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Chapter 3. A real son of a bitch

5102 years after the brink.

Location: On board Corp ship “Astral queen"

Narrator: Thorren

“God damn, the polarizations are all off again. What bumbling idiots were on regular duty-watch for fission reactor 3, Sharra?" I said, looking down at my friend. We were both standing atop a porous metal grate above reactor 3's primary core, The soft glow of chakalev particles below giving me the willies as it always did. Coming back to reality, she Clearly heard me, but she seemed to be immersed in her side of the console. Out of respect, knowing Sharra would respond when she was ready to, I turned my gaze back to my own console. I still needed to wrestle a few of the reactor variables into the working equation to balance out my side of the core. God damn, someones always putting a work order ticket in for reactor 3, either that or Sharra and I are the only ones ever assigned to it. Looking down at the screen again, I can't help but notice the claw scratches in the resistant plastic of the touch screen. Likely left there by my partners all-too-sharp-non-regulation-claws. I'd seen her put them to good use before, this time it looked like she had let out some frustration on the console last time we were called in to do repair work on it. Man, those daggers may have been short, but damn, they could be sharp.

I don't know how long It had been since I first posed the question, but my duty partner finally spoke up as I locked in the final variable, hitting enter on my console to send the reactor's new protocol ignition sequence to the control computer. And with a pass of my wrist, my personal key was applied to the instruction set for approval.. haha, It's so nice when you can approve your own reactor control changes, perks of the new rating, I thought with a smirk.

“Don and Eavic" she replied without looking up from the console. Clearly she was still locking down the reactor variables for her side of the core, and without more prompting I let her finish her task.

Kinda half hearted response tho, I thought. Thinking better of opening my mouth, I waited to see if she would elaborate. Finished with the immediate task, I let my eyes roam around the room to take in any changes. Looked like whomever was on last shift also chose to eat here, lazy ass, discarded bags of potato chips and bits of food lay squished, under the console toe-kick… nice… Clearly, either Don or Eavic was a slob, not only did it show in their work, but right here, at my feet.

Bored, I began walking around to get a new vantage point, when… With a clang-clang-clang of boots on metal, no sooner had I turned around to see what it was, than a giant of a man with blue skin and tentacle like hair ran knees and pelvis first into Sharra, sending her flying some feet and knocking them both to the floor."

I heard the dull thump of my friends head hitting the floor and I quickly rushed over to see if she's alright. All professional pretense a whisker's thickness from total loss. I shouted to Sharra as I landed next to her, my voice going a bit tight. “Are you alright?!"

Before much else could compute in my head, she had arched her back and in one fluid movement, flipped, and was up on her digitigrade legs, Tail flying out to arrest her momentum..uh oh..F-wack, to the face, The fuck? Recovering my senses, and spitting fur out of my mouth, all I could think was, God damn, never pick a fight with her, you'll probably get your ass beat if she can take a hit like that, haha. And blinking quickly, I looked over at my friend, she had one of those expressions… You know, the type that you hope is never directed at you, for its death incarnate, it said, “I'm going to fucking kill you with my bare hands." No big deal.

“Hey asshole!" I said. Hoping to take charge of the situation before it could get out of hand.

“Hey yourself" He said. Getting up off the floor, and oddly, reaching for his zipper. Fuck, the barn door open or something? At his full height, he towered over me now.

“Whats the fire?" I said, holding back showing any more of my immediate anger at the injustice and potential damage done to my station mate, I hoped he could redeem his actions.

The man seemed to search my lapel as he stood, and finding what he was looking for, straightened his attitude a bit. Unfortunately he also straightened his back, god damn, I thought, Fuckin modded, The top of my head didn't even reach his shoulders. That in of its-self made me flash to the perspective of Sharra. Is this how small she felt all the time? And what now, she must feel positively child-like next to this behemoth. I looked down at her. Nope, she's still pissed. Guess she didn't like getting ran over…. Embarrassingly, I realized her head wasn't even level with the man's crotch. Oh shit, and what must have happened rocketed through my brain…

An almost animal like “YIPE!" Registered in my ears with a ring, and looking slightly down, I saw that Sharra had blown her top, worst fears realized..

“The next time, the tip of your dick hits me in the face, human, I won't hesitate to rip it off and throw it down to the reactor heat exchanger, Got it?" She said with curled lips, fangs showing. I had never thought I'd behold such a sight. Struggling to contain my laughter at the absurdity of it, with my friend's hands completely over her head, just reaching the mans junk, claws sunk through the fabric, probably encased around the big man's balls. He seemed to nod imperceptibly, at that. Her hand tensed, probably giving it a squeeze.

“Got it, Human?!" She said again, with more heat. A bit of a growl entering her voice now.

The man nodded vigorously, wincing in pain, and before the situation could escalate any further, I pulled my friend's hand away from the man's junk. She let go with a little growl, and folded her arms beside me.

“Whats the Fire E-4?" She said. And I stared in wonderment as to how she could see his rank insignia from all the way down there.

“News broad-cast, System-wide, Sir. I was sprinting to the nearest console not to miss it." The man had turned his eyes back to me, apparently now that his junk was out of danger, my Khurroan friend no longer existed to him.

Pausing to think this through, I addressed the man again, with a tact I had never tried with Sharra before. My own ego using getting in the way. “An E-5 addressed you directly E-4. Address your superior appropriately," I said. I knew this was bordering on helping Sharra, which she absolutely hated, but I hoped I had skirted the issue this time, as technically I was following protocol.

“Sir?" He said, with a petulant tone entering his voice, the sound not at all matching his stature. And with a frown, my approximation of the man plummeted several more levels.

“I said, respond to your superior officer, E-4. Do I need to file a formal reprimand?" I said. But then a clawed paw was sinking its way through my shoe's top. The message was loud and clear to me too apparently.

The Man, whom was now bending wayyy over to get a better look at the Khurroan, gave me the opportunity to read his name. “Howard," read the name plate.

“News broad-cast, Corp-wide, Sir. Something to do with the corp possibly going to war." Came from my right. Ah success.. I grinned inwardly, hoping that would put a pep in Sharra's step for awhile.

“Move on E-4, Howard, thank you for the information, you can read the message on another console." Said Sharra, voice neutral.

The man moved off in haste, clang-clang-clanging down the metal grates of the reactor core tops. Idiot.

I looked over at Sharra, hoping to see something good there, her moods were so fickle sometimes… And she turned towards me.. Sunshine…She was beaming from ear to ear, black muzzle-lips pulled into a big smile, ears up and forward, whiskers spread out every-which-way, brows up, showing off those coppery eyes on her otherwise white furred face. She closed the distance between us in a heartbeat and pulled me into a big hug. Lifting me off my feet, saying over and over, “someone called me sir!" “someone called me sir!"

Smiling broadly myself at her enthusiasm, I hugged her back, basking in the happiness Sharra was experiencing. I had never seen someone so delighted from such a simple act.

“Hey", I spoke up, gazing down at the exuberant features of my best friend, “I call you sir all the time." I said.

She seemed to waive it off briefly, before seeming to settle herself a bit and giving a better answer. “yes, and I do appreciate your respect immensely Thorren." She paused briefly, “More than you know actually." Her voice had dropped an octave with those last words, eyes becoming a little glassy as she looked up at me, still in delight.

