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Any Port in a Storm

It had been twenty years since the sector of space where the crew of the S.S. Lantern and the M.W. Thunderhawk had met their demise was quarantined off from all traveling routes. The official government statement was that they had died from an unknown molecular poison that was in the atmosphere of the planet that they were exploring, though that explanation only served to foster a heap of conspiracy theories. Those theories grew as strange things began to happen in nearby sectors, everything from trade vessels disappearing to entire construction crews that were working on various planets to disappear for weeks or even months, only to reappear with no apparent recollection of what happened to them and missing several of their members.

Finally after nearly a decade of these strange occurrences something happened that the government could not explain or ignore; several strange objects came from that sector of space and crash-landed on several nearby hospitable planets. While no one was hurt from them they all landed in areas where they were guaranteed to get attention, the strange orbs sitting in their craters as curious onlookers watched it with awe. It did not take long for the military to respond, in a matter of hours they had evacuated the entire area, set up a perimeter, and built a small fortification around the strange meteorite along with diagnostic and monitoring equipment and the personnel to man it.

"Dr. Procene, it's good of you to come." One of the soldiers said as he saw a lizaphin in a full environmental suit, save for the helmet that it carried, walk into the tent. "I'm Third Lieutenant Carlson. We've given your team all the analysis that we've gotten on it, so far we've been able to conclude that the foreign object is organic in nature and seems to be throwing off vital signs though it hasn't moved. The commissioner wants you to go in there and see if you can't find anything that could tell us its origins or what its purpose is."

"You mean I'm going down there alone?" Procene balked slightly. "This is highly against protocol, plus I know of five other researchers that are here that can easily-"

Before the lizaphin could object further the human interrupted him, waving a hand in dismissal. "Hey, I'm just relaying orders here." The military man objected. "This was handed down straight from the commissioner, or rather, that strange assistant of his that follows him around like a lost puppy. If you want to file a complaint against him then do so, but if you want to collect your check then I suggest you suit up and get down there. Besides, there were a number of people around it and so far nothing has happened to them, so it should be fine."

Procene sighed and put on his helmet, hearing the hiss of the environmental seals locking into place before grabbing the rest of his equipment. It wouldn't be the first time he had to do something like this by himself, but it was always because the environment or other conditions forced it. But the potentials for danger were always there whether in a group or not, and if it was truly a threat then the military would have nuked it by now.

"Alright then, environmental suit online and approaching anomaly." Procene narrated as he slowly made his way into the crater. "The strange object appears to be organic, about four meters in diameter, and possibly alive though any life sign detection is erratic at best. I'm hoping the sample from the probe will give us a better idea of its molecular composition."

The strange object seemed to pulsate as he neared it, somehow reacting to his presence as he reached solid ground. He continued to document his findings as he got closer, getting his probe ready to take a sample. It was equipped with a small needle, since he had no idea what it was a shallow biopsy would be more practical than a deep probe. As he got close with it the entity seemed to react, the ball of flesh quivering as though in anticipation of the intrusion.

"Alright, inserting probe now." Procene said as he knelt down and slowly pushed the needle into what he gauged was the softest part of the 'creature'. He slowly felt the flesh give, but about halfway in the needle seemed to stick. The probe jammed as well, a tremor of frustration running through his body as he tried to push it in all the way. Unfortunately the more force he tried to put on it the most resistance it seemed to give.

"C'mon..." The lizaphin said with a grunt, easing back on the collection gun before bracing himself and throwing all his weight into sliding the need those last few centimeters. His frustration turned to shock as the object suddenly gave in easily, not only letting the needle in but the gun and his hand all the way up to his wrist as well. There was a sharp stinging sensation in his hand as he cried out for help, attempting to pull the thing off but finding it stuck fast. Procene could feel his heart race as the sphere contracted around his hand, threatening to crush it as he continued to struggle.

Less than a minute later several suited men had slid down into the crater to help, but by the time they reached the struggling scientist the alien object suddenly fell off on its own. Procene held his throbbing hand as they watched the fleshy ball dissolve, turning into a small pile of sludge before evaporating away. The men helped the dazed lizaphin back up to the command center, where a number of military personnel were engaged in a flurry of activity.

