The characters, species and location names in this story are copyright Jennifer Matulaitis and may not be used except with her permission.

WARNING!  This story contains sexual situations and intercourse.  If you're not old enough or mature enough to read this then scram!  If sex offends you, don't come whining to me about it, just don't read it, okay?

Refer all comments to raptor@ld4.myip.org  No flames, unless you're a dragon and you can't really help it.

Eye of the Dancing Goddess

    The name of the city, if it even mattered, was Garshen. It was a rainy miserable place, spreading like a meaty fungus along the shore of an ancient and dying seaway. Garshen was exactly like any other of hundreds of scummy cities littering the galaxy where decent folks no longer cared to live. Illegal activities were the norm here; every one knew it and no one cared. As undesirable as this city was, there was money to be made here if one knew the right people at the right time. If a smuggler or a thief had something to sell, it was a good bet that they would eventually end up in Garshen. This was a city where there were more bars, gaudy houses, and other establishments of ill repute than there were actual citizens. Places like Garshen were never advertised in planetary brochures, since those that claimed to maintain morals would never be tempted to visit.

    It happened to be night. On a unpleasant street in the depths of the city, a lone human woman was out walking at this time when she had no business being about. She knew it was night, but the only way she could actually tell this was because she carried a time piece. Day and night blended into each other on this soggy little planet. Pollution, coupled with the planet's natural unpleasant disposition, created a perpetual twilight which was the delight of many lowlife scum. The rain falling in the city had a slightly yellowed hue to it and the street lights fought a continuous losing battle to penetrate the mire. In a nearby damp alley, several members of an unidentified species of city critter squared off with a volley of snarls and spitting. The nervous woman tried to ignore the noise, rightly figuring it would not last long. She continued on her way, eyes darting at every shadow and low place. This was not a very hospitable area of town, especially for a female walking alone at this time of night. The streets were lined with sleazy bars, advertising themselves by means of oily neon signs. Creatures of a variety of different species lined the street, blending into the shadows and alleys, most in various stages of intoxication. Working males and females hung around in tight groups under the vague light offered by street lamps, idly eying the occasional vehicle that passed. The woman peered at them hesitantly, stepping carefully over creatures that were in more prone positions. She turned a corner, nearly tripping over a discarded container which had undoubtably once held an alcoholic beverage. Swearing lightly, cursing the errand that had taken her out this late, she stopped to check her footgear, which had come loose. When she straightened, she found herself face to face with a stranger.

    It was a being that belonged to some sort of formally-aquatic species, dressed shabbily, and holding a rather rusty looking knife wrapped in its flipper-like fingers. The woman caught a fishy scent rising from the being's clothing, mixed with the very prevalent smell of booze. She drew back from it, cringing around herself.

    "Ya got money?" the being wheezed nastily. It pressed closer to her, forcing her back into an alley and against one of the slick walls forming the darkened area. She trembled visibly.

    "No!" she wailed, trying to move away from the being, but it was blocking her escape and drawing tighter toward her. "I don't have anything! Please, just let me go!"

    "Le' ya go?" it gurgled. "I don tink so. Gimee yer money."

    "I don't have any!" the woman cried, shaking her head and breaking into frightened tears. Her protest turned into a small shriek of terror, as the being pressed the tip of the knife against her throat. She felt it bit into her skin and a hot trickle of blood spiraled down her neck. The creature did not seem to mind the noise she was making, it knew that no one in this part of Garshen would be interested in her plight. Muggings and even murder where a regular part of the night's activities around here.

    A soft yellowish light suddenly switched on, lighting up a small area of the alley. A quiet, firm voice spoke from behind the being. "Suggest you leave the lady alone."

    The creature straightened in surprise, and turned, finding itself blinded as it looked directly into the light. It squinted. Beyond the yellow glare, there was the shadowy figure of a tall humanoid, but he was difficult to make out. The amphibian huffed, pressing its hand against the woman, pinning her securely against the wall. The knife it held towards the humanoid. No one was going to rob it of its prize tonight. "Min' yer own buziness,"

    The light intensified just slightly, and the low pitched hum of a laser being primed filled the alley. The amphibian stiffened, recognizing the sound of death when he heard it.

    "Perhaps you did not hear me correctly?" the humanoid suggested in a cool tone.

    The amphibian released a gurgling growl deep in its throat, and it turned swiftly, lashing out with the knife in a stupid move that left it incredibly wide open, and gave the female hostage time to bolt. She ran with a small scream.

    It was no contest. Obviously used to close quarters fighting, the humanoid shadowed by the yellow light countered easily, swinging the rifle around in a practiced arch and knocking the amphibian cold. The creature fell ungracefully into just another heavy wet mound in the alley.

    The yellow light faded as the humanoid looked after the fleeing woman, and winked away completely into the cybernetic eye that dominated the right side of his slender face. He watched her until she turned the corner, out of his line of vision, then turned his attention back to what he had been doing before the amphibian had invaded his alley with its female prey.

    From further in the shadows, a low rumbling voice chuckled, "You're a real hero, Silverfish."

    The man smirked but made no comment. He made sure that everything he carried on his person and the pack slung over his shoulder was secure, pushing the amphibian away with his booted foot. Then he gestured to his companion. She stepped forward, melting out of the darkness, her lithe reptilian form shiny under the wetness of the rain. The two fell naturally into their accustomed positions. They froze in place, the man watching the street and the reptile waiting behind him, and there they remained for a long time, listening to the rustle of garbage in the alley under the steady drizzling rain.

    The larger of the two shifted her weight uneasily from one leg to the other while keeping one eye on her companion, who was crouched and peering around the corner of one of the buildings forming the alley. He took a moment to glance back at her, a frown marring his slender but otherwise attractive features. "Relax Jenn," he said in a hushed tone, his mechanical sounding accent rolling the r slightly. Jenn lifted her lip in an uneasy sneer.

    "Just tell me what's happening, Kaz," she replied, her voice a low heavy growl.