I looked back at her, smiling all the same. “but this time it was someone else," I said with the beginnings of a grin on my face.

“YES!" She replied, before I could finished speaking, (haha. Such delight!)

“For the first time someone besides you showed me respect!" she said.

And I refused to dampen her enthusiasm by pointing out a damn thing otherwise, instead, sliding one of my arms down from our hug, to the small of her back, I tried to guide us back to the console, “should we see if that message is being played?" I said.

“yeah" she said. Tho without loosening her grip.

“We need to go back over to the console, you done hugging me?" I said with a contented feeling.

“yeah" she said. Looking chagrined

“Aren't you the lady of one-off syllables tonight," I said.

“shut-up" she said, looking away. And with the release of her grip around me, she ran off as fast as she could back to the console. I, grabbing for my friend's tail the whole way. Laughing aloud as she's forced to tuck it between her legs while still running.

Our faces hovered close over the screen, our expressions softly illuminated blue as we opened the file. *click,* access news logs, *click* Tri-merti News, *click* We both looked at each other, I made a funny face at Sharra, and she stuck her tongue out at me, booping my face with her muzzle for good measure while we waited. The glow of the traditional symbols and readouts of the engineering console dimmed out, and a video player intelligently auto loaded to the beginning of a 5 minute old video, it was still being broadcast as we speak.

“This is your magnificent CEO speaking! A courier ship has just docked with our glorious City, the ecumenopolis Astral Queen! It contained urgent news from some of our assets out system.

As of 2 days, 6 hours ago, our rival Gene-mark, part of the biotech conglomerate known as ProtoTech, has begun attacking and sacking smaller assets of our conglomerate, Tri-merti. We don't yet know when, or if, they will choose to go after bigger targets, but rest assured, your protectors are deliberating! We will correct this terrible wrong-doing! I and the other CEO's of our conglomerate are weighing the different options we can take. Your company's board has already publicly stated they are behind us if we choose to go to war with gene-mark and its partners. Therefore, In preparation for glorious and fierce battle, this ecumenopolis has been asked to begin switching into war manufacturing, and to make ready for defense. Isn't that just exciting? All citizens will be asked to participate in the preparations, and don't worry if your not a citizen either, we will be handing out 500,000 new citizenry ID's, so make your company proud and maybe you will get one! In the event our city's defense fleets are called upon to act, there may not be an opportunity for last minute acquisitions or repairs, therefore, I want our existing ships and their crews to receive top priority. Ok everyone?"

The news broad-cast went on, but the images of the devastation and promises of revenge were replaced, now with a live feed headshot of the CEO. What a fucking no good, Scum-bag, gay twisted asshole elitist. My mind immediately derailed from the broadcast as I sneered at the vissage of the “elite." Their appearance always lent an immediate curl to my lip. Fuckin disgusting demi-god assholes. So fuckin gene-modded they considered themselves Gods. I almost wanted to air quote their slogan just to mock it, “We are the pinnacle of biological evolution, invulnerable and eternal, and if you work hard enough, you could be just like us!"

Unfortunately, what matters is that they are, in fact, practically un-killable, and with no biological clock, simply amass more wealth and power as they age. This one was as bent as they come, and I struggled not to pound the console in my fury. God damn, they ran everything in the universe, the puppeteers no one talked about, you couldn't get away from them, you couldn't escape their influence.

“Thorren?" Came a soft contralto from beside me, breaking me out of my revery.

“I'm ok Sharra." I said

“Its the Elite thats getting to you?" She said, ears rotating back on her head.

“yeah, but I don't want to talk about it," I said…

“I'm always here to talk if you want to Thorren." I cut her off softly.

“Sharra, Its ok" I said, turning my face away from the console to look into her eyes, ruffling her hair and ears. A warmth entered my chest at her gaze, it felt so good. “It has to do with my child-hood, and I don't want to talk about it, ok?" Wait, did I just say that?

Her ears perked up, Fuck.

“What happened?" She said, placing a warm palm across my arm on the console.

Resist, Resist, deflect. God damnit. She's going to exploit that crack till she gets what she wants out of me. Its those eyes of hers, I swear, god damn truth serum!

Seeing my hesitancy, I could tell she was struggling for words, this was uncharted territory for us both…“Thorren, you can tell me.." She said.

“Sharra, I… want to tell you, but not here, not now. Ask me later?" I said.

She nodded and let the latter drop, but her eyes told a different story. She'd just won an important battle, and she knew it. God damn, crafty Khur. Thats one for one now, I thought morosely.

“hey uh, you ever enter in your reactor ignition algorithm?" I said, hoping a change of subject would get us out of the awkward silence.

Her ears perked right up, “shit!" She said. “I got to do that before our shift ends."

“Well Sharra, you got twenty minutes, think you can beat the clock?" I said.

“I bet your desert that I can finish it in ten, you in?" She said.

“hell yes." I said, “You'll never make it!" honestly hoping she wouldn't! I really wanted something tasty after my last meal.. Sometimes having a big ego is the worst, and with that I grinned at the spit-fire of a woman before me, back already to me, eyes glued to the console, as she powered through the equations.

“9 minutes and 31 seconds, 32 seconds, 33 seconds.." I whispered into her left ear, making sure she heard the faux contempt and smugness in my voice.. haha. I could see the sweat collecting on the inside cups of her ears, palms leaving a slight sheen on the plastic screen as they danced a frenetic pace, trying to lock in the final variable. She's close, maybe a little distraction… I want that chocolate cake! I reached down, and in a swift motion, launched a massive tickle attack on both sides of her ribcage. “Gotcha!" I said aloud with delight.

A yowl of anguish! What would have earned me a punch to the gut any other time, she ignored out of sheer competitive nature. YES! I continued my assault, man she has a will of steel when she wants to, despite the initial outburst she was honed in on the screen. Eyes dancing across numbers. *Buzz Buzz* sliding into the tenth minute now, as my personal comp buzzed the 10 minute timer, I had her..

“AND thats it, I'm done!" Rang aloud as Sharra broke my grip, a snarl on her lips as she swung around, pretending to lunge for my hands to bite them, locking eyes with me.

“Nope, you lose," I pulled my comp out, showing her the timer, 10 minutes and 45 seconds… I chuckled to myself at her distress. Tail flopped to the floor, mouth agape and ears akimbo, she looked positively hilarious.

“Sharra, you look hilarious! Haha. No no! Oww!" I yelled. She bit me! Right on the pointer finger I was using to point out how hilarious she looked. Oww!

Sharra smirked back, “serves you right for cheating," She said, “lets get out of here. Oh and for that one you get to write the punch-out report."

With a sigh, I joined her as we walked out of reactor 3. “Where do you want to go to eat?" I said.

She looked at me askance, with a little frown on her face, as if mentally asking herself, How fucking retarded is my friend today?, It was all over her face. “So your asking me if I want to go to the conscript mess on street level, or the one on F deck, is that it? Cause the food is equally shitty and all the company sucks." She said.

“Well theres technically the vending machines on E and G decks.. and c'mon Sharra, not all the company's bad," I knew it was bad humor, but what can I say, I got a big mouth sometimes.

