FSE

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~25 000 B.C.E, in Sirius's main capital -

"Sorv! Get your tail in gear, will you? If we're not down there in a few cycles, the Commander's going to have our hides!"

The tall bipedal tiger shark banged on the room's door, the metallic sound resonating through the hall.

"Yeah, yeah... I'm coming! Stop getting your fins in a pinch all the damn time!"

The large, strong-built black dragon opened the door, fully dressed in combat gear and tucking his sidearm and his small-caliber auto rifle in their respective holsters, carrying his main weapon in a mechanical holster on his back.

"It's about time! Damn it, Sorv, we'll be sanctioned again because of you!"

Sorvaa'hr shrugged and sighed nonchalantly, following the shark as his strong-built legs made a dry thump each time he set a foot on the on the titanium floor, the dragon getting slightly annoyed at it, as always.

"Whatever, Reiken. They're just being difficult, as usual. I couldn't care less what they want. Unlike you, I'm not some damn puppet. I do whatever I please. I just stay here because I feel at home in battle and they provide plenty of it. You should understand, you're considered an apex predator, for fuck's sake! Act like it, once in a while!"

"You can do what you please when we've been briefed, alright? Now, move!"

"Fine, fine..."

Sorvaa'hr started making his way down the hall to the small, confined warp room, closely followed by Reiken, clutching his trident-like spear and playing with it as they step into the room. The dragon soon entered some coordinates and warped them to another sector of the complex, heading towards the briefing room. He glared at Reiken who was still toying with his spear, turning its energy blades on and off, producing soft zapping sounds.

"Will you stop playing with that damn thing? It's driving me insane!"

"What's your problem? I like my spear. It's not as noisy as your damn rifle!"

"Whatever. I like my rifle, I'll let you know. It's got better range!"

The two were always arguing but never truly fighting. They just teased each other. Some may had seen it as hostile behavior but that was their way of challenging each other and proving each other they were stronger than the other. It was their own way of showing respect for each other. Sorvaa'hr and Reiken soon entered the briefing room, getting glared at by the single human inside, dressed like an army's general and looking rather impatient and annoyed.

"Are you two always like that? Spend your energy on the battlefield instead of wasting your time on pointless arguing!"

The two soon stood at attention as the human gave out a sigh and shook his head.

"Anyway, here are your orders. From this next mission, you two will be assigned to Second Fleet. You will descend to Terra and help assess the situation over there. You will report to Commander Alswaram at all times. Am I clear? That goes especially for you, Ol'rath!"

"Yes, Sir!"

The duo soon made their way out, heading down to the living quarters of the military complex.

"Phew. He's always in a pissed off mood. Second Fleet... that's new. Hey, Sorv? What do you think about Alswaram? He's the Commanding Officer of Second Fleet, isn't he?"

"I don't think anything. He's just another superior. He's different, that's all. We still have to follow his orders."

"I know! But have you heard what they say? They say he likes machines more than other living beings!"

"And?"

"And? That's freaking weird!"

"He's still our superior."

"You're really boring and cynical, you know that?"

Reiken pouted and sighed at his friend's usual behavior, strapping his spear on his dorsal fin and keeping to himself as the two headed down to the quarters, suddenly interrupted by the intercom.

"Sorvaa'hr Ol'rath and Reiken Arvalan, please head to sector 6, division 3. Repeat, Sorvaa'hr Ol'rath and Reiken Arvalan, report to sector 6, division 3."

Sorvaa'hr grumbled and sighed.

"Great... just what I needed. A Commander that likes to socialize."

"He probably just wants to meet us."

"Well, aren't you the perspicacious one."

The two soon turned back and returned towards the warp room, entering the new coordinates and warping to the proper sector. As they exited, they soon noticed a large open area with all sorts of craft littered around in a surprisingly organized way, doors lined up along the walls of the massive hangar-like area, each leading to individual quarters. The two soon spotted a much larger dragon with royal blue scales starting to make his way towards them, the two stopping and saluting politely. He was standing quite tall, at nearly 10 feet, with his wings tucked behind him and making him seem almost equally wide. He was anthropomorphic in stature but his limbs and body were quite muscular built and from afar, that made him seem almost like more of a beast than an average half dragon.

"Ah, welcome to Second Fleet. You must be Sorvaa'hr and Reiken?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You must be the infamous Sorvaa'hr fellow I heard about. I was told you're a bit stiff. You don't have to worry about a thing here. I don't like formalities much. Relax and be at ease. I'll meet each of you individually later on. For now, make yourselves comfortable and get acquainted to your new quarters. You can go get your stuff later. Also, you might want to get some rest. We might be deployed soon."

"Deployed, Sir?" asked the shark.

"Indeed. We'll be leaving for Terra. We're to assess the situation in Lemuria."