    The two of them were as different from each other as Dasadanian cargo ships are from Cyrian desert skiffs. He was, although humanoid, definitely not human. In his own native language, his name was K'azi*^mir --M*shay(tk). Since the buzzes and clicks in that complicated series of sounds were nearly impossible for anyone not of his species to pronounce, most simply called him Kaz, or more formally Kazimir. Physically, he was as thin and sharp as a knife blade seen on edge, an image enhanced by his height, which was unusually tall for a humanoid. He wore all black, and toted along a black pack to match. To the eyes of most species he blended in well with the miserable night. If he looked at all bulky, it was because of the laser-stopping riot vest he perpetually wore. In his painfully slender gloved left hand he carried a rifle of indistinguishable design with familiarity, and under the vest he wore a strap slung with extra power packs for the weapon. But despite being obviously prepared for any eventuality, Kaz had a crystalline, almost fragile, look about him. His long shaggy hair; currently secured into a tight damp tail, was silver white in color, and seemed spun of glass. His skin was normally pale enough to glow under even the faintest light, so he had smeared his thin wolfish face with black weather-proof grease. His left eye was a startling blue, so pure and bright that it could have been made of sapphire.

    His right eye, indeed much of the right side of his face, had long ago been replaced by cybernetic implant. This enhanced his vision and hearing, and enabled him to see in various different spectrums, as well as keeping him in constant contact with the main computer aboard his ship. It was also responsible for the yellow light he had shone on the amphibian would-be assailant. In addition to his face, his entire right arm was also cybernetic, and the wrist of that implant was festooned with all manner of electronic lights and buttons, and a small display screen that was continually scrolling information in his native written language. Kaz belonged to a scarce and widely scattered species known as Neg'k*'jonians, a group which habitually added cybernetic enhancements to their original bodies. It was an old saying in the galaxy that Neggies never actually died. They just kept replacing parts.

    "Group of men just went into the building. Business as usual," Kaz told Jenn, as he zoomed in on the front door of the establishment in question. Behind him, Jenn grumbled about the rain and the long wait, her own thoughts bordering closely on dreary. It was the waiting that was the absolute worst part of this job, in her opinion; which was the only opinion that really mattered since Kaz generally had no opinion about such things. And if he did, Jenn really didn't care. In their partnership, she was the one in charge, an arrangement that suited them both just fine. Kaz glanced at her and winked his normal eye, knowing just how annoyed she was. He had been with her on enough of these jobs to be able to read her easily.

    Standing nearly a full foot higher than his 7'1", she cut a sleek and dangerous figure in the damp shadows. Her graceful neck supported a tapering skull braced by the powerful muscles for her shearing jaws. Her mouth was filled with gleaming white teeth, all serrated and awaiting their next chance to prove themselves the devastating weapons they were. Her solid black eyes were large, glassy, and gleaming with a sharp intelligence. Kaz knew that Jenn had exceptional vision, even in the miserable yellowed rain. She could see both to the sides, and the front, with true depth perception. But her eyesight went far beyond the norm. When she returned his look, she could see the heat of Kaz's body, could trace each blood vessel and artery, could see them pulsing as they worked to transport his blood to where his heart was glowing in the center of his chest like a watery red beacon. She could further see the tiny sparks of electric blue as bio-electrical signals traveled throughout his body, from his brain to the tips of every nerve. To a Velociraptor, every being was a riot of heat and color. In her vision, Kaz's normal eye was like a shining jewel shimmering in the setting of his skull. His cybernetic implants were cold colors to her, but she could see easily the electrical signals that passed between what was really him, and what was not.

    The rest of Jenn's body was dark in color; mostly greens, browns, and blacks in mottled patterns and striping. Her tail was long and balancing, a firmly muscled extension of her back, held parallel to the ground to counter her relatively large skull. Her sculptured muscular legs ended in three-toed feet, each foot sporting a large gleaming moon-shaped sickle claw on the inner toe. Her hands also had three digits which were heavily clawed, again the inner one more so. That finger also swung in toward the others with functional opposability. The streamlined reptilian was a highly efficient and well-designed predator, a fact that she had well proven on many occasion, and though she was in Garshen for hunting, tonight it was not for live game.

    "Farsheesh is getting sloppy," Kaz commented, turning his attention back to his surveillance, hand tightening on his rifle. Jenn herself wore no weapons tonight. Her only adornments were the tattoo on the left side of her head, a gold ring embedded in the hide below her left tympanic membrane, and a torc of gold and red jewels around her upper left arm. She tipped her head, looking at Kaz with one eye, and covering their back with the other.

    "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

    "No doorman posted."

    Jenn blew out a soft snorting breath, "Then it is a good time to hit him."

    "Certain that Nomandi will be here tonight?" Kaz asked, his clipped way of speaking familiar to his companion. "Hate to waste night if we do not have to."

    "Believe me, Silverfish, I would much rather be elsewhere tonight too. But Camposton said that Nomandi would be here, and that means this will be our best chance to get the Eye," her eyes narrowed as she swivelled one to gaze at the bar across the slick street. "Nomandi rarely comes out of that high-security mansion of his, but Camposton said that he comes to Farsheesh's regularly to smoke Vision."

    "Cannot believe he would be so stupid, to wear the Eye out in this part of town at night," Kaz said tightly.

    "Yeah well, some beings are idiots. Word is, Nomandi figures that little prize is safest around his neck." Jenn bared her teeth, clicking them together sharply in her species version of a derisive laugh. "I'll take his head off to get to his neck if I have to."

    Kaz nodded, watching carefully as a single reptilian humanoid made its way into the low rep gaudy house-slash-bar. "Speaking of the idiot, it looks like he has arrived." He stood slowly, pressed his back against the wall of the alley and looked at Jenn. "Time to walk the dog,"

    "He's in?" Jenn's eyes gleamed, she flexed her hands, wishing for the gun she often carried in such situations. Her species usually did not use guns, preferring to rely on their own abilities, teeth and claws. Jenn had discovered, however, that it was occasionally advantageous to have a range weapon handy. A natural expert on all things mechanical, Kaz had specially adapted her chosen rifle so that she could operate it with her long fingers, and she had grown to love it. Unfortunately, their plan called for her to be more visible than usual tonight, so toting around a firearm was out of the question.