“Shut-up Thorren," She said, without looking up at me.

“Fine," I said. Jogging quickly to catch up to my friend.

We had grabbed our food from the open street level conscript mess (deck A), at least that one allowed us a moment to glimpse the faux blue sky, of course, thats also why it was always the busiest. We, as conscripts, not citizens, were allowed to go to the surface level within the business compound of our sector. It was one of the few perks that made being a conscript bearable, and we both took advantage of the fresh air whenever we could. Today tho, I sensed Sharra wanted a little more privacy, probably to probe me for why I hate Elites.. And with food in hand, I followed Sharra to the J deck observation lounge. Ironically, the observation lounge was one of those perches that were at the top of a building trunk that stabbed down into the under-city. I had since learned that each of the largest super scraper structures were actually part of the space globe its-self, they were support structure spires that went from the very outside skin of the globe, through the docks, through the under-city, through the machine decks (B-I decks) where the globe's true hearts lay, and finally, the spire broke out into the hollow core of the globe, shooting up over a mile into the air filled void within, to become among the tallest structures. Not too many went to the observation lounge on J deck because it usually reminds them of what they escaped, or of the place you will end up if you royally screw up.

When my hand comp beeped for attention, I almost dropped my ration tray, and, keeping pace with Sharra, I opened it up to read the message. Message from “anonymous." Oh shit.

I bounced off the corridor wall, not realizing we had entered a curved part as I stared down at my phone. Luckily my face and head were saved a mauling, as we were traveling down to the lounge through the regular conscript quarters. So instead of running my head into something hot, or poky, or sharp, or zappy, and doing who knows what harm to my body, I just bruised my noggin somthin fierce. Hey, we just passed by my room not a minute ago, I really shoulda remembered the corridor curved here.. God damnit.

“What that your girlfriend or something Thorren?" Said Sharra.

Feeling somewhat sheepish, I replied, “Nah, you know I don't go after bitches in this corp, they're just as likely to use me in some political game to gain prestige," I said.

“You know Thorren," She said, with a little smirk tugging at the edges of her lips, head turning back to look at me, she was showing way too many teeth all of a sudden…“You really are the charmer with words today aren't you? I bet you'll have all the bitches once you make it out there on your own."

I didn't know what to say to that. The double entendre finally registering in my dim witted brain stem. Oh fuck, she'd not going to let me live this one down. I about ate my own fist to shut such stupid words from coming from my mouth. Instead tho, I held my breadth, hoping Sharra wouldn't punish me further, and regaining my footing, I caught up to her.

She swung her hip and knocked me off course a little as I caught up, “C'mon. Try to keep up." she said.

I felt like she was holding her meal tray just a little more snuggly after that, almost like she was hugging it.

This time, checking what was in-front of me, I looked down to my phone.

“Hey there, sorry I couldn't get your friend the pay raise, or move her out of the Khur barracks. It seems that the other board members regard you and Sharra as my pets. But thats as far as they are allowing me to take it. I tried to use influence to win over a majority on the vote, but it seems that very few are seeing me favorably right now, and I fear I will not be able to protect you as well as I have in the past… From certain..ah.. unscrupulous people."

Any icy sensation ran down my back, as my unknown benefactor on the corp's board had more or less just admitted to me that the threat I had received earlier could be very real. *buzz,* This time Sharra's ears rotated back, acknowledging the sound. I opened the text again, “I know this is not good news, but I cannot jeopardize my position for the greater good I am trying to achieve for the 2nd class alien citizens within the company. I know it still seems bad, but there was a time when they were used as slaves and discarded like used rags whole sale. Remember that Khurroan are allowed to come and go from the corp now. Use your money to get out of here if it gets too bad. Once again, Thorren, I'm sorry. If anything happens, text this number with the code, 3904. I'll do what I can to save you."

Message ends.

You make it sound like someone wants us dead? I thought. I might have to move up my plans to get Sharra and I out of here. Tho that god damn Liberty tax was a fuckin Joke, even on my pay thats months of work, for Sharra, that must be close to two years. Sharra had long since reminded me that to enter the docks again you either had to be a citizen of the Astral Queen, or pay an exorbitant liberty tax for re-entry. Sometimes you could get a travel visa, but that wasn't going to happen for Sharra, and often times the Corp would just as likely terminate your employment if they found out you were trying to get a travel visa. Fucking criminal is what it was. The various corps that made up the conglomerate that owned this ecumenopolis said the tax was in place to cover the life support systems of the globe. As if that even made sense.

“Whats wrong Thorren?" Came the soft contralto voice of my friend.

"Fuck, god damn universe ain't right, thats what." I said, not realizing I had stopped some 10 meters back. I wiped the look of disgust off my face, and tried to school it neutral to rejoin my friend. Her look of concern didn't go away, but at least she didn't ask questions.

We were approaching the observation deck, and I was glad to finally be able to sit down and enjoy my meal.

“No dogs," came a gruff voice as we tried to walk through the entryway.

I looked over at the security type, S-5, equal rank to me, damn. “S-5 Tanner, I have taken this particular Khurroan into the observation lounge dozens of times, whats changed?" I said, keeping a professional tone and look about me.

“No dogs, by specific request from the Board's representative this morning, I'm going to have to ask you to leave sir." He said, none to politely.

I sighed, not wanting to think on the implications of that change on an empty stomach. I looked down at Sharra, her fur was positively bristling, but she remained silent as we turned around.

Neither of us spoke a word as we made our way back up to one of our hide-e-holes. We took a lift, to deck G this time, and ducked into the machine deck from the small entryway. This deck was fairly restrained, as the reactor containment vessels plunged through this deck, making the walking surface like Swiss cheese. But we made our way away from the lift, and some minutes later found what we were looking for. It was technically an airlock to the inside of the reactor casing, but it practically never saw use, seeing as there was one more airlock beyond this one, and then you'd be inside the heart of the reactor casing. It was only ever opened to perform emergency repairs, or to remove radioactive material. *click* “access denied," Hmm… unusual. And Sharra and I shared a look for the first time since leaving the observation Lounge. The level of worry in the back of my brain went from concerning to worrisome.. fuck.

“Well it was bound to happen at some point" I said.

“What?" She said.

“That someone noticed the occasional opening and closing of the external door, and locked out the passcode without prior authorization.." I said, hoping to derail any possible questions about our safety.

“Ohh" she said, pausing with a crooked expression, “but I've.. Like smelled sex in there a dozen times, so we are definitely not the only ones to try and find discrete places for some alone time."

And suddenly the pant boner was back with a vengeance, heart tripping over its-self.. “Yeah… alone time Sharra." I said dryly, trying to brush off my initial reaction.

“Oh did I say that?" She said, “Sometimes I just don't think about what I am saying," an expression, head tilted askew for profound effect, showing plenty of predatory teeth found its way into my periphery and I tried to ignore it. Ok, she got me back, point taken at my carelessness.

“What will we do, want to try another one?" I said.

“nah," she said. “I'll just eat in bed. It's…Been a long day. Good night Thorren."

She made as if to leave, the alien barracks were just one level down.

“Sharra?" I said quickly, before she could take another step away.

“Yes?" She said.

