FSE

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The locker room door clanged open loudly, startling the lone pilot already there, as Lt Commander Sadok entered. Her helmet bag and flight plan in hand she waved hello to her student. Snapping to attention, the blond stood to her full height, towering over the commander.

"Good morning ma'am." The Lieutenant greeted.

Scout smiled as she extended a hand. "Just call me Scout. If you feel so compelled to, then simply Commander. Ma'am just makes me feel old."

"Uh, Sure thing commander." The woman said raising an uneasy eyebrow. "I'm lieu-

"Eir, correct?" Scout interrupted. "Named after the Norse god of healing right?"

"I wouldn't know," The lieutenant shifted uncomfortably. "I've never been big into story books."

Scout looked genuinely surprised. "Seriously? I would have thought with a name like that, you'd want to know its origins."

"Well, to be fair I did do some research, but I'm an American born Norwegian, not the nationalized citizens mom and dad are. History sort of takes a back seat when you're raising kids in a country trying to implode in on itself."

"I imagine it couldn't have been easy." Scout agreed.

"Mom's a little loopy, but I don't know if that's because of her heritage or just her."

"Loopy?"

Eir laughed. "Maybe another time ma'am, I just want to get this test over with if you don't mind."

"I can respect that. I've never been a fan of these shakedown flights anyway. When was your last check flight?"

"A while ago, maybe three months ago after my final check flight." The younger pilot answered earnestly.

Scout winced inwardly, but continued on. "Legacy class hornet, or Super?"

"A HARV legacy actually. They only had ten when I left though, one caught on fire before it left the ground."

"Harvey's still get airborne? I take it you've seen some crazy stuff huh?"

"You get used to all the alarm bells and whistles after the second time you declare an emergency."

Scout chuckled, reaching into the locker to her right. "I can recall quite a few times of my own. You learn the meaning of 'seat of your pants' flying pretty quickly."

Eir smirked. "Those old birds pretty much pick your call sign for you."

"And what would yours be?" Scout asked without looking up.

"Ma'am?"

Scout held up a polite hand. "Scout is fine actually."

"Cypher." Eir took a deep breath and sat down on the bench in front of her. "I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the secure speech channels, and it was my first flight alone. I involuntarily switched comms to a localized channel, and unknowingly transmitted my every breath and word to base ops."

"Not too bad I suppose."

"That's what I thought. Problem is, CAG was there, and... I don't think I can talk about it." Cypher blushed furiously and turned away. Scout stopped assembling her flight gear and looked up.

"Don't tell me you..."

Eir, having realized what she must have implied unintentionally, waved her hands frantically.

"No, no, no! I would never do that." She took another breath and preceded. "I can't really hold my liquor well, and..."

"Say a few things you regret?" Scout asked, not skipping a beat.

"You could say I cursed the CAG and the ship he flew from. I don't remember the next part, but people tell me I sort of, uh. I threw up on his car."

Scout stopped completely, tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but almost fell over laughing as a result. "Black Porsche?"

"I'm sorry?"

"A black Porsche Boxter. The car he owns."

Eir's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "How did you?"

"I thought I recognized you! I was there with a few friends, you were the one who kept trying to buy drinks for everyone."

"I don't remember."

"No worries. We all got a laugh out of it, even the Captain himself." Scout said.

"So he knew?"

"Who, Boils? Even if you dented a fender I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have cared. He hated that car." She laughed. "You remember how you got home that night?"

"No..." Eir said with a hint of suspicion.

"A very kind group of fellow aviators dragged your sorry ass back to officers barracks."

"Oh god."

"He won't be able to save you now, Cypher."

Time to change to the malevolent senior and get going.' Scout thought with a bit of annoyance. Military rank had its privileges, but she'd always hated how she was suppose to act around others of lesser rank. Eve scratched the back of her head and suddenly took on a more serious tone.

"Call signs are a break in formality; one of the few things we are afforded besides the clothes on our back. Most don't take kindly to new pilots, and most will probably give you an extremely hard time." Scout slammed her locker shut, unintentionally making the new pilot jump. "Give respect where respect is due, but remember not to kiss the wrong ass."

"Brown nosing?"

"Whatever you call it."

"I try not to, In fact I don't."

Scout crossed her arms and regarded the woman in front of her with a smirk.

"So you think, but wait until you're down on flight hours and your qualifications list starts building up. You'll be begging people to put you in the sky, and at that point you'll want a good friend in a high place, or a good bar of soap to wash your mouth out."

Cypher laughed nervously and watched the commander leave. Grabbing her flight gear, she jumped up and followed her out.

The flight line was crowded to say the least; ten other squadrons from both the navy and marine corps were crowding it, with another twelve from the combined air force squadrons on the other side of the runway. The aircraft were staggered six to a row, twelve to a squadron, not counting the aircraft currently occupying the hangars. Knowing which aircraft to jump into was never a problem, they were marked and ready with sequential numbers and a mechanical to make sure. It was actually getting to said plane that was an issue.

More often then not Scout would find herself walking in full flight gear across a good mile of slate grey tarmac. Flight suit, g-suit, survival vest, helmet bag with navigation charts and extra water, knife and side arm with extra clips, and navigators laptop would wear you out before you were even out the door. She had a few good stories from years before that had taught her to carry only the essentials, and drink plenty of water.

#

Rika stuffed her last uniform into the large sack that lay on the floor. Giving the top of the bag a firm shove with a grunt she squished the contains enough for her to stretch the flap across the top. She held it impatiently while it sealed. When and where did she get so much stuff? She almost wished for when she was back on the Trisona, a scared girl with only a book and the clothes on her back to worry about.

There was a dull thud at her door, and she looked up to see Gamun leaning against the frame, her own overstuffed transport-bag on the ground beside her.

[Two years of training! It's hard to believe we're finally going to meet our families,] she said.

[Don't you mean units?] corrected Rika, musing silently at the similarity in the alien words. She was about to poke fun at her friend for her grammar, but the Rakken was shaking her head.

[Families. I'm sorry Rika, I keep forgetting how new you are to literally everything here. Humans do leave their birth homes eventually, right?]

[Well, yes...] said Rika, unsure if she liked where this was going. [We usually leave home when we are adults. Eventually we'll find someone we love and make a family of our own, but we still maintain ties to our parents and such.]

[Ah,] said Gamun, [now I understand. You need to find someone of an opposite gender, yes?]

