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Into the Stars

Chapter Eleven

By Roofles

The Tigeron trade port was a simple stop in the long line that was the bureaucracy of Tigeron culture. A place that was both a trap and a welcoming stop for new comers into their controlled space. A place for the tigers to investigate those who come into their sector and a way for those who do to become a part of the Grand Design that is, was and always has been the Tigeron culture.

A theft of a universal scale.

Or at least that’s the idea Isaac thought as he walked through the streets, Typhon at his side like a faithful hound following besides his masters footsteps. Something the Terran wisely chose not to point out as he admired the architecture and cultures spliced together by the tigers over countless millennium they had been around. Things the tigers had collected from others and incorporated it to be their own without ever giving credit to the ones they had copied and stole it from.

It was one reason why Terran culture had been so isolated over the years from the others, even being part of the Front. The Armada had always argued those such as the tigers would just “Steal and replace human history” and in a way, Isaac could see that.

The buildings started off of Tigeron design, blending in and matching the very jungle it had been built in. However, anyone could tell at closer inspection that there were parts of the very concrete that didn’t belong to the Tigeron who had built it.

Types of pebbles, sculptures and even designs that had been blended into the builders looked as if they had been ripped from other planets and slapped onto their builds and streets. The foods were of all kinds varying from brightly colored fruits to miscolored meats and types of nuts that Isaac had to scan to tell there were insects living inside each. Something the lizards were known for, combining their normal diet with insects in order to boost the protein of the otherwise malnourished species.

Though that was a topic Isaac knew very little on, not wanting to believe all the propaganda the Armada fed the Terran populace.

The whole purpose for the “pitstop” here was for the Tigeron authorities to make sure those entering their space weren’t a danger or threat to their way of life. It would explain the watch towers within the city limits, the armed soldiers walking in the streets and the mecha-walkers posted at every major intersection.

However, that was also the perfect excuse to investigate each and every shipment that came through. Able to “procure” anything that caught the cat’s curiosity. It allowed Tigeron to keep track of the updates to the other factions in known space so they were never caught by surprised. From military to agricultural benefits others had achieved during the years of absence.

And with the massive multi legged mechs walking around, no one would be able to argue against such inspections. After all it was all for the “safety of the people.” Something the Armada had argued against the Fleet for countless years. The twin barrel cannons between the walker legs and twin turreted launchers at their side made their peaceful intentions hard to buy. Isaac figured they weren’t lethal rounds and the launchers fired some sort of suppressant in case a riot broke out. Still, Isaac wouldn’t put it past them to just kill any threat that popped up.

The Tigeron controlled one of the vast reaches of space that was the perfect location, forcing the other nations to have to pay to pass through in order to reach their designation without having to loop around millions of miles of space. It was just another ingenious advantages the Tigeron’s had used to benefit their own.

“Fire first, ask question after…” Isaac face twisted into a frown as he spoke aloud. Typhon’s twin diamond shaped ears perked up at his voice, the first thing the human had said after leaving the hovel inn they had stayed at.

“What?” Typhon asked, if only to keep up the conversation.

The noise of the city had kept the space wolf distracted enough since the morning walk up the hillside towards the embassy they were heading towards. The bustling morning ongoers that had filled the main streets in the early morning hours. It was only thanks to Typhon’s powerful steps lumbering alongside the human he kept eying that allowed the two some space. Most moved out of their way and the further uphill they went, the fewer people there were.

And the more guards they saw and met along the way, having to show their pass numerous times in only a half hour walk.

As bright and colorful, full of life as the city was on this clear cloudless blue sky day… Typhon eyes were only on the bland looking human at his side. In comparison to the vast variety of alien species walking on the street around them, Isaac was just another discolored, bland looking pebble in the road they were walking on. Most wouldn’t even give him a glance, let alone two.

Just another Terran. A seemingly small faction in the grand scheme of things. Other than the Armada that had caused a stir in recent galactic years, the rest of the human race was seemingly just another blip in space. A fart, space gas that had been passed and would come to pass.

An echo, a memory that would drift away into the vast endless reaches of the void beyond that stars. To be forgotten and lost.

Like everything else.

Like everyone else.

“Lost and forgotten; to never be seen or heard from again. Isaac.” His old professor at the academy had said to him one day, alone in the classroom together as Isaac went over the exam they all had just taken. The remark had caught him off guard, even back then.

“Isaac.” The Terran came to a stop, holding the side of his head. “I know we have class together but I was wondering if you, like maybe sometime, we could study together?” Was that Andrew? It had been Isaac first crush…

“Isaac, sweetheart.” Mother…

“Hey, Isaac.” Who?

