They hadn't spoken since they entered the briefing room, and there was no comment about Hera's puffy eyes or Amelie's betrayal.

The briefing room was small, but this was standard on all S-Xplorer vessels - she supposed it didn't need to be large for a vessel with two crew, and maybe the odd guest. There was a large screen, a holo display platform, and four comfortable chairs, that could be pushed away so the viewers could stand around the table. The pilots and a guest each, Hera guessed. SLT-VC had provided them both with a smoothie, a green herby one that was meant to cover their nutritional meals. 

Hera knew the AI was capable of creating delicious meals, but they would be limited to when they had resupplied - using more than necessary resources on the first day out of three and a half thousand days of travel seemed irresponsible. The smoothie wasn't bad, but it was entirely uninspired.

"Welcome Pilots. Due to the delay to our briefing, we have unfortunately passed multiple opportunities, however, we still have multiple solid options that will facilitate all of our missions, research, exploration, and diplomacy.  The following two options our drones are within the IAZ and we will have to select one."

The way space travel worked was incredibly interesting Hera had always found. There was a distance - normally within a solar system - that an S-Xplorer traveling at full speed could make it to the different planetary objects within a reasonable amount of time.

And then warp let you travel enormous distances in mere hours - crossing galaxies in a day, Hera and Octavia had already traveled an unbelievable amount of distance from the training facility. She was further away from any other human that she could even conceive.

But there was a distance - one where it would take years for normal travel, and seconds for warp that just... Didn't work. Warp would overshoot it every time, and DSDE regulations suggested they should not travel through normal space for more than a week. That meant that the onboard AI would regularly identify potential stops that might be many systems apart, but visiting more than one would be impossible without backtracking, something the regulations and guidelines considered a waste of resources and time. If it wasn't worth visiting the first time, it probably wouldn't be the second time. Hence, the IAZ - the Inaccessibility Zone.

And so it was left to pilot's decision, another reason there were always two - beyond the obvious ENEG. Reaching a decision, two minds look at the options and weigh them against each other.

"What do we have?" Hera asked, voice still a bit hoarse but trying to seem in charge. Trying to not think about Amelie. Octavia looked at her. Stars, she must think she was pathetic. Hera looked away to the display platform.

"For your first choice we have a research planet and a diplomatic option." SLT-VC rang out."Our research option is on a small moon in system DSDEUN-41736 UEX. There are traces of a material that our pods do not recognize, but do not consider potentially harmful. It may be an interesting fuel source." 

Hera almost yawned.  "And the diplomatic option?"

"This is a planet in system DSDEUN-41739 UEX. There is a inter-system travel capable species on there, that will be a valuable cultural trade partner. We have enabled a translation of their language and believe a safe greeting is possible between our species."

That sounded far more interesting to Hera, and looking at Octavia - not that her opinion mattered - she definitely seemed more excited about this option. But first, the important questions.

"What do they look like?" Hera started, and within seconds a holographic image appeared on the screen.

"They are significantly larger than humans, but fit the earthen definition of mammals. There is very little sexual dimorphism between the two sexes on the planet, if any, and culturally they make no distinction - for scale, the average height is around seven foot."

Hera had stopped listening, looking at the holograph. SLT-VC, the slut, had generated one nude and one clothed version of the species.

"What do they refer to themselves as?"

"The Vehir, although we believe that just means "The People" in their language." Hera nodded absent-mindedly.

The Vehir was big and curvaceous - almost overly so. Definitely a mammal. Four tits. And for Hera's first diplomatic mission. They had a blue sheen to their skin, and cute faces, big orange eyes, almost like a goat. Their nose barely dented out from their face but ended in a little cute red button, and big lips around their mouth. They had sharp chins, that ended in almost a little curl - maybe a horn?

They had two small horns curved back on their head and long bushy hair that exploded out behind their heads, the example had an orangy blonde colour that turned into an enormous main of thick, flowing hair behind their head.

The head sat on top of a strong-looking, but soft body. They had wide hips, and narrow waists that started just below the second pair of breasts. Their arms and feet looked mostly human - four fingers and toes instead of five, and the hands and feet had some soft blonde fur around them.

But Hera was staring at the groin.

"Is that... Prehensile?" She asked, looking at the appendages. There were two, and they moved like they would be. 

"Yes" SLT-VC confirmed. "They are up to five feet long, and an important part of Vehir culture." Hera stopped listening again looking at the pair of wavy tentacles, jutting out from either side of what seemed like the creature's vagina. Each tentacle ended in a bulbous, oblong head, that seamed to be able to open up somehow. As it did, it pushed out another, hidden appendage forward.

Prehensile tentacle dicks. On Hera's first mission. She smiled. She hadn't thought about Amelie in seconds - her smile vanished.

"And... How do they use those in their culture?" Octavia voiced Hera's thoughts. What a slut. At least Hera didn't voice them. She was completely ignoring the stiffening between her legs, hoping Octavia didn't see it.

"I will show you their regular greeting." SLT-VC started, and the holo shifted and there were two of them towards each other. "This is how acquaintances may greet each other." the AI continued as the video played, and the tentacles moved upwards as the two creatures approached. The tips spread open like a flower petal, and the little appendage popped out, each Vehir holding theirs up to the other's face. It gave a slight prod against the cheek of each, on either side before retracting. Like a peck on the cheek. But with a tentacle dick.

"And... And what else do they do with them? So we know how to behave upon interaction?"

SLT-VC went through the majority of common, public interactions between the Vehir that may be encountered on the diplomatic mission. The only reason Hera and Octavia both didn't confirm their destination within seconds, was their rising excitement.

"I... I think we will do the diplomatic mission. That is our main directive, after all." Hera reasoned. No one had mentioned her raging erection yet.

"Excellent, we will arrive in their system within five hours and I will prepare the first contact interaction and guidelines. In the meantime, First Pilot Hera, I see you have recovered and are in a state to generate further ENEG. Second Pilot Octavia, if you help her - generation anywhere onboard will feed directly into our batteries and reloading when possible is recommended."

Octavia looked at Hera, then looked down at her erection bumping against the underside of the display platform, and then at the First Pilot's blushing face. She seemed a little surprised. Then she looked away as well. Of course she did, coward, she'd never do more than was required for the miss-.

"Fine. My room." Octavia said, and left the briefing room.