Zoo Keeper - Epilogue - pt4
#22 of Zoo Keeper
I had planned it so perfectly, while they sent out a pair of patrols to 'find' the missing one, we would hit them.
~"Queen I do-"~ my pet began.
I just snarled, it didn't even take a thought any more, she could not voice her thoughts against me.
~"The kittens are all in place, we will move at your pleasure."~ Jenny sent to me, the only one of the females who had seemed to have at least half a brain left.
I padded out of cover, the Sergeant, my pet, at my side.
"IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!" the call came from the loudspeakers. I had a strange feeling of de ja vu, but it passed as I spoke, the same as last time, my name and designation, followed by my pet's.
"Sergeant Richards? Of the missing patrol?" the voice came back, even as I could see soldiers padding toward us.
I purred a little, "As far as I can tell, she can't talk, she is changed fully, although I think she still has something of herself left." I grinned, the only thing she had left of herself is what I didn't bind.
"Paul! You're starting to make a habit of this." one of the soldiers approaching said and I realised it was one of the same ones from my last time I had come back like this, with luck she would never have this duty again.
I purred deeply, "Think they will let me stay home this time?" I bantered and got a few laughs.
"Come on Sarge, I know this gal, she was out on patrol, bit overdue but but I know her." the soldier said to her commander.
The feline in charge nodded and we paced back to the camp.
I saw the gun emplacements at either side of the gate we came in, I paused for a moment, reaching out to the gunners, one at a time, ~"Your gun is jammed, you can't fire it, just scream that over and over but don't let anyone else check it."~ I pushed hard, feeling their minds give. ~"My sister, its time, the dogs won't bark."~ I sent to Jenny and felt her assent.
The screaming started immediately and I felt Jenny telling me as they neared the gateway, this was all going perfectly.
My mate's kittens were just reaching the first line of soldiers disorganised due to the gunners screams, when a huge roaring came over us, causing human and feline to stop and look up to the sky.
My jaw was hanging open when I saw the spacecraft land inside the compound and a pair of full feline males run out, roaring and attacking my pride-mates. I could sense them even using mental attacks to force my 'soldiers' into submission.
~"This is all going to shit, what the fu-"~ I thought even as another roar, much deeper than the last sounded.
"Paul, we have to get out of here, its gone south!" Jen called to me, but I was all eyes for the new arrival, another space ship, landing just behind us.
I saw my mate then, racing in to save his kittens, at the end loyal to his young despite his repeated denouncements, and I saw him all but cut in half as one of the machine gunners had been wrestled from his gun and another soldier take his place, one who was capable of operating it.
Roaring in pain, almost louder than the engines of the mysterious ships that had landed, I was about to charge in to avenge him.
~"Get that queen back here, she carries his kittens, grab this one too!"~ a feline mind, behind me screamed and at once I felt multiple arms grab me and haul me back.
Clawing, ripping, I tried to tear my way free but was unsuccessful. My hot blooded need to kill faded as the door to the side of the craft closed in front of me, but not my anger.
~"Who did this! Who would dare drag me away from avenging my mate!"~ I screamed into the minds of all those around me on board the ship.
I didn't use any force, I didn't need to. Bodies parted and I found myself looking at a feline male.
The feel of the ship rising, the pulsing of its engines, soared like the heat in my blood, ~"One reason male, one reason why I shouldn't crush your fucking mind and go back for them."~ I sent to him, thrusting my strength, my power into it.
He broke, I felt his mind give in and I grinned at the power, ~"We... we can't afford to lose what might be the last of the royal line, the last and most powerful."~ he simpered back to me.
Minds are unable to lie, they can avoid the truth, but the information his mind fed me, while under my influence, was astounding.
~"My mate... the last heir to a throne?"~ I managed at last.
The males mind seemed to regroup and push back, resisting me somewhat. I reckoned I would need to use more energy to quell him than it would be worth, so let go completely, instead rounding on the one who had carried me from the fight.
The creature was very odd looking, four arms led from a roughly humanoid looking body, excepting of course how much of it resembled a wolf. ~"Tell me all you know."~ I reached out, without putting any pressure, without needing to.
With my control removed,the male feline I had assaulted padded off, leaving the area while I listened, unable to break mind contact due to my own curiosity.
~"Nearly nine hundred cycles ago, the last son of the..."~ the creature began, I felt it was the start of the story of how the male feline got to our planet.