“Isaac, you coming? We’re all waiting.”

Who are you?

“Isaac,” a familiar voice said. Whispering faintly as the world around him seemed to grow darker, colder, dimmer as if a hand was slowly turning down all the light. Dialing it down...

“Isaac, the stars are falling…”

“Isaac!” A sharp bark of a voice cut through the rest startling the dismayed human and nearly making him fall over. “I asked you a question.” Typhon asked, a look of worry and concern crossing over the saberfanged blue fur spacewolf face. Those eyes, like miniature galaxies, look at him with concern.

And once more, there was a faint soft glow coming from the otherwise dark blue fur. Fur the color of the night sky… With inverted dark eyes. Eyes with countless stars shining as if only for him.

In a field of grass looking up at the night sky, at those stars. “The stars shining just for us, Isaac.”

Eyes… Eyes Isaac couldn’t meet in that moment as he collected himself. Catching his breath and feeling far more tired than he had been a moment ago. He was sweating, something the expensive Tigeron suit he was wearing was supposed to help prevent.

He laughed. It was a nervous sound, his voice cracking and shaking as that image lingered in his head. Of the stars above shining. “Shining just for us…”

“Sorry, what was that? Was just… was just lost in thought, was all.” Isaac managed to smile back. It wasn’t convincing even to the shattered reflection in the window next to them.

“You mentioned something about the tigers and then just kind of zoned out…” Typhon was still watching the human at his side, as if worried he might fall over at any moment. “Maybe we should take a breather…”

“Oh, right!” Isaac nodded recalling what he had started up before getting distracted. “They keep up a pretext of peace here.” Isaac skillfully misdirected the conversation away from himself and back to the place they were in. “Like they do in the Galactic Front. The so called peacekeepers of the universe…” Isaac rested both hands behind his head as he walked looking up at the blue sky above. He stopped then, closing his eyes.

The air was fresh here. Why had he felt so claustrophobic a second ago? It was clean and the smell of the jungle wafted up towards them from below; nothing like that dank, dark mine they had been in before. The smell of rain still lingered in the air, the dampness was a welcome change from the dry, arid mining planet they had come from.

Though Isaac could do without the humidity.

Still, there was a lingering thought of that place. The mine they had come from as if he were about to fall back into the red rocky planet and be trapped there, again, forever.

“Again…?” The thought lingered as if in warning though the Terran was already pushing it far away.

Typhon glanced around, looking at the armed soldiers and up at one of the guard posts looking down on the city below. Figuring it was these things that were getting his human distracted and concerned. Such things weren’t necessary on Saber. It was a place that didn’t need to boast and show off how powerful and secure things were.

It just was.

The dark blue fur space wolf wasn’t sure what to say to that. This all was so new to him. He was used to seeing armed soldiers from back home on his wartorn planet Saber. Seeing the peaceful citizens walking along with the armed soldiers at their side was something else.

Every citizen of Saber was forced to enlist in the military there at one time or another. Most stayed in, letting it become their way of life. Others only got out for personal reasons or if they were “defective.” They would only be a hindrance to the Great Pack. It was the greatest of honors to rise in the ranks and get your name carved into the monolith within the citadel.

To be remembered for all of time.

“What’s the difference between a soldier and a peacekeeper?” Typhon asked honestly, unsure what the difference could be after seeing the heavily armored Tigeron walking past the two. The two were one in the same back home.

The four armed Tigeron gripped one of his side arms, giving the two a suspicious look and quickly scanning their IDs to make sure they were allowed to be in the city. The orbital scanner swept over the two so quickly Typhon wasn’t even sure what had happened; the large canine just shivered as the uncomfortable red beam swept over their bodies invasively.

“That’s a good question, Typhon.” Isaac smiled at the thought. At least Typhon was learning, if at his own pace. “Tigeron’s boast about their superior… ways, let’s say. Superiority ways? No, that’s not right..” Isaac chuckled lightly with a shake of his head. “They believe their way of life would be best for everyone…”

Typhon growled at the implication of Tigeron culture trying to take over Saber life. Or rather, to try and steal it and incorporate it into their own as they had done with so many others.

