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_ <Unnamed UEDF Capital Class ship> _

_ {Deck 4: Main Systems Deck and Bridge} _

[August 13, 2087]

The team relaxed in the various chairs around Canith on the bridge. For the past hour, they had taken turns asking him various questions regarding his transition, and he had answered as candidly as possible. After all, he was not aiming to deceive them, but rather to convince them beyond all doubt that they were making a wise decision.

“So that rapid movement you did at the start was called 'Phasing'? How does that function?"

“So Energy Crafting comes in various elements, and your proficiency in a particular element is derived from both your mental balance as well as influenced by your species. But the more out of balance you are, the more likely you are to develop it."

“So how did you deal with the fur at the start? Must have been a pain to get used to cleaning and brushing it."

“You can change from anthro into human and back, but can you do other shapes as well?"

The last one of these had him chuckling the worst. Snow had warned him to to show off to much of L3S, but he figured one or two demonstrations would not hurt. “I can show you some of the crew, but there is a catch. As I have to focus real hard on what I am doing, I don't have the spare attention to keep projecting my clothes as well."

Margaret perked up at this. “That's right! I remember you dismissing your clothes back at the spacedock, but you had them back on when you shifted back."

“Familiarity with the form helped with that. I also distinctly tagged that form with clothes, as I did not care to walk around in the nude, even privately." He stood up and moved to the center of the group. “Now, try to not freak out when I do this." He dismissed his clothing, standing in front of all of them. As they had already gone over his dual-gendered-in-slit deal, they were not as shocked as Margaret was the first time she had seen it.

After a moment of standing there, he closed his eyes and focused, just as he had during his training with Snow. That thought made him smile, and decide to do him first. A ripple began at the top of his head and worked it's way down quickly, replacing the fine red fur with longer, thicker white fur. His snout shortened and narrowed, and his ears took on a lupine shape. The ripple continued this trend, shortening his tail and such, until he stood in front of them looking just like the arctic wolf himself.

“Okay, that was pretty cool. So who is this?" Davis said, admiring Snow's build. Bethany was blushing slightly, as Snow was actually dual gendered as well, but did not have a slit to distract from it. As a result, his sheath and balls were on prominent display, with his nether lips hidden from view.

“This is Snow. He will likely be involved at one point or another with all of your changes, as he leads the team that does that." He felt it was a tad oversimplified for the wolf, but it would do for now.

“Would he, by chance, be the one you spoke to about our fertility issues?" Dewayne asked, staring at the face as if he would burn it into his memory.

“He is. As the original goal of the crew was to establish a highly diverse and condensed gene pool, the systems on board the Tiamat, and soon this ship, are fantastic at fixing issues both small and large. Snow and his team, as well, are well versed in all manner of issues and solutions that can arise. I would have to say he is one of the most respected individuals on board, after the captain."

Bethany got a thoughtful look on her face at that, but said nothing. With no more questions forthcoming about Snow, he did Kai next. Another ripple, and this time fur gave way to golden scales, and his form grew slightly, taking on the appearance after a few moments of the captain.

He did this a couple more times, usually requested individuals he had mentioned, before he felt his energy levels dropping. It wasn't as taxing as the deep shifting he had done going to human, but the cost was there, and it was adding up. Bethany saw this, and grinned.

“You look wore out. Need a pick-me-up?" She opened a small bag she had lain to the side, pulling out a small pouch of food. He nodded, and she tossed it to him. It looked like it would fall short, so he reached out and caught it kinetically, bringing it in.

Davis was rather quiet throughout the entire demonstration. After seeing this, he decided to speak up. “So are all anthros as gifted as you are when it comes to these 'extra' abilities? Seems a bit odd if they are kept under wraps so easily, yet you are using them like they are commonplace."

Canith frowned at this, and directed his attention to Aura. :Didn't we discuss this at some point?:

:We did. From what I gathered, your level of manifestation is well above the norm. It would actually be more accurate to say you are an outlier, both in terms of strength and numbers.:

:Huh. I will have to keep that in mind.: Satisfied with the response, he repeated the salient points to Davis.

