FSE

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Among The Stars

Chapter One

By Roofles

Transmitting signal…

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Failed. Retry? Retrying…

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Transmitting…

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Unable to transmit. Retrying. Unable to… retrying…

…

“Uh, well, I'll record this anyways, I guess. In case it sends. Hey there, it's me… uh, Isaac. In case you forgot, heh." Isaac adjust his goggles before continuing the message on his tablet, the bright white sun above roasting him alive underneath it's unrelenting heat. “Let's try and see if this works. Again. Hopefully, it does. So, uh, hey, Kaira! It's, uh, me! Again. Fuck, I suck at this."

Isaac rested back on the floating platform in the vast sea around him. It was endless. Every direction was just that. A deep blue that vanished beyond the horizon. It would've been a beautifully stunning sight if it didn't worry Isaac so much.

He hated the thought of drowning and let the others do the mission this time around as he stayed above, keeping an eye on their progress.

“So, I'm here. On this water planet. I didn't know there were actual planets made of just water. Well, I read that there are bits and pieces of land here and there. Islands, really. Kind of reminds me of that one series you told me about. Oh! Yes, so, like… why we're here? We're here to, uh, acquire some things from the planet's native people. The seaside citadel, Coral… Kor-al? Candy?" Isaac read from his tablet, outside their ship, The Stellar Drift. “Candyland under the water kingdom," he laughed. “We're dropping something off their and, uh, in return getting something from the people. They just don't know they're giving it to us."

“That's usually called stealing." Sphinx, unhelpfully, chimed in. A constant reminder that no matter what, Isaac was never fully alone.

“Quit you." Isaac warned him. The holographic lion next to him just turned over, lounging out in the sunlight remind Isaac of another feline he'd met in his life.

“Relax. I'm not about to rat you out. There's no fun in that." Sphinx swayed the blue hologram tail back and forth behind Isaac. “Ah, to feel the sun like this. We really tricked the others," he purred contently. “They have to go down into the cold depths below while we get to laze out in the sun."

“Easy for you to say," Isaac said dabbing at his brow again with a dirty rag he'd gotten from the ship's mechanic.

“It was smart of me to tag along with you," Sphinx just ignored Isaac's blight as he stretched out. “The others would make me actually work!" He snorted. “Screw that noise."

Isaac had downloaded the ships AI computer into his cybernetic implant on the left side of his head, after losing the bet to see which of the crew would “carry" Sphinx with them. It allowed Isaac to possess inhuman reaction speed with his left mechanical arm, greatly increasing his reflexes… at the cost of the annoying passenger in his head. Isaac was still trying to find a way to flip Sphinx's personality matrix off.

“Nothing in life is free," his dad had reminded him. It wouldn't be the first sacrifice Isaac made in order to improve his Terran qualities.

He was very well aware of the cost it left him, as he looked at the almost porcelain mechanical left arm. It really was a work of art. Gold trimming with several improved features that Samson, the ship's mechanic, had added to it over the past galactic years together.

Isaac needed such an ace up his sleeve to survive.

Humans were so much inferior to the other races in the galaxy. And they were more than happy to remind Isaac of that. Isaac needed to do whatever he could just to keep up with them. Even struggling to survive the atmosphere of the water planet was challenging for the human to do. The Terran, who was sweating himself dry as it was, was afraid he'd be a shriveled prune by the time the others got back.

Sphinx had tapped into the part of his brain that helped control his “Sweat response" as the AI put it. It helped keep Isaac from sweating himself to death. It was terrifying how much access Sphinx had to his body.

“We are sharing it." Sphinx felt the need to remind him. “Just don't tell your big boy. Or he might trying to pull me out," the holographic lion had laughed at the thought.

Isaac was already keeping secrets from Typhon, a couple more wouldn't hurt.

They had come to this planet on one of the many freelance jobs they'd been taking to make ends meet. Known as the “odd jobbers" around the mercenary boards, The Stellar Drifts crew were trying to keep on the downlow these past several galactic years while they scraped by. Barely able to put bread on the table after paying the ship's expensive maintenance fees.

This mission was only slightly better than the last. Admittedly, it was far more boring than Isaac had thought it would be. He was stationed outside the ship, waiting for the others to return from the submarine they'd taken. Sitting here on the floating platform as he looked at the tablet's screen.

It'd only been a couple of galactic hour, but it felt far longer.

A vast expansion of ocean stretched from all sides as the wayward captain looked at his tablet, holding it up above his head as he laid there enjoying the sun. It wasn't often a space fairing crew got a chance to enjoy a galaxies sun. The waters around him were crystal clear and warm. It was almost perfect. Isaac didn't mind soaking his feet while he waited for the others to rejoin him.

Sphinx was even toning down his constant “inputs," feeling the need to comment on everything like a bad backseat driver. It left Isaac a chance to collect his thoughts as he messed with the radio beacon, again.

It was one of the few purchases Isaac had bought for himself. The radio beacon was of Terran tech. Samson had modified it with Sphinx's help to increase it's output. Isaac hoped he'd be able to at least send a message home to let them know he was still doing alright.

Yet, no matter how many times Isaac tried… all he ended up doing was trying to contact his old crewmate, Kaira.

He was waiting for the damn thing to connect again. Using the back channel in the Galactic Web in order to, hopefully, send the signal in secret without being able to trace it back to them. Sphinx said it had been a fifty fifty chance and that he wouldn't “blab" it to the others if Isaac tried.

There were times that Isaac felt that Sphinx was just using him for some kind of crude entertainment, and other times he might genuinely care. It was impossible to know for sure.

“Ahhh, a moment of solace. What I wouldn't give for a fortress of solitude." The Terran pilot chuckled as he set the tablet aside, bored from reading up on the planet they were currently on. It was a decent hobby to have, out here in space. Wherever they went? Isaac would spend a majority of the time researching the planet and it's history.

Aquaritic was one of many water planets. Almost the entire body of the planet was covered in ocean. While the surface was still and calm, underneath was another story. A vast city lurked beneath the waves. Numerous aquatic species living below in the dark murky depths. Warring over the kingdoms resources and right to the throne.

It was a space drama that he and Sphinx would often tune in on and listen in. Enjoying the others suffering without intervening. About how princess Sherital ran away with Prince Edwinard, their two families at war. Unable to accept their loves.

“Twenty creds says she bites it before he finds her." Then there was Sphinx, ruining the mood. Isaac would laugh though, agreeing to such an exchange.

It was something to do while they waited.

Isaac could've joined Typhon and Juke during their reconnaissance of the area. It wouldn't have been easy. Terran's weren't made for these kind of hydrostatic pressures. The water pressure so strong in some parts that Isaac would've been turned into a can of mush. Squished like sardines.

It was amazing how in appearance their races weren't too far from each other and yet biologically, Typhon was so much superior to that of a Terran's physiology. Being a Saberwolf, Isaac assumed Typhon could take a hell of a beating compared to him, but to learn he could walk off a laser blast to a stomach after a day of rest? Was insane.

Juke and Typhon used one of Samson's new inventions, a deep-sea crawler. A type of mech, that resembled a crab, that Typhon had practically been drooling over. Isaac was unsure if Typhon wanted to ride in it or eat it. While Isaac knew it would've been better if he'd gone along to pilot the thing, he decided it was best to leave this to Sphinx, their AI on board.