    "Right. Now, do we have the plan down straight?" she questioned tersely.

    Kaz appraised her carefully. Of course he had the plan down straight, and he knew perfectly well that she knew that as well as he did. One thing Kaz had never been able to understand about most species other than his own, was their need to rehash the obvious. He had, however, learned to live with it. "Yes, you run interference. I set charges. Charges go off. Boom. You get the Eye. We both get out."

    Jenn rolled an eye at Kaz's gift of over-simplification. But that was good enough for her. "Good, you have everything you need?"

    Kaz shifted the pack slung over his shoulder. "Yes, but must say again, dislike using weapons bought from Kanida."

    Jenn snorted. This was a discussion they had repeated many times. "There is nothing wrong with stuff from Kanida, and its cheaper than anyplace else."

    "Cheap, yes, because they buy used surplus from Cyrius. And Cyrians cannot recycle weapons to save their lives."

    "Alright, Silverfish, we don't have the time to go over this again. Stick to the plan. Now, shall we make it thirty minutes?"

    Kaz nodded, converting minutes into his own standard unit of time, and mentally setting the chronometer within his prosthetic. "Meet you back at the ship," he said in a rather hollow tone and slipped away from her. She watched him disappear into the shadows like the pro she knew he was, until even her eyes lost the heat of his blood.

    Jenn looked around the corner at the front of Farsheesh's building. She clicked her teeth once and lifted her lip in a sneering grin. As if on command, adrenaline surged through her body. She shifted her weight. She was ready, and this was a prize she had been tracking for some time. Added into that was the bonus that this was sure to be a very destructive show once Kaz's charges went off, and the reptile who owned the bar, Farsheesh, was a very old nemesis of hers. Oh, this is going to be sweet, she thought eagerly to herself. Very very sweet indeed.

    When her internal clock told her that several minutes had ticked away, she stepped carefully out into the street. Each stride was precisely controlled. She made her way to the building, past the prostitutes waiting on the corner, under Farsheesh's unassuming sign and into the humid interior.

    The interior was nicely darkened, making it much easier for Jenn to pick out the individual energy signatures of the various beings within. The main room was long, with a bar lining one wall, and tables filling the rest of the area. At the far end the wall opened up into a stage. Presently a small humanoid with crimson skin was entertaining the patrons with her singing. Jenn winced at the high registers the female was hitting. She had definitely heard better. Hardly anyone seemed to take notice of the singer. There were chance games being played at various tables, and most of the males in the place were deeply engaged in gambling. A few listlessly watched a large virtual-holo that was playing in one corner, showing some sort of sporting event from off-world. Quite a few patrons were too chemically enhanced to notice what was going on in the rest of the establishment.

    The bar itself was surrounded by many different species of mostly male customers, although Jenn noticed Farsheesh's working girls making rounds, hanging on various customers and trying to gain their interest. Considering the types of lowlife activities Farsheesh engaged in, the decor was pretty classy; shelves behind the bar held hundreds of bottles of both familiar and unknown liquors, and were backed by mirrors. The red lighting and hard wood surfaces appealed to Jenn. She clicked her claws impatiently on the polished top of the bar until the tender noticed her and came to find out what she wanted.

    He looked fairly human, though his eyes were a striking amber color, and Jenn had never seen a full human with such wolfish looking eyes. He was a young man, with tousled shaggy dark blonde hair and an easy smile to share with her. Jenn watched his heart beat strongly, and felt her teeth tingle just a bit.

    "What can I do for you, Lady?" he said in a genuinely friendly tone. Jenn clicked her teeth and focused both eyes on him, closing her inner membranes halfway. He was a remarkably handsome fellow, for a mammal. There seemed to be a hint of animalistic attraction around him. He was definitely not full human. Jenn caught a whiff of his scent as he leaned close, and it for some reason reminded her of canid. She also couldn't help but notice the fine gold and onyx ring he wore on his left hand. It sparkled expensively in the red lighting.

    Before she answered, he leaned forward further, his smile turning rather sly. "I'll bet I know what a rapturous Lady such as yourself would like," he said lowly. "L'Orian ale, am I right?"

    Jenn blew out a breath. He had read her well. She was found of ales, but had never had the L'Orian variety. She thought for a moment that it might be worth trying, especially if this gentlemen could be persuaded to stick around and keep her company. Unfortunately, Jenn remembered her time restraints.

    "Another time," she promised. She drew close to him and gently nipped his cheek, and was pleased when he did not pull back. In fact, she saw his body heat rise just slightly. She clicked her teeth again, amused. "Tonight, I want to see Farsheesh."

    He chuckled quietly and gave her muzzle a quick lick of his tongue before he straightened. The smile had moved into his eyes, causing them to twinkle in a nearly predatory manner. Jenn almost let a low chhrrr escape her throat, but held it back. He was very attractive. For a brief moment, she wished she had the time to get to know him much better. It was a shame that in just a little while this building would be reduced to rumble and she would be beating a strategic retreat. A sexually interesting human was a rare find.

    "You do, huh?" he shrugged. "Not likely, but I'll see what I can do. Who should I say is calling, aside from the loveliest Lady raptor he'll ever set eyes on?"

    "Tell him that X is here to see him," Jenn said lowly, "He will know who I am."

    The man raised a light brown eyebrow. "Lady X?" he repeated, not expecting an elaboration. He turned and headed down the bar.

    As she waited, Jenn ticked off the minutes in her head. By now, Kaz should have found his way into the building, and perhaps located the power generators. Within minutes the charges would be set and he would be on his way out. She hoped he did not run into trouble, and kept an ear listening for any commotion that might indicate he had been discovered. It wasn't likely, she knew, for Kaz was one of the best at what he did. Still, Jenn noticed that the bouncers on duty were a pair of large burly reptilians. Kaz did have a weak spot for males of that type. Jenn hoped that none of the guards or bouncers found their way downstairs to distract her partner.

