FSE

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Pre-chapter

For the past thirty years, a war had been raging. The two sides drew a line in the sand and laughed as the other tried crossing it. Both sides portrayed the conflict as intensified border disputes, calming their general populaces with talks of "future peace" and "temporary cease fire." The barren region this conflict dominated was described simply as The Desert; it, and all surrounding lands, had long been free of dense vegetation and large bodies of water, leaving the sand and stunted brush to take hold of the expansive valleys between the imposing ranges dividing the expanse.

Battles were short and mostly one sided; a battalion of soldiers would catch hold of orders from a dubious source that sent them into the hungry jaws of the Desert, usually ending in a trap. Though both sides changed tactics every few days, only

minor troop deployments and movements within their own territory resulted. There was, however, one group that stood out, Elite Force sniper squads that were no more than two man groups. They were sent to strategic locations, usually for observation, tracking, assassination, or some combination of the three. These squads had sufficient provisions to sustain long missions in the desert, and enough ammunition to hold off a small force by themselves. The handpicked team was usually recruited from the sons of generals and other high ranking officers. Others that gained admission to the select group were simply the best shots of their battalions, and M School put that to the test.

Ret had never intended to join the military. The seventeen year old coyote was the son of a merchant, or so he'd been told, who had moved on shortly after Ret's birth. When he was 12, and had just graduated from preliminary schooling, his mother died from cancer unexpectedly. Ever since, Ret had been a ward of the state.

** ** The first year of his new life was hell. He was shunted through the houses of three foster parents before finally finding a place he could call home; Apartment 12. It was located in the lower levels of the outpost, where one could look out and see the vast expanse of the Desert below. Since he was a pup, Ret had dreamed of living on the surface, braving dangers from heat and sand storms, and making a name for himself. This made him the perfect foster son for his new caretaker, a male lynx named Lani.

Lani was a station geologist and was primarily charged with finding more resources and materials to keep the base aloft and in one piece. He had been given his own ship, a surplus and outdated military transport with more things wrong with it than right. He didn't really want a foster son, but had been forced to take one on by the courts as part of his punishment for destroying nearly half of the cargo dock with a wrong tap of the peddles; it had been that or work in an old people's home. Within a year of living with his new caretaker, Ret had read and learned more about ships than most mechanics would in their entire lives. After overcoming Lani's stubborn nature by studying for months and then proving his skills, Ret became an onboard technician, doing it for the simple joy of sinking his paws into the burning sands below. He even came to like Lani, as an acquaintance anyways.

June 29th, -40-163, the two set out on a short trip north of the station in order to check out an anomaly that fly-by magnetic scanners had picked up. The two landed their ship, and Lani stepped out to investigate a few iron stained outcroppings that jutted above the sand. Ret climbed into the aft compartment to check the piloting subsystems, which had given them a little trouble on the trip down. The coyote could hear Lani shouting once in a while about "post mineral bullshit," but mainly kept his eyes glued to the display panel in question. He was going to need to wait nearly half an hour for it to light up and start responding.

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IMORAT

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The faint green glow of a single circuit panel defined his eyes in the darkness. Those eyes continued to glance to and fro, jumping at every changing number and blink of light on the panel. He whispered quietly to himself.

"One repeat, two laps, one switch, five over, then once more- six, and then the same but different..." Lifting grease stained paws up to feel over the sharp edges surrounding the panel; the 'yote finally found what he was looking for. No longer concerned with the blinking lights, he spun around, smacking his head on an edge hidden the dark.

"FUCK!" he shouted, as a hatch above him quickly swung open, further stunning him with a blast of daylight. A voice called down to him from outside.

"What happened? Did you find it?"

"Yea, I just... I can't see a damned thing down here!"

"Hehehe, just you watch your mouth, ok? You're not here to swear."

"Yea yea..." Figuring his left paw might be a little less dirty, the 'yote reached up to rub the growing lump. "Hey, would ya move? I kinda wanna get out of this can." His pleas answered by a few clunking footsteps, the 'yote fumbled for the rungs of the ladder and pulled himself up out of the hatch into the daylight. He paused as soon as his head poked free; squinting around to make sure there was room for his arms. A few seconds later he hoisted himself completely out, flopping onto the hull of the ship, his fur hardly protecting him from the heat radiating off the dusty metal surface. He stood up and glanced over at the lynx next to him. "Sure a hell of a hot summer isn't it?"

"Yea, you'd think we could fix the weather nowadays, wouldn't you?"

The coyote boy laughed. "No need putting force where it's not wanted.... Hey, did you fix the mini fridge yet?"

"That's all you ever think about, isn't it, Mr. Harrison?"

"...what did you call me?"

The lynx grabbed some supports on the sides of the hovering vehicle and started climbing down to the cabin. "Hey, it's the name on your tags, isn't it?"

"Heh, fuck you man, show me some dignity."

"Of course, whatever you want, Mr. Harrison." The 'yote ran a few steps along the hot metal and started climbing down on the opposite side, then quickly jumping in through the side window. "Why Mr. Harrison, nice of you to join us!"

"Hey, cut it Mr. Chadwick!"

The Lynx laughed a little. "That's the best you can come up with?"

"Just drive, OK? We have like 30 minutes to get back."

"That'd be great, but first, I need to know what ya found out back there."

"Oh, it's just a stupid short in the fourth circuit again; I'll clamp it when we get back." The 'yote fiddled with his restraining belt a little before putting it on and looking over at the lynx. "Just take it easy, please; I don't want to go back out there." The Lynx snickered a little and ran a paw over the dash board.

"Oh? Fine then, I'll just fly calmly and rationally."

"Good, great."

The 'yote reclined his chair as the lynx started flipping switches. "All right Ret, is your seat belt fastened, and your tray table and seat in their full upright and locked positions?"

"Mph."

"All systems go; we have been cleared for takeoff." Grabbing a hold of two small thrust controllers on the steering wheel, the lynx dropped open the throttles and tilted the ship up thirty degrees, simultaneously freeing the 'yote from his chair, his restraints, and a life without comic injury.

"I SAID TAKE IT EASY!"

"I did, just had to push down with my thumbs. Oh, and I asked if your seat was up." He snickered a little under his breath.

"...smart-ass, I need an aspirin."

Once the ship leveled out into the normal horizontal flight path, Ret had open range of the mini fridge in the seat divider, only to find all his ice cream in a molten puddle at the bottom. "You didn't fix that, did you?"

"Oh, it's fixed, now it makes shakes!"

"Funny guy, very funny, and now you owe me three pints."

"Wow, I though you got wasted on one!"

"Lay off, Lani, I want my fucking ice cream!"

"Wacha gonna do huh? I could hold you down with one paw." He was right. Lani was six foot five and nothing but muscle, fur and bone. Ret was just fur and bone at five foot nine, with barely enough muscle to look fashionable.

"Ok Lani, so there's the station, just fly up to the cargo docks. It's not like any supplies come in after noon."

"True, but what if they did?"

"...you're seriously planning on docking in the lower port, aren't you?"

"It's what we always do!"

"Yea, and with the rear thrusters only running to one in 5 prob in a 4X cube you know that with only one foot of clearance... There's only a 30 percent chance we're going to even make it through the entrance gate! Just land in the cargo dock, they've got plenty of room." Lani darted his eyes and glanced back and forth between the two docks on the station ahead of them; the station itself comprising of over 2 million cubic feet of structured metal floating some 260 feet above the desert floor. "So... you're still going into the lower port, aren't you?"

"Yup."

"But why? Why risk so much equipment like this!"

"Oh shut up Mr. Harrison, we're almost there, I'll be fine."

"Yea, but what about THE SHIP!?"

"Too late, already sent in our approach intent."

"Ya know what, fine. The insurance is in your name, you paid for gas, just try not to bang up the fridge you couldn't fix. I may have use for it."

The lynx spun to give Ret a cold stare. "Listen pup, I've been flying this ship for some 7 years now and you won't even be able to get your pilot's license for another year, so please just shut up. I know how to do my job. When I took you on-board as a technician, I expected you to fix things, not criticize my flying. For seven frickin-"

Lani stopped as soon as a look of pure terror overtook the 'yote's face, his arms raised as if to brace himself. Lani turned back to the windshield to get a half second glimpse of an air intake before a wave of glass blasted his face, quickly followed by a large gunshot sound. He was disoriented, but alive. He couldn't really see through a bright orange that surrounded him, and he suddenly became aware of the fact he was upside down. His ears were quickly blown back against his head by the force of air rushing past as he plummeted towards the sand and rocks below. A parachute deployed, just in time to turn him upright before impact. Still traveling faster than he cared to know and hoping for a lucky break or two, he hit the desert floor with a thud.