"Dr. Procene, are you alright?!" Carlson asked as they escorted the dazed lizaphin into a quarantine chamber. Once they were inside they stripped him down, even the skinsuit he was wearing underneath as diagnostic nodules were attached to his skin.

"I'm fine... I think." Procene managed to reply once the sterilization procedure was complete. "My hand hurts like crazy though, thing nearly crushed it."

"Well there was no detection of a suit breach." Carlson replied. "We're going to keep you in containment for twenty-four hours and then debrief you once your quarantine is complete. This is just to be safe."

"Yes, I understand." Procene replied, lying down on the cot. Part of him knew that even with the initial adrenaline from the attack gone he should have been more concerned, but as the pain in his hand quickly abated all he could think about was sleep. Another part of him was concerned he was going into shock, but then the machines he was hooked up to would have immediately alerted someone which put his mind at ease. Carlson continued to talk for a bit, the lizaphin only half hearing the conversation as he nodded, closing his eyes once the man walked away and drifting off...

*************************

Several hours later Procene gasped as he awoken, quickly sitting up in the cot as he felt his heart pounding in his chest. His blue eyes looked around wildly as he looked around, slowly realizing that he was still in the quarantine chamber. Once his faculties returned to him he stood up, slowly making his way to the small pitcher of water that had been provided for him.

"Too intense..." he muttered as he took a drink, his mind still filled with the images of the dream he had been having. It had taken place on a planet he had never seen before, nearly knee deep in muddy water surrounded by swampland. In the horizon however he saw what appeared to be a large city, though even at the distance he stood he could tell that the buildings were weird. But before he could make sense of what he was looking at a strange creature appeared before him, a strange looking cross between a frog and a snake with multicolored eyes. His body shuddered as he remembered those eyes, remembered how the patterns changed and flowed into one another as he couldn't help but stare at them...

Procene splashed some of the water on his face to try and clear his thoughts, but now all he could think about was that creature and those eyes of his. In the back of his mind he could hear a small voice prompting him to go to them, even though he had no idea what 'them' meant. Plus he was stuck in a containment cell, there was no way he would be able to leave now. As his gaze drifted to the keypad that activated the lock another strange tremor shot through his body, and with very little thought he stood up and walked over it.

"What am I doing?" The lizaphin asked himself, his slightly trembling fingers moving towards the buttons. If he entered an incorrect code an alarm would automatically go off, as well as seal the containment unit to prevent escape until the proper authorities got there. Despite this he still found himself punching in the five digit code, his mouth opening slightly in awe when the digital pad turned green and the door unlocked with a loud hiss.

The naked lizaphin slowly walked out, the corridors oddly silent as he began to walk down the cool hallway. Without the alien object the number of personnel would have been greatly reduced, he reasoned, but even with a skeleton grew he knew he should have seen at least one guard walking around. As he passed the crew quarters the cause of the apparent desertion was clear, hearing the sounds of a briefing that no doubt had everyone in attendance. With that fear put at ease a more pressing question came to his mind, realizing that he had been walking without a real clear purpose or reason.

"The ship bay..." he said quietly to himself, looking out the window and seeing several rows of vehicles parked on the man-made clearing. One in particular caught his eye, the S.J. Waverider, a planet jumper with the capability to go into brief periods of deep space. Even though the reasoning was unclear he knew that he to get that ship, opening the door and running out into the cold night air.

Procene found the door unlocked when he reached his target breathing heavily as the ship door closed behind him. He found the ship to be completely empty, the small cruiser's safety lights on only. After a cursory glance around he made his way to the only place on it that seemed to make any sense to go to, the cockpit. "Okay... now what." The lizaphin said as he sat down in the seat, taking a second to collect his thoughts.

After a few seconds of contemplation he looked down at the control systems, his understanding of which was rudimentary at best. "Procene, what are you even doing here..." he said to himself as he idly ran his finger along the touch screen. "You weren't in trouble, they were just making sure you were alright. Could it be that alien creature actually did manage to get something past the suit? I could probably go back now and get a battery of diagnostics run if-"

The lizaphin's verbal stream of consciousness was suddenly cut short as he heard the sound of the engines firing. He looked down in surprise to see that he had somehow already put in coordinates for the ship's autopilot program, which took him to one of the planets in the nearby quarantined zone. "This... this can't be happening..." he stammered, pulling his hands back as the ship began to rise into the air.