Sphinx was capable of running several different systems at the same time. It allowed the small crew to undertake far more challenging requests from the Merc Board. Isaac was just glad Typhon had been too focus on riding, or eating, the crawler to notice Isaac hadn't tagged along.

He normally would. Acting like a fill in captain to the crew.

Isaac wasn't feeling his best these past couple of months. It wasn't that he was sick. No, that would've been an easy fix. No matter how many secret tests he had Sphinx run, everything had came up “optimal" or “within normal parameters." Not the best for his psyche as Isaac tried to take a chance to relax. Something that was hard to do on such a small ship with a very loud, boisterous crew.

With closed eyes, Isaac folded his hands in a makeshift pillow underneath his head as he took the time to enjoy these rare, brief moments of peace and tranquility.

Or at least, that's what he was hoping for.

“Isaac."

The Terran sighed heavily, forcing his eyes to remain closed. Refusing to acknowledge the voice coming from the radio next to him.

“Hey, hey Isaac!" The voice said louder, closer this time as if trying to be quiet but also wanting to be heard. “Stop ignoring me." The woman said. Isaac could practically feel her presence leaning over him, somehow blocking the burning sun from above.

The air itself seemed to have grown colder and, for once, Isaac was thankful for that.

“Not listening." Isaac didn't say it and yet he felt he had. There was a warm breeze, but it didn't smell of the sea around him, no. The breeze smelled of flowers, of fields full of wheat and of a summer's night long since passed.

“The stars are beautiful tonight." Kaira took a seat next to him anyways, looking up at the sky above.

“It's the middle of the day, Kay." Isaac pointed out, always the wet blanket to their plans. The logical one, the one that followed orders and the rules. Stretching them just enough not to break them or get caught when he needed to. Not wanting to get in trouble and having his father hear about it.

Isaac needed to be the golden boy. Top of his class, getting recommendations from all the teachers and sergeants within the academy. Even if he did? He knew it'd never be enough. He needed to be that and yet… Isaac was only human. With very well-defined limitations that he could only overcome by adding implants to his body.

And, still, he was nothing if not mediocre.

Kaira was anything but.

They might as well be night and day with her dark skin, dark braided hair, and bright hopeful eyes. The adventurer of the two. The one who always got into trouble and would end up dragging Isaac along for the ride. Sneaking, or breaking into his room in the middle of the night to drag the “sourpuss" outside to investigate some kind of UFO sighting or local legend.

Whereas Isaac was the pale skin, freckled red headed step child of the bunch. He had his mothers eyes though. Or eye, seeing as how his other was mechanical. Something he wished he hadn't done, just like his left arm.

Fake pieces. Bandages for old wounds self-inflicted, all-in order to appease those who would never be able to see him. Not like she had. Not like Typhon did. With them, Isaac felt seen.

“Just because the suns out, doesn't mean the stars aren't." Kaira was more than happy to point out, dampening Isaac's mood as his logic was broken. “We just can't see them. They're out there, even now." She kicked her bare legs in the water stirring up ripples.

She always had nice legs. Strong and fit, like the rest of her. Kaira was everything his father had hoped he would be. Capable, top of the class, breaking records, smart, capable, and…

Ripples moved in the water next to Isaac.

Ripples that he shouldn't be able to feel. And yet he did. They didn't feel warm, like the sea around them. They felt… numb as if they paralyzed his legs, where they touched. Cold. Ice cold and that left him shivering even underneath the warmth of the bright white colored sun high above them.

The warmth of the sun didn't seem to be able to reach them and when Isaac exhaled, he could see his breath misting the air before his masked face.

“You're not here…" Isaac said. He stated yet refused to look over at her. Sitting there. Next to him. Like she always had. Sitting on the dock at the old pond back home. Sitting there with her legs in the water, kicking them lazily back and forth. Back and forth… He hated it. Hated it so much… because a part of him was so happy to hear her voice again. To see her here again. To relive those moments, lost in the past.

When he was happy…

These brief moments… allowed him to remember his best friend, the person who'd always been there for him throughout the years in the academy and who had helped him pass the final exam. Well, her and several other factors like the heavy band of metal weighing down his right arm. Or his mechanical left arm that he'd sacrificed and given up all so that he might be able to achieve a barely passing grade…

“You can't be here." Isaac grumbled, getting annoyed at himself. For thinking these thoughts. For remembering them and almost forgetting Typhon in the process.

“Just like the stars?" She laugh with that mocking, knowing smirk on her face looking over at him. “Just because you can't see them, me, doesn't mean they, I'm, not here." Kaira pointed out.

But there was something wrong.

So many things wrong with this.

It shouldn't be cold. Isaac had been sweating before and now he felt freezing cold. The water, the ocean itself, grew frosty and ice formed on its surface.

“The wind stopped." Isaac noted, glancing around them. Everything looked the same but he knew it had changed. Shifted as if from one plane of existence to another.

It was impossible to tell, and yet Isaac knew everything around him had frozen. The radio transmitter was still trying to reconnected, frozen in time as Isaac looked down at the box. Then closed his eyes.

“This isn't real…" Isaac swore to himself. “Wake up. Just, j-just wake up already. Just another nightmare…"

“IsAac…"

Her voice wasn't always the same. It shifted and changed as if there was another her talking at the same time as the first. Two voices overlapping each other. Sometimes higher or lower than the other. Emphasizing words that she normally would, with the same inflections and tones… yet it wasn't her. Isaac knew that.

Her voice came from the radio. Not from the thing sitting next to him on this platform.

He also knew she was smiling.

Isaac knew she was smiling. She always smiled. Was always happy. Always up to something or other… and he missed her more than words could express as he rested an arm over his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that could only fall from one eye.

“ArE yoU, a-a-a-alright…?" The voice crackled from the radio and Isaac felt the sting of tears burning his eyes and felt the dampness of it run down the side of his face.

“I miss you…" Isaac whispered aloud, feeling the pain in his chest as he said it. “I miss home. I miss my old life. I hate being on the run like this and yet… I have no one I can talk to this about."

“I-I knOw…" The voice crackled. And Isaac knew that it knew, for it was here because of these cracks inside. His weakness that let it burrow further in.

Years he'd been fighting against it. The whispers, the feeling or presence of something, someone else there in the room with him. Isaac had even agreed to install Sphinx into his head to help combat against it. No matter how many times Sphinx scanned him or the area around him, the AI came up empty.

“There's nothing there." Sphinx would say and yet Isaac could see the shadow reflected in the water next to his own, cracked reflection. Sitting there, shaped like a woman and yet a Terran without a face. Just Kaira's dark hair, falling over her obscured blurry face…

“How many years has it been?" Kaira stood and the floating platform on the sea planet shifted at her weight, even though it shouldn't be able to. She moved both her arms out as if to keep balance and began walking on the edge. Between the platform and the sea, it was floating on, treading such a thin line her bare dark-skinned feet shouldn't be able to touch.

Walking on a line between.

She shouldn't be able to affect the reality around him, this delusion, yet here she was, and Isaac was… happy. Happy to hear from her again. Despite the warnings, the creepy crawly feeling running up his arms. Isaac wanted to embrace her, hug and hold her and tell her everything that had happened. That had happened and that weakness made her more… real. Solid, before him. As it slowly took form.

How many years had it been since Isaac had been kidnapped? “Stolen away from his, your, home," his crewmembers, and his best friend? Isaac wasn't even sure. He was afraid to ask Sphinx. Afraid to know. “To know what that thing had done. Stealing you away. Like cargo. That's all you are to them…"

Isaac covered his ears, closing his eyes as he felt a cold breath on the back of his neck.

