FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Okay, gonna be brief. I dropped the ball, life got busy, and I only just now figured out how to end this chapter. I've been sitting on the first two thirds of this for months, and idly trying to figure out how to continue. But, I am VERY proud of what came out.

XXX

Shipborn

Chapter 2

Jasyn sat with his back against the wall of their dimly lit quarantine, his curiosity had denied him sleep. He felt that he needed to understand their new hosts, and had called Fargo over after only two rounds. With an eager tone the smaller male began to explain what he had learned.

"From my other language studies it most closely resembles Tamaran." he began. "Action, subject, object. But like all languages there's a lot of complexity."

"Do you know how to ask where the washroom is?" the wolf asked, an undercurrent of import present as he quirked his head to the side.

"I'll see about that next chance I get." Fargo replied, noting the urgency.

Lynn reclined against a bulkhead on the other side of the room, as though she were keeping watch. The team was talking quietly among themselves, but every head rose when she spoke. "Jay. The big guy is back." she announced with a jerk of her thumb.

Approaching the panel, Jasyn asked of Fargo, "How easily do you understand him?"

"I've only had six rounds to work with. They've probably been sharing their notes, mind you." Fargo nodded his head towards the window prompting the wolf to look.

The smaller human from before had just rounded a corner in the corridor outside and was jogging up to the window. "Which means they might be able to understand Fallan better than we understand Human." Jasyn was surprised he had caught on, with how tired he was.

"I'm sure that's not the word they use for it, but yes. They might." Fargo nodded.

Sighing, Jasyn regarded the larger human, who he had decided was the station commander. He met the man's gaze. He stood perhaps an eye shorter than him, but to Jasyn that wasn't important. He 'felt' bigger than he looked, a force of presence surrounding him. He nodded to the human at his side, and the smaller male stepped up to press the intercom. Speaking slowly, he asked, "Do you know me?" in Fallan.

"Do we know... do we understand him?" Fargo looked up at Jasyn and shrugged. "It could just be a fluke... sir."

Jasyn placed his thumb on the button and spoke. "We understand you." He said, putting emphasis on the second word.

The human tapped on his slate excitedly, before he said something neither Sirian could hear through the glass. The commander gave another silent reply, and the smaller man nodded before he spoke to Jasyn again.

"Who is leader?"

Jasyn didn't wait for Fargo's explanation. "I'm in charge of this group."

This seemed to confuse the smaller male, who looked through the glass to Fargo. The message didn't need to be spoken to be heard. "You gave him too many words, sir. Try smaller phrases."

The back of Jasyn's head began to itch. He grunted and tried again slowly. "Of this group," he started, then made a circular motion to indicate the team. "I am." he finished, placing his palm to his chest.

The human nodded again and laughed aloud. Speaking to the commander hurriedly, he seemed surprised by the progress. The commander, however cut him off.

As the terrans chatted, Jasyn reached up and pulled the very simple double-tined pin from his hair. He shook his head to help his hair fall out of the head-tail and brushed it with his fingers. Without much difficulty he twisted the hair inward around the tines again, affixing it in place on the back of his head and relieving the itch.

The human spoke again, a little out of tempo as he stumbled over a few words. "Healers... t-touch... you."

Jasyn blinked and tilted his head, his ears folding to the sides a bit. He looked to Fargo, who was flipping through his own notes now. "I think he means... that they want their doctors to examine us." he said. "Speak... I think it's <<Doctor>>".

Jasyn did, and the small human jotted in his notes as he nodded quickly. Raising his own board again, he displayed a blue asterisk with a stick wrapped by a snake.

"That's definitely what he means, Jasyn. They used that symbol earlier too. When they were talking about examinations before."

Sighing heavily, Jasyn rubbed his muzzle in thought. He couldn't be sure that they knew he and Sota could communicate through their helmets, but they would know for sure if he tried to reach the wolf. 'I don't want them to think we're plotting against them...' he thought to himself, before he did the only thing he could.

"I'm willing to let them examine me. Nobody else has to do this unless they volunteer." he told the team, meeting Avery's gaze immediately.

"You know I'm not letting you go in there alone, Jay. I mean, I hate doctors but I've got your back." the fellow wolf said determinedly.

"Yeah, I don't think any of us is going to turn away now, sir." Lynn added with a smirk. "But let the fox go first."

"No. I am in command right now, and it's my duty to keep you all from harm. I'll go first and that's all there is to it." was Jasyn's short reply. Lynn nodded and backed away.

"Of course, sir."

"So everyone consents?" Jasyn was unsure what exactly he was getting into, but when every head gave him an affirmative nod he stepped back to the console.

"What do I say, Fargo?"

"I figure they understand 'yes', sir." the smaller male replied, shrugging.

Jasyn swallowed dryly as he pressed the intercom. "Yes."

"Yes?" the human asked, and Jasyn couldn't be sure he understood.

"Yes. Examine us." the wolf clarified, and the smaller man grinned and excitedly informed the commander. The big man lifted his arm and pressed his fingers against the cuff of his sleeve. As he began to speak into it, Jasyn realized that it was some sort of communicator woven into the uniform.

The little human disappeared down the hallway and the larger just stood there watching them.

--

Several lines later, Jasyn was seated on one of the benches again. All around him his teammates were lounging on their beds, talking amongst eachother and generally just passing time. Axis was leaning against his side, eyes closed and apparently asleep as Avery stepped over the bench on Jasyn's other side.

Sitting astride the seat, the wolf smiled wide as he looked at the two which made Jasyn feel a bit uneasy.

"Uhh... something you need?" he asked, his ears curling back a bit.

"I think I get why the bitch is with us now, is all." he joked, that grin only widening as Jasyn raised a brow. "You and him are pretty tight, yeah? Well... maybe he isn't..." the wolf snickered inwardly. He was speaking quietly enough that the others couldn't hear, though.

"Aw, Avery that's sick. I would never-what in the world is wrong with you?" the wolf asked, putting up a facade of disgust. In the back of his mind, though, Jasyn was terrified that Avery had found him out.

"Nah man, I see the way you act when we show up. He always scurries away like it's some big secret. The whole junior staff knows, Jay. So is 'e?" Avery pressed. When Jasyn looked at him bewildered, he repeated. "Tight, I mean."

"Avery, I'm only going to say this once. I've never done that, to Levi or anyone." Jasyn affirmed.

"What, you've never fucked him?" Avery asked with a snicker. "You always were a little soft. 'sit feel good inside ya?" He began to laugh.

"You're out of line,Lieutenant." He barked aloud. Every head in the room turned toward them with a sudden silence. Even Axis stirred, looking up drowsily. "I have never been intimate with Sub Lieutenant Levi nor do I have plans to that effect. The way you're fixating on it I'd say you're curious."

Avery grew red in the face, his ears flicking back as though he had been caught with his pants down. It lasted all of two seconds before they perked back up and he stammered, "W-whatever man. We all see how you act around him."

"What, like a person?" the wolf asked, his voice rising.

"Don't even know why you bother, weakling like him's only good for one thing. Isn't that right guys?" the other wolf was trying to get the others in on it now.

One voice perked up briefly. "Yeah-" it started, but the death-glare Jasyn shot to the speaker shut him up quickly. As he returned his gaze to Avery, Jasyn spoke coolly.