The shark looked a bit surprised, having never left his star system before. "Terra? That's far! I've never gone that far before. I heard it's a fairly primitive planet."

"Don't you know anything, Reiken? They say it's pretty bad there right now. I'm supposing that something's wrong with the colonization process?"

"That's right. We need to put back some order into things. Even I'm not exactly sure how bad it is there. All I know is some other Terran colony which seems fairly equal to Lemuria technology-wise has been causing tensions. We'll find out once we get there and we'll act accordingly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to."

"Great... so we're basically going to be cleaning up the mess the colonists made?"

The blue dragon laughed heartily.

"You sure live up to the reputation following you, Sorvaa'hr! That's correct... We're to help try to lower the tensions and if that does not work, we are authorized to defend the colony. And don't worry, I don't plan on getting in your way. Just follow orders. Other than that, I'm glad to have you on board."

Alswaram headed off and left Sorvaa'hr and Reiken standing there. Sorvaa'hr looked to Reiken and made a sign with his hand pointing at the blue dragon.

"See? He's not that bad, is he?"

"I guess not. One of the first I see that seems to like you. That's a surprise! He sure does seem to like machines, though. Just look at this place..."

"Well, I think it's pretty cool, sort of."

"I should have expected that kind of comment, with you carrying your rifle and all that gear all the time."

Sorvaa'hr shrugged, showing his usual nonchalance.

"You're the one that looks almost naked here. Anyway, we should get to our quarters and rest. I'm not hyperactive like you so I need to rest sometimes, you know?"

Reiken tapped his rump mockingly at him and headed towards his new quarters. Sorvaa'hr soon followed and followed suit, entering his quarters and finding his room quite nicely laid out, with a soft-looking bed and more than enough space to put all his weapons and gear.

"Hmm... not bad after all, I guess. I could get used to this place."

Sorvaa'hr took off his gear and threw himself into bed, sighing and closing his eyes, falling asleep quickly.

"Whoa... get a load of this place! Jackpot! This is _way_better than the reserves!"

Reiken looked over his room and swayed his flukes happily, taking off his spear and laying it in bed besides him. He would always sleep with it, as if it would make him feel safer. The pale grey and white shark basically went about naked, as he had nothing to hide. All he wore was a protective shell for his claspers. Moreover, these organs were alien to most other species, dismissing them as just another set of fins. It didn't take too long before Reiken started drifting to sleep. He slept like a rock that night, dreaming of new adventures. As it were, Reiken was indeed a fierce warrior but at the core, he always was much more of an adventurer than a soldier. For him, being in the military was just a matter of convenience, allowing him easy access to various resources and the quickest way to explore uncharted territory.

Time passed and a new day rose. Reiken rolled to his side, opening his eyes slowly and soon noticing the familiar blue dragon sitting at his bedside, as if waiting and observing him. He rose up and clutched his spear nervously. It didn't take long for him to notice that the dragon had taken off his gear and wasn't wearing anything.

"Whoa! Nervous one, aren't you?"

Reiken blinked, looking at his new CO.

"Sir?"

"I have a name, you know..."

"Beg your pardon?"

"No, it's not that. It's Alswaram," replied the dragon in a corrective tone, chuckling lightly.

"But..."

"Listen to me. When you're within these walls, formalities are useless. I always found ranks and nominations to be useless outside of battle and diplomatic situations. All they do is promote respect of a rank. You know what? There's a reason why I'm in command of the armada's Second Fleet: it's because of my actions. Actions speak louder than words, Reiken. I don't need everyone to call me "Sir" or "Commander" because I already know I'm the Commanding Officer and everyone here respects me as such. Catch my drift?"

"I... guess?" replied the shark, looking a bit confused. "You're pretty different from the superiors I'm used to, is all..."

"Heh, I get that a lot." The dragon looked at the shark and smiled to him. "Listen, I treat every member of my Fleet as a family member. All of the others, they know me and they know what I've accomplished. Hence, I know they respect me. I consider my daily task to be more of a unification kind than a rule by force. Everyone here is free to leave as they see fit. I will not force anyone to stay. I'll even write a recommendation if need be. I leave the rule by force to the iron fists above. All rabid animals, they are, sometimes...

"Sir...! With all due respect, you shouldn't talk about them that way!" said the shark, looking a bit alarmed.

"Why shouldn't I? Isn't it what you think as well? All they do is sit at their offices and bark orders. They don't know how it is on the field. They never dared to look, either. Most of them wouldn't last a day on a battlefield. That's the truth that no one dares to speak."

The shark chuckled, relaxing a bit and admitting that his words rang true.

"So, do you always wake up people standing at their bedside? Without any clothes on, on top if it... What did you want with me anyway?"