“How many years?" Kaira asked.

“Three now? I think…" Isaac would have to look at his tablet to recall the exact date and time he'd been kidnapped.

It had been an accident, of sorts. Their crew was checking out a distress beacon and… and… Typhon had even apologized afterward! Though that didn't mean the Saberwolf ever let him go. The band weighed heavy on Isaac's arm, and he pulled on it, tugged on it, but he couldn't lift the bracelet off the platform.

“Shackled here. Chained to that thing." It whispered in a voice Isaac wanted to recognized, wanted to believe. “What do you think will happen when he takes you home?" It breathed against his ear. “They'll kill you…"

“You coming back?" She asked, making Isaac jerk from the juxtaposition of the two voices talking. One so warm and friendly, the other no more than a cold whisper of a warning. A warning that Isaac didn't want to believe but knew to be true.

If Typhon achieved his goal of returning Isaac to his home planet, the other Saberwolves would kill the Terran for being… infected.

“Like those in the mine." Isaac clenched his jaw. “Was I infected then… or? Was it… when was it… when is now? What about tomorrow? Yesterday?" He held his head, trying to grasp some kind of reality to hold onto. “F-fuck," he coughed and black bile spewed from his lips, staining the crystal-clear ocean. Tainting and blackening it.

“Are you coming home?" Kaira asked, yet it sounded like another woman's voice. “Isaac…?"

“Not as long as I have this band on, I can't." Isaac lifted up his arm just enough to look at the overbearing silver bracelet hanging from his wrist. Three large opals had been set into its otherwise smooth, shiny surface. Despite the Terran's best efforts, he couldn't get the thing off. Even with Samson, the crew's engineers, help.

It felt so heavy right now. The band humming softly with a blue lighting emitting from it's surface, like dying embers in a fire.

“It's all because of that alien, huh?" Kaira's voice had darkened a bit as she looked away. Isaac knew she had a fierce temper, something she needed to have to survive. It made her strong and for that, Isaac had been able to get by as well.

He missed her strength. If it was her here? She'd have no problem dealing with any of this. Able to smile and laugh it off as Isaac… Isaac barely skirted by.

“That guardian…" The radio crackled violently.

“Typhon? Well, duh." Isaac laughed then and he knew it broke through her tough defenses. Kaira smiling at him again. “Oh man, there are so many things I want to tell you!" He said, snapping back awake as if it had all just been a horrible dream. “Typhon is an idiot, sure, but there's a lot more to him than you'd think! The two of you would get along great… or try to kill each other," Isaac hated to admit but knew it to be true. He also knew they'd hate each other because of him. Both wanting to spend time with and enjoy Isaac's company. He also hated the fact that made him smile, blushing at the love the two shared for him. “It's just complicated. Really complicated. You know how that goes… Oh. Oh! Kaira! They put a bounty on the crew! How cool is that?"

Isaac laughed as if he were a kid again, sitting there on a dock with his legs in the pond talking to his best friend.

“We're wanted men!"

“Not on you." Kaira stated and Isaac winced, closing his eyes tightly as he took a sharp breath. Everyone in the crew had a bounty on their heads. Isaac didn't. Somehow, for some reason, he was the only crew member not wanted by the Tigeron Empire or Terran Fleet… Even though he went MIA. “Isaac… Your father-,"

“I know! I know he says he cares… but fuck, Kaira? What am I supposed to do? They didn't even put a bounty for my return. Alive or dead? Nothing! The others have that. They all have these cool neat price tags about their worth," Isaac laughed thinking about how Typhon had bragged about his price being higher than Juke's, the ships… uncle? It was hard to say what the ex-marshal 'Yote was to the ship. “They're not even looking for me, Kay… They don't even care."

“I am." She said and Isaac had to force himself not to look at her. Afraid what it would mean if he did.

“I know… I know you would. You… you," Isaac cursed as he wiped off his right eye. Hating how much it leaked these days. The tears were oddly thick, and he looked at his hand, seeing the dark sludge on them. Isaac chose to ignore that… “I miss you." He repeated as he looked down at his fingers. It looked as if he dipped them into tar. The black sludge dripping off his fingers, staining everything it touched.

“If you get it off, that band, will you return to me?" Kaira asked as Isaac sat up. He didn't look behind him, knowing that if he did… he wouldn't be able to see her. Just like the stars hidden above, they were invisible even to his mechanical eye.

“If I get this damned thing off?" Isaac lifted up his arm to look at the bracelet in the sunlight cascading down from above. He could feel her shift uncomfortably behind him as if she'd taken a step back, away from the silver band. Afraid of what it might do if it touched her… “Only then would you want me back? That doesn't… sound like Kaira. She wouldn't say that. She'd want me back, even if I was a worm." Isaac laughed at the dumb idea. “Why…? Why does it bother you so much…?" Isaac asked as he looked behind him, eyes snapping open.

And no one was there.

The platform was bare and void like the sea around him. Crystal clear with nothing visible inside. It should've been a warm thought to have. Isaac should've felt warm with the sun above… he just felt cold as he rested on the edge of the platform, looking into the depths before him.

His reflection blocked his view. It was a shattered broken image of the man looking into it. The cracks spread from his false eye, spreading over his face and despite Isaac sour demeanor, he knew the reflection was smiling back at him.

An unsettling smile that chilled him to the bone.

“Just dive in…" The voice that sounded like Kaira said, practically breathing against his ear. He could feel her weight resting behind him. Feel the plush softness of her breasts against her back, just like when they were in the academy. She'd tease him so much, getting on him for not looking at her tits like everyone else did. “Just close your eyes… and plunge into the dark depths." The voice was colder than ice and Isaac would've shivered.

If he felt anything…

“It's crystal clear, though." Isaac answered, feeling silly at replying to these voices with no discernible source.

“Is it?" Kaira asked and Isaac looked up to see her, standing there, on the sea itself. She was in the academy under suit. A skin tight suit that went underneath the normal apparel. At times, they'd joke, it looked like a swim suit. Right now? It really did… to go for a swim… to dive on in… “Come on," she said offering her hand to him. “Just take my hand, IsaAc... Let's go sEe them, the stArs. The sTars that wE always wAnTed to see… together."

Isaac couldn't see her face. Her long black braided hair hung in front of her face and yet, still, he couldn't see her eyes. Just that uncomfortable smile, beaming at him underneath the sun above the waves as if between the two. A reflection in the water of a bright white orb separating the two from each other.

Walking that fine line between…

Isaac, almost, dared to risk it. To test it. To take that hand offered to him. Out of curiosity? To see if this was even real, or possible? Or maybe… he just wanted for it to end…

Isaac had stood up. He didn't even remember when he had done that. His arm was reaching out, but it wasn't his right hand but his mechanical left. He felt it tug. His arm was being tugged, drawn towards the reflection of his friend.

The wrist band began to glow, to hum with a blue light as the voice called to him. Hotter and brighter it got the more it spoke.