“I guess that would make sense. So to elaborate, you have mentioned Telepathy, Telekinesis, phasing, shifting, and energy crafting. What other ones are there besides them?" Davis said this while counting off on his fingers. “Also, which ones are considered combat related?"

Canith resumed grinning. “Well, the only other two that I am aware, outside of unique talents, are twins. That is pyro-kinesis and cryo-kinesis. As for which ones are considered combat related, I guess that depends on how you look at it. All of them can be of use in combat, but none are specifically designed for it. Telepathy can allow you to look into another person's mind, but without practice or a strong gift for it you will be vulnerable while doing it. Telekinesis is great for lifting things, but can also be used to accelerate the swings of a weapon or fist. Add the two together, and you can use K-blades."

Davis nodded to this. “That makes sense. So while various abilities can be used in combat, they are not inherently designed for it."

“Yeah, that's right." While they had been traveling for a while, Canith had not been aware of just how fast they were going.

“Attention all crew, dropping out of warp-tunnel in a few moments." This drew all eyes to the front, as the flickering lights of the tunnel gave way to the normal starscape. Where they had dropped off was devoid of any planets or moons, just an empty expanse of space.

Canith sprung lightly to his feet, and strolled over to the command chair and fitted the visor back onto his head. Then, he went to work. :Alright, how are we setting up this trap of yours, Aura?:

Once more Aura appeared in front of him. Above them, a list of various toggles appeared. Some were easily recognizable, such as safety locks and automation requests. Then a list of various drones appeared, again with toggles for activation. With his authorization, all the toggle were thrown, and Aura took control of the fighter drones, launching them in rapid succession from the hanger bay. As they did, a map formed in front of him of their local space, and various returns from the numerous drones. Aura positioned them around the ship, and then a moment later the Tiamat dropped out of their warp tunnel in a flash of light. After a moment, the console Aura was projected on beeped, and Aura's image was replaced by Captain Kai's vestige.

“Congratulations on a successful mission, and welcome new faces. I am Kai, the captain of the ship that just showed up." A beep from Kai's side distracted him for a moment, before he continued. “I was just informed that the ship following us, one 'Andromeda's Fortune', should be arriving slightly ahead of schedule. Aura, if you would be so kind as to assign some of those fascinating drones to act as wing men to our two pilots, lets move on to the final phase of this plan."

The act was done as soon as he asked it, and the coordinates for the incoming ship calculated. All that was left to do was to snap the trap shut on the hunters.

<Andromeda's Fortune>

{Bridge}

[5 minutes until destination]

“All crew, prepare for contact with the enemy. Remember, we are aiming to capture the ship and the crew, so aim for non-lethal people." Melody shouted through the intercom, all the while pacing the length of the ship's bridge. In a few minutes, they would be coming out at the coordinates that she had been given, and then this farce could end. She had pushed her crew to the limit, but the ship they were chasing was just too good. Normally, she would have broken off, but Sean- the fox that put them on this trail, was constantly pushing the crew further.

It wasn't that he was charismatic, it was his madness. His obsession. No one wanted him to zero in on them, so they kept on with the chase. But something would have to give. Maybe Aura could help.

She looked down at the coordinates on her 'pad one last time, as they dropped out of the warp tunnel. She was a touch early, but not by much. She looked up and paled. On her view screen was the Tiamat in all her glory, just sitting there. But behind the ship, as if mocking their efforts, was the largest ship Melody had ever seen. She had seen stations that were smaller than this behemoth. And to add insult to injury, there was a whole squadron of fighters surrounding her ship.

“Evasive maneuvers, get us a 'tunnel out of here. Whoever that large ship is, I want no part of it!" Though she shouted it, and her words did not belie the nervousness she felt, the crew was sluggish to respond.

“Boss, W-T controls are non-responsive. Sub-light is also not working. We are sitting ducks here." All over the bridge, reports of controls being unresponsive or offline was the norm, and she growled low in frustration.