Fortunate Son

** ** Ret woke up in a hospital bed and didn't mind a bit. The bed was plenty comfy, and the sheets smelled fresh, so he figured he hadn't been out long. An open window paired with a little white fan blew fresh air over his fur while a "get well soon" balloon bounced around, tied to his wrist. A male fennec in white hospital garb wandered from one end of the room to the other, checking equipment and denying the 'yote eye contact. He eventually stopped and picked up a small clip board. "Well Mr. Ret, I'm happy to say you're alive."

"Yea and it's good to hear it."

"I am even happier that you escaped that with less than major injuries." Flipping through some papers, the fennec rattled off a short list of injuries and other ailments the coyote had suffered. Ret was hardly aware of what was even going on, as he was far more interested in the dream he woke up from. There was a field, a green field as if water actually flowed nearby. It was a fantastic dream where flowers red and yellow bloomed naturally, some wilted with age. Light winds carried their sent around his muzzle along with the-

"Mr. Ret!"

"Oh, wait- what?"

"I know you're just coming off the sedatives, but try and pay attention. Now as far as we're concerned, you're fine and will be released, but there is one problem."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, it seems Mr. Lani Parson was killed in the crash. Now, as your last remaining legal guardian-"

"You know my dad is alive! He just moved just across the border; why won't you people ever just let me-"

"Excuse me, I am just a doctor and this is what I have been told to inform you. With your remaining legal guardian now dead, you have two options. First of which, you could be accepted with welcome arms into the government funded organization that puts orphans into homes that-"

"I'll take option two!"

"...you'll what?"

"I'll take option two; I'm never parent hopping again. That's final."

"B-but... option two is a 3 year enlistment in the-"

"Yea yea, military service and then government funding. There hasn't been a war in this state for a good 40 years! Sign me up, get me some boots, and tell me where to go."

"Are... are you sure? What if the border hops get worse? What if-"

"You said yourself, you are only a doctor. Please sign the paper and submit my request. Thank you." The fennec did as he was asked, a bit of regret still shining in his eyes. In his profession, he'd seen his fair share of war victims pass through. The so called "peace" was no more than an agreement not to sign war declarations. Quick skirmishes continued to bounce back and forth between borders weekly.

For the next few hours, Ret didn't do much of anything. He listened to the bits of music he could hear being played at the end of the hall and sipped periodically on the glass of orange juice he'd found on the bedside table. Eventually the phone next to him started ringing, the ringing far too annoying for him to simply ignore. He sighed and picked the receiver up, holding it to his ear, carefully avoiding some minor cuts "Hello?"

"Hello Mr. Ret, is everything OK?"

"Other than the fact that I'm in a hospital, yes..."

"Oh, well how is your vacation?" The 'yote paused.

"I wouldn't call this a vacation..."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that. Is your wife with you?"

"I've never been married, I'm 17!"

"You have not yet received your gift package, is everything OK?" Now thoroughly confused, Ret took a second or two to respond.

"I got a balloon, thanks, and everything is fine."

He hung up the phone, and that was that.

He was released later that day and spent a few hours wandering the dark concrete passages before he came across an abandoned steel shipping container. He walked in and found himself a cozy corner where he dozed off. The night brought more noise than sleep as maintenance crews went about their business, working 24/7 to keep the station aloft. There was no money to be found the next morning, and therefore no breakfast. It was only logical to head straight for the nearest recruiting booth, where he was accepted with open arms. After a passable meal, he spent the rest of his week in a small training center learning how to sweat and ache. On the Saturday he was finally issued with his combat rifle, a pathetic CC-35 hardly fit for killing at 10 yards. He had a little clock in his mind, continuously ticking towards Wednesday when he'd finally be sent back to the ground. That's all it was, a logical progression towards escape.

Teller Up

** ** Sunday was a working day for most of the station. No excuse could stop maintenance on a flying city, the risks were too high. Never one to bother with the rules, Ret decided that as a going to battle present for him, he'd stay in the barracks that day and kick back in front of the black and white screen in the corner. Propping himself up on a few pillows, he had just the comfortable angle he had been hoping for. When another recruit entered the room, he hardly gave notice, preferring instead the company of an animated lion showing him how to hire a pipe cleaning service. It would have gone on this way indefinitely if the new presence hadn't forced himself known.

"Hey there." Ret didn't respond. Maybe if he looked like he hadn't heard the voic- "So, you going to the UF bar tonight? I hear they moved up our shipping-out date to Tuesday."

Well, that was it, he had to answer. "No, I wasn't planning on it," he replied, being as curt as he possibly could.

"Well why not? There's going to be free beer for anyone who shows, and you know we all need a nice going away present, if ya know what I'm sayin'!"

"No, I really don't. I think this TV is providing me with all I want, thanks."

"Man, you must be that Ret guy from the other group. Well I got news for you, bud, that kind of attitude may have got ya through basic, but out there we work as a team. What kinda rifle ya got?"

"CC-35 and I know every spring and weld. Now if you will please-"

"Well sheet, you can't expect ta last five seconds with a gun that size! You still intend on going out yourself?"

"Yea, I don't see why not."

"You're going to need long range cover with a gun like that! Damn, better pair with a sniper, ya might make a good team!"

"I really don't want to talk right now."

"Why not, huh? I'm tryin' ta save you and all ya do is sit there antisocially. Just tell me ya comin' to the bar tonight, maybe ya find someone t'keep you 'live out there."

"Fine, now please, just be quiet, I'm trying to watch this."

"You always been like this, even to ya parents?"

"My family and its replacement are both dead."

"Oh wow, I'm sorry bud, better not add yourself to that. See ya t'night!"

So that was that. Ret had been convinced into making an appearance without even looking at the person who wandered in. He figured it must have been a cat from the voice, probably from one of the eastern sectors too. Sometimes a person's voice was a better measure of their personality than their looks.

Skipping breakfast and lunch, he waited till 3:12 to roll off his comfy setup. Checking his watch again for confirmation, he moved slowly towards the door, getting ready to go to the bar that night. He didn't want to agree with the stranger that had wandered in, but he knew he was right. He had to have a spotter or else he'd be lost out there. So off he wandered down through the network of hallways and back passes until he was standing in front of the building he had sought.

For the first time in a few months, he took the time to give a building a look over. The front entrance was lined with blue paint just a little shade darker than the rest of the exterior. There were no windows that he could see and the entire front looked like a gigantic slab with a doorway cut through simply for convenience. A neon sign hug mid way up the slab, stretched out in some Arabic looking font he had never seen before. It said simply "Blue Mark Bar."

After finishing up his little loitering time, he wandered through the doorway into a large box of a room. The walls were perfectly blank except for a few pipes that poked out here and there and a single bright white line that ran across two walls diagonally. The entire space was illuminated by blue neons on small motorized platforms that hung from the ceiling, putting every light and shadow in a constant state of motion, just fast enough to be caught by a casual glance. The bar was in the far right corner surrounded by a sea of stools and beyond them a line of couches. Because the party wasn't supposed to start till 5:30, the bar was nearly empty. Drinks were still being prepared and only two or three customers sat in a corner. A ferret girl on his side of the room, apparently trying to decide on and perfect a few dance moves.

Ret was in no immediate rush to socialize and sat himself away from everyone else, but close to the bar. He ordered himself a glass of water and sat there for a good thirty minutes before one or two other soldiers showed up. What he was looking for was anyone in a red uniform, the ones worn by only the elite force snipers. He never knew exactly why the snipers were supposed to stand out more than everyone else; maybe it was their last chance to be noticed before going into hiding? For whatever the reason, that made them made an easy target for Ret. So far, there were two in the room and from the looks of it, they were both about the same.

Neither of them smiled, neither laughed, they would just stand dignified and occasionally open their muzzles to spill out some comment or another. They had their opinions, but wouldn't argue them. They were good looking, but didn't care if anyone else knew. They were snipers and Ret hated them. What he had really been hoping for was a one in a million sniper, who was someone Ret could live with. He wanted someone different from all the others. He wanted someone who still knew his rifle back and forth, but also knew how to shoot it, and would care for Ret enough to keep him alive. The primary goal of the average sniper was to hold his position and complete the mission, not to make friends.

Perhaps this would be harder than he thought. Ret was sitting there on his less than comfy stool for another two hours before he got his first bit of hope. After two or three shots of something, one of the red clad soldiers actually cracked a smile. It was this that sent Red from his stool into the party, making a beeline straight for the sniper who seemed to have a sense of humor. "Hi, the name's Ret. I'm a CC in need of a sniper, ya interested?"

"Interested in YOU? Well fuck boy, I'm no homo!"