    The bartender came back a moment later, and she was pleased to see a look of mild surprise on his face. That was good, Farsheesh had remembered her and was apparently eager to settle their unfinished business. She had been hoping to avoid him while in Garshen, but as luck would have it, her prey seemed to be buddies with him. Based on their past association, Jenn was very much looking forward to demolishing Farsheesh's bar. Undoubtedly the distasteful male was pleased that she was here, was surely looking forward to her settling up the debt he thought she owed him. Wouldn't he be shocked to learn that her purpose here tonight did not even concern him! The bartender motioned her to follow and led her to a door in the dark back corner of the room, hidden from view by the bar. Acting the part of a gentleman, he opened it for her and even offered a small bow. With a mischievous shine in his eye, he instructed her to take the staircase up and enter the door at the far end of the hall.

    He leaned close then, easing up slightly as she was much taller than he. "If you make it back down," he said in a quiet husky voice, "my shift ends in an hour. Allmhor," he introduced himself, and returned to the bar. Jenn sighed to herself. Little did he know that in an hour there wouldn't be a bar here anymore. It was a shame that he was going to be caught in the middle of all this. Oh well, Jenn mentally shrugged. He's nice, but not the only human in the galaxy.

    Jenn made her way carefully up a set of stairs obviously not designed with her species in mind, and found a long hallway at the top lined with doors. Apparently this was where Farsheesh's working girls earned their keep. With her excellent hearing, Jenn could pick up the muffled sounds of sex from behind the various doors, and the air carried the faint and mingled scents of previous rutting. The singer's voice reached her faintly from down below, and she could clearly hear the clicking of glasses, and guffaws from various male beings. Jenn lifted her lip with distaste, to get it out of her system before she saw Farsheesh. This was going to take every ounce of her acting abilities. She shook her entire body lightly, to rid her hide of the lingering humidity she had picked up from the bar.

    She mentally checked the time. She still had fifteen minutes. Things were going well, so far. She moved down the hall noiselessly, passing each closed door with a caution bred of several years experience. Though she did not think him that intelligent, there was always the possibility that Farsheesh had quickly arranged a trap to welcome her. Still, Jenn had learned long ago that it was better to be on guard when she didn't have to be, than to not have been on guard when she should have been. As it was, she made it to the door at the far end of the hall without incident. She checked the time, steeled herself against what was sure to be rather nasty business, opened the door and stepped into the room.

    It was a very large room, dimly lit and smokey. She recognized the taste of the smoke as belonging to the illegal drug Vision, but it did not bother her. That was par for the course with Farsheesh who both used and dealt. And the smoke did nothing to hamper her eyesight, so it wasn't worth any concern. The floor was covered with huge comfortable cushions and pillows, all elaborately embroidered and trimmed, and very expensive looking. The walls were decorated with elegant tapestries, undoubtedly stolen from previous owners. She recognized the images on the hangings as depicting various myths she knew from her homeworld. They told the various stories of heroic pack hunters and their glorious conquests. They were male-centered myths, but most Velocirpators knew them, whatever their gender. In the air, there was the shimmering sound of chimes and a soft music playing that had a rather transcendental tone to it, a common occurrence when one used Vision. Jenn found the decor much to her liking, for it reminded her of home. Arranged strategically around the room where richly carved pipes, each at least six feet high, forged from various metals and glass. It was from these pipes that the inhabitants of the room were able to enjoy their drug. Five male beings sat like plump fowl amongst the soft cushions, each smoking heavily on the mouthpieces of the pipes. Jenn noticed all of this in the brief second it took for her eyes to sweep the room.

    Three of the beings were of humanoid stock. One was obviously human, with long greasy black hair and small eyes. The one closest to the door was a buffed orange color, with vaguely feline features, an elaborate tan mane and large green eyes. The third was grey with bright yellow striping along his bald head. Jenn did not think she would have cause to worry about any of them, but certainly did not dismiss them out of hand. They were unknown variables, and that was always a danger.

    The fourth being in the room, Nomandi, was reptilian, with a huge yellow slitted eyes set into a blunt face. He looked nervous and uncomfortable in his heavy robes of dark blue and orange. He seemed out of place in Farsheesh's dive, for he was festooned with all manner of jewelry. Glittering gemstones had been embedded into his hide in attractive swirling patterns and he sported at least two gaudy rings on each of his eight fingers. Around his neck he wore a chain with a large red jewel set in silver. The jewel seemed to glow internally, glimmering tantalizingly. Jenn chhrrred to herself when she saw it, and felt that kick of adrenaline travel her body again. It was a jewel she knew well, the one thing that would bring her willingly into Farsheesh's bar. It was the Eye of the Dancing Goddess, and it was worth several fortunes.

    It took every bit of her concentration to ignore the jewel for the moment and turn her attention to the last male, Farsheesh himself.

    Farsheesh clicked his teeth loudly and spread his arms. "X! How lovely to see you!" he greeted in a tone as fake as a Cyrian dollar. "Come, come in. Join our little gathering."

    Jenn stepped easily into the room, walked amidst the group of gawking males, and stopped before Farsheesh. She barely hid her revulsion at the sight of him.

    Farsheesh was the largest raptor she had ever seen. Though all raptors continued to grow slowly through their lives, Farsheesh was not large because he was old. He was large because he was a sloth. No longer a sleek predator, he was a large dark brown lump of raptor flesh, over flowing onto the cushions his bulk rested on like some sort of living putty. Jenn could not even see where his legs tucked under his body. Under his jaw, flaps of dewlap hung in great limp sacks down his throat, rings of fat encircled the length of his neck, and mounds had formed along the line of his back. The scales on his hide were all stretched out and his strips still vainly tried to follow sleek lines that no longer existed. That he could even move was surprising, but Jenn disgustedly found herself wondering when he had last hunted for himself. It was a good thing that Farsheesh had the money to hire others to do things for him.

    However this was business, so Jenn shoved all the insulting comments she wanted to voice out of her mind and clicked her teeth in a friendly manner. She forced herself to do something she would have never done under other circumstances. She lowered her head and nibbled far under Farsheesh's chin, seeking where the chin met the neck. It was a traditional gesture of deference to a higher ranked member of the raptor species. Through all the layers, Jenn couldn't find the junction of chin and neck, but Farsheesh got the idea and was incredibly pleased.

