete contrast to the busy arterial. There were trees lining a white-stoned street, with green grass growing on broad nature strips. Doppler breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the vast, round building at the end of it.
“You can drop me off here,” he said.
The driver turned some of his eyes backwards to stare. “You sure, boss? Admiralty House is just down there.”
“Yes, I know. I can see it. So I can walk the rest of the way, thank you.” Doppler began fumbling for his wallet.
“You sure?”
“Yes, yes, very sure.”
“It's no trouble to just drive up to the door.”
“I think we've done enough driving, don't you? Here you go, thank you, good day to you!” Doppler hastily handed over a fistful of coins and had pushed open the door and disembarked before the Zandarian could object. He breathed a sigh of relief and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm it back down. The peace of the tree-lined boulevard was welcome and the hustle of the spaceport seemed suddenly like a long way away. The occasional spacecraft cruised overhead and the ever-present flocks of mantabirds wheeled around, calling to each other in high-pitched voices. The buildings on either side were grand ones, built in stone with ornamented facades, but it was the building at the end that occupied his attention. Admiralty House, its domed copper roof gleaming in the sun. The flagpole stood over a hundred feet taller than the building, which was already much the tallest on Crescentia. An Imperial ensign was flying from the pole, broad and proud. The flag must have been bigger than the ferry that Doppler had travelled on from Montressor to be so visible at this distance and he found himself wondering where they had found it. It had been a long time since any such flag had flown over Crescentia, and it was now the most visible sign of the changes that had been ushered in. The big double-doors, also clad in embossed copper, were open and a steady stream of figures was moving in and out. Doppler joined into the back of the queue going in up the broad stone steps and waited his turn. A marine was standing guard, checking the credentials of everyone going past. Doppler handed him a folded piece of paper and tried to look official and businesslike. The man scanned the paper quickly and glanced up at him.
“You're here to see the Admiral?”

“Indeed I am,” Doppler nodded.
“You may have to wait a while.”
“I'll wait for as long as I have to.”
The soldier looked at him with an expression not too far from sympathy and handed the paper back. He turned and called to another red-coated figure standing a little way off.
“Major Bracic, sir? This civilian needs to see the Admiral.”
An aged but broad-shouldered man in an ornate scarlet uniform moved over and looked Doppler up and down. “Name?”
“Dr Delbert Doppler.”
“You have an appointment?”
“Yes, it's just here...” Doppler began opening the piece of paper, but the Major waved him away.
“Follow me, then. Carry on,private.”
He led the way across the entrance hall, which was thronged with moving people, most of them uniformed. A wide staircase rose from the opposite wall, splitting into two majestic sweeps. Bracic led the way at a brisk walk, leaving Doppler scampering to keep up.
“So, the Admiral is busy today?” said Doppler conversationally.
“The Admiral is always busy.” Bracic pushed open a door and waved Doppler into a corridor which was also filled with moving figures, many of them carrying bundles of paper or cardboard boxes.
“We are still setting up the staff,” said Bracic. “I hope you will forgive the mess. I'll find someone to take you in to see her.”
“I'm very grateful for your time.” Doppler tried not to run into a spacer carrying a pile of boxes so high that he couldn't see over them.
“Well, we can't have people wandering around.” Bracic grunted and called across to one of the hurrying figures. “Lieutenant?”
“Ah, Major Bracic! What can I do for you?”
Doppler instinctively looked around for Amelia, so like hers was the voice that had spoken. It took him a moment to realise that the speaker was the young feline officer who had stepped in front of them. She was wearing the new blue uniform of the Navy, with an upturned gold-edged collar. The shape of her face reminded Doppler of Amelia, though he guessed her to be a few years younger and her distinctive blond hair and mustard-coloured fur further defied misidentification. Her lilac eyes were quick and intelligent and even though she had clearly been occupied on other business Doppler felt that her whole attention and intellect was now focused on him. Bracic gestured in his direction.
“Someone to see the Admiral,” he said. “Are you on your way to see her?”
“As it happens, yes.” The feline hefted a clipboard under her arm. “Does he need an escort?”
“He's a civilian,” said Bracic. “A Doctor...Doppler, I believe.”
“Doppler, Doppler...now that does sound familiar. Is it...Delbert?” The lieutenant cocked her head.
“Yes, that's me.” Doppler shook the hand she offered him. “Dr Delbert Doppler. But you knew that already.”
“Lieutenant Aurora Mayflower at your service. The Admiral said that you'd be coming.” She nodded to Bracic. “Thank you, Major. I'll take him from here.”
“As you wish, ma'am.” Bracic touched his hat and disappeared back down the corridor. Doppler watched him go and then turned back to find Aurora already moving off in the other direction. He ran to catch up.
“I trust you got here all right?” Aurora was saying, glancing back over her shoulder to make sure he was there.
“Oh, yes. No trouble. Well, not much trouble. I got here, anyway.” Doppler stepped around a pair of spacers who had stopped for a brief conversation and were already threatening to block the flow of traffic up and down the corridor.
“We'd have sent someone to meet you at the port if we'd been able to,” said Aurora. “The Admiral is very keen on maintaining correct protocols.”
“I'm sure she is,” Doppler dodged again. Somehow Aurora was effortlessly making her way through the Brownian maze, avoiding so much as any potential collisions and never breaking her brisk stride. Doppler tried to follow in her footsteps but the crowds that seemed to part for her ended up closing back on him and he was forever having to skip away at the last moment or mutter a quick apology to a hastening figure whom he had just bumped.
“I hope the Major told you what's going on,” Aurora said. “It's a bid of a madhouse around here at the moment, I'm afraid. What are you doing here? No, you need to take those boxes to the second floor of the eastern quarter. Room 24776. Off you go.”
Doppler stood aside to let the spacer Aurora had been speaking to go on his way. “Oh, no, I understand what it's like setting up an office. You should see mine at the university.”
“Well, we're not setting up one office, we're setting up at least eight dozen.” Aurora glanced at her clipboard as they went on. “Or something along those lines. Command and control for this entire sector is going to come through here.”
“I imagine that's a lot of paperwork,” said Doppler politely.
“Paperwork I can deal with,” said Aurora. “It's the people that are testing my patience. Oh, stars, here we go...”
An officer had emerged from a room ahead of them and was blocking their path. “Lieutenant Aurora?”
Aurora forced a smile onto her face. “Commander Guire, sir. How are you?”
“Not well, lieutenant, as well you know.” Guire, a rotund, red-faced porcine, had his arms crossed in irritation. “Do you know how many staff my section will be moving in here?”
“Eight, sir.”
“That's right. Eight. And how many rooms have we been given?”
“Three, sir.”
“Only if you count the cupboard! It's just not good enough, lieutenant, not nearly good enough.”
“As I explained to you yesterday, sir, with all due respect, it's only temporary. Once the western quarter of the building has been declared fit for use you will all be moving in there.”
“And how long will that take, eh?” Guire frowned. “The rest of my staff are coming in next week. If the new rooms are not available by then, lieutenant, I'm afraid I will have no choice but to take this up with the Admiral.”
“You're free to do so at any time, sir,” said Aurora.
“I think I may. I know you've been trying hard to help me-”
“Not at all, sir,” said Aurora, with a telltale wink at Doppler.
“But even so you are, after all, a mere lieutenant. I think the Admiral would be of greater assistance!”
Aurora's eyes flashed in a way that always spelt danger with Amelia, and Doppler took a precautionary step away from her. “A lieutenant I may be, sir, but it was the Admiral herself who told me to allocate you those rooms, and if you take the matter to her I am confident that she will tell you the same thing! Sir.”
Guire looked taken aback. “I, well...”
“And I am equally confident that she will not thank you for taking up her time with so trivial a matter, sir! Is there anything further?”
Guire blinked and mopped his brow with the cuff of his coat. “Er, no, lieutenant, no...that, er, that will be all.”
“Thank you, sir.” Aurora saluted and stalked off. Guire gave Doppler a confused look and went back into his room, shutting the door protectively behind him. Doppler located Aurora by the colour of her blond hair and ran to catch up.
“I see what you mean about the people rather than the paperwork,” he remarked.
Aurora smiled. “The Commander and I have had more than one run-in since his department was established.”
“What does he, er, do?”
“Civil acquisitions. Purchases for the fleet from civilian markets.” Aurora shrugged. “So he is necessary. But it's been a long time since Admiralty House was fully occupied and some of the more distant regions have rather fallen into disrepair. Even this part was ankle-deep in dust when we moved in.”
Doppler looked around the spotless walls. “Well, you can hardly tell.”
“I'll take that as a compliment, Doctor,” Aurora smiled again. “Anyway, here we are.”
Doppler looked up. They had reached the end of the long, winding corridor and were facing a polished set of walnut doors that had been propped open with chairs. They led out onto a landing, presumably one of the upper levels of the grand staircase Doppler had seen at the entrance. A desk had been set up in the middle of it, where it was basking in the rays of coloured light falling through a stained-glass window behind it. The desk appeared to be the focal point of much of the action surrounding them and Doppler felt his heart lift at the sight of the blue-coated figure sitting at it and directing the movements.
“Two people to see the Admiral, sergeant,” Aurora nodded to a marine guard at the doorway, who saluted and waved them through.
“You'd better have your appointment slip ready,” said Aurora. “Although I'm sure she knows who you are.”
They neared the desk. A series of telephones had been arrayed on it. Amelia had one of them in her hand and was speaking into it as they approached. Her other hand was drumming a brisk tattoo on the desk and her voice was hard with irritation.
“Yes. Yes. Yes, I know all of that. I know, and yet strangely I do not care! You tell the commander of the 37^th Strike Flotilla that his ships will be ready for inspection one hour after docking tomorrow, or else I'll use them as practice targets for the next round of cadet examinations! You will? Thank you.”
She hung up and glared at the phone for a moment before pulling a piece of paper towards herself and starting to write on it. Aurora stood to attention and saluted.
“Reporting, ma'am. And there's a civilian here to see you.”
“If it's the Master of the Port complaining about my requisitioning of berths 80 through 95, remind him that the alternative is that all our ordnance will be unloaded and shipped through the main commercial district,” said Amelia, not looking up. “And if you have the time, you can also tell him to-”
“It's not him, ma'am,” said Aurora, who was grinning. Amelia raised her head, saw Doppler, and smiled and smile of genuine pleasure.
“So I see.” She stood up. “Doctor Doppler. Good of you to come at such short notice.”
“Er, well, I could hardly refuse, could I, Admiral.” Doppler recognised the hint in the formality of her greeting – now was not the time to be familiar with her.
“I'm glad you were able to make it. And I see you've met my cousin here.”
“Cousin?” Doppler looked at Aurora and then back at Amelia before the features clicked into place in his mind. “Oh, of course!”
“Thank you for taking care of him for me, Ms Aurora,” Amelia smiled. “I do appreciate it.”
