FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(and again, I post without placing my chapter into the series. I'm such an idiot...)

(Edit note: Last two chapters had a starship mislabelled, Star Hawk instead of Fledgling.)

A/N: Well; you guys are probably itching to get reading this, and I'm really sorry to keep you waiting so long. A number of personal factors have made me unable or unwilling to write recently, and unfortunately I've had some work that has needed doing. It may not be of the best caliber, but this is the best I can do at the moment.

As I've said before, I know where the story is going. I have no idea how it GETS there, but I know where it ends up. I already have the final scene to Battlefields written up.

Warning: This chapter contains no actual nuts of any kind (at least visible), and isn't a 'yiffy' chapter, per-se. It does contain mild language, exclusively male-male relationships, and content that can be considered unsuitable for anybody. (Fortunately, this is just the way we like it.) If you are offended by Gay relationships, Furries, Quasai-sexual scenes, romantic involvement between two males, Science-Fiction, or me in general, (there are people offended by me?) then either turn around and walk away, or bend over and take it. It's your choice.

Under 18? Unaware of the age of majority in your country or region? If you think you might be too young to read this, please put it in your 'remember to read later' box and wait until you're legal. If you are caught reading this material and you are not of legal age, it is not at the behest of the author. Please keep this in mind.

Without further delay:

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Chapter 10: Authentic Facades

Two weeks into the trip. Finally the Morningstar was beginning to look like her old self. Most of the holes in the hull had been patched, excluding the large gaping gash in the long-range communications array and weapon control areas. Navigation was in tact, surprisingly, having taken several repeated barrages.

The debris littering the ship was cleared away, and the quarters were next on the agenda. It was lucky that the majority of deck six had been left untouched, only two quarters having been rendered uninhabitable. Axis and Phillips were creating a repair schedule, walking through the halls and stopping at quarters that had been reported damaged.

The damages were relatively minor, a fallen ceiling plate here, a blown light there. Someone's showerhead had been knocked off in a large swathe of flying debris, and this made Axis chuckle a bit. All in all the day was progressing slowly.

Aries was making a round of the ship, part of security, and turned down the corridor along which his quarters were. He began to think quietly while walking along the curved hallway, smiling inwardly to himself. He thought; 'I'll admit it's not an unappealing prospect. But can I really get into something like this?'

He sighed and looked down, slipping his handpaws into his pockets. 'I guess I should tell him no. This is just something I can't do yet.' He perked an ear as he passed by his quarters. He could have sworn he'd heard a voice, somebody nearby. As he listened, it became more and more obvious that what he'd heard was his mind playing tricks on him. With a quiet stride he began to walk again, a bit more alert but no less annoyed at his situation.

'It's definitely not going to work out. I'll just tell him no and that'll be the end of it,' he thought, rounding the corner into the next hall on his route.

--

Orion squirmed, as though the doctor had hurt him. He was lying on his stomach in the medical cubicle, and the woman was collecting samples for forensic study. Just outside the tiny, faded-green room were Lucas and the ship's captain. The woman was dressed in standard uniform, but the outfit seemed to fit her better than most. She looked muscular but at the same time held her femininity; and her jet-black hair was drawn back into a tight bun, a pair of metal pins decorating it.

Her eyes complimented her hair; where one was dark, her eyes were bright and confidant, a hue of mint-green mixed with something like azure. They looked Lucas over for any sign of fabrication as the Dalmatian told her what he'd seen.

"... and there he was, standing there in front of me in... nothing. He looked like he was crying... I brought him here as soon as he thought he could move again," said the pup. He looked a little shaken himself. His voice was coated with a fine raspy quality, deep as it was it seemed to be lifted by the slight coarseness.

"And you don't remember seeing anyone else in the room, anyone nearby?" asked the woman, her arms crossed and looking worried.

The rest of Medical looked like the ship in general. Brushed steel walkways, blue-grey carpeting, and a black-backed touch screen console every few meters. Lucas thought heavily, not having anything really to go on. "Uh... not that I remember... Sorry... I remember bumping into someone, but I didn't see who it was..." replied the Dalmatian.

"Damn... well we probably won't need your testimony once we get the genetics. Which should be in about an hour," said the captain, shaking her head. "Still though, the aggressor could be hurting more people as we speak."