    He snorted loudly. "X, you are as sleek and sexy as ever." He patted the cushion beside him. Jenn took the seat, arranging herself on the embroidered silk in an enticing manner. The other males in the room continued to stare at her, and she flicked the end of her tail in a beckoning manner, inner eyelids half closed.

    "What brings you here, X? Prepared to settle your debt?" Farsheesh's hand traced up Jenn's arm to her neck, up its shapely length. His fingers were fleshy and clammy feeling, not at all how the hand of a raptor should feel. Jenn's hide felt almost slimy where he touched.

    Ten minutes, she reminded herself, ten minutes and Kaz's implode charges would destroy the generators in the basement and chaos would take over. Oh, it would be glorious! In the confusion, Jenn would grab the Eye and beat a hasty retreat. Then it would be off to Malachite to sell the jewel to a gentleman she knew there who was very interested in having possession of it. Of course, she knew that it might not be quite that easy. The nervous reptile now in possession of the Eye might not be inclined to give it up easily, and even Farsheesh might put up a fuss. Jenn hoped he would. If she had to end up killing the disgusting raptor, well . . . it would be her pleasure to erase that pox on her species. But for right now, she rubbed her muzzle against Farsheesh's soft slightly clammy nose and let a chhrrr escape her throat in a low growling manner.

    "Of course, Farsheesh," she said lowly, lifting her hands up to run her claw tips up the length of his neck, "I have been looking for the chance to get back here and settle up with you."

    Farsheesh blew out a breath, and Jenn mentally winced at the foul odor. He smelled of endless days of drug and meat that was well-cooked. Jenn was quite disgusted. Raptors tended to avoid cooked meat. It was unnatural and certainly not good for their digestion. Farsheesh allowed her to nuzzle him, but noticed how she wrinkled her nose slightly.

    "Settle up?" the human male sneered, running a hand through his greasy hair. His little eyes were glittering hotly from the drug and the presence of the female raptor in the room. "What exactly does this hot little piece of raptor owe you, Farsheesh?"

    Farsheesh's teeth clicked, "Whatever I want. I did her a favor awhile back, one that saved her tight little vent, and now she owes me." Farsheesh snorted rudely and nudged Jenn with his head.

    Eight minutes. Jenn resisted the urge to bite him. She blinked her large eyes and moved to press her hide against his. His hands began to wander more freely, and he seemed pleased with her squirming. He ran his claws down her length and groped beneath her tail. His thick fingers felt offensive, but Jenn simply chhrrred louder and rubbed her head against him, nibbling and using her tongue to stimulate the sensitive bumps that all raptors had behind their tympanic membranes.

    Farsheesh grunted in a way that made Jenn dislike him even more. All eyes in the room were watching now as the two raptors petted each other. Farsheesh's movements were thick and fumbling, whereas Jenn's were elegant and obviously practiced. She took over quickly, not wanting him to have even a bit of an upper hand. She eased herself up over Farsheesh's massive body, straddled his puttiness, and began a slow massage, expertly using her slender powerful fingers to locate every sensitive spot of his hide. She heard him groaning and felt him lurching beneath her. High on Vision as he was, it would not take much to stimulate him. She began to nibble and sensually brushed and rubbed his tail with hers, all the while keeping one eye on Nomandi, who sat watching transfixed with a mouthpiece from his pipe dangling stupidly out of his mouth. The Eye of the Dancing Goddess glittered around his neck. Jenn wanted to be sure of its location when those charges blew.

    Five minutes.

    "Ah, X . . ." Farsheesh growled in a wet way in the back of his throat as he wobbled uncomfortably beneath her. Jenn slid off his back and nuzzled in his fleshy dewlaps, nibbling and making low enticing noises in her chest.

    She had hoped to prolong this foreplay until the charges went off, but it seemed that Farsheesh had other ideas. Considering his weight, he was surprisingly mobile. He pressed her away from him and rolled her on her back, using his bulk to his advantage. The cushions supported her, but it was still an unnatural way for her to lay, with belly and legs up in the air. She wiggled in annoyance, but Farsheesh seemed to think that was part of the foreplay. He hefted his body over hers, and Jenn realized that he was actually going to mount her in this unnatural position. It was probably much easier for him spread over her like a ooze in this way than to actually stand up and take her from behind as was proper. Still, this was not what she wanted! She had no interest in giving Farsheesh any sort of sexual gratification. She tried again to extend the foreplay, nibbling and nuzzling, using her claws against his hide just hard enough to scratch. He huffed as he got into position, his unsheathing penis seeking her inverted vent.

    It was uncomfortable and strange for Jenn. She squirmed and growled lowly as his penis buried within her. He braced most of his weight with his arms, hands tightly on her shoulders, and used her as leverage to pump deeply into her warm depths.

    No, this was not what Jenn wanted. Still, the unusual position put new pressures on places within her that she did not even know existed, and that was rather startling. She chhrrred lowly, her breath coming in soft grunts as Farsheesh pulsed his fleshy member within her. Her own inner muscles took over despite her wishes, molding around him in a tight manner, working strongly to draw him deeper within. Heat from friction and the unusual sensations built within her. It grew as he pumped into her, but Jenn could not help but take the time to think that Farsheesh was definitely less than a male of his age should have been. There was much huffing and straining on his part, which she found distracting and very unsatisfying.

    Three minutes. Jenn made all the appropriate noises and movements, designed to spur him on. She sensed some of the other males moving in closer, especially the human male. She could smell the grease of his hair. She began to feel other hands on her hide. The human stroked her neck, pushing his large fingers against her sensory bumps, making her moan softly, low in her chest, even though she did not mean to. The feline humanoid had also moved closer, peering at her curiously with large eyes. They all smelled of drug and desire, and the close press of their body heat against hers was somewhat claustrophobic.

    Farsheesh sneered, gasping as he thrust into her. "Yes boys, feel free! This is . . . the in . . . famous Velociraptor . . . X, there's enough of . . . her for all of . . . us!"