“Everyone thinks that…” Isaac sighed heavily, feeling like an older man as he thought it over. “That their way of life would somehow be better for everyone. The Galactic Front might not be the best option, but it isn’t… this.” Isaac motioned around them with his hand. “This is what they call a police state. The Tigeron do it for your own good, they claim. While restricting any semblance of freedom. The Front at least tries to cater to each faction within their ranks…”

“Why not just kick the tigers out?” Typhon inquired, unsure why they wouldn’t just cut such a limb off the main body if it sought to control the rest. It was a primitive way of thinking but something the Sabers favored in a way.

Remove the defective part from the whole. The many outweigh the one. The one for the all.

“They’re one of the major power houses in the entire universe is why.” Isaac just shrugged it off. “Nothing can really be done when they supply roughly half the economy to the outer planets, while unifying a lot of the more… wild nations under their banner.” Isaac took a second on that thinking it over.

There was a reason why Isaac hadn’t planned on abandoning Typhon here in Tigeron space. In fact, if the ship hadn’t just up and brought them here Isaac would’ve preferred never have come to such a place. The totalitarian ideology of the place had always left an uncomfortable pit in Isaac’s stomach. If he grew up in such a place, even as a Tigeron, Isaac knew he’d never have the freedom to fly.

Isaac wouldn’t be qualified in such a place like this. He would’ve been deemed defective…

Unable to fly far, far away from this place that he’d have called home…

Much like he had done to his own home planet.

“Ba’Tai had thought the same thing, once…” Isaac brought up. With a look, Isaac explained. “Ba’Tai was my old roommate at the flight academy. He was a transfer student, a white Tigeron. A rare breed and supposedly of noble descent. Probably a spy sent by Tigeron itself…” Isaac chuckled at the thought though with a shake of his head.

It had been a thought his brother had planted in his head a long time ago.

“What? I’m not the first alien you banged?” Typhon sneered as a joke though his hackles rose a bit at the thought. The possessive quality was one reason why Isaac wanted to keep an arms distance from his forced companion.

“I never banged a Tigeron.” Isaac laughed, a genuine smile finally breaking over his face since last night. It was a good look, Typhon preferred the smaller male’s smile over his frown. The wrinkles at Isaac’s eyes spoke far more than his age betrayed. “Let alone Ba’Tai…” Isaac laughed again at that with a roll of his eyes.

“What? Four arms too much to handle? Or do they have four… other things, too?” Typhon shuddered at the thought of cat dick, let alone four of them slapping in his face.

“No, no… I don’t think so.” Isaac did not look that up. “Ba’Tai was just a strange guy since the get go. He didn’t really get Terran culture but desperately tried too… and was terrible at it.” Isaac laughed though, recalling when the Tigeron had tried too.

It was why Isaac couldn’t believe the Tigeron that had tried to kill him could be the very same Ba’Tai he had dormed with back at the flight academy.

“Defiantly not my type.” Isaac shuddered at the thought. “I got enough on my plate without any of that.”

“Then what is your type?” Typhon didn’t miss a beat in asking.

Isaac gave him a look at that. Typhon clearly misconstruing it for something positive, rather than the annoyance Isaac felt for such a question. Typhon just wagged his tail, tilting his muzzle upwards with an ever growing smile.

“Stop that.” Isaac frowned quickly returned.

“Stop what?” Typhon continued to wag. The canine’s black lips rising up to show off several of the glistening white grimy fangs underneath his whiskers lips.

“That!” Isaac shook a bit with anger at Typhon’s high spirits at misreading what Isaac had meant with the simple look. “Stop being so, that!”

“Stop being so what?” Typhon just pressed, his tail never stopped wagging as the two made their way up the hillside. “Your type?” The canine teased some more.

Isaac arguing over Typhon’s happiness, while the canine in question was just glad to be getting attention from it. A human and a Saber walking up the street, side by side together talking as if they had known each other their entire life. They got more than one curious look from bystanders as their slow, steady pace scaled the hillside that was the trading port.

The simple action had nonetheless taken up Isaac’s full attention and the human was more than happy to argue with the elated space wolf over the matter. A simple matter that was exactly the medicine the Terran needed after it all. Something that would soon be forgotten as the embassy came into view and the two of them came to a stop down the road from it.

There were far fewer buildings here and even less trees. The guard tower had been built directly next to the box shaped building, something that was far more Terran in design than Tigeron. The embassy stood out from the rest and had been somewhat isolated from the rest of the city below. As if even the Tigeron’s didn’t want it here.

“There it is, huh?” Typhon looked at the building. It was of Terran design rather than the more jungle theme Tigeron buildings around it. A bland color that didn’t exactly standout against the bright blue sky behind it.