"Even were that the case, Avery, how I choose to interact with others is my right as a wolf. And for sowing dissent just now I could by all rights slay you where you stand." came the simple threat.

Avery seemed about to speak up, but another voice cut across the air. "It's not worth it, Avery. He'll flatten you before you can move." Lynn called across, a snicker rising from the others.

The wolf stared at Jasyn long and hard before grunting and turning away.

"Uh, Jasyn?" it was Fargo, pointing across the room to the intercom.

Jasyn looked and he could see four humans besides the commander and the translator. The five besides the commander were dressed in form-fitting blue-green suits and under their arms were clothlike headpieces with a large clear window in one side. On their backs were smallish cylindrical tanks; apparently an oxygen supply as opposed to the filters Jasyn's suit used. There were several medical cases sitting on the floor, white-painted metal with a red Caduceus on the side. The translator pulled his mask over his head, the whole suit giving him the appearance of a flashlight. He stepped up and pressed the intercom button.

"We enter?" he asked, and Jasyn stood to return to the intercom.

Pulling his weapon, Jasyn showed it to the human before bending to lay it on the floor. "Yes." He said simply, looking over his shoulder for his team to do the same.

As they each placed their sidearms on the ground, the human medical team began to cycle through the inner airlock. Again that pink gas clouded the room as the first pair-the translator, and one of the medics-along with all of the medical cases entered their environment. They pulled the heavy-looking cases in on a pair of wheels each and set them just inside the door before the translator met Jasyn's eyes from inside his sealed suit.

Standing among these men, Jasyn was almost half a head taller than the tallest, and with thicker limbs too. Axis was at his side again, never straying far as the wolf nodded to the man and stepped forward. "Me first." he said simply, and the man seemed to understand the intent if not the statement outright.

He said something unintelligible to the medic as the other three began to cycle through, and the two spoke briefly before the translator turned back. He still had his slate, apparently disinfected, and turned it over to depict a human male. The image shifted after a moment and the clothing disappeared to leave the image in a pair of black shorts.

Fargo spoke quietly. "I think he means for you to remove your suit, sir." and Jasyn grunted quietly.

Stepping over to his bed, the wolf rolled his shoulders and heard several loud pops. "Could... uh. Could I get a hand?" he asked over his shoulder, the suits being particularly troublesome to remove by oneself.

Axis was dutifully at his side in moments, and Jasyn thanked him as the fox helped him unbuckle the neck brace before unclasping the seals along Jasyn's back and down the top of his tail. As he pulled his arms free, Jasyn pushed the suit away from his chest and the weight carried it down and off his waist and legs to leave him bare save the fur.

He groaned aloud, suddenly feeling all of the weight that had been on his shoulders relieved. The sound of popping joints made Axis' ears flick as Jasyn stepped out of his suit and turned to face the translator who was at this point a peculiar shade of pink behind his clear mask.

Jasyn's fur was dishevelled to say the least, but the musculature beneath was still plainly visible. He wasn't as stocky as the human commander, currently watching the proceedings like a hawk, but he was lean and taut. The silvery fur was actually two shades of grey intermingled, a lighter shade down his front and up under his tail with a subtly darker tone across his back and to the sides of his belly.

Jasyn fell to his rear on the bed, looking up at the man as he waited for further instruction. Axis sat beside him as the other medics set up their kits, and Jasyn saw his team fall into pairs. Each one helped the other with their suit. Fargo stood with Jasyn and Axis, translating and relaying what was said.

"This is going to be as much about gathering information as it will be about assessing our health, sir. It'll be a little more in depth than you're used to from the doctors on the ship." Fargo began.

"Just tell them to get started, Sub Lieutenant." the wolf grunted impatiently. Immediately Fargo nodded to the translator who spoke in a mix of the two languages.

First they had Jasyn open his mouth to get a look at the structure; teeth, throat, tongue. They checked his ears and listened for a pulse; fairly standard medical procedure. There was no checking of reflexes, because as the translator explained they 'couldn't be sure they knew where the nerves were.'

Once the first part of the tests were done, Jasyn gave the translator the go-ahead to start with the others as his medic began to pull the bloodwork equipment.

He pressed a small handheld device to Jasyn's offered arm, one side of it was rounded and the other had a tiny little screen on it. In the screen, Jasyn could see his veins under the surface of his skin and the flow of his lifeblood through them. The doctor spoke to one of the others briefly, and when they seemed to come to a decision he turned away and produced a relatively long needle with a tube attached.

Jasyn watched the humans approaching him with the needle, and he noticed something else different about these creatures. Each of his hands had three fingers and a thumb, while the humans each had a fourth seemingly useless finger on the side opposing their thumbs. It was, Jasyn thought, too small to have any real use and yet it was there. He remembered a lesson from their early history, of ancient Tamaran burial mounds that had been excavated for study. The skeletons inside were found to have an extra claw partway down the outside of their arms, very small, but apparently strong and sharp.

Jasyn grunted as the needle pressed into his elastic-bound arm and pulled him from his thoughts. The little vial they pressed to the end of the tube filled with his blood quickly as he watched. It was thick, and red, and altogether fairly boring for the wolf; the doctors, however, were excited as they saw it and got a bit careless pulling the needle from Jasyn's arm. It wasn't damaging, but he knew the spot would bruise already. They sprayed his wound with some sort of chemical and Jasyn noted the lack of bleeding immediately.

The doctor turned away and slipped Jasyn's sample into a foot-sized box, presumably some form of automatic diagnostic tool. The translator spoke as Jasyn was distracted, but Fargo broke him from his thoughts.

"He's asking which one of us is next." he told Jasyn, and the wolf shrugged softly.

"I'll go next, Fargo." Axis said warmly, pulling off the jacket as he reached back to try to undo his suit.

"Oh, Axis, let me." Jasyn offered, giving the fox the same courtesy he had paid the wolf and unclasping the back of his flight suit. As Axis exposed his downy white fur, the wolf smiled inwardly. Despite his protests against Avery earlier, he was quite interested in the perfect snowy fur of his friend. The fox's long white tail curled against his thigh as he turned back to the medic again with a nod.

Down Axis' front was an oft-concealed and very light blue-gray patch that began at his navel. It loosely resembled a teardrop, but that could have been from the anatomy it coated in the colour. Jasyn didn't let his eyes linger long, lest the medical staff get more of a show than he felt they needed. He averted his eyes and stared across the room as he heard Fargo speak. "He says you can get dressed, sir."

Jasyn's eyes were locked, though, and his mind was fixed on the shit-eating grin Avery was giving him from across the room.

--

Once the medical examination was through and the team was dressed again, Jasyn was told that the doctors couldn't find any reason to keep them confined.

As relieved as that made Jasyn, it filled him with a new dread. Now, instead of being in the quarantine chamber with their ship directly behind them, they would be surrounded by these creatures with no easy way out. He had chalked it up to paranoia though the moment he stepped out of the airlock into the white-light of the corridors.

The long-term nature of serving on such a large station meant that the corridors were more comfortable than the cramped confines of the Falchion. The ring they were in had a curved outer wall with large screens showing a view of space beyond the station. Jasyn could see the Falchion on two of the screens just to the left of their quarantine. He kept his helmet under his arm, as did all of the team; and the humans hadn't tried to remove them of their weapons at present. Despite this, they were escorted by ten human personnel armed with imposing looking rifles. They didn't appear to be energy-based systems, though Jasyn had nothing to base that theory on save his knowledge of his own sidearm.