"Whoa, settle down. I just like surprising recruits. As for why I'm going around without clothes, I really don't see the big deal with this. Why should we hide? We are made this way, are we not? Moreover, my genitalia are internal, so I don't really have anything to hide. What about you? Your claspers are always hanging free, aren't they? All you have is this cheap shell cover and this harness over your body."

"Well... t-that's true..." admitted Reiken, getting quite embarrassed now.

"Besides, if you objected to this, wouldn't you have already sent me out?"

"Well... You're my CO..." replied the shark, blushing even more visibly through his pale hide, realizing the situation he was caught in. He observed Alswaram as he got up and suddenly locked the doors from the inside. Reiken looked at him even more nervously, now.

"What are you doing?!"

"Giving us some privacy, of course" The dragon chuckled quietly, smiling at the shark.

"Privacy? But why...?" The shark was getting antsier at the awkward position he was in.

"Didn't you have questions for me, Reiken? I have some for you, as well."

Reiken was still clutching at his spear nervously, as if it was a tic.

"Relax there, apex predator; I'm not going to hurt you. Far from it, actually. So what's on your mind, Reiken? I've noticed how you seemed to look at everything. Is it all the vessels and crafts around here? I suppose I do have that reputation, don't I? What you heard about me is true. Well most of it, anyway; I do prefer machines to other living beings. Why, you'll ask? The answer is simple: it's because they don't judge unnecessarily and they don't pose judgment on anyone. Even artificial personas aren't programmed to judge their users or the one that's interacting with them."

"I see... I think I see your point. But you make it sound like you were persecuted in the past."

"Well, yes. I was. Not all agreed with my actions and some may even have been disadvantaged by them, so obviously, they sought to get back at me. Given my position, they could not do much so their only solution was to start idiotic rumors about me so that others would think I'm a freak. I suppose at times, it's not that far from the truth. I also got beaten a lot when I was younger and teased constantly about it. I was called a "machine lover" and I was stigmatized for always avoiding contact with others."

"But can't you do something? About them, I mean..." asked Reiken, starting to feel a bit sorry for Alswaram and now started looking at him through different eyes.

"What good would that do? I don't have energy to waste on brainless corpses."

"Ouch. You're pretty sharp-tongued, aren't you?"

"Truth isn't always pleasant to hear, Reiken..."

"I think I see what you mean..." The shark nodded silently and thought to himself, knowing what the dragon was talking about as he had himself long been pigeonholed as dangerous and aggressive in nature, solely for his species.

"So what about you, then? What do you think about me? Do you object having me as your Commanding Officer?"

"No... Well... I think I used to. Yet, after having heard what you had to say, I don't mind anymore. I'm glad you're actually alive and all... thinking for yourself, unlike some of those mindless soldiers that go into battle just for bloodshed, having no idea who or what they're fighting for..."

"Are you talking about your friend, Sorvaa'hr?"

"Sorv is different. I know he has reasons. He's not very talkative but he means well. He's saved my hide a few times. He may seem cold and calculating sometimes but deep down, he can be really friendly and he does worry about those he respects and cares for. He'll seem heartless for his tactical decisions but his skill is equal to none. That's why they put up with him; they don't have anyone that can outclass him. What about you, Sir? Why do you fight, anyway?"

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that. My entire family comes from a line of warriors and soldiers. So I guess it's in my blood. Just thinking about being in an office all day makes my hide crawl. I'd rather be in action. And if I can help things and make the lives of others better in the process, then it's even better."

"I see. That's pretty noble of you. Maybe a bit naïve, too. So much for the things we hear about you..."

"I'm glad you're seeing things differently. Let me return you the question, though. Why are you here, Reiken?"

"Well, that's a long story. Long story made short, my parents disowned me."

"What?! Why?"

"Don't look so shocked... haven't you read my file yet?"

"I don't care much for paper. I care for individuals... machines or not."

That made Reiken chuckle a bit. He was finally starting to relax but now he had to tell the truth. He could always lie but Alswaram would probably know. He was never good at lying, either. What would Alswaram think? Does he already know? Is that why he was there and locked the door? All sorts of things were going through his mind at the time.

"I understand... Well, you see, my parents were very traditional... very stuck up on traditions and on principles"

"I see... they disowned you because of your sexual preferences? That's so old-fashioned..."

"Well, that's not it, exactly... Being male-inclined is one thing. The main problem was that they didn't agree on the first mate I had... he was a Kelva, like you."

"Excuse me? You lost me for a second there. A what?"

"A Kelva. It's a pejorative expression in my native tongue for "surface people". In my family, they still follow the old traditions. They say we can't mate with "land-dwellers" or "air-travelers". They say it upsets the deities of water. I can't help it if my kind are boring and unattractive to me!"