"...are you interested in being my spotter?"

"Well hell, that just sounds like some kinda date to me! Why don't ya just take your CD or whatever and go just fuck off ok?"

"Yea, whatever."

Wandering back to his stool, he realized it was just as he expected. Everyone around him was completely wasted and there was nothing he could do about it. Everywhere he turned there were swearwords flying back and forth, often coupled with sex or killing, the only two topics being discussed with any sort of enthusiasm.

An hour later, Ret had downed two glasses of something or another just to make it all bearable. He eventually came to notice a fox boy sitting nearby in civilian clothes. At this point, he just wanted some company or entertainment.

"Hey there."

"Oh, hi. My name's Tel, short for Tellimark, but just Tel is fine."

"Nice, my name is Ret, short for something, better as Ret."

"Nice to meet you. You must be one of the CC troops, yeah? I can tell by the jacket."

"Yea, and low and behold, I can't find what I'm looking for."

The fox smiled. "Oh, what'd that be? You looking for a one night vixen or something?"

"Hardly..."

"Yea, I know what ya mean. Not like it'd be good to get laid the night before ya ship off. It'd just give ya more to miss I guess."

"...still not what I was talking about. There's a kind of innocence that comes with my attitude ya know!"

"Hahaha, well Ret, that won't last long out there in the desert!"

"You'd be surprised Telli. I surprise a lot of people."

"Yea... me too, I guess."

The 'yote backed up a little into his chair. "So, what are you here for?"

"Just looking for a good CC is all. Why else would I be talking to you?"

"Hey, don't be so hard, I don't mind talking to you."

"Sorry, it's just- ya know, never mind. What are you here for?"

"I'm here looking for a sniper. You know how those cocky bastards act. Finding a good sniper is harder than finding truth nowadays."

The fox rummaged in his blue pants for a second before taking out a small paper and handing it to Ret. "What's this?"

The paper was deep red with a single silver line down the center. A small letter L was punched into the right side. "That's my certificate for top of the class, M school."

Ret broke out laughing. "You mean to tell me that you, sitting there in your casuals, are the best sniper marksmanship school turned out this year?"

The fox nodded and took the paper back. "But what's it to you, I'm a cocky bastard, right?"

"Maybe you are, I dunno...." The fox stared for a second before Ret continued. "But, I wouldn't mind finding out. Wadaya say? Will you spot me out there?"

The fox's ears suddenly perked and his tail twitched over to the other side of his chair. "Oh... well... sounds like a plan to me, you're the only CC that talked to me at all tonight, and you don't seem so bad. How long does it take you to take apart and reassemble y-"

"-seven point nine seconds if it's already oiled, nine point three if it isn't."

"Not bad for a gun with what, seven moving parts?"

"All I can say is it's good you were talking about my gun after all."

"Haha, well hey, where are you bedding down?"

"The barracks, where else?"

The fox laughed and nudged himself a little farther forward. "Yea, forgot you were one of the general ranks. Well, I have a room rented out just across the street if you, ya know, want a break from sleeping above three other guys that smell like dead feet."

Ret just closed his eyes and nodded. At this point he was pretty worn out and it was getting late. "Yea, I guess that room of your sounds nice."

"Yea, what the hell, my room has two beds."

"Sweet, well, let's head out then."

So, to the tune of horrifically bad drunken karaoke, the two walked out across the street. The rest of the night Ret hardly remembered. He realized he was so exhausted after climbing the fifteen flights of stairs to Tel's room that all he really wanted was to sleep. He climbed straight under the sheets, barely noticing what felt like a light kiss on the forehead.

Honestly, Purple?

The next morning Ret was awakened by what sounded a cat meowing. As he came to his senses, he listened harder and figured it was coming from the metal fan. He looked around in the dark and, still half awake, made out what he could. He remembered why he was there and who he was with; it was just clouded as if in a lingering fog. He was sleeping in his underwear, which was normal. He was annoyed by a fury of honking on the street below, which was also normal. Still, something felt slightly off.

The 'yote took another half glances around the room, finding his the bed next to his empty.

"Ngh... where's my sniper?"

There was no reply, which is what he wanted. He'd rather be left alone than be caught calling out for someone, especially using the word "my." He got up out of bed and stretched a little. He went to the mirror and made sure his fur was ordered enough. Eventually the horns outside became too obnoxious to ignore. Pushing aside the heavy tan shades on the window, he took a look out at the world below the room.

"Oh shit, what kind of carnival-"

He checked his watch a second before returning his eyes to the scene. Cars were driving by with balloons taped to every square inch. People on the sidelines generally turned away or walked on. Ret stood generally confused as he scanned the scene until he came across a caravan of flag carriers, rainbow flag carriers. First Ret broke into a little fit of laugher. He had never seen a gay pride parade except on TV and hardly expected to find one below his little hotel room. He spent a few minutes gazing it all over until something caught his eye. Atop a small green car wearing a gigantic purple dress that casually fluttered behind him was the fox he had met the night before. A quick flutter of the dress revealed a small sign behind him. "Tel me ya love me."

Ret took a few seconds, making sure he blinked and stared blankly into space. He figured it was the best thing to do at the time. The little twist of events was a little too much to take in all at once. OK, so he had paired up with a sniper, and, from what he could tell, he'd chosen the right one. He seemed nice enough, but still logical. He had connections enough to get a decent hotel room at a whim. He was built enough to run when he needed to and carry a heavy enough weapon. He had good spotting eyes that had a tendency to dart around. He just... also liked to ride cars wearing dresses. Yea... that was...

Ret continued to run it over a few times. It's not that homosexuals weren't allowed into the defense forces, but they didn't have an easy time of it. Other troops were easily startled when they found out some of their squad mates may eye them in a slight different light; it was really fear that kept the hate acts running. But it was ok, Ret thought to himself. Tel didn't seem gay at first glance. He didn't act differently towards him as far as he could remember. Anyways, he was best shot in his class, and that's all that really mattered.

A few hours later, after taking a short shower and taking in a bit more TV, Tel finally found his way back to the room.

"Oh, so there you are. Were you out at the range or something?" Ret was a little surprised. Somehow, Tel had managed to get rid of the dress and was back into almost identical clothing to what he had been wearing the day before.

"Oh, I was riding on top of a car in the parade this morning. We passed right by the hotel, did you happen to see-"

"Oh, I saw."

"Well then I figure you know now."

"Depends on what you're talking about. All I can confirm is that you were wearing a large purple dress in a gay pride parade. Anything beyond that is speculation."

The fox smiled and sat down on his bed. "That's smart of you to do. What you saw was more of a show than you suspect I figure."

"Ok, if true, tell me how so."

"Well, I'm not gay, I'm bi. And I'm not usually one to flaunt it. The dress I bought in a side shop fifteen minutes before."

"Great, now when are we due?"

The fox laughed a little. "Oh, right, the ship-out.... We're due at the cargo dock in another thirty minutes. I just came back to snag my rifle. ...oh, and grab you. I've already signed a few papers to assimilate you into our regiment."

"Well great!"

"...and um... do you... have a uniform?" Ret suddenly became aware that after the shower, he had neglected his clothing. Laughing and reaching for his bag he turned long enough to say "yea, what about you?"

Takers Anyone?

Walking to the docks, Ret felt oddly aware of his surroundings. He took notice of a shark swimming in a sushi bar's display tank. He took notice of the little leaks that dropped water down through the coated steel of the station. He even took notice of a strand of blue fabric that clung to Tel's tail, bouncing back and forth. It was like walking through a series of short clip shows. A dragon woman frustrating herself fiddling with the back side of her radio was quickly followed by a scene where a wolf pup ran across the street chasing a blue ball. A few cars passed by, each trailed with a lingering gas smell that toyed with Ret's stomach. Finally, his eyes passed over a bright blue sign that read "Ress Planton Regional Port."

"Huh, so this is the double RP huh..." the 'yote muttered, mostly to himself.

The fox looked over, panting a little from carrying his rifle and case. "Yea, not much to look at, but working for thirty-six years now."

"Sounds like you know a thing or two about this station."

"I know enough I guess. My father is a well known strategist in the forces."

Ret had a few things to say about his "dead" father, but now wasn't the time. "Great. Now then, where are we going out?"

"Ramp 2, so it says" said Tel, pointing out a little schedule screen.

The two soon boarded the craft with a little amazement in their eyes. Expecting a standard armored transport, they were pleasantly surprised by a full sized military transport vessel complete with cushions on the seats. "Look at this thing! Who shelled out the bucks for this?"

"Hey, you're riding with the snipers now, Ret. We can't land with shaky paws now can we?"

"Hahaha, you're like the military's little private school."

