Work Text:
The Fury was quiet as it sped through hyperspace toward Taris. Quinn was in the medbay, going through the ship’s inventory to make sure they had an accurate list of supplies to restock on when they’ve arrived at their destination. He looked down at his datapad and back up to the cabinet of medical supplies, but realized that nothing regarding the task at hand was currently registering in his mind. He shook his head and attempted to focus on this mundane task. But he had no success as his thoughts continually wandered back to the privilege of spending the past few nights with his lord. The time they spent together was pleasant but rather tame compared to what he had expected, particularly from a red skinned Sith.
Red skin, his mind drifted, soft, ebony locks, with gray eyes that held the weight of storm clouds above Kaas City, the smell of spiced honey, and the way she smiled when she looked at him… No! He shook his head again as his fingers ruffled through his hair. Quinn sighed, looking down the wall of the supplies he needed to catalog. Then he realized that he hadn’t noted anything on the datapad, so he decided that perhaps his private quarters would afford some clarity.
Back in his own quarters, Quinn tried to distract himself by sitting down in front of his computer and took to reading through the Imperial Census Data. But after a few minutes he conceded to the fact that he could not regain his usual calm, calculating state of mind. He sighed, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his eyes as he recounted the nights spent with Akrona.
Their encounters would often comprise of soft kisses and light caresses, but it never progressed beyond that. The more he thought about it, the more perplexed he became. He realized it now that they had not had intercourse during their nights together. No. Just sweet kisses and warm embraces, very tame and very unlike the Sith he’d heard of.
Perhaps it’s something I did? Or didn’t do? After all, she is a Sith. Perhaps there is something I’m missing.
He started to search for Sith Biology in the Imperial Medical Database and within a few seconds found an article that gave a general overview on the species.
The current Sith species is mostly comprised of the original Sith of Korriban that have interbred with human Dark Jedi. After the initial hybridization, the population cultivated and bred itself into the species that is recognized as the modern Sith.
Quinn scrolled past familiar information. He kept skimming bits and pieces until he reached a section that he hoped would enlighten him.
The Female Reproductive System
When a female hits the ages of 11-14, the levels of growth and sex hormones increase which lead to the development of the secondary sex characteristics as well as starting her estrous cycles. Even after hybridization, the Sith females keep much of the adaptations to the harsh landscape that dominate most of Korriban. As such, their reproductive biology utilizes on the resources and energy available as well as optimizing the chances for successful fertilization.
Sith females are polyestrous going into estrus 3-4 times per Standard year, with each estrus period lasting one Standard day. During estrus, females may feel an increase in restlessness and libido. Since they have an estrous cycle and not a menstrual one, they do not menstruate. Instead if fertilization does not take place, the uterine wall is reabsorbed rather than expelled like in the case with humans.
He looked through the text while referring to the diagrams, charts, and pictures of anatomy, growth cycles, and hormone levels that were interspersed throughout the article.
Similarities include uterus and outer genitals being similar in appearance to that of humans. However, there are also key differences unique to this species. For one the sperm is deposited in the cervix, and therefore closer to the uterus and oviducts. In comparison to humans where the sperm is deposited in the vagina. This is assisted by the Sith female’s specialized vaginal tract that is lined with grooves that would match up with the ridges of the male’s penis.
Wait, Quinn thought. ‘Specialized’ vaginal tract? Ridges? What exactly did I miss? He scrolled back up to find the section on males.
He came upon the section and saw a picture of an erect male Sith penis. OH GOOD STARS! The words echoed so emphatically in his mind that he was unsure if he’d actually shouted them. His body took a moment to recover from the tight cringe as he read on, eyes wide.
The male Sith’s ridges on both the superior and inferior sides become very pronounced when aroused. These ridges help to stimulate the female vaginal tract during intercourse. When climax is achieved, the grooves of the female tract will line up with the male’s ridges to where the tip of the penis meets the entrance of the cervix, and lock the couple in place for 4-7 minutes. This prolonged period allows for a greater number of sperm cells to be deposited. While human males produce about 100 million sperm cells per ejaculate, the male Sith can produce around 100 billion.
Quinn blinked as he read the last few sentences again. Four to seven minutes?! He felt his cheeks get warm at the thought of such an encounter with his lord. He refocused his mind and went back down to the section on females.
When close to climax, the vaginal walls will contract and pulse while lining up the grooves with the ridges. Once climax is achieved, the couple is usually locked together for several minutes while the sperm is deposited at the cervix. Then secretions from the female will mix with some of the seminal fluid of the male and create a copulation plug at the entrance of the cervix. This plug usually lingers for a few hours after copulation and leaves the body with the female’s normal discharge throughout the next day or so.