The inner wall of the corridor had many evenly spaced doorways; every sixth being a lift to another part of the station while the rest seemed to lead to a central hangar bay. Jasyn spotted a pair of men in suits similar to their own flight armour chatting as they made their way to the lifts.

Their translator seemed to be speaking increasingly proficiently with Fargo, the two jotting notes down and showing eachother more pictures on their respective slates. Axis clung to his side, still wearing the uniform jacket Jasyn had wagered with.

The smell of the place was exotic to Jasyn as they walked. He could smell the oppressive stink of unwashed men and women moving through the halls between shifts-though he didn't find it unpleasant. It was just another facet of these creatures that he was experiencing.

As they neared the opposite end of the ring, Jasyn could see Sota, Dana and Axis' brother Atlas standing in their suits. The other wolf gave him a wide smirk as he tilted his head to his mate.

Despite that they were close in age and status-Sota being the Captain's son and Jasyn the second in command's-the two of them didn't spend a lot of free time together. Still though, he knew the wolf enough to know what that look said.

Jasyn shook his head and grinned. "I told you not to get distracted." he half-scolded, snickering softly.

"Hey, would you be able to keep your mind on task with her around?" asked Sota in return under his breath. "After that physical I either need a cold shower or a private room." Dana smirked a bit herself and shook her head. The wolves shared a chuckle before Fargo tapped Jasyn on the shoulder.

"Sirs, our translator says he'd like to take us to a block of quarters they cleared out. He seems impatient." the smaller male said anxiously.

Jasyn turned as Sota stepped up beside him and nodded to the little human. His eyes drifted to the commander briefly before the big man turned and made a gesture to the guards.

As they continued down the corridor, Jasyn could hear Dana and Fargo swapping notes, and their translator furiously trying to keep up with their rapid exchange. The station commander halted before a door and pressed his palm flat to a small panel next to it. In moments there was a two-tone melody as the double-doors slid aside to reveal a smallish glass box on the other side.

The commander gave them a gesture, and the translator stammered softly. "Please... in."

Jasyn shared a shrug with Sota before the two led their assembled team into the new space, wide enough for the lot but still somewhat cramped. The far wall of the chamber was clear, and through it Jasyn could see into one level of the docking bay. Row upon row of small fighter craft and larger ships-likely transports-sat on deck-mounted struts.

The room they were in shuddered, and they began to descend slowly. Jasyn looked to Sota and grinned giddily, they were both excited at seeing the new ships as close as they were. A tug at his shoulder had him looking the other way to a very excited fox, half-bouncing on his toes as the lower bay came into view.

Stretched out below them were dozens of fighters parked on several tiered platforms. Jasyn could make out mechanics working diligently on the craft; dressed in white and black jumpsuits with a gold band across their backs. Axis pressed a finger to the glass and spoke. "They've got no suits, but if you look I think I can see open space through the bay doors..." he mused, somewhat perplexed.

He got his unspoken question answered swiftly, as one deck of fighters shot from the bay through the open doors. Shimmers like ripples in a pond spread out from where they passed; a bright blue colour distorting the space outside. Jasyn was awed in silence but Axis picked up on the meaning immediately.

"That's gotta be an energy-based screen of some kind," he began, and at that the translator stepped up beside him.

"Yes," he spoke simply, unable but clearly not unwilling to elaborate.

Fargo said something to him that Jasyn couldn't understand, and the human replied slowly and succinctly in his own language.

Fargo attempted to explain. "He says they've had energy shields for coming close to seventy cycles... well the word he used was <<Years>> but I think that's what he means."

Jasyn saw the fox tapping his finger on the glass erratically, and he recognized it as Axis running some numbers in his head. "If our early estimates were right, assuming a day is thirty-six rounds at home it would take their planet a bit over three hundred-forty to orbit their planet. That's a full twenty days longer than a Cycle back home. Maybe that's what a <<years>> is?" he suggested. "If so they've had the shielding for seventy-five cycles, give or take."

The human seemed confused, so Fargo tried to explain as the lift continued to descend.

"Hey Jay... imagine flying one of those things." Sota mused. "The engines look so delicate, they're probably extremely precise. It probably feels like balancing a needle on it's end. I'd probably break it just getting in."

Jasyn nodded, seeing one of the ships with its drive ring removed. The engineers had mounted it vertically to perform some sort of maintenance, and he could see the sparks of some form of fusing tool as they fell out of view.

The little elevator stopped on the next floor, their view outside obscured by a lit wall panel. Their translator ushered them out after their guards, and Jasyn noticed how casually they seemed to hold themselves.

Emerging into a junction, the translator ushered them along for another two until he stopped before a hall. Along both sides of the curved corridor were doors, and it was these their hosts indicated were theirs.

Stepping to one of the doors, the translator made a point of placing his palm to the wall panel before gesturing inside. From the door, Jasyn could see a pair of stacked beds occupying the far wall of the cramped space. A door on his left seemed to lead to a smaller chamber. He looked to the translator and gestured to the room.

"Washroom." came the human's reply, before he began to move down the hall an open the rooms up. "Until we can speak good."

"They want us to stay aboard and work on learning the language." Fargo elaborated, "Our friend there is going to be just on the far end if we need anything. I think they intend to give us a tour tomorrow."

Jasyn's mind was a little fixated though as his stomach gurgled. "I think I need to eat." he replied, realizing that he had neglected to grab any sort of supplies from the transport. Axis bumped his elbow with one of the sealed rations.

"Here Jay, Sota's team brought more than they think they need and Atlas slipped me a few when he noticed we didn't have a supplies kit." the fox said sheepishly, a little embarrassed he hadn't thought to bring them either.

As Jasyn took the pack with a crinkle of a plastic wrapper, their translator's head darted in their direction and he said a word neither of them understood. The security teams immediately moved in and swat the pack away, a pair of them pushing Jasyn to one wall as another pinned Axis to the far wall.

Fargo immediately started to stammer, a rifle pointed to each of their centres. "Food! It was food!"

As the translator knelt down to poke at the pack, he could see through the film that it was, indeed, a flaky sort of pastry. He looked aghast and motioned the guards back with a hurried apology. The guards, realizing the slight, pat Jasyn and Axis across the chests, an uncomfortable level of familiarity for the Sirians but seemingly an apologetic gesture for them. They backed away, and their translator held the pack, now opened, out to the wolf.

There was a corner missing, he had broken it off and displayed it to him in a small clear bag. He spoke to Jasyn, hoping he'd understand while knowing that Fargo probably would. "For testing."

The wolf nodded as he took the rest of the parcel, before biting off a corner of the practically tasteless pastry-like pack. The human began to speak to Fargo now, and said something about 'Bringing them something more flavourful' presumably after their tests had given them enough to be sure the food would be safe.

He tacked on that they probably wouldn't have to worry about spreading diseases yet, as the body chemistry was likely different enough to prevent jumping species, though the tone suggested it might happen somewhere further down the line. Perhaps hopeful that the Sirians would become regular sights among the populace.

Jasyn exchanged looks with Sota after the little tirade, while the translator had begun to show the others how to work the control panels in the rooms. Their eyes met and they wordlessly confirmed that there was no slight in the human's actions before. They'd have done the same in their situation.