A breeze wafted up from the jungle below. It was such a nice day. To think it would end all here and now the second they walked through those front doors. Hopefully they wouldn’t just outright arrest Typhon, or Isaac for that matter. They might’ve even marked him down as A.W.O.L. at this point. If lucky, he’d only be a P.O.W.

“Yup…” Isaac had been conflicted over the matter since last night. It would be so easy to pawn Typhon off at the embassy and go about his own life again. Be able to hitch a ride back home and regroup with the others.

He was sure his friends would be delighted at his return. To continue the boring laugh of the day to day patrol, stuck in the same rut cycle after cycle. If he was lucky, Isaac would be transferred to one of the inner bases when he got older. Work his way up the ranks and just…

“What then…?”

“I plan to fly, of course!”

“Is that so, sweetheart?” His mother had asked on her deathbed.

“Yeah!”

“See all the stars?”

“I’ll fly beyond the stars! I’ll be the first Terran too!”

“You’ll float away, my little mooncake.” Isaac could still hear her voice, unaware back then it would be she who would float away first…

There was that small part of him that made him hesitate. Questioning such a logical, simple thing to do. It would help Typhon out. It would defiantly help his own situation out as well. Be able to rejoin his crew, see his friend again and also not be underneath the space wolf’s thumb.

It would also be the only way to save Typhon who’d be labeled a criminal at this point for kidnapping an officer of the Fleet. Isaac could smooth things out. He’d even call his brother and father if neccissary and try to pull as many strings as he could to keep the canine safe from his own hubris.

Then, why did he continue to hesitate?

“Then why can’t I?” Isaac frowned at the seemingly obvious thing to do. A man who prided himself on following logic and reason above all else was questioning the very logically reasonable thing to do here. He blamed the idiot at his side. Somehow Typhon’s own stubbornness had rubbed off on him.

“I rather float away than be chained down…” The single thought felt like it came from long, long ago.

“Hm?” Typhon glanced over at the human at his side. “You say something?” The Saberwolf asked, missing what Isaac had mumbled aloud to himself.

“Nothing. Just thinking.” Isaac tried to shake it off. He couldn’t find the strength to take even a single step closer to the embassy, instead detouring along a side road that led up to the very peak of the hill the city had been built on.

A spiral path like the road they had come up from. Spiraling around the hillside like a single horn sticking up out of the jungle below. Isaac steps weren’t methodical. They weren’t slow and Typhon had to quicken his pace to keep up near the end.

Typhon followed after, glancing back at the building they had been planning to head towards. Then at the human he was tailing after. The smell coming from Isaac made Typhon heart ache. A mixture of fear and anxiety that spiraled together like the very path they climbed.

“Thinking of?” The canine asked only after they had reached the peak.

It was an overlook, looking out over the jungle and city itself. There was a land marker on the top with a faded golden bronze plate. The inscription read “the first steps.” Typhon wasn’t sure what that meant and Isaac didn’t seem in the mood to explain at that time.

Usually the Terran loved explaining things, boasting about his superior intelligent and knowledge about things as if loitering it over the others heads. Now? All the human did was rest his elbows against the railing and look out over the jungle below. And finally, up at the empty blue sky above.

The wind blew and with it carried the strange smells of this planet. Of the flora and wet jungle below. It was warm here. It felt nice but Isaac couldn’t imagine living in such a place. The suit he wore helped against the humidity. Allowing air to flow. But little else.

Like the anxiety inside.

“I think I understood why she took the elixir…” Isaac paused thinking it over, of the fairy tale his mother had told him so long ago.

Typhon was clueless where this came from or where it was going.

“Why she had given it to me… instead of taking it for herself…” Isaac thought only of his mother in that moment. Of the only family he ever truly knew or loved.

Typhon just took a seat next to the Terran, waiting for Isaac to continue. To enlighten him on the matter. The space wolf was still green around the gills and wasn’t sure how to handle these heavy situations.

“What if… we just… head back to the ship?” Typhon was the one to say after a good ten minutes of just standing there.

“To float away from here…?” Isaac chuckled at that.

“Yeah.” Typhon just shrugged. “Keep going. Until we have the answers…?”

“What if we never find them?” Isaac was far more philosophical than he’d like today.

“We just keep going.” Typhon replied looking away from the Terran and up at the blue sky above. “Beyond the stars, if need be.”

“They’ll be after us, you realize that?” Isaac almost laughed though, thinking about such wishy washy fantasies like this. Like a childhood dream he’d forgotten the day his mother died.