Quinn stopped and blankly stared off to nothing in particular. I don’t think I can do this. He mused as the article before him seemed to stare him down. With a sigh he decided he might as well finish, seeing if there were any other surprises he might be missing.
This method allows for a shorter distance for the sperm to travel and a higher success rate of conception. For humans if intercourse occurs on the most fertile part of a woman’s cycle, the day of ovulation, the rate for a successful pregnancy is 33%. For the Sith when copulated at the time of estrus, and consequently ovulation, the rate of a successful pregnancy is 80%. Likewise, the chance for twins for Sith are at 7% while the rate for naturally occurring twins in humans is about 3%.
After pregnancy takes place, the female must have access to adequate food and water. If there is a shortage of food or water during the first trimester the body will often times self-terminate to avoid competing for resources. Xenobiologists speculate that this developed within the Sith species since their original natural environment is usually very harsh. Therefore, rather than have the fetus siphon the mother’s resources, the mother’s body will either reabsorb the embryo or expel the fetus (depending on the progression of development) during times of dire stress. The female can then retry for pregnancy when conditions improve. However, due to the modernization of the species onto the galactic stage and the advent of medical science, the chances for miscarriages among Sith are considered very rare these days.
Turning away from the screen Quinn sighed quietly to himself and made his way out of his room. Well… that’s enough of that.
~
The crew had already dispersed after the evening meal by the time Quinn made it to the galley. As he walked through, a warm pot of tea left out caught his eye and he poured himself a cup. He brought up the cup to his nose and inhaled the fragrant scent of Sapir tea. As he did so, he could feel his nerves unwind and relax a bit. He thought he heard a quiet shuffling sound behind him, but after the silence settled back he decided to ignore it while he drank.
“Captain?” a voice called out.
Quinn spun about so fast he nearly covered his spotless uniform, and the floor, with his tea. Akrona’s stood there, her usual solid posture she reserved for battles and missions was replaced with a soft, somber look as she slouched in the door frame. Suddenly, thoughts of interspecies relations sprung through his mind and Quinn could feel his cheeks growing warm as she looked on.
“My lord! I… I was not- that is to say-” Quinn mumbled as he was sure his face was red by now, “I mean- I…” He paused to sigh, “was there anything I could assist you with?”
Akrona bit her lip as she held back a laugh. “I’m sorry if I startled you, Captain.”
“N-not at all, my lord.”
“I was wondering… if you’d… perhaps… well…” She looked down while fumbling to find the right words. “If you’d like… t-to… spend the night…” She looked up at him again and pushed a lock of her bangs behind her ear. “With me.”
“Again?” he asked quickly.
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry if my offer offends you, Captain,” she retorted. “Do not think you are obligated to do anything you don’t want just because I’m your commanding officer.” She huffed and turned. “Forget I asked.”
“N-no! Wait!” Quinn cried and reached out with his hand.
Akrona turned back to face him, her eyes watching him like a manka cat stalking a nerf herd.
Quinn gulped as he pulled his hand back to his side. “That came out sounding abrupt and rather rude. I assure you, that was not my intent. I apologize, my lord. What I meant was… that I-uh…”
“Perhaps I’ll try to make this easier on both of us,” Akrona asserted. “Would you like to spend the night with me? Yes or no?”
“Y-yes! Yes, my lord.” Quinn still felt the discomforting warmth on his face as he slightly bowed his head. “I would be honored.”
Her face softened and she smiled. “No need to be so formal, Captain. I’ll… see you in a little while, then?”
She left Quinn standing there, still blushing, with his tea. He took a moment to stretch the collar of his uniform; he didn’t recall the galley being this warm when he entered.
~
Quinn stood outside Akrona’s door in his sleepwear, holding his uniform freshly pressed and folded with a few of his personal toiletries on top. He knocked and a moment later the door slid open. Once inside, he placed his uniform on the desk she never used and his toiletries in her personal refresher before making his way to the bed.
He saw Akrona with her hair down in her usual oversized, dull grey sleep shirt that draped over her small frame. The bed was still untouched from the morning while she sat cross legged and hunched on her side on top of all the covers. She looked down at a datapad in her hand. Her brow ridges were furrowed as her eyes focused and her lips were quietly mouthing, what he could only presume, were the words she was reading.
“May I ask what you’re reading?” Quinn inquired as he slid under the covers and sat close to her.
Akrona’s head shot up to look at him. “Oh. It’s nothing. Just some ghost story an inquisitor friend recommended… She’s been very interested in ghosts as of late. It’s a bit odd…” She turned off the datapad and returned it to the bedside nightstand before resettling under the covers.