After a short while, Jasyn tapped Axis' shoulder and retreated into the first room offered. He made note that Sota and Dana had taken the room opposite.

--

Fitful sleep followed after they had decided to try. The beds were fine, but the lack of turbulence made the experience strange. It had hardly been two rounds before Jasyn sat up slowly. He had been laying, staring up at the bottom of Axis' own bunk, and he tapped the edge with a claw twice to try and get the Fox's attention.

"Can't sleep?" came the tired reply, a resigned tone seemed to say 'neither can I'.

"Too smooth, it'll take a bit to get used to." the wolf confirmed as he rested his elbows on his knees. He wasn't clothed, but he figured it was better than further dirtying the already grungy flight suit. Turning to his left, he saw Axis' legs sweep into view, also bare, before the fox dropped neatly onto the carpet below. He stalked slowly towards the washroom and tapped the panel on the outside of the door to turn the light on in the small room, leaving the door wide.

Jasyn smirked a bit as the situation gave him a view of Axis' curves he was rarely afforded. He regretted it constantly, but Jasyn had never even spoken to the fox about his desires. He knew his station would influence Axis' response, possibly even make the fox think he had to relent. They had no shame between each other, and that was the one secret the wolf kept from him.

Axis stood at the small basin in the washroom, staring into the mirror as he wet his hands. He splashed his face, likely to wake himself up a little more, before drying it of excess with the back of his hands and turning to return.

Jasyn immediately realized he was somewhat exhilarated by the private show he had stolen, and was glad he was leaning forward. "So, what do you figure they'll show us tomorrow? If we're getting a tour I mean." the wolf asked, breaking the so far peaceful quiet.

"I want to get a look at one of those ships. But it's likely they'll want to show us their communications, and probably the arrival bay for the tether." the fox began, sitting beside Jasyn's bunk with his head by his friend's tail. His own flicked beside him thoughtfully.

"Still nervous about these people?" the wolf chuckled, leaning back on the wall behind him and letting one arm touch the top of Axis' head. The fox hadn't flinched at all.

"Not really. They look about what I'd expect, though I'm not sure we've even seen a female yet."

"You've not been looking much. I saw at least two in the security detail and another three at least working the engineering bay. Though it was hard to not be distracted by those ships."

"I badly want to know how their engines work. It had to be something to do with those rings. They didn't look like jet propulsion, some sort of reactionless drive?" Axis mused, tilting his head back to look up at the wolf while dislodging the hand.

Jasyn was confused by that, tilting his head. "But how would that even work?"

"Again, I really want to get a closer look at those engines." Axis reiterated, having no answer. "You probably just want to fly one, though."

Jasyn laughed. "Yeah." he nodded, his eyes getting heavy again. The talk was distracting him from the stillness of the room. "Our ships must look ancient by their standards."

"Give their ships a hundred Cycles. I bet they'll look pretty ancient too." Axis chuckled. Though Jasyn was only dimly aware of it, his eyes slipping shut as he finally fell asleep.

Only five rounds later, Axis was rocking him awake. The fox was dressed again, and looked somewhat excited when Jasyn's eyes were finally open. "Come on, Jay. Our translator is taking us on a tour. He said something about food, too."

Jasyn perked up immediately at that, his stomach growling at the mention. He stood and quickly got himself suited up before the pair stepped out of their room. In the hall, Sota and Atlas were talking quietly, civil and even respectfully. Jasyn stepped up and the fox started catching him up.

"They're pushing to try and get us down to the planet soon. Our Lord has been talking through Fargo, and he feels it's urgent that we talk to somebody with a good deal of authority among the humans." Atlas began, before Sota took over.

"But until the ones in charge can come to an agreement, the rest of us get to learn more about the humans. To that end..." the wolf held out a small white device shaped like a large, flattened teardrop. Brushing back his hair, Jasyn could see Sota had one nestled in his ear, and Jasyn could see the small speaker on the rounded bottom of his own.

Axis explained. "They're supposedly translators, or something. They feel like they've learned enough, and recorded enough of us speaking, that they can write a program to try and translate on the fly. It won't be perfect and we've only got the two, but it might help."

Jasyn slipped the device into his ear and shrugged. 'Better than nothing,' he thought. The rest of their team began to form around them, and the guards at either end of the hall shouldered their rifles and stood aside for the smaller human and Fargo.

They were both speaking in a mix of Fallan and whatever language these humans used. But from the way they were talking, Fargo seemed to be catching onto the language fairly quick. In his ear, Jasyn heard a tinny voice try to explain what he was hearing from the human.

Their translator turned and smiled at Jasyn and Sota, speaking in his own tongue. "Are the machines working?"

Jasayn blinked a few times, shocked by how well the bud seemed to be doing as Sota replied in Fallan, "I think they are. I heard a rumour we were getting fed today?"

The human looked a little less pleased with the result and stumbled for a moment as he attempted to figure out the phrase. Fargo explained, and the man laughed. "Of course, but after our tour. We have to get the kitchen ready for you."

Jasyn rubbed his stomach at the thought of waiting, but noticed that their guide seemed excited to show them around. He realized at that same moment that he didn't know what to call this human. They were obviously distinct from one another, and in his mind that was reason enough for them to have names. In typical Fallan culture, giving somebody your name was considered the same as saying they were at least your equal, if not your better; though from what Axis had told him of Tamaran culture, a name was a thing to be proud of and shared with everyone you met. Aboard the ship it was taken as granted that everyone knew everyone else, so he hadn't thought about giving his name to the human.

"My name is Jasyn," he decided now would be a good time to get that out of the way. Holding his palm out to the human, he waited for a response.

The human looked to Fargo, as though wondering if he'd heard correctly, and the black speckled Sirian gave his name as well. In mixed language, he approximated the sounds of his name, and the human seemed even more confused. Jasyn sighed and dropped his arm. "Maybe the meanings are just too complex?" offered the smaller male, looking up at Jasyn as he too dropped his arm.

"I had forgotten that names can have meanings. I don't even remember what mine means." Jasyn folded his ears back a bit, realizing his slight. Sota was quick to pick it up though.

"My name," he said, palm to his chest. "Means 'flying far'"

The human seemed surprised by this, and tapped away on his slate. He spoke animatedly to Fargo, but the meaning was garbled slightly. Names, meanings, words, history. It seemed that he was looking through a list of names for meanings that seemed to match. He stammered out quickly, with Fargo translating, "There is a name in one of their cultures that means 'soar or fly big'. Uh... <<Sota>> I think."

Axis was quick to chime in. "Jasyn, yours means 'healer' and I think mine means 'crux, or hinge'."

Over the next few lines, as the others arrived, the group spent some time to figure out a word for each of them. They found their translator's name meant 'to tame' and he gave it as 'Damien'. Even the guards got in on it, and once Fargo and Damien were satisfied they'd introduced everyone, they set off on their tour.

The first stop was the terminal for the elevator strands. Five lifts circled the central tether, and three of these were relegated specifically for cargo. Damien explained that the station was in fact a transit hub for the rest of the star system, loading freighters and cruisers with supplies from the planet to ship to far off colonies, and to nearer colonies on their fourth and fifth planets, which he explained were named after historical gods. The fifth was named for the father of these gods, and the fourth after a god of War.