"Planetary liftoff authorization required..." the shuttle's computer said, Procene looking around frantically for some sort of cue on what to do. "Authorizing.... Authorizing... liftoff authorized, quarantine sector lockdown overridden, heading to coordinates."

Procene just stared dumbfounded as the ship sped off into space, the warp engines warming up for its jump. The lizaphin had no clue how to disable the autopilot, much less how to return the ship once he had done so. At this point all he could do was go along for the ride, hoping that the answers to his question filled mind would be waiting for him at his destination.

**********************************

The lizaphin awoke with a start as the ship's computer informed him that they were entering the planet's atmosphere. He wasn't sure how long he had been out, having fallen asleep shortly after the jump into warp space. Again his mind was filled with the dreams of the strange planet and the creature with the fascinating eyes, this time the alien touching his face as he stared into them. When he shook the last of sleep from his eyes and looked out the window his heart nearly leapt from his chest, taking a second to wonder if he was still dreaming.

Outside the ship was the exact same swampy landscape as his dream, and situated right in the middle of it was a very large city. As the ship passed between several skyscrapers the lizaphin's mind was reeling, the impressive structures had a strange organic quality to them that was unexplainable. Part of him would have been fascinated to study how such facilities came into being, but as the ship slowly lowered a landing zone his main focus was on what was possibly waiting for him when he landed.

"You have arrived at your destination." The ship said before powering down, leaving an ominous stillness in the air as Procene slowly got up from his seat. As he walked out to the external hatch he could hear a small voice in his mind screaming at him that he was about to open the door to a planet that had been under quarantine because of the deaths of nearly twenty people, but it only caused him a momentary pause as he disengaged the lock.

There was a loud whoosh as the outside air rushed inside, causing the lizaphin to stumble back slightly as the steel door slowly slid open. As bright light spilled inside the ship he could see the shadows of several figures standing outside the doorway, Procene taking a step back as they stepped across the threshold into the ship itself.

"It's you." Procene said, staring at the blue and silver skin of the grinning alien in front of him, who was quickly followed by several others of both similar and radically different coloration. "You're the one from my dreams..."

"Yes, greetings young one." The lead creature said as he stepped forward, his silver and blue skin shining in the ship's interior lights. He had the flared hood of a cobra framing his reptilian face just like the two flanking him, but he also had prominent spiny fins that ran down the back of it towards his neck. "I am Ian, head of this particular branch of the Sskausa. To my left is my lovely mate Amanda and to the right is my eldest daughter Mya."

Procene looked from one to the other of the strange aliens, his brain pinging with the names he had heard for the mated pair. "Wait a second... you're from the S.S. Lantern!" Procene said in shock. "But how? The government said-"

"The government said exactly what we wanted them too." Ian interrupted with a smirk. "Our trade is one done best in secret, and what better than from a planet that no one can visit with a race that doesn't technically exist? Only a few know of our existence, and those who do have been happily placated with certain... favors." Before Procene could respond Ian looked over at his daughter. "Speaking of, what do you think Mya?"

The younger female walked swiftly towards the lizaphin, circling around him and eyeing him up and down. It was at that time since he left his containment cell that he realized he was naked, blushing slightly as he was carefully examined. All he could do though was stand there as the female Sskausa poked and prodded him a bit, then ran back to her father and gave him a very big hug. "Oh daddy, he's absolutely perfect!" She nearly squealed. "I even like the color and texture, you don't have to change a thing about that."

Procene could only continue to stare dumbfounded as the male Sskausa hugged back and twirled her around once before setting her back down. "Only the best for my daughter." He said with a smile. "My little girl... already nineteen years old and a proud woman of our kind." As they continued to talk the lizaphin quickly came to the realization that he was the young female Sskausa's 'birthday gift'. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do about it, even if he somehow found his wits enough to run he was in the middle of an alien city with a ship he couldn't fly and no equipment to survive. He supposed he could try and barter with some of his savings or status in the community, but the words seemed unable to travel from his brain to his mouth.

