FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

As I picked my way carefully through the dilapidated, crumbling structure I could remember clearly the events which caused the whole planet to end up so devastated. My colony had once been one of the most wealthy in both resources and finances. Advertised as the Paris of the empire, there was surprisingly little crime, many travelling to us as a popular tourist destination.

We had managed to avoid any involvement during the great war, staying far enough away from the front that the Eldon Theocracy and its allies had been unable to reach us. That however changed on the day of the 'Knives Turn' offensive.

The Theocracy had grown desperate, they were losing badly and in a bold move managed to sneak a small, yet heavily armed fleet past the front lines. Their mission was a simple one, get behind the imperial forces and attack the rear.

The royal fleet however had been ready for them, the Emperor had held back a portion of the fleet for just such an eventuality and in only a few short hours, all but one ship had been destroyed or crippled. The last battleship in a last ditch attempt to escape, jumped to our system. Their ship was on a collision course with our world and couldn't change course, the engines having burned out with their jump. They had found our planet untouched, unprotected, a perfect target to deal a blow to the Empire and opened fire.

Their weapons rained down upon the cities and towns, reducing buildings to rubble and people to memories. No-one knew where to run to, most of the shelters were full, destroyed, or inoperable due to being abandoned and unused for so long.

I had been one of the lucky few who had managed to get into one of the few working shelters, but later would wish I hadn't. The ship had self destructed before it impacted with the planet surface, detonating its primary reactor core. The explosion sent out a massive shock-wave and contaminated a massive percentage of the atmosphere.

My tattered shirt snagged and ripped on a piece of broken glass sticking out from the damaged door frame I was trying to squeeze through. I grumbled silently to myself, my clothes were certainly not in the best of condition to be picking my way through the destroyed bio-tech laboratory I was in. However my grumbling stomach reminded me why I was risking it.

The empire had been far too busy trying to win the war to realise what had happened or launch rescue operations once they had found out. By time they had won the war, the planet was deemed unsalvageable, their scanners unable to detect any life signs due to the contamination to the atmosphere. Those who were able to find a way to escape had, the only remaining ships on the planet belonging to pirates, slavers and raiders.

These groups also controlled most of what remained usable on the planet: farms, factories, space ports, any instillation that had survived the bombardment. Any who were found on their own were abducted by one of the factions, sold as slaves or put to gruelling manual labour.

The facility I was picking through had been long abandoned. Yet it showed promise as there was no evidence of anyone having found this place since it was evacuated. I had already found some edible food remaining in a broken vending machine and had stashed it in the backpack I carried with me.

The Bio-hazard and Nanite-hazard signs should have deterred me, should have been a warning but I pressed on, deeper and deeper. Eventually I came to a room with another vending machine, full to the brim with bottled water and packs of preserved food.

I sat my backpack down carefully and took out my crowbar before making my way over to the darkened machine. I swung and hit the glass, smashing my way through with ease. However as I started to reach in to grab the content, the floor beneath me dropped before giving way, sending me falling to the level bellow with a cry.

I landed in a pool of silvery liquid that was just deep enough to prevent me from injuring myself more than a few more scratches or bruises. I groaned as I got to my feet and looked up through the hole in the former ceiling/floor. Climbing back up through said hole would be impossible, I would need to hurry to reclaim my few possessions in case anyone else was wandering through and heard my exclamation. Heaving a sigh I started the long trudge to find the stairs back up, dripping wet with whatever was in the pool.

I decided to make camp a few hours walk south of the strange facility. I had managed to make quite a haul of supplies, including some clothes I had found in a locker room. The food however would only last a few days at best. I did not want to return to that location any time soon and hadn't been feeling ok since I left it. Not sick, I just felt off, tingly like my skin was crawling with unseen insects.

I checked outside the small cave I had hunkered down in before smothering my fire and settled down to sleep in my sleeping bag. It wasn't safe to advertise my location with a glowing fire, the outlaw groups often attacked wanderers at night, drawn to them by the light given off by their fires.