Rika nodded slowly. She really didn't like where this was going now.

[Well, as you know we change from female to male as we get older depending on genetics, the number of males around us, age, environment, yadda yadda yadda. I guess I never really thought about it much--that you must form families in independent units, with at least one male and one female that is--which would explain why you differentiated between male and female with everyone in language.

[It's all really interesting. Maybe I should take up anthropology as a hobby.] Gamun shook her head, [Anyway, instead of us forming separate units, our families are like chains.]

[Chains?] asked Rika, failing to see how this related as to why she was supposedly going to a "new" family when there was no "old" family to be coming from. When she had learned that all Rakkan were born female and that many changed over the course of their life had been a blast to her -she had just assumed the military was segregated and they had a whole lot of women enlist. The shock had been large enough that now she wasn't entirely surprised that they had something bizarre for household structure as well. The impact of this was shown throughout the society in ways that made sense, but she didn't always expect. Like how everyone was referred to as male unless they were pregnant or nursing. Her bag had sealed and was vaccum-ized, so she picked it up and slung it across her back. Taking an extra step as the weight buffeted her.

But Gamun merely nodded at her question, slinging her own bag across her back before walking with her friend towards the tram. Then she continued explaining.

[Exactly. See, as we get older most of us change gender sooner or later, so we have a spouse older as well as younger than ourselves. Not only does this mean that we have the opportunity to produce offspring as a male as well as female, but that we share our genes with more than one person, allowing for better blending. On top of that, childrearing experience is passed down linearly, so the younger spouse learns hands on with the more experienced older spouse, as well as support from all the older adults in the family. When the children become adults they go off to school, career training, the military, or whatever and the family starts seeking out another family for them to join that would be the best match for the person's personality, strengths, and genetics.]

[So, what, every family is just a polygamous group of ten or so individuals across the age spectrum?]

[No,] said Gamun, shaking her head, [Linear. Everyone has two spouses. A husband AND a wife as you would say, regardless of gender. No more. No less. A bigamous relationship, but linked together in a line. Families add new members every three to five years or so, enough to provide a span, but close enough that you can relate to both your husband and your wife.]

[And these marriages are arranged for the person?]

[Well, if the daughter has a request for a certain family it's definitely taken into a strong consideration. Both families have to agree though. The one accepting her as well as the one sending her. Families are a very tight working team, you see, and can be picky about who they let in. The military is different though, here, it's determined solely by your job and where some guru in an office thinks you'll fit in. You're stuck with them, and they're stuck with you. It makes us very unique.]

[Well,] sighed Rika, [There goes any hopes of finding a hansom man who's into furries some day. So my orders are to my new family? Since dating is out, what do I do, just show up?]

[Not exactly, first there's the initiation.]

[I have to go through more hazing?!] She slammed her pack into the ground. [God fucking damnit!] She yelled, [Wasn't boot camp e-fucking-nough?!]

Gamun shook her head, her hands out trying to calm her friend. [No no no! Nothing like that. I forgot completely about it myself, though I don't know how. Look at your orders and the ticket you were given. Do they tell you to go home? I know mine do.]

Rika fished the file up on her PDA. [Nope. They list some address... on the infantry base near Ghost Lake. Are they just sending me straight there? It's not like I have a 'home' on this planet to go to, and I know they won't ship me back to Earth. I'd miss my report date by months.]

[Search it. I bet it's someone you know. Maybe that liaison ops guy you rode the bus to bootcamp with?]

Rika searched the address, which pulled up the name "Voramn," which she didn't recognize. She selected the name anyway, and the screen showed a list of about twenty Rakken faces. Four from the bottom Rika recognized the tall red ears mounted on a dark grey head. Two names below she saw a face that belonged on Earth: up on the tundra, hunting Caribou and howling at the moon. It was only a face picture, but Rika would have put her paycheck on the individual in the photo having four legs instead of two. It had the unmistakable features of a tricolored, arctic Canis Lupis, complete with fierce yellow eyes and snow on it's nose. But it was the name attached to it that caused her mind to stumble and her body to stop walking in it's tracks.

[Matthew Bartholomew Bendrin Voramn] she muttered, reading the words off the screen. [You bastard.]

[But isn't that the one you rode the transport with?] Gamun peered over Rika's shoulder. She stuck a claw across her screen, pointing at Grenkle's picture, [See, that's his name right there--Oh... That doesn't look Rakken at all,] she added, her eyes catching the picture of the wolf. [He has four names. Weird. Hey isn't your family name Bendrin, not Voramn?]

Rika nodded, [It's his second middle name here. Given to me by my adopted father, Matthew Bendrin. But I know for a fact he doesn't look like that, and he's never held a last name Voramn.]

[He's still human?]

Rika nodded. [I'd put a paycheck on it. That picture there is a wolf.]

[Then it's just a place holding picture, especially if that's the family I'm thinking of. Ghost Lake Range is an outside system Ops training base. If I remember right, the Voramn family composed the team that went to Earth to find volunteer testers for the Human Gene Manipulation Project. I read about it in a book two years ago. You're dad is slightly famous-or infamous- for that down here. He would have needed an address to get paid and everything else though, so they probably threw his name and whatever photo they could find that appeared at least semi-rakken into the system.]

[Well, at least the one's I've met from that family are nice.]

[But that's not your new family. He probably put that down for your "home" address when you enlisted, meaning that will be where your new family will pick you up from.]

Gamun paused a moment scanning faces. Some she recognized as the 'Special Guests' in field training. [Hey, those 'guest instructors' in hand-to-hand are from this group... that explains why they kicked our asses in hand to hand.]

They stopped at the tram terminal gates. Gamun ensured the tag on her bag matched her orders before dumping it down the baggage chute. Rika did the same, while Gamun continued talking.

[Look at the baggage appendix of your orders. See how it's outlined in blue and the destination number is different than the tram ticket on your orders? It's encrypted so you can't look up the location. That bag will be at your new family's door probably before you are. You won't need any of that stuff at your dad's because you won't be there very long. I'd say half a rotation, tops.]

[So why even go home? Why all the secrecy? With orders it's not like we can go anywhere else. Why not just send us on?]

Gamun grinned as she held her PDA displaying the ticket to the gate. It opened with a quiet hiss and she stepped though. Rika followed in the same manner.