“It was my pleasure, ma'am,” Aurora smiled back.
“And your report?”
Aurora consulted her clipboard. “We should have a further five ships in by the end of the week, ma'am. The 37^th Strike, of course, along with the RLS Integrity and the supply ship Plenitude.”
“Ensure that their captains report to me when they arrive,” said Amelia. “Anything else?”
“The building assessor says that your apartment will be ready for this evening, ma'am,” Aurora nodded. “All the carpet had to be taken up to repair the floorboards so they've had to nail it all back down again.”
“Make sure they know that the nails go in point down, that's all I ask,” said Amelia. “Yes, what is it?”
A midshipman saluted. “Begging your pardon, ma'am, but your signature is needed on this.”
Amelia took the document he proffered and read it with one eyebrow arched critically.
“There's a typographical error in the third paragraph,” she said. “Take it back and tell them to do it again, will you? Serious people are going to read that, and it is important to make sure that the 'r' is included in the word 'important'. People might get the wrong idea otherwise.”
“Er, yes, ma'am. Right away.” The midshipman turned and disappeared into the crowd. Amelia shook her head.
“Of such things are headquarters made. Apparently.” Amelia looked around again. “Do forgive my distraction, doctor. I am grateful for your presence, but there are multiple demands on my time at the moment.”
“So I see,” Doppler nodded. “I quite understand.”
“I know our appointment began-” Amelia looked at a clock on her desk, “ten minutes ago. I'm afraid you may have to wait a little longer.”
“That's entirely all right, Admiral,” said Doppler. “I'm sure I can find somewhere suitable.”
“I'm not sure where, however,” said Amelia. “Unfortunately, restoring the guest waiting room has not been especially high on our priorities.”
“Of course.”
“The anteroom to your apartment is ready, ma'am, if I may make a suggestion,” said Aurora.
“Is it now?” Amelia smiled. “There's your answer, then. Show him up there, please, lieutenant. I will be with you as soon as I can, doctor. Forgive the brusqueness of our parting, but I must attend to these gentlemen.”
She gestured to a trio of Captains who were waiting to one side. Doppler nodded again.
“Naturally. Thank you, Admiral.”
“You may go. Take good care of him, lieutenant,” Amelia smiled.
Aurora saluted. “Yes, ma'am. I won't lead him astray. If you'll follow me, doctor?”

She led him back into the busy corridor and through a series of turns that brought them to an apparent cul-de-sac. Doppler looked around curiously, intrigued at the sudden isolation.
“So,um...where to now, Ms Mayflower?”
Aurora was examining the wood-panelled walls with a look of concentration on her face. “Sorry?”
“I said, where to now, Ms Mayflower?” Doppler stepped behind her and craned his neck to see what she was looking at. Aurora straightened up and turned to answer, bringing them into such sudden proximity that Doppler could feel her breath against his face. He blushed and moved backwards so quickly that he was at risk of tripping over his own feet. If Aurora noticed his discomfort, she didn't show it.
“I do apologise, doctor. And for the record, you can call me Aurora.”
“Well, I...in that case I think you can call me Delbert,” Doppler dared a small smile. “I was just wondering what had your attention over there.”
“Trying to find that blasted doorway,” said Aurora. “It's the quickest way up to the Admiral's apartments from here and – ah, there we go!”
She touched part of the ornamental frame around the panel, which clicked and opened, revealing a staircase beyond. Doppler blinked in surprise. Aurora smiled.
“We only found these when we opened up the apartment. They run almost everywhere through the building. Probably built by an Admiral with a sense of humour who liked to be able to surprise their staff. The apartment has a front door, of course, but these hidden passages would be quicker and less conspicuous. Shall we proceed, doctor?”
Doppler nodded. “Of course, A...Aurora. Lead the way. And it's...Delbert, if you don't mind. I know Amelia is keen on upholding protocol, but...”
“As you wish...Delbert.” Aurora smiled again. “Follow me, please.”
She closed the wooden panel behind them and began leading them up what turned out to be a set of spiral stairs that rose a considerable distance in the building's interior.
“That must have been quite some sense of humour the old Admiral had,” remarked Doppler.
Aurora laughed. “Indeed it was. We still haven't explored the full extent of these passages.”
“I imagine you've had other things on your mind,” said Doppler.
“That we have.” Aurora nodded. “But still, it would be rather good fun to go wandering one day.”
“Perhaps when you're off duty?”
She laughed again and Doppler shook his head to clear it from the reactions that it brought out in him. She sounded far too much like her cousin...
“I don't think I've been 'off duty' since I got here! But thank you for the thought. The Admiral has had everyone on deck almost every waking hour. People would be resenting it if it wasn't for the fact that she's always there as well. She never asks anyone to work harder than she works herself.”
Despite the irrationality of it, Doppler felt a little twinge of pride in his wife. It was a silly thing to feel, he knew, when her capacities were so much greater than his own, but it was unmistakable. He was momentarily distracted by it and accidentally walked into Aurora's back as she stopped abruptly ahead of him.
“Oh, goodness! Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so clumsy sometimes...”
“It's quite all right, doc – Delbert.” Aurora flicked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and smiled. “I'm still feeling my way around here as well.”
She pushed at a door set into the wall and led the way out into a small but well-appointed room. The carpet underfoot was a rich Imperial purple, and the vividness of the colour suggested a recent cleaning. Empty display cabinets, with panels of glass and frames of gold, stood around the room.
“We think this is the Admiral's private study,” said Aurora, looking around. “But it's hard to tell without the original furniture. There was hardly any left in the apartment.”
“I'm sure you'll be able to find some,” said Doppler. “Or I could lend you some. I have plenty of spare furniture in my house.”
“I'm sure you do. The Admiral has told me all about it.” Aurora smiled. “She's a very lucky feline, if you don't mind my saying so.”
Doppler blushed. “Well, I...I try to give my support where I can...and if she's going to be spending much time up here on Crescentia now...”
“She'll try to minimise it,” Aurora assured him, opening a door into another room. “It didn't look like it before, I know, but she's been looking forward to your appointment all week. She didn't have the chance to show it, though.”
“I know,” Doppler nodded. “I could tell. She's a much better actor than I am, and sometimes I feel as if I still don't know the half of her.”
Aurora looked at him sympathetically. They had entered some kind of dining room. A long, polished table was set in the middle of the floor but all of the chairs were missing and the table had been piled high with boxes. A long painting on the wall depicted some great naval victory of some kind, but the colours had dulled almost to black with age.
“It's never easy, being part of a Navy family,” Aurora said. “I know what that's like. Amelia and I spent a lot of time together when we were growing up, but of course she's older than I am so she went off to the Academy before me.”
They moved into another room and found an old couch near a coffee table. Aurora sat down on one end and looked up at Doppler, who was hesitating.
“You can sit down as well, you know, doctor,” she said eventually.
“Er...thank you.” Doppler put his case on the table and did so, folding his hands on his knees. “So, you and Amelia grew up together?”
Aurora nodded. “Yes, that's right. We're actually not particularly close on the family tree, but our family has always stuck together. The Navy runs through it all, of course. My parents were both in the fleet. But my mother's ship disappeared when I was very young, and my father was always on deployment so Amelia's parents took me in. When my father's ship was sent to deal with the Verengarian uprising...he didn't make it back. And Amelia's family let me stay.”
“How kind of them.” Doppler looked up at Aurora's face. “I'm so sorry to hear that, though. About your own parents.”
Aurora shrugged. “I barely knew them in a lot of ways. Just a few memories. How about you, though, doctor? Amelia hasn't told me much about your family, even though she's part of it now.”
Doppler chuckled. “Perhaps that's because there isn't much to tell. My family has been on Montressor for generations, but it's not the best planet to raise children. I was sent offworld to boarding schools...and then to Imperial College after that. I spent years away from Montressor. I'd already graduated with my doctorate by the time I was called back to take over the family estate.”
“You...inherited it?”
Doppler nodded. “Yes, I'm afraid so. I was an only child, you see.”
“That must have been awfully lonely.” Aurora moved slightly closer to him on the couch. “I can't imagine how it would be to have nobody there.”
“Oh, I made friends at school,” said Doppler, adding judiciously, “though not that many, to be honest.”
“I can't imagine why,” Aurora smiled.
Doppler smiled back, and shook himself. “I'm sorry. I'm not usually so...garrulous with strangers. Not that you're a stranger, I mean, we have been introduced...but you're still sort of strange, aren't you...I mean, you're not strange strange, I mean that you're...um...”
“I know what you mean, doctor. It's all right.” Aurora smiled again and looked down. Doppler coughed and did likewise, trying to clear his mind. It had been more than a week since he had seen Amelia, since she had left to take up her new commission, and he had missed her for every minute of it. Aurora was so alike her in voice and manner that he found himself thinking of her in too-familiar ways. The only way to break the illusion, he'd found, was to look up at her so that her distinctive face would become apparent. But every time he did so, it seemed, he'd see those lilac eyes looking right back at him.
“Do you...er, need to be going anywhere?” he said, to break the silence.
“I can go if I'm bothering you.” Aurora stood up. Doppler found himself reaching over as if to take her hand and only stopped himself at the last moment.
“No, no! Not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. I just...don't want to keep you from your duties. If you're anything like Amelia I know you'll be wanting to get back to them.”
Aurora smiled and sat down again. “Thank you, doctor. I do have one or two things to do, as it happens, but my Admiral gave me a direct order, and I can't refuse her.”
“She did?”
“Yes, doctor. Don't you remember? She ordered me to take good care of you.”
Doppler looked down again. “Well. You're certainly doing that.”
“I'm glad that I can.”
Doppler didn't trust himself to make eye contact. Truth be told, he had been missing Amelia...in more ways than one, and Aurora was so like her that he was struggling not to draw the same associations about her.
“So how did you end up here, anyway? It seems rather a coincidence that you and Amelia are stationed in the same port.”
“Oh, no coincidence at all,” Aurora shook her head. “I'm a navigator by trade. I was posted to the RLS Retribution as fifth lieutenant, but then a position became available on a new ship. Only just launched. And I took the opportunity.”
“So where's the ship now?” asked Doppler.
“She's on her way,” Aurora smiled. “Oh, you should see her, Delbert. The RLS Lyonesse. There haven't been many like her. She's going to be the finest ship in the fleet. As fast a frigate with the firepower of a ship-of-the line. And that's not to mention her lines. I wonder if they got an artist to design her rather than a naval architect. She's just beautiful.”
“I'm sure she is,” Doppler murmured, trying not to stare too noticeably. Aurora had a faraway look on her face for a moment and then her eyes focused on him again.
“She's to be the new flagship for this command, once she's finished her acceptance trials. A lot of her crew are already here just waiting for her to arrive. And once the Admiral realised I was here and had nothing else to do, she recruited me for her personal staff.”
“Of course. No wonder.” Doppler adjusted his cuff. “Well, that explains that. I can see why Amelia thinks so highly of someone with your abilities.”