I awoke some hours later feeling horrible. Everything ached, I was covered in a layer of sweat and ravenously hungry. I ate some of the food I had acquired at the facility, going through a days worth of rations, looking myself over and found nothing amiss before unconsciousness took me once more.

When I next roused I nearly screamed in pain. Everything hurt, my whole body felt aflame. At first I thought I actually was till I saw the blue-green scales starting to push from the skin on my hands. I could feel it happening all over my body and I struggled to push myself free of my sleeping bag.

I started trying to remove my clothes when I was interrupted by a massive pain spike from my back. My shirt was torn apart, falling away from my body as two large wings rapidly grew out from my back with sickening crunches and cracks of bone.

My hunger returned with a vengeance and I fell upon my supplies like a man possessed. My mind going blank as I ate, only able to focus on shovelling food down my throat as my body continued its rapid, painful transformation. I only slowed my consumption when my head began its changes, hair falling out replaced with smooth, shiny scales.

My jaw clenched and cramped as my face began pushing out into a muzzle, teeth falling out only to be replaced with sharp fangs. I lost my hearing as my ears twisted and pulled, splitting apart as they turned into wide fronds on the side of my head. A headache formed as horns pushed free from my forehead, sweeping over my scalp and down towards my neck, turning and pointing upwards at the tip as they finished.

By the time my changes finished, my hunger had not yet abated. I had consumed almost everything in my bag by time it finally ended. I barely got a moment to look down at myself, seeing the scales covering my chest and arms before I passed out once more; collapsing onto the floor next to my bag.

I roused some hours later, sun high in the sky and felt stiff and sore. I went to rub my face but smacked myself in the snout, shocking myself into remembering what had happened several hours before. Eyes wide I looked myself over, whimpering and shaking my head a little with each new discovery.

I looked much like the Draconic race that remained primarily to their own system. Covered head to toe in blue-green scales, white plate scales coated my chest, belly, and neck continuing over my crotch then down the underside of my new tail. Two large strong wings extended from my back, with white membrane between the long bones. My feet had changed completely from what they had been before, now sporting three toes per foot. They were digitigrade in stance with sharp claws on each toe and dark, durable pads on their underside.

My hands had white scales on the palms with sensitive yet tough pads, which were also on each finger. Despite being in only underwear, now torn and pulled tight, I didn't feel the cold in the air. Whatever the changes did to my body had done enough that the cold didn't bother me as much anymore, at least not the cold breeze that was blowing at that time.

The sound of people approaching quickly met my new ears and I packed up as quickly as I could. I pulled on some of the clothes I had gotten from the facility before rushing off, hoping not to be seen. There was no way to tell if they were scavengers like myself or one of the many bandit groups, either way, I knew I didn't want to be discovered.

Sadly, freedom for me only lasted a few more days. I had run out of food and decided to risk exploring one of the now abandoned towns I came across. However it turned out not to be as abandoned as I had first believed. Despite my sense of hearing improving with my transformation, It hadn't saved me from a blaster stun that hit me from behind as I explored an abandoned store.

"Well, well what do we have here? Looks like we found ourselves a dragon invading our territory." my attacker said loudly as he walked over, my eyes looking up to him as he stepped closer. A wolf in appearance, he sniffed at the air and a sickening grin spread over his muzzle.

"And this one is heat!" He announced pulling out some bindings "Looks like we hit the jackpot with this one boys! A nice fuck toy to pump out some eggs with!"

Besides the after effect of the stun from the blaster, I realised I had been feeling like something was happening to my body over the last few days. My stomach had begun giving me an empty feeling before cramping up. It was then I noticed I had become easily aroused with no reason as to why. Without a doctor I had no way of knowing what was happening to me, but it was all starting to make sense.

"A breeder boss? Wouldn't he be worth more if we sold him?" another male voice called, my eyes shifting a bit to the human walking up behind the wolf as he secured my hands and legs.

"He would be worth a pretty penny aye, but after two litters his pups will have made us much more than him on his own." the wolf said as he straightened back up "Besides, if nothing else, we can use him to burn off some of the excess energy we have been building up. Get him back to camp and in one of the stocks!"