“Can I come to your quarters with you?" I said. Not knowing how to say this.. “Lets just eat together there, I… look its been a great day and I don't want to break our routine of meals together.." Fuck, I sounded desperate I thought. and thats not even what I want. “Sharra, look.. I, ah, what I mean to say is ah.. This chocolate cake isn't going to eat its-self and you actually earned it today.."

She looked up at me with soulful eyes, and I saw a battle happen there, but then she took my hand silently, and led me to the next deck down, directly below the main reactors, deck I.

Minutes later, lift doors opening, we entered a moderate space with a table in the center, it had what looked like a small area to make food, and the rest of the room was taken up by old couches. The room had maintenance shafts protruding from every square foot of wall space inside the room. It looked like little signs had been erected at the entrance to each. I had never been down here, silently telling myself it was because I viewed this level as the alien sanctity, away from us humans. “Sharra, is it ok for me to be here?" I said meekly. Not wanting to be overheard by any radar dishes in the area.

Silence.

She led me to the table and motioned me to sit, I sat in one of the three chairs big enough.

Around the room were other aliens, one rakishly thin humanoid with totally inhuman proportions, and no body hair smiled at me. I had seen him once making his way out of a reactor casing when his suit breached. No one was willing to get close to him, despite the rads being comparatively low, I doned a suit in record time and patched him up before he could starve of oxygen in the vacuum environment beyond the airlock inside the casing. I hadn't seen him since. Another alien, this one really just looking like another modded, excerpt that her complexion and skin looked something akin to a lizard. I thought they had tails too, but she didn't have one. There were no others in the room, but the lizard too, waved at me. That threw me for a loop, and I silently waved back to the two aliens I had seen before. Remembering, I had even helped the lizard one when she? Was working on a waste treatment system, and needed another pair of hands to complete that particular fix. She had no duty partner at the time. Fuckin dumb, thats how you get hurt or killed.

Then sharra was sitting next to me. Both meal trays in her hands, they were warmed and she was scooching in a little closer to me, I gave her my tray. She pushed it back with a little growl, and daring a few words, I gently said them into her closest ear. “Sharra c'mon, 50/50 ok?" She nodded her head woodenly, and taking the tray back, began to eat. I didn't know what was so distressing for her, but I allowed her to work through it on her own time. We ate in silence, switching our meal trays half way through as we always did. She didn't comment on the missing cake, and I held it in reserve as my backup weapon. When we were done, she quickly stood and, discarding our trash in the one waste receptacle, murmured, “c'mon." The eyes of her fellow conscript mates were upon us as we moved to one of the doorways.

While we had been eating, I had been so intensely focused on my friends distress I hadn't really taken in the rest of the room, and before I could really do so, she led me to one of the doorways with a pink sign on it. Recognizing what might of been names in their formatting, but it was in an alien language, so who knows. I ducked slightly and I followed her down. Immediately, I could hear the movement of the Reactant and cooling fluids above our heads as a low thrum/wush, and it startled me a bit. Knowing just 20 feet away was a million degrees of super heated radioactive death. Fuck. If there ever was a reactor failure.. Why would they house anyone down here? We walked past what looked like some custom piping and machine work, but I didn't have the time to figure out what it was as I got dragged along by the arm.

We walked through a curtain and I found myself inside a section of corridor, just like any other machine deck, but it was decorated orange, with small knickknacks, a few odd paintings, a bed stuffed up towards the ceiling, in an alcove there, and some other stuff. A Khar-kulla was sleeping in it and I was as silent as could be before, woosh.

Another curtain, this section of corridor was hues of pink, with odd bits of jewelry hung about from pipes, computer modules, data lines, what have you, even the bed here was pink. A Khurroan was sitting at a desk in the middle. Head down, with its mane of hair swooshed out enough that its head nearly seemed to disappear. I didn't catch the hitching sobs coming from the creature until Sharra stopped to touch the arm of the other one, she said to her, “Amy, have strength, the time will come." Amy looked up at me then, and oddly she smiled. I Couldn't remember another Khurroan making direct eye contact with me, albeit accidentally, ever, unless by accident. They always kept their eyes to the ground. It struck me a weighty blow, tho I couldn't explain the feeling. Back to reality, I had to carefully step over its bed, as the only little alcove in this section of corridor was occupied by a work bench filled with bits of stuff, and presently the crying Khurroan on a stool. I carefully placed my feet alongside the bed laying on the floor, making sure I didn't step on its sleeping space.

Woosh. We entered a new section of corridor, it was empty save a bed tucked tightly into an alcove created by the pipes around it, and a small backlit bouquet of knickknacks, paintings, and jewelry bits, they seemed to be arrayed in a picturesque manner. How odd I thought. Woosh, another curtain.

After several more of these mesmerizing little “rooms," We reached one with a white cloth, beneath the *door* was a door mat that said, “welcome. Please wipe your paws" with little dirty paw prints on it. haha. Sharra did have a sense of humor, it was just buried under all that stress. She seemed to gather herself here, and with a tug and a woosh, we entered. Inside was a bunk alcove bigger than most we passed, and the walls had been decorated with.. I froze.. It was pictures and paintings of us. I looked over at Sharra, but she wasn't looking at me, in fact, her eyes were pointedly looking away. She seemed to strip on auto pilot, but before she showed me anything too risqué, she reached up and forcefully turned my head away. I hadn't even realized I was staring. Haha. Moments later, she said “don't look," and began unbuckling my shirt. Ok Sharra, whats going on, I thought in a daze. But my mouth remained shut. My shirt was gone, my belt was gone, but then the hands disappeared, and one reappeared in my hand, pulling me down. Quite awkward when you can't see where your going.

I barely managed to place the little package from my back pocket onto a precarious perch atop a computer module when I crashed into her bed. Sharra, with remarkable strength, pulled me onto the bed with her, and before I knew it she had curled herself into a fetal position inside my arms, her back to me. “Hold me" she said, voice breaking a little, and when I hadn't moved my arms fast enough she pulled the nearest one over herself…and..onto..a very mammalian breast.. Almost immediately, my friends body was wracked with quite sobs, and I held her. All bodily thoughts wiped instantly from my consciousness.

Minutes later, Wondering if Sharra did this everyday, because until today, I hadn't heard her whine in a long time. Did she let it all out at night like this, every night? Or was the day just that stressful for the Khar-kulla? Well fuck, why aren't I panicking, cause the guy who was providing invisible protection for us just said he can't anymore, and to watch out for people trying to kill us? I squeezed Sharra a little tighter, and managed to get my other arm under her to fully encompass her chest. She welcomed it.

Some time passed, and inexorably we both calmed from whatever fears and anxiety we needed to exorcise from our souls. At some point, she had grasped both my hands, and her claws had dug slightly into the callouses of my palms, no big deal, but I wiggled them to get some feeling back and pulled one from her grasp to start rubbing it up and down the length of her exposed body in hopes it was a calming gesture. We were entering new territory in our friendship, and Sharra had never allowed herself to be this exposed with me, the most before today..Had been some whimpers and teary eyes. We had never curled up together, something must be bothering her, or maybe something happened she's not telling me? Tonight, I feared, we may both learn more of each other than in the past nine months combined.