“You flatter me, doctor.” Aurora gave a small smile.
“No, really. It's a madhouse down there, and you seem to be one of the few people who knows what's going on. Organisation like that...” Doppler thought of the state of his own house ruefully for a moment before going on, “...is quite a rare talent.”
“Well, I'm just glad to be of service.” Aurora shrugged. “I can't deny that I didn't enlist to navigate a desk around the place, though. Once the Lyonesse arrives, I'll be transferring aboard her as soon as possible.”
“I understand. Amelia herself was reluctant to take up this position because it would mean so much time ashore,” said Doppler. “Spacing really does run in your family.”
“I'll admit that I was surprised to hear she'd taken it,” said Aurora. “Everyone knows why she resigned in the first place, too.”
“Yes...yes, she told me.” Doppler looked at his hands. “It didn't sound like a fond memory of hers.”
“So what changed her mind?” Aurora asked.
Doppler laughed. “I'm rather afraid that it may have been me. I was there when she got the message about the offer and we...talked it through together.”
“I think a lot of people will be grateful to you for turning her around,” said Aurora. “Not to mention impressed. I know she isn't the easiest person to convince of something.”
“Fortunately, I think a part of her wanted to,” said Doppler. “It was just a matter of finding that part.”
“You seem to be unusually good at finding parts of her,” said Aurora. “Even parts that nobody else has seen.”
Doppler hesitated and tried not to jump to conclusions. “Well...er...”
“She looks so happy. When she looked up and saw you standing there, I mean. I haven't seen her that happy all week.”
“She must be under a lot of stress,” said Doppler. He sighed. “I only wish I could be more help to her.”
“You're more than I think you know,” Aurora said softly. “You haven't heard the way she talks about you. She really is very lucky to have someone like y...like you...”
Her voice trailed off, hoping not to betray just how much she meant that. There was something about the floppy-eared astrophysicist which held a strange appeal and she suddenly became aware that her hand was resting on the couch alone, as if inviting him to take hold of it. She rapidly brought it back to her clipboard.
“I think you're more use to her now than I am, though,” Doppler looked up and smiled at Aurora, apparently oblivious of what she was thinking. “You seem to be capable of handling anything that might arouse. I mean, arise! Arise, in the normal course of your duties.”
Aurora found herself laughing. Doppler coughed and fumbled with the latches on his briefcase to hide his embarrassment.
“Well, ahem. Since I've kept you here for so long, would you like something to eat? I brought some things for dinner with Amelia, but since she's delayed...”
“That's awfully nice of you, doctor.” Aurora shook her head. “But I'll survive. I can get something from the mess later on.”
“Are you sure? I have some wafer sweets here somewhere.” Doppler pulled out a paper bag and shook it near his ear. “Although...now that I think about it, I shouldn't have packed them at the bottom of the case with the plates on top of them.”
Aurora shifted over to see into the case and grinned. “Do you normally walk around with a dinner set in your luggage, doctor?”
Doppler chuckled. “Not usually. But I suspect that Amelia won't have the time or inclination to dine out, so under those circumstances...”
“That's very thoughtful of you.” Aurora noticed, but did not comment on, a small silver candleholder and a long white candle she saw tucked into the side of the case. It was hard not to like a man who carried a romantic evening in his briefcase. “Perhaps I will have one of those wafers after all.”
“By all means.” Doppler fished in the packet and found one that was more or less intact, which he passed over. Aurora took it off him, but it crumbled in her fingers and they both scrambled to catch the pieces before they disappeared down the back of the couch, with the result that their hands ended up clasped around each other. There was a moment of absolute silence, neither even daring to breathe as they met each other's wide eyes, before they snapped back quickly.
“Sorry!”
“No, I'm sorry!”
“I should have been paying more attention-”
“It's really not a problem, I assure you-”
“I didn't mean-”
“Neither did-”
They both shut up as their words stumbled over each other and sat in silence for a moment. Aurora broke the moment with a businesslike cough.
“Well. Thank you anyway, doctor. I'd best be going.”
“Of course. Whatever you need.” Doppler sighed and ran a hand over his face. Aurora stood up to leave and headed for the door.
“I'll tell the Admiral that you're waiting up here,” she said.
“Thank you.” Doppler nodded. “And Aurora?”
She stopped in the doorway, her heart beating unaccountably fast. “Yes, doc – Delbert?”
“I really am sorry. I didn't mean to...do anything to you to make you...” he gave up. He knew what he wanted to apologise for, which was the way he felt, but he didn't want to reveal that in case the crisp and efficient young officer hadn't noticed. “I'm sorry,” he finished lamely.
Aurora smiled, her lilac eyes softening. “It's quite all right. Believe me.”
Doppler smiled with relief in return. “I definitely do. Thank you.”
Aurora nodded her thanks. “I'm sure the Admiral will be here directly. Goodbye, doctor.”
“I hope so. About the Admiral, mean, not the goodbye.” Doppler was packing things away in his case again, so Aurora couldn't see his face to judge that last remark. She smiled to herself. He really was a most intriguing individual.
“How about, 'goodbye, for now'?” she said.
Doppler looked up and smiled. “I was just about to say the same thing.”
“Jolly good, then.” Aurora grinned. “Do take care, doctor.”
And then she was gone, closing the door behind her. Doppler sat for a moment longer, looking in the direction of her disappearance, before he shook himself, blinked, and stood up to go for a walk around the deserted apartment.

Aurora left by the main door, and descended the stairs to the main floor. Even though the sun was setting, the tempo of the work had not decreased. Aurora stepped into the corridor and took a moment to compose herself, straightening her uniform coat and checking her clipboard. Satisfied, she stepped out into the flow of traffic and headed towards the office.
“Ms Aurora? Message from the chief of medical staff.” A spacer saluted and passed her a piece of paper. She nodded her thanks and walked on reading it. By the time she reached the end of the corridor, she had collected another three messages from passing staffers. The marine guard on the door gave her a look of sympathy.
“To see the Admiral, ma'am?” he said.
Aurora nodded. “When she has a moment.”
“I wouldn't wait that long if I were you, ma'am.” The marine waved her inside.
Amelia was reading a document critically. Her blue coat was draped over her high-backed chair behind her and her shirt sleeves were rolled up. The midshipman from her last interview was standing in front of her desk nervously, and touched his hat gratefully to Aurora.
“Good evening. A new draft of the gazettal, I take it?”
“Yes, ma'am,” the midshipman nodded. “Hopefully no typographical errors this time. Or at least none in such a...noticeable place.”
Aurora smiled and waited patiently until Amelia reached the end of the page and nodded with satisfaction.
“Very good, Mr Ligeti. I appreciate your time on this.”
Ligeti clicked his heels. “Thank you, ma'am.”
Amelia produced a pen and signed her name at the end with a brisk flourish before handing the paper back to him.
“Thank you. You may stand dismissed.”
Ligeti saluted and marched away. Amelia turned her attention to Aurora, looking up at her with a genuine smile.
“And now, lieutenant. What brings you here?”
“It may be easier to start with what doesn't,” said Aurora, looking through her papers. “The Surgeon-General you appointed will be here in three days, and the astrocartography department has reported that the library is missing almost a third of the standard charts.”
“Civilian charts?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Amelia nodded. “Well, I wish that came as a surprise. Perhaps I should have a word with Dr Doppler to see if he can source some new charts.”
“I'm sure he'd be happy to help, ma'am,” said Aurora. “And he'd be quite capable. Certainly more so than Commander Guire's department is at the moment.”
Amelia looked up with a wry smile. “I'm glad you have such faith in him, lieutenant. What else?”
Aurora sighed and looked at her clipboard again. “The cranes at docks 85, 86, 87 and 88 are incapable of offloading regulation ordnance pallets. The Master of the Port says that replacements can be provided, but you'll need to sign a new requisition order to have them moved into place.”
“And how long will that take?”
“No more than a fortnight, ma'am.”
Amelia rapped her knuckles on her desk. “Blast it. But very well. We have no choice. And like it or not, we have to follow the paper trail all the way. Tick every box.”
“Yes, ma'am. I'll have the paperwork sent up to you tomorrow morning.”
“What would I do without you, lieutenant,” Amelia smiled.
Aurora smiled back. “Find another aide, I would imagine.”
“Well. Let's not have to find the paperwork for that either.” Amelia sat back in her chair, still smiling. “What else?”
“One more thing.” Aurora passed a bundle of papers over. “Stellar forecasts for this region over the next fortnight.”
Amelia began flipping through them. “Anything in there for us, lieutenant?”
Aurora shrugged. “Well, the bad news is that the Plenitude might be delayed. She'll be sailing into headwinds in a few days. The good news is that your flagship might arrive ahead of schedule.”
“The Lyonesse?” Amelia sat forward again. “Now there's some good news.”
“Indeed it is, ma'am.” Aurora agreed.
Amelia looked up at her. “For you as well, of course. Your new posting.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Amelia drummed her fingers for a moment and then stood up decisively.
“I won't beat around the bush, lieutenant. I...would be grateful if you delayed taking up your posting for a few more days. Just until the headquarters is established here.”
“I was afraid you'd say that,” Aurora smiled. “I would be honoured to, ma'am.”
“I know you'd rather not,” said Amelia. “But I'm afraid you've made one serious mistake in your career.”
Aurora blinked in surprise. “Ma'am?”
Amelia smiled. “You've become indispensable to me, lieutenant. I need you. Not for much longer, I promise. But I'm going to put your appointment on hold until everything here is shipshape. Is that clear?”
Aurora saluted. “Crystal clear, ma'am.”
Amelia smiled her thanks and sat down again. She picked up the stellar forecasts and began reading them once more.
“Now, then. Let's see what the good doctor has to say.”
“Oh, as I said before, ma'am, he's-” Aurora stopped and thought for a moment. “You don't mean Dr Doppler?”
“The one and the same.” Amelia nodded and smiled. “Haven't you noticed that the stellar forecasts are always signed off as 'DD'? Delbert Doppler?”
Aurora looked surprised. “I had no idea he was so eminent. I've been reading the forecasts ever since I started navigation at the Academy but it never occurred to me that I'd meet one of the minds behind them.”
Amelia laughed. “Oh, lieutenant, how he would blush if he heard you say that. He does take a great deal of pride in his work.” She put the forecasts aside and looked up. “And how is our guest in any case? I hope he's comfortable?”
“Seems that way, ma'am,” Aurora nodded. “He's in the morning room in your apartment. I advised him that you would be attending him shortly.”
“I do appreciate it.” Amelia sighed. “Thank you, lieutenant. That will be all. But let me know if you can determine an ETA for the Lyonesse. We'll need to prepare a suitable berth for her and we'll need as much advance warning as we can get.”
Aurora made a note. “I'll let you know as soon as possible, ma'am.”
“Very good. That notwithstanding, you can consider yourself dismissed for the night.” Amelia stood up, rolled down her sleeves and reached for her uniform coat.