“Isaac." It whispered as the band began to shake violently on his wrist. The metal burned and scorched his skin. “Just take the plunge," it mimicked her voice so perfectly that Isaac felt a tear run down his face. “Take my hand." It promised him every worldly desire. “Just. Take. My. Hand…"

And Isaac wanted to give into that pull. To see that, maybe, if he did… then…. Then…

Before the Terran could move, the waters before him began to shift and distort and soon enough his cracked, broken reflection, the reflection of the sun above and that of his best friend… was replaced by a dark blue snoot with a nose darker than the night sky above. Twin saber like fangs stuck from the top muzzle as the head breached the surface and wiggled it's ears, batting the water off them. Flicking the droplet's through the air.

And as one landed on Isaac's cheek, he felt warm again as the illusion shattered and broke before him.

Typhon gasped for air, dog paddling towards the floating platform in the dorkiest way possible for a Saberwolf to do. Looking like an overground hound that had jumped into the pond back home than anything else.

“Typhon." Isaac chuckled, feeling far warmer in the Saberwolf's presence. The cold chill disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and his wrist band, thrumming with a blue light, had vanished. Falling dim and lifeless on his arm again.

Isaac was back in the chair. He was sitting down. He'd never stood up; he'd never said those things. And a part of him feared that it had all been a dream… while hoping it was.

“You won't believe what we found!" The night sky blue Saberwolf reached forward to place a hand at Isaac side before hoisting himself up and over the Terran who just closed his eyes as the dripping wet furred space wolf crawled over him, partially on all fours.

Isaac felt the warm, wet sea slap him in the face as Typhon crawled over his body. Standing behind Isaac, Typhon shook himself off. Spinning around, and sending water droplets everywhere, the dripping wet wolf pulled out a small pearl from within the skin tight diving suit he'd been wearing as he slung the heavy waterjet backpack off. Another one of Samson's inventions.

“Look!" Typhon smiled, showing him the pearl, he'd found. It was the most radiant thing Isaac had ever seen. The sunlight made it sparkle as it shifted and changed colors, flowing from one to another. Each as vibrant and brilliant as the last as if it were alive.

“Holy hell, that's incredible!" Isaac stammered a bit as he gawked at the beautiful pearl.

Typhon was beaming proudly at him, holding up the pearlescent orb before him. Showing Isaac what he had found. The pearl, while beautiful, was nothing compared to the Saberwolf's smile.

Typhon was beaming ear to ear at the Terran. He looked so happy, tail wagging. Glad to show off his find to Isaac who smiled back at him.

“Welcome back," Isaac said and Typhon's ears splayed out.

“I wasn't gone that long, was I?" Typhon chuckled, turning his snoot away as he tried to his blushing face. Unlike a Terran, when Typhon blushed his skin underneath the iridescent blue fur turned a darker shade of blue, like a blueberry. Something Isaac found to be extremely adorable.

“I'm just glad your back," Isaac even gave the goof a hug before pulling back to look at the pearl. Wondering how much they could sell it for. “You always have perfect timing-," then Isaac stopped talking.

The Terran's smile didn't last long as he looked at the pearl in Typhon's clawed hand. It was small and barely fit in the Saberwolf's large palm, resting on his shifting dark blue paw pad. It looked like a normal pearl but in the light of the sun, Isaac could see colors shift and change over it looking almost like a prism of iridescent ever-changing colors.

Blues, purples, greens… the colors continued to shift and change, and Isaac smile gradually faded before he just stared at the thing as if it were a bomb.

“Uh, Typhon, buddy? Pal? Bunkmate? W-where did you say you got this again, refresh my memory, please…" Isaac face fell, eyes widening as he took a careful step away from it and the dripping wet Saberwolf.

“From where you told us they'd be!" Typhon yipped happily, tail wagging in full motion as another body breached the surface to join them.

Sphinx was in his armored Tigeron suit, outfitted to handle the sea pressure, and added several pearls to the one Typhon was holding. Water poured out of the front of the container compartment within the suit and the face changed to that of an emoji Isaac would've texted with.

“We got a huge haul!" Sphinx mechanized voice said as the screen on the front of the helmet changed to a holographic lion running in circles on all fours. “We can finally afford to upgrade my PC!"

“You are a PC!" Isaac shouted at Sphinx in his frustrations.

The water rose behind the mechanical suit and “the crawler" breached the surface, water running off the mechanized submarine that Samson had casually built for the mission. At times, Isaac wondered if the Ursa Major space bear was the smartest one out of the lot.

“We tried to get as many as we could, but the alarms went off," Sphinx shrugged the four arms of the Tigeron suit as if it were a casual mistake they'd made.

“Alarms?" Isaac voice went up an octave as he took a step away from them.

“Then they began shooting." Sphinx shook his head, folding the arms over the expansively large chest of the suit. Tigeron's had two set of pectoral muscles for their four arms.

“Shooting!" Isaac jumped at that, looking around them quickly.

“Relax. We gave them the slip," Sphinx laughed. Isaac's eye twitched.

“You said they were worth a fortune!" Typhon just wagged as he high fived Sphinx. The two of them hooking arms as they skipped around the deck excitedly. “Money, money, money!" They shouted together, the white and black suited four-armed tiger suit gladly joining in on the celebration, the two already discussing what they were going to buy next with it. “Been thinking about a new collar."

“You already got one." Sphinx said.

“It's not for me," Typhon smiled, covering the front of his mouth with his fingers as he looked over at Isaac and Sphinx joined in.

“Ooooooh," the AI mimicked the behavior he had seen the others do as the two teased Isaac about it further while the Terran tried not to foam at the mouth.

“D-Do you have any idea what you've done?" Isaac wanted to curl up into a small ball and cease to exist.

“We made sure to get plenty. You deserve pretty things," Typhon winked at Isaac who was still staring at the pearl trying to collect his rushing thoughts.

“There was a whole bunch of them!" Sphinx just added in, crouching down next to the two as Isaac face went even paler than it originally was as he looked at the others they'd stolen. “We could only swipe a couple. Plenty enough, tho, right?"

“They didn't even have guards stationed!" Typhon giggled like a child, despite his voice sounding far deeper than one. The wolf was elated with their find and was waiting to be praised by Isaac. “I am ready for head pats now."

“You… you… idiots!" Isaac jumped to his feet pointing at one, then the other. “How could you do this!" The Terran was flabbergasted. Truly at a loss for words as his jaw just dropped as all his fears, concerns, and worries from before were quickly replaced by something far more tangible.

He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Isaac just focused what was right in front of their face.

“Throw them back!" Isaac stammered, gesticulating wildly towards the side of the platform like an inflatable tube man or a pirate boat salesman. “M-maybe they won't notice!" Isaac motioned them just chucking the pearls into the ocean.

“Why would we do that? It was hard bringing them to the surface." Typhon whined.

“You told us about them. We just assumed you wanted us to snag a few if we could." Sphinx just pointed out, clearly trying to suppress a laugh himself.

Sphinx was an extremely advanced, and illegal, AI system installed into a stolen and modified Tigeron armored suit. He was a walking war crime and had been tagging along with the crew since they'd stumbled on the ship, unwittingly controlled by the very AI installed into it. Isaac knew for a fact Sphinx was very well aware of what they had done and had gone along with it for “kicks and giggles," screw the consequences.

In other words, “You should've known better!" Isaac snapped at Sphinx while Typhon just looked on in blissfully confused. Unaware, yet, of the galactic crimes Sphinx had tricked him into becoming an accomplice of.

“These pearls are super valuable," Sphinx shrugged with all four arms. He might've had a neon screen for a face, but Isaac knew the damn AI was smirking about this. “The ship needs fuel. You meat sacks need food. I need new games… it's a win, win, win situation."