    Jenn clicked her teeth. Yes, she could take them all on, and probably would have to in order to satisfy the unwanted heat Farsheesh had clumsily started in her vent, but it definitely would not come to that. Those charges would go off and chaos would take over, giving Jenn the opportunity she had come here for. She could satisfy herself later at her own leisure.

    Farsheesh finished himself off with a minute left to spare, rolling off her to collapse in a huffing mass of flesh. Jenn rumbled lowly at the human male and rolled suggestively in the pillows as soon as Farsheesh had removed his weight. She put herself into a more comfortable position, and lifted her tail, presenting her steaming vent, wet from Farsheesh's cum, to the human. She looked back at him, with a heavily-lidded, come-hither look. She was ready for more, and he could see that plainly enough.

    "Are you next?" she asked slowly, a taunting growl punctuating each word. "Have you ever had a raptor before, human? Come on, let's see if you can handle me."

    Jenn enjoyed the look of stupefied hunger on the man's face, and imagined what it might look like in another few seconds when the building blew apart. She took careful note of Nomandi's position. He was still sucking at his drug, watching, but the bulge in the lower part of his robe revealed that he was enjoying the show.

    The human ran a hand up her tail, causing a shiver to run down her back. His hands wandered down along the sides of her tail, to feel beneath it, his fingers encountering the swollen hide around her opening. Jenn clicked her teeth, feeling his touch send a new spasm of need through her inner recesses. "That's where it is," she said teasingly. "Let's see if you know what to put there."

    At the point, her internal clock ticked off the last few seconds. It was time for Kaz's charges to go off. Jenn tensed for the implosive chaos that was now due, shifting her eyes to Nomandi.

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    Kaz pressed his back once again against the damp wall of the alley across from Farsheesh's building. By his chronometer, there were only minutes left before his planned implosion, and though he knew that he should be heading back to the ship, Kaz always enjoyed sticking around to watch the manifestations of his work.

    Getting into the basement area of Farsheesh's building had been a simple matter, especially for Kaz who considered espionage a interesting hobby. The building was very old and not well maintained, and definitely not guarded sufficiently. The basements had looked as though no one had been in them for years. Dust had covered everything in velvety mats, few of the lighting fixtures worked, and those which did were dim and sputtering. The place had smelled of old alcohol, which was not an unpleasant scent, but Kaz knew that it was going to cling to him. The darkness did not bother him in the least, in fact he preferred it, and had found his way easily to the old generators with the night vision setting of his artificial eye.

    The generators looked as broken down as the rest of the basement, humming uncertainly in an isolated corner, coughing occasionally in the mechanical way machines had. Kaz almost felt a sort of sympathetic pity for the poor old things. It was a wonder the power in Farsheesh's place was even still on. Monitor lights, all but hidden in the dust layer, blinked sporadically, and the control panel was hanging at a funny angle. Despite the sad state of the machinery, Kaz knew that was a point in his favor, because the antiquity of the generators would make the implosion that much more effective.

    All went as planned. He set the six shiny egg-shaped charges into the machinery and used the control pad of his cybernetic wrist to activate them. Thin laser beams winked on, connecting each charge with its neighbors, creating a sparkling hexagon of energy. Kaz set the timers on the charges and left the building with no incidents. It was a straight forward and simple operation, just the way Kaz liked it. Jenn often thrived on chaos, but Kaz preferred things to be much more basic. A good old fashioned implosion was as basic as it got.

    So now he waited, keeping watch on the building and the patrons going in and out. It was too bad that Farsheesh's would not be open for much longer. Kaz knew that, although the raptor himself could be more properly described as some species of mold, Farsheesh nevertheless ran a good bar. The types of partners which Kaz preferred were often to be found at Farsheesh's. One of the benefits to hanging around with Jenn was that she could often be found in the company of large male reptiles. In Kaz's opinion; the larger and burlier, the better. And given his delicate appearance, Kaz generally had no problem attracting them the type of male he liked. He looked like an easy target, and in matters of sex; that was exactly what Kaz enjoyed being.

    Kaz checked the time. In less than a moment the charges would detonate, creating a powerful singularity at the center point of the energy hexagon, sucking the surroundings in with almost unbelievable force. Kaz liked implosions. They were fun to watch. He eagerly looked forward to this one, for the age of the building promised to make it a particularly spectacular show.

    The moment arrived and there was no sucking shattering implosion, as there was suppose to be. The bar remained intact, the patrons continued to go in and out unawares. Kaz had never been one to panic unnecessarily, so he just nodded to himself and settled in to wait for a few more minutes. He knew that he had made no mistakes in setting the charges, and he also knew that his inner time piece was accurate, so the problem had to be the timers in the charges themselves. It did not surprise him, really. He had warned Jenn about the shoddy wares bought on the Kanida grey market. The clocks in the little devises were probably just a little off.  There was nothing to worry about.

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    The moment came and went. Nothing happened. Jenn wondered if perhaps her timing was off. No matter. She pressed back against the human as he dove into her depths, and treated him to a strong play of her inner muscles. Might as well amuse herself while waiting, and try to feed the hot need that had ignited in her loins. The human was able to penetrate much deeper than Farsheesh had, and that helped Jenn's need in a small way. What she really wanted was a powerful male of her own species or something similar that could fill her completely and tightly. She thought immediately of one of her old mates whom she had visited when she had been home the last time. Yes, Khenu was exactly who she needed now, his splendid cock had satisfied her on many a cold wild night. Jenn groaned softly at that pleasant thought, surprised when the human hit a sensitive spot and sent a shiver through her body. He actually wasn't too bad, and even knew to work himself around within her, trying to fill that space with his throbbing penis. Jenn tensed into the cushions, rolling beneath him, matching each of his thrusts. He was sweating like the mammal he was by the time he shot his wad into her, but Jenn was just warming up. Her vent throbbed at her, wanting more. Even as he was finishing, however, the other two humanoids began running their hands over her hide, each hoping for their turn. Jenn would have no problem using them up as well, but she wondered where the hell the planned implosion was. She found herself alternately angry, concerned, and unwillingly turned on by the questing hands on her hot hide. The hands of the grey humanoid were especially cool, a wonderfully pleasant sensation.