“Thank you, ma'am.” Aurora lingered long enough for Amelia to glance up at her with a curious grin.
“You're still here, however.”
Aurora hesitated. “Yes, I...was talking with Delbert and...”
Amelia looked amused. “Delbert?”
Aurora blushed. “I mean, Dr Doppler, of course. And...well...you were right about him.”
Amelia laughed at how awkward the normally-assured young feline looked and stepped out from behind her desk, shaking her head. “He must have made quite an impression on you. Goodnight, lieutenant. See you in the morning.”
“Yes, ma'am. I'll inform you at once if there is any further information on the flagship.” Aurora saluted. Amelia watched her go, and sighed happily. She nodded to the guard on the door.
“Closing up for the night, private.”
She walked past him, heading for the stairs and acknowledging the salutes of the staff who passed her automatically. Her mind was already focused on other things. Other people, in fact. At least one of them...

Doppler was ill at ease in the empty apartment, which was more extensive than he had expected. From the fashion of the architecture, he guessed it to have been built at a similar time to his manor, but it was anyone's guess how long it had been since it was last used. Most of the rooms stood empty or were occupied only by a few items of forgotten furniture. A notable exception was the bedchamber, which still contained a spectacular four-poster bed that Doppler presumed had been left behind only because it was too big to fit through any of the doors. Sunset was shining through windows that had not been cleaned for generations, diffusing the light into a generalised glow. He wandered aimlessly for a while until he heard the main doors creak open and footsteps enter. Turning, he saw Amelia pad into the room. They met each other's eyes and exchanged weary smiles.
“Good evening, Admiral.”
“Oh, tosh to that,” Amelia shook her hand. “I think we can dispense with the formalities, can't we? Now that we're alone.”
“I think that's a perfect suggestion.” Doppler took her in his arms and held her. “It really is so good to see you again, Amelia.”
“Oh, and you as well, Delbert.” Amelia took a deep breath, enjoying his familiar scent and resting her head on his chest.”It's hard to believe it's been so long.”
“Well, time flies when you're busy,” said Doppler, stroking her hair. “And I can see you've been exceptionally busy up here.”
“There's so much to do.” Amelia sighed. “It'll get better once its all organised, I promise.”
“I'm sure it will. You have good people on your side.” Doppler nuzzled her. “And I'm here, too.”
Amelia gave a small laugh. “Don't separate yourself from the first category so easily.”
Doppler chuckled. “Well, I'll try, although I see that I can't be as much help right now as I'd like to be.”
“On the contrary, you're a great help.” Amelia looked up at him. “In fact, I think we may need your help in restocking our library of navigation charts.”
“I'd be happy to provide it,” said Doppler. “There's quite a good collection at the university that I can draw on. And if you need anything special I'd be happy to prepare it for you myself.”
“And you said you weren't much help.” Amelia smoothed down his lapel fondly.
“I didn't mean professional help, though.”
“I know.” Amelia raised her head. “You're that kind of help, too, my darling. Truly.”
Doppler met her lips with a sigh of long-awaited contentment. It was a soft, careful kiss at first, neither party wishing to jeopardise the moment that they had been anticipating for so many days. But caution soon gave way to deeper things and Doppler felt Amelia's hand creep around the back of his head, fingers through his hair, holding him close.
“Thank goodness,” he murmured, once they broke off. “I was beginning to worry.”
“You never need to.” Amelia kissed him again. “It's so good to see you.”
“And to see you.” Doppler glanced around for his briefcase. “I, uh, have some food here for dinner if you wanted something to eat.”
Amelia smiled. “I should have known. That sounds ideal. I know I've eaten during the day because otherwise I'd have passed out at the my desk, but I don't really remember any of it.”
“You are driving yourself awfully hard,” said Doppler, guiding her to the couch.
Amelia sat down gratefully as he began unpacking his case. “It goes with the job, I'm afraid.”
“I know. And I certainly know you'd never give less than one hundred percent.” Doppler passed her a small plate. “But still, is it all...I mean, you really do have good people around you. Do you...”
“Do I have to be here myself all the time?” Amelia looked up at him apologetically. Doppler met her eyes for a moment and nodded. Amelia sighed.
“Yes, I'm afraid so.” She picked up her fork. “You have to remember how I got here.”
“You got here because the First Star Lord personally recruited you,” said Doppler.
“Yes, but...promotion is normally a steady progression of seniority.” Amelia sighed. “I was a Captain. Now I'm a Rear-Admiral. I skipped over goodness knows how many senior captains and commodores to get here and they're justified in asking questions.”
“You feel you have to prove why you were chosen?” Doppler sat down.
Amelia smiled as he set up and lit the candle. “Sometimes your insight amazes me, my love. Yes. A new commander has a very short period of time in which to make the right kind of first impressions. If they don't take it, they don't get it back. I remember officers who didn't and you should have heard the jokes that got told about them below decks.”
“I'm sure nobody would tell those jokes about you.” Doppler took her hand. “You can take it from me. I have some experience in first impressions of you.”
Amelia patted his hand. “Luckily I don't seem to have scared you away.”
“You'd have had to try harder than you did,” Doppler smiled. “Although I was almost too nervous to approach you for the first few days.”
“You seem to have overcome that by the end of the voyage,” Amelia gazed fondly at him.
Doppler looked back into her eyes. “Well, yes...carrying you in my arms did rather break down some of the barriers.”
“I recall that they'd been crumbling even before then.” Amelia stroked his fingers.
“Fortunately for us.” Doppler smiled and took a paper bag from his briefcase. “It's only cold sandwiches, I'm afraid.”
“They will do just fine.” Amelia took hers. “A Mrs Hawkins special, no doubt?”
Doppler nodded around a mouthful of sandwich. Amelia tried a bite and raised her eyebrows approvingly.
“She has outdone herself,” she observed. “I imagine she made use of that Oreganian spice trader which came in last week?”
“I'd have to ask her,” Doppler looked up curiously. “I had no idea you took such notice of culinary developments.”
“Well, it was docked in one of the berths I needed to start offloading a consignment of torpedoes that a supply ship had delivered,” Amelia grinned.
“I'm only surprised you didn't offload the torpedoes into the spice trader,” said Doppler.
“Don't think I wasn't tempted,” said Amelia. “Although my restraint appears to have paid off.”
“Most admirable, Admiral.”
Amelia looked up and raised an eyebrow. “You've been waiting for a chance to say that, haven't you?”
Doppler laughed. “Only for a few seconds, my dear, I assure you. Can I interest you in a drink? This is the last of my great-uncle's famous vintage.”
He produced a miniature bottle from the case, tucked into a pair of glasses. Amelia couldn't help shaking her head. Doppler looked taken aback and went to put them away again when she took his hand.
“No, I'm sorry. I would like a drink. I was just...marvelling at the way you think of these things.”
Doppler blushed as he decanted the wine. “I've been waiting for a good opportunity to use the last of old Uncle Alfred's legacy. This seemed appropriate.”
“You always pick appropriate moments.” Amelia slid over to him on the couch and kissed him. “Thank you.”
The wine was stronger than she had expected and she blinked reflexively as the taste struck her.
“Goodness. That's...most refreshing.”
Doppler tasted it and grimaced. “Dear old Alfred did rather like a drink or two.”
“Or three. And that's just in this glass.” Amelia tried it again. “Although, on second attempts, it isn't that bad.”
“That's only because your taste buds roll over at the first attempt,” said Doppler.
Amelia laughed. “I've had far worse in my time. It's a credit to your ancestry.”
“I'm glad you approve.” Doppler put his glass aside and rested his hands on her knees. “I wanted to make tonight special. I've missed you terribly.”
“Oh, Delbert. I've missed you, too. I'm sorry it has to be like this...I know one of the reasons you wanted me to take this job was because we could spend more time together.” Amelia held his hands.
Doppler nodded. “I can't deny that. And I didn't expect it to be easy.” He smiled at her. “At least you were only gone for one week, rather than another months-long voyage.”
Amelia smiled. “Only a week...it feels far longer.”
She leaned over and kissed him softly.
“I've missed you, too, Delbert,” she whispered.
“My darling Amelia,” Doppler stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Not too much, I hope.”
“Even a little is too much,” Amelia sighed and nuzzled him. “But that just makes moments like this all the more worthwhile.”
Doppler took a deep breath and held her tightly. “Oh, my love. It does.”
“There hasn't been a day when I haven't thought of you,” Amelia kissed him again. “Or an hour...or even minute. And there certainly hasn't been a night when I haven't missed you.”
“I know too well how that feels.” Doppler kissed her back, lifting her head and running his lips along her neck. “Far too well.”
Amelia slipped her hands under his burgundy coat and began sliding it off his shoulders. Doppler nodded his assent into the kiss and allowed her. When he broke off to put the coat aside, he felt Amelia's hands on his shoulders, pushing him down with a gentle force that brooked no argument. He looked up and saw the telltale fire in her green eyes.
“Oh, Amelia...”
She grinned, showing her teeth. Doppler's warm, dark eyes weren't quite as expressive, but she could feel his breathing deepening in anticipation and that told her everything she needed. Though more naturally restrained than herself, his desires were clear and he was rising to the occasion- probably in more ways than one.
“My darling doctor,” she murmured, drawing his olive green ascot from his waistcoat and deftly unthreading it. He opened a few buttons on his shirt to allow her and looked into her eyes again.
“Are you sure this is all right?” he asked.
Amelia nodded. “Perfectly. More than perfectly.”
“No, I mean...” Doppler swallowed nervously and glanced at the door. “We're not exactly at my house any more.”
“These are my private quarters,” Amelia assured him. “We're quite safe here.”
“Oh, good.” Doppler smiled with relief. “I mean, you did say that first impressions counted and I wouldn't want your authority undermined.”
“Are you doubting my authority, doctor?” Amelia grinned playfully.
Doppler shook his head and grinned back. “Oh, goodness no, ma'am. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
She shivered as his hands moved up her flank and came around to her front to undo the gold buttons on her coat. She let him lay it open and heard him make a small sound of approval at the sight of her, even clad as she was in the close-fitting white uniform undershirt. It still gave away many of the details Doppler was looking for he smiled.
“Oh, Amelia. You really are perfect.”
She leaned down to kiss him. “You've given me the perfect evening.”
“It's no more than you deserve for all you're doing.” Doppler gazed into her eyes and raised his head to kiss her. “I'm so proud of you.”
Amelia kissed him back, shrugging off her blue coat. “Well, you've won an admirer tonight as well.”
“Hmm?” Doppler kissed her cheek lightly.
“My charming young aide, who you no doubt recall?” Amelia grinned. “She didn't know you wrote the stellar forecasts. And she has a very high opinion of you already.”
Doppler coughed. “Well, I...”
“See what I mean about first impressions?”Amelia joked.
Doppler laughed. “In that case, let's be sure there are no second impressions, otherwise the illusion of my competency may very well be shattered.”