It was at this moment the view screen activated, all on it's own, revealing a red-furred dragon. “Greetings, captain and crew of the pirate ship 'Andromeda's Fortune'. Please relax, as unless you try to attack us, which is not possible at this moment, you will not be harmed. I am the acting captain of this capital class ship you see before you, and I am requesting the presence of you captain on my ship. Be assured, your safety and safe passage is granted. I will be sending a shuttle over to pick you up, as well as the individual know as Sean. I will explain how I know he is on your ship in person."

With this, the view screen blanked out. All eyes on the bridge turned to Melody, and she looked down and her paws. They were shaking, and she couldn't determine if it was in anger or fear. “No worries boss, we are with ya. While you are off playing nice with the fluff over there, we will be working on getting our controls back. Then we can get out of here." There were several nods to this, and she let out a sigh of relief, then looked up with a cocky grin.

“You make sure to do that. I'll be back before you know it." She quickly turned and strode off the bridge, down to pick up that annoying todd.

<Back on board the Capital Ship>

The shuttle was able to connect to the airlock without issue, and the two foxes boarded without incident. At the same time, at the Tiamat's airlock, another shuttle was just pulling away as well. Both shuttles made their way across to the much larger ship, with both parties in awe of the sheer size of the construction. The Tiamat group entered the center hanger bay first, while the Andromeda's group arrived a couple minutes later. Canith, of course, was there to meet both groups as they arrived.

When the Tiamat's group exited the shuttle, he welcomed them and offered to show them around later, but otherwise just made small talk. Kai was looking at the three story hanger in appreciation, while Snow chatted about potential issues that Canith had experienced, and might prevent, by using the pod soon. All these conversations died, however, when the second shuttle docked gracefully, and the hatch popped open.

Melody practically stormed out of the door, walked a few steps, before turning to the interior of the shuttle. “NO. I am not some trollop for you to have a tumble with the second we get some privacy. I don't care how pent up you are, or how sure you are that we will die here. I will not let some emotionally charged todd who doesn't know when to keep his muzzle shut in my pants."

This tirade made Snow start snickering, as he had been the one to get the biggest look at Sean's mind before he had been kicked off the Tiamat. If this vixen's reaction was any indication, it was a surprise that Sue had ever put up with him in the first place.

Looking as if she thought the situation handled, the vixen turned and strode purposefully towards the other group. She looked at them one at a time, before realizing the they had been standing by the shuttle the first group had came in. “Wait, you are from that other ship, the Tiamat? Is one of you the captain, by chance?"

This time it was Kai's turn to grin and gave a half bow. “That would be me, Captain Kai of the Tiamat. Pleasure to make the acquaintance of the lovely vixen who has been chasing my tail for so long."

They both stood there in silence for a moment, before both the complement and the innuendo sunk in, bringing a light blush to the vixen. “Well, looks like this snake's the charmer here." She took a moment to look around, now that her anger had cooled a bit, and gave a small gasp at the scale of the place and let out a short whistle. “This place is large, that's for sure. I could scratch the paint a bit and squeeze in here if I tried hard enough."

This time it was Canith's turn to step in. “I feel obligated, as the temporary captain of this ship, to welcome you all aboard this yet unnamed vessel. If you please, Snow, gather our last companion, I will show everyone to a meeting room so we can discuss our future enterprises."

Snow shot him a look, promising payback later, and went to fetch Sean. As he got even with the door, a feral scream of pure terror let loose from the shuttle. Snow raised his hands, showing he hadn't done anything, before stepping into the door, stooping for a moment, then with a grunt carrying the unconscious fox from the shuttle he had fainted in.

As a group, Canith led them to a nearby grav-lift, and took them up to the command deck. A couple minute walk later, and they were at the meeting room (which would later be finished as a fleet command center.) He palmed the door open, and led them inside. The whole way, Kai and Melody were chatting back and forth, exchanging stories and piloting notes.