I gave a whimper and tried to crawl away as feeling started to return to my limbs, only to be met by a point blank stun shot rendering me unconscious.

I awoke with my head and arms through holes in a make shift stocks, a muzzle fastened tightly over my snout. I could feel I was naked, my wings somehow bound with my tail strapped between them against my back. My feet anchored to the ground, legs spread out leaving my rear completely exposed.

"You're awake I see," I heard the wolf say from behind me "Wouldn't want you to miss the fun. It's your lucky day, I get first dibs on relieving you of that heat festering in your belly. Aren't you Lucky?"

I whined and struggled to get myself free, to try to cover myself and save myself from him but was only met with laughter and a slap to my rear causing me to yelp.

"Give it up, those stocks have held bigger and stronger people than you," he mocked and I gave a squeak as something wet and cold dribbled over my tail hole "You should be grateful I'm using lube, many of the others wouldn't even bother."

Giving a pleading whine and squirming again I felt as the tip of his cock pressed against my virgin entrance. I tried to pull away but got nowhere, his hands gripping at my hips firmly as he teased a few slow rubs against my hole.

He was more gentle than I was expecting, at first at least. Easing his way in slowly, painfully stretching me out around his shaft. By time he had reached his knot I was sobbing, tears streaming down my scaled face as he ground his knot against me.

"Mmmph, fuck you are tight slut!" he moaned out, his clawed fingers digging into my hips a little "Feel that knot? It will be inside you soon. But lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet, it's time I bred you like the good whore you are!"

The pace he set was hard and fast, his balls slapping against my thighs as he ploughed in as firmly as he could. His cock pushed against my prostate and, naturally I grew an erection of my own, jutting out between my legs and dribbling pre.

"Hah! K...knew you were a slut! Looks like you are loving this!" he taunted, pausing in his humping to move a hand to tease along my length making me moan out loudly and try to protest his touch "But I ain't going to t...touch that, no chance! O...only chance you have at getting off is from me filling you with my cum!"

I whined loudly, trying desperately to escape as he picked up his humping once more. Slamming in hard and fast, his knot stretching me more and more with every hilt. Every push making me ooze more pre and moan out involuntarily.

"Th...that's it, moan for me! Moan loud s...so everyone can hear how much you love this!" His verbal abuse got more and more vulgar as time went on. An hour passed, his panting got heavier, his thrusts more erratic and I knew he wasn't going to last much longer. Neither would I. The abuse to my prostate was pushing me closer and closer to my own release which I dread like the plague.

"H...here it comes bitch!" he finally warned, his clawed fingers digging deep into my hips as he pushed in as hard as he could. "G...Gonna tie a...and fill your belly with my pups!"

I was tired, my struggles were barely worth mentioning and my pleading was not even discernible through the tight muzzle. He thrust in hard, his knot pushing into me causing me to scream out as it finally popped inside.

It swelled up quickly, locking him in place yet that didn't stop him from trying to thrust a few times before pressing as hard as he could and gave a loud howl as he climaxed. My own cock erupted below me, spraying my seed uselessly over the floor while his flooded my body.

"ooh, th...there we go, g...good slut, nice and full," he taunted, panting heavily "Will need to do this a few more times to make sure it takes though, so you best get used to it!"

True to his word, I was filled several more times before it was confirmed that it had set. For several weeks my belly swelled as the eggs formed. However it didn't mean a stop to being fucked each day. That continued well up until I laid them. Afterwards I was given a few days rest before they began the process over again, fucking me day in and day out till I was once again swelling with eggs.

This pattern continued for several years, I lost count of how many years exactly and how many eggs I laid. I never got to see or hold them anyway, so couldn't make any connection with any of them. I broke by the end of the second year. They had flayed my wings when I had attempted to fly to escape. It was an extremely painful process that they performed slowly, drawing out the punishment for as long as they could.

By year five I hardly felt anything when they impregnated me again. Remaining almost catatonic in my cell, feet and arms chained together, wings bound tightly behind me. I would just lay limply in a corner when I wasn't eating, drinking, birthing, being fucked or using the lavatory.