"I see. Don't you love those stuck on creeds and beliefs? I'm so sorry for you, Reiken. Of course, your parents meant no harm, of that I'm certain. One question, though. May I ask what happened to that mate you had...?"

"Oh. Well, truthfully, we were just very close friends. We played intimately a few times but we never went very far into it. I think he was intimidated or something because of my claspers being a bit alien to him... Anyway, he was going to medic school and I chose military school. So eventually, we drifted apart. It happened gradually but at one point, we agreed it was better for us to go our separate ways. I never really sought another mate since then. Besides, it's not like I have the time for this, either..."

Alswaram nodded and smiled a bit, almost as if it was arranging him.

"I see. Don't you get lonely, sometimes?" asked Alswaram, now moving a bit and sitting on the bed this time. It didn't take long for Reiken to realize what was transpiring. A part of him wanted to push him back but another didn't want to resist. Reiken had tried so hard to get closer to Sorvaa'hr but all his efforts seemed to be in vain. He was always denied. And now, this dragon - his superior on top of it, was propositioning him? He knew very well that could give him major sanctions from the military board but if Alswaram was making the first step, that probably meant he wasn't going to tell anyone. Reiken's blood was rushing, now. It had been so long since he mated with one of Alswaram's kind, one of the Kelva! His heart was pounding. He tried to say something but all that he came out with was unintelligible blabber.

"Sir... I..."

"For the last time, my name is Alswaram. Unless you wish to call me "sir" intimately, that's fine with me..." Alswaram chuckled and winked to Reiken, getting blatantly suggestive.

Reiken blinked, even though he already knew. He _was_propositioning him! He was suggestively passing his tail over his body, too... and that made Reiken shiver uncontrollably. He bit his lip and suddenly shuddered, blurting out a nearly incomprehensible string of words.

It took a split-second for Alswaram to make it out and when he did, he contented himself of chuckling and he slowly took Reiken's weapon, setting it aside as he lay down next to him, looking at him straight in the eyes, his tail slowly feeling Reiken's rather thin flukes, a trait typical of most sharks. That's when he really started to let his eyes wander over the shark's body. He marveled at his curves and his hide, so smooth on his belly side and slightly rougher on his back side. Somehow, he has always found dorsal fins and flukes to be somehow cute and attractive. He always wanted to have a friend - or better yet, a mate - from the age-old, sea-faring Hilandra race, the race of shark morphs Reiken was a member of. Reiken's dorsal fin wasn't overly large but unlike his flukes, it was fairly thick and strong-looking. Being a tiger shark, the light-colored striped pattern on his backside was also quite appealing to the dragon. He gazed at the shark a moment, losing himself in his pitch-black, almost hypnotic eyes.

"I don't think you'll need your spear for a moment, Reiken..."

Reiken looked back at him, shivering still as he slowly moved against him. Being a shark, he had long picked up his scent and as he finally started to put more attention to it, he quickly noticed it was quite different from anything he had picked up before. His musk was not too different from the usual dragons he knew, bearing deep wooden hints and spicy undertones. But something was different about Alswaram. It was an unusual, faint sweetness that came from the oil often finding its way on his hide from the machinery. Reiken found it nice and appealing. The dragon was not even paying attention to the shark's exploring and analyzing as he rolled on his side for a moment, grinning to Reiken and suddenly moving onto him, leaning in and giving a slow lick, his tongue zigzagging his way up his belly to his beak. Reiken was still not moving, unsure of what to do and flushing with a dark blush at the position he was in.

"What is it? Are you embarrassed? Indeed, that's quite a position you're in, Reiken. So what now? Will you listen to what military school taught you and resist or give in to your superior? I think the former is not very likely. So why don't you show a bit of desire instead of staying there looking paralyzed..."

Reiken blushed even more but he knew what his body wanted and at that time, he pretty much wanted it as well. He had never found himself in such a position before and deep down, he was deeply aroused by it... enough so to have his claspers gorging up slowly. Alswaram was getting even more in control now as he leaned down and slid his tail slowly to the shark's claspers and felt around them slowly and around his tail slit.

"Hm. You're fairly different from what I'm used to. This should be interesting!"

Alswaram licked over the shark's lips and slid down a bit to his upper chest, not quite biting but nipping a few times roughly enough for the shark's instincts to ignite and make him feel a bit more driven... and it was working rather well, since the shark reacted quickly and shivered, groaning softly at the dragon's move and reaching up to grasp him. But shark or not, Alswaram wasn't going to let him do as he pleased. He was the superior, after all! And so, he moved suddenly and in an attempt to make the shark react, he slid his already half-emerging cock against the shark's claspers, grinding to stimulate him. The shark grinned at this, seeming to have waited for this very moment as he suddenly got rid of his shyness, moving and contracting his legs together while his claspers followed the motion and trapped the dragon's throbbing and stiffening cock between them. Alswaram yelped and his eyes widened at Reiken's bold move, wanting to turn the situation but Reiken soon grasped him and Alswaram found him to be quite stronger than he's anticipated.