"What can I say? Ya need proper tools for the best!"

Thankfully, Ret found Tel's sarcasm more refreshing than annoying. The flight left at 12:19, and Ret was asleep five minutes later. He drifted into an odd kind of dream that skipped across his mind. A setting unfolded in front of him which sat blurry, but still felt absolutely real. Various shrubs and brush covered the bases of tall trees like he had never seen before. An orange sunset gave rise to a full moon, casting silver light down through the foliage. He wandered further, stumbling across a small clearing where a bed of leaves lay undisturbed.

As if following a script, he lay down and stared up at the moon. The wind carried a confusing scent his way, a scent too strong to ignore, and too weak to satisfy his nose. It slowly grew stronger until someone lay down next to him. His ears twitched to the crunching of the leaves, but he did not look. His nose was dancing on the scent of the one next to him. He started to get a little aroused and did little to hide it. He knew it was a dream and cared less what the outcome. Finally, he tilted his head enough to see this other had their back to him, lying there quietly. In the moonlight he caught a glimpse of orange color in the fur and reached out for a light touch. Ret smiled as he ran a paw around the other fur's stomach, now thoroughly aroused. Eventually he had enough of simple stomach rubs, kissed the back of the fur's neck, and started to let his paw wander further. It was all calm and beautiful until he noticed something was a little off.

"HOLY SHIT IT'S A GUY!!!" Ret screamed, lurching himself out of sleep and into the seat in front of him. A half second later he darted his eyes around to meet those of near everyone else on the plane, still panting lightly. "Oh um... sorry guys, just had a dream where um... yea I thought a woman was killing all these people. I figured out it was actually a guy who worked with me and um, I got freaked out because he had like this ax, did I mention that? And I realized it and um... that's why I did that."

The staring slowly faded and Ret gained a better grip of reality. The only one who hadn't heard him yell was probably Tel, who was fast asleep in his chair. After some closer examination, Ret noticed a little drool mark on the fox's shoulder that was too far to have been from his own muzzle. He must have fallen onto him while he was sleeping. Ret backed a little farther away, remembering the orange fur from his dream. It was like fox fur, Tel was a fox, maybe it was- no, he couldn't come to that conclusion. He looked out the window at the desert slowly passing far below for a few minutes before his curiosity finally got the best of him.

The 'yote turned and moved his muzzle no more than an inch from Tel's body and started sniffing, searching for any sign of the scent he had in his dream. Arm came up negative, along with head and chest. When no one was looking he took a quick sniff of his stomach and got nearly the same result, but with just the slightest hint of that scent. He suddenly broke out laughing at the absurdity of it all, taking one or two glances at the fox's crotch. "Ok, it's not gay; this is just to absolve my curiosity" Ret thought to himself. With a final good glance for the eyes of others, he bent his muzzle down and took one good sniff.

"Oh shit... oh god, that's it. What the- wait-" He took another quick sniff, just to be sure before sitting back up in his chair. "Oh god, no, that's not supposed to be like that. Ok um... right, I bet the window is entertaining..." he muttered under his breath. A voice rose up behind him.

"Hey 'yote boy, if ya like that I got something back here ya could stick your muzzle to!"

Fuck, someone saw him, the laughter proved it. He sat there ignoring all other comments. "Just pretend they're all hillbillies on crack. They mean nothing to me," he spoke into his paw.

The rest of the flight was relatively eventless. Tel eventually woke up, but didn't really say anything, just smiled at Ret and went on to reading a magazine from the seat back pocket in front of him. The landing was smooth as silk out in the desert. A little wind blew across the sand, but that was as much excitement as the troops expected. Ret and Tel both walked off the transport and onto the loading dock. The black metal surface they stood on was absolutely impractical, nearly melting the soldiers' boots as they walked on towards the barracks. There, they were assigned their separate groups and, of course, Tel had already set Ret and himself together. Then they were assigned tents and given their rations for the next week. Finally, after setting up their tent in the assigned space on the sand and having a small meal of spaghetti from their ration packs, the two crawled into their sleeping bags and dozed off.

Snipple

Ret awoke the next morning with a face full of fur. He quickly pushed himself away from Tel's chest, questioning how he had managed to get there in the first place. It was hardly dawn and the rest of the camp still slept, so he figured it would be a perfect time to make some notes in a small journal he had brought along with him.

I seem to have run into some issues I was not previously aware of. I've dreamed of a male, a sexy fox male that smelled... good. This makes about as much sense as my choice to enlist in the first place, I guess. This morning I woke up in Tel's chest fur, making me wonder if I have some odd mental condition that makes me gay while I sleep. We're supposed to have less than a day for send off, so tomorrow I'll probably be writing from a position near the border. I just hope this all works out. I hate regret...

He took the journal and stashed it away with his rations, sandwiched between two soup meals. His next action was to get some water from the pump a few yards from their tent to fill up the three large bottles he carried clipped to his pack; an important part of the required gear. Little bits of movement begin to filter to his ears as the recruits rose from their first night on the ground. Ret continued to stand at the pump and watched as a small dust devils rose up in the distance, then faded away. Eventually, that got pretty boring.

The 'yote wandered back to his tent to find Tel boiling some water. "Hot coffee this morning?"

"Hardly, it's just best to boil the water out of those pumps before you put them in your bottles. I heard a story about a guy who didn't and a little porillia got in there and grew at the bottom, knocked the guy into a coma when he went to drink on the second day, even after he had replaced the water with clean stuff."

Ret grabbed a bottle from his back and stared at it a few seconds. "So, the chances of that happening are..."

"...at most wells, it's 80% or so. At this well, it's almost 0. It's just a good habit." Ret smiled a little and clipped the bottle back on without a second glance.

Figuring it was probably conversation time, the 'yote sat himself down on his sleeping bag and looked over at Tel. "So, how'd ya sleep, fox?"

"Oh, fine, better than you I suppose..."

"Why do you say that? I feel fine!"

"I would have guessed! It took you a good three hours before I got you to stop yipping by nearly smothering you in my chest."

A look of shock overtook Ret's face. How could he have overlooked that? How could he have forgotten something that had plagued him for years now? How could he- did Tel understand?

Tel sat there staring at Ret for a while. "Are... you OK?"

"Oh yea, fine, just hope the yipping wasn't too annoying or anything."

"Oh, it's ok, I know how ya feel. It's the same for us foxes you know..."

Ret was a little uneasy knowing that Tel knew of his situation before he did. Suddenly a muzzle poked through the flap of their tent followed by the senior face of a wolf officer.

"Try to keep down the horniness will you 'yote boy? We all need to get some sleep around here."

"Sir, with all due respect, I think it's kind of odd that without any proof you are accusing me of being horny..."

The wolf smiled. "Coyotes only yip during mating season."

With that the wolf's face disappeared and the tent was once more shut off from the rest of the world. Tel caught Ret's dilemma half way through laughter. "So, you're a very horny little 'yote boy are you?"

"Oh shut up, it's not like I'm going to run around fucking everything in sight. This is the armed forces!"

"Oh yea, of course." Tel threw a little wink Ret's way before starting to roll up his sleeping bag.

"So, when do we move?"

"Oh, um, there should be a squad commander stopping by at any time to give us some orders."

"Good, then let's get this place packed up shall we?"

Neither of the two carried many personal belongings, and the tent was easy to take down and was relatively light. Ret simply threw it in his large pack once it was dismantled, almost making up for the extra weight Tel was carrying in ammo for his gun alone. A few hours passed and the only significant happening was a small breakfast of instant oat meal.

Finally, the commander found the two. He was a short house cat that hardly looked fit for a long walk, let alone combat, but was defiantly decorated with a rainbow of various awards. His attention immediately jumped to Tel.

"So you must be Tel, huh?"

"Yes sir, that'd be me" said the fox, standing up from his seat on his gun case.

"First fox to ever hold first class in M school, you must be proud of yourself."

"Just want to stay alive, Sir."

The cat smiled and laughed a little. "Good thinking, but remember, you have someone else to keep alive now." His eyes turned to Ret.

"...and who might you be?"

"His spotter and squad mate, Ret."

"Hah, there are stories about you too, but none I care to repeat. Make sure ya prove a good bullet shield for Tel, would ya?"

Ret held back a growl and tried to force a smile. "Yes Sir, of course."

"Haha! That's a good 'yote! Now then, I may as well tell you guys where you're headed." The cat pulled a small hand held computer from his pocket and punched a few points with his claw. "Well, looks like you two are heading straight west. It's not that I feel bad for ya, just keep your heads low. That place is known for more than light resistance... oh, right, here are your coordinates."

The cat turned his device around and showed the two a scramble of numbers which both of them quickly jotted down.