“That feels nice," came a muffled utterance from my friend. I tucked her a little tighter against my chest then, scooting my body up a bit so that I could rest my jaw in the crook of her shoulder and neck. “I'm glad," I said. “Sharra, I.." I spoke into the ear that I was laying against, comfortable enough like this, that I thought I would be ready to talk, but I didn't know where to start.

She remained silent against me, her chest rising and falling against my arms, it was serenity. For another minute I lay there, basking in our communal happiness. Cracking open an eye, her cheek bones and muzzle protruding from just beneath my chin. A feeling of profound happiness came over me and I nuzzled into her neck fur and cheek ruff.

Sharra let out a rumble at that, and twisted our joined hands to intwine our fingers, palm to palm. The moment was perfect, I would have no better opportunity, and my head swam in a dizzying array of positive emotions. I felt she was letting me make the first move into the unknown of our pasts, of the uncertainty of what was forming between us, and the potentialities of our futures. I had no idea where to start, so I started with myself.

“My childhood, was not a pleasant one Sharra. I was brought up in a salvage mining family, and it was a hard life. Our people were based out of a small asteroid base that was in a stable orbit around its sun. The system so unknown it only had a numerical designation, but we lived there, under the rocks, a few thousand of us. Our colony had contacts with several other similar colonies in the systems around us, and all told our little community maybe had 20,000 individuals. We traded amongst ourselves, only going to the local trade hub, a sub-station for a ecumenopolis named Virgin Mary, the hub had maybe a million residents and it was the highlight of our year to go tote our wares within its bazaars. Beyond that, our community basically mined some ores, and gas gains, but most of us were salvagers, looking for the ripples in the cosmos that would tell us something valuable was out there. And then we would salvage it. So much existed before the brink, many of us believed we were only one big discovery away from bringing back Gate travel, or shields, or a million other techs. Everyone thought they would strike it rich one day, and went out everyday in search for those ripples in the data to find the hidden treasures. The biggest thing I ever saw one of us get was a pre-brink Cruiser. But it was watered beyond belief, and even after a throurough investigation, no shields or super space tech. Just the same old meters thick armor, rail cannon and missiles. Still, that family was immediately rich, and after leaving a parting gift to the community, disappeared. The real story begins when I was 9 tho. My best friend died at that age when the section of the asteroid he was in decompressed quicker than he could get into his vac-suit. Most made it, but he hadn't trained in doing it as much as he should, and he died because of it. Then, when I was 12, my little brother lost his legs due to blood clots caused by zero-gee, we weren't one of the lucky families with gen-gineered zero-gee tolerance, and he payed for it. Lozen later committed suicide when the colony had chosen to not help my family pay for new legs, it had been a hard year on us, and we were barely making ends meet on what equipment and air we would need for the year. I almost don't want to say after all those things happened to my friends and family that the worst part was the boredom. There was so little to do growing up, and it was my insatiable appetite for new things which led to the disaster when I was almost thirteen. We had been visiting the local trade hub, and as it turned out, so was a lesser elite. Some CEO of one of the lesser companies in partnership within the ecumenopolis Virgin Mary, I later found out. It began on our yearly visit to the sub-station, I had escaped from my cloistering parents, and was running amok within the bazaar.

Oh Sharra, it was one of my brightest memories. I saw so many things that day. I snuck into shops along the docks, seeing some of the coolest gadgets. Holowatches, personal AI's, robot butlers which followed you around. I almost got one to follow me right out of the store, I was this close to having my drinks delivered to me for the rest of my days. Ah..

I pretended to fall into this guys stall and managed to steal a wonder fruit. Every bite was a different flavor! I even saved half for dad.. Oh and Sharra! The people there.. They were nothing like those here in the corp. They were vibrant, and colorful, I couldn't understand half of them! Their vac suits were in hues of reds, purples, blues, yellows. Some all the above with fifty patches! The stalls within the docks ranged from nothing more than a lean-to, some sketchy guy peddling trinkets, to the most tech of stores, with laser guard fences and a minimum credit fee just to enter! And the ships! Good lord, a menagerie of makes, some more than one! Some with engines as big as my families ship, some were bulbuous and alien, some were sleek and fast, some were the shape of my dick." I laughed at that and so did Sharra, she squeezed my hand to continue. “Some were painted 10 different colors with graffiti all over, and some ships were made of so many other ship bits I couldn't even tell what I was looking at. The docks must have had twenty different docking ring types because there was no standard. Oh, its everything I thought this ecumenopolis would be.

But my favorite part, something that I had never seen before,

The Gudai Eschuan performance group, they were making their rounds around the sector performing their greatest piece, “The histories of the universe," and I snuck into one of their holo-plays! It was magnificent.. I learned of the time before the brink, the planets of gold, the paradise worlds, the thriving democratic human republic. The literal hundreds of ecumenopolis, many with the planetary drives which would one day spur them into another galaxy! Oh, all played out on a massive holo-vid screen the size of my families ship…"

I came back to myself then, the good memories over.. I squeezed Sharra a little tighter…

“Then he saw me…" Sharra I.. “It was an Elite, and it was this moment that I thought would change my life forever.. He wanted my family to sell me, their only remaining child, to him, as an indentured servant. He promised them the equivalent of twenty years of salvage income. They agreed.."

Sharra tried to turn around then, within my arms, but it wan't time for that. “Sharra.. I.. He raped me Sharra.. he took me and many other boys to his chambers and he.." I held her tighter still, taking deep breadths.. Calming myself. “Sharra, his laughter, the helplessness. My parents abandoning me, it was all too much. I broke, I went limp. He had his way with me and I lay there motionless at his pounding. He was an elite Sharra, and it..they are monsters.. there evil monsters Sharra, and I would die before submitting to one again. But he used me, abused me, and for two days myself and the other boys in the room were his play things to taunt and destroy. Sharra, I think he killed me, I can't remember it, but I think he strangled me to death, and then brought me back. I can't remember it, but there are flickers. I took everything he had, limply, I felt abandoned and I hadn't the strength to stand up to him, so every time he came to me, I went limp in fear and acceptance. Oh Sharra, On the third day, the last day my parents would be at the bazaar. He had us lined up, and he walked down the line. If he pointed at you, you were his. Most of us were already broken, but some stood defiantly. He chose every boy who stared at him with hatred, and when he reached me, he called me his favorite, for I had been the most pliant, and willing of his lovers.." I shivered against Sharra at the utterance of that word from so many years ago.. “But then he said that he had grown tired of me already, and did not point. I cannot even remember who he chose after me, I was so self centered, I was free."

This time Sharra tried to turn around hard, but I held her tightly, “Sharra please, I cannot look at you right now. Please. I am shamed." I said, choking tears and bile. She lay back down within my arms, pulling her face against my own again, I hadn't realized that my tears had been dripping down to her fur until their cold touch came back to me upon her return.

“Sharra I, he whisked us away, those he did not choose. I was dropped off by his goons in front of my families ship. It turns out that my own family didn't have the guts to rescue me. Instead I was rescued by my deceased best friends parents. They were wonderful people, and they took me in. Sharra, oh… You must think me a coward. Your best friend is a weakling.."

I think she let me cry it out, because she didn't say anything, she lay within my arms, crying softly with me.