The shark's grasp was tight and powerful and Alswaram found himself struggling to keep his position. It took a while but the shark finally rolled him over and he soon grinned to the dragon below him, flashing his teeth and now slowly grinding his claspers while massaging Alswaram's cock with them and effectively stimulating him. Alswaram seemed to struggle still, not being very comfortable with being a bottom and growling lowly in protest, only stimulating the shark in going further. Reiken was greatly enjoying the dragon's predicament. He had to struggle with his own instincts not to roughen him as he began grinding even deeper, his claspers starting to throb as his pleasure built up making him tremble and chitter, surprising the dragon with sounds he didn't expect from a shark. Reiken was grinding even deeper now, driving the dragon to climax with his unbearable massaging and grinding. Alswaram roared out as his climax washed over him fairly quickly, tensing up as his cock erupted and splattered generous ropey tendrils of his sticky cum over the shark's groin and claspers. Reiken reacted and groaned, chittering and squealing softly as he moved and slowly angled so one of his stiff claspers pressed to the dragon's tail hole, drawing out a sudden, deep moan from him.

"Ohhh... Reiken, you feel so different!"

"Mmm! Hah! I thought you were the commander here, Alswaram? Did you think I was going to let you dominate over a shark? In your dreams, maybe!"

The shark grinned to him, almost as if mocking him playfully as he pressed the single clasper deep into Alswaram's tail, causing the dragon and moan again, hissing and growling deeply at the alien sensation of the shark's smooth clasper stimulating him quite effectively still.

"So smooth and warm... Reiken, you feel incredible!"

The shark smiled at the encouragement, starting a deep thrusting rhythm, soon riding the dragon progressively deeper and faster, putting a bit more vigor in his thrusts as he started to pant lightly, which surprised Alswaram a bit. He knew Reiken's race could breathe outside of water but he wasn't sure how. Hilandrans had evolved far beyond the average sea-farers, having grown a set of lung-like organs to breathe while out of the water and strong legs to outrun a wide variety of land-dwellers. Reiken's gills fluttered lightly in time with his increased breathing, leaking natural body oil which the dragon was quick to spot and lap at. He found the taste to be bitter, slightly reminiscent of some tangy yellow fruits from Terra that he had tasted a few times. The shark groaned and rubbed him encouragingly, the dragon's tongue over his ultra-sensitive gills making him shiver deeply. Alswaram's reaction was to quickly reach down and take hold of the shark's free clasper, stroking it like it was just a normal cock, getting rewarded by the shark's clear precum. Reiken was equally quick to react at this, moaning and tensing up, having never felt anyone get this intimate with him, much less stimulate both claspers at once! Reiken felt overwhelmed and was reveling in the constant waves of pleasure flowing through him. He sped up his thrusting and picked up a bit of force, nearly pounding the dragon as he snorted and squealed softly every few moments until he shuddered and squealed out suddenly, both of his claspers erupting at once and spurting several streams of his watery seed one after the other in a rhythmic fashion. The dragon moaned out at the feeling of having his bowels coated and washed with the shark's surprisingly warm seed and soon wrapped his arms around him, purring deeply. Reiken cooed softly and smiled to Alswaram, slowly stroking his chest with his thick, human-like hands.

"So, who's the Commander now, hotshot?"

"Mmm... don't get used to it. I'll get you back for this, Reiken", replied the dragon in a sultry tone, still purring lightly.

"I think I'll like it here..."

"That's good to hear. Later I'll have to get your friend to warm up. He's kind of stiff, isn't he?"

"You mean Sorv? I think you'll hit a wall with him. He's very difficult to get to like you. He won't be like I am, I can tell you that much. You'll have to either gain his trust at the least and perhaps also his respect, somehow... Also, as far as I know, he prefers females when it comes to other dragons. But I know he can go both ways..."

"I see. And you know this by experience?"

"Well... maybe..."

The shark blushed and giggled embarrassingly at this. He knew Sorvaa'hr well enough to have had the chance to see (and feel) the soft-hearted side behind the cold, calculating soldier. Alswaram quickly picked up on this and smiled to Reiken, nodding. He now knew that he would have to do more than just barge into his room to get his way with him. Alswaram and Reiken held each other for a while, nuzzling and lightly kissing each other, feeling warm together and now relieved of their respective sexual tension.

"Mmm... I'd better get back, Reiken. If I could, I'd be laying here with you for days. Let's do this again sometime. Sexual tension or frustration isn't a good thing on the field."

"Is that the only reason why you did this? You were horny?"

"No... I did it also because I wanted to. I always wanted to have my way with a shark. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Yeah... it is. You felt really good, too. Thank you, Commander."