[Mostly tradition,] continued Gamun, [Thousands of years ago clans would send a scout to another clan, letting them know they were coming. The clan's families would then leave their oldest daughter on the front entry way, blindfolded and bound so she couldn't run. When the raiding clan came, any family offering a daughter would be left in peace, but any that did not would have their building burned and possessions taken, and possibly killed.

[Nobody goes on those raids anymore, needless to say. I think people got tired of grabbing those that didn't fit, but the tradition evolved into a daughter's family blindfolding her and sometimes binding her wrists on the eve of her journey. Usually they'll send a small bag with some gifts in it to help her with the initiation.]

Rika had been following Gamun, nervously listening to what she was saying and not paying attention to where she was going. She was surprised when Gamun stopped abruptly, but when she looked up she saw the tram doors.

Gamun was smiling coyly, [This one is mine. Which one is yours?]

Rika stared back at her PDA, then up at the route posted on the Tram door.

[Oh, uh. Actually,] she said with a sigh, [this one is mine too.]

Gamun pushed the release on the door and it slid open. Inside the tram was mostly empty, and Rika slid onto a nearby bench and sat next to the window. Her friend plopped down next to her.

[So she's hauled off and raped by the new family, eager for fresh blood?]

[What?] started Gamun. [Oh. Oh, no, not at all. That would be horrible! And then the family would be forced to live and deal with someone really screwed up in the head for the rest of their lives... No, she's blindfolded so she can't see who her husband is, and tied just to prevent, er, any desperate change of mind. The unknown can be terrifying, but it's usually just symbolic. The blindfold also doubles as a mask, so the husband can't see his wife's face until after the initiation.]

The tram abruptly started moving. Rika had been so engrossed in conversation that she hadn't noticed the departure announcement.

[And this initiation you keep mentioning?] she asked.

[That takes about eight rotations or so to complete. One day for every two members of the family other than you. Each day two members will have tasks that you and your husband will have to complete together. Usually with him guiding you, but not allowed to actually touch anything.]

[Blindfolded?]

[Just you.]

[For eight days.]

[Yep. The brightness adjusts inside them, so it's not like it's eight days in the dark. Just eight days without seeing.]

[And I'm tied up for this time too?]

[Oh, no, not at all. You can't remove the blindfold, but once you get to your family they'll untie you at the very latest, if you're ever even tied at all. It's hard to run away in panic when you don't know where you are and you can't see where you are going.]

[Is that why the we'll be blindfold?]

Gamun looked up in shock. [Humans have such an affinity for sigh -I'm surprised you don't know.]

Rika shook her head, [Not a clue, except so you don't know who's doing what to you, and to scare the shit out of you.]

Gamun stared out the window for a few moments, watching the scenery tear by while she thought.

[Well,] she began, [meeting someone face to face for the first time is intimidating. Reactions and shock from what they look like can bear a lot of stress. As a daughter, you'll be afraid. I know I will be. Leaving my family behind to join a group of strangers is terrifying. We're blindfolded so we don't actually "meet" the person, and they don't "meet" us until we've gotten to know each other by working together. That's what the tasks given by the other family members are for. When your blindfold is finally removed, and you see each other for the first time it will be someone that you've already bonded with. You won't fear each other, and you'll already know him and the entire family by scent.]

[I guess that makes a little sense... but it's still a bizarre, scary custom.]

The tram began to slow suddenly, and Gamun stood up.

[I have a transfer here. I'm nervous too Rika. By tonight, I'll be terrified. It'll be a good thing I'll be blindfolded, or I'll be running so fast for the tram station I'd set new surface speed records. But it'll be alright in the end. You're joining their family. As a unit, they need you as much as you need them. They have every reason to treat you well Rika.]

Rika walked with her friend to the tram door. Gamun looked back at her as they pulled into the station.

[I'll see you in eight days Rika, at work. Just remember that regardless of how scary it gets, I'm going through the exact same-]

[At work?] Rika's jaw dropped in shock.

[Oh! I forgot! The CI took pity on you and bonded our orders together.]

[That hateful, sadistic bastard? Your kidding, right?]

Gamun shook her head, [One in the same. We've been inseparable till now, and by this time next month we'll be extended family, stuck in the same clan for life. As for the actual details of your initiation,] she finished as the doors opened. She stepped onto the platform and turned back to her friend, winking.

[That's your family's job to explain.]

The doors slid smoothly shut with a hiss. Rika silently cursed her friend as she felt her insides grow rigid; the stress and fear of what was to come was scalding the lining of her stomach. She spend the rest of the ride staring blankly out the window, her mind in a panicked rush. She didn't think. She couldn't, and she didn't want to. Instead, she let the fear creep in and settle like a cold carbon dioxide cloud sublimating from dry ice.

The miles flew by at close to the speed of sound. Minutes dragged on, and fear gave way to numbing fatigue as the Mirra dipped towards the horizon. She even smiled to herself as she imagined what it would be like to flitter along in a real Farrom unit, darting around the galaxy doing something more than hull breach drills and equipment checks. And the maintenance. The never ending maintenance.

The tram's emotionless voice jerked her back to the surface, announcing her arrival at the Ghost Lake terminal. Reluctantly she pried herself out of her seat and trudged over to the door, dread clinging to her legs like a steel ball on a chain. The fear flared in her gut with the realization than in anywhere from a few hours to a mere few minutes from now she would be sitting at a front door somewhere here, blindfolded and shackled, waiting for her future spouse to come bandy her off like some prize won at the county fair.

The tram came to a stop. Through the window she could see the deserted platform, bathed in the odd light that was a mix of the setting star and the overhead lights that had just turned on. The door hissed open, and she stepped out onto the vacant platform.

There wasn't a soul in sight, nor any evidence that a person, rakken or otherwise, had ever been to the terminal since it's construction. Part of her was relieved that Grenkle, Bar, her father, or anyone else had not come to meet her. She still needed to be alone, as if she needed to enjoy it one last time before it was forever whisked away from her.

Briefly she contemplated getting back on the tram, riding it to the end of whatever line it was on, and trying to disappear into the surface foliage of the planet. She shook it off though. She would be AWOL. They would find her, eventually, and bring her back. She would be punished, and then forced to go through whatever was in front of her now or possibly worse. The tram doors hissed closed again, and the tram moved on into the evening. With a sigh, she forced her lead body to move onward through the terminal gates.