“The ship isn’t exactly ours to begin with…” Typhon tried to be reasonable, though he had no problem stealing the thing if need be. “We’re already kind of in trouble.” The saberwolf just grinned toothily instead. “What’s a few more marks on our record?”

“Just want to up and run away?” Isaac said more to himself than his companion.

“I like to think of it as us… continuing forward.” Typhon tried to choose his words wisely as he thought it over. “We’ll have to figure out how to get the ship up and running first of all…”

“I bet Samson and Sphinx are working on it as we speak… That’d be nice. I think. To be able to get out of here, to fly again.” Isaac closed his eyes letting the wind blow against his face. “If only…”

“What’s this about? I thought this is what you wanted…?” Typhon was frustrated over the matter, unable to understand the Terran’s thought process on such things.

“As a member of the Front, as a Terran pilot… it is my duty to do it. This. Bring you in…” Isaac nodded along, looking over at the wolf. “But… I think I’m doing it for all the wrong reasons, at this point. I… I don’t know what to do...”

Typhon frowned at that, ears folding back as he flashed his saber fangs.

“What aren’t you telling me?” The canine growled.

“Nothing that extreme.” Isaac waved that away, not wanting to get into a fight with the canine right now. “I just… wanted to do something big, I guess.” Isaac looked up at the blue sky again. “I got my license to fly hoping to find something… extraordinary. To discover something new! And then I met you…” Isaac smiled, though it was as sad as his eyes.

Typhon batted his tail waiting for the Terran to continue, unsure if he should take offense to this or not. It wasn’t like Saberwolves just up and appeared out of nowhere. They had always been. They were one of the first sentient species and were the ground works for the universal defense program. Typhon reasoned even Isaac wasn’t aware of the UDP; something that made him smile largely. Knowing something Isaac didn’t.

He’d hold that over Isaac had for a change and make the Terran get on his knees and beg him for such information.

“You were going to parade me around like some unidentified species?” Typhon growled at the implication of being showed off like some kind of pampered dog. Before barking a laugh. “It’s not like I’m new or something.”

“Well, no. Not… exactly.” Isaac didn’t make eye contact.

“Isaac…” Typhon hackles rose as the growl in his throat grew louder making a nearby couple excuse themselves rather than watch the bloodshed that was about to happen if Isaac didn’t come clean.

“I just wanted to you know… unify the two races together… go down in history as the one to bring Sabers and Terrans together… win the universal peace prize… be set for life with my name in every history data library… and the money and fame that would come along with it. Is all!” Isaac shrugged it off, sadly aware now that Typhon would never let him achieve such a thing.

It had been a rather selfish ideal to begin with.

“Really? You were going to sell me for money?” Typhon was not amused and the huff he gave after showed that. “I’m worth far more than some peace prize!” The saberwolf placed a rather large paw on his chest, tilting his head up in pride. “I’m easily worth a whole planet and its moons, at least!”

“Full of yourself much?” Isaac snorted and finally cracked a another smile, laughing. “I rather just have a nice ship instead. How many are you worth of those would that be?”

Typhon just smirked.

“What about stars?”

That caught the canine’s attention.

“What do you mean?”

“How many stars in the night sky could I buy, if I turned you in?” Isaac looked up at the blue sky. “So blue, yet beyond that sky there are stars… no matter what planet, no matter what time or where you’re at… that’s the one absolute truth. Even if they are finite… they’re there, in the sky above…”

Typhon rested on the railing next to Isaac, looking up now at the sky with eyes like miniature galaxies.

“When I was young… I would stare up at the night sky, counting the stars…” Typhon was the one to start this time. “I’d count each and every one of them. I’d make shapes with them… shapes that I could call my friend, because to me… they were. They were all I had back then.”

Isaac understood that childish thought well enough. Wondering just how young the canine had been back then. All alone, in the empty world that he grew up in counting the stars he would call his friends. A childish dream that Typhon had quickly grown out of.

“I wanted to reach those stars. Then I wouldn’t be alone…” Typhon voice faltered. “They were so bright… up there, in the night sky. All alone. Like me… I… I ended up… I stacked rocks.” Typhon laughed, confessing such a silly thing to the human, figuring now was as good a time as any other. “One after another. Creating a tower in the wasteland I grew up in… to climb. Climb up there, to get closer. As close as I could to those stars above. I climbed to the highest peak I could and reached out trying to grab just one.” Typhon smile was as sad as his eyes as he finally looked down from the blue sky and at the human at his side, on this planet.

“Then what happened?” Isaac smiled back, meeting those eyes for the first time today.