Reiken kissed him again and hugged him. Alswaram returned the motion and slid off, shaking himself up a bit to look casual as he headed out of the room and to the showers to clean up the thick smell of sex that still lingered on him. As he entered, he stumbled upon Sorvaa'hr, silently showering and seeming to not even notice him. He observed him for a while as he himself proceeded to rinse and wash. Sorvaa'hr finally looked over at him after a while.

"What are you looking at? Didn't get enough of Reiken?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Oh, come on... You think I'm stupid? It reeked of sex when you came in here. Don't worry; I couldn't care less what you do with him so I won't tell anyone. I don't like the higher-ups any more than you do, so I won't sell the scoop. Besides, I know Reiken likes our race. He seems to have a soft spot for our kind. He's actually very sweet..."

"Thanks. He sure is... So what about you, then? Don't you ever get sexually frustrated?"

"Sometimes yeah, like everyone does. I do prefer females myself."

"And male humans, from what Reiken said..."

"He said that? I'll skin him alive..."

The dragon sighed and grumbled a bit, seemingly embarrassed at the other dragon's revelation.

"Anyway... Yes. I do like them. Is it a problem?"

"Not at all... I have my own twisted desires."

"So I smell. Oil, isn't it?"

"Yeah... you can tell? Reiken couldn't."

"I'm sure he could but ignored it. He's got a very sensitive sense of smell. The smell seems to linger on you for a while. That's because I used to repair machines myself, so I know that smell very well. Guess it suits you, considering..."

"Wow... you actually said something nice!"

"Very funny... Don't get used to it. Anyway, I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, Sorvaa'hr... Sleep well."

"Same to you, Commander."

And on this, Sorvaa'hr left the shower room and headed back to his room. Alswaram finished showering and also returned to his own quarters, which were separate from everyone else's... for a reason. He exited the complex and headed to a nearby hangar area, where some AI-equipped vehicles and mechs stayed. As he entered, all of them greeted him as if they knew him since forever. Alswaram made his way to the back, where a single, slightly larger Hunter-class battle unit rested and waved. The mech was built much like a dragon, bearing the same limbs and the same structure, only much larger. His shiny, dark metallic blue hull reflected the light as he moved with soft mechanical squeals.

"Hi there, big guy... is everything ok?"

The mech looked down to him.

~ Hello, Alswaram. I could ask you the same question. You are late tonight. ~

"I know. I'm sorry, big guy. I made a new friend today."

~ A new friend? Is your new friend a biome? ~

"Yes, he is. He's called Reiken. He's a shark! He's really sweet and I think he likes me."

~ This is good to hear. Do you like him more than me, then? ~

"Don't be silly... I still feel more natural and comfortable with you. But Reiken was nice to me and he doesn't seem to mind my... quirkiness."

~ Is being attracted to me quirky? ~

"Well, to other biomes, it is. Most don't like machines. They think you don't feel or smell good."

~ Why is that quirky? I find it rather nice. Most think we are only good for battle. ~

"Don't listen to them. They're all imbeciles... they think because you're just AIs, it doesn't matter if you get hurt or anything... they're just using you as shields."

~ Is that not what we were made for? ~

"That's what they want you to believe! They're just being close-minded and stuck up, as always!"

Alswaram stroked the mech's leg and snuggled. The mech soon responded by lowering his stance and holding him in his arms, as he usually did. Before he could fall asleep, he was surprised by Sorvaa'hr, who had followed him there without Alswaram knowing.

"So that's where you go... I see. So you _are_as they say."

"Sorvaa'hr? Are you spying on me or something?"

"No. I was curious as to where your own quarters were. You don't have any, do you?"

"No... I stay here with Lancer."

"Lancer? That's your mech's name?"

"Yeah."

~ Pleased to meet you. Sorvaa'hr, is it? ~

"Yeah. Hello, Lancer. So, Commander Alswaram is your battle partner, then?"

~ Yes. When he goes into battle, I follow. ~

"I see... interesting. Pretty loyal, aren't you? That's to be expected from your kind."

~ You have nothing bad to say? You don't seem hindered by my exhaust, either... ~

"No. I'm well used to this smell. I used to be a mechanic. You're quite usual for a Hunter. Very well maintained as well. Thanks to the Commander, I suppose. Well, I suppose I should be heading back for now."

"Oh? So soon?"

"Yeah. I was just curious as to where you stayed, since I didn't see your name anywhere. And you better take care of Reiken, you hear me? He's really sensitive and naive. If you hurt him, I don't care what rank you are, I'll hunt you down and rip your heart out."

"Really? Are you hostile like that all the time? Don't worry, I've got Reiken covered. I feel something for him..."

"Is that so? I see. Good night, Commander."