"Yeah... I hope not," said Lucas as the closed door to the tiny office slid open. This one was manual, complete with mechanical lock. Out from behind the frosted glass stepped the doctor, looking between the two of them silently.

With a bit of a bored, resentful look she turned to Lucas and said, "He asked me to send in an ensign Lucas... I assume that's you?"

The Dalmatian nodded, his black ears slightly perked from this odd news. "Right now?" he asked, his finely coarse voice carrying a hint of worry. He was answered with a nod from the woman as she stepped out of the doorway to speak with the captain.

As Lucas entered, Orion was standing in an emergency shower stall for chemical spills and the like. The frosted glass blurred his features, but it was apparent that he was quivering slightly. On seeing the Dalmatian, the young fox turned his body, thankful for the censor of the glass.

Lucas was unprepared for this, so he turned to his side a bit, looking away as casually as he could. He rocked on his heels a bit, pretending to be fascinated by the medical diagrams before him. "You, uh... wanted to speak to me?" he asked, his eyes skimming over the word 'tibia'.

Orion flushed a bit and nodded. A moment later he kicked himself mentally, realizing the Dalmatian couldn't see him. "Y-yes..." he said, shakily, while working his fingertips into his chest fur.

"Well, if it's to thank me, you really don't have to worry, Ry. I mean, you'd do the same for me, right?" smirked the youth, examining the femur on the chart.

Orion thought for a bit, while he scrubbed a bit lower, nodding again. He let out an affirmative 'ah huh' and turned his back to his friend, letting the water soak into his other side for a bit.

"So," started Lucas, pausing briefly, "you're okay?" he asked, his voice poorly hiding a caring undertone. His eyes continued to roam upward, grazing over the pelvic bone.

Orion smiled and let out a very calm and somewhat quiet, "I am now..." which was drowned out by the falling water. His paws slowly began to work between his thighs, cleansing himself of anything left behind by the wolf.

Lucas had heard something, but he didn't know what. He turned his head towards Orion briefly and perked an ear. "Pardon?" he asked, an eyebrow rising. His eyes couldn't help but roam the vague outline of the fox's slightly effeminate features. He shook his head and blinked a couple of times.

Orion began to turn around at that moment, as he said, "Y-yeah... I'm fine." He stopped turning as he caught Lucas' eyes and a vivid blush began to spread across his face. "Um... s-see anything you... like?" he hazarded, still very shy around people.

Lucas shook his head again, more to clear his mind then to say no, and looked up into Ry's eyes. "Uh, what?" he asked, almost completely oblivious.

The young fox pretty much lost his backbone at that point, as he turned a bit more and blushed. "N-nevermind... Could you hand me the towel?" asked the once again timid fox.

Lucas chuckled and grabbed the towel off the rack, passing it to Orion. He held the towel a moment after the fox had grabbed it, smiling a bit. Orion smiled back uneasily, half expecting Lucas to climb in with him. 'More like hoping...' he thought, the blush spreading further.

"And yes... I do see something I like..." said the black-on-white male, letting go of the towel and turning away with a thin smirk. He flicked his slender tail a bit and blushed a bit, embarrassed that he'd actually said that.

'Where did that come from?' he thought to himself, almost fearing the answer.

Orion dried himself off, thankful to be rid of the acrid smell; his fur getting messed up a bit. He wrapped the cloth around his waist tightly and stepped out of the round stall silently, walking up behind Lucas.

"Hey, Luke?" he asked quietly, laying a handpaw on the Dalmatian's shoulder carefully. His voice was measured; calm and confident for perhaps the first time in his teenage life as he said to his angel, "Thank you..."

Lucas turned halfway and regarded the kit, smiling softly. He was an expert at suppressing a blush, no evidence visible. "Don't mention it, foxy," he said coolly, smiling into the smaller male's curious, shy, sea green eyes.

Orion hesitated a moment, moving half a step closer, and back again. His eyes slowly fell to the left, looking away as he lowered his paw. The smaller male, his fur, still slightly damp from the shower glistened cleanly as he said in a quiet voice, "I... want to."