Ret finished first and looked up from his paper. "Anything else, Sir?"

"Yea, if ya see anything interesting, send me a postcard will ya?" The two nodded and the cat walked away.

Ret scrambled to find a map in his bag and eventually found what he was looking for. "Ok, so..." He glanced over all the coordinates and matched them up with spots on the map, mumbling to himself as he did so. Soon enough, he had a course plotted exactly to what had been requested and showed it to Tel.

The fox simply shook his head. "What, what's wrong with it?"

"There's no way in hell I'm going through Piat's Gorge. Every day people die trying to break through there. We're going to go farther north." Tel took a pencil and sketched out a new path, a longer path with one obvious flaw.

"Tel, there's no water along that rout! We're going to need springs if we plan on surviving out there!"

"All the springs are too contaminated anyways. We're going to dig. See these two mesas? The water table is high because there's an underlying clay bed that traps all the water."

"How can you be sure if you've never been out there?"

"Well, I may never have, but my whole family has been in the forces and I've learned a thing or two about the western front..."

"Fine, let's just make sure we head out before dark, huh?"

Ret rolled his map back up and stashed it away in his pack along with his pencils. The two gathered and strapped on all the gear they needed and then started marching towards the west, straight out of camp. They waved happily at the tanks and other vehicles they saw being repaired as they passed by a small base in the desert and then just kept on walking.

The ground was made for hiking. The light layer of sand and dust was annoying when it was blowing, but also provided a little comfort layer above the hard rocks in each step. The two kept walking until the sun started to set, ignoring the fact they hadn't stopped for anything other than water. Ret's stomach was growling as soon as they finally started setting up the tent towards the end of the valley and watching the sky change color. With the final tube support in place, Ret tore open a noodle meal and pulled the string before setting it down on the ground to cook. Tel did the same, and they set the two next to each other in hope that some tiny decrease in heat loss would cook their food faster.

When it was finally done, the salty broth and starch tasted so good on their tongues, it may as well have been steak. The entirety of the meals and half a bottle of water were gone in under two minutes. Conversation finally struck up again after Ret threw his meal container into the desert.

"Hey, did you see that lizard today? The one with the little green head?"

"No, should I have?"

"I thought you were a sniper! How could you miss a bright green like that with those trained eyes?"

"...your pants are missing a single stitch just above the crotch."

"Oh, so THAT'S what you were looking at the whole day!" The two shared a quick laugh.

Settling in for the night was nearly the same routine as it had been the night before, except now that they were alone, a little bit of cuddling passed back and forth. Ret wasn't too comfortable with the whole "being with a male" aspect, but during that month, any physical attention was taken with open arms and ears back. After the day's hike, it was only an hour or so after entering the tent that the two dosed off.

What are you?

The next morning, Ret yet awoke before Tel did, this time finding himself curled up in a corner of the tent, clutching his pillow. Within a few minutes, he stood up and started fixing a little breakfast, the smell of which seemed to kick Tel strait out of his deep sleep.

"Mmmm... what is that? Smells like salt and fish."

Ret turned around to see the fox propped up on one arm, the rest of his body still cozily tucked in his sleeping bag.

"Oh, it's just more noodles, I'm sure you'll be sick of them in a few days. All I did was mix up some of the flavor packets is all."

"A simple meal, but if it's tasty, I'm totally fine with that."

Ret went back to tending his simple meal as Tel got ready and fixed up their tent.

"Hey Ret, ya know what? I think it'd be best for us to just bunker down here for a few days, what do ya say?"

Ret waited a while to respond as he was busy moving the noodles into bowls for the two and was more concerned with burning his paws.

"Tell me this... did the best sniper on the force just ask me if I wanted to disregard a direct order? I think that's kind of-"

"Just tell me what you think about it, ok?"

"Well... according to the map there is a spring just half a mile north of here, so we'd be fine for water, and we have more than enough provisions, just kind of worry about the lack of defense a little post like this would have against much of anything. Remember the push two weeks ago passed straight through here."

"Oh come on, it's not like we couldn't fortify this place a little! You've got CQB covered, which is good if they got past me somehow, and anyways, what are the chances of them even coming through here? We've pushed them back 20 miles from here!" Ret nodded his head a little.

"...and how do you expect to turn a little tent into an outpost?"

Tel picked up a pebble and threw it at Ret, bouncing it off the edge of his bowl. "Well how do you think? We've got paws and rocks."

Ret leaned back against one wall of the tent knowing any hope he had of a peaceful day had just ended. "Mmph."

Tel was dead set on turning their little camp into some kind of impenetrable fortress and so of course, he got right to work on it. There were a plenty of large rocks on a near-by hill, but carrying them under the hot desert sun had Ret collapsed under a tree within two hours, panting and downing his largest bottle of water. Tel never seemed to get tired. The fox had a smile on his face as the added weight punched deep footprints into the sandy soil. Ret watched helplessly for a few minutes while he waited for a little of his strength to return before finally rejoining the fox in his efforts.

Ret had worked in the desert for a good portion of his life, but never with such physical strain as carrying those damn rocks from one spot to another. He started lifting smaller rocks so he could work for longer times, which seemed to work well enough. Tel smiled as he carried nearly twice the load Ret had with each pass. Eventually Tel had enough rocks gathered and work turned to the construction of a wall from their newly acquired materials. As the day went on, it became more and more apparent that Ret was not nearly as strong as he thought he was in any way.

Ret dropped heavy rocks twice, barely pulling his feet away before each hit. He had to take constant direction from Tel, who was somehow easily going about the work while planning at the same time. The 'yote looked near dead with his tongue hanging out of his muzzle, straining more with each lift until he eventually crawled over to the little shade provided by the side of the tent. Tel worked for a little while more before coming to join him.

"Oh my god, are you OK? Hold on, I'm going to get you some water." Tel darted inside the tent and returned with two bottles.

"I'm... I'm just fine I guess..."

"Here, sit for a while. There's only one final thing to be done."

Tel scurried off while Ret did just as he was told. When the fox finally returned with a strange red rock, Ret had downed both bottles of water, with a patch of wet fur at one side of his mouth that stood testament to it.

"Hehe, thanks fox; sorry I'm not a better lifter or anything."

"Oh, that's fine! You were a big help anyways! But I do have one last task of you."

Ret moaned a little. His arms felt like vegetables that had sat in a Basque soup for days on end. He closed his eyes and shook his head when Tel laid the large red rock at his feet.

"Oh c'mon, don't say no before you know what I want!"

"Fine, what is it?" Tel fiddled in his pocket and pulled out a small diamond engraver, a tool the size of a pen used for etching hard surfaces.

"C'mon, I say we sign it. It's the primary defense of this outpost after all!"

Ret smiled. "Ok, I guess it's worth it." He took the tool and in a few seconds had scratched in "Ret's Rock." The fox laughed before adding his own name to the stone and placing it in the last open spot in the wall.

Ret admired their creation from the ground as Tel paced it back and forth looking for any errors. It was a simple but strong wall a little over 4 feet tall and one foot thick that ran a perimeter 8 feet out from the tent. The rocks were all the same black volcanic that had scorched their paws in transport with the exception of a bright red rock that stood atop the wall towards the center as a reminder of its builders. Going on the two meal system that day, the two then enjoyed a small feast of 4 different instant foods in celebration. It was only 4 in the afternoon and the heat was incredible, but in the shade of their wall the two passed off light conversation.

"So fox, you got your wish. Here we are in our own little outpost in the middle of the desert. None of the commanders know where we are at present because we haven't used the GPS in a day, and we've pretty much thrown out our mission."

Tel nodded. "Yea, it looks that way to me! Hehe, that's just the way it worked out I guess."

"Why did you want to stay anyways?"

Tel paused, moving aside the water he was using to clean his bowl, "You don't seriously think we'd have survived three days without a spring nearby, do you? It was too risky. Anyways, the officer took us for dead as soon as I told him about our alternate route you know."

Ret did remember a little gleam in the officer's eyes, but didn't remember any specific threatening tone or anything. "So, how long do you intend to stay here?"

"Oh, we'll stay all of tomorrow for sure, maybe the next day."

"Good, I'm going to appreciate the hell out of this wall for as long as I can. Ya think a wall like this could stop a round from your rifle?"

The fox laughed a little. "Hardly, but it would give you a nice place to hide at least."

"Ok then, I know not to cross you I guess! Hahaha, but anyways um... Want to call it a night?"

Tel shook his head. "For one it's only 4:37, and secondly, I need to make another trip to the spring to refill all the water you slugged down today."

"Oh um... sorry for that, I never figured out how you managed to work like you did."