Sorvaa'hr headed off and went back to his room, where he slowly drifted to sleep while Alswaram slept with his mechanical friend, as he usually did. Lancer had picked him up and held him close to his chest plate, the dragon curled up against him, snoring peacefully.

-- The following day, 0600 hours.

Alswaram woke up in Lancer's arms. He nuzzled him and quickly noticed how they were the only ones in the hangar area. He looked up to Lancer quizzically. Lancer looked back at him.

~ I know. Something is not right. I booted up two hours ago and everyone was gone. I'm missing 9 hours in my data log. It's as if there was an unexplainable lapse in my memory bank. My systems were shut down temporarily. I was waiting for you to wake. I detect several life forms nearby. ~

"Life forms? Biomes?"

~ Yes. They circled us. What did you do, this time? ~

"Nothing... I did nothing at all!"

~ Why would they want with us then? ~

"I noticed Nero and Kristana were missing last night, too."

~ Yes, so I noticed. I cannot seem to find their beacons, either. ~

"This is getting a little distressing... Can you warp us out, Lancer?"

~ Afraid not. There is a force field keeping me from using any kind of warp or gravitic jump. ~

"Crap. This is not good... I'll go check it out myself."

~ It might be a trap, you know. ~

"I know that! But do we have another choice, at this point?"

~ I guess not... ~

"I'll be right back, don't worry."

Alswaram took a KE-powered pistol stored within his mechanical friend's inner hull and headed out slowly. He was soon greeted by members of a secret Sirian organization, seven to be exact. Each of them was of a different species, pointing weapons at him. This organization was reportedly operating undercover and taking orders strictly from the Sirian congress and was seemingly made up of the top individuals from each of Sirius's sentient races: the Kelva, draconic-like reptilian beings with a corpulent stature; the Elvani, a race of mundane-looking, evolved humans with sharper senses than most animals; the Balmodan, a race of beastmen with traits of humans but bearing strains of various animal DNA making them look slightly different depending on the species and the Hilandra, a race of sea-farers that have evolved into both land and sea dwellers, bearing the limbs of land-dwellers and the characteristic traits of sea-farers such as gills, flukes, fins and the like. While the Hilandra were still primarily sea-farers and generally considered old-fashioned, for the past centuries, they had become an active part of the congress and were considered a full-fledged sentient race of the Sirius supercluster.

Even the top ranking military personnel only heard rumors of this elusive organization and truly, their existence was often made to be a myth... a spooky bedtime story for soldiers, in other words. Their name is difficult to pronounce for Terrans but the closest pronunciation would be "lax-dhoul", roughly meaning "Visionaries" in the native Sirian dialect. One of them - a gruff looking human and the one who was likely to be the highest-ranked, stepped forward and lowered his weapon.

"Commander Alswaram Osdanil? Huh. I expected something more... impressive."

"Well, aren't you the arrogant one... Who's asking?"

"My name or our operating name is irrelevant to you. You will come with us."

"You don't tell me your name and you act arrogant on my own territory and then ask me to follow you? Give me one reason why I should listen to the likes of you?"

"You are a bit outnumbered to be the one asking the questions, wouldn't you say?"

"That's irrelevant, my arrogant friend. I don't need any numbers; I have my friend Lancer, ready to blow your heads off."

"Your friend is in a bad position. The field we placed locks up all of his systems, including his weaponry and defenses. It's a miracle he could boot up in the first place. He will not be of much help to you this time. Also, if he intervenes, we will shut him down. Is that clear?"

"You bastards... Fine! Take me wherever you want... but don't you dare touch Lancer or I'll bite your heads off myself!"

"Such fervor of spirit and violence, you show. Typical Kelva, that is certain. Fret not, he will not be harmed. All we need is you and your shark friend."

"Reiken?! If you lay a finger on him..."

"Oh, not at all. I would never dream of it. My orders were only to take him in, like you. He was much more cooperative than you."

"Why are you doing this? What's your problem?"

"Enough questions! Now, come! Otherwise, your friend will not be in such safety for long!"

The human was getting impatient and Alswaram heard the loading of weapons behind him. Alswaram growled and threw his pistol away, knowing it wouldn't do him any good. The only thing in his mind at that precise moment was Reiken. Did someone betray him? Was it Sorvaa'hr? He showed some odd behavior and he knew what happened... and yet, he told him to take care of him and his track record was spotless, so it made no sense. His mind was rushing, torn between leaving his mechanical friend and being taken to a place he had no idea about, with his newly found recruit - whom he was now considering to be a potential mate - in the grasp of an organization no one knew anything about. Then, suddenly, he felt a hit at the back of his head and crashed to the ground, nearly passing out. He groaned as he felt a painful sting in his arm, recognizing the feeling of an injection. They had sedated him and they were taking him somewhere. He quickly got weaker and started to fight unconsciousness. The last thing he remembered was hearing the deep throb of a spacecraft's engines. He found the sound as soothing as always but he knew the situation he was in and he couldn't help having a deep sense of dread take control of him. He tried focusing on the soothing rumble as he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

-- Meanwhile, back at Second Fleet's HQ

Sorvaa'hr groaned and stretched. It was daylight already? The dragon slowly got up, dressing up and strapping his gear on, remembering what Alswaram had said and he thought he could use some physical training and shooting practice. He headed out, seeing nothing and no one. The place was empty.