As the gates snapped shut behind her she felt a small weight fall from her heart. She was committed now. There was no running away now that she was at another base. Across the road that ran by the tram station she could see the front gate of the instillation; "GHOST LAKE RANGE" standing out in the dark like the flashlight she had dropped down a latrine as a child. Like her childhood latrine incident, her heart sank at the sight. The entrance to the base was close, cutting her walking time down and her freedom short. For once, she would have liked several miles of walking to the front gate.

She paused to recompose herself, locating her ID on her PDA, and walked across the road and up to the gate. The guard, a Sergeant Grommich, seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to be outdoors on a beautiful night. Rika fought to keep his relaxed, cheerful attitude from rubbing off on her as she touched a claw to the scanner, confirming her DNA.

" 'ave a good night Corporal!" he cheered, waving her through as the scanner confirmed she was who she was claiming to be.

"You too, Sergeant," she nodded, quickly moving through before his good mood poisoned her fear that she seemed to have become dependent on; as if she was becoming more afraid of accepting or even anticipating what was about to happen than the actual tribulation it's self.

After she was past the gate, she paused to recall the search of the address on her orders, looking up directions from her location. The building was located in a small housing area of the base about a mile off the main road she was on. She trudged on.

#

"You know, not many people earn a new callsign after they get promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Most get their fuck-ups out of the way before then." Ribbed Echo.

"Uh-huh," said Eve, "And Lieutenants usually schedule their ribbing of said fuck-ups for off duty hours and out of ears of, ahem-" She nodded towards the door leading out to the hanger.

Echo abruptly shut his mouth.

"Sorry... Shepard."

She shot him another glare. She was about to say something more when Commander "Woody" Elmhurst walked in, a smile plastered across his face and several manilla folders in his hand. Eve resisted the fleeting urge to dive under her desk. That man never smiled for anything good.

He plopped a folder down on her desk and handed another to Sparks.

"What's this?" She asked. Sparks already had his open and was reading.

"Orders!" said Woody. "They have me standing up a new squadron to determine tactics and test technology for countering Skinny assaults."

"Isn't this more of the Air Force's department?" Asked Sparks.

"They're still struggling to get a squadron of working fighters together. The little they have are currently tied up standing alerts and and the like. The Navy, however, has an entire CAG, which will be donating two Echo and two Foxtrot Hornets. The rest we'll be assembling from the bone yard using our maintenance department. After we have all fourteen aircraft-"

"Wait, what?!" Said Shepard. "You picked me to be your MO, and we're supposed to magic ten airplanes from the GRAVEYARD?! Those jets are in there for a reason Woody!"

"The Navy knows that Shep. You'll have a depot team to support, and that's why we will have the designation number we're getting."

Shepard looked back at her orders. "VFAS-212. I fail to see-"

"Guadalcanal." Added Sparks. "VMF-212 built half a squadron from junked aircraft, and moved on to beat the daylights out of the Japanese. But last I checked they were back out of cadre and an Osprey squadron, not to mention always a marine unit."

"The Ospreys are junk from the initial attack and not going to be back in flying status any time soon since the military's focus for now is to regain air superiority. This will be a mixed unit, with a Major Paxton as my XO. MAG 31 will be our parent unit, under Colonel Boils as our CAG CO."

Shepard rubbed her temples. "At least we're reporting in at the bone yard instead of going to South Carolina first and then deploying to the desert for a few years."

"I'm hoping it won't be that long. A little birdy told me we might be getting another four jets, but he wouldn't say what kind or where from."

"I hope they don't dump on you those ancient Legacy models." Said Echo. The commander looked at him, slightly irritated. Suddenly his demeanor changed, causing Echo to feel his insides grow rigid.

"Now that you've reminded me Echo," said the Commander with a grin, "Sparks and Shepard, you two should submit any requests for officers you want for billet assignments under you."

Echo looked worried. Just then Cypher burst though the door.

"Hey Scout! What's this I hear about a new call-" Her eyes fell on Commander Elmhurst, then the folder in Sparks hands, then the matching one on Shepard's desk. "...Sign. I'm terribly sorry."

Shepard's face was blank. She merely pointed at Echo, then Cypher.

"Airframes OIC, Line OIC please sir."

The Commander lit up with another grin as he walked towards the door: "I don't see that being a problem."

Echo looked like a kicked puppy. Cypher simply looked bewildered.

"What just happened?" She asked.

Marcus explained: "We're standing up a new unit, mixed with marines-"

"That's not too bad," She interrupted.

"-Building frankenstein jets in the boneyard and using them to develop tactics against skinnies." He finished.

"Oh... Oh Shit."

"Yep."

"Well," said Sparks as he closed his folder, "At least the four of us are still be stuck together."

"What does he have you doing?" Asked Shepard.

"Ops O"

"Oh." She said. "Lucky prick, it looks like you won't be busy for a while."

He grinned. "I guess I could lend a hand down here every now and then."

"Mighty nice of you to offer coming down from your ivory tower."

Sparks tucked his folder under his arm and walked towards the door. "I wonder if housing was leveled there like it was everywhere else. Anyone up for extended field exercises?"

Echo sighed."I think we already know the answer to that. At least the marines will be happy. They like that kind of shit, right?"

#

She looked at the address on her PDA and then looked up at the door in front of her. The building wasn't very big, especially for twenty adults plus children. Then again, most of the building was likely underground with the top floor serving as a living room and reception area.

Regardless, the number matched. She took a breath and pounded on the door three times. She waited a few seconds before the door was suddenly flung open. A young rakken, maybe twelve earth years old looked up at her.

[Who the hell are you?] she said.

Rika looked down at the youth. [Sergeant Rika Bendrin, Although according to these orders, I am Sergeant Rika Bendrin Voramn. And you are?]

The girl didn't reply. Instead she turned around and walked away leaving the door open. [MOOOOMMMMM!] Rika head her bellow. [THERE'S A STRANGE SERGEANT AT THE DOOR! SHE SAYS SHES FAMILY BUT I'VE NEVER SMELT HER BEFORE.]

Rika heard some muffled voices. A breeze was gently drifting out of the door, and she sniffed it. The listing had been right: She could smell Grenkle here, and Bar, and... was that her dad? She sniffed again. Another scent might have been Agner, and maybe that was Dachi? There were about twenty others she didn't know in the mix. One other was slightly human. Not Matt, but difficult to distinguish.