However my luck did turn one day. I was pregnant with yet another clutch of eggs, the largest clutch yet when I heard shouting, yelling and gunfire. My eyes looked up as the guard at my cell door turned and shouted something, opening fire on some adversary I couldn't see.

I figured it may be a raid by a rival faction. They happened from time to time, usually ending with some deaths but my tormentors being the victors. This time however I watched as the guard was hit in the chest and thrown back off his feet by weapons fire.

"The smell down here is less than appealing." a voice announced as I heard footsteps approaching. I heaved a sigh and returned to my blank staring at the wall. I figured that whomever they were, maybe they would finally end my torment, free me from my life of being nothing more than an egg factory.

"Over here, I think I have found it." another voice announced and three figures appeared at the entrance to my Cell. Two were clad in heavy Imperial battle armour, looking almost like walking mechs or battle tanks, all that could be discerned was that they were felines, and both female.

The third however was more confusing. Taller than the other two and more heavy set, their armour looked more akin to a layer of skin over their body than defensive plating. Unlike the camouflage pattern of the other two, this persons armour seemed to adapt to its surroundings, patterns changing and fluxing as they moved to best blend in with their surroundings.

The only features that could be discerned was the thick long tail behind them, two toes upon each digitigrade foot and two fingers and a thumb on each hand. They had a short muzzle, and could easily be mistaken for being either over weight or a body builder.

"Stand back." The bigger one warned the other two who did as told, stepping to the other side of the cell doorway. The stranger grabbed the locking mechanism for my cell with both hands and pulled it completely free from the wall in one, swift movement.

"Stay out here, keep watch." they then ordered, voice definitely male, before entering my cell, the two felines nodding and shifted to stand either side of the entrance. I sighed and slumped a bit ready to either be put out of my misery, or put to use again as I had grown accustomed.

I heard some beeping and twitched away when one large meaty hand was held out above me. He seemed to notice my reaction and flinched back a little before returning his hand to the previous position. Slowly he moved it over me, not getting any closer as the slow movements continued, eventually settling his broad hand on my rotund belly drawing a soft yet audible whimper from me.

"Looks like we were right, this is the source," he announced matter-of-factually and sighed heavily "What did they do to you? Everything is a mess... even this litter is..." he stopped mid sentence shaking his head.

"He is coming with me." he finally announced flatly and the two at the door looked in.

"But sir, the Emperor demanded..."

"The Emperor understands perfectly that we will be able to handle this better," he interrupted "The only reason I came on this mission was because of my specialisation in this field. Although even I didn't expect something this bad. Now I am returning with him to my ship, he probably won't survive this clutch unless I stabilise him quickly."

He moved to pick me up and I reacted instinctively, yelping, yowling and trying to get away from him. They all looked alarmed, shocked by my reaction and the fact that, for the first time since they found me I had moved.

"What did you do!?"

"What are you doing to him!?"

"N...Nothing, I hadn't even touched him yet..." he replied bewildered watching me trying in vein to occupy as small a space as possible as far away from as I could "Going to need to sedate him."

One of the felines stepped in, tapping buttons on her weapon and he looked towards her.

"What are you doing?"

"I was going to put him out of his misery sir, No matter how hard you try, some just can't be saved." The larger male looked enraged, looking back to me then shook his head.

"No, put your gun away. Even if set to stun the energy impact from your weapon alone could put him into premature labour or damage his eggs. He wouldn't survive even if I did get him back to my ship at that point." he remarked before pulling out his own weapon and started tinkering with its settings.

"And what about yours? It sent that last guard flying!"

"Our weaponry is capable of sedating as well as concussive stun blasts," he remarked flatly before aiming it at me "Think of it like an advanced tranquilliser, I simply pull the trigger and..." I was hit with a wave of energy, instantly feeling drowsy. I struggled to stay awake, eyes lids drooping as he holstered his gun. I started to flail a bit, reaching out to try to grab something, anything to hold so I could keep focus. My hand was met by his, the large male moving to hold me still, his voice nothing more than a mash of understandable sounds before I collapsed limply into his arms as my vision went black.