"Why don't you get him ready while we go set everything up." Ian said as he patted his daughter on the head, running a finger down the tattoo that adorned the silver and bluish purple skin of her eyes. "This one was very good to heed the call right away, so I would like you to reward him appropriately as well as everything else we talked about."

"Yes father." Mya replied in a far more formal tone as her father and the small escort walked away, the Sskausa turning and once more regarding the confused lizaphin. "Well then, shall we go?"

Procene had a million and one questions for the alien woman at that point, but as he looked at her and saw that she had the same swirling, colorful eyes that her father had all he could do was nod dumbly before she led him out. Once they had left the landing area and walked into the city proper he noticed that a large number of the Sskausa had creatures of other races following them, some even being led by leashes as they walked down the street. The most shocking was that they didn't look entirely like the race they came from, the most notable being the humans that looked anywhere from having small traces of other features to ones that were barely recognizable for what they were.

"What's... happened to them?" Procene asked as they reached one of the larger buildings, his escort touching one of the nodules on the side of the door which caused it to open.

"I wouldn't worry about it my dear." Mya replied as he walked through the threshold, Procene finding himself in what looked like the nice lobby of a hotel or apartment complex as she wrapped her tail around his. "I want you to just enjoy yourself right now, alright?"

Procene nodded, though he was still determined to learn more about the mysterious Sskausa race. The male behind the counter nodded to them both as Mya passed by, the lizaphin noting that the other Sskausa didn't even have a hood like most of the others he had passed. "So I noticed some major differences between... your kind." Procene asked, hoping a less invasive question would be answered. "Is that just a genetic difference or is there something else attached to that?"

"Mmmm, very observant, my father made an excellent choice." Mya replied, which caused the lizaphin to raise a scaled eyeridge at the comment. "Yes, we have tiers, my father and I are in the highest with our spines and fins. The one you saw as we walked in was the lowest tier, with no hoods or spines. My mother is the middle tier, with just the hood that you saw."

Mya continued to lead him once the elevator reached the desired floor, heading to a door at the end of the hallway. Inside caused the lizaphin's jaw to drop; the room was a perfect blend of organic features an stunning architecture, though he could see some objects that were obvious indicators of technology such as the television screen that was nestled in one of the walls. "It's... beautiful..." Procene said, still standing in the doorway as the female Sskausa jumped along several rocks that formed a walkway in the shallow pond that took up most of the initial room.

"Why thank you, designed most of it myself." Mya replied happily as she beckoned him forward, the lizaphin carefully making his way into another room. The next room had a large pool in it, wisps of steam dancing along the surface as she gestured for him to stand next to her. "I'm particularly proud of this feature..."

Procene slowly stepped into the water, surprised at how the warm it was against his skin. It reminded him of a hot tub, the vapor tickling his nose as they were submerged down to their necks. "Here, let me help you get a little more relaxed." Mya said as she turned the lizaphin around and took one of the nearby silvery, oval objects and began to rub it on his back. "Did you want something to eat or drink?"

"Yeah... thanks..." Procene replied, letting out a small moan as the strange object was pressed against his skin, causing it to tingle and send waves of relaxation down his body. His eyes widened slightly as she ventured a bit lower, his body shuddering as it was rubbed against his inner thighs and the base of his tail. He could feel his member begin to grow erect from the stimulation, for the first time since he arrived on the planet he could feel his muscles begin to relax.

After a few minutes the Sskausa moved to the male's front, pressing against his back as she rubbed the stone against his chest. As he looked up he suddenly found a large, silver and blue furred canimorph kneeling down at the edge of the pool, holding out a plate of food and drink to them. The servant was completely naked, save for a tight speedo that hardly covered his crotch and a strange collar that was wrapped around his neck, and so well-muscled that his physique could only be described as perfect. "Something you like?" Mya said right next to his ear with a small chuckle as her hand circled around his groin.

"I uh..." Procene tried to reply before he was spun around in the water once more, the female Sskausa kissing him deeply on the lips.