[Fine, I'll get it.] She heard Bar's voice say. Footsteps were heard on stairs.

"Is that half-pint yours?!" Rika called in english.

"RIKA!! So happy to see you!"

Bar's familiar form appeared round the door, smiling. Rika held out a hand, but Bar batted it away.

"You don' get that anymore, Rika. Properly, now that you have a nose."

She leaned in and they sniffed each other's cheeks. Bar suddenly snatched her up in a crushing hug.

"HAH! Like I'd be that formal with my daughter! Oh it's so good to see you! Matt will be thrilled!"

[What were you guys saying?] Piped a little voice.

Bar let go and Rika looked down at the young face that had reappeared next to her waist.

"I didn't know you had kids, Bar. What's her name?" Rika asked with a wry smile, sticking to the human tongue.

[Mom, what's she saying?] The girl asked impatiently.

Bar grinned, playing along.

"She's genetically not mine. Saska and Dachi's daughter technically, but here every adult is either 'mom' or 'dad' to them, and she is everyone's daughter. They belong to all of us." Bar turned to the little one: [Have you introduced yourself? I know Rika did.]

[Yes... No.]

[You know how.]

[But she didn't bend over. I can't reach her up there.]

[You can at least tell her your name. Maybe she'll stop speaking english if you at least try.]

The youngster made a face of disgust, sticking her tongue out. [I hate it when Matt and you guys talk like that.]

Bar nudged her with a foot. [Well?]

[I'm Miya Voramn.]

Rika knelt down. [I am Rika Bendrin.] She sniffed cheeks with Miya. [Nice to meet you.]

[Rika is Matt's daughter, Miya.] said Bar.

[She doesn't smell like it.]

[Matt adopted me when I was a little older than you.]

[Adopted?] She mouthed the word.

Bar explained. [Human families only have one mom and one dad, Miya. When something happens to them and they can't care for their children, or they die their children have nowhere to go, then they are alone. The lucky ones find a home with a mom or dad -usually a family with both- that will take them in as if they were their own children. Matt took Rika in as if she were his daughter.]

[Oh. Was that on Earth?]

Rika nodded. [Yep.]

[Why don't you smell or look like a human?]

Rika smiled. [When I joined the military I became like you.]

The child grinned. [So you're one of us now?]

Rika felt the warm feeling evaporate. She was in many ways. Humanity was an identity that seemed to slip further from her grasp the longer she was here. She had even begun to wonder what it was to be human; if the identity could be dissolved so easily when no longer tethered to a physical shape. She forced a smile to her face by thinking of the great friend she had made in Gamun.

[Yes, Miya, I am.]

[Hey Rika!] Grenkle's head popped around the corner of the door. [I thought I heard your voice up here. Are we going to make our daughter stand out on the porch all night?]

Bar smiled and stood back, motioning for Rika to come in. As she walked over the threshold the inquisitive daughter was back at her questions.

[We adopted her too?]

[We sure did.] Said Bar, ruffling the fur on her head.

[I don't remember her. When?]

[When Matt adopted her on Earth. We all signed the form too. It was how we got them to let her go since he lived alone and was technically a bachelor.]

[Why doesn't she have our last name?]

[She has Matt's last name from Earth. He can't change it up there without being married.]

[But he is]

[He's not. Grenkle can't marry him on earth because you can only have one spouse there.]

[Oh. That's weird. Why is that?]

-And thus it went on. Grenkle put an arm around Rika and pulled her into a hug before the greeted each other in rakkan fashion.

[You smell nervous.]

[I shouldn't be? I only learned about this an hour or so ago.]

Grenkle froze in his tracks

[What.]

[Yeah. Sergeant Bokkar explained it on the short section of tram ride we shared from the base.]

Grenkle's ear and eye twitched simultaneously. [Matt didn't explain anything at all?]

[Nothing.]

Grenkle emitted a low growl. [I'm going to eat that bastards liver. His own daughter. What the fuck!]

[Easy Grenkle.] said Bar. Miya was nowhere to be seen, probably being sent back downstairs. [I'm sure he had his reasons. And if not, we agreed: no fucking anyone up in front of the kids.]

[It's Rika.]

[Our adopted daughter. Though she's likely just learned that too.]

Grenkle looked at her, and Rika nodded, looking irritated.

[And he didn't say anything before he handed you off to me that night?]

[Nothing. He was likely pretty pissed though. I had been in court that morning and given a hefty fine -which he paid. Maybe this is part of that?]

[I doubt it.] Said Bar.

[Yeah. He doesn't hold a grudge very long.] Said Grenkle, shaking his head. [Still, that's just fucked up.]

[Speaking of which,] said Rika, [where is Matt?]

[Work.] Said Grenkle.

[He thought you were coming tomorrow,] added Bar.

[Still? I thought he worked with you two.]

[Normally yes,] said Grenkle, [but Saska said he was requested to help with modifying or converting or whatever some Earthside junk machines. He's been at it since we picked you up.]

[For three years? It's hours after nightfall! Holy hell!]

Bar nodded. [Yeah. He just says 'welcome to aviation' whenever we bring it up. But he also said they were starting on the final leg, which is good. His leash is getting too long I think.]

Grenkle nodded in agreement. [We'll be having a little, ah, conversation with him about this lack of informing you on things a father should. We're at fault too though, being just as much your adoptive parents as he is. Ah well. I bet you are hungry. Let's go down stairs and get something to eat. I think Dachi is still putting dinner's leftovers up.]

#

She stared at her hands, tracing the pads on her fingertips with the claw on her thumb. Things had changed so much since she had walked that forest that fateful night that it would have been hard to believe any of it could be real if she weren't still living it. By comparison, this next bizarre change of her life should be nothing but a minor bump.

Suddenly something dark and blotchy darted in front of her vision. She jumped, but what ever it was slipped easily around her nose, sliding quickly up to encompass her head and blocking her vision completely. She could feel the fur of someone's arm drag across her muzzle, and the mask wrap around the base of her mouth; under her chin and just below her eyes. At least it didn't cover her muzzle.

She could feel someone tug either side behind her head, and then a hand on first one ear, then another, stuffing them through holes in the top. Finally, she felt them close the mask, probably sealing the flaps together along the back of her head. The only thing exposed was her muzzle and ears.