When I next awoke I was laying naked on some warm, soft surface. It felt almost impossibly soft, like it was contoured and padded in just the right spots to make me comfortable. It also seemed to move, just a little, in response to my own movements, the feeling oddly soothing, like receiving a feather soft massage from unseen hands.

I groaned softly and slowly opened my eyes, almost being blinded by the pristine white walls and ceiling of the room I was in. The walls were almost impossibly smooth, curving to meet the ceiling and meshing right into it. Light blue holo displays were up all over the room giving readouts that I couldn't discern. A trilled beep emanated from somewhere and I turned my head to see a small object rush out of the room, the small hole it left through closing behind it.

A large door appeared close by a few seconds later and two people walked in, I would have tried to cover myself if there had been sheets but found none and figured what was the point? One was a tall male Lion, pure white in colour and radiating an air of authority I hadn't thought possible before. A small tiara like crown rested upon his head, a long flowing white jacket with cold edging rested over his frame, a long loincloth like part between his legs baring the royal mark.

The other was slightly taller than the Lion. His body was a blood orange colour with deep purple coloured markings on his arms, legs, tail and face. Several veins covered his shoulders, legs and feet with a Magenta coloured fluid pulsing through them.

He had a shortish muzzle with no discernible nose. Each side of his head just behind his brightly coloured eyes two tentacle like growths sprouted, hanging limply down over his shoulders. The two closest to his eyes only reached to just bellow his jawline. He was naked unlike the feline, with his full body unashamedly on display, six purple nipples adorned his chest and belly with a tight genital slit between his legs.

He was a Kiquvari, I had heard and read about them, remembering seeing several pictures in the archives as I had grown up. A race that was purely intersexed men, or more simply put, they were all male with female reproductive organs. Masters of genetics and reproduction, they acted as surrogates to those who wished for, but couldn't have on their own, children and could afford their services.

Their bodies were supported by a complex 'bio-drolics' system. Fluids that coursed through their bodies that could be directed to areas to increase strength if required. They had no bone structure, which meant that they could support loads and sustain impacts that would kill other species.

They had invented the 'Fauxilisation' compound. A chemical that aided others in reproducing as a cheap alternative to their services. The compound was used like a personal lubricant, if two males were involved it would cause a temporary womb to be formed within the recipient. Birth would be completed through cesarean section several months later. If male and female, it would make the female receptive enough to permit impregnation, even if they were barren and unable to conceive naturally.

The chemical was cheap and easy to produce, however it had a short shelf life and only a 50/50 chance of success. The other drawback was that the primary component that made it work could only be procured from the Kiquvari.

This aided in their neutrality with almost every galactic governing entity. Even during the last war when their systems ended up becoming part of the front lines, the battles were waged around them. Their technology was far in advance of even the Empire with their constructs based on bio-organic engineering. When the war had threatened their systems, they closed their borders and any ship that entered was never seen again. However lives were never lost, the crews always surfacing a few weeks later in pods on a planet on their respective sides of the front line.

He seemed to have a comfortable smile on his face and he strode past the lion and towards me with an air of disarming confidence. He wasn't even bothered as I tried to back away from him, maintaining his pleasing bedside manner.

"You're awake, good," He said, appearing to be genuinely pleased "Had me worried there for a while, relax, you are safe here."

My attempt to speak was sadly, unsuccessful. The years of abuse and being practically mute except for screams of pain, moans of pleasure and gagging on the slavers repulsive cocks caused me to simply gurgle instead of make proper words.

"What's wrong with his voice Zox'i?" the lion asked crossing his arms and the Kiqu, Zox'i sighed.

"I'm afraid Emperor that it may take time for him to recover full control of his voice. He has experience quite a bit of trauma. Even my tech can't repair everything." he answered and I jolted a little in recognition. Emperor? That was the Emperor!? What was he doing here? I whimpered loudly only to get a hushing from Zox'i.