“I never caught one.” Typhon just shrugged. “Pesky little bastards were always just… just out of my reach.” Typhon looked at his clawed fingers before clenching them into a tight fist and laughing it off. “So, stupid.”

“That’s a sad end.” Isaac chuckled along. “Dreams never come true…”

“It’s ok.” Typhon just smiled.

“Ok?” Isaac eyebrow lifted.

“Because I eventually met one.” Typhon just grinned toothily showing off those saber fangs.

“Met one?” Isaac had to ask, though he laughed at such a notion.

“A star, from the sky. That I could call my friend.” Typhon explained without explaining, still just looking at the human at his side. His eyes shone like miniature galaxies, swirling with countless stars of their own.

“That’s so sappy.” Isaac laughed before stopping as he realized something. A simple fact. Just as Typhon called him a friend, so did Isaac find himself calling Typhon one. “Fuck…” The Terran cursed to himself, covering his mouth with his metallic hand as he was lost in thought from such a simple, childish thought.

A friend. A friend who was about to turn Typhon in to escape the shackle that bound the two together.

There was no way Isaac could just turn his friend into the embassy like this. They most likely wouldn’t let the whole kidnapping thing slide by without some sort of retribution. It wouldn’t be wise to let it get out you can kidnap a Terran soldier without such punishment or reimbursement at least. A trade as it were.

Let alone a strange alien, foreign faction such as the Saberwolves doing such a deed. The animalistic race would be seen as a danger to the Terran Fleet and it wouldn’t be wise to let such things get out anymore than they already had. After all, Isaac was sure there were plenty of people looking for him already. They had made quite a scene back on Xi’Toss after all and despite the length of time that passed on Tigeron compared to Xi’toss that kind of information didn’t lesson as months passed.

Isaac could only groan pitifully, resting against the railing with his head between his hands. Racking his brain for some way to get the both of them out of this predicament without violating galactic law. Glancing over at the saberwolf didn’t help.

Typhon was busy picking at his teeth with a clawed finger; showing off the saber tooths that gave the wolves their name. Count that with that mysterious ever shifting blue fur and eyes like galaxies… well, they didn’t scream nonthreatening. The Terran Amarda had a bad habit of shooting first and asking question never.

“I can’t stop the inevitable…” The thought passed through Isaac head as he slumped against the railing looking down instead of up at the pure blue sky above.

No wonder why today had been so gloom and dark. Wanting to turn his friend in for some kind of award and medal wasn’t exactly and easy thing to digest and sleep on.

They’ll find Typhon. Isaac’s brother wouldn’t rest until the Fleet does. There would be a warrants out for Typhon’s arrest or at least a bounty on his head; Isaac was certain. He couldn’t bring himself to look into it as he tapped a finger on the tablet at his side.

“Should we get going?” Typhon finally asked as the minutes continued to tick by and the warm summer air blew through his ever shifting blue fur.

“Or we could just run away.” Isaac laughed at the idea. Feeling almost like a child at the idea. The prospect, only for his smile to turn into a frown as he gazed back up at the sky above. “I’ve done that before…”

So many times… to run away from it all.

“Let’s head back to the ship.” Typhon got up. The large body shifting at the Terran’s side was enough to catch Isaac’s attention and draw his focus back from the what if scenarios running through his mind. “It’s not like we have to go today.” The space wolf just shrugged.

“Sooner the better.” Isaac felt the need to point out. The longer they took the more trouble the both of them would be in.

“Or we could just… never go.” Typhon shrugged back not seeming concerned about it at all as he walked towards the path they had climbed up. Only stopping long enough to glance back to make sure Isaac was following.

“I’m coming, relax.” Isaac ruffled up his hair with a hand as he walked over to join his companion. Brushing the back of the saberwolf’s side with a hand. He could feel the cool fur run through his fingers like water. Even in the middle of the day, somehow that fur remained cool to the touch.

It was calming, like some sort of therapy he desperately needed.

“I’d come get you if you didn’t.” Typhon warned.

“Most people would call that kidnapping.” Isaac couldn’t help but tease, feeling far more relaxed now after the existential crisis he’d been having.

“No matter where you went. I’d find you. And kidnap you all over again.” Typhon just smirked knowingly.

“That was… almost sweet? More threatening than sweet, really. But at this point, frankly? I’m really not surprised?” Isaac could only shake his head as he followed behind. Typhon wagged the whole time, shaking his butt side to side as if teasing the Terran with it after the other night.