[There, comfortable?] It was Bar.

Rika nodded, feeling the material bunch under he chin and tickle the fur on her ears as she turned them to focus on the speaker.

[Good,] she continued, [He should be here soon. We can wait to bind you until he knocks though. I don't think anyone here will tattle.]

Rika secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The longer she could remain even a little free, the better. If I ever make it through this, she thought, I'm going to get you something wonderful for Christmas, Bar.

Something heavy, hard, and lumpy was set on her lap. She could feel pieces shift inside it, and something dangle across her leg. She ran her hands over the coarse fabric, feeling the straps. It was undoubtedly one of Matt's many battered backpacks.

"It's a little something to help you and your husband through your initiation," rumbled Matt voice from somewhere in front of her.

"What's in it?" she asked, fondling with the zipper. She quickly felt his hand on hers, staying it.

"You'll find out soon enough. Look at her, Grenkle. Our darling daughter, all grown up. I never thought I'd live to see this day-"

[-I didn't think you'd live to see it either-] injected Grenkle. Matt ignored him.

"But I'm glad to be able to see her off on the big-"

Solid, deliberate thunks landed on the front door. Rika could hear everyone jump along with her.

[That'll be him.] Said Grenkle.

Rika's wrists were grasped and drawn behind her, something about as wide as her hand was wrapped around them and gently snugged down. When then hands left, she couldn't move her wrists more than a few inches from each other. She heard the door open, and a stranger's voice,

[Good evening. I am Niedka Yasoi, and I- woah.]

[Aye, you'd better be him.] Grumbled Matt. "Grenkle?"

[Send him in! You are here for our daughter, Niedka Yasoi?]

[Yes. Is she ready?]

Rika could tell now that this was all part of the ceremony. Of course she was ready. She was blindfolded. Her arms were tied. There was a sack of something uncomfortable on her lap. What else was she going to do? Fix her hair?

[She is waiting for you there.] Matthew this time.

She heard a single pair of footsteps walk over to her, stopping just in front of her.

[Rika Voramn, I am Niedka Yasoi.] She felt something tickle the whiskers in front of her muzzle before his scent became clear. His words sounded like a handshake, and that was exactly what he was doing. His hand was in front of her nose; she could tell from the faint smell of sweat. He was also still female, and from the smell of dirt and lubricant he had been working on a Farrom not long before coming. He let her sniff his hand for a few moments before pulling it away.

[If there is nothing else to keep you here, then let's get going. It's a long trip home.]

The last words were spoken in earnest. The ceremonial entry and greeting was over, and she could hear the frankness in his voice.

[No,] she replied, [let's get this over with.]

The bag was lifted off her lap, and she could tell Niedka was slightly confused by it by Matt's explanations ([You slide your arms through and wear it on your back. No, no, like this...])

She heard him move closer, and the stranger's scent became stronger. Hands slipped under her shoulders and helped her to her feet. Suddenly there were smooth, steel-cable like arms around her, pressing her into a muscular chest that reeked with human stink.

"I miss you Rika," muttered Matt into her ear, "I wish we had had more time to catch up. Take care, and if you have any problems after your initiation you know how to get ahold of me. I love you."

"I love you too dad."

And with that the arms were gone, as if he had vanished into thin air. Grenkle, Bar, Dachie, and Agner all hugged her as well, bidding her well. Suddenly they were gone, and all that remained was a touch on her arm. She could feel Niedka's hand on her elbow guiding her out the door. Before the door closed, it sounded like someone got punched, and there was a grunt that sounded a lot like Matt. Niedka guided her down the stairs, and into a musty smelling, low car. She felt him nudge her side after she sat down and she was surprised when she scooted over to find that she was sitting on a bench style seat. The back seat?

Her suspicions were confirmed when a heavy rakkan voice come from somewhere in front of her. Congratulating the both of them. Rika didn't say anything, but Niedka muttered a [Thanks] before telling the voice to take them to the tram terminal. It was brief ride, but to Rika it seemed like it lasted at least a week. Niedka didn't say anything, but rested his hand on her knee. His touch burned her skin, and caused the butterflies in her stomach to flutter more furiously, but she didn't dare shy away.

Finally the cab slid to a stop. She heard the door open, and felt the fresh night air breeze across her face. She could feel the suspension shift as Niedka climbed out, then his hand on her arm, helping her up. Suddenly his hand was on her head, and she felt it impact something hard above her.

[Careful] he muttered.

Once she was standing, he once again guided her, walking up the stairs to where she could hear the muffled noises of a tram pulling away. Just when she thought they should have been at the top there were more stairs, and she had just begun to wonder if this was a different tram terminal than then one she had arrived when Niedka stopped, giving her arm a gentle tug. He let go of her, and she heard him fumbling with something in his pocket, then the ticking of his claws on a PDA. Suddenly the ticking stopped, and a hand gently pushed her forward. There was a beep, the hiss of the gate doors in front of her, and the gentle push continued before the hand vanished. She heard the doors close behind her as the second set opened in front of her, and she kept walking slowly forward until she heard them close again behind her.

She stood, waiting, wondering how close she had walked to the track and if she was in danger of being sucked off by a passing tram when the doors cycled behind her again and the hand reappeared on her arm.

At least he was being gentle. When she had first felt his hand on her arm, back in the Voramn's home, the image of her being forcefully half-shoved, half-dragged along like the the hooded terrorists she had seen arrested on TV on Earth. This was different though, he was treating her like one might treat a close friend who was blind and unable to use their arms.

None the less, her insides were cords of over-tightened fear. If anything, Niedka's consideration and politeness had prevented them from becoming any tighter (if that was possible), but the choking panic that crushed her chest and threatened to make her heave dinner all over the platform remained the dominating feeling, pulsing every time her wrists tugged against her bonds. She wished they would have bound her in some other way; her shoulders were beginning to feel the strain.

A tram pulled in, gliding softly to a stop. Rika, still thinking about how much she wanted out of her compromised situation automatically made to step forward, but a sharp tug on her arm caused her to abruptly stop.

[Not yet, the next one.]

Rika fought the urge to curl up on the ground, to bring her knees to her chest. She felt vulnerable, exposed, defenseless, and wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around her knees and hug them to her chest. To bury her face in her legs until she felt better. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders forward, hunching a little in the process.

[Are your shoulders getting sore?]