"Calm, stay calm, you're alright," the tall Kiqu instructed soothingly "Now, seeing as you can't answer me normally I will ask you some yes and no question. you just nod or shake your head ok?" I gave a drawn out whine and looked sideways at the emperor.

"He is only here to observe, you are a citizen of his Empire and he is concerned for your well being ok?" Zox'i informed me, drawing my attention back to him when he placed one of his hands on my swollen belly. I heaved a sigh and nodded trying not to let my mood drop. "Excellent... Now, are you feeling ok? Do you hurt anywhere?" I nodded and then shook my head in answer to his two questions resulting in a smile from them both.

"That's good, do you know where you are?" the question from the Kiqu came with an obvious answer on my part, I shook my head no. "Ok, you are on my ship in orbit above the planet we found you on. I decided to bring you here as I can tend to you better than they can." he gestured over his shoulder to the Emperor who huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Your scans showed some interesting genetic abnormalities. Human DNA spliced with Draconic and a functioning womb... I have a blood test running now to work everything out, do you know what happened to you?" I tried to think of an answer, deciding to try to give a yes and no answer at the same time.

"So... you do and don't know?" he asked and I gave a shrug and a nod. I knew how to explain the human DNA but I couldn't explain how or why I had transformed. Nor could I explain the functioning womb, I just knew it worked. Almost too well if the current state of my belly was any indication.

"Were your captors the ones who did this?" he next asked, gesturing to my belly, my eyes started to water a little and I nodded. I raised a hand slowly to slowly trace a circle in the air, hoping to show that it was done over and over and over again.

"Well... I guess you have some of your answers Emperor," Zox'i said turning to look at the lion "The human DNA in his body and the fact that the traders were the ones impregnating him is what caused the birth defects in all of those hatchlings. I will add that, like we told you originally, blaming the Kiquvari for that was the height of insulting. As if we would produce offspring with genetic instabilities."

"All we knew was that there were dragon hybrid hatchlings that were dying from genetic deformities, they were being produced on mass, and all of them had the documentation saying they were from Kiqu breeders." the lion replied. My eyes widened as he spoke, realising they were talking about all of the eggs I had been laying.

"Yet you only came to us about it in the last six months instead of confronting us when it was first discovered." The Kiqu returned angrily. I gave a whimper, mind still reeling on the fate of every egg I had laid. Sure I never had built an emotional connection to them, but it was still devastating to realise I had caused so much trauma, so much pain and so much death. Zox'i seemed to notice my slow emotional breakdown, several displays around the room starting to flash red.

"Ah crap... calm down hun, shh, calm...stress isn't good for the.." he began but my hands flew to my belly and I started crying hard thinking it was going to happen to my next litter. The kiqu tapped at a display and I felt a pinch against my back. A few moments later, I started feeling calmer, more relaxed and I managed to look at him confused tears in my eyes.

"Ok that's better... sorry for that hun, that was some relaxants," The tall alien said softly, still trying to sooth me as he reached out to gently wipe my eyes dry "Your clutch will be ok, I have already corrected the issue in them. You just need to stay calm ok?" I gave a slow nod getting a smile in return.

"We should talk out there," the Emperor said with a sigh "I don't think we want to stress him more than necessary."

"I agree, stress is the last thing he needs right now," Zox'i said and gave a soft, soothing and almost loving rub to my stomach "you try to get some rest, practice trying to speak so you can tell me your name ok? When I come back I will have some food for you, you need to get your strength up."

I nodded and sighed, laying still as they left, the lights dimming a little as I tried to get a bit more comfortable, the bed reacting to help try to calm my distress. I still couldn't believe what they had said, all those lives lost. I was cheered a little by his saying that this clutch would be ok, but at the same time I realised that, I didn't want it.

Sure I wanted them to live, I wanted them to thrive, I just didn't want them to live with me. I realised that they would only be a reminder to me of what I had gone through. It wouldn't be fair on them, I wouldn't be able to be the parent they needed because of those memories. I tried to mutter softly a weak 'I'm sorry' towards my belly but it only came out as a series of gurgles and growls.