"Where is everybody...? Did they all head somewhere and left me behind?"

He headed to Reiken's room, banging as usual. No answer. He looked everywhere and found nothing. He went back to his room to pick up the rest of his gear and suddenly, he spotted a hologram generator on his bedside table.

"Hmm? What's that? A holo-vid? Who put it there? Maybe they're already gone and I was left behind! SHIT!"

He took the holo-gen and started it, seeing unfamiliar faces and seeing his shark partner and the familiar dragon strapped in a cell like room.

"Greetings, Sorvaa'hr Ol'rath. You may not know us but we know you. We have your precious partner and your commanding officer. As you may notice, you are alone. You are the only one left. The others have been taken somewhere else. They will have no memory of what happened when this is over. We had no need for them. If you want to see your friends alive, you had better act fast. At the time you see this, we are already several star systems away. There is a shuttle waiting for you in Bay 4. The coordinates are pre-entered. Engage the auto-pilot and when you finally get here, events will unfold. Everything is planned out. The only piece left missing is you."

"What the hell is this shit? Who the hell are these clowns? What do they even want? Damn it all, Reiken! "It'll be fun in Second Fleet!" he said... Yeah, it's really fun, Reiken! How the hell did you ever let yourself get caught? Now I have to go rescue you again!"

It wasn't the first time Reiken got into hot water, as it were. Sorvaa'hr sighed loudly, taking the small orb and making his way to the docking bays. He stumbled upon the reeling mech before getting to the shuttle.

"Lancer?"

~ Sorvaa'hr! I was looking for you. ~

"For me? It's about Alswaram, isn't it?"

~ Yes... he was taken away. I am going to get him. ~

"You? Looking at you, I don't think you're in a state to go anywhere. Did they mess up your systems? I can maybe help you out a bit."

~ No. They just weakened me a bit. I will be alright. They thought it would disable me but thankfully, Alswaram had installed an auto-repairing nano-generator a while ago. ~

"Nanites? Interesting... He does know more about machines than he lets on."

~ Indeed, he does. Much more than you think. Will you help me? ~

"Me?"

~ Yes. I will take care of the piloting. All you need to do is to climb inside and settle in. ~

"I've never really done this kind of thing before..."

~ Are you afraid? ~

"Don't be stupid. I'm not scared of anything. I'm just not very comfortable with space flight."

~ Very well, then. ~

The mech opened his plates with a long, deep hissing sound and some mechanical squealing. Sorvaa'hr's eyes widened at this. He was looking at the open plates, unsure of what to do. He secretly always looked at mech pilots as higher than him and now an AI-equipped mobile unit was offering him a ride... He was a bit unsure and worried but he was not going to show it, being too prideful to show any weakness, as always. He slowly moved and stepped in. He found the mech to be a perfect fit and felt padding all over around him, making him feel quite comfortable. He felt warm and the soft droning from the mech's systems was strangely relaxing to him.

~ Are you comfortable? ~

"Well... yeah. You feel pretty good. I'm ready. Do you know where they went?"

~ Yes. I placed a tracking beacon on them. We're leaving. ~

"A tracking device? That's it? They fell for an old trick like that? That's pretty ironic..."

~ They just did not expect me to break out of the EM field. ~

Sorvaa'hr felt a sudden deep vibration. Loud whining filled the air as the mech's quad reactors boomed and launched them off the ramp and into the sky, where the mech activated his cloaking device. When they exited Sirian space, the mech opened a hyperspace rift and jumped through, warping to a seemingly empty area.

"There's nothing here..."

~ All is not as it seems. At the precise coordinates ahead of us is a small space station. ~

"You can tell?"

~ I have sensors. They are much more able than your own. ~

"So I see. Very well, let's go."

~ There is a problem. I will not be able to go. I am too large and will get us noticed in no time. I will warp you in there in a safe room. You will have to deal with things on your own from there. ~

"Wonderful. Alright, Lancer, I will. I'm ready. Send me in."

The dragon got warped by the mech into a small room, hearing noises from all over around him. He sighed, reaching for his sidearm and steadying his breathing, thinking to himself in an angry state of mind.

"I'll kill you all. Reiken... Commander... I'm coming!"

To be continued...