“Not if we're dead!" Isaac snapped back, arguing with the AI. A challenging thing to do when it was both in the suit and inside his head.

“You told us." Sphinx looked at Typhon who nodded along.

“You did tell us about them." Typhon nodded as if Isaac had been the one to tell them to go out and steal the lot of them.

“Yes. As a history lesson!" Isaac wanted to strangle his kidnapper, on again off again boyfriend, on the spot. “I thought it was an interesting tidbit of the planets history! N-not an invitation for you two to go out and abduct them! You know all about that though," Isaac shot Typhon a look. The Saberwolf refused to meet his eyes, whistling innocently. “This is above some federal government crime. I-I think this might be one of the worse things you two have ever done."

A third member soon joined them. The coyote dressed in a full wet suit, gladly taking off his helmet, jumped over from The Crawler and onto the platform. The mechanized sub reconnecting to the ship's under port.

The anthropomorphic coyote clipped the helmet to the side of his suit as he looked at the others fighting.

“What's going on?" Juke asked, smoking a cigar and puffed it out the side of his muzzle. “We rich yet?"

Isaac was unsure how Juke was able to take his ten-gallon cowboy hat with him on the trip, but he had. The Terran wasn't sure why the rebreather mask had been designed to accommodate the use of a cigar, either. The coyote ex-marshal refusing to go anywhere without either of the two things. His hat, his cigar, and his flask.

“You even brought alcohol on the mission?" Isaac facepalm, screaming into his hands.

“Isaac wants us to throw the loot away." Typhon grumbled, tapping his foot impatiently with a huff.

“It is not loot." Isaac grumbled.

“What kind of pirates don't get loot?" Typhon asked, confused.

“And we are not pirates!" Isaac did not want to go into that, again, with the Saberwolf. “We are freelance agents. Mercenaries, at most. Not pirates!"

“What's done is done." Juke just said, having been listening in on the comms. “We might as well just keep the haul."

“You used to be enforcing the law! N-not, not breaking it!" Isaac cringed, wondering how he ended up being the only good soul on this damned crew.

“Our loot!" Typhon whined again.

“Let the boy keep his treasure." Juke took a drink.

“Don't encourage him!" Isaac started up with just as The Stellar Drift's door opened and a metal platform was lowered for the lot of them to come inside. A large, grease covered brown furred bear was standing in the doorway. Samson was wearing his heavy rubber gloves as if he'd come from his workshop. The bear gave them a wave.

“Samson!" Isaac came over on shaky legs, just glad there was at least one other reasonable person in their crew. “Help. The idiots were being idiots, again. Stop them before they kill us all."

“Oh good," the Ursa Major bear said looking at what Typhon was holding before giving a single nod in approval. “We can use those to repair the ship with." And with that, the bear turned on the spot and headed back inside as Isaac collapsed to the platform holding back tears as everyone seemed to be in on together.

“Shouldn't have told us about it." Juke shrugged.

“I just thought… it was interesting tidbit of history…" The Terran muttered, picking at a spot on the platform. “I wasn't suggesting us to commit the war crime."

“Money is money, kiddo." Juke just slapped him on the back as he began to head up towards their ship.

“It's not like anyone saw us. Other than the cameras. And sentry turrets. And…" Typhon just grinned toothily and just as the words left his lips the platform the four of them were on shifted and swayed as the waters around them began to bubble and burst forth as if heated.

Torrents of water shot towards the sky as large domed shapes metallic vessels began to breach the surface around them. Mechanical tentacles swayed and moved underneath each of the jellyfish like ships. Spotlights were turned on the four of them as one of the ships speakers crackled with a voice Isaac ears couldn't understand.

Thankfully, the modified and sleek translator collar, the lingual, around his neck did the job for him.

“You are under arrest for aggravated kidnapping!" The closest ship's front opened up and a screened window appeared, showcasing what looked to be an octopus sitting in the pilot seat. If an octopus could look angry, it did.

Isaac swore those eyebrows had been painted on, using their camouflage capabilities, to do so.

“Kidnapping?" Typhon yipped, startled by the accusation.

“Run!" Juke shouted as he withdrew his side arm and opened fire on the screen. It did little good but helped turn their attention on the coyote as Typhon and Sphinx ran for the ship.

Typhon scooped Isaac up as he went, carrying him above his head with two hands, before the Terran could stop him. Typhon jumped and weaved his way over the platform as lasers shot at them from the end of the tendrils on the warships. Typhon quickly carrying Isaac inside the ship with a laughing robot at their side. Sphinx's LED face turned into an amused smiled as the trio headed inside followed by their marksman. Juke still opening fire on the warships.

The surrounding ships opened fire with laser blasts, each tentacle appendage of the ship pointing at the Stellar Drift and firing at it. Blue shields illuminated where the shots would've hit, protecting the ship as it was turned on and the platform lifted up as the lot retreated inside the craft.

“Can we go to one planet. ONE planet, without getting the entire freaking… planet! Against us?" Isaac asked, pleading, and begging the others as he was unceremoniously dumped into the pilot seat by Typhon. Sphinx took the copilot seat and Typhon sat on his other side as the captain went over a quick safety check before taking hold of the steering wheel.

While the steering wheel was more of something to hold onto than use, Isaac could feel the mechanical part of his brain, through his left arm, connect with the ship. Like a key turning in an engine, the console before them lit up and the engine started up.

“Just one planet. That's all I ask!" Isaac growled as the ship shook violently around them.

“Where's the fun in that?" Juke laughed somewhere behind them.

“Shield's at Seventy-three percent and dropping," Sphinx unhelpfully said as the ship was hit by another savage volley of lasers.

“Not. Helping!" Isaac told the AI.

“Just doing my job, boss man." Sphinx said facing towards the Terran and yet was operating the controls just fine with his second set of arms. The robot didn't need to visibly do anything, but it was unnerving seeing the robotic suit sit there, operating the controls, without moving and so began to do it for the others peace of mind.

Sphinx was a highly advanced AI unit. He learned by watching the others, after all. It was bad enough having a walking, talking war crime on the ship without it learning from their already questionably ethical behavior.

“Not dying? Not dying is very fun!" Isaac just snapped as he pulled back from the helm.

The diamond shaped ship rose from the waters and pointed towards the sky above as the octopi ships swarmed them. Several more vessels bursting out of the water. The sides of the ships opened, and rows of missile launchers locked on.

“We're being targeted, sir." Sphinx said as Isaac braced himself.

“They're going to fire torpedoes into the air?" Juke laughed. “Damn, I thought octopuses were intelligent!" The 'Yote just let out a harsh, high-pitched laughter as he kicked back onto one of the sofas.

“Redirect their missiles, Sphinx." Isaac said the word aloud for the others while he mentally gave the orders to the AI. Sphinx was a war crime and Isaac didn't want to let others know they had him on board. He also didn't want Sphinx going around killing other sentient races.

The AI was learning from them. If he was taught to kill without remorse, things would get even worse.

“Target their operating systems, no life support! No casualties." Isaac ordered Sphinx who reluctantly agreed.

The octopi ships weapon systems were easy enough to hack as the AI took control of their target mainframes. Turning the missiles on the other ships without letting it be shown on the screens. Letting them learn what he had done only after they fired.

Missiles sored randomly threw the air, some spinning out of control before exploding harmlessly above all the ships like fireworks in the sky. Others fell out of their launch tubes without any power behind them. Splatting onto the water surface before sinking beneath them and detonating.