“We returned to the rock where I grew up, Boritania." I was croaking my words out now, little left of the climactic story of my childhood.. “and my new parents had it out with my family. Two weeks later, they had packed everything and we moved to Sputznia, another colony within our community. It had all seemed so bright before that day, albeit boring, but what had happened that day forever left a pit of rot in my stomach for them all. The rest is history really, I grew up on Sputznia then, and my new parents and I were close. They were old tho, and when one passed the other was soon to follow, I believe out of grief for her husband. I did not think less of her in her final months, she was wistful and sad. We had hugged a lot, and she told me of the universe, of all she knew. To go to an ecumenopolis, a real world she said, if there ever was one in this void. You could spend your entire life inside one and never know you were in space, she said. And I believed her for a time, its how I ended up here, tho now the veil has been ripped from my visage…" I took a deep breath, “Then she passed, and since I wasn't blood family, their ship wasn't mine to take. I understood that, and so I toiled for years, the final two making enough to not just break even, but to save towards a future. Then I picked a random ecumenopolis and bought a ticket from the trade hub on my communities yearly journey there.

And thats how I met you, Sharra."

I pressed my nose against her short muzzle, and taking in a breath of her scent, just lay there, listening to her breathing, and my own. I felt raw, and would have probably felt exposed and scared had my best friend not invited me into her bed this night. I think we needed this, to show our true selves to each other, and to reconcile on the weighty emotions we have both been showing of late. I just wish I knew her thoughts on my story, but I was sure she would share soon enough. I had a real friend in her.

Warmth, wetness, a tight squeeze, I was confused by what I was feeling until I opened my eyes and saw Sharra licking my hand of blood there. “I'm sorry Thorren."

She was licking up blood from a tiny hole, realizing she must've punctured my skin with a claw, and was now cleaning it. Haha, how alien? It felt weird, but good. “Its ok." I said.

Minutes later her tongue bath was over and we lay silent again. Her hand still entwined with mine, just a little less tight. Her tail, which had remained motionless between us this whole time, pressed down, and curled its-self between her legs, and into her lap, reaching all the way up to hit us both in the face. “Sharra, were you aiming for my face or yours?" I said, my jawline still nestled against her own, we were as close as could be, and I could feel her the muscles beneath her furred facial features moving to articulate her response, her lips brushing against the stubble of my cheek.

“Yours. Tho your face is so close I hit us both." she said with a giggle, black muzzle lips curling into a smile.

“Do it again, I'll bite it," I said.

“Ha" she said, but didn't respond otherwise. Instead, she tensed a bit, and now that her tail was not a massive fluffy thing between us, she scooted her butt right against me. We were spooning, like lovers.. Like Lovers? My heart skipped beat. And the warmth of my best friend

now positively radiated from her in our closeness. I welcomed it, as my heart still hurt, I had never told anyone of that day before, and I had held nothing back. I squeezed Sharra a little tighter, unsure how to take her gesture, but inside me, her affection was battling back the darkness that had taken root from the telling of my tale, it was a kindness, and I welcomed it.

Something occurred to me, something I saw other Khurroan do, and on an impulse I turned my head slightly and gave her black lips a lick with my tongue. Her skin was slightly salty, but otherwise tasteless, and my lips immediately began to tingle from the intimate contact, I licked her one more time, this time on her nose. And then I nuzzled into her cheek ruff again, hoping my gesture was well received. Haha, payback I thought, for all those times she had done that to me. Sharra's response to me was a throaty rumble, and a ribbon of wetness against my chin.

“So I guess its my turn to share huh?" Said Sharra.

“Only if your ready to," I said.

“Ok," she said, her body shuddered a little, and she took a deep breadth.

“When I was young, I did not know of humans. I grew up amongst a colony of Khurroan. My people hide from the humans. We fear them." She paused to tuck her muzzle closer to me, bunching the pillow up beneath her to support us before continuing.

“My family loved me," she squeezed my hand and continued, “But as I grew up, I learned from our tradesmen and my father that we were not alone in the universe. My mother had hidden from me the entire other half of the universe!" Sharra cursed with that utterance. “My mother thought it better I never know of our past, of what happened, and of the plight of our people! She said my spirit would lead me to become a patriot, and to cause ripples within our society that it could not bear."

What? That doesn't make sense? Hide from? Plight of her people?

“None of this makes sense to me Sharra" I said soothingly, “can you explain in broader strokes so I understand the context?"

“Oh sorry." She said, sometimes I forget you are human.

A warmth grew in my chest at her statement, and it sent a tingle down my spine.

“Thorren this will be a shock to you, as it does not match the stories you were told as a child, or that any of humanity knows," She continued, “But one you should know if we are to move forward. “

I shivered at her implication. Fuck, I guess I was that obvious..

“Humanity was not a shining beacon of democracy before the brink." She said, “My people tell stories of the militaristic human regime which drove a wedge into the universe. They extinguished dozens of sentient species before the rest banded together to end the threat. It is told that all of the milky-ways galactic society was brought to the brink of total destruction, and that inevitably, despite the coalition cutting off the human spear head, that others sprung in their place. The coalition crumbled and those that could save themselves ran to the deepest recesses of the galaxy."

I was shocked, I was frozen, could this all be true? I was part of a race that committed total genocide across the galaxy? I remembered my childhood, and the elites, the silent puppeteers behind the scenes, and it all made me sick in realization of the inevitability.

“I'm sorry Thorren," she said,

My face was soaked! her fur was soaked! And I was certain that all the other conscripts could hear me weep. “I'm so, so sorry Sharra, but how can you like me? Knowing all that?" I said. I was fearful, and hateful, the flesh of my ancestors did this to Sharra's people?

“Stop it Thorren," She said. “You are not responsible for your species past, and you will hold your words for my story, got it?"

I held my breadth, nodding into her shoulder. “Ok Sharra, I'm sorry."

“Mhmm," She said, she squeezed my hand tighter. “My mother was right about me, for I have become a patriot for those whom she will not take a stand for. She believed it better we hide in the shadows, fearful of humans. For we, like every other remaining alien species which still has some cohesive group remaining, is a threat to the elites. The hundreds of tribes of human's embrace us, when we allow them, and the Khurroan even view them as the true children of humanity; born from the ashes of the inferno that burnt galactic society to total entropy. But, as my mother would say, the tribes of men are not yet strong enough to appose the remnants of the militaristic regime of the pre-brink human juggernaut, the elites and their ecumenopolis." A growl developed within her words, “And my mother, leader of our people, has chosen to continue our hiding in the shadows through her reign, to allow our people to wallow in misery within the shadows. Instead of reaching out, and embracing the tribal leadership of the human universe, to forge bonds and share our hearts. To show them technologies and share our knowledge, and most importantly to forge lasting friendships. They are ready Thorren, this I know in my soul.

The fire in my heart, it wept for my people from the very day my father opened my eyes. For, my mother may have kept the universe from me, but my father did not, and he told me of his hopes and dreams for our species. I wanted to save them all… So on the celestial ceremony of rebirth, where I took my rightful place as an adult amongst my people, I challenged my mother.

I challenged the leader of our people, I challenged her ignorance, and her beliefs, and I did it in front of everyone she held dear, and I held nothing back.

“What hap" I started to say.