"Don't worry, I know your particular preferences." Mya replied with a coy grin. "A little piece of eye candy for you while you enjoy the main attraction."

"Mya..." Procene said, holding the female Sskausa in his arms despite the look of concern on his face. "In less than a day I've broken out of a holding facility, stolen a ship, and broke a galactic quarantine in order to be here for a reason that I can't possibly fathom. If I'm going to be turned into some sort of... love slave or something I think I at least deserve an explanation."

Mya gave him a look, as though contemplating something, then smiled as he slowly began to sway Procene from side to side in the water. "Very well, I wouldn't want anything to come between us." She said, gesturing for the canimorph to leave before she continued. "First of all, you are not here to be a slave, my family has plenty of those and I would not waste your attributes on such a trivial matter. No... I want you and I to be partners, partners in the exploration of the universe."

"Explore the universe?" Procene replied, his focus wavering slightly as Mya stared up at him, those strange multifaceted eyes continuously pulling him into them... though not with the same intensity that he remembered with her father in his dream. "But how... why me..."

"The how was easy, you were arranged to be the one that would analyze the probe that landed on this planet, and my father's friend Levi created a molecular poison that would bypass your suit and implant a powerful hypnotic suggestion in your mind as well as a method of escape." Mya explained as she fed him some of the fruit she had grabbed. "As for the why, my father knew how dangerous it was out there in the world and wanted only the best to protect me and my brothers and sisters. You were vetted not only for your intelligence but superior observation and analytical skills. Once my father read your file he knew you would be perfect for me when I began to venture out on my own."

"I... I see..." Procene said, his eyelids drooping slightly as he chewed and drank the treats that were fed him. "So... your father... kidnapped you a bodyguard... for your birthday?" As much as the lizaphin wanted to know more the hypnotic stare he was being given plus the food and drink and the hot water was lulling him into a pleasurable haze. It also didn't help that Mya had sat him down on the edge of the pond and began to stroke his hard cock against the silken skin of her thighs.

"In a matter of speaking." She replied before putting a finger to his lips. "No more talking now, just sit back and enjoy the pleasure I'm about to give you..."

Procene felt any remaining thought drain from his mind as he leaned back against the edge of the spa, feeling the female Sskausa's tail rub against his sides as she stared into his eyes. He could feel the tip of Mya's tail open, a hidden stinger flanked by three tentacles pushing to the lizaphin's flank. The already eager male felt his cock throb as his blue eyes rolled back into his head, unable to comprehend anything but the pure bliss of Mya's feminine sex as it began to engulf the tip of his cock. "Mya..." was all that could escape his lips before he was completely lost to his lust.

The female Sskausa said nothing, her hands running against his smooth chest as she continued to lower herself onto his slick length. The hot water gently rippled from their bodies as Mya took her time, drawing out both her and his pleasure as her slickened walls clamped against him perfectly. He let out a low moan as his hips began to buck up, his arms wrapping subconsciously around her as their wet bodies rubbed against one another for added stimulation. It was pure bliss, his venom-addled mind on fire from the sheer pleasure that his body was being subjugated too.

"A gift... for my gift..." Mya whispered, her body quivering as she pressed hard against him, drawing his face down between her breasts as she arched back. Procene began to thrust up harder as the rhythm of the two picked up significantly, unable to hold any restraint as the female Sskausa rode him. She felt perfect, her insides rubbing against his throbbing tool so tightly and yet with enough yield to let him enter her with ease. His breath came in short gasps as all he could do was hold on for dear life as he felt his body begin to tense.

It was Mya that came first though, letting out a sharp cry as her sex clamped down on Procene's cock, causing his back to arch as a powerful climax hit him. The water around them splashed up as their tails swiped back and forth from the throes of their orgasm, the lizaphin shooting his load inside her as her walls shuddered around his member. After what seemed like an eternity their bodies began to calm down, their breathing in synced, short pants as they came down off of their high.

As Procene tipped his head back to rest it against the side of the hot tub he suddenly felt a hand on the back of his neck, tiling him back up to look into Mya's beautiful eyes once more. "Will you venture forth with me into the unknown reaches of space once more?" She asked, stroking a hand along his cheek as her eyes shifted patterns once more, drawing him in even further as he gave a slow nod. With that she leaned forward and kissed him once more, the lizaphin shuddering in pleasure as they made out while still in an aroused state.