Amelia laughed as well. “Oh, come now, Delbert! You're not saying you wouldn't want to see more of her? She is family, after all.”
“Oh, dear, no, I didn't mean it like that.” Doppler looked genuinely apologetic. “I don't mean to seem rude about your relative. I'd be happy to see as much of her as you care to show me.”
“Is that so?” Amelia cocked her head in amusement.
“She's a most impressive young woman. I can see why you chose her to help you here.”
Amelia leaned down to kiss him again. “You're helping, too.”
Doppler sighed happily. “I'm so glad that's true.”
Amelia bestowed an affectionate lick to the tip of his nose and undid another few of his buttons. Doppler shifted to help her and bumped his head against the armrest. Amelia chuckled and stroked his hair.
“I'm sorry, my darling. Are you all right there?”
“Of course.” Doppler rubbed his head ruefully. “But...if you don't mind my saying so...I recall finding a bed in this apartment that was appreciably more capacious than this couch.”
Amelia smiled. “An excellent idea, my sweet.”
She sat up, allowing Doppler to do the same even as he divested himself of his waistcoat. Drawing him to his feet, she pulled him towards her, causing him to stumble into her arms. Amelia held him close, pressing herself against him. Doppler folded his arms around her in return and felt his heart skip a beat as her purr started deep within her chest.
“My darling Amelia,” he whispered.
“My sweet Delbert.” Amelia traced his jaw with a slender finger, then tousled his ear in a friendly way. “It's so good to be with you again.”
“And with you, too.” Doppler kissed her and led her towards the door. “Now then, Admiral...shall we see about that bed?”

Aurora was making her way down the corridor, which was now all but deserted. Her footsteps on the marble echoed around her. The occasional staffer was still passing her, exchanging tired nods or salutes as appropriate. Aurora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kept walking. An officer stepped out of a room holding a piece of paper, saw her and beckoned her over. Suppressing a sigh, she went to see him.
“Lieutenant Scott. What can I do for you?”
Scott waved the paper. “Coded message on the deep space ethernet, ma'am.”
“Oh? Is it urgent?”
Scott shrugged. “Not for me to say, ma'am. It's a message from the Lyonesse. They've amended their ETA back fifteen hours.”
“Fifteen hours?” Aurora's ears rose in surprise. “They're really running with the storm, aren't they?”
“So it seems, ma'am.” Scott nodded. “Shall I leave the message in the Admiral's in-tray for tomorrow?”
“Yes, that would be – oh, no, blast it, no. Never mind. I'll take it, Mr Scott. I promised that I'd bring her any news on the flagship tonight.”
Scott handed it over gratefully. “I'm sure she won't keep you long.”
“No. Probably not.” Aurora took the message and scanned it briefly. “I'm definitely looking forward to clocking-off today.”
“Likewise. Have a good night, ma'am.” Scott touched his hat and went back into his office. Aurora finally gave vent to that sigh, turned on her heel, and began heading back up the corridor.

Doppler turned to shut the bedroom door, pushing it closed until the latch caught. Amelia watched him tug on the handle to check that it wasn't loose and smiled to herself.
“You really are very careful,” she murmured, hugging him from behind.
“Well, I've...thought about this a lot...” Doppler confessed. “And I wouldn't want anything to spoil it.”
“Nothing will, sweetness,” Amelia promised. She turned her head and began kissing his neck with such intensity that Doppler felt his knees shake for a moment. She had her arms around him and her hands were playing with his front, drawing his shirt up from his waistband and opening it to lay bare his chest. She purred happily and ran her fingers through his fur, making him jump as they found his nipples and toyed with the tuft of light brown fur between them.
“Oh, Amelia...”
“My Delbert,” she whispered into his ear. “Just as I always remember you.”
Doppler turned his head to meet her lips. “I'm always yours.”
“I don't forget that, either.” Amelia nuzzled him again and lowered her hands to his thin belt, which she unbuckled with practised ease. Doppler moaned in anticipation and turned in her arms, taking hold of her and kissing her with renewed passion. Amelia closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation fully, moving backwards to draw him towards the bed. She felt it against her knees and sat down, bringing her to the perfect level to undo the drawstring of his trousers as she nuzzled his stomach. Doppler shivered and helped her as best as he could, fumbling his feet out of their shoes and gaiters and regretting that his mode of dress was so ill-suited to moments such as this. Seeing his difficulty, Amelia helped him lie full-length on the bed as she loosened his stockings.
“Is this all right, Delbert?” she whispered.
Doppler, his mouth dry, merely nodded. Amelia smiled her thanks and drew his trousers off him, casting aside the bundle of clothing. She looked up at her almost-exposed lover, the smile still hovering on her lips. Doppler watched her stand and slowly extricate herself from her tall boots.
“I'd better get out of these as well,” she said.
“I wouldn't mind if you wanted to leave them on,” Doppler said, and immediately blushed. Amelia only laughed and kissed his nose.
“Perhaps one day I shall,” she ticked his ear. “If you feel that way.”
She used her feet to kick the boots off, resting herself against Doppler, kissing him deeply and roaming a hand up and down his body. She felt a thrill of excitement as she felt the shape of him beneath his underwear and decided to take further steps. Her own trousers soon joined her boots in the growing stack of discarded clothing by the bedside and Doppler gave a contented sigh at the sight of her long, smooth legs as one of them slid up to his waist. He looked up into Amelia's glowing eyes and shook his head.
“No words...no words for how...” He kissed her. “How divine you are...”
Amelia smiled and stroked his face. “Oh, Delbert. When did you learn to be this romantic.”
He laughed. “I have a good teacher.”
“No.” Amelia kissed him. “Just a very lucky feline.”
“I could think of some better words.” Doppler stroked her.
“I didn't know they covered such things in astronomy,” Amelia smiled.
“Never mind astronomy.” Doppler touched her cheek. “I could spend a lifetime searching the skies, but I'd never find any star as bright or as beautiful as yours.”
Amelia felt an uncharacteristic blush reach her cheeks. “Oh, Delbert...”
“Just being honest.” He brushed her lips with his, but she seized him to turn it into something deeper. His eyes widened in shock as he felt her hand disappear into his underwear and slender fingers wrap around his arousal.
“Amelia!”
“You're more than honest,” she whispered. “Aurora is right. I'm the luckiest feline in the galaxy...I just wish I could prove that to you as deeply as I know it...”

Aurora entered the Admiral's apartments and left her bag by the door. She moved through the empty rooms, re-reading the communique, until she looked up in surprise at the light of a single candle on the coffee table. She recognised it immediately as the one in Doppler's briefcase and she smiled at the thought of the sweet gesture. A few items from the meal were still on the table, but her attention was quickly diverted by the sight of Doppler's coat draped over one end of the couch. Amelia's blue and gold uniform was over the other. This in itself was not cause for alarm since it could have been quite a casual move to rid themselves of unwanted burdens while eating. But the presence of Doppler's waistcoat had her raising her eyebrows, and the sight of his green ascot carelessly lying to one side told a different story and her gaze was soon drawn to the doors of the bedroom, which were closed tightly shut.
“Surely not...”
Every one of her wits was telling her to leave, or slip the message under the door. Even if she was wrong about the assumptions forming in her mind, it was already late at night and they wouldn't want to be disturbed.
And yet...
She had promised Amelia, and was not the sort of person to let a promise slide easily. The news was also genuinely important. And Amelia would not be happy if she found out that the message had not been delivered. And, if she was honest with herself, she was rather too curious about what might be happening on the other side of that door.
Reaching a decision, she set her shoulders, raised her head, marched briskly to the door and knocked twice on it.
“Admiral? May I come in?”
There was a sound on the other side of the door that defied interpretation. But it meant that someone was there, so Aurora turned the handle and pushed it open.
“Message from the Lyonesse, ma'am. She reports that – oh, my goodness!”
The communique fluttered to the floor and Aurora clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. She had clearly interrupted something – more abandoned clothing by the beside was testimony to that – and Doppler gave a yelp and dived under the bedcovers. Amelia, straddling him, looked around sharply and saw Aurora.
“Lieutenant?”
“Sorry, ma'am! Oh, stars, I'm...the message...I said I'd report to you if...”
“Yes, you did.”
Amelia got off the bed. Aurora tried not to stare at her state of undress.
“Er...ma'am?”
“Yes, lieutenant?”
“You're...er...out of uniform?”
“Indeed.” Amelia smiled and glanced back to Doppler, who was peeking over the edge of the blanket and trying to stay out of sight. “Thank you for the message. But you're not done yet.”
“Ma'am?”
Amelia took a step closer to the stunned young officer. “Close the door.”
Aurora nodded and saluted. “Of course. Good night, ma'am.”
Amelia stopped her with a hand on her shoulder before she was halfway out. “Just...what do you think you're doing, lieutenant?”
Aurora blinked and stared. “I'm...closing the door, ma'am. Like you ordered.”
“I don't believe that I told you to be on the outside when you closed them, though...”
The words took a moment or two to sink in. “You mean...you want me in here, ma'am? But you and the doctor...”
“Are in here as well. You powers of perception do you credit.” Amelia's hand slipped from her shoulder and rested on her neck. Hardly daring to breathe, Aurora obeyed, closing the door behind her. She felt the cold, hard wood press at her back as Amelia took another step closer.
“Do you remember, when we were growing up, how my father always warned us to share?” she murmured.
Aurora nodded. “Y...yes, ma'am...”
Amelia grinned and glanced around at Doppler again. Aurora followed her eyes and her own widened as realisation dawned.
“Um, Amelia?” Doppler raised a hand nervously, then hastily lifted the blankets again as they fell from his bare chest.
“Well, Aurora?” Amelia lowered her head. Aurora could hear her purr. She swallowed and looked at Doppler.
“Aye...aye, ma'am.”
Doppler stared from one feline to the other. “A...Amelia? What precisely are you...”
“Proving a point.” Amelia smiled as she steered Aurora towards the bed. “I said I wanted to, didn't I?”
“Well, yes...”
“And you said you'd be happy to see as much of Aurora as I wanted to show you?”
Doppler blushed and didn't try to meet Aurora's eyes. “Y...yes...”
“Delbert?” Aurora felt her heart flutter slightly.
He dared a glance up. Her lilac eyes were wide and met his own stare without flinching.
“You two seem to have made quite an impact on each other,” Amelia observed.
“Well, your cousin is rather...um, I mean...” Doppler floundered for a moment. Aurora smiled.
“And you're rather 'um' as well, Delbert,” she said.
He blushed again and looked down. By the time he looked up, Amelia was crawling across the bed and taking up a position on his right, guiding Aurora into a similar position on his left. Doppler looked at her in surprise.
“Are you...Amelia, are you quite sure you know what you're doing?”
“I've never been clearer,” Amelia kissed him. “How about you, lieutenant?”