Lucas blinked at this humble display. The younger Sirian had already been through so much, and had more experience than he did. The Dalmatian weighed his actions carefully, and moved a paw to rest on Orion's left waist, the other turning the fox's nose towards him. With a bit of a smile, the black-on-white slipped the fox into a gentle hug and pressing his left cheek to Orion's. "Then... you're always welcome..." came that finely coarse voice, caring to a fault.

Orion slipped his arms around the Dalmatian's waist and hugged him back, whimpering softly. His fur, still slightly damp, left a wet mark down Lucas' front once he pulled away, and immediately the kit started apologizing, backing away and looking terrified.

Lucas made a quick grab and held Orion by the wrists, looking into his eyes caringly. "Don't worry about it... okay? Think of me as your equal... please," pleaded the Dalmatian, his viridian eyes locked on those of the male. "I care about you... I don't want to hurt you..." he finished, his voice carrying well the concern. In less than five minutes he had gone from trying to hide the fact that he cared to openly stating it.

Orion looked away and whimpered a bit, quivering slightly until Lucas let go of his arms and laid a paw on the kit's cheek. This made him look up, and his jade eyes met the silver-green of Lucas'. He was speechless, never hearing such kindness from a 'superior'.

"Now please," started the male with a deliberate pause, "... get dressed and meet me just outside. I'll give you an escort back to your quar-"

"No! No he can find me there! He got in once! He can do it again!" interrupted the fox, almost in hysterics. He appeared very, very frightened, holding Lucas' arm tightly.

"Ry... Rian... Orion! calm down!" said Lucas with a slight raise to his voice. "If you'd like... I can stay with you..." he offered, extracting his arm from the fox's.

"I'd rather... stay in your quarters. M-maybe he doesn't know you're protecting me?" suggested the fox, still clinging to Lucas a bit.

"Alright... but get dressed and meet me just outside..." said Lucas, before hugging the fox and stepping back out of the medical office.

The captain and the doctor had already left, and so Lucas had a little while to think.

--

Taking time away from the bridge, Jasyn was sitting in the quarters he shared, watching Axis and Mati study up on engineering specs.

"... and this is a..." started Mati, blinking a few times before recalling. "slip-manifold?" he asked, wondering.

Axis smiled and ruffled Mati's head fur, chuckling a bit. "Yup, that's exactly what that is Pup," he said, looking over to Jasyn briefly.

"You're pretty good... I think we should put you into a uniform now and be done with it," Jasyn suggested, snickering quietly. "You'd make an excellent mechanic, and technician."

Mathieu smiled and nodded a bit. "Thanks d--umm... Captain."

"'Dad'?" asked Axis, simply.

Mati apologized many times over, whimpering quietly.

"Hey, hey, hey bud... no problems," started Jasyn, smiling. "You're feelin' more at home now?"

Mathieu blushed a bit and nodded slightly, looking at Axis. "Y-yeah..." he said, smiling a thin, unsure smile.

--

As the two of them headed towards the Dalmatian's quarters, Orion took one of Lucas' arms and hugged it, sighing softly. The white polyester aggravated him a bit, but he held the arm close, looking up as the Dalmatian led him.

Lucas' mind was reeling, he wasn't sure about what was happening. 'Why do I feel I need to protect him?' he thought as he turned left down a corridor. His charge followed willingly, still staring up at him.

The two passed a large wolf, but neither really noticed; one entranced in thought while the other was entranced with the company he held. They walked through the corridors, being passed by all manner of other Sirians and humans alike. The Fledgling had taken little damage if any in the battle above Falla.

As the two rounded the corridor that Lucas' quarters were on, a panoramic view of the slipstream event, its multicoloured strings flicking, greeted them on the left. Lucas paid it barely any heed, but the sight cause the young fox to stop almost dead in his tracks.

"That... is beautiful..." he said, completely lost in the hypnotic motions. For at least a minute, the fox stood and stared in wonderment of the strange, and before now unnoticed beauty. He was at a loss for words, but he tried anyway. "So many colours... so seemingly flawless..."

Lucas stepped up behind him, gently slipping his arms around the kit fox's waist as he shared the sight. "Shh... just enjoy this moment with me..." he said, with the slight rasp to his already unmistakable voice. The silence was comfortable, as the two stood there; letting time pass them by like the strings were doing right before their eyes.