***********************************

A few hours later after they had both showered and eaten a proper meal Mya lead Procene through the city once more, the two holding hands as they walked along the street. "I have to say your civilization is quite fascinating." He said as he licked the ice cream that she had gotten him along the way. "The fact that you managed to build all this in the span of two decades is impressive."

"It's all thanks to the gifts of the Sskausa." Mya replied. "My father has told us stories of his life before becoming one... when he does I have to say it makes me glad that I was born as one instead of having to covert like the brave souls before us."

"Convert..." The lizaphin said, biting his lip slightly as a gnawing question came to his mind. "I know you've been keeping this close to the vest, but is that what you're going to do me? Make me like one of you?"

Mya chuckled, a reaction that Procene had not expected, and ushered him forward. "All will be revealed to you when we reach our destination." She explained with a grin. "Follow me."

Procene couldn't help but smile back as he was led by the young woman down the path. As much as he couldn't believe it he had come to trust Mya, finding a feeling of safety for the first time since the whole ordeal started. He felt... happy, a sense of contentment filling him as they entered what looked like a large grove of trees. It sort of resembled a park, though as they ventured further inside he realized that it was anything but. Sskausa of all sorts were gathered around massive venus flytrap like plants, ushering various species in and out of them. It was where they modified other species, he reasoned, seeing creatures come out with strange and exotic additions on them.

"So this is where it all happens, the crux of the Sskausa." Procene said, Mya merely nodding as they ventured further into the facility. Mya merely nodded, the smile never leaving her face as they reached a very, very large clearing in the middle of the facility. There the lizaphin saw a familiar Sskausa standing there, Ian standing with his arms crossed while another Sskausa ran his fingers over glowing runes on a obsidian slab.

"Well it looks like someone has enjoyed their time here." Ian said with a grin before looking over at the second Sskausa. "Levi, is everything prepped?"

"Of course, the young lady just needs to pick out which style." Levi replied, Procene blinking as they began to talk as if he no longer was in the room. Mya led him over to the stone slab, the lizaphin looking down in slight awe as pictures of ships flashed across the stone. They looked nothing like most ships he had ever seen, though he had a feeling even if he did his voice would carry little weight as Mya finally stopped at one ship in particular.

"Heh, of course you'd pick the biggest one in the entire fleet." Ian said with a chuckle as he looked over her shoulder. "Levi, do we have enough raw material to make this feasible?"

"I believe so, we just got that huge order of items processed, managed to get quite a surplus off of them." Levi replied, looking over the specs. "We're going to be cutting it close though, are you sure you want to?"

Ian looked at Levi, then at Mya who stared at him with hopeful eyes, before nodding his head. "Mya is one of our most skilled officers when it comes to crew management, if there's anyone that I would trust with what no doubt will be our flagship it would be her. Plus she's my daughter, how can I resist that face?"

"Well she certainly is following in her father's footsteps." Levi replied with a smile. "Mya, if you would..."

Mya nodded and led Procene to the side of the clearing, locking eyes with him once more before drawing him into a kiss. "I have to say that I am going to miss this." She said as she broke contact with him, taking a step away. "That body of yours was fun to be with."

"My... what?" Procene asked, giving her a look of confusion as she took several more steps away from him. A strange longing filled his heart as she stepped back, as though he needed her by his side to feel... complete. "But I thought... I thought that we were going to travel the universe together. I thought I was going to protect you..."

"Oh you are... just not in the way you think." Mya replied. "See you on the other side."

Procene was about to ask what she meant when a shadow suddenly loomed over him, the lizaphin slowly turning around to see what could have casted it over him. He let out a sharp gasp as he saw the venus flytrap like plant behind him just in time to see its mouth open, snapping around his upper body before he could even react. His feet kicked in the air as the plant lifted him up, letting gravity help it slide down the plant's rubbery, slick interior down into the main body of the plant. It felt like his body was vacuumed in between two thick sheets of rubber, his body locked into place as more of the strange slime coated his body.