“And how goes your reading progression? If you don’t mind me asking.” He started to inch a little closer.
“It’s…” She scooted closer to him until their bodies met and sighed before laying her head upon his chest. “It’s fine. I suppose. Slow. But better.”
“Hmm.” Quinn kissed the top of her head as he inhaled the scent of spiced honey from her hair. “I’m glad you are making progress.”
“Thank you, Captain. You were right. I just needed some practice… I still dislike reading I hope you know.”
He smiled, “Of course, my lord.”
“So…” She looked at him. “Here we are.”
“Here we are…”
Quinn somehow felt both at ease and on edge with the warmth of her body pressed against him. He tentatively ran his fingers through her hair. She lightly sighed and shifted up to kiss him. His body froze for a split second before responding in kind. Their kiss deepened as both of them lay in bed and Quinn slowly rolled partially on top of Arkona. Quinn felt her arms pull him closer while they broke the kiss to catch a breath before resuming. One of his hands quivered slightly as he brought it to softly caress her side before slowly moving downward and across the hem of her oversized shirt onto her thigh. He broke their kiss and heard her breath hitch as he began to gently kiss and nip at her neck while his hand crept higher up her thigh. At this point, Quinn could feel his sleep shorts becoming more restricting as he pressed into her side while their physical interactions continued. Akrona gently pushed him back in the midst of his haze, forcing him to discontinue.
“Wait. Quinn. Stop,” she muttered. “I’m sorry… Perhaps we should just go to sleep now.”
Quinn softly panted, trying to recollect himself, “Uhh… Of course my lord.”
She smiled brightly and kissed him. “Thank you,” she said before resettling beside him.
Normally he would fall asleep beside her, content with his lot in life, but after his earlier research, his mind burned with curiosity as parts of his anatomy returned to their normal state. “My lord, forgive me if I am out of line, but might I inquire something?”
“Of course, Quinn.”
“This is now the fourth night we have spent together. And although I enjoy our, uh… encounters, I can’t help but wonder…”
“Wonder what, Captain?” she groaned.
“Well… it’s just… we never seem to… you know…” He suddenly felt lightheaded and took a deep breath in. “So I’m curious as to why. Is it because we’re of differing species?”
“What? What are you talking about, Captain?”
“You’re a true Sith, I am merely a human. I understand if you don’t think I will be able to properly stimulate your vaginal canal, but I’m sure if we were to-”
“Woah!” She shot up from under the covers to sit with her back to the head rest. “Hold on there, Captain! What are you going on about? I’m very confused.”
He sat up next to her and looked at her. “Our anatomy-”
“Quinn, stop. Just explain it from the beginning… Please.”
He sighed, “Very well,” and felt his cheeks grow warm again. “As I’ve said, our previous encounters have been pleasant but uh… tame.”
She stared at him. “Yes, I got that part.”
“So,” he continued, ignoring how his ears were starting to burn as well, “I took the initiative to do some research.”
“Research?” Her eyebrow ridge quirked. “What kind of research?”
“Biological.” He gulped.
“Wait…” Akrona sat with a contemplative look on her face. “Are you saying you looked up biology regarding my kind because of our lack of… sex?”
“Uh… well…” He looked down. “Yes… in a manner of speaking.”
There was a heavy pause in the air, and then he heard her laugh. He looked back up to see her in a mild fit of hysterics.
“Oh, Quinn!” she giggled. “You’re hilariously adorable!”
There were very few instances which Quinn would admit to not knowing what to do. He decided that this qualified as such an instance. He merely sat there, partially dumbstruck, while the Sith continued to laugh until it seemed to be out of her system.
“Uh… My lord?”
Akrona was still shaking off the giggles and took a breath. “My dear Captain. I’m sorry for any confusion. There is a reason why I am a bit hesitant with intimacy… But I do want to be close to you.” She kissed him. “Yes, I would like to be very close to you, if you want it as well.”
“I do!” he blurted and was taken back on his own quick response. “I’m terribly sorry if I have ruined this evening.”
“I wouldn’t say ruined.” She took his hand and kissed it. “A bit awkward perhaps. But I still enjoyed it.”
He smiled and kissed her. “I enjoy our times as well. Besides, I am in no hurry. We can do whatever you wish at your pace.”
“Thank you, Quinn,” she said in a desolate tone as her eyes gazed into his. “That means the galaxy to me.”
With her eyes drawing him in, he couldn’t but help place a soft kiss on her forehead. “I don’t suppose you’ll enlighten me tonight on-”
“No, not tonight.” She lay back down comfortably under the covers. “But perhaps someday.”
Quinn joined her and held her close. “Of course, my lord.”
“Good night, Quinn.”
“Good night… my lord.”