Orion pressed back against his slightly larger friend and let out a happy noise, ecstatic to be in the one place he felt safe. Picking up on his importance to the young fox, the Dalmatian held him closer and made an equally happy noise. An eternity seemed to pass for them, but despite what they wished it passed.

Lucas quietly led the fox to the third door in the hall before unlocking it and stepping into the slightly cramped quarters. Orion's were larger, by some miracle; wider by a foot and deeper by a couple. The young fox felt right at home though in the organized and tidy space. Blue-grey rug and dulled grey walls, as depressing as every other corridor on the ship; made so much less depressing by his spotted host.

Lucas motioned for the fox to take a seat, the only real place being the unused other bed. The ship had been reduced to a little more than half-crew, so some of the double-quarters were only half-used. Lucas seated himself on the other bed; a ninety-degree angle to the one Orion was on.

"Are you sure you're alright?" queried the Dalmatian in a tone of care. His viridian eyes seemed to somehow bring an inconceivable calm to Orion, and the fox could only nod and smile. Lucas smiled back and stood up, unzipping his jacket while he spoke. "Good. I hope you don't mind if I lose this jacket; stupid thing is stifling."

Orion seemed entranced; the grey turtleneck dulled the dalmatian's eyes though, and that disheartened the fox slightly. "L-luke?" he asked, blushing in the most profuse of ways.

The spotty-dog turned his head, as he'd been looking to the side, and let out a quiet, "yeah?" while folding the jacket neatly. His head fur held the spotted pattern, except that they were more streaks in his hair than spots. A black streak fell over his eyes but he ignored it, looking curiously at the fox.

Incoherent thoughts swam through the fox's head, as he tried to find the right words. With a slight stutter, he explained quietly; "The grey... I-in that turtleneck; it d-dulls your eyes..."

Lucas blinked, and emitted a quiet chuckle, immediately slipping off the shirt aswell. "Well we can't have that now, can we?" he spoke, his face obscured for a moment, before a streak of white joined the black, mirroring it on the other side. Sitting down beside Orion, Lucas brushed his head fur back and smiled as the words; "That better?" left his lips.

Orion jumped as he heard the male's voice, his chestnut ears flicking as he was woken from his trance. "Wh-what? Y-yes... that's... better," stammered the bashful youth, looking up into his saviour's eyes.

"So... you called me an angel before... Do~ you really think I'm an angel?" asked the dog, smirking quietly as he leaned back on his bunk. His chest and abs were lithe, like most Sirians' however they had a definition to them that Orion had never seen. They seemed too perfect, too real. He just had to...

"Umm... what're you... doing?" Lucas inquired, looking down as the fox ran a paw over his abs. "S-stop it... it... hehe... it tickles," he protested, giggling a bit. He was actually enjoying the attention, but didn't let it show.

Orion looked up and blushed, jerking his paw back just as Lucas grabbed his wrist. "Sorry! Sorry... sorry, I'm so sorry," the fox rambled, eyes closed tight as he let out an apologetic whimper. He felt a paw against his shoulder and a tug forward, a feeling of warmth engulfing him within moments. His ear was pressed against something furry, and he could hear a quiet thumping noise, rhythmic and soothing.

Hesitantly he opened his eyes, looking up to see a pair of dark green eyes staring down at him with worry. The act of looking up had pressed his nose to the Dalmatian's and Lucas smiled slightly, holding the young kit closer.

In his rich and rough voice Lucas spoke, his breath feeling as a waterfall over Orion's lips. "I didn't expect I'd be getting this close to you. Might as well take advantage of a good opportunity though..." he trailed into a bit of a chuckle before he pressed his lips gently against the fox's.

Orion went rigid, eyes focusing on his friend's closed lids as he felt a paw sliding up and down his back. He wasn't sure what to make of this, it felt awkward and peaceful all at the same time; but with the closer hug of the Sirian male he couldn't think straight. He slowly let his eyes close, dipping into a gentle, chaste kiss with his very own guardian angel.