As the lizaphin tried to wiggle his body he suddenly felt the strange sensation of getting thinner, his extremities beginning to go numb. He managed to contort his body enough to turn his head and bring his hand up to his face, only to find in horror that his hand was no longer there. There was no pain, even after he continued to watch as the clear secretions began to dissolve the muscle and bone. All he could do is close his eyes as he wished he had remained blissfully ignorant of his fate, but soon that became impossible as well as his facial features, including his eyelids, melted away.

Procene felt his breathing become short, ragged gasps as the numbness spread to his chest, the plant's walls pressing closer together as his body provided less resistance. His limbs had quickly disappeared, leaving him nothing more than a head and torso before that too began to drain away. Though he was fearful of his fate his scientific mind was also piqued, wondering how the Sskausa managed to keep him alive during the process and make it so painless. He could literally feel the liquid begin to seep onto his brain as his skull melted away, his vision growing fuzzy as he could feel his thought processes begin to slow down. His vision faded to black as the last of his body was whisked away, the lizaphin's consciousness ready for whatever void he was heading towards...

Except that as the minutes seemed to pass he found himself... strangely stuck. His form floated there in the darkness and Procene found himself at a loss, finding that he could do nothing but wait for whatever was about to happen to him. As he continued to float there however he began to see an image form in front of him. It was a ship he reasond, but not one that he had ever seen before... except for the image that the male Sskausa had brought up on the stone. It looked sort of like a giant dragon, the 'wings' being large semi-translucent membranes that ran along the side of its main body. The head of the ship had no mouth and a large window where its eyes would be, a short neck leading down into the main body as it flew away from him.

As Procene watched the huge ship fly away he was stunned by how graceful it moved, watching as a backdrop of stars formed behind it. Information began to seep into his being, not only of what it was but also of its capabilities and power. Within what seemed like a few minutes he went from not even knowing how it stayed up to having an intimate knowledge of every process and statistic his mind could hold. The sudden influx of knowledge was extremely disorienting, the starry backdrop that had formed beginning to swirl around him as he felt himself falling...

...right onto the stone floor of the clearing, a team of Sskausa immediately running to him and clearing away the excess slime from him and bringing him to the center of the clearing. His body felt oddly stiff as they carried him, and as he tried to stand he realized with an almost detached sense of interest that his form had adopted a more quadruped stance. He tried to speak, but his entire face felt numb and his mouth refused to move as they put him on the center of the platform.

Off in the distance Procene heard someone yell for them to clear the deck, the Sskausa dropping him to his hands and feet as they all ran to one side of the clearing. Once the flurry of activity around him ceased he was finally able to look at himself more closely. It seemed that his skin had gained an unnatural shine to it, and as he pressed down on his body he found that it had far more give to it. As he pressed down on his chest his insides also felt strange, not only was his ribcage spaced strangely and hardened but his organs had strange angular qualities to them as well.

The lizaphin was so engrossed in his own self-examination that he failed to notice the two large vines that had slithered up from either side of him, the two flower-like ends opening up and revealing the hollow end of a writhing vine before they lunged down at him. By the time he did see them his stiff body was extremely unresponsive and in a matter of seconds the two vines had clamped onto his blunt muzzle and under his tail. He instinctively tried to clench but it did nothing, the larger rubbery vine slipped easily into his maw while the other one pushed down into the yielding muscles of his tailhole. He let out a muffled moan as the vine in his backside filled him, bumping against his prostrate and causing him to nearly go cross-eyed from the pleasure as the latex-like petals sealed against his body.

Before Procene could even comprehend what was happening he suddenly felt something cold and sticky begin to be pumped into both ends of his body, causing his eyes to widen. As he felt the strange material push inside him he quickly found that it wasn't following his normal digestive tract, his throat and chest swelling as it seemed to press directly against his skin. In no time his body began to expand, his skin stretching as the liquid settled down into his feet and began to push out his toes. The whole process was extremely surreal, especially as a strange sense of contentment and pleasure began to wash over his body.