[I'm fine,] she lied.

[No, your really not,] he replied. [You've been tighter than an overstrung tiracco the entire time, and you absolutely reek of fear. Whenever I have my hand on you I can feel you shaking. Some nervousness is expected, but most daughters look forward to their initiation. Am I failing you that much?]

Rika drew a deep breath through her nose an slowly let it out of her mouth while she tried her best to calm her nerves.

[No,] she said, [you're not acting scary. I'm not used to this custom, nobody warned me, and it caught me off guard.]

[Not used to it?!] He sounded shocked. [How can it catch you of guard? Didn't you have any older siblings leave? Didn't your family initiate anyone while you were growing up?]

[No,] she said. [On Earth, when a female is bound and blindfolded with a stranger she is either about to be raped, murdered, or both.]

There was a stretch of silence that made her wonder if he was still there. Finally, there was his voice:

[You're from Earth.]

She nodded, unsure of what to make of his reaction. He said the words as if they were to no-one in particular.

[Does that mean you're a translated human, or the...]

[I am,] she said, imagining him running off in horror, abandoning her on the platform unable to find her way home. [Please, don't think too badly of me I'm-]

An arm was around her, pushing her sideways into a chest.

[You poor thing! Please, please tell me someone explained to you what this is all about. -Here, let me untie you. Too bad you can't see this, it's a very nice ribbon in a bow.]

[My friend told me a little on the way home this evening.]

[WHAT? Today? And that's the first you knew?]

[Yes. I had no clue this even happened until a few hours ago.]

His arm vanished from around her, and she used the opportunity to stretch her shoulders backwards. She felt the ribbon around her wrists gently tug and jerk as he worked loose the knot.

[Well, I'm glad it wasn't the way I came off. You have nothing to worry about. Nobody is going to be raping or killing you, or anything even close to that. I'm not going to hurt you or let anyone else. In fact, I'm here to help you and protect you. Just let me know if you need anything, ok?]

Rika nodded. Her chest was shedding some of it's weight. Her stomach was slowly showing signs of settling.

[A human... I can't believe it. I didn't realize any had been translated and were in the public yet...]

[I'm sorry if you were expecting something else-]

[No! This is wonderful! I feel like the luckiest Rakken on the planet right now! The first with a human spouse... you have no idea how excited the family is going to be when get there!]

[Why? I though you all saw us as kind of a trash species.]

[Well, those of you on your home planet, er, Earth, do have a rather destructive tendency towards each other. You're a very smart race though, very adaptive, and seem to function, well, "nicely" in society isolated from other humans. Not to mention if your species is translated they have the potential to add lot of depth to our dangerously shallow gene pool.]

Rika's stomach performed an immleman. [So we're desired for our potential offspring.]

[No. I desire you because you are mine. The family will desire you for your intellect, experience, and adaptivity you bring to our way of life. You bring a tremendous amount of culture and unique experience with you that they we will all enjoy and benefit from. Our race as a whole entity is what desires your race for potential offspring. I feel lucky for novelty, which I'm sure will grow into a long list of reasons as our bond forms, but I desire you because you are to be my spouse, just as I hope you will desire me because I am to be yours.]

[Oh,] said Rika, shrugging her shoulders forward again. She waited a bit for the pain in her shoulders to subside before she bit her top lip to work up some courage.

The ribbon suddenly let go, and she felt it disappear from her wrists. She stretched her arms in front of her and then relaxed, letting them hang loosely by her side. It wasn't long before her right hand was grasped in another.

[Feel better?]

Rika stretched her shoulders. Inside she was still worried, but the terror that threatened to consume her earlier was gone.

[I guess I do.]

Rika sighed and rubbed her wrist with her free arm.

[Thanks.] She said.

[You're welcome.]

There was the whirr of another tram that slid into the station. She felt Niedka's hand wrapped around hers tighten and lead her forward. He paused, as did she. There was the hiss of the pneumatic tram doors opening, and then he led her forward again, gently guiding her onto one of the seats that lined the outer walls of the tram. She heard the doors hiss close, and her heart fell flat on it's face. It was as if it cried out "Wait! I'm not ready!" before being dragged off into the present by father time.

[I actually assumed you were walker born, although I have no clue what they look like. I was going to ask you where your birth parents were, but now that I know you're human I'm guessing that was your genetic father or mother back there?]

[Father,] said Rika, thankful for the distraction. [He's not translated. Not biological either, so I guess he is just as much my parent as the rest of them. He is the only human parent I have though.]

[They just took you as their own?]

[It's common on Earth. He knew I wanted a home. They figured it would be good for him, so he adopted me while we both still lived there, and by proxy, apparently so did the rest of his not-human family.]

[That's weird. Cool, but weird. Who would not keep a daughter? Ah well, a story for less stressful times. It's tradition for the daughter's family to send a small gift to help her and her husband through their initiation. This bag smells like him, so I'm guessing that's what it is. Since he obviously knew about the tradition I wonder why he never explained anything.]

[Maybe he thought I'd panic and bail, or maybe he assumed I learned about it through friends. Bastard. He's probably right, but he's still a bastard.]

She heard a chuckle as claws fumbled with the metal tabs on a zipper. She briefly wondered if he even knew how to work a zipper before she heard the buzz of the teeth being pulled apart.

[There's a couple of paper envelopes in here. One's addressed to both of us, the other...] there was a pause as she hear the scraping of paper on paper, [is addressed to me. Huh. I wonder why he didn't just sent them over the 'net.]

She heard the tearing of paper, and him slid something out of the envelop.

[Greetings Niedka Yasoi,] he read aloud, [Congratulations on being the lucky husband of my daughter. As you will soon find out, he is an intelligent, amazingly capable person with a strong sense of determination. That being said, if I ever hear of his mistreatment...] he trailed off. There were a few seconds of silence, during which she guessed he was reading a very graphic and horrific detailed description of what would happen if he ever mistreated her. She didn't have to wait long for her suspicions to be confirmed.

[Wow!] he blurted, [Just wow. I've never been threatened like this before in my life! This is... he's not serious, is he?]

Rika felt a smirk snake across her face.

[It's a human tradition. The father traditionally threatens his new son-in-law's life and limb if he ever harms his daughter.]

[So he's not serious then.]

[Oh, I never said that. The real question is: Do you even have a reason to be worried?] She felt comforted by the threat. If there was one thing she knew she could count on, it was Matt's eagerness to come through on promises of death and destruction.