“Alright, here we are. So we are clear, I am actually not the brains on this trap." This received a sharp glance from Melody, while Snow put down the stirring fox in a chair across the room.

“Let me guess, this Aura character is. Who are they anyways, and how did they get so much information on me?" Melody asked. She had settled down in a chair opposite of the rest, and had kicked up her paws on to the table top.

“That would be me." Aura chimed in, while kicking on the holographic projector in the table. Aura's wolf form appeared, hovering in front of the vixen. “I am also the reason you could not escape. After all, you probed the Tiamat's systems so much you left yourself vulnerable to a counter attack. I simply timed it to when you were in the opportune spot, to avoid issues. As to my knowledge, put simply I am an AI who specializes in gathering information, and getting into places people would rather I do not go." Their answer was simple and concise, and revealed more than Canith would have been comfortable with. But, with the warning that Aura had given him in advance, it seemed reasonable.

Melody, on the other hand paled. She looked first at the AI, then at Canith, then back again. She could visibly be seen adding it all up in her head, then she looked at Sean, who was almost conscious, and it all fell into place. “Well shit, you went in all the way, didn't you."

As Sean might be aware enough to catch what he said, he simply gave a graceful nod instead. This left her shaking her head at this. “Well, it makes sense now. I am guessing you hoodwinked a load of people to snag this beaut, eh?" She gestured around them.

“Ah, actually only partially, as I designed it with Aura. Then we got it built." Canith rubbed the back of his head a bit sheepishly, but was keeping an eye on the other fox. Sean was blinking sleepily, and looking around in confusion.

“Ah, and sleeping beauty awakens. Feeling a bit more reasonable?" Snow said calmly to Sean, who slowly turned their head to the speaker. Canith could sense the building terror, and decided to do something about it. He reached out to stop him from panicking . . . only to be stopped by Melody. She shook her head in a negative, and Canith quickly realized why. Snow was calming him down, but with words and sounds instead of a mental touch.

“He's probably more than a little sensitive to that now. Judging from his response to that wolf, I'm guessing he's the one that put that block to begin with?"

Kai answered for him. “Yes, but I am the one who ordered it. I hated to do it, but he had become an issue, and I could not let word of what the Tiamat is get out."

Melody turned to him. “Hun, that would have happened anyways. But lucky for you, it was me. I may be a natural anthro, but even I have heard stories of the ark ships. When I broke his block, let me tell you- I understand why you did it, but he needs help. I cannot give it, and I don't know who can."

Snow spoke softly from across the room, while soothing Sean. “I can, and I will. It's mostly my fault for this, so I will fix it. However, I don't think doing it on the Tiamat would be a good idea. Too much to cause him to freak out."

Canith caught what he was saying, and nodded. That actually folds in slightly with what I was gathering everyone here for." He turned to Kai. “Sir, like we promised, I deliver to you an upgraded ship. The interior is not fully finished, but most of the main areas are functional. Would you like to take command?"

Kai looked at him, then at Melody. I count three ships and two exceptional captains. So we would need a third. However, no one on my ship would be up for the task of learning to command a ship this size."

Melody quickly caught on to what Kai was doing. “I don't have anyone either. Hell, I wouldn't want this whale myself. Nice and impressive it might look, but it probably doesn't corner all that well."

Kai nodded. “Well then, here is what I suggest. Canith, you should captain this new vessel. But before you do, I recommend that you shadow both me and our esteemed pirate captain for a period of time to learn the in's and out's of captaining. As a bonus, we can assign a skeleton crew to work on finishing the interior and subsystems here while you do that. That would also free up space on both ships to allow for recruits to be ferried out here to this ship. Shifts will be tight, but I feel we can manage it."

“I agree." Melody said. “But, that still doesn't answer to the real reason why you asked me here."

Canith started to speak, but Aura beat him to it. “This ship is more in line with a mobile capital instead of a agile cruiser. Your ship, as well as others, would be a 'fleet' with us as the flagship. This way, you have legitimate standing with anthro captains, enough to call in help, and would have protection if things went south on a job."