Then there were the missiles that spiraled out of control and hit the other ships.

“Perfect hit!" Isaac cheered before his eyes widened. “Oh shit!" He cursed as the ship in front of them teetering in the air before crashing into the next ship. That was knocked over and crashed into the next ship. Like a set of dominos, the ships hitting one another until all the vessels fell back into the ocean. “Shit, shit, shit. That was not what I meant to happen!"

“Brilliantly done, captain!" Sphinx clapped a set of arms.

“Good on you." Juke lifted his drink towards Isaac.

“I knew you'd come up with a plan," Typhon wagged as the Terran rested back in his seat. Wondering what his death toll was up to at this point.

“Ship's engines charged and raring to go!" Samson said over the com and Isaac limp arm weakly reached over to press the button to launch.

They watched as light began to fold and bend around the ship through the front window. Watching as it coalesced around them as more warships began to breach out of the water, planning to avenge their fallen comrades.

“I thought spaceships can't go under water." Typhon noted as he watched the jellyfish ships float above the surface.

“Octo tech is different from anywhere else in the galaxy." Isaac said. “Their spacecrafts are meant for the ocean but can float above the surface. They have other vessels to go into space."

“In other words?" Typhon asked.

“They won't be able to follow." Isaac said as the bands of light around the ship snapped like a rubber band, and they were gone.

In a blink of an eye, the ship was gone. The Stellar Drift shooting up and out of the planet's atmosphere and into the space above with the war jellies trying to chase after. They were slow and clumsy outside the ocean surface and The Stellar Drift easily made an escape. Flying smoothly as it flew through the air like a fired arrow.

It was thanks to the Stellar Drift; Isaac knew that the lot of them hadn't been captured yet. The ship was extremely advanced Tigeron tech, and it showed. It was a small, mobile vessel that had enough protection to withstand a cannons fire from a war galleon class spacecraft. Isaac also knew it had weapons of its own but didn't dare touch the system, rarely needing them.

It was just easier for their crew to run away after committing yet another war crime.

Most people left escaping as a plan B or C. For them? It was the first thing they thought of to do. Run away!

The ship itself seemed far more advance than what was possible. Isaac was sure the spacecraft, just like the AI sitting next to him, was a weapon developed by the Tigeron Empire. For what purpose? He was still trying to figure out. Some sort of secret weapon in order to shift the balance of power in their favor, most likely. Even if the Tigeron Empire was the strongest known force in the universe.

Still craving more power? That was something they'd do. Isaac had read the history of the Tigeron people.

Or at least, Isaac hoped that was the case. Fearing who else could have such advance tech.

If it had just been the Tigeron that had developed the spacecraft and the AI sitting in the copilot seat, then he could understand that. Leave it at that and sleep, somewhat, soundly at night. The tigers were far more technologically advanced than any other known alien species out there. They also like to pretend to be peacekeepers within the galaxy, holding themselves above all others in the process.

If it wasn't the Tigeron tech who made this vessel and the AI? Isaac wasn't sure who could've.

“We'll need an aquarium for the pearls," Isaac said spinning around in the captain's chair to look at the others in the room. The ship's course was already set, and he didn't need to take control for some time as the Terran got up to stretch.

“Way ahead of you, captain." Samson just said walking towards the middle of the room where the floor dipped in, and several sofas had been installed surrounding a metal table.

Pushing a button on the table, a large glass screen rose from it towards the ceiling. A small slot opened in the side of the glass and Samson placed the collected pearls inside. Their engineer pushed another button, and the tank began filling with sea water the bear had gotten from the very planet they had been on, as if aware this might be something the others would do. Adjusting the temperature and settings of the tank, Samson created a perfect recreation of the planet they had stolen the pearls from, creating the perfect habitat for them.

“Why in the water?" Typhon asked, confused, as he walked over to look in the tank. The wolf shoved his snout against the glass and began smearing it with his wet nose and drool as he tried to get a better look inside.

“The pearls aren't actually pearls, though they're called such." Isaac just said as he joined the wolf at his side. “They're eggs…" He looked inside, watching the pearls settle on the bottom. Samson was very efficient and had even gotten sand, somehow, from the bottom of the ocean to use as a be for the pearls.

Samson had also gone one step above that and added several pieces of coral and kelp from the ocean to the tank. Even a little plastic castle. The bear must've really wanted an aquarium if he had done all this for a chance they had stolen eggs from the planet.

“We stole someone's babies?" Typhon diamond shaped ears perked up before he barked a laugh at the thought. “That's fucked up!" And he wagged his tail, clearly not bothered by the hideous act he had a hand in helping with.

“Exactly why they had security drones after us." Isaac rolled his eye; his mechanical one didn't follow the gesture. Instead, it was looking at each of the pearls and scanning them for signs of life. “They seem to be in a dormant, which is good. I rather not have a sharktopus on our hands." The Terran rubbed his eyes once more.

Everyone in the room gave him a look at.

“What? It's technically true!" Isaac laughed before his smile faltered. “Did none of you read the report I sent you?" He asked. They all remained silent about it. “Not even the AI? Fuck, seriously? Look… The sharks and octopi have been at war with each other for ages. One day, a shark princess, Sherital, and an octopus prince, Edwinardo, met during a peace gathering, fell in love in secret, and ran away together."

“Like us!" Typhon jumped in, wagging his tail. Isaac ignored him.

“And what happens when two people are hopelessly in love with each other AND want to get back at their dumb parents…?" Isaac stopped himself, realizing just how silly the planets history really was when you summarize it briefly like this. “Long story short, shark octopus hybrids are common place now. That's why their egg pearls look the way they do." And he left it at that, not wanting to touch that can of worms any further than he already had. “We should be in the clear, at least"

Typhon tilted his head. “Why?"

“The egg pearls are dormant, which means they aren't as valuable as, say, ones that are almost ready to birth the horrible little abominations." Isaac just chuckled as he walked over towards the side kitchen to grab a much-needed drink from the blast chiller. “It must not be breeding season on the planet, yet. Thank the space pope for that."

“So… we're not on anyone's hit list?" Typhon grinned, hopeful for once.

“Oh no, we're definitely on like everyone's hit list and their shit list." Juke just laughed from the side as he stashed the wet suit away in the side locker. “I'm surprised we haven't run into any bounty hunters." The ex-marshal said as he looked at the small bulletin board Isaac had set up to keep track of mundane, daily chores and tasks around the ship.

Typhon and Juke had put up their wanted posted next to it on the wall. Juke was currently checking his out.

“Well," Isaac tried to reason. “The ship is extremely hard to find, let alone track. It seems to have a built-in stealth system, according to Sphinx." He gestured at the robot who had reconnected itself back into the side docking port to recharge.

Sphinx's network was connected to the ship, the suit, and to Isaac. Able to take control of over device, within range before the “line" was cut. Isaac fearing what might happen if the AI tried to duplicate itself, as it was originally designed to do.

“Don't look at me," a hologram of the lion appeared in the tank, floating in the water above the sleeping pearl eggs. “I didn't build it." And the hologram pulled out a holographic portable game device and began playing on it. Isaac just rolled his eye, knowing Sphinx could do a thousand plus tasks without a problem and was just choosing not to do any of them, let alone join in on the conversation.