Tel turned as he stood up to leave. "Well, for one I'm not wearing all the heavy gear like you are, and also, I'm used to carrying a rifle that weighs more than any of those rocks." With that, the fox gathered up a few water bottles and headed out past the wall. Ret quickly pushed his food packs to the side and crawled inside the tent to write some things down in his journal.

Today, I built a wall that rivals the station in stability. The fox and I have yet to kill each other, so I figure all is going well. I have no idea how he can lift rocks like that. Most of all, I wonder how he can stand heat like that without burning out. I mean, I'm a coyote and I still get toasted out there! At any rate, my name is now etched onto a brand new fortification. I continue to try and find a way and thank that fox for all he's done. I've found myself kind of like the incompetent friend in all of this.

As a final note, my season has grabbed a pretty firm hold on me, and I seem to have acquired a thing for male foxes, but that's probably just my crotch talking. I hope it is... but anyways, I might even get crazy enough on a night like this to do something with that fox. ...ok, so I only will if he asks me, which I'm sure he won't.

"Oh, all you want is for me to ask huh?"

Ret jumped and slammed his journal shut in the same instance he spun around to face Tel who was casually standing behind him with full bottles of water.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, a minute or two, you're a really slow writer."

"Well... what I wrote, what I wrote was- it was just thoughts, or a story. Most of it was kinda probably fiction."

"Hmm... seemed pretty factual to me... but I've devised a little test." Ret looked on as the fox turned around and lowered his pants a little, batting his tail across Ret's muzzle.

"So 'yote, do you want a fox to play with tonight?"

Out of sight from Tel, Ret pushed a claw hard into his leg in hopes of making himself a little more rational when answering. "...depends on what you call play?"

Tel laughed and spun back around. "I'm just kidding, hun, you look exhausted after all the rock moving. I'm sure it's not a good time."

Ret had no good response and simply nodded his head for a second before opening his muzzle, "Did you just call me 'hun'?"

"Oh, it's just a word I use when talking to my friends. It's dangerous to use in public nowadays, but in the middle of the desert I could care less about throwing it around. ...I hope you don't mind..."

"Oh no, I was just curious is all..."

Ret was blushing a little under his fur, and was doing his best to make sure his facial expression didn't hint of it. He kind of liked being called 'hun', but it embarrassed the hell out of him. As far as he was concerned, he was still a perfectly straight 'yote who just happened to be with a male during season, and that was for his own survival. His mind finally ran across an image of the two kissing and he had to literally shake himself out of it.

"Something wrong Ret?"

"Oh no, just had some dust in the fur, gets kind of annoying after a while."

"Well, tomorrow why don't we head up to the spring and bathe huh?"

"That... that'd be great!"

Ret hardly knew what he had just agreed to. The same questions kept bouncing off the inside of his head. "Is season the only reason? This isn't the first stage of love or anything, right? I'm no gay 'yote; I'm just a horny 'yote, right? Tel will never be my-"

"RET!"

"Wha!?" said the 'yote, jumping back a little.

"Answer my question please."

"...can you repeat it? I was kind of spaced out..."

"Yea... do you want to share a sleeping bag tonight? A cold front is supposed to start passing through."

"NO!" Ret didn't know exactly what he said, but Tel suddenly raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?"

"What am I sure of? I'm not sure of much of anything right now! I'm so confused about just about everything that just- I kind of wish life was a little simpler I guess."

Tel stared blankly at Ret for a while before smiling, "Maybe you should head to bed, the sun is setting."

"Ya know what? Good idea! I'll just sleep, sleep is good, and I'll go do that."

"Hehe, well, good luck with that! I'm just going to check over our supplies and then do some weapons maintenance before I doze off. Sleep well Ret."

"Yea, you too Tel, you too."

Ret laid there a few minutes waiting for Tel to get back, but just couldn't keep himself awake after a long day like that. He passed out half outside of his bag until Tel got back and helped him along, zipping it up and making sure he would be warm for the night.

Hunt

The next day Ret woke up after rolling over and smacking his head on Tel's rifle case. He mumbled unhappily to himself and wandered over to where his journal was hidden to write down another dream.

The season wears on relentlessly, but last night I was actually reminded of the fact I was in the middle of a conflict. I dreamed of a small group of soldiers and myself sitting in a camp of sorts and then there was rumbling and a line of tanks cleared the opposite ridge. We hardly had time to shout before the shells started landing, kicking up so much dust I could hardly see or breathe. I eventually ran into a small hover vehicle and took shelter behind it. Then, as a last attempt, I took a run for the guard tower where most of the weapons were being stored and then I thought I got shot in the head, but I soon realized I had bashed my face against the fox's rifle case. I may be a 'yote in season, but I need to remember where I am...

He tucked his journal and pencil back into his bag beneath more food. Figuring he'd eat a little early, he took one of the packets out and opened it. He poured the contents of what he thought was ramen into a bowl, only to find it not only an odd color, but moving. He glanced for a second before- "ANTS!!! ANTS EVERYWHERE!!" Ret leapt to his feet and ran out of the tent. The whole desert floor seemed to have come alive. Red, green, black, orange, all various shapes and sizes of ants were making their way across the desert. "What the fuck!? Is this some kind of migration?" Tel was soon awake from all the yelling and ran out to meet Ret.

"What's wrong?"

"Isn't it kinda obvious? What the hell are all these ants doing here?"

"You should be thanking them; they're a good early warning."

Ret tilted his head in disbelief. "You mean to tell me all these ants are running around because they're giving us a warning?"

"Hardly, they've all come out of their nests, and that's usually due to some seismic activity. Out here that can mean one of three things; earthquake, heavy military movement, or explosions."

"Ok, so we've got an early warning, and also a ton of annoying ants walking around," said Ret, flicking a large black one off of his paw.

"Well, enjoy the morning sun on your fur at least, huh?"

In the rush to get out of the tent, neither of the two had bothered with any kind of clothing other than Ret's usual underwear he slept in. Ret looked over the naked fox and laughed a little.

"So um... I think our food stores were all attacked by ants so... what do we do for food?"

"The spring to the west should have something or another to hunt around it. We should probably head there."

"Good idea but, maybe we should suit up first?"

Tel smiled and winked at Ret, "I dunno, I kinda like you this way."

Eventually the two had gathered up a few odds and ends of hiking supplies and started on their way. Tel assured Ret that the ants would be gone by the time they had returned as any shelling or movement would die down by mid day. The hike was uneventful other than the numerous lines of ants that they crossed and a few craters they found here and there. There was little worry of an attack and only Ret had brought his rifle with him. The spring was westward, but it was still many miles from the border.

After a mere two hours of walking, they were there. Out of the desert, nestled into a narrow gorge between two hills was a brilliant splotch of green where white aspen trees proudly grew as tall as they could manage. A myriad of small shrubs and grasses surrounded the tree covered center and radiated outward, eventually blending into the sage brush and disappearing. The two soldiers looked onward and smiled.

"So fox, I guess the map was right at least!"

"Yea, good thing too, since the spring I got you water from was too small to support any foliage like this..."

"So then, let's head out!"

"Right, just remember the rules of hunting, ok Ret?"

"This is combat, are there any rules?"

"Yea, try not to shoot me! Know where I am and never shoot in my direction. Also, try not to shoot anyone else. The border is pretty far away, and the ranchers like to use these places to hunt too, so only shoot the things on four legs."

"Yes, Mother." Ret laughed and it was worth the little punch in the shoulder.

"I'm serious!"

"I know, trust me, I won't go off shooting people ok? Anyways, I'm not sure this rifle is accurate enough to hit anything that isn't a deer."

"Well... good luck. I'm going to go to the higher part of the stream and get some fresh water, ok?"

"All right fox. See ya later!"

Ret took off running towards the trees. He felt a nagging urge to do it all the right way. He sprinted through the increasingly denser brush until he was out of breath and started to quietly sneak closer as he gained back a little strength. The brush was now towering above his head; it seemed like every plant in the whole desert wanted a place on this water laden spot of earth and low and behold, everyone got one. As he got closer he could hear the stream flowing and cocked his rifle. He had to walk through the deer paths with any other movement restricted by thorny wild rose bushes and other thick brush.

He continued onward, his ears up and darting to each leaf fall and twig snap. Eventually the path led him to the steam itself. The brush here was completely impenetrable except where a towering aspen had fallen and provided a clean slice of a crossing. Ret walked across, his senses hyped, enjoying the light cool breeze rising off the water and the little drops that splashed up to meet his pant legs, hardly felt on his fur. He watched a few leaves fall to be swallowed and washed away by the rushing water. After finally moving past his admiration and crossing to the other side of the stream, he began to realize the whole game had changed.