The room was wide, and tall. Silver white supports and duller grey walls lined the edges. There were screens showing arrivals and departures, Jasyn assumed, as well as an absurdly dressed human speaking next to video that showed_the Falchion_. A news report, Damien explained.

Their group turned heads, but everyone in the room was short on time, moving from place to place or loading containers onto lifts to be transported to waiting ships. High along one wall, Jasyn could see glass windows and the glow of monitors reflecting off of the crisp white uniform of the station commander. A crow's nest or dockmaster's station, giving him a view of the entire arrival area. Lines of humans in mostly gray jumpsuits stood, staring at the group as they were passed through what looked like a security checkpoint. Some of them seemed headed down on the next lift while others seemed to have just arrived.

Damien beckoned them to follow as he skirted the outer rim of the room, a catwalk above the main floor that took them to a corridor. As they left the room behind, Jasyn could practically feel Axis pressed against his side, though there wasn't any actual contact. The fox was simply staying close, and he relaxed into the feeling of protectiveness that had come over him.

Next, they boarded another of the station lifts and the group was treated again to the hangar bay. This time Jasyn watched as a wing of fighters lifted straight up off the deck, hovering parallel to the ground. They drifted lazily forward, and once in position, the craft shot out of the bay's shield. Less impressed this time, Jasyn realized that this hangar took up a good quarter of the station. He turned to Damien.

"What is this platform, exactly?"

Explaining in as simple terms as he could, Jasyn managed to glean that the station was one of several orbital platforms that when acting in concert could provide the entire planet with a protective screen of weapons fire. The station, he explained, had a number of mass drivers that could break apart small to medium sized meteorites and track several ships the size of the Falchion from as far away as the planet's moon; though the effective range was only about a quarter that distance due to sensor lag. The fighter bays were meant for local defense of each station, and each one was supplimented by a small fleet of cruisers that the human was purposefully vague on the number of.

Despite appearances, though, Damien explained that the stations were basically used as launching points for supply craft to shipyards near the moon and colonies elsewhere in the system, and from these to another system the humans were trying to settle. As they came to rest, Damien concluded, "I hope that helps your worries." which Jasyn corrected as 'eases your concerns'

And it had.

The human stopped mid step as they arrived at the mess hall. He spoke into his wrist, like the commander had, and seemed a little concerned. The guards unshouldered their rifles but didn't point them anywhere particular as he talked in hushed tones to the person on the other end. Jasyn couldn't understand a word, though it sounded like a language different than the one he had been using before.

Damien turned to them and motioned the guards to ease. His tone was anxious as he spoke to Fargo, who showed worry of his own as he explained. "It seems our shuttles were recalled. There was some sort of accident and the Captain was asked to clear the bays for emergency crews to tend the wounded before they're sent down to the planet."

Jasyn looked to Damien, and the human seemed slightly pale, but still fairly confident. Jasyn thought that perhaps he was just worried the Sirians would be upset at their shuttles leaving, though he wasn't exactly wrong.

Sota nodded, a look of concern crossing his face. "It's not worth getting too worked up over it," he shrugged, "still, I don't like being so far from home. I'm going to call in." He pulled his helmet over his head, and started talking quickly.

Damien gestured for the others to sit as Jasyn and Avery stood with the other wolf, waiting to hear what the Captain would say.

"We're to continue as normal," Sota said at last, tugging the helmet off his head again. "He says not to worry, the ship is staying close by but they've been asked to move to a wider distance to give the other craft some room. Commander Emitt also sends his regards." Sota smirked at Jasyn. "Sounded proud of you, Jay."

Snickering, the wolf lightly punched Sota's arm. "Damn right he's proud of me."

Avery shook his head, grinning as he nodded at the others. "Come on, guys. I wanna brag about the food here when I get back. It probably tastes terrible, but I'm still going to rub Hall's nose in it." he laughed, turning to lead the three toward the table.

Axis sat at one end of a bench, and Atlas across from him spoke professionally to Dana, the two having a curious relationship. Atlas was something of a mole, though that was a bit misleading. He was Dana's insight into the other cultures on the ship, and she enjoyed their conversations. Sota was happy to let them talk, sitting beside Dana as Jasyn slid in beside Axis.

When the food arrived, Jasyn was hesitant. Spices were something that were used sparingly on the Falchion, used for holiday meals and high social settings. Mostly because they could only devote so much of the hydroponic garden away from actual foodstuffs. The meal before them smelled of fragrant herbs and carried a sweet aroma.

Damien told them each dish in turn. Shrimp, haddock, pork, beef, and chicken. Potatoes and corn, breads and cheeses. The only thing that none of the Sirians could fathom were the fungi. Dana and Fargo were brave enough to try, but neither found them appealing.

The cheeses went over well, particularly the softer, herb-laced ones. The bread was a new experience, a pleasant one at that, while the meats were met with mixed results, mostly positive.

Partway through the meal, Avery discovered what the pork had reminded him of when he suddenly had to ask somebody to point him towards a washroom. Axis laughed under his breath, loud enough for Jasyn to hear though nobody else seemed to notice.

Once the meal was properly concluded, and Avery's stomach issues subsided, Damien began jotting down comments from the group. Fine tuning their likes and dislikes. He explained that their next stop was medical, so that their vitals could be examined after the meal "We want to make sure the food is going to continue to agree with you," he said, and Jasyn realized that the translator was picking up more and more of the language.

Their visit to medical lasted less than a round, and soon Damien was leading them back towards their rooms. As they walked, the human explained that they had received word that the Sirians could go down to the planet tomorrow, with a security detachment. They'd be based out of a military base, but if they were willing to wear trackers they could venture off base with an escort. He added that the country's leader had put aside a day for them in a few days, where she would personally show them around the city.

As they reached their hall, Jasyn realized that the guards had thinned to about half as many as there were when they'd docked. Perhaps as a show of trust. Before he left them, Damien showed them to one of the other rooms in the hall, a common area for them to relax in. It was off of this room that he explained he was staying. He also showed Fargo how to access the computer so that he could continue to develop a Fallan to Trade dictionary, which Fargo then went on to explain was the language that the humans used when interacting with eachother, essentially a common tongue that was taught globally, similar to Fallan for the _Falchion_crew.

The common area looked warm and inviting, a reddish colour on the wall and floor panels, complimented with softer lighting. There was an area recessed into the floor with a ring of cushioned seats surrounding it, the small hologram projector set in the centre was currently showing the star system. Nearer the door there was a high table and a set of six proportionately high seats arrayed around it. On the far wall was a monitor showing space outside, a thin white sliver showing the night side of the planet above a black field of glittering stars. The star Sol was just starting to slip behind the planet, but the cameras filtered out much of the glare.

Once Damien retired to his room, the Sirians mostly dispersed, Fargo and Dana sitting around the high table with a small stack of data slates to work out some more words while Atlas started to fiddle with the projector. As Axis moved to sit with his brother, Jasyn decided this would be a good time to talk to the linguists again.

Pulling up a seat he looked over Fargo's shoulder at the slate. "So how hard would it be to learn one of these languages, anyway?" he asked as he watched strange characters flit by on the screen.

"Well, it would depend on which one you tried. They've got hundreds of languages with sometimes dozens of dialects. They've also got numerous 'dead' languages, like Pranin, used in academic circles." he replied, his eyes never leaving the strange shapes on the screen.