    Her mind fretted, though, she worried over her partner. Kaz had either royally screwed up, or he had run into trouble. If it turned out to be the former, she would certainly have to have harsh words with him. If it was the latter . . . well, Jenn hoped it wasn't. She decided to give him a little more time. Another few moments couldn't hurt, besides the tawny feline was having at her now, and she had to admit that the odd shape of his penis was rather stimulating, It found new places inside her to stimulate, and caused her to writhe and snap her jaws, anger bubbling to the surface along with the heated pleasure she felt.

    Farsheesh was still catching his breath, "That's it boys," he huffed. "Use her good, she's a hot piece."

    "Very hot," the human male agreed with a sleazy grin. He lay back in the cushions just underneath Jenn's head and worked his cock with his hands, turned on by watching the lithe raptor pulse and shiver above him. Seeing him there, Jenn bent her head down and wrapped her tongue around his member, even as the feline continued to pump into her. Her tongue yanked and roughly massaged the human's cock, sending him into spasms of fearful delight as he saw his most prized possession framed by Jenn's gleaming rows of serrated teeth. He gripped the cushions beneath him so hard that his dirty knuckles turned white, and his eyes were wide as he panted and squirmed beneath the raptor's expert tongue.

    Jenn's fury flared, punctuated by the burst of heat and seizures deep in her vent. She snarled around the human's cock, tugging on it with ferocious anger. This was getting ridiculous! What the hell was keeping Kaz? Ten more heated minutes had already passed, and the charges still hadn't gone off. She vowed that next time, she was going to set the charges and let Kaz could do the diversion. Let him put up with males pawing all over him and getting worked up against his better judgement and not being able to find proper satisfaction. That would fix him!

    The human male was writhing beneath the administrations of her tongue, and the feline was finishing himself off in her vent. She had planned to make a good show of an orgasm, but was shocked to discover that she did not have to fake it. The maned humanoid had managed to bring her to a nice, but unfortunately incomplete, high. She thought about amber-eyed Allmhor, the bartender downstairs. Now there was a mammal she would have loved to have gone down on. Yes, there was definitely an attraction there. She was still thinking about this while the grey male took his turn at her. Just from watching the others, he had worked himself up into a good stiff erection, and plunged into her immediately. It pleased him immensely when she writhed beneath him, leaving off her finished work on the human's spent cock to moan and hiss back at him to go faster. Another orgasm wracked her body, shaking the poor grey humanoid almost off his feet. Her inner muscles wrapped painfully tight around his penis and drew it in deeply, pulsing and undulating around it ungently.

    Even as this was going on, in the back of her mind, Jenn began to feel worried, and her concern was intensified by the release of a third orgasm. What if Kaz had run into trouble? Surely Farsheesh would have been informed if someone was found sneaking around in his basement. Hopefully Kaz made out it out of the building intact, and had not been torn apart by the capable looking guards and bouncers.

    In her worry over her partner, Jenn hardly noticed when the human, quite spent by this time, moved aside to allow another a turn under her tongue. She figured that the feline humanoid would be next, and fury built steadily in her. Here she was screwing around when Kaz was in potential trouble! This situation had to come to an end, and fast. She panted heavily as the grey male came within her, closing her eyes and releasing a roar that caused the glass and metal smoking pipes to shiver.

    When she opened her eyes, it was to find the gleaming Eye of the Dancing Goddess right below her, sparkling tantalizingly. The sight of that shimmering red goodie caused a flair of excitement within her that was almost better that sex. As the Nomandi lay back, his bright pink cock extending from its sheath hopefully towards her mouth and tongue, the Eye fell to rest easily in the notch at the base of his throat. Jenn's teeth began to tingle in anticipation and a deep warning chhrrr began to build and fight its way out of her chest.

    It was time to end this.

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    Even when the implosion had not occurred several minutes later, Kaz was not overly concerned. Though he worried over the safety of his companion, he knew Jenn well enough to expect that she would improvise and find her way out of Farsheesh's with a minimal amount of exposure and a maximum amount of damage. He had seen her get out of far worse situations and had spent years pondering how she managed such contradictions.

    He was just about to head for the ship, knowing that Jenn would want it ready to go when she arrived, and that she was probably not going to be in the best of moods. But he was distracted by a fuss coming from Farsheesh's front entrance. People were screaming, and it took only a few minutes for the first emergency vehicle to arrive at the scene.

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    Allmhor stood out on the sidewalk just in front of the bar, watching as his boss and several others were taken away. There wasn't much left of any of them. The amber-eyed man was not exactly sorry to see Farsheesh go, but this did mean that he was probably out of a job. The flashing strobes of the emergency vehicles lit his eyes and highlighted his young handsome face as he pondered what had probably happened in Farsheesh's private room upstairs. A smile flirted about his mouth. He had known that the Lady raptor was trouble the moment he set eyes on her, but he had not quite expected this. One of the first employees in the room as soon as the first roars and screams were heard, Allmhor had seen what was left of the fat raptor owner and his guests. It was hard to believe that a single raptor could cause that much damage in so short a time.

    Her kind were definitely predators, that much was certain.

    Law enforcement officials were removing customers from the building and detaining anyone who might have seen or heard anything. Allmhor knew that they would want to talk to him, but he was not especially interested in having anything to do with the law, so he stayed back. He stepped into the shadows of a nearby alley just far enough that he wouldn't be noticed, but still close enough that he could see the fun. Drunken patrons were trying to tell the officials what they had heard, but most of their testimony was coming out as gibberish. Some of the working girls were crying, most were just standing around looking rather bored. They had seen it all before, though they might not have been so cool if they had seen what Allmhor had.

    He quickly became rather wet and slippery from the rain. Finding that distasteful, he considered heading for home to gather his things before the authorities tracked him down to find out what he knew. Though not responsible for this particular incident, Allmhor did have his hands in other things, and the less he saw of the law, the better. He had a friend who was a pilot, and would be willing to take him off-world for a modest fee, which Allmhor had conveniently borrowed from the cash register in the bar after the commotion broke out. Farsheesh certainly wouldn't be needing it any more.