“Shhhh… Thorren, this is difficult, just keep your big mouth shut for a few more minutes ok?"

I was dumbstruck, how she could be so light-hearted in the middle of this, but I also appreciated how my friend could bring levity to any conversation. Haha, I did have a big mouth.

She turned her face a bit, nuzzling me momentarily. Cool black nose-pad brushing against my nose and grinning lips.

She Took a deep breadth, I felt it as her ribcage expanded, swelling within my arms, and then she let it out on our conjoined hands in a warm exhale. “She didn't even allow me to entertain the idea of besmirching her amongst her peers. She refused to even allow me to speak my case, in-fact, that was the last time I saw my mother." Sharra said, pausing to catch her breadth, “within seconds the anger on my mothers brown pelted face had turned her fur a pink hue from the blood flushing the skin underneath, I swear her ear cups were as red as a Terran apple! And that was about the only moment I had before it all came crashing down. My mother howled at the top of her lungs,— Guards! Get my insolent daughter out of here. Imprison her, for she has unrightfuly challenged her monarch. — I had no idea what to do, but I stood my ground. Two of her royal guard approached, and I let them take me away. I had no quarrel with anyone but my mother's choices. I spat at her as I was dragged past her, spitting vehemently. You are holding our people back, your holding the universe back, the tribes of humanity are ready! Embrace them mother!

I was imprisoned from that day on, and she refused to see me after that. I was treated like a common criminal, life was comfortable for a few weeks in my private jail cell, but fear gripped me as well. I was not sure how far mother was going to push this. Months passed and still no sign from my parents, until one night. A sliver of light pierced my cell in the middle of my sleeping period, the door was opening quietly. When I called out, I was silenced by soft hands immediately. Shhhh.. came the sound from my father's lips. I was so elated Thorren, It had been difficult not to see my family or anyone I cared about for so long. I jumped into his arms, and cried silently into his shoulder, he held me and let me get it all out. But then, he told me something that changed my life forever. Mother was going to have me banished. Thorren… A-tut-tut! No talking. I'll explain." She giggled at my expression, one lambent fiery bronze eye looking at me from our conjoined faces.

“Banishment means that I would be dropped off somewhere within human society, with some human currency, and no way to ever get back. My father sat with me in my cell, lights kept out, as it turned out him meeting me was not part of mother's plan. He explained to me that I must remember a set of numbers. A set of numbers, which put into a nav computer, would lead a ship to a rendezvous location for our people. He made me repeat them over and over, until they were indelibly burned into memory. To this day I remember them. Father was not stupid tho, and he knew if I was ever caught that nothing can be allowed to hurt one of our colonies. So the rendezvous was not the coordinates to a colony, but of one like the rendezvous points used by our tradesmen. Rather it was a location in the blackness of space, a space between stars where nothing exists, but that is monitored by our people very closely. If I were to take a ship there, a force of our ships would assess the situation and act very quickly to confirm identity and ascertain intent. Ideally, it is a way to get back to the colonies without endangering them. For a ship can be searched for spies, or devices which would lead to discovery.

Father said thats the most he could do for me, and that my mother's cruel streak was coming out, as I had apparently hit on a sore spot within the court's current discussions. I learned this from a friend who slipped me a message before leaving. Just as I left a message for mother, I had realized in my imprisonment that what I had done was not only childish, but damaging to our house's rule, and had much further reaching implications that I had allowed myself to know."

We lay there silently for some time, I was stunned at the upending of everything I had known. At Sharra's tale of tragic proportions with her family. I couldn't believe that this creature within my arms, this sentient alien so like myself, my friend, My dearest friend whom I hoped would become more, and she had such a noble cause. What am I to someone with such aspirations? Would I not be but a bug on the wall? The momentary flashing of light within a dark room? Fuck, I was nothing, yet was I something? To her? Could I help her, become patron to her cause? Did she even still have a cause?

“Thorren?" Came her thrumming contralto voice, the vibrations of her words felt within my very heart and face as she lay against me. “Come back to me Thorren. I'm not done yet."

Fuck? How could there be more? More than this? More than trying to un-subjugate humanity from its oppressors and bring the other species of the galaxy back from the brink in the process?

She squeezed my hand, and scooted her but against me again, but this time she tangled our legs together. Huh? The digitigrade shape of her legs felt oddly surreal against my flesh, never before had a woman I slept with felt of a different shape, and Sharra was certainly that, her proportions were different, tho no less female, her shoulders were slimmer, with more of a downward pitch, hips thinner too and slightly deeper, but it was her legs that made it all jump out. God damn, and like that a full chub was back and rearing to go.

Sharra Chuckled from beside me, the sound melodic to my ears.

“Thorren, your body betrays you," She said with another giggle. My face must have turned a few shades redder at that.

“My mother's cruel streak showed its-self even more than I expected," Sharra said, continuing her tail after our moment. “For she did not choose to have me settled amongst a human tribe, but gave me a one-way ticket to this ecumenopolis, with hardly any money, and only a comp pad scrubbed of anything that could be used against her nation. A-tut-tut-tut mister!"

I had tried to speak.

“Yes, she basically handed me a death sentence, to answer your un-asked question, and I can only hope father did not learn of this. For I cannot imagine what he would have done, my mother and father are imprinted in the old ways, and it would have been incredibly damaging to him and mother if he learned of this. Possibly deadly so, but mother is not that stupid. Unfortunately, dad is also very canny. I fear for them both."

Imprint, the old ways?

Shara began to cry, and I held her, letting her have a moment.

“Oh…Thorren, I had been prepared to stay in the under-city for the rest of my life. It was my penance for my mistakes. For, after I lost my friends, my family, after I realized the mistake of trying to humiliate my mother publicly. After losing the hope I had thought I had sparked within some of mother's couriers was extinguished. It broke me! And this life was my sentence. Now, I lash out at my friends, (at this she hit me playfully), I cry often, I stew on little things, I know it. I am so full of hate, and anger!"

I held her tightly, and she paused for a minute.

“Then I saw you come out of the gates one day," she said, “you were so naive, so youthful in presence, so joyful in spirit, I followed you. You were everything I was Thorren! Before I was broken. I admired you from the minute I set eyes on you. And then there was just this glimmer of hope that sparked within me. And when I followed you into that dark street.. Oh Thorren, seeing you lay there in total despair, I made a decision to help you, I made a decision to trust, try one last time. And then, when you looked up at me from the ground, Thorren your eyes, there was fear, there was hurt, there was betrayal. But you looked at me, and you didn't see a dog, you didn't look at me in disgust! I knew then, that there was hope for our two peoples. You were confused, and clueless, and needed help as much as I, but the hope grew within my breast from that moment on."

Sharra pulled our hands under her head then, she was crying again, and I didn't know how much more of this I could take. I felt all strained out, like someone had wrung me dry. But I held her, for I sensed her story was almost complete.

“I took you back to my safe place," Said she, “It was so scary, The gang thats been after me to populate one of its pleasure houses were on our heels, they must have seen me running with you, as I usually was far more sly in my movements. But I just had to save you. You were so slow tho, I feared they'd finally catch me.. The things they do to my kind.. The things I'd be forced to do.. They're unspeakable! But I pulled you as fast as I could, and we made it. I was so desperate, and fearful."