Ret was no longer with a team mate out in the open desert, he was now alone in a forest, a sort of maze built entirely from nature itself. Once and a while, he would come across the meeting of another deer path to his and wonder where it went. He was completely lost and surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings. Ret kept his weapon at the ready at all times. There had been no sign of life other than the continuous chirping of various birds from somewhere near him. His senses began to confuse him as contradictions began to pour in. He saw nothing, but heard everything. Any scent was overwhelmed by the foliage. The 'yote suddenly fretted that it was all hopeless until he heard a twig snap just ahead on the trail.

His heart leapt and he fought to keep his breathing low, making sure to hold back any noise he could from entering the world. He may not have gone through sniper school, but Ret at least new the basics of stealth. He stood motionless with his rifle at the ready, muzzle pointing strait at where the noise had come from. Suddenly there were more twig snaps, and leaf crunching. He held his fire as he heard the sound approach the corner in the path where it may finally reveal itself. Paw shaking, Ret readied his claw on the trigger, ready for a moment's response. One eye held firm down the iron sights, keeping his aim absolutely true. Then suddenly the shape emerged.

Ret watched as it stepped down the path, a figure in all desert camouflage with only one notable marking, a dark blue set of dots on its right shoulder. In a half a second, it sunk in. Ret was only 4 feet away from a western force fighter. He watched the figure stop and look at him too. It was as if neither had quite expected to find the other here, lost in this maze. Ret continued to look onward until he saw the figure drop whatever was in his right paw and reach for his holster. Tensing for a final moment, Ret pulled the trigger.

There was a satisfying POP as the first shell ejected to Ret's right, followed by a fury of repetitive metallic rings and pops. Within 2 seconds half his clip was already empty and he took his claw off the trigger, watching the shape in front of him fall to the ground. Ret was shaking now. He dropped his weapon to the ground and looked on as blood slowly came to stain the ground around the figure. Ret's muzzle sat slightly agape, a wisp or two of breath passing through that was easy upstaged by the sound of falling leaves. He looked to his right where a few brass casings lay stuck in the brush.

"Why was he here? He shouldn't have been here. This isn't making much sense. We're too far from the border, there's no way they'd be here without a reason. What are they looking for? It just doesn't make any-"

Ret heard another twig snap, this time from behind him. He started to spin around, but only got half way before the stock of a weapon snapped across the side of his head, landing him on the ground among the fallen leaves. He was hurt, but still conscious. He fumbled for his rifle, only to have it kicked away from him. He got another hit from the rifle, this time into his back, and yelped out in pain. Finally, he got a chance to turn, just in time to see another light brown figure injecting something into his arm.

"You bitch," was all Ret managed to say. His last glimpse was a close up of the attacker's face, mostly hidden under a mask. All he could catch was a little tinge of red. The sedatives kicked in quick. Ret was now very tired, so tired that when he dozed off he hardly took notice when he thought he felt a kiss.

Waking Up

Ret found himself in a similar dream state that he had been in when hospitalized after the crash. Everything was vivid and lively. He was standing at the edge of a small pool, a piece of a smaller stream. He glanced at the water, a deep blue that hinted at its depth. Ret smiled and stripped down for a swim, jumping in as soon as his final sock was off. As soon as he hit the water he tensed finding it a lot colder than he had imagined. He let out a little yip and tried to find a foothold in the pool but found none. Then suddenly, he turned to see Tel staring down at him.

"Hey, gimmy a paw! I need to get out!"

Tel didn't respond.

"C'mon, I need your help! It's so cold, and all the walls are slick, I need a paw here!"

Tel just looked on.

"Please! Please help me!"

Tel continued to stare blankly, and then drew his service pistol.

"Are you joking? C'mon man, we're friends!"

Tel lined the sights up until Ret could look down the barrel of the .45 caliber weapon.

"...this dream sucks."

Tel fired the shot, but all it did was provide the final stimuli Ret needed to wake up.

When Ret opened his eyes he was tied to a small metal chair in a cell somewhere. The entire room was built from cold grey concrete except the bars which shone vibrant silver. The 'yote scanned the room, finding no window, just a toilet and a sink with no mirror. He took a few breaths and sniffed, catching a kind of dank water smell but nothing more. The entire cell block was cold and silent. As far as he could tell, he was the only prisoner in the block. His head still hurt, and he wanted to check out the damage done, but with his arms tied down it was hopeless.

He moved his legs around to check for any objects still in his pockets, but found none. His weapon was noticeably gone, and his throat was a little dry, but that hailed in comparison to his hunger. His stomach growled again and again, pestering his aching head and body. His butt grew sore sitting on a metal chair for such an extended time. For a moment he contemplated an escape, but that passed his thoughts as soon as he heard a series of mechanical movements and footsteps down the corridor.

Soon three figures entered his field of vision. There were two guards, standing at least six feet tall and sporting customized submachine guns of a kind Ret had never seen before. Between the two stood Tel, shaking a little, but still tensed as much as he could manage to maintain a dignified pose. The fox opened his muzzle.

"Ok, open the cell."

There was a little click as the gate was freed and swung open.

"Good, now return to your stations. I'll take it from here."

The guards left and Tel waited for the noises to die out before speaking.

"Ok Ret, I know what this may look like..."

"You do? I have no idea what this looks like. I was in the desert, then a forest, now in a cell somewhere with the same fox who stuck with me through all of it, but there's something odd."

"Listen. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead. There's no guess work, I'm sure of it."

"Oh, then um... thank you. You know I just had a dream where you shot me while I was swimming."

"The soldiers had specific orders not to open fire, but it does look like you made short work of one of them. The other would have shot you too had you not dropped your weapon like you did."

"So you were instructing those soldiers? What are you, some kind of spy?"

"Well yea, kinda..." Tel looked away and fiddled in his coat pocket until he found a small silver box of some kind.

"I've been using this to relay information I gathered about the eastern nation's flying stations to bases in the west. I had to get out eventually, and the only way I was ever going to be allowed access back to that part of the country was to be assigned to a military post. All in all, it worked out as well as I had hoped, but with one little addition..."

"You didn't expect to have picked up another person along the way..."

"Well, yea, plain and simple. There were numerous times I thought you may somehow hinder my escape, but you proved willing to put the required amount of trust in me to do what I had to. Also, I um... I developed some stuff and-"

"Stuff? Like a disease?"

"Hardly, I've just..." Tel coughed a few times, picking and choosing from infinite words he could have used. "I just... I may be in love with you."

Ret blinked a few times and sat there speechless.

"Yea... I know that this is an interesting time to tell you and all, but it could have scared you off earlier and I myself wasn't sure if I was I was or not so-"

"So you saved me. When you could have left me to die, or killed me in my sleep as a foreign fighter with different loyalties, you chose instead to let me snuggle up next to you."

"Well what else was I supposed to do?"

There was an awkward silence in the cell only broken when Ret cleared his throat, "Yea, this is an interesting turn of events, but um... can I get some water, and food, and maybe get out of the ropes and-"

"Oh, of course, I'll get right on that. ...so um... you're not weirded out by me liking you or..."

"No, please, I'm just so hungry..."

"Oh, right, I'll be back to talk to you later tonight. Take care, hun!" Tel gave Ret a quick peck on the lips while the 'yote still sat with a mainly-vacant, confused expression.

When the bars closed, Ret went to work. He fiddled with the rope using one of his claws and managed to wedge it into part of the knot before a few skilled pulls and twists got his paws free. Soon enough Tel and a few people carrying various foods came down the hall once again, only to find Ret's cell empty. There were bits of rope on the floor lined up to spell out "please come in."

Tel laughed and shook his head as his ears froze in one direction, "Oh yea, really sneaky Ret."

The 'yote jumped down from where he was hiding above the bars and smiled, "Oh c'mon, you should have used heavy gauge wire to tie me up."

"Well I'll make note of it."

For the next few minutes not a single word passed. Ret's muzzle was filled with too much delicious food and drink at any one time to actually make out any words. Tel sat patiently watching as Ret gorged himself and smiled occasionally. When it was all done, Ret had to refuse desert, figured he now weighed a few more pounds.

"Did you get enough to eat?"

Ret nodded and laid himself out on the floor of the cell.

"Aren't you at all curious about what happens to you next?"

Ret nodded and finally spoke up, "I've given it a little thought, but I had a feeling that you would tell me eventually."

"Well, there are a few things that can happen depending on what your next few answers are. First off, are you happy here in this cell?"

"No."

Tel laughed. "Ok, good. Next, have you ever felt any attraction towards me? Be honest."