    Just as he was turning to leave, he was startled to feel three long clawed fingers wrap around his neck from behind. Allmhor stiffened, and his heart missed a rather important and necessary beat. The tips of those claws rested tightly against his skin directly over his jugular, pushing in just slightly.

    "Hello Lady X," he managed to sound as if he was cool. Jenn knew better. She clicked her teeth in a slow easy grin, seeing the rapid fluttering of his heart, and feeling his quickened pulse beneath her claw tips.

    "I'm sorry we did not have more time to get to know each other, Allmhor," Jenn purred lowly, hissing the words right into his ear, so that he felt each syllable in her hot breath. He also caught scent of fresh blood. But still, her words were like a match to gas. His heart continued to beat furiously, but not so much with fear. Jenn leaned forward and nibbled his ear with just the very tips of her teeth. Allmhor shivered.

    "But that is perhaps better for both of us," Jenn continued, letting each word blow into his ear, sending further shivers throughout his entire body. "The less you know about me, the better. I'm sure the authorities over there would be very interested in knowing all about the female raptor you sent up into Farsheesh's lair right before he found himself dead."

    "I'm sure they would be," he whispered in reply. "But they won't hear it from me."

    He heard her teeth click together a couple of times. "I'm pleased to hear it. Now I don't have to pop your jugular open. It would be such a shameful waste of a good male. Perhaps there will be another time when we can get to know each other better."

    Allmhor closed his eyes, the thought of getting better acquainted with this lady was intoxicating, as well as dangerous. He felt his groin tug at him in response, the mere thought of her talons against his neck and her teeth so close to his ear heating him up quickly. The cold slick rain was forgotten quickly.

    "I realize that you are in a hurry, Lady," he breathed, "But I wouldn't mind- "

    She cut him off, flexing her fingers so that the tips of her claws broke his skin. He drew in a hissing breath at the sharp little explosions of pain and the immediate response in his loins. He did not dare squirm but he wanted to. Within a few seconds he felt warm trails of blood roll slowly down his neck, and smelled the saltiness in the air.

    "No," she said in a firm tone. "Not now. Later."

    "When?" he asked.

    Jenn was quiet for a long moment. "You are interested?" she asked heavily, running her tongue down the side of his neck. His blood carried a rich taste, much nicer tasting then the blood that she had already partook of tonight. She could see by the concentration of heat in his body that he definitely was interested. His heart was pounding hard and a hot flare had risen in his groin. Electrical impulses skipped erratically around his body.

    "Oh Lady. . . I truly am. . ." Allmhor said in a husky tone.

    "Mmm, well then Allmhor, if you can find and catch me, then you may have me."

    "What?" he had barely formed the word, when he realized that she had gone, drawing her fingers away and leaving three small sharp gouges in his neck. He turned in time to see the tip of her tail disappear into the darkness and the rain.

    "Wait!" Allmhor called after her, and took several steps, but realized that chasing her on foot would be futile. Raptors were very fast and could disappear with remarkable ease. He stopped in the alley, catching his breath. She had worked him up so completely with only words and a few touches! What a creature she was!

    Allmhor put his fingers to his neck and looked at the blood that came away. He understood what she had challenged him with. She had not meant for him to literally chase after her through Garshen, but rather to track her through her travels in a very large galaxy. She undoubtedly figured that any human able to locate her that way would be worthy enough to consort with. Allmhor smiled. His time on this planet was at an end any way, and the reward promised would be well worth it.

    "Alright X," he said to the darkness of the alley. "If that's the way you want to play it, then I'll join your game."

_______________________________________________________________________________________

    Jenn met Kaz in the rented docking bay where they had parked the ship, only a few blocks from the scene at Farsheesh's bar. Normally they would not have set down that close to their target, but the original plan had called for a hasty lift-off, which meant that Kaz had to get back quickly from planting the charges to warm up the ship.

    The raptor was glad to see her partner well and whole, but took the time to snarl at him as they quickly crossed the hanger towards the ship's entry ramp. "What the hell happened, you damned worthless piece of cast-off parts?!" she snapped, even working up a bit of froth in her mouth to go with her fury.

    Kaz knew how she was. A raptor's temper was fast and short-lived. He took no offense to things she said in anger. "Charges did not go off," he shrugged.

    Jenn roared, pivoting sharply to face him, causing him to stop up short. "I KNOW the fucking charges didn't go off!! Why?!" she screeched down at him.

    He blinked then calmly replied, "Because were second-hand crap from Kanida. Told you . . . "

    "Shut up!" Jenn did not want to hear that again. She fumed, turned back towards the ship again.

    "Glad to see you alive, Jenn," Kaz kept pace with her. "Did you get it?"

    She slowed her furious speed and calmed herself down. Opening her hand, she showed him the gleaming beauty of the Eye of the Dancing Goddess, now in her possession sans chain.

    Kaz smiled thinly. "Quite a rock. Bring good money if your man still wants it."

    "He better the hell want it, after all of this," she grumbled, marching up the ramp and into the welcoming interior of the ship. "Let's go Silverfish. I want to put Garshen far behind us."

    He agreed with that sentiment. Pausing to push the button that would draw in the ramp and seal shut the hatch, he looked at her. "Things got rough? How did you get it off Nomandi?"

    Jenn's eyes took on a truly evil gleam. "Nomandi figured he'd put his prick in my mouth for a suck job," she explained with obvious pride and delight. "So I took off his head to get to his neck."

    Kaz winced at that mental picture. "Ouch."

    The hatch had just sealed shut and the two were turning towards the cockpit, when the entire ship began to vibrate. They both recognized the feel of a distant detonation when they felt one. Each reached out to gain support against the walls as the rumbling which accompanied the shaking subsided.

    "What do you suppose . . ?" Jenn began, then noticed the smile on Kaz's slender face. His eyes glittered with pleasure.

    "Damn," he said. "I missed it. Bet it was spectacular."

    "The charges!" Jenn gaped, surprised. She couldn't believe it! Nearly thirty minutes after they were suppose to go off, those damn implode charges had finally done their job!

    "Better late than never," Kaz shrugged.

    "Silverfish, we are never buying surplus from Kanida again."

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