Aurora smiled again, beginning to enjoy the direction of events. “Exceptionally clear, ma'am.”
Doppler bit his lip. “But I'm...I'm not so sure that...I mean, I'm not used to this sort of stimulation...I mean, this sort of situation!”
Amelia chuckled, but Aurora simply turned her calm gaze on him. Amelia grinned approvingly at the look on her face and she leaned over to kiss her stunned husband.
“Now, my dear,” she whispered. “Where were we...”
Doppler closed his eyes, helpless before the press of her lips. Amelia gently lifted his hands from the blanket, which she began drawing down his body. Aurora watched with interest as his chest and stomach were bared. His physique was what she had expected from a scholar, but was no less appealing for all of that. She crouched down to bring herself closer, but drew back when she saw that Amelia had caught her eye. But a glint in her cousin's told her not to fear and, emboldened, she moved closer.
“May...may I?” she asked.
Amelia sat back and nodded. “Of course, Aurora.”
Aurora smiled her thanks and drew closer still. Doppler was still looking confused when he turned to look at her. Aurora gathered up her courage, licked her lips and kissed him. Doppler gave a start of shock, but Amelia's arms were around him to keep him in place. Aurora closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sensation. It had been too long since she had enjoyed any such opportunity...
“Oh, Delbert...” she whispered.
Doppler sighed. “Aurora...”
“There,” Amelia kissed the back of his neck. “That wasn't so hard, was it...unlike some other things I could name...”
Doppler whimpered as her hand slipped below the blanket to find him. Aurora's eyes followed the movement and she shifted further down Doppler's body.
“Would you like to, my dear Aurora?” Amelia murmured.
She nodded. “If that's all right...and with you, Delbert.”
Doppler swallowed nervously. “Um...”
Amelia kissed him. “You've nothing to fear, sweetness. Nothing at all.”
She drew back the last of the blankets, baring Doppler completely. She crept down the bed to lie with her head level with his arousal. Aurora, pleasantly surprised by the sight of him, did likewise. Amelia stroked her fingertips over his hardness and smiled fondly.
“Isn't he beautiful, lieutenant?” she said.
Aurora looked up and met Doppler's eyes. She smiled.
“Yes, ma'am. He is.”
Doppler sighed with relief, but bit back a sound of surprise as Amelia began stroking him, raising his shaft and holding it vertically for Aurora's benefit. She ran her gaze up and down him and her smile widened.
“You really are very lucky, ma'am,” she said.
Amelia looked up at Doppler as well.
“Yes. I am.”
Aurora reached out a hand. Amelia let her take hold of Doppler, and Aurora gave a sigh of her own as she wrapped her fingers around him. His arousal was warm and hard, and she found herself instinctively stroking it herself. Doppler gave an involuntary whimper as her finger skirted around his sensitive tip and Amelia smiled.
“Oh, but where are my manners,” she smiled. “We're a little behind...”
She sat up, and reached down to take off her shirt. Doppler gazed lovingly as her breasts came free of the tight white cotton she wore. Even Aurora found herself watching with unexpected interest. Amelia put her shirt aside and looked at her expectantly.
“Ma'am?” Aurora looked back quizzically.
“You're...a little overdressed, aren't you, lieutenant?” Amelia lifted her chin with a finger. “And I do want to show Delbert rather a lot of you...”
Aurora blushed, but sat up. She opened the buttons on her blue coat and self-consciously set it aside before she began lifting her own shirt. Doppler felt his own breath catch at the sight of her. Her mustard fur gave way to pure white on her front, her young body unmarked by the kind of battle scars that Amelia bore with such pride. Her breasts, modest but shapely, were on perfect display for the moment that her arms were above her head, the nipples standing noticeably erect above the soft white fur, and there were black stripes on her shoulders to match those on her face.
“Good heavens...”
“She's quite something, isn't she,” Amelia smiled.
Aurora blushed as she unbuckled her belt and shed her trousers. “You're both very kind...”
Amelia stroked her blond hair. “Not at all.”
She turned her head to kiss Doppler again, cradling his neck. Doppler raised a hand to hold hers, closed his eyes, and returned the kiss with growing passion. Amelia purred her approval and deepened the intimacy. Aurora watched them for a moment, remembering her kiss with Doppler, licking her lips and reaching a decision. Doppler moaned as Aurora kissed his chest and began working her way down his body. Amelia kept hold of him and continued their kiss until Doppler was left breathless, gazing up at her.
“Oh, Amelia...” he whispered.
Amelia smiled. “My sweet Delbert.”
Doppler smiled back. His breath caught in his throat as Aurora kissed his stomach and he looked down in time to see her breast graze his erection. Aurora looked up at him and smiled modestly.
“Is everything all right, doctor?” she asked.
Doppler nodded quickly. “Of...of course, Aurora...”
“Very good, then.” She kissed him again.
Amelia moved some pillows aside and slipped in behind him. Doppler lay back against her as she brought his head around for a kiss, one hand toying with his floppy ear, the other eventually dropping from his chin to stroke his chest. Doppler's sigh of pleasure turned into a yelp of surprise and he raised his head in time to see Aurora removing him from her mouth, eyes wide.
“I'm sorry, Delbert, I'm sorry...really, I didn't mean to hurt you...”
Doppler shook his head. “No, no, you didn't...oh, Aurora, you really didn't...quite the opposite...I was just a little...well, taken unaware...”
She smiled. “So you don't mind if I..?”
“Not at all.” Amelia gave her an encouraging look.
Aurora bowed her head slightly and looked down at Doppler's erection as it lay on his stomach. She lowered herself to lick it from its base, and Amelia felt his muscles tense as he lay in her arms.
“Shh...” she whispered, stroking him. “It's all right...”
“All right...oh, dear me...oh, Amelia...Aurora...” Doppler didn't know where to look, so he closed his eyes instead as the felines returned their attentions to him. Amelia's mouth traced a hot pattern across his shoulders, up his neck and along his ears. Aurora's was even warmer as she explored his shape with her tongue and lips, growing in boldness with every discovery. Her own purr began, a vibration in her throat that made Doppler moan. Amelia heard it with satisfaction and moved to stand up, lowering Doppler back against the pillows with a last kiss to the cheek. With him lying back below her, she knelt over him, straddling his chest and moving to join Aurora.
“Very good, lieutenant,” she whispered. “Very good.”
Aurora looked up from her work and grinned, stroking Doppler lazily. “I think I'm getting the hang of this, ma'am.”
“So I see.” Amelia smiled. “But I wouldn't want you doing all the work...”
She took her husband's manhood in her own and and bent over it. Her lips sealed around the tip, which she swirled her tongue around. Doppler whimpered and gripped her legs in his hands. Amelia gave him a last, lingering lick and looked up at Aurora, who gave a knowing smile, tucked back a lock of hair, and imitated the gesture before passing back to Amelia.
“Was that satisfactory, ma'am?”
Amelia laughed. “I think you'd have to ask Delbert.”
Doppler whined as Amelia took him in her mouth again. Aurora grinned.
“Let's take that as a 'yes', shall we?”
She watched Amelia for a moment before her eyes ran down the length of Doppler's shaft to the twin prizes between his legs. She ran her fingers over them and then cupped them gently. Doppler's whine went up an octave for a brief instant.
“Aurora...oh, dear...”
Aurora purred deeply and rested on her elbow, her other hand dipping into her own underwear. Her heat was rising and she felt herself wet to the touch. Doppler raised his head, gazing up at Amelia's rump poised above him. The sweet affections the two felines were lavishing on him had awoken his instincts and he couldn't ignore them. Amelia had been feeling his grip on her legs grow as she pleasured him and had taken it as a sign to continue. His hands suddenly leapt up, dragging down her underwear and exposing her. She broke off her attentions to his erection and mewed her appreciation, making Aurora look up. Amelia saw where her other hand was, saw the blush on her cheeks as she realised it as well, and had opened her mouth to make comment when Doppler brought his head up and licked between her legs. The sudden pressure behind her pushed her forwards into Aurora and, before either of them could react, their mouths met and their lips pressed together. Green and lilac eyes widened momentarily in shock before the shock wore off and the sensation became all that mattered.
“Aurora...” Amelia murmured when they parted.
“Ad...admiral...” Aurora was still looking slightly hesitant, so Amelia lifted her chin with her hand and smiled coyly.
“I think you're free to address me as 'Amelia' now, don't you think?”
Aurora smiled and nervously sought out another kiss, which Amelia reciprocated willingly. Aurora's hand between her legs increased its activity, while her other ceased stroking Doppler and rose on her elbow to cup one of Amelia's breasts. It was a new feeling for the young feline and she explored the resilient softness with great interest. Amelia sighed happily and moved forward to deepen the kiss, inching further and further until Aurora was forced to sit up. Doppler shifted position to maintain his attention on Amelia's secret, lapping at its warmth. He glanced up and saw Amelia and Aurora meet again, his tongue freezing for a moment as his brain raced to catch up.
“Oh, good heavens,” he shook himself.
“I trust you don't mind, my darling,” Amelia cast him a playful glance over her shoulder.
“Quite the contrary.” Doppler suppressed an instinctive growl. “Quite the contrary indeed...I've never seen anything half so...” he looked from Amelia to Aurora and back again. “...beautiful...”
“I'm so glad you approve.” Amelia looked at Aurora and grinned like a predator. “I know that I do.”
“Oh, Amelia.” Aurora sighed. “So do I.”
Doppler got up on his knees, sliding Amelia's underwear off as he did so, and hugged her from behind, kissing her shoulders and neck intensely. His hand grasped her breasts, his thumbs and forefingers finding her nipples and teasing them erect. Amelia exhaled in pleasure, allowing herself to sink back into him, his erection between her legs, grazing against her wetness. Aurora gazed at her body as it was displayed before her, stripped off her own underwear to join the couple in their nakedness, and crept forward on all fours. She lowered her head to lick Doppler's glistening tip again, making it bob between Amelia's legs. Rising up, she put a hand beneath Doppler's arousal and lifted it, pressing the hard shaft into Amelia's softness and rubbing it in slow circles. Amelia mewed and Doppler moaned and they both refocused their attentions on her.
“Very innovative...” Amelia grinned.
Aurora smiled. “I'm happy to help, ma'am.”
“You're, er, certainly doing that,” said Doppler. “Oh, Aurora...”
Her smile widened and she rose up further, her breasts pressing into Amelia's. She made a small noise when their erect nipples brushed each other as she leaned past Amelia to kiss Doppler again. Doppler felt an instant of hesitation at the thought of responding, but Amelia's hand gripped the back of his head and prevented any escape he had in mind. Aurora's lips were soft and inviting and he let her guide the depth and strength of the kiss, from its exploratory beginnings to a passionate summit. Her hand was still on him, massaging him into Amelia's warmth. He fancied that he could feel her tight little bud against his tip, and the way she reached to the touch seemed to confirm it.
“Delbert,” she whispered. “My darling.”