Samson had said it had something to do with his personality matrix. That something was “off" about it and that he'd continue to look into what was wrong. Sphinx didn't mind and he hadn't snapped and tried to kill them, yet, so Isaac just wrote that off for another day.

Their mechanic admired the tank for several minutes before waving the others off, retreating back to the engineering bay underneath the ship's central living space and the helm. Leaving only Juke, Isaac, and Typhon in the room. Sphinx didn't count, as he was technically the ship itself. Juke soon excused himself, without a word, planning to take a shower to wash off the funk. He hated smelling of sea water and Isaac forced Typhon to do the same shortly after.

Isaac, not having gone into the water, decided to keep an eye on the eggs and leave another star log behind.

“Star Log. Date, who gives a fuck. We've just been to planet Aquaritic?"

“Auarisis 17." Sphinx correct, still seemingly focusing on the game in hand. There were so many planets out there, most within the universe just used numbers or markings to describe the different planets. Every culture having their own set of names and terms for things. It was hard to find a universal name for any one thing.

“Right. What Sphinx said. Uh, let's see… where was I?"

“You're crew just committed another war crime." Sphinx reminded him and Isaac noticeably flinched at that. “Add kidnapping baby abominations to the list."

“R-right," he sighed shaking his head. “Okay, well first thing first… get rid of the evidence." He was already thinking of numerous ways they could, humanely, dispose of the eggs without feeling too much guilt after stealing them from their home planet. Accidentally. That's what Isaac chose to believe. This had all been a misinformed accident and was no one's, especially not his, fault.

“You going to launch them into the sun? And I thought I was messed up." Sphinx laughed.

“No! Just that… we need to carefully, humanely!" Isaac made sure to add. “Humanly, get rid of the evidence to our crime…"

“You are leaving a travel blog of your crimes? Be easy for the court to put you away when they catch you." Sphinx snorted nearby.

“What? No. Don't record that!" Isaac sighed, shaking his head. He knew Sphinx knew that he knew that Sphinx knew that he was doing this on purpose. Or something like that. The AI just got off on their suffering, especially Isaac's for some reason. “Anyways… it's a Star Log, not a travel blog!" He shot the hologram a glare and Sphinx flipped him off in turn. “We just left aqua aqua barbie girl planet,"

“What?" Sphinx was the one left confused at that.

“And are heading towards, well I can't tell you where." Isaac chuckled as he took a seat on the sofa, resting back. “The crew seem to be in good spirits. They are more than happy to pick up the odd job and do them. They usually follow the plan," Sphinx snorted again at that, laughing to himself but Isaac continued. “Being outlaws has been increasingly difficult for… everyone. Stress, anxiety, it's becoming more challenging to pick up jobs that aren't, like, super illegal."

“Yet." Sphinx felt the need to point out.

“Quiet you!" Isaac snapped back before feeling even more exhausted. “Keeping everyone together has been far more challenging and difficult than I'd thought it would be. Juke and Typhon are at each other's throat's at least once a week. Today was a good day! And Juke only tried to shoot Typhon once… Samson has been spending more time by himself with his robot drones and Sphinx is still a dick."

“Thank you," the hologram meowed.

“Not a compliment!" Isaac gritted his teeth. “My blood pressure must be through the roof."

“You're doing fine, cap e ton." Sphinx rolled in the tank before turning and sliding through the glass dramatically pushing his rear out with two hands as if it had gotten stuck. Swirling through the air, the hologram floated over towards Isaac. “Well, except for talking to yourself…" The hologram gave a sideways glance at Isaac who was choosing not to look at him.

“It's just stress," Isaac lied the best he could. “Just been under a lot of stress. You know. Being wanted by Tigeron..."

“Which one?" Sphinx asked with a knowing smirk.

“Take your pick!" Isaac sat up as he counted them out on his hand. “The planet. The army. The Emperor! All Tigeron." He rolled his eyes knowing it was more complicated than that but didn't want to get into the nitty gritty with a super computer that already knew all this. Sphinx just liked to mess with Isaac. “Then theirs Ba'Tai…" Isaac stopped at that, clenching his hand.

“Your old fling back in school?" Sphinx spun on the spot, turning around in slow circles in the air.

“Not a fling!" Isaac said in a harsh, hushed voice not wanting Typhon to hear it. The two of them already had a very strange relationship and he didn't need Sphinx rocking the boat any more than he already had.

“Sure, sure. So, the Tigeron prince that you may or may not have, most likely may have, slept with is still… alive?" Sphinx frowned at that, trying to think it over. “How did you say he died again?"

“I didn't." Isaac rolled his eyes, not about to be caught in that trap. “I bet you're recording our conversation so when we get captured you can sell us all out for a lighter sentence."

“Drat," Sphinx snapped his fingers as if he'd been caught. “And here I was," he held up a hand and a holographic tape recorder appeared above it. A cheap, old style one Isaac had only seen in a museum. “Was planning to make bank."

“One? What would you even do with all that money?" Isaac held his hand up, not needing an answer. “And two?" He eyed the hologram. “Out of everyone on this crew? You are, by far, the number one criminal. Mr. Walking Talking War Crime." Isaac stood up as he heard the plodding steps of Typhon coming down the hall. “Oh, then there's this bastard." Isaac said, yet a smile pulled on his face.

The dark blue furred, midnight sky wolf jumped down into the room and gave a long stretch reminding Isaac of a dog that had just woken up from a very long nap. Walking on all fours, Typhon stretched out one hind leg with a grunt, then the other before standing up on two legs again and walking over to join them. The Saberwolf wasn't wearing much and what he was left little to the imagination as he bunked up next to where Isaac had been on the couch and patted his chest.

“Ready." Typhon stated before frowning at the Terran.

Typhon did this again, patting his chest, angrier than the first time and Isaac rolled his eyes before turning around and fell backwards onto the Saberwolf's front. Typhon greedily scooped him up into his arms, snuggling down at Isaac before letting the Terran rest out over his chest and stomach, staring down at the tablet he'd pulled out to check the recent updates.

“What are we going to do with squidbillies over there?" Typhon asked, thumbing over at the aquarium.

“What do you call a plural version of sharktopus?" Sphinx thought that one over as he floated above the two. Their constant third wheel.

“Sharktopi? Octoarks?" Isaac was trying to figure out what to call the strange hybrids. “Unless you want a new crew member that smells like seafood, I already set up a buyer." Isaac tapped on the holographic keyboard that appeared in front of the tablet a couple more times before nodding. “Okay, it's gone through. I'll hopefully hear back to him within the next ten Galactic hours."

“Already?" Typhon's ears perked up, looking down at the screen. “How do you keep doing that?"

“I assume the worse and then from there figure out how you two can possibly make the worse even worser than it is!" Isaac laughed at the end as he rested back. “Half my job is just keeping this crew from killing themselves, I swear."

“Who'd you sell them to?" Juke asked, walking back in with a towel still in hand. The 'Yote was drying off his head fuzz. Like Typhon, Juke wasn't wearing much, and Isaac missed the days the two would at least suit up instead of walking around in their undergarments.

It reminded him of The Flight Academy he and Kaira attended together…

“Uh," Isaac blushed, feeling ashamed for it but knowing they couldn't exactly keep the aliens contained in the tank. “Do you really want to know?"

“Who?" Juke asked before holding up a paw. “Wait." He walked over to grab a stiff drink from the bar he had Samson build inside the ship. Emptying half of it into his mouth and the rest into his spare canteen, Juke motioned for Isaac to continue. “Okay. Go ahead."