"Many of them use sound-based characters to make words, like Tamaran, while others use symbols that represent meanings, closer to Fallan, or Domiri," added Dana. "It's going to be interesting learning how to write in Trade."

"Do you think you could teach me any?" Jasyn asked flatly. "Simple things, like... uh..." he looked around for an idea. On the projector, Axis was taking apart a holographic model of what looked like a very simple aircraft. That gave him an idea. "Teach me some words related to flying. Let's start with rooms; bridge, mess, engine room."

"Well," answered Fargo, "I mean I'd have to find the words first. I wouldn't be able to teach you much of anything, I don't even fully understand the structure."

"Yeah Jay, you'd need one of their translators to teach you, maybe even a specialist," Dana furthered.

At that instant came a bright blue flash from the corner of his eye. Jasyn turned and watched just as Atlas managed to find a projection of the planet. "Well, what do they call their planet?"

"<<Earth>>" came the reply, and the two linguists looked at the fox in confusion. "They call their planet <<Earth>>." he repeated, to the silent consternation of his brother.

"How did you know that?" Fargo asked, as he stood and walked towards the fox, Jasyn and Dana doing likewise. "I talked to Damien about that before you two were up this morning.

"I-I don't know, it's just..." he began in a stammer the sudden attention of everyone making him nervous. "When you asked what they called it the word just came into my head, and I knew it was the right one." worry evident in the way his ears seemed to fall to the side.

Jasyn laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him down a bit. "Hey, relax. You said it just... popped into your head?"

"It's been happening all day, not every word but sometimes when you guys uncover one that you'd expect to be used a lot--like <<table>>--it feels like a voice in my head is saying 'of course the word is <<table>>' as though I knew it all along and just... forgot." Axis looked up a bit perplexed, but undeterred he put his hand into the projection, closed his fingers, and pulled backwards as he added. "and if I zoom out..." the projection showed the planets in their orbits, accelerated. "Here we have <<Jupiter>>, <<Saturn>>, and" he paused, and his face twisted in a look of concentration. "<<Mars>>. I don't know why I know that they're called that... or why only those four are so obvious.

Fargo fumbled for his slate and started making notes of what Axis was saying. He looked through them for a moment before he asked. "What do they call us?"

Jasyn saw Atlas staring from the corner of his eye, everyone in the room transfixed on this young fox. "Uh... I-I don't-" he started, but his eyes widened again as though he'd had an ice cube dropped down the back of his suit. "<<Alien>> is the first sound that came to me... but <<Dog>> popped into my head too. N-neither of them felt very flattering though."

Fargo shook his head as he tapped through his notes. "Well you're not wrong per se. They were calling us <<alien>> at first, but now they've started calling us <<Sirian>> after their word for our stars, <<Sirius>>."

In Jasyn's ear, the tinny voice of the translator software perked up at that last word. "Sirius is also in a constellation. Axis, can that projection show us the stars as seen from Earth?" he asked, tacking on the name that Axis had given for the planet.

"I can get it back there," Atlas piped up, slipping his hands into the projection and pulling outward again. Around them the room seemed to grow darker and little motes of light appeared to form a cosmic dome above their heads.

"Excellent, can I see that slate for a second?" Jasyn asked to Fargo.

Handing it up, the spotted translator sat in one of the rows of seating beneath the dome. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm trying to find our stars on this projection..." he started, trailing off as he tapped away.

"Oh," came a surprised sound from Atlas, who stood and started walking around the space. "I got an advanced lesson on this from Lieutenant Roades. At one point he showed me what our stars would look like from our destination. What's interesting is that it's one of the brightest stars you can see from the surface of this planet. Barring their own sun."

Jasyn looked up and all eyes were on the elder of the two white foxes. Atlas' amber eyes darted from cluster to cluster until he found what he was looking for. "There was an interesting trio of stars in that simulation. They were spaced very close together, but were also very close to our star. There was also a sort of empty space. Home should be... here." he said, grabbing the edge of the dome and pulling the projection toward that point.

The stars zoomed past, no longer a dome as much as a bright set of points in the middle of the room. Atlas turned and looked at the cluster. "This one at the bottom here."

"The translation bud said constellation, so I'm going to assume they have an equivalent word." Started Jasyn, walking the group through his logic. "That probably means they grouped stars up for one purpose or another. Do you have any idea what the human word for those groups would be?" he asked, his eyes falling on Axis out of a momentary habit.

Axis looked to be concentrating for an instant before he shook his head. "I'm not getting anything..." he said with a defeated look. "S-sorry."

"No no, it's fine. The slate they gave us has a star map on it," Dana said excitedly, stepping back towards the high table. She flipped through the screens, a little less easily than Jasyn was used to seeing her work the ubiquitous slates back on the ship. "Here, it's got their constellations on it already."

Jasyn took the proffered map and looked at the stars on the screen. "So if that's those three stars there..." he started, his finger tracing the air as he followed the general shape of the projection's stars. "The constellation must be connected to our stars, it's gotta be that one."

As he tapped it, an audio file started playing from the slate. Other stars on the screen lit up as the file played, highlighting the parts that were being explained.

<<"The constellation Canis Major has connections to the classical Greek myth of the hunter Orion. Canis Major represents one of Orion's hunting dogs, often depicted chasing Lepus 'the hare' or helping Orion fight off Taurus 'the Bull'. The brightest star in Canis Major is Alpha Canis Majoris, more commonly known as Sirius.">>

"Did your bud pick any of that up, Jayse?" Axis asked, looking up at the wolf.

"It said something about a myth. These stars here represent 'The Hunter' <<Orion>>. Apparently our constellation represents one of his hunting companions, likely some form of domesticated animal. The word used was <<Dog>> but it couldn't get a translation."

"Not very flattering at all," Fargo agreed, looking back at Axis. "Still though, it's a big step. I think you should sit in and help with the translation software. We're working on our own version based on the sound library in this slate and the existing Fallan to Tamaran software we have. It's not as elegant as the buds, but if we can make it work too then we know we aren't getting our information censored."

"But won't it look suspicious having me suddenly sitting in?"

"Yes, but we can just say that you're programming. You're good at that anyway so it's not like it's much of a stretch."

Jasyn shook his head for a moment. "Axis is a mechanical engineer, not a software engineer. I mean, he probably -could- program, but he's not anywhere near as proficient as you seem to think."

"You're right, of course." Dana chimed in, with an air of scolding towards Fargo. "But Atlas is a very good programmer. We could just have the pair of them working together. They'd buy that, easily. We could probably switch the two out without them even realizing it."

"Well it would get us closer to easily communicating with these people... if Sota goes for it, I don't have any objections..." said Jasyn hesitantly. He was a little worried about being separated.

"Hey, relax Jay," the fox smiled nervously. "After all, you get to see those fighters a little closer up tomorrow."

"I suppose that's right." Jasyn nodded, but still he was worried.

"Alright, I'll go present our case to So'. Axis, you should try to get some sleep tonight. I get the feeling tomorrow's going to be a very long day." Dana warned with a chuckle before she took up her slate and stepped out into the corridor.

"I should get some sleep too," added Fargo with a laugh, "I'll need to be a little sharper tomorrow if we're going to make any headway. You coming, Levi?"