As Procene tried to move he could feel the strange liquid jiggle slightly in him, his feet and legs growing to an immense size as the floor quickly began to get further and further away from him. It wasn't merely filling him, he realized as he became eyelevel with the trees that surrounded the clearing, it was also changing him even further. He could feel his insides shifting and growing as his body continued to expand, his body contours smoothing out as his skin continued to stretch from the pressure inside him. His neck was forced down slightly as the ever flowing liquid bulged it out, strange protrusions growing from his lengthening spine all the way down to his belly and connecting with his ribs to form a type of shell. With as much give as he could muster he managed to look at himself just in time to see a flap of skin growing from his sides, expanding up and down his body as it formed a semi-translucent form of wing membrane. At the same time he could feel the voids in his body also begin to expand, some of his modified organs moving into them while still being connected to his inner walls...

As the lizaphin felt the pressure move up to his head and face he realized with a detached sense of awe that his body was that of the ship he had seen while in the plant. He wasn't merely going to be Mya's bodyguard he speculated as his head reached the top of several buildings while his body inflated to fill most of the clearing, he was going to be the ship that carried her throughout the stars. Strangely his mind was alright with that, a feeling of fulfillment filling his psyche as his face began to swell. His vision began to blur as he felt his mouth begin to seal up, his eyes expanding and becoming glassy as he felt his consciousness began to fade, his thoughts blending with the information that he had received earlier as his skin hardened and began to gleam with a metallic shine...

The Sskausa on the ground began to clap as the progress bar reached %100, achieving a pinnacle in their technology as the huge ship hulked over them. "A true testament to the race Levi." Ian said with a small smile as he patted his daughter on the head. "Don't you think?"

"It's perfect dad." She said as she went up to the landing spurs that had once been Procene's feet and guided her fingers along the green and silver coloration. "Can we go inside now? I want to see everything!"

"That might take a while." Levi said with a small chuckle as he gave the readouts to Ian. "You can hold thousands of Sskausa in that ship as well as a complement of smaller craft. We may have to do some active recruiting if we want to fill it."

"Then recruit we shall." Ian replied as he walked over to the underbelly of the ship where Mya stood. "But that is for later, for now let us see what our time and effort have given us." The three of them walked over to the entrance at the back of the ship, climbing the large ramp that led inside. They found the ship to be as impressive on the outside as it was on the inside, touring the engine room and main computer processing core.

"Is this... is this where he is?" Mya asked tentatively as Levi went to several large screens and began to take diagnostic readings.

"Well technically he's throughout the entire ship." Levi replied. "But this is where his 'brain' would be, which I have to say was quite the impressive find. This ship is going to rival anything out there once we've finished with the upgrades... here, one second though... I think if I... there..."

All three of the Sskausa jumped slightly as a circle on the floor began to glow brightly, the image of the Procene flickering before them before it became a solid shape. "Wow... I'm..." the lizaphin began to say, looking around in wonder. "This is going to take some getting used to... it's like I'm here but I'm also... all around me..."

Mya asked for the other two to leave, and once they did she walked up to the hologram and put a hand to its cheek, surprised to find it felt real. "How are you feeling?" She asked, biting her lip slightly. The female Sskausa had hoped that all the bonding they did would carry over through the transformation process, otherwise it would do her no good to have a ship that was angry at her or that went insane from the transition.

Much to her relief, Procene put a hand against the one on his face and pressed against it, closing his eyes. "I feel... the urge to explore, to go out there and see things I've never seen before." The former lizaphin replied. "This... 'body'... it feels so natural, like this is what I had always meant to be. I don't know if I can thank you enough Mya, all I can do is protect you and yours as we travel the universe, just like I promised."

"I'm glad to hear that." Mya replied, breathing a silent sigh of relief. Her conditioning had worked she realized, Procene would be a loyal and obedient AI system that would forever connect her with the pleasure of the company they had shared. "It will be a while until you are fully prepared for space travel, I would like you to meet me at the bridge when I get there."

"As you wish, Captain." Procene replied with a slight bow before disappearing, causing the female Sskausa's smile to widen as she walked through the hall. Her ship would only be the first, she mused, soon an armada would be formed and their power would be one of the most of the formidable in the entire galaxy.

The rise of the Sskausa would soon be at hand...