"Well, you are the only male I've ever happened to dream about in that way."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

"Good, and now lastly..." Tel motioned for the two guards who had carried food to leave and again waited to make sure they were behind a sealed door from the hallway. "...will you mate with me?"

Ret blushed a little and turned his eyes away. "Well, it's not like I hadn't thought about it but... is there any specific reason you ask?"

"Yes, if we've mated, then I can get you out of this prison and you can come and live with me. Release on compassion and intent to aid alone won't get you out without a LOT of compassion with evidence, if you know what I mean. I'm high in the ranks, and unlike the eastern nation, here male love is legal and respected."

"So... I have to mate you or instead spent the rest of my life in this cell block?"

Tel nodded, "I wish there wasn't a way that made you do something like this. I know that you're probably a little confused and-"

Tel stopped short as soon as he felt a paw on his leg, "Tel, it's fine. Hell, my season ends soon anyways, so why not go out with a bang, huh?"

The fox smiled and reached a paw down to lay it on Ret's leg, mirroring Ret's own actions. Ret knew he was on the cold concrete floor of a jail cell, yet he couldn't imagine it to be true. In his mind's eye he was in the forest, the cool breeze blowing the fox's scent gently across his awareness. He allowed himself to be pulled into a dreamlike awareness that took little getting used to. It was a beautiful night, and his feelings urged him on.

He looked into Tel's eyes, and he looked back with a welcoming smile. Ret ran his paw down Tel's chest all the way down to the button on his pants where a few precise movements freed what was hidden beneath. A single claw casually explored the fox's pants, grazing over the bulge in his underwear. Tel looked on as Ret reached back up to pull his pants and underwear off in one simple movement. The fox cooperated and lifted himself off the ground for a second, blushing lightly as he was exposed before Ret.

Ret took a moment to gaze at the foxes crotch, already driven on by the scent of his arousal. He had a decent sized package that stood perfectly erect from his sheath, the smallest hint of pre shining on the tip. Unable to control himself, Ret bent down for a quick taste, further flooding his senses. Tel gasped a little at the feel of a hot coyote tongue on his member, but soon returned to simply smiling.

"MMMmmm... you are such a hot foxy. How about you get yourself ready? Once I start, I won't stop until I've got you tied on."

"Pretty rough talk from someone who used to call himself straight..." Tel did as he was told, licking a finger and slowly sliding it into his tail hole to get himself a little more prepared for the 'yote's length. A minute later he got up on all fours and lifted his tail. "Ok, Ret, I'm ready."

It was just what Ret wanted to hear. He had stripped down, his eight inches of 'yote cock firmly hanging below him as he crawled close on all fours. He took a quick glance at the fox's rear before climbing forward onto his back, the soft fur a welcome change from the cold floor. He pushed forward with his hips a little, reaching a paw back to guide the tip to the waiting fox hole. Already lubed with some pre and the saliva already coating Tel's entrance, Ret easily pushed the head of his throbbing cock into the fox's tight, waiting warmth.

Tel arched his back slightly and grabbed his own cock as the 'yote began to slowly push in. Ret smiled, slightly shocked at the feeling of Tel's tunnel pushing open for him as he sunk himself deeper, inch by inch, until he finally felt himself hilted with his balls touching Tel's. "You OK Tel?" He got a little bit of a hushed gasp in return. It was close enough to a yes.

Ret pulled out until he felt the tip of his 'yotehood at the tight ring of Tel's tail hole before starting to push back in, once again hilting himself. Ret's fantasy continued on; the trees around him blew lightly in the breeze as the fox gladly gave into his every whim. He slowly began to start a thrusting rhythm, slapping himself against the fox's rump with each push, the squelching noises of sex hardly muffled by fur. Sex had added its own language. In place of words, there were moans, whines, and quickening panting, which somehow conveyed a meaning which nobody but the intended recipient could ever understand.

Tel pawed at his member faster and faster as he began to feel Ret's knot grow, popping in and out of his tail hole before finally holding itself tight inside. He could feel Ret getting close, but couldn't hold back any longer. Tel's claws scratched at the hard floor as he let out a loud yelp and pushed back hard against Ret's cock. Spurts off fox cum laced the ground below as he contracted himself tight around the 'yote's member and knot, which continued to quickly thrust inside of him. Just as he was about to collapse, Ret bit down on his shoulder.

The continued pleasure from the fox's tightening hole sent Ret over the edge and beyond. He pulled the fox's hips as far down as he could, feeling his cock fire the hot shots of 'yote cum deep inside of Tel. Ret's teeth clenched as he felt Tel shaking below him while he rode out his orgasm with a series of gasps and thrusts. As soon as the final wave of pleasure jolted through his body, Tel collapsed below him, dragging Ret to the floor by his knot.

Ret gently nuzzled at the back of Tel's head. "You have fun, foxy?" Tel was hardly able to nod, but got his message across. He shivered a little at the feeling of his own spooge soaking from the floor into his fur. He suddenly took a smile and did his best to look back at the 'yote on top of him.

"So, will you still love me after your season is done?"

"Only time will tell, Tel. Only time will tell." The two stayed in embrace and after their efforts simply fell asleep there on the cold cell floor, wishing the next morning was a little farther away.

Tel me the Truth

** ** When Ret finally awoke the next day, it was already sometime in the afternoon and he was now lying in some medical examination room or another. He glanced around at the various machines that blinked and beeped until his eyes finally landed on the doorway where Tel stood looking at him. "Was... was I drugged again?"

** **"Sorry love, we didn't want to risk you waking up."

** **"Damn it! I am sick of all this drugging! Aren't there some risks to that?"

** **"Only short term memory loss, and trust me, you didn't want to be awake for that."

** **"Awake for WHAT?"

Tel shook his head. "Calm down ok? Now that you're fighting for our side, we needed to assure your loyalty is all..."

** **"Wait, what? I don't really want to fight any more!"

"Calm down, like I said, it's just a loyalty check is all. We pulled four of your rear teeth out and replaced them with some false ones that are equally strong, but these have homing devices in them."

** **"Why the hell would you need four frickin' homing devices!?"

** **"Well, someone may be crazy enough to pull a tooth out, but no one is going to pull out four! Now just try to rest, ok? Your muzzle's going to really ache when those drugs wear off."

As Tel turned to walk away, Ret cried out. "DON'T LEAVE ME!" the fox immediately spun around and ran to Ret's side.

** **"What's the matter?"

** **"I... I just want you here with me. I don't want to go through any of this alone. I just- I don't want to be alone anymore." Tel watched Ret's eyes well up and the first few tears roll down his face.

** **"There there, it's going to be ok."

** **"I hope so, I hope so much. I don't know what's going on right now, I just don't know anything. I'm not sure of anything I just- ...I... I think I love you."

Tel blushed and smiled. "I think I love you too, Ret. I just have a little problem I have to deal with."

** **"What's that?" Tel looked over at the machines across the room, before speaking softly.

"Well, do you remember the primary rule of sniping?"

** **"Um... shoot on target?"

** **"Good and the second rule?"

** **"Never leave a trace?"

** **"Very good... very good... I just wish that... that it was different." Tel stuck a needle into Ret's arm and injected the green contents, a tear rolling down his face. Ret looked up and smiled.

"So that's it, you just killed me, didn't you?" Tel bit his lip and nodded, trying hard not to cry harder.

** **"You bitch." A breath later Ret's heart stopped and he lay there motionless. Tel leaned down for one last kiss, tears matting the fur all over his face. He cried into the 'yote's lifeless shoulder for hours, wishing there had been some other way, cursing the world around him. After all the suffering Ret had gone through, all the pain he had been lead through, Tel wasn't going to let him suffer through a lifetime of military service. He hadn't given Ret a choice, and that hurt bad, but he knew he had to have done it. Tomorrow the Eastern forces would have a hold on the west. The missiles were already in the air. He just wanted a peaceful way for Ret to go.

Still, he couldn't shake himself of the feeling; knowing he had killed someone who had placed undying trust in him. As the first explosions started to rock the hospital and the surrounding complex, Tel curled his paws around himself and turned on a little tape recorder for his final message to the world. "This tape recorder will probably be destroyed, but if it is not, then for the love of all good I hope you listen. I've killed my love in the name of love itself. I've betrayed and lied for good. I've contradicted the nature I've been trying so hard to protect. I didn't win. There's no winning. No one can win when the game is set by losers. I have done things, and they did back, so in final hope, to the one who finds this tape, know only there one was Ret, and once was Tel, and love is, for even the most rushed glimpse, the last standing beauty in this world. I loved him. I loved him." His quivering claw punched the stop button a few seconds before the hall nearby was hit by some explosion, staining Tel's tears red as his last breaths repeated his words. "I loved him. I loved him."

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