She heard Niedka sigh and slide the latter back into the envelope.

[Not of my own actions, but now I'm worried that someone might use this against me.]

[He makes sure he knows facts, not hearsay, before he acts on something like that. Besides, he lives with a rakkan family now, and I have a suspicion they keep him on a very short leash.]

There was a chuckle. [A real ball of ionized plasma, yes? What brought him down here?]

[Well, they are the Earth Special Operations crew. He's never told me any details, but I think he's a liaison. Or maybe a guide. I know he helped the team a few years ago on earth. He's be on or around Arlon since they brought me to bootcamp though... I think. So I'm not sure what he's doing now.]

[Huh. I may have read about him if he is who I think he is. There was a lot of controversy over him being here for the human translation test mission, and a few years ago someone wrote a book taking a perspective of someone on the team. It's really good, and changed a lot of minds. Rumor has it that someone on the team was the actual author, but nobody has proven it yet.]

[Oh?]

[Yeah. If he won't tell you, maybe you should read it. I've got a copy to loan you once you can take that thing off,] he said, referring to the blindfold.

[Yeah, I'm not looking forward to being blind for the next eight days.]

[It goes fast,] he replied, squeezing her hand. [There's another envelope in here. It's addressed to both of us, but I'm afraid of opening it.]

Rika chuckled slightly. She was starting to feel better. Niedka was seeming more and more like a decent person, and it was helping her relax. She heard the tearing of paper and Niedka slide something out.

[Here goes thorns: -Dear Niedka and Rika,] he read, [Or just Niedka, since you're the only one who can read this. -Heh- Enclosed are some things to help both of you on the last night of your crucible. The label's will mean nothing to you, even translated, but Rika will know what to do with them simply by smell. Father-love, something that must be his name in your language.]

[Well, what's in the bag?]

She heard a lot of rummaging, and the sound of dull plastic objects striking each other. What did he send, empty pop bottles?

[He wasn't kidding. I have no clue what this stuff is. It just looks like a bunch of different powders in plastic bottles. It looks like they had paper labels, but someone tor them all off. How can you use this stuff if you can't read what it is?]

Rika didn't have a clue. Had Matt finally lost the last of his marbles? Or, had he had another act of "mercy" combined with his eccentric-ness and sent her ingredients for a bomb? Perhaps the powders were components of explosives, or poisons. That wouldn't have been unlike Matt's style. She could hear the sounds of a lid being unscrewed and she fought the urge to cry out a warning. Niedka was undoubtedly about to do what every Rakkan would do when confronting the unknown with a long, powerful nose.

[WHOOF! OH Shit! Wow! This stuff has really a strong scent, here, smell!]

Something was thrust in front of her, and her sinuses were slapped with the overpowering stench of cloves. She coughed, taking the large pill-bottle shaped container from him and and pulled it away from her nose.

[Spices,] she gasped, fighting tears in her eyes. Her new, super-sensitive nose was still screaming in agony from a smell that would have made her cringe as a normal human.

[For cooking?]

[Yes.] She breathed deeply through her nose, trying to purge the scent. [I don't need to read them, I remember their smells. In small amounts they can be very good.]

[Then these will really help us. The last night of our initiation we have to cook the whole family dinner. Then, before it's served, your blindfold is removed and you officially become a member of the family by eating 'with us'. Instead of being masked.]

[And I'm judged on how good of a meal we make?]

[What? No. We're judged on if we can work together, which is surprisingly hard to do. My husband, Bagom, burnt the kitchen down during his initiation. It earned him the call sign 'Smokey'. Ungow's fault really, but you know how callsigns go.]

Rika giggled, and Neidka continued, [As long was we make something edible it doesn't have to be good, just not completely raw or burnt. Smokey ended up calling in a delivery order with Ungow's help, and everyone accepted it, if that says anything. -But it is traditional to make something from the family you just came from. It's supposed to symbolize consuming that aspect of you, meaning that we have taken and replaced the role of your family while accepting the qualities you bring from them. Even if we really bomb the meal, it's not like we can fail or anything.]

[I don't know if I can find the ingredients for anything that Matt and I used to cook.]

[We've got a week until groceries. There's time. Ooh, smell this one, it's pretty bland. What is this called?]

He grasped her right wrist and gently placed her hand around what felt like a mason jar. She lifted it to her nose and gingerly took a whiff. The dry, starchy scent could only be one thing:

[It's called "Flour." And it's not a spice. I'll need that though. I'm glad he sent it.]

"Flow-her," he tried the word.

[That's a lot better than most of my folks say it.]

He took the jar from her. She heard him screw the lid back on and place it back in the bag before withdrawing another and unthreading the top. The opened container was put in her hand after she heard him take a few sniffs.

[This one is nice. What is it?]

She carefully smelt the top of the jar.

[Cinnamon. Careful with that one. It smells nice, but it's deceptive, -really hot.]

They repeated the process, spending the better part of two hours sampling the large assortment of spices and ingredients. It was like Matt had taken one of everything off the spice rack at the grocery store. She wondered if he had been back to earth, or if he had known about this so far in advance that he had brought them with her last night on earth.

The tram pulled into a station, then another, and another. Sometimes she could hear people get on, other times they would get off. A couple of times they were congratulated, both of them. Rika always did her best to smile with her ears and thank them. It was strangely comforting to know that if she was being stared at, it was how people might stare at a couple on their honeymoon. Finally they pulled into a terminal and Niedka told her to stand up. They got off the tram, then boarded another, sat down, and then sped on.

Fatigue over came her fear, the stress and excitement she had felt earlier had long since evaporated along with her energy. She was warm, and Niedka was comfortable to lead against. She was in the dark anyway, yet it was relaxing to close her eyes.

She wasn't aware of falling asleep, but she suddenly found herself waking up on a shoulder. It was completely dark, but she felt warmth on her back, and it took her a few seconds before she remembered the night before, the blindfold, and the stranger she now relied on. She sat up and stretched..

The thought that Niedka was gone jumped to mind; that she had been sleeping on some stranger or bum, and her heart started racing. She leaned over, and did her best to sniff the figure beside her quietly. They started at it, evidently sleeping as well, but Rika's panic had been calmed. It was most definitely Niedka, who had, by design, become her one rock of security.

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