She lowered her head to Aurora's exposed neck, her hand trailing down the younger feline's sides to her striped rump. Aurora gasped and arched her back, pressing her chest forwards. Amelia grinned and held her in her arms, lowering her gently to the bed. Doppler extracted himself from them and sat back as they lay side by side before him. Amelia looked up at him.
“Well, my sweet? Would you like to see any more of our Aurora here?”
Doppler smiled at her. “As much as she's willing to.”
“Everything, Delbert,” the words left Aurora's lips quickly, with barely a moment of thought. “Everything...”
Amelia smiled her thanks and ran a hand down Aurora's smooth stomach to her thighs, which she slowly drew open. Doppler felt his heart race, partly at the revelation and partly at the way that Aurora's eyes never left his face even as Amelia was guiding her. He gave her a heartfelt smile and mustered the courage to look down. Aurora's secret was nestled between her legs, the soft white fur around it somewhat dampened by her own efforts on herself. Aurora gazed up at the canid, her own heart beating faster in excitement at being revealed to him in such a way.
“There you go, my dear,” murmured Amelia, in a way that left neither of them sure to whom she had been speaking.
Doppler hesitated for a moment. Despite the intimacy of their situation, he was still unsure whether there were boundaries. Amelia saw the doubt flicker in his eyes and smiled.
“My sweet Delbert. You needn't worry. Not tonight.”
He kissed her. “If you're sure...”
“I couldn't be surer.” Amelia kissed him back and guided him down. Doppler gazed up Aurora's body, past her breasts. Her face, bright and alert, looked back intently. He saw her give a small nod of assent, for which he smiled gratefully before lowering his head and extending his tongue. Aurora went stiff as it lapped at her entrance before she relaxed, melting into the affectionate touch. She parted her legs further to let him get closer. No wonder this had such an effect on Amelia...
“Oh, Delbert,” she whispered. “Amelia really is so lucky...”
Doppler blushed. Amelia chuckled and stroked his hair. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
She pressed his head down again, guiding him to resume his attentions to Aurora. She watched with satisfaction and turned to look in the other direction, her spare hand taking one of Aurora's breasts and massaging it on her chest. Aurora gasped and shuddered.
“Ma'am...Amelia, I mean...oh, my...”
“Such a good kitten.” Amelia kissed her striped forehead. Aurora arched her back and sighed happily, her hands balling up the blanket as her pleasure mounted. Doppler closed his eyes and pressed closer. Aurora tasted different in his mouth to Amelia, but the difference was not at all unpleasant and he found himself wanting to learn more. He used his thumbs to part her and licked deeper, feeling her jump at the sudden sensation. His tongue moved to her apex and found her bud, licked around it and sent sparks flying through her body. Aurora writhed on the bed and cried his name. He answered it with renewed effort. Amelia gazed at them adoringly, noting the way that Aurora's breasts moved with her increasingly-rapid breathing. She released Doppler's hair and brought both hands to bear on Aurora's chest, massaging, stroking, tweaking. She moved to straddle her, looking down into her eyes. Aurora returned the gaze and raised her hands to Amelia's hips, her fingers running through her tan fur. Doppler lapped at her again and she mewed in ecstasy. The touch of his fingers at her entrance made her breath catch as he pressed in deeper with his tongue. The waves of warmth he was evoking rolled over her and her head fell back against the bed, her eyes closed and her mouth open. Amelia turned to watch Doppler and remembered how it felt to have him pleasure her in the same way. She clasped a hand to her own breast for a moment as she leaned over him, whispering encouragement. He hardly needed any, redoubling his efforts of his own accord. Aurora shivered and cried their names.
“Delbert! Amelia! Stars,I'm...I'm...oh, don't stop...”
“As if we would.” Amelia grinned and ran her hands down the inside of Aurora's thighs. Her thumbs massaged the younger feline's mound as her fingers moved to frame her sex, stroking lightly. The added touch was more than Aurora could bear and Amelia felt her straining beneath her. A shudder ran through her body as the feeling exploded inside her. She clutched at Amelia's waist for a moment before falling back, arms raised, her head flicking from one side to the other until the waves of pleasure settled and retreated. She lay there, panting for breath, her purr deeper than ever before. Doppler gave her a last affectionate lick and sat up. Amelia lifted him and kissed him, her tongue parting his lips and detecting the new taste on them.
“Oh, Delbert...and Amelia...I've never...oh, my...” Aurora shook herself and smiled. “Thank you.”
“The honour was mine,” Doppler returned the smile. “Oh, Aurora...and Amelia, of course...”
Amelia smiled. “I'm fairly sure you can take most of the credit for that, my sweet.”
Doppler blushed and kissed her. “Thank you.”
Amelia kissed him back. “It wouldn't be very sporting of me not to share my luck around, would it. I'm just even luckier that you don't mind.”
“How could I mind.” Doppler nuzzled her.
Aurora pushed herself up and knelt with them.
“I know I don't,” she said, taking Doppler's hand and looking into his eyes. “That was...just beautiful, doctor.”
Doppler smiled shyly and nodded to Amelia. “Well, I have a good, er, teacher...”
“It's all your own work.” Amelia smiled. “You have hidden talents, Delbert.”
“Well, whatever it was,” Aurora squeezed his hand. “It was perfect.”
She kissed his cheek and nuzzled him fondly, purring deeply as she did so. Doppler nuzzled her back.
“You're quite a special young feline yourself,” he murmured.
“So you both make me feel,” Aurora smiled and took Amelia's hand as well. “Thank you. Both of you.”
“Our pleasure.” Amelia patted her fingers.
Aurora grinned. “I thought it was mine. But since you mention it...shall we, Delbert?”
“Shall we...oh. Right. Yes, of course...”
Amelia looked as her husband and they advanced on her together. Doppler's mouth found hers as four arms encircled her body warmly. Amelia closed her eyes and threw back her head. Aurora's lips were hot against her neck and her slender fingers trailed down the soft valley of her cleavage. They drifted onto Doppler's and intertwined with them over Amelia's heart. Aurora and Doppler exchanged a mutual look and shifted their hands,each cupping a breast. Amelia looked down and sighed as the others moved their kisses along her shoulder, her collarbone, her neck. As if it was planned, Doppler sucked a nipple into his mouth at the same time as Aurora. His soft canid tongue contrasted enticingly with her smaller, rougher feline one. Amelia felt a shiver run along her spine and she sank onto the bed. Her legs parted and Doppler took the opportunity to leave her breast, his soft-padded hand stroking its way down her body until it covered her secret. Amelia exhaled and moved to spread herself for him. His touch was soft and loving, his fingers exploring her shape and finding their places with care. Doppler looked into her green eyes adoringly and kissed her.
“I love you, Amelia,” he whispered.
“Oh, Delbert.” Amelia stroked his ear. “I love you, too.”
He caressed her hair as he touched her, kissing her forehead, nose and lips. Aurora was bestowing small, affectionate licks to her chest, reaching down under her rump with one hand and holding hers softly in the other. Doppler's touch was as sensitive and caring as ever, and Amelia knew she would always be grateful for it. Aurora's was cautious but delightfully curious, and Amelia enjoyed the younger feline's awakening instincts to the full.
“I hadn't noticed it this way before,” Aurora murmured. “But you're really quite beautiful, ma'am.”
Amelia smiled and touched her cheek. “I could say the same for you, dear Aurora. And you, of course, Delbert.”
He smiled. “I'm just glad that you remembered I was here.”
Amelia laughed. “As if I could forget considering what you're doing to me...oh, my love...”
Doppler chuckled. “Well, speaking for myself, I know which one of us I'd be spending my time looking at.”
Aurora saw that he had turned his head towards her for that sentence and she felt a small blush rise. “Oh, Delbert...”
She leaned over Amelia's naked form and kissed him gently. “...don't underestimate yourself.”
Amelia sighed at the sight of the kiss. Doppler and Aurora glanced down at her, noting the reaction, and repeated the cause with renewed interest. Amelia moaned, her hips beginning to move, pressing her sex into Doppler's hand. He murmured her name as he looked down at her motions.
“Oh, Amelia...my darling...”
“My sweet Delbert,” she moaned, rolling her head. “Don't stop...”
“We won't, ma'am,” Aurora promised.
“Not for anything,” Doppler affirmed. “Darling Amelia. You look so perfect.”
Amelia hummed with pleasure, as if his loving words were a physical touch all by themselves. She raised an arm above her head, inviting Aurora back to her breasts to which she returned willingly. Amelia's nipple was hard in her mouth and seemed to harden as she lavished attention on it with her lips and tongue. Doppler leaned past her to kiss Amelia's lips, which met his firmly. Amelia kissed him fiercely until a wave of pleasure washed over her and she found herself briefly adrift. Doppler took full advantage, deepening the kiss and intensifying his touch between her legs until she broke off to cry his name.
“Delbert! Oh, stars...Delbert, I need...I need you...”
“I need you, too, Amelia,” he whispered.
Her eyes opened and focused on his, burning with emerald fire. “Then take me, doctor.”
He kissed her one last time and moved between her legs. Aurora watched, fascinated, as they positioned themselves with practised ease. She couldn't hide a moan of her own as she watched Doppler's tip probing Amelia's wetness, and her own small cry mingled with Amelia's as he pressed inside her. Amelia exulted in the sensation of his entry, taking him into her until his knot was pushed against her opening. He began moving in time with her.
“Oh, Amelia...oh, you feel incredible, my dear...”
“And so do you, Delbert, I assure you.” Amelia increased the speed. “So very good...”
Aurora turned Doppler's head and kissed him passionately. It seemed to spur him on and Amelia placed a hand on her striped backside as the pace rose once more. Aurora nuzzled Doppler adoringly, stroking his ears, placing small licks where she could, daring a few small bites on his brown neck fur. He responded as she had hoped and Aurora looked down to the join between the two lovers, watching his hard shaft moving inside her. She wondered how he would feel inside her, remembered how full he had felt in her mouth, and touched a finger to her own entrance, synchronising with their thrusts.
“Oh, Delbert,” she whispered. “How good you are to her...”
“Very good...” Amelia moaned. “Oh, the best...the very best...”
Aurora went back to nuzzling Doppler, hearing a small growl in his throat. She laughed and kept doing it until the growl deepened. She ducked down to scatter kisses over his collarbone and gave a mew of surprise when Doppler suddenly turned and lowered his head to clamp his mouth around her scruff. She gasped and went limp out of instinct, and when he released her and she looked up she was stunned at the fire in his soft, dark eyes.
“Delbert...” she kissed him and lay back alongside Amelia, still touching herself in time to his movements. He seemed to tower over both of them, and it was all too easy for Aurora to imagine his erection inside her instead. She clasped her own breast and made a happy purring sound. Amelia arched her back, her muscles straining.
“Oh, doc...doctor...doctor, yes...yes, my love, don't stop...”
