Finding Humanity Chapter 9
#9 of Finding Humanity
A freighter lands on a pad on the planet Nix. The ramp extends down and we see a young Lioness in her late teens in a skintight jumpsuit. She looks behind her and yells. "Hurry up gals we haven't got all day!" Two five year olds rush out first. One was an anthro fox female with red and dust colored fur. The other was almost a human male. He had coyote ears and tale. He also had more claws then nails on his hands and feet.
"Alright Kiara we're coming!" Someone yells from the freighter. Esrie comes down followed by Trixi with a hover sled following her. It has been over ten years since we last saw this crew. As you can see they've had a couple of new additions. Jake and Jess who are half siblings for having different mothers, which you can figure which is which. Jezel went back to her store when it was rebuilt. Kiara is still completely organic while the kids only have nanos inherited from their cyborg mothers. The group heads out and goes to a parts store. There the meet the owner and human named Dave Fuller. He comes around the counter and hold out his hand to Esrie. She takes his hand with her organic one and says.
"Hello Mr. Fuller."
"Hi." He looks at the case Trixi brings. "Hope that isn't all of them?"
"Nope this one is for you to look over the rest are still in the ship."
"Well let's take a look." Trixi opens up the case and reveals an engine. To the Consensus it's a slightly out of date engine but top notch in the rest of the sector. Fuller became interested in the engine after seeing some of their other equipment. Fuller looks over the engine carefully. After five minutes Fuller stands back up and says. "This is a nice engine. This and others will sell well."
"Good I'll have Trixi bring over the rest then you can pay us."
"They're certainly worth the price. I should warn you though."
"What?"
"I've been hearing rumors of an upcoming empire called the Sigma Empire is heading this way and they go after and technology more advance then theirs and either take it or destroy it, so be careful out there. You will surely be a target."
"Thanks for the warning Mr. Fuller. We'll be watchful." Fuller pays them and they retrieve the other engines he purchased. After everything was done the five of them ate supper at a modest but nice restaurant. While eating the restaurant had video screens display various things but all started flashing BREAKING NEWS! Esrie's group hears one newsperson.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've just received word that the Sigma Empire has entered our sector. They have invaded the Pandora system and looks like they will take it. We will keep you updated as news comes in." Regular broadcasts resume and Esrie addresses the group.
"Finish your meal then we're leaving." They nod and begin to go at their meal faster.
An hour later "New Dawn" launches from the planet. Trixi stands behind the pilot's chair and ask. "Where are we heading?"
"For Jezel's, her place is in the next sector so we need to warn her. I've also contacted the Consensus on what's going on." Esrie replies.
"Okay, it will be nice to see Jezel again." Trixi rubs her organic paw up and down Esrie's right arm. Esrie touches Trixi's paw and looks up and smiles at her lover. They grown very close over the years and do a lot of threesomes with Reproductive Unit -01.
"I am concerned about this Empire. I'm afraid the galaxy is getting more dangerous."
"What can we do?"
"Survive, maybe the Consensus has an idea." Trixi looks out the cockpit window and says.
"I hope so."
As they enter the Naska system they here a report that the Nix system is under attack by the Sigma Empire. "Man they're fast!" Esrie comments, "Good thing we have arrived who knows how long we have."
"Well let's hurry then." Trixi says. The pair race out while Kiara takes care of her step siblings. They enter Jezel's place and they see the older tigeress at her usual place behind the bar. Jezel looks no different from the last time we saw, then again neither do Esrie and Trixi. The nanos slow down the aging process. Nearby the bar there's a seven year old girl. Her general for is that of a coyote but she has the fur coloring of a tiger. The girl looks up from what she's working on and sees the cyborg pair.
"Aunt Esrie! Aunt Trixi!" She races to the pair who are smiling at her.
"Hey Jewel. You being good for your mother?" Esrie asks as she picks up the hybrid child.
"Sometimes." Jezel comments to which Jewel sticks her tongue out at her mother. Esrie chuckles remember Kiara's antics. "I'm glad to see you two. What brings you here?"
"You heard about the Sigma Empire?" Jezel nods.
"Well they're very likely coming here and we came to take you to the Consensus for safety." Jezel shakes her head.
"No thanks."
"But Why!?"
"As long as I don't fight them we should be fine."
"But your leg and the nanos in you and Jewel. They will be interested in those from what we've heard."
"As long as I keep it covered I should be fine."
"I think your being foolish Jezel, think of Jewel." There's a look of hesitation in Jezel's face.
"This is my home Esrie. I won't leave in fear." Esrie drops her head in defeat.
"Well if you ever change you mind you know how to contact us."
"Be safe you girls." Esrie and Trixi nod and leave their friend.
New Dawn launches minutes later the Consensus has ordered them home. They arrived at the system where the Consensus ship was currently at. Esrie notices a couple of ships with it. They belonged to people she has dealt with for the Consensus in the past. She feels over the Link what is going on. The Consensus is gathering its allies and friends to oppose the Sigma Empire and end its threat. Kiara looks in wonderment and Esrie explains what's going on. Kiara nods and looks back out the viewscreen and comments. "I hope more are coming."
"There are these are just the first arrivals." Esrie cants her head to the right and continues. "CU-01 wants us to meet him so you can be filled in on the plan at the same time." While the rest of the Consensus still doesn't understand why Esrie won't have Kiara cyberized but the respect Esrie and Kiara has proven efficient for a completely biological being. They meet CU-01 on the bridge with it hovering over the holotable reading statistics. CU-01 looks over at the arriving crew and greets them.