She paused for one final balancing breadth, “Thorren, I rested my head against you that night because I equally feared you would run away, or that you would hurt me. So I made sure I would feel you move. But the following morning, you were still there! And your face lit up like I had never dared believe..when you saw me in my fur. The hope within me grew further. But I was still so fearful. I thought it would take one wrong word, an alien action, one misstep, and you would be gone. You were my one hope for freedom, my one hope to trust again, and when you.. When you split the food I had given you, when you over filled my plate, you overfilled my soul."

Her voice went squeaky in strain, “you gave me more than yourself, and it meant more than you know. I never told you, but that meal, I had been saving it for an emergency, or as a meal I would make my last… And you gave me more than yourself, that plate of food represented a quarter of my worth at that time, and my serving had been bigger than one I had eaten in months. I thank you Thorren, I would have never guessed I would befriend a human, and that it would be a human that saved me from myself, and whom beyond all belief saw others as greater than himself.. You have proven this to me time and time again in the months since we rescued each other, and I think..

Thorren, I.. I.. I think I.."

She turned around, rolling in my arms to face me. I looked down.

Her muzzle parted, chin and nose-pad vying to meet their counterparts.

I opened my mouth to speak a word..

Smooth, languorous, tentative. Her tongue met its counterpart within me. The words died in my throat as I tasted my friend for the very first time. Slightly coppery, with a twinge of musk emanating from around us entering into the mix. Sharra.. I pressed my tongue forward, it was awkward, it was our first kiss, and our facial shapes were not accustomed to the others. But it was earnest, and heated, for I think I now knew we had both wanted this for months. I basked in the sweet warmth of my best friends muzzle, pressing my own to invade that hallowed space. She groaned, or chuffed? It was an alien sound, but alluring to my ears, and the rusty hinge grumble that emanated from my partner spurred me to go a little deeper. I felt the jagged canines of her muzzle, the tiny front incisor teeth, the smooth deliciousness of her tongue, oh.. that tongue. Sharra…Our disparate anatomies had found a tango that worked, and our tongues ground a tune of their own, lover's in their own right.

All too soon the kiss broke, heated panting from my partner, and breathless pants from myself. I had no follow-up action, no parting statement, so I leaned forward, the centimeters between us, and placed my free hand beneath her lower jaw as I went in for another, softer less intense kiss. Our tongues met again, this time mostly in her muzzle, as she parted her maw ever so softly for me, and I craned my neck to deepen our connection. Sharra let out a crooning growl of contentment and broke our kiss.

“Ok lover-boy," She said, leaning back a few inches. “I don't need to feel that stove pipe between us Thorren, and besides, don't you think my tail does a fine job of covering my assets?"

I tried to look down, confused. But with a puff! Her tail sprung from between her petite breasts and whacked us both in the face, all before I could get a real good look at the front of my nude partner. “Much better," she said.

“Sharra, I swear to god you better not make it a habit to hit me in the face with your tail. Thats the second time." I said with a jingle, looking down..

“Thorren… Eyes are up here," she followed up with. And this time there was far too much cutlery in her statement. A warning if I'd ever seen one. Haha

I think I broke the moment, god damn it.

I looked up, sheepish, I still got a bit of a look, and suddenly the trouser snake was never going away. “I ah, I was wondering where your tail went, I was confused?" I said.

“Right" She said, also kinda sheepishly. Seriousness breaking. Her big triangular ears went all akimbo in my arms, whiskers quivering, copper eyes looking awfully soulful up at me.

I looked away, “ahh.. Sorry Sharra." I said.. The moment growing long, but I felt now was the time, she wanted me to say something. “I don't know how to say this.. ah.. but you, me, can we be more?"

Sharra seemed to settle for a minute, holding her breadth at my words, but she squeezed our hands and toyed with our thumbs for some minutes, she was tensing all over despite my soothing touch. Maybe this was going to be harder than I thought…

“Thorren," She said, face lighting up like a Christmas tree, “I have been waiting six months to hear those words!"

“My human," she said.

“My fox," I said.

“Uh Sharra, do your people have a shorter turn than Khurroan? It just didn't feel right to use something so long there," I said.

“You could call me a Khurr I suppose, but Fox is just as good I think. You would never mean it in a derogatory way, this I know in my heart, and that means you mean it endearingly. So I love it." She said admiringly.

“My vixen?" I said. Holding my breath.

“Don't push it Thorren," She said, with a smirk and a growl, then she bit me, right on the nose.

“Hey! What was that for." I said, mock seriously.

“I like biting you," She said playfully.

“Oh lord," I said dreadfully.

Then we both broke down into a pile of giggles.

What If I bite you back? I said, daringly.

“with those flat teeth of yours?" She said.

“Test me, I dare you," I said.

She didn't. But she did give me another lick on the nose..

I spluttered, as usual, haha. Would I ever get used to that now?

Taking my one free hand I moved it to her scalp hair. Fur? And brushed it aside so I could see her full face in the dim light. Her fur was dyed yellow by the dim cast light. Her usual all white face taking on the color of the luminescence. But it gave her a warmth and shameless bearing I seldom saw on her face. Or maybe it was just that we had just kissed our respective best friends after months of sexual repression? Fuck, haha. Yeah probably that.

I took in the entirety of her, white ears, with the cups rimmed in thin black fur, the fur of her face a solid white until you looked very closely. Her expressions as readable as any human because the fur on her immediate face was as flat and fine as a close cropped shave, just much denser, and laying flat. It only got longer as it arched away from the center of her complexion, cheek ruffs, and upper forehead growing much longer. Mottled markings stood out in gentler hues of slight greys, she had white cheek ruffs and chin, whereas the fur of her upper face and bridge of her muzzle were a slight shade of grey, with thin, stark white, short fur, rimmed the underside of each of her eyes in thin tribal lines. But then a light grey, covered the space around the upper side of her eyes, between her eyelids and brow. Her brows were darker still, the only piece one would notice being a different color without close observation, and then her human like scalp hair had a silvery hue to it all. She.. She was..

I was brought reverently to the center of it all, as one of her claws gently touched my chin and pushed my face up, to meet her eyes. Those, magnificent Fiery bronze eyes, a copper color that I could get lost in.

“Sharra your beautiful," I said.

“Thorren, your hansom," She said.

But then we both burst out laughing.

“Like some fuckin sappy holo-vid, eh Sharra?" I said, “that our relationship? some sappy romance where we ohh and ahh over each other like teenagers?"

She was trying to suppress another laugh, and instead snorted, “Well, you gotta admit, this has been building for awhile. I think we are allowed one night of sappy romance. Maybe one per year to keep things spicy?" She said endearingly.

I couldn't argue her logic, and gave her my reply in a quick peck to her lips.

“C'mon," She said. We need to get some sleep before next shift.

She turned back around in my arms with a huff, and wiggled her butt close to me, pulling both my arms around her protectively before I could move a muscle. That's my girl? Haha, wow, that comes so naturally. She really was the type to want to be in charge. hmm. I squeezed her tightly to my chest, thankful that Sharra had stripped my shirt off before we got in bed, as I luxuriated in the soft touch of fur against my bare chest. It was heavenly, and this night was the beginning of something beautiful.