~"No, back further. Why are the felines in charge?"~ I asked, cutting the creature off.
Sighing, seemingly happy to not be having the power exerted over it, it began again, ~"They came to us, a long time ago, came in ships they had likewise made other races build for them. Only they could control minds, only they could fight the same power. We, and every other race, are helpless against it."~ it explained. I was shocked, but the creature continued, ~"We worked for them, slaves one and all to their will, when a new group of felines seemed to gain backing. Not as strong mentally, they none the less broke the conditioning of many slave races, gaining support and backing to fight the ruling party. They succeeded. For many cycles the royal family, strongest in the mental powers, fought a retreat across space, giving ground and planets to maintain themselves. At last, only one feline was left, and he was not very strong in the power. Somehow he managed to break free, put himself in cryo sleep. His pod landed here, on your planet. The mate you lost, is the strongest mind that has been observed since the line... diverged. You carry his kittens. You carry the power too, unusual for a female, your kittens should be strong in the power. Or so the masters anticipate. They say much in front of slaves."~
There was silence, apart from the engines that is. But particularly there was no mind-traffic.
I felt a touch at my shoulder, "Queen, we must find out what-" Jenn began but I cut her short even as I started purring.
"No little sister, we will wait until they take us to the one who has the most power here, and then we will talk. This... being, has given me all I need for the moment." I said likewise, out loud, back to her.
Barely an hour later a loud noise heralded our arrival with another ship. The male from earlier padded back out, keeping his eyes from mine, he padded to the door I had been dragged through.
I reached out then, reached into his mind, but used no force. At once he gave in, letting me do as I wished. ~"Good boy."~ I purred into his mind, ~"You have done your job well."~ I lifted from him the path we would need to reach the 'bridge' of the star ship we had just docked with, where their Alpha would be.
I padded out, my paws clicking on the hard metal deck, my claws slightly extended, I was likely going to a fight, and my body knew it.
The maze of corridors finally seemed to lead up to one big room, guarded by a pair of aliens, these only had two arm-like limbs, and, I realised with a start, they were at least part feline.
~"We are here Queen."~ the male who had escorted me said softly to me, lowering his head and offering me his ruff.
I purred, nuzzling against him but not using my teeth at all, ~"You did well little kitten, I will see you find a mate."~ I told him, pulling away to pad into the command area.
~"I tell you to bring that male and you bring me FEMALES?"~ a wave of power blasted past me at the cat I had just finished thanking.
A growl built in my throat and I propelled myself into the room, my mind at once reaching to block the pressure on my kitten and also lancing out at this threat.
I saw him then, a huge male, lounging in the middle of the room, various aliens, most sporting tufts of golden fur doing his bidding around him.
~"You were too late! You couldn't stop him being butchered! You nearly wiped out my original species! You will give in!"~ I punctuated each accusation with a heavy thrust of my mind, trying to cut at his own, strip his defences.
Pain gripped me as he fought back, ~"A female! Trying to use the Power?"~ his contempt and disgust washed over me in billowing waves, he threw his own power behind it, trying to force me to... to give in to him, to crouch before him, his mind told me he was content with only one female carrying his monarchies kittens.
Taking all the hate, all the anger, I dredged up all the negative feelings I had ever had. Pain. Uselessness. Fear. Disgust. I threw them at him, pouring myself into it.
With the tirade I padded forward, disregarding the size of the creature I was currently in a battle with, if I won, a physical fight would not be needed.
I felt, for a moment, his mind push back, regaining itself, knocking my thrust off target.
Suddenly I reversed, I took my love, my sorrow, my friendship and drove them into him.
The big cat never stood a chance, he had known hate, he had known anger, even fear was not foreign to him, but the positive emotions I used cut past his honed defences, cut him to the bone.
~"YOU WILL GIVE IN! YOU WILL LOWER YOURSELF!"~ I roared.
The big cat did so, he rolled to his back and bared his neck.
I was at once aware that it wasn't just him, every creature on the bridge, everyone on the ship, had done the same.
A single voice, soft, gentle. The only one who had both known those emotions I had used as my knife and known the force of my will spoke then.
~"Sister, Paul, I think this is just the beginning."~ Jenny said, purring loudly.
But not as loudly as I was.
FIN
No, really this time :3
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