She seemed to ponder this for a minute. “That sounds nice and all, but it doesn't pay my crew."

Aura let there tongue hang out in a doggy grin. “Of course. That is where I offer to pay them a salary. I can set up missions for various ships to run, everything from cargo runs to hit and run strikes on bases. Depending on the targets and runs, bonuses can be awarded."

Melody turned to the AI and put her paws on her hips. “Your an AI. I don't see how you would have the capital to do that."

Now it was Canith's turn to do some math, then turned to Aura. “You know my thoughts well enough. You broke in and got my funds back, didn't you."

“Correct. Seeing as you were not needing them, however, I invested them. I then 'played the market' as the old idiom goes, and have made several order of magnitudes off of it."

Canith recalled the amounts that he had been paid for the original AURA system, and the royalties off of it. He could have lived comfortably on it for several lifetimes. For Aura to make even more off of it . . .

He turned to Melody. “Yeah, uh, apparently my AI, if my figuring and memory is correct, is probably the richest individual in society by far."

She let out a low whistle. “That would solve the issue of pay, that's for sure. Although, instead of salary, do it by job. It will motivate the crew better." She gave him a conspiratorial wink.

“Well, with that out of the way, since you both want me to be the captain of this ship, yet also want me to shadow both of you, I'm guessing you have a plan in mind for someone to captain the ship till I am ready?"

“I will." Snow said simply. Sean was dazed, but not unconscious. “I can work on stabilizing him here, get the genetic labs up and running, and then start the pods up here. Was you thinking of a full anthro crew, or mixed?"

“Anthro heavy, for sure. I figure humans on board will line up if given enough exposure. And with a top of the line operator and equipment, I have full faith everyone will be happy with it."

This earned him nods from everyone aware enough to do so. They continued to talk of the various personnel who would work on the ship, and the various setups they would need to look into. After everything was done, it had been decided Canith and Melody would be paired up first, and after a couple of months (or when she deemed him ready) he would switch to the Tiamat under Kai's supervision.

Canith took a few minutes to introduce Snow to the 'crew' of humans that had helped him, and to the prisoners in the brig. He promised to see everything taken care of once the labs were set up, and that the Tiamat would probably be doing some hauling in addition to staying close so that the crew could come over to get everything set up properly.

With everything taken care of, Canith went down to the ship's data core to retrieve Aura, only to have Aura give him one last surprise. :I am going to have Snow bring my core over here, while this form will stay on the Tiamat. The greater processing power here will allow better access if the main core is connected, and to be honest you don't have anything to fear when it comes to potential ambushes. With a bit of practice, you could probably hack into systems just as fast these days with your uplink. Of course, with that crystal entangled with the core you still have me wherever you are.:

Canith sighed at this, and agreed. With the last of his business (that he thought of) taken care of, he made his way down to the shuttles, where Melody was waiting for him. The ride down was quiet, but when he got off the lift, he heard a shout and turned in time to see Sean, fully alert, stalking over to him.

“YOU. I cannot believe what Snow was telling me. You, the great Darion Sygon, went full anthro? Why? What would you have to gain for throwing away your pure status so readily?" He went on in this manner for a minute or to, until he had to stop for breath. Then Canith spoke.

“If you had asked when I first was made the offer, I might say I was trying to escape the shackles that very status placed on me. Now though . . ." He trailed off, looking up, but thinking over all the wonderful people he had met, and the adventures he had been a part of.

“Now I think it was only logical. I have never been more comfortable in my skin as I am now. I have some amazing abilities, and some awesome friends and colleagues, not even mentioning a family better than the one I was born with. I am truly sorry you went through all the trouble you did because of me. Can you find it within yourself to forgive me?" He looked Sean in the eyes as he said this last part, and extended out a paw to him.

Sean looked at him wearily, then a light kindled in his eyes. “Sure, I can forgive you." He said, taking Canith's outstretched hand. “But only if you teach me some of your tricks. After all, you designed one hell of an AI. You have to be damn good yourself from what I've seen of it."