Doppler growled again. Amelia cried out in pleasure, and cried out again as her climax arrived. She seemed to freeze in that position, only the soft mounds on her chest still in motion as Doppler pushed her over the edge, helped her ride the wave of euphoric bliss, and then slowed down to let her out the other side. Amelia shivered once or twice and collapsed onto the bed again, breathing hard. Doppler bent over her and kissed her sweetly.
“I do love you, Amelia,” he said.
She kissed him back. “And I love you, too, Delbert. If only I could tell you how much.”
He eased out of her, making her purr skip a beat,and moved to lie down. Aurora shifted aside to let him lie between them. “I'll always believe you,” he smiled. “Always.”
“And I'll always remind you.” Amelia smiled. She turned and draped an arm languidly around Doppler's chest. Aurora did likewise, folding her leg over him in a way that reminded him very much of how Amelia had done the same thing only not long before.
“And thank you to you, too.” Amelia gave Aurora a friendly lick. Aurora grinned.
“It was nothing, ma'am.”
“You wouldn't have said that if you'd felt it.” Amelia grinned back. “But speaking of which...”
Her hand quested down until it found Doppler's erection, still hard. Aurora eyed it with interest and glanced back up at Amelia, who cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.
“May...may I, ma'am?” Aurora asked softly.
Amelia nodded. “If it's all right with you, Delbert.”
Doppler looked at Aurora and took her hand. “Of course.”
Aurora kissed them both in turn and moved down Doppler's body. She took his erection from Amelia, still glistening with her wetness, and licked it slowly. Once done, she moved to position herself over him, holding him with her forefingers. Just as she had watched with Amelia, she drew his tip up and down her slit, enjoying the sensation, before guiding him to her entrance. Doppler's breathing went ragged at the feel of her and he ran his eyes helplessly over her soft-furred body.
“You're sure about this?” she asked. “I mean, both of you.”
“Quite sure.” Amelia smiled encouragingly. Doppler nodded his affirmation. Aurora smiled her thanks and let herself sink down, her lilac eyes widening with every inch that she took of him. Her breath shuddered from her chest as she rested on his knot.
“Is everything all right, Aurora?” Doppler looked up at her, genuine concern in his voice.
Aurora nodded and adjusted her position. “Yes, of course...more than all right. It's just that there's...well, rather a lot of...um...”
“There is, isn't there.” Amelia grinned and tousled Doppler's hair. He looked puzzled for a moment.
“A lot of what? I don't see...oh...you're talking about...”
The felines laughed. “Precisely, doctor.”
Amelia kissed him as be blushed. “Well, I, really don't know what to say...” he began.
“You don't have to say anything, Delbert.” Aurora leaned over to kiss him as well, the motion on his shaft making Doppler's mouth open even before hers arrived. “Just believe us.”
The movement had stimulated her as well and she began moving her hips as she sat back up. Her mouth opened slightly as a sigh of breath escaped her.
“Oh, yes...”
Amelia kissed Doppler again and crawled around behind Aurora as she began moving faster on him. Doppler's hands held her hips and Amelia put her arms around her midriff to hold her steadier still. She pressed herself against Aurora's back and rode with her, enjoying the look on Doppler's face. Aurora let her take some of her weight and concentrated on her movements, making the most of every moment of Doppler's penetration. It had been too long for her, far too long, and she had definitely never been with anyone like this...
“Aurora, my dear,” Doppler shook himself and gazed up past those snow-white breasts to those gentle lilac eyes. “Aurora...”
“Delbert, yes...” Aurora opened her eyes and smiled down at him.
Amelia took her breasts in her hands,supporting them and massaging them in circles.
“You look so beautiful, my dear,” she whispered. “So beautiful.”
“And she feels it, too,” Doppler groaned. “Oh, goodness...”
He yelped as Amelia put her hand between his legs to feel his testicles. They were drawn up against his base and Amelia toyed with them for a moment before giving Aurora a lick on her shoulder.
“Would you like any more, Aurora?”
“More?” Aurora turned her head. “What more could there be?”
“You haven't had the best part,” Amelia grinned. Doppler twitched as her fingertips brushed his knot and Aurora, taking her meaning, looked down.
“I...I'm not sure...”
“You're safe, aren't you?” Doppler sat up, putting his arms around her.
Aurora nodded. “Of course. But...” she turned to Amelia. “Are you sure that wouldn't be too much? He is yours...”
“Not tonight.” Amelia winked at Doppler. “Remember what I said about sharing.”
“Is it all right, Delbert?” Aurora stroked his cheeks. Doppler nodded and nuzzled her.
“If it's what you want, Aurora.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “I...I do.”
“It's settled, then.” Amelia smiled. Her hand left Aurora's left breast and trailed down between her legs. She began to caress there, readying her opening. Aurora moved more slowly now, taking Doppler as deep inside as she dared before his knot pushed against her. Each time she came down on it, he shuddered and his hands clasped her waist tighter.
“There you go,” Amelia whispered. “You're ready.”
Aurora and Doppler shared a last, knowing glance. Then she smiled, rose up his length one more time, and lowered herself all the way down. The size of his knot took her by surprise and she felt herself stretching to accommodate it.
“Delbert...oh, stars...oh, my...”
Amelia stroked her hair comfortingly, drawing the blonde strands aside to expose her neck. She located her scruff and bit it tenderly. Aurora felt the relaxation flood through her body and she felt herself sag at the knees, the last of Doppler's arousal slipping inside her. Sedated as she was, she bit back a small mew and sat for a long moment, getting used to the feeling. For his part, Doppler only barely remembered to start breathing again. She was so tight around his thickest part that he was briefly worried about her, until Amelia began coaxing her into motion again.
“It's not so difficult,” she whispered, using her fingers between Aurora's legs to part her further. “And it's worth it. I promise you.”
“Oh, Amelia, I can see why.” Aurora shivered. “Delbert, truly...I've never felt anything like this before...”
“Sweet Aurora,” Doppler moaned.
“Hush, now,” Amelia leaned forwards to kiss him. Aurora was moving on her own now, her head thrown back. She placed her hands flat on his chest and raked her fingers down through his fur, making him growl and increase his thrusts to match her. Aurora cried out and tossed her hair joyously, raking him again. Doppler growled once more and sat up, cradling her in his arms. Aurora laughed in surprise at his strength in the moment as he tipped her onto her back, positioning himself above her and never for a moment breaking their join.
“Oh, Delbert...” she breathed, looking up into his eyes.
“Aurora,” he shook himself and growled with pleasure as he took charge of their thrusts.
Amelia positioned herself behind him, stroking his back, slipping an arm around him to his chest. Aurora could only lie back on the bed, eyes closed, mouth open, letting herself go. Doppler felt his instincts rising powerfully, felt her sex tightening around him as he made love to her.
“Perfect,” Amelia whispered, revelling in the sight. She nuzzled Doppler's neck and shoulders and was rewarded with another growl and a cry from Aurora as Doppler went deeper still. Amelia slid a hand between Doppler's legs to cup his testicles, rubbing a spot behind them that had always got a good reaction in the past. It didn't let her down. A guttural sound escaped Doppler's throat and his teeth bared for a moment. Aurora gasped at the intensity of his expression and his focus on her and wrapped her legs around him to hold him closer.
“Delbert, my Delbert,” Amelia murmured in his ear. “My love.”
“A...Amelia...Aurora...” Doppler didn't know where to look. “I'm...I'm...”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
He growled and shook himself. “I'm...close...”
“I know you are.” Amelia could feel it in her hand. “I know you are. It's all right.”
“Please, Delbert,” Aurora mewed. “Please...I want it...”
He moaned as he felt it begin. “Aurora...oh, my...oh, Aurora...Aurora!”
Amelia felt the first pulse begin and rubbed him harder to propel it along. Doppler gave a hoarse sound that was halfway to a bark as he felt his release. Aurora felt it too, felt him swelling even larger inside her before he burst forth. The power of the feeling sent a warm shock through her, a shock which soon became something else. Gripping Doppler with her legs, she urged him on even as he began whimpering in pleasure.
“Oh, Delbert, yes, yes...please, Delbert...”
He moaned again as he felt her climax arrive. Her muscles tightened around him again, milking the last of his own pleasure and taking it into her. Aurora dropped back onto the bed and writhed helplessly in the throes of pleasure, mouth open and eyes firmly shut.
“There you go,” whispered Amelia gently. “There you go...”
Once again, it was not entirely clear to whom she was speaking. Exhausted, Doppler slowed his thrusts to a halt and bent over Aurora's recumbent form. Her bare chest was heaving again and she opened her eyes to look up at him, equally drained but satisfied. He smiled at her, a gesture she warmly returned, and he bent further to kiss her lightly.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“The pleasure was mine,” she replied, stroking the nape of his neck. Doppler nuzzled her and sat back, withdrawing himself from her. Amelia smiled at the expression on his face, and laughed as he collapsed back against the pillows.
“Oh, my dearest doctor,” she grinned. “You were perfect.”
She kissed him. He was too weak to resist, but responded as best as he could.
“I love you, Amelia.”
“I love you, too, Delbert.”
Aurora joined them, purring happily, and curled up next to Doppler, snuggling into his side. “I'm rather fond of you, too.”
Doppler laughed and put an arm around her striped shoulders.
Amelia lay alongside them and drew the blanket up to cover them. “What time do you have to leave tomorrow?

Doppler shrugged. “Any time. I don't even have to leave tomorrow. I can always have any work I need to do sent up to me.”
“Excellent.” Amelia drew closer to them. “And you, lieutenant. We have an early start ahead of us. You're welcome to leave if you wish.”
“Aye, ma'am.” Aurora smiled. “But with your permission...I'd rather like to stay.”
“Permission granted,” Amelia took her hand as it rested on Doppler's chest. “All the more reason for an early start, then...”
Aurora looked up and grinned. Doppler smiled.
“You Royal Navy types and your military discipline,” he said. “It's most impressive. I'm used to staying up late for my work, but at least I get to sleep in past sunrise.”
“Starting early isn't so bad.” Amelia grinned mischievously. “It's just a work habit. But if you wanted to try some military...discipline, Delbert, I'm sure that could be arranged. Couldn't it, lieutenant?”
“As you wish, ma'am.” Aurora smiled at Doppler.
Doppler paused for a moment until the penny dropped, then coughed. “Ahem. Well. Far be it for me to gainsay you, Admiral, but...”
“Don't fret, doctor. I was only joking.” Amelia smiled and patted him before rolling over to turn off the bedside lamp.
“Goodnight, ma'am,” said Aurora. “Goodnight, doctor.”
“And the same to you, Aurora.” Doppler lay back. “Sweet dreams.”
“The very sweetest,” Aurora closed her eyes and rested, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat. Amelia found Doppler in the dark and kissed him lightly before settling down at his side again.
“Goodnight to you both,” she whispered. “And...thank you...”
- 1
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Meeting Lieutenant Mayflower