The two unwittingly heading back to the ship where Samson and Sphinx were, unaware of the trap they had nearly stumbled into. Be it through fate or sheer dumb luck, Isaac and Typhon were spared from the death trap set up for them out front of the embassy they had been heading towards.

“We should grab them lunch on the way back. Be a nice surprise.” Isaac just offered feeling in far better spirits over all this. Wanting at least another night to contemplate over what to do about the matter of his furry companion next to him that was still in all rights and purposes, his kidnapper.

At this point Stockholm syndrome wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to Isaac during this trip.

The two dropping by Another Worldly Smoothie, as it was called, smoothie station to pick up a refreshing drink for Samson before heading back towards the ship. While those waiting outside the embassy were still waiting nearly an hour later for the two to return.

The Tigeron and his compatriots ending up having to go look for the “bastards” who didn’t show up. “We spent all night setting this trap up! And they don’t even show!” The Tigeron cursed loudly several times, stomping around like an insolent child. The others wisely kept their distance from their deranged boss.

“So, what’s the plan?” Isaac started with as they got back to the landing pad a good thirty minutes later strolling through the city. The Ursa moved to the side with the others, away from the ship and any prying eyes or ears as they discussed the matter.

“Steal it.” Typhon jumped in helpfully and was promptly ignored.

“It won’t start.” Samson began, giving a nod towards Sphinx.

“It can’t. Not without the key.” The Tigeron armored AI pointed all fours hands at itself and a smile crossed its metallic masked face, lighting up with the LEDs of the officer mask he wore. Sphinx having hacked into the battle suits controls.

“…What?” Isaac could only ask not catching on.

“Apparently the brainiacs that made this girl,” the bear gave a huff of laughter as he nodded along pointing towards the diamond shaped ship. Not the only one it seemed to be taking delight in telling Isaac something for a change. “Decided to use the AI core as both the key and the ignition for this beauty.” He added slapping the side of their ship with a gloved, metallic hand.

“In other words, she can’t fly when I’m not in there.” Sphinx gladly jumped in with a laugh of his own.

“It’s a rather smart idea, on paper…” Samson frowned a bit. “Without lunkhead here, the ship is just a metal rust heap.” The bear jabbed a finger at Sphinx. “He’s a walking, talking key basically.”

Isaac began putting two and two together quickly after that.

“That means… we could get it back, right?” Isaac eyes lit up at the idea. “They don’t have a key for the ship! It’s useless to them! Well, to the average Tigeron that is.”

“I figured you’d chicken out and began getting things ready for us.” Samson nodded towards Typhon. “Been getting supplies for us all set up for the next trip.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Isaac only rolled his eyes at that.

Samson snorted at that, the older bear giving a belly of a laugh. “Boy, you ain’t much different from my own cub. Don’t try actin’ no different than none of us normal folk.” The bear jabbed a gloved finger at Isaac before moving back over towards the front of the ship to address one of the officers.

The Tigeron officer was trying to figure out what to do with the hunk of metal taking up a valuable spot for incoming crafts.

“What do you mean normal folk…?” Isaac was at a lost from that unable to do much else but follow after the Ursa with his head down.

“Perk up. You’ll always be my freak.” Typhon just jumped in helpfully. And as usual, only soured Isaac’s spirits further.

“I don’t want to be called that by you of all people.” Isaac jabbed back, the two beginning to go at it again as they joined Samson out front.

“We can get rid of this tin can for you.” Samson was arguing with the Tigeron officer who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but here. After the raid on the city and the flight pad, the security officers had enough on their plate without some third world mechanic trying to haggle for a ship that wouldn’t fly.

A ship that was in a key spot for oncoming traffic, a few ships even having to hover above while waiting for room to open up to land; unable to land outside the city in the dangerous jungle below. The bureaucracy of the Tigeron culture was both a help and hindrance for them in it. The rules had to be followed and until The Stellar Drift was moved, there was little the officer in command could do still waiting for the OK from the upper brass to let him do his damned job.

“We aren’t going to ask for much, though.” Samson just continued with a long, bored yawn that stretched out longer than what he had said before. Smacking his lips noisily, he looked at the officer for a moment… then pointed up at a rather luxurious looking vessel that flew overhead. “I don’t think you can keep putting off the VIPs, huh?”

The ship in question was a dark blue with golden lace draped down its side as if someone had the idea to dress up a ship. Isaac wasn’t sure what was worst. The fact the ship was dressed up like that or the fact whoever made it decided to design it like an enormous blue whale. Cultural or not, that thing was fugly.

