Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Six: Africa #7

The Kurgara Temple Base was bustling with activity. They had erected bunkers, a command center, and the temple itself. Across the front of the temple were the words: Our Lives a Shield.

In one open yard, a group of Kurgara trained in hand-to-hand combat; they were no more than a blur they moved so fast. The base, on a whole, had the feel of a military camp. Kurgara moved about, and while Fox could not begin to guess their purpose, it all had the feel of practiced efficiency he might expect from a military operation.

And like any other military operation he'd ever seen, there were always a few off-duty soldiers, kicking up their heels and watching the world go by.

"Hey, look, must be Nara's sweet boy," a kurgara joked, waving him over to a small group of hir companions.

Fox blushed as he went to join them. He wasn't often described as a "sweet boy." He loved strong, fit women. And that was how he saw Nara. But looking over this crowd, he saw the Kurgara suddenly as most Americans saw them, butch lesbians or transmen, depending on who you talked to. And he thought of how they saw themselves: androgynous warriors. It made him suddenly question his attraction to Nara and what it meant about himself. He shook the thought off; it didn't matter. All that mattered was what they felt for each other.

"Nara's with Lakora," the Kurgara told him. "Be out in a few minutes." Zie then introduced hirself as Shoka. Zie went around and introduced the rest of the group, but Fox couldn't keep up and quickly lost track of names.

They talked for a while about nothing. Soon a group of Kurgara were coming out of the nearby command center. Nara broke from the group and came to him, kissing him quickly.

"So this is what you forsake our sisterhood for?" a familiar voice said. It was Battalion Commander Lakora Tawlin, a hint of a smile on hir face.

It must have been a joke, since Nara only rolled hir eyes and replied, "For a few days, yes. And worth the time off."

"We are sworn to protect the innocent," another Kurgara joked, addressing Fox. "If Nara gets too wild, just let us know."

"He's no innocent and can hold his own," Nara retorted.

"Some of us crave the wild," Fox replied. This was greeted with several whoops of laughter.

"Are they always so, uh . . . forthright?" Fox asked as they broke from the crowd and made toward Nara's bunkers.

"No," Nara said with a laugh. "They are comfortable with you, with my choice. If I had truly brought home a 'sweet boy,' they would have been all polite with bows and professions of how honored they were to meet you." Zie pinched his cheek playfully when zie called him sweet boy. "But I suspect that would make you more uncomfortable than teasing."

Probably.

They reached Nara's bunker and went inside. The bunker was narrow, and bunks lined either side, each little more than a sleeping nook with a small locker next to it. There was a tiny dining area and a single medical tank toward the back. About a half dozen Kurgara were inside, in various stages of dress or undress, and clearly they had little regard for modesty or privacy. Several voices greeted Nara, but no one showed any discomfort at Fox's presence.

"Well, these are my quarters," Nara said, gesturing at a top bunk.

"Cozy," Fox managed.

Zie laughed. "I've got us a place for the week, don't worry. Just let me grab my bag."

Hir own squad were even more casual and bawdy then the Kurgara outside had been. "Aww," a Kurgara on the bunk beneath Nara's protested. Fox had assumed zie had been napping. But zie cocked an eye and regarded them. "I was hoping when you two were done, one or both would climb down and service me." Zie grabbed hir crotch. "Or let me service you. It's good biotech."