"Welcome home though I wish it was under better circumstances."
"Same here, what's the situation?"
"Well we're gather friends and allies as well as anyone who wants to oppose the Sigma Empire. Our engineers are helping install some of our weapons to assist our allies. We finally perfected the cloaking device and we're installing it in New Dawn and one other ship we have recently built, If you'll follow me." The group leaves the bridge and Kiara asks.
"What about a cloaking device for this ship?"
"The ship is currently too big. We don't have enough time to make one suitable." CU-01 replies. They were silent for the minutes traveling to one of the hangers on the ship. When the doors open Esrie steps through and looks at the ship and her jaw drops. In front of her is a Raider with very familiar lines. CU-01 then speaks, "We used the data CYU-02 gathered and added our technology to it. May I present the Katana II." Esrie walks to the Katana II and runs her organic hand over the hull with memories of the original flashing in her mind. CU-01 continues, "She's all yours CYU-01. Hopefully the reunion of you and Katana will save us once again."
"Hopefully without as much damage as last time."
"Agreed, now if you and CYU-02 follow me for we have some upgrades for you." The cyborg pair follows it to the main machine facility and CU-01 continues. "We want to be able to link up without the cumbersome hardware we currently use and since you both manage to do last time, we want to try with you two." After looking at each other the two cyborgs lie down on a pair of operating tables. They're giving a shutdown command and they knew nothing more.
Esrie and Trixi wake suddenly and immediately feel different. The Link is so much more clear and intimate than before between them, but for some reason they can't feel the other members of the Consensus. They look around and notice they're not in the main machine shop where they started. After a minute they figure out they're in one of the isolation rooms. "Ah your awake, good." CU-01 says over the speaker. "Can you feel each other at all?"
"Yes but one but us, why?" Esrie replies.
"To test the system we had to isolate you from the current Link."
"Well it works great. I feel her more intimately than before."
"But it's disturbing not feeling the others now." Trixi interjects.
"Okay I'm turning off the isolation field now." In seconds the cyborgs start hearing the voices of the other members of the Consensus.
<We're getting a clear signal CU-01.> Esrie says over the Link.
<Very good, now go over Katana II.> She nods and heads to the hanger.
Over the next several days the New Dawn crew assisted the Consensus ship and its allies in preparation for the coming battle. Meanwhile more allies appear hoping to stop the Sigma Empire. Esrie was out in Katana II making she was running as a raider should. She was weaving the Raider through the fleet. Suddenly several ships drop out of warp and surround the fleet. Sensors confirm that the bulk of the ships are from the Sigma Empire, but with them are ships that are from the Teloz sector. A sector the Consensus thought it could trust. The combine fleet number about 80 ships to the Consensus fleet number only 30. Over the comm. And the Link Esrie hears CU-01 order the fleet to attack the weakest section of the fleet so they can escape. According to her sensors the weakest point is to the left of her. In minutes the fleets exchange fire. The first volley against the Consensus fleet dealt only shield damage while their volley heavy damages multiple ships and the rest of the Sigma fleet closes in. Raider ships start dogfighting with each other while the frigates, destroyers, cruisers, and battleships fire upon one another cause ships on both sides to soon become enflamed. Katana II proves to live up to her predecessor's name as she blows away 3 raiders in ten minutes. She then banks right and strafes a sigma cruiser causing its shields to collapse and a nearby allied destroyer starts hammering its hull. Esrie launches a torpedo at the cruiser's bridge and makes a direct hit and the bridge explodes. As Esrie pulls away from the crippled cruiser she checks through the Link. While they're making a dent in the section they're aiming for but the rest of the sigma fleet is closing in and she sees several hulks of allied ships drifting in space. She dives the Katana back into the fight determine to cause more damage.
Time flies for Esrie as she fights for her survival. They're now several sigma hulks with the occasion hulk of an allied ship. <CYU-01 head to our ship, your going to be escorting New Dawn.>
<Understood, what's New Dawn going to do?>
<We cannot escape. There are too many but we can cover yours.>
<WHAT!?>
<We can cover you till you can get clear of their blockade then you can cloak and escape.>
<NOnonono! We can get through this CU.>
<No we can't CYU-01.> CU-01 replies mournfully. <One of the reasons we gave you the cloak and the upgraded link in case this would happen. We're counting on you and your crew to keep the Consensus alive.> After a mournful sigh CU continues. <You can't save us this time Esrie but you can be the Future of the Consensus. Please go.> With tears in her eyes Esrie concedes.
<Alright CU, I'll do it. Thank you for everything you did for me.>
<It was a pleasure.> Esrie brings Katana close to the Emerging New Dawn and the both speed out while firing on opposing ships. They weave around the vessels around them. A few minutes later the Katana II and New Dawn fire on a frigate, destroying it utterly. As they fly around the frigates hulk they engage their cloaks and jump to warp. Meanwhile the Consensus allies fall one by one till only the flaming Consensus ship was left. In one last act of defiance the Consensus ship plows into the Sigma Flagship and the resulting explosion destroys both ships and damages nearby vessels.
Still in warp Esrie and Trixi feel the death of the others and tears sting their eyes. <What do we do now Esrie?> Trixi asks over the Link.
<I lead the Consensus now and we WILL survive and rebuilt. I PROMISE.>