--

It was midday on Jasyn's day off and Axis was headed off to the engine-room having already spent three hours getting reacquainted with his lover. Jasyn's fur was matted; his cheeks flush with heat as he watched his kit get ready.

"You have a shower and get some rest before Mati gets back from his classes. I'll be back at 23:30, barring mistakes. Just because you're Captain, doesn't mean you're allowed to ignore that, it's an order, wolfie," smirked the fox, before kissing Jasyn's cheek lovingly.

Jasyn had lost himself in his mate's surreal beauty. Axis had aged well since they'd first arrived at the planet. That was already almost a year prior, and he was still just as attractive, if not more attractive, to Jasyn.

Despite the fringe of black around his ears and tail, Axis still looked as pure and innocent as ever. His eyes were a sight to be lost in for hours and never want to leave. The fox had burrowed deep into Jasyn's soul and wasn't letting go.

"Right-o sir," replied Jasyn, flicking his white head fur out of his face. "But if you're going to be late, beep me."

"Alright Jayse, I'll see you tonight," chuckled the fox, shaking his head and turning. He walked out the door without so much as another word, and left Jasyn to ponder.

"Well... better take a shower. I'm sure I reek of fox..." smirked the wolf as he spoke inwardly to himself. With a grunt, Jasyn got up and walked to the shower, cleaning his fur and thinking.

--

Mati quietly entered his 'home' sniffing the air. He blushed a bit shyly and adjusted himself without so much as a peep, seeing Jasyn asleep on the bed he and Axis shared. He let out a quiet chuckle, his ears flicking a bit, before he quietly plodded to his room and flicked on his computer monitor.

The thin device slid up from a slot in the desk, unfolding and flattening in moments as the polymer began reading signals from the desk itself. Mathieu watched it with quiet fascination before he activated his touch-board; similar to a keyboard, but with a wider array of controls. He began to tap away at the simulated keys then swiped his finger across a small box, moving a cursor across the screen.

Operating the device was a feat of dexterous marvel for those untrained. Mati simply tapped and went along intuitively. He seemed engrossed in his work, or play. Whichever it was wasn't for Jasyn to know, sneezing before he managed to round the corner. The monitor was off before the wolf managed a peek.

"Ah, so you're home eh?" smirked the wolf, dressed in a simple pair of boxers. They really looked more like siblings than anything. Jasyn was eighteen, leaving a scant seven years between the two.

Mati grinned and leaned back against the wall, arms behind his head. "Yup. Anything planned for tonight; food wise?" asked the young husky. Jasyn's muzzle played into a broad smirk and he shook his head quietly at the boy's candid nature.

"Well, I was thinking we could just head down to the Galley. The chefs are pretty decent in their own right, if a little strange," came the commander's reply, slowly moving out of the doorway and slipping on a pair of uniform pants, donning a turtleneck and the jacket.

Matthieu tossed his uniform coat onto his bed and let the turtleneck follow, standing on the opposite side of the wall with the open doorway less than a foot away. He put on an approved alternative uniform, that being a T-shirt under a short-sleeved dress-shirt. The colour scheme matched the rest of the uniforms, but it was much more ventilated.

"I was thinking, Captain, that perhaps once we get to Earth I could join the academy and join the Terran Space-fighter Corps. Do you think you could write me a recommendation?" asked the young Sirian, already legally considered an adult on their planet. While having a significantly longer lifespan; an estimated 125 years; Sirians reached physical maturity at roughly the age of eight. Under the old fleet laws, the age of majority was ten Sirian years. That equates to about nine and a third earth years.

Jasyn was unsure whether they would follow standard Sirian law and consider Matthieu a legal adult or not. Despite his age, he was well educated. It often dumbfounded the wolf when the young guy spouted phase alignment regulator specifications at him. He looked through the door with barely a lean, affixing his rank pins to the uniform, and in a non-committal voice said; "I'll think about it."

With that being said, the two of them ventured down to the galley.

--

Axis returned to his empty quarters and looked around for his love. He could find neither hide nor hair of where he had gone, but he didn't much mind, having some work to do anyway. He had a shower and put on a clean uniform before heading to a room aboard set aside specifically for research. He walked into the cavernous space and said aloud, "Morningstar."