I growled at myself in irritation as the sound echoed around the room a little. How was I going to tell them I didn't want the eggs if I couldn't speak? Tears welled up in my eyes once again, this time in depressed self loathing as I thought about my deficiencies. I wondered if I would ever fully recover, ever be back to being able to talk, ever able to look back on the last few years with anything other than despair and self loathing for the unintentional deaths I had caused.

I was drawn from my self loathing by a querying trill and I turned my head to see a strange creature walking cautiously towards me. It walked on all fours, a slim almost canine muzzle with bright magenta eyes. Two droopy ears hung down from its head although they both almost looked like someone had cut the fleshy middle out, just the outside few centimetres. They were perked, as best as they could be, eyes watching me curiously. Just behind each ear were two long tentacles, much like Zox'i had on his head.

It was covered in deep green coloured fur, lighter green on the underside of its muzzle, neck, barrelled chest and slim belly. A thick tail stuck out behind it, wagging a little. Down its spine and over its hips were the same magenta biodraulics that the Kiquvari had. It stood on four paws, the back two having three toes while the front had four, one sicking out looking a bit like an opposable thumb.

It stepped forward once more, giving another curious trill before jumping up and placing both forelegs on the bed. This gave me a good view of its under belly and the bright purple teats on it. Its black nose sniffed over me, giving a soft huff and chirp as my hand reached out cautiously to gently pet over its sleek head.

It churred and trilled happily, pushing into the petting, nose sniffing at my belly and gave it a few soft licks. I continued to pet, fingers carding through its thick, silky soft fur as the head turned and gave my face a few careful licks, cleaning away tears I hadn't realised I had shed.

A few moments later it hopped up onto the bed to join me, nuzzling at my neck and chin before laying against my side. Despite its size and weight it was gentle, pressing close but never resting its weight on me. Nuzzling at my chin, one forepaw on my belly, the other coming up to demand I keep petting whenever I stopped and started to get lost in my thoughts again.

The door opened as I was finally relaxing making me jump a little as the Kiqu walked back in. He was reading something on his holo-display before he looked up and blinked in surprise before rolling his eyes and giving an exasperated sigh.

"How did you get in here Ov'ids?" he asked looking at the animal laying against me and then chuckled softly "Milgais I told you to let him rest on his own." he looked up as he scolded, the room giving a rumble in reply.

"That's no excuse, what if he had hurt them?" he then asked, again to the room and gestured towards myself and the animal with me on the bed "Ov'ids could have pushed them off the bed!" The creature against me gave an irritated trill in Zox'i's direction, the room rumbling again.

"Yes I know Ov'ids wouldn't have hurt them intentionally, but you should have waited till I was in the room!" he remarked before walking over and sighed looking down at me "Sorry about them, they get a bit... free spirited at times."

I just nodded, flinching a little when he reached out to pet at Ov'ids, the creature nuzzling my neck and giving a lick to my cheek when it felt the flinch managing to calm me quickly.

"Anyway... this is Ov'ids, he is my pet. He must have sensed you were distressed," Zox'i said with a smile "They are an empathic species, one my people custom made many years ago. Able to pick up on the emotional state of others, they are also hypoallergenic, meaning no chances of allergic reactions for anyone. I guess he wanted to help you. Milgais is my ship, she is playful but harmless. If you are lucky she may even sing to you as you sleep."

I just nodded watching him as he walked away to the wall and pressed his hand to it, it opening a moment later, he collected out a tray and brought it over, a couple of glasses filled with clean, clear water and and two plates of food, one piled high. He offered me one of the glasses with a smile, letting me take it in my own time. I took small sips, my other hand still petting Ov'ids as the Kiquvari seemed to think about something then smiled.

"I know... if you can't speak for now... you think you could type out your name?" he asked bringing up a holo-display and moved it to be in front of me, a keyboard coming up at the bottom "Just type it in, you can also use it to ask or answer any questions, that way we can at least talk on some level." I sighed and nodded looking at the display, passing back the glass of water before bringing up my hand to begin typing.