"Yeah. See you in the morning pup." Atlas smirked, ruffling the hair between Axis ears before he vaulted up out of the seats and followed Fargo back to the quarters leaving Jasyn alone with the younger fox. The wolf threw himself down into the seat beside his friend, rolling his shoulders to try and relieve an itch. The weight of the day was catching up to him. 'Of course some of that is my suit.' thought the wolf. He lifted his head to watch the fox transfixed by the projection. "So, what do you think is going on?"

"Hm?" Axis turned away from the stars, looking at Jasyn quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why do you know some of these words already?" the wolf clarified with a smile.

"O-oh, it's... different than actually knowing them. Like... when I was figuring out Mars, it wasn't as easy for some reason. I started to concentrate on 'Sol-4' though and the sound just felt right."

Jasyn considered that for a moment, "What about when Fargo asked what they call us? You came up with two words that time."

"U-uh... 'alien' felt like the right word at first, I guess." Jasyn smiled as Axis began to stammer a bit, he looked worried again and Jasyn loved it when he was flustered. "But then in the back of my mind I heard another word that reminded me of Hall and Avery whenever they call me 'fox'."

Jasyn let one hand wrap around the fox's nearer shoulder, just squeezing gently to remind him who he was talking to. Though Jasyn might refer to him as 'fox' every now and then, he never meant anything mean by it. "Do you feel like that when I say it?" he was a little afraid of the answer.

"Well..." Jasyn watched him shuffle away a bit and turn his eyes down and away.

"Axis... does it bother you when I call you a fox?" the wolf was getting worried now.

"N-not the same way, I guess." Jasyn saw his expression change as the fox met his eyes. "No! Oh I didn't mean..." he trailed off.

After a time Jasyn couldn't bear the quiet. "It's alright, you know. I'll try and stop using it."

"Th-that's not what I mean. When you say it, it feels like when Atlas or my parents say it. It feels... like you're family, I guess?"

Those words started a warm feeling in Jasyn's chest, and he offered the fox a smile. "I'm glad you think of me like family, then."

The fox let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "Jayse, I've always thought of you like family. But... I didn't know how you'd take that, you know?" the fox moved closer again. "I was... I don't know why I was afraid."

"Damn right you don't." Jasyn smirked. The sound of the hallway door opening made him turn his head, Lynn and a member of the third team moving to sit at the high table. Meeting Axis' eyes, the fox tilted his head towards the door and Jasyn agreed, 'Let's get out of here.' Pushing to their feet, Jasyn stepped up over the seats and offered Axis a hand up before they made their way towards the corridor.

"Get kicked out of your room?" Jasyn asked as they passed the table.

"Yeah, Avery's being disgusting." she laughed, giving her companion a reason to chuckle too.

"The less I know the better," Jasyn dismissed, his own smirk spread across his face. "See you in the morning."

The cold, mechanical feel of the corridor sent a shiver down Jasyn's spine after the inviting warmth of the commons as he followed Axis back to their quarters. As the fox settled down on the lower bed, Jasyn puzzled over the panel beside the door.

"Lock is the red one." came a chuckle from the fox, and Jasyn looked back at him as he pressed it.

"How did you know that's what I was trying to find? Another 'feeling'?"

"Well, I have a brain. You were looking awfully close." Axis pointed out with a smile.

The wolf just shook his head with a laugh, pulling one arm across his chest with the other. "Did you mean that, though?" he asked as the joint in his shoulder made a muted pop.

"What, about you feeling like family? W-"

"No, about being afraid. Why were you afraid I'd be upset?" he asked as he let his arm relax and leaned against the doorframe.

"Oh... I just..." the fox fumbled, studying the back of his hands again. "I didn't want to seem... presumptuous--thinking that you thought the same way."

"You didn't want to jump to a conclusion." Jasyn added, and the fox looked back up with a nod.

"You're important to me. I'm always really careful about what I say because I don't want to lose your respect."

Jasyn thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on his friend in the poorly lit room. Pushing off the wall and moving to the side of the bed he finally said, "I don't think you could do anything to shake my respect in you." Squatting down so he was eye-level, the wolf shook his head with a smile.

The smile he got in return made his skin tingle. The arms around his neck shortly afterward made his heart beat a little quicker too, as the fox gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks, Jay." he said simply as he pulled back again, a clump of hair falling over one side of his face.

Jasyn reached up slowly and brushed it aside before he realized what he was doing, but the smile never left Axis' face. Taking that for a good sign, he moved a little closer and his nose bumped the fox's own as he closed his eyes. With his hand still on Axis' cheek, the wolf felt the fox's eyes close and he just stayed there for a moment.

As Jasyn straightened out of the familiar embrace, he met eyes with the fox and shared an unbidden smile with the fox. "You're important to me too, 'fox'." That earned him a punch in the shoulder, though, and he groaned dramatically as he fell to the smallish floor.

The fox's laughter reached him and a moment later he was being offered a helping hand. As he was pulled to his feet he rubbed his arm and pouted playfully. "Here I am trying to be cute and you have to go and punch me? Especially after wearing one of these heavy suits all day?"

Axis offered a mocking frown. "These suits aren't really meant for constant wear. We should see if they'll let us land a shuttle in one of their larger bays so we can get a few uniforms."

"I'll talk to So' about it tomorrow. But for now, could you help me get this thing off?" Jasyn's sides were itching from being matted down for so long.

Axis' fingers were quick to help him out of the suit, unbuckling the clasps easily. The small space had warmed a considerable amount since the two of them had entered, but the air against bare fur was a welcome sensation either way. Stepping out of the suit with it's heavy plates let Jasyn stretch his arms above his head, letting out a myriad of pops and creaking sounds. The scent, on the other hand, made his nose wrinkle. "Augh."

Axis stifled a cough, but otherwise politely ignored the fragrant musk. "Alright, now me." he said, turning his back to the wolf.

Jasyn brought his hands up and bit his tongue gently at the thoughts running through his head. 'It'd be so easy to-' he shook his head to squash the idea as he slowly began to undo Axis' suit. As he pulled the opening wider, the downy looking fur beneath made his hands tremble. His fingers lingered a few moments as he unclasped the lock at the top of Axis' tail, and a few moments later the fox was nude before him.

This time the scent provoked a much different reaction, but Jasyn swallowed the lump rising in his throat and squashed it as best he could. As the smaller male lifted his arms above his head though, Jasyn had to avert his eyes completely to keep from making a mess of the situation.

"Ick. I smell like a gym. I think I'm going to try and figure out how to work their washrooms, see if I can't find a way to bathe." Axis turned a bit and looked at him sidelong. On the ship there simply wasn't enough room for everyone to have their own bathing area, so it shouldn't have surprised him when Axis asked. "Care to join me?"

It did though, and Jasyn's ears flushed slightly as he turned back to meet his companion's eyes. "S-sure. But that room is kinda small."

The fox seemed to think about it for a moment. "You're probably right." he admit finally. "We'd probably end up packed into that tiny space and we wouldn't be able to move."

"Y-yeah" Jasyn affirmed shakily. "You go first, I can wait."

With a nod, Axis disappeared into the bathroom. As the door sealed, Jasyn breathed a sigh of relief. 'This is getting to be too much.' he thought as he folded the suits in half. 'I need to tell him what he's doing to me or I'm going to go crazy.' As he laid them across the foot of each of the bunks he heard a steady noise from the washroom. 'At least I won't be smelling him all night.' It had been torture enough to have the fox so close as he slept, if that musk had been in his nose all night he would have gone mad.