The comm. within the room sparked to life with a slightly computerlike voice and responded with "State inquiry."

"Show me a listing of files related to Nanotechnology and Augmentative Implants. Display in relevance to sensory improvement, enhancing reflexes, and increasing strength," replied the fox, glancing over his shoulder towards the doorway. "Seal this room and blind the research lab systems from sensors, authorization AALEVI 728 DASH 5," he added, hearing an audible click and hiss, as the door was sealed airtight.

"Room sealed. Processing inquiry," said the monotonous female voice. "Three hundred and twelve files found, displaying," it added a few moments later.

"Display most relevant," stated the fox simply.

The headline of the article caught his eye, and he was immediately intrigued. "Hmm... Secret military organization embezzling funds for unethical experimentation." He continued reading.

--

Lucas thought quietly about his situation. He was lying with somebody he'd known all of two months pressed against his chest. He gently nuzzled Orion's neck and sighed quietly, enjoying the proximity and closeness.

"L-Lucas..." came the quiet, sleep-shrouded voice of Orion, groaning quietly at being awake. "I... want to take things... I mean..." stammered the fox, quietly.

Lucas licked Orion's jaw from behind and said, "Slow. So do I."

The younger Sirian blushed heavily and pressed back a bit more, sighing contentedly. "G-get some sleep... You have a shift in the morning," said the concerned fox.

Lucas just held Orion closer, like a teddy bear, and yawned.

And together they slept.

--

Aries walked up to the quarters that Blaze inhabited. He seemed very nervous as he signalled the occupant of the room with a press of a button. His head fur was a mess, as he hadn't been home since the end of his shift, and he'd been running errands, literally. Thankful for the lack the ability to properly sweat, but not relieved to find his palms clammy anyway, rubbed his legs to dry his hands.

An eternity of seconds passed before the Lyrii Pilot came to the door, standing in a standard issue Flight-Suit. Carrying the same striped motif of the uniforms, the flight-suit had layers of a polymer fabric, similar to Kevlar, for strength woven beneath a layer of padding on either side and a waterproof layer of a nylon-like fabric. It was black with white shoulders, contrasting the general uniform, and had plates of Triennium the alloy used in the MPN armour, on the front and outer thighs, the front of the shins, and over the toes and heel. It was designed to protect the pilot against shrapnel and heat. The flight-suit was all one piece, excluding the boots, which were separate but sealed into place. It seemed to form to fit the curves and the larger muscles of Blaze's form.

The catlike creature smiled and bowed his head to Aries, "Hey there! Something I can do for you, wolfie?" he asked, looking confused. 'Why is he here now?" he thought quietly, awaiting a reply.

Aries quietly took one of Blaze's hands in his own and spoke simply in a very quiet tone, saying: "I will try..."

Blaze brought the hand paw to hic chest and clasped it tightly. "And if you don't feel comfortable... you can call it off," reassured the male. "I don't feel a need to force this on you."

Aries nodded and gently hugged the Lyrii, sighing. "Just... be there for me if I need you... okay?" asked the wolf, staring down into crimson eyes.

The other male, alien as he was to the wolf, nodded and in a very familiar act, nuzzled Aries' neck. "I'd toss myself out an airlock if I ever managed to not be there for you." His voice was calm and serene, as he slowly lifted his view to look back up into the sunburst eyes of the wolf. "Would you care to come in for awhile?" he asked, smiling.

"Of course I wouldn't mind," came the simple reply, and the two moved deeper into the room, door closing automatically behind them. They left in the morning having barely moved all night, holding close to one another in their slumber.

'I would definitely do that again...' reflected the wolf, as he waved good day to his bedmate, heading off to the armoury for his shift.

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Finally, I don't end it with a blatant cliffhanger like usual. (Which should give me some more freedom for the next chapter.)

ATTENTION ARTISTS:

THIS IS NOT A COMMISSION:

I'm just curious if anybody has drawn any fanart of my series.

If you have, could you post a link, (or post it in the gallery) and share your talents with other fans?

I want to see how people perceive my characters.

Thank you for reading, and comments are highly appreciated. (I've had an influx of them the past couple weeks. It prompted me to finish the chapter. Go figure...)

With All Fondness

~WhiteArcticFox