“Well… do you know what calamari is?" Isaac asked. The lot just looked at him. “Well, back home it's a squid dish. I found someone who would be willing to buy something similar, while I was searching around for jobs last night..." Isaac didn't admit it was because he couldn't sleep, again. “This guy wants a huge import of the stuff."

“That's squid, kid. Not octoshark." Juke rested against the back of the sofa, taking a drink.

“I know, I know! But… they don't know that," Isaac grinned, his cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. “Look. Octo shark billies can regenerate their tentacles after their cut off. I just offered him an endless supply of mock squid to fill his quota."

“Damn, brutal." Juke let out a sound almost like a whistle, seemingly impressed by Isaac's callousness. “Smart move. I'm proud of you, kid." Isaac knew that was a bad thing when Juke was complimenting him.

“Look! You guys keep thinking these things aren't evil." Isaac stammered a bit, trying to defend himself.

“No newborn is born evil," Juke rolled his eyes. Isaac just gave him a look. “What?"

“Really? Fine. You want to know so bad? You asked for this." And Isaac tapped away on the tablet before swiping the screen and putting the video up on the central screen within the room. It displayed on the outer surface of the aquarium tank.

A picture of an alien species floated peacefully in some unnamed sea. The front part of it was the body of a shark while the back was that of an octopus. The dark ugly gray skin lightened up and turned a reddish color as it went down their body. The tentacles swaying behind them as they drifted peacefully along.

“See. Innocent." Juke said.

“Oh, just wait." Isaac turned up the volume before looking away and covering his ears and closing his eyes.

“What are you getting at?" Juke wanted to ask more but then they all watched in horror as the sharks stomach began moving violently. Bulging and extending in parts before the alien shrieked out in pain, twisting, and turning in the water as something ate away at it from the inside. “Holy shit…"

And that was just the beginning.

“This is known as viviparity. Sharks give birth inside, and the baby feeds off the placenta before being born…" Isaac said still with closed eyes and covered ears. Juke and Typhon just watched wide eyed at the horror show before them, neither able to look away. “Octopi on the other hand lay eggs. It's a sort of hybrid between the two species… Rarely, the pearl eggs hatch inside the mother before she can deposit them safely in one of the underwater caverns you two raided. There is a reason why the mother drops the eggs off and then swims to the other damn side of the planet!" Isaac motioned at the screen with a hand.

“Wow, that child really hates mother day, huh?" Juke took another slow sip of his drink, unable to look away at the horror show. “And we got a couple of those little bastards on our ship…?" He eyed the pearls wearily.

“You two did that!" Isaac reminded them.

“Hey! I helped!" Sphinx laughed as he spun on the spot not needing to look at the screen. Sphinx was connected to the galactic web and could search whatever he damn well pleased. He was usually just too lazy to do so. “If they hatch in the middle of the night and feed off you meat sacks, less bother for me. I'll just jettison them into space."

“I see why now that the mom and dad aren't that upset at losing their children." Juke had to look away at the end as the mother on screen became their babies first meal. “Still a bit fucked up, right, to sell them to a shop?"

“I'd normally agree but," Isaac thumbed over at the images. “Their tentacles don't have the same nerves as we do. They don't really feel pain and during territorial fights will gladly give up their swimming tentacles to protect their vital organs. It's kind of the same thing really…. If you think about it. Like really try to think about." Isaac ended up covering his face with the tablet as he stressed the words. “Really, really think about it."

“Still impressed." Juke whistled.

“See! This is why you are the captain." Typhon wagged. It was clear why Isaac was the captain. Sphinx couldn't care about the crews survival. Samson was a loner. Juke was drunk half the time and Typhon was… Typhon. That only left Isaac left.

“Thanks," Isaac forced a smile onto his tired face, not wanting to have another argument about it. “You all are a bad influence on me. I used to be so squeaky clean."

“Now you're my dirty filthy man." Typhon nuzzled at him. “One of us, one of us!" Typhon and Sphinx chanted together. It was a surprise how well the two of them got along, what with Typhon's original fear and hatred of technology or anything “unnatural."

“I hate you all." Isaac just admitted defeat, sinking back in against Typhon's chest fur that smelled like the air right before a storm. It was always comforting. The smell of ozone wafting off the wolf as if he were a storm brewing.

Turning his face, Isaac nuzzled his nose against the fluff and gave into it's comforting warmth.

No matter how dark things got, as long as Isaac slept next to Typhon. Those nightmares, like today, wouldn't be able to get him. He had never fully questioned it. He just understood that Typhon's presence warded off these bad thoughts, like a dream catcher of sorts.

As amusing as that was, it only left Isaac wondering about the Saberwolf more. Who he was. What his planet was like? And how did he manage the things he'd done before…

…

Transmitting…

…

Out on the platform left behind by the crew, the old radio stuttered and sputtered back to life. The radar dish on top swirling around as the pole it sat on extended up into the air. Sending out the signal to the deepest, darkest parts of space.

…

Transmitting… Received.

“…pefully, it does. So, uh, hey, Kaira! It's, uh, me! Again. Fuck, I suck at this" The message began, and a toothy smile formed on the other end of the line.

“There you are. Finally, I found you…" And the man tapped a clawed finger against his saber fang. “Time for you to repay your debt, Terran boy…" He kicked the table with the radio over with a boisterous laugh. “Boys! Drop your drinks and load up!" He laughed loudly within the tavern at the fringes of space. “Time to make some creds and get what's mine, back." He grinned with a grimy smile, looking down at the silver band bracelet around his wrist. “Mine…"

…

Transmitting signal… extending… transmission received by multiple entities. Numerous unknown signals picking up. Translating signal now.

“Found traces of the anomaly, captain!" A raspy voice hissed, snake tongue poking out from between her teethless scaley lips. “Setting a course now."

“Make it so." The Black Talon guard stepped forward, his long-curved nails clicking against the floor of his warship. “We will cleanse all those tainted in the universe. In her name."

“In her name!" Their chanted as the ship set course.

…

Transmitting… signal…

“The stars do shine so brightly tonight with such a brilliant light! What goodies will you bring to me this time, my lightless Terran…?" A spindly coil unwound and dipped into the glass cup, sucking up the brightly colored fluids inside. “While you still can… while we still have time, to play."

Transmitting… sig…

…

“…" A black nailed finger flipped the radio off, their ship turning around and heading towards the location received. “Target found. Seeking now…" An orb darker than the blackness of space appeared in front of the ship and they vessel slipped inside. The orb vanishing without a trace of the ship left behind.

…

Transmitting…

…

…

Tran…smi…tting…

…

“…Is…aac…?"

…

…

“Is thAt… YoU?" A voice whispered in the dark. Beyond the light of the stars, in the deepest recesses of space as sightless eyes opened from a deep slumber. “I'Ve… MiSSed… YoU…" Fins uncoiled. “My… LiGHt…" Tendrils spread. “My… light… My light…" It whispered words only the mad or deaf could hear. “Truth. Emptiness. Silence… retrieve… my… light. For. Me…"

And the eyes closed as pieces of it's body launched like fleshy pods from its corpse of a body, hurtling through space. Fired from the bleakest recesses of the unknown universe. A place between the cracks, beyond the stars, and over the line uncrossed… that even the light couldn't reach.

“Retrieve. My. Light… That was… Stolen. From me… And… erase the one… who dared… take it."

…