Sitting on the foot of the bed again, Jasyn's mind began to wander. 'If he wasn't Tamaran it'd be so simple...' same-gender couples were a normal part of life on the ship. Population control was a large concern, 'and it's not like I couldn't carry on the line with someone else at the same time.'

But Tamara had been conquered by Fallana--it's empress slain and her people subjugated in the Last Great War. In the cycles that had followed, the Tamari were treated as second-class citizens and it just became the way of things. When the ship had left there had been an upward slope, Domiran and Fallan protest groups lobbying for better treatment of the Tamaran people. Of course the crew had been isolated for eighty cycles. Any political advances were lost to them and so they had to form their own ideals. If Jasyn had been born Domiran, he wouldn't have had to worry about the opinion of the crew. His father being the second officer didn't help matters, it just meant he was being watched more closely.

Breathing a deep, regret-filled sigh the wolf let himself fall back onto the bed and started counting the metal crossbars of the bed above him to try and distract himself. 'I wonder what these Terrans would think about this?' he asked himself, an unbidden thought but still a valid question. The sound from the other room stopped and a few lines later Axis opened the door decidedly wetter than expected.

"They don't have dryers." he complained, giving Jasyn a plaintive look. "We're going to need more towels."

To his credit, Jasyn managed to keep from laughing for longer than he thought he would. Axis' fur was sagging, clumped together and much less concealing--his tail looked pitifully thin. It took him several lines just to get his flight suit on with the fox's help, and by then he'd stopped laughing as Axis started to shiver.

"Go back into the washroom," he told him, "turn the water back on and warm back up. I'll be back as quick as I can."

Below the station the planet was dark, so when Jasyn set foot in the darkened hall he could understand why the lights had been dimmed. 'Probably a power-saving measure.' He made his way to the commons, his fur itching again in the suit. In the common room all of the lights were off, the only light coming from the holographic projector and the wall panel showing the twinkling lights of the planet below. Reaching beside the door on instinct his hand brushed the side panel before he realized that he didn't know which button would provide light, 'there goes that plan.'

Slowly he made his way across the chamber, his hands out in front of him as he tried to keep himself from bumping into something. Thankfully, the far wall was lit enough that he could see the doorway to Damien's current room and without thinking he knocked on the door.

The door slid open a few lines later, just as he was about to knock again. Damien stood there in a sleeveless grey top, a pair of tight black shorts to provide for modesty. "How can I help?" he asked, Jasyn noticed he was trying to keep his speech simplistic.

"There aren't any dryers in the washrooms, we need more towels." Jasyn responded, suddenly feeling very embarrassed about the situation. His ears burned and he looked down sheepishly.

The human stared for a moment, and Jasyn could swear he saw the wheels turning before he replied. "Oh, I get it. The fur, you hold more water." He laughed and Jasyn couldn't help but chuckle in return. "So you need more towels, that's what you're telling me?" The bud must have missed it for Damien, but it translated well enough for Jasyn and he gave the man a nod.

Waving Jasyn into the chambed, Damien walked across his quarters to a door set into one wall. He said something that Jasyn only caught part of, something about 'keeping colonists' and 'supplies.' The earbud was having trouble with how quick the words were coming but Jasyn couldn't blame the poor thing.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, his hands on his hips as he watched their host look through the closet.

"I said," he began, trying to say some of the words in Fallan. "We usually keep traders and visitors from our outer colonies here." He stood up with a large stack of towels in his hands and turned back to Jasyn with a smile. "But the officer who oversees the visitors has a supply room, I'm just glad there were towels." he said as he handed them off.

"My thanks." Jasyn said as he lifted the parcel with ease.

"Anything else?" asked the tan-haired human a little impatiently.

"Oh, no. Sleep well." Jasyn said as he turned and headed out. He tripped over one of the chairs on his way to the hall, but managed to get back to his room without much worry. A soft thud accompanied him dropping the towels on the bed, and he took a pair of them with him into the washroom.

Inside Axis was sitting on the counter, still shivering lightly but otherwise still just as damp. "Took you long enough," he complained with a smirk. "The steam isn't helping as much as I wish it was."

"Here, let's get you dry..." Jasyn insisted, and began to vigorously rub Axis' legs as the fox got his arms and chest. Once he was only slightly damp, the fox shuddered softly again.

"Still really cold, do you mind if I just sit in here while you go?"

Jasyn shook his head, his concern for his friend overriding his hormone-fuelled discomfort. Reaching up, he started to try and unclasp the suit again and Axis once more helped him out of the bulky apparel. "So how do you work this thing, anyway?" he asked as he stepped into the little cubicle.

Axis leaned into the space and started to tap at the panel just beneath the head, one of his hands resting on Jasyn's hip to support himself. "Red is hotter, blue is colder. I'm not sure what it's telling me, but the middle button turns it on."

As the water started to spray Jasyn yelped from a momentary burst of cold just as Axis ducked out of the space. The warm water that followed felt so good on his aching muscles though and for a moment he forgot he wasn't alone. Rubbing down his chest, he gave a light grunt as he wrapped his fingers under his sac.

The soft cough from the other side of the room halted him, and he tore his hand away. "S-sorry." he apologized before consciously working to clean the musk out of his fur and brush the dead hair and skin away.

Less than half a round later Axis was helping him dry off, and shortly after that the wolf was laying on his bed as the fox leaned his head over the edge of the upper bunk to talk to him. Jasyn had loaned him his hair clip, and Axis tucked the tines above one of his ears so that his hair wouldn't block his view.

"I'm still really nervous about tomorrow," Axis said as the wolf pulled the thin sheet on the bed to cover himself. "What if it was just a fluke?"

"If it was a fluke, it was a fluke. It's not like saying the wrong word is going to get you killed."

"But what if I insult one of their mothers?" he asked with a measure of fear. "Or I let it slip that I can understand some of what they're saying for some reason, I don't want them to try and take my brain apart to figure out how I did it."

"Now you're just getting paranoid," the wolf scolded, shaking his head. "Listen, do what you can and only speak up if it's important. If they ask you a question, answer it. You'll be fine."

Axis seemed to consider that for a moment before he disappeared above the bed again. Jasyn saw his tailtip peek out over the edge, and then the sheets dangling down. "You're probably right," he admitted, he sounded a bit deflated though.

"Hey, as strange as this must seem to you, you're bigger than them and probably stronger than them. In a fair fight, I'd put my money on you right now. Besides," Jasyn closed his eyes as he yawned. "They're not afraid of us, at least not us. But they're definitely wary of starting anything with our ship just off the station."

"I don't think the Falchion could hold up against this station, Jayse."

"All it'd take is one good shot to that cable, Axis. The station would fly up and out, lose power, and be easy pickings. The Falchion may be old, but she was state-of-the art when she launched. Perhaps not the strongest ship we ever fielded but she can hold her own."

"Yeah... you're right." A yawn from above him forced another from the wolf, and before long Jasyn could hear the fox's breathing calm.

'I certainly hope I'm right...' he worried, his eyes glued to the bottom of the bunk as he settled in for another smooth, likely sleepless night.