Isaac was rather impressed by just how confident Samson was trying to haggle for a Tigeron ship in Tigeron space with a flight martial like this out in the open in front of so many others.

“If you want to keep them waiting,” Samson just went on picking at his teeth with a finger. “I guess they weren’t that… special, huh?” Isaac noted how loud the Ursa was being now drawing a few eyes from those around them. “Who cares about the VIPs? Those who pay your pittle of a salary, huh?”

The whispering began. People were taking out their phones or drones to record the exchange, laughing behind the Tigeron’s back. Hurting his pride even further while this hick tried to pull a fast one over on him. And a Tigeron’s pride was something that was known about throughout the galaxies.

The Tigeron officer glared at the Ursa before muttering something to his subordinate.

“No, sir. It won’t even turn on. Let alone fly…” The Tigeron mechanic said quickly in reply, his voice shaking a bit with his head. “It’s just a hunk of space debris as far as I can tell. I don’t even know how it got here!”

“You can polish a turd all ya’ like…. It’s still a turd.” Samson just garuffed a laugh. “I specialize in this kind of thing. Getting rid of metal n’ what not.” The bear even went so far as to show off one of his mechanical arms. “It’s my bread n’ butter, if ya’ were. Let ol’ Samson get this here ugly piece of waste off ya’ pretty landing pad n’ you go n’ help those nice customers waiting.”

Be it the matter of his speech, the dialect he used or the long drawl Samson spoke with the officer was clearly perturbed by this whole exchange. Being put on the spot like this was something else as a rather loud horn sounded above from the vessel and a sweeping light landed directly on the officer.

“Mas Vi Ka Ru, Nu. NU!” The translator stuttered around Isaac’s collar and it made him wince hearing the strange alien language come from the speakers above as the ship demanded to land.

“Just say yes, and we can get it off the pad within five minutes.” Samson held up five fingers to indicate it. “Tick tock. The longer you take-,”

“Fine!” The officer just snapped back finally being pushed too far, snarling loud enough to spray spittle at the Ursa Major. Samson didn’t even flinch as a rather large thread of spittle landed on his brown fur cheek. “Just… just get it off my landing pad! Now!”

“Good,” Samson started but Isaac wasn’t one to let such a gambit go to waste.

“Whoa, whoa now. We need it signed over first!” Isaac stepped forward, his tablet already in hand as he set up the transaction in a blink of an eye before turning it around for the officer. “We want it all. Down to the leaky sink, to the rusty bolts and rat droppings.”

“Rat droppings?” The officer sneer, pulling back in disgust as if afraid Isaac was about to show him.

“Sir, there weren’t any…” The mechanic at his side tried to butt in but was shoulder checked by a rather large blue fur space wolf who joined in.

“Just say the word, boss!” Typhon growled cracking his knuckles behind the officer. Though it was clear Typhon had been talking about moving the ship, the underlying threat hadn’t been lost on the officer of the law.

“Fine!” The Tigeron swept his card over the tablet before punching in the code, authorizing the transaction. “I want it off my pad, NOW!” He shouted the order without looking at anyone as he stomped off towards the side office he presumably worked in.

“That worked too well…” Isaac frowned wondering how the universe was going to even out such good luck. He shuddered at the thought.

Samson gave a sharp whistle and Sphinx was running over to join them with several crates on a hover cart behind him.

“Let’s get in this girl and get the hell off this planet!” Samson laughed.

“And out of Tigeron space!” Isaac gladly joined in.

“And to Saber!” Typhon jumped in.

“No!” He go three others shouting at the canine in unison for even suggesting that.

The dull hunk of metal seemed as dead and lifeless as a doorknob until Sphinx walked over. The Tigeron armored case emitted a strange blue light and with it, the ship door popped open much to the disbelief of the Tigeron’s around them that had been trying to crack it like a rather stubborn walnut.

“How did you…” One spoke up.

“Thanks for the hospitality!” Sphinx gave them a wave and a laugh as he clambered up inside the ship, turning around to offer a hand to Isaac.

“Let’s get out of,” Isaac had begun reaching for Sphinx’s hand. No sooner had he felt the cool metallic fingers curl around his wrist did a searing red flash shoot over his shoulder hitting Sphinx square in the face and knocking the metallic armored Tigeron over.

Sphinx landed hard on his back, his helmet rolling off the suit and further into the ship. A smoking black smear was on his chest and the battle suit didn’t move.

“Shit!” Isaac cursed loudly as he ducked down as another barrage of laser blast hammered against the ship’s hull. Streaking along its side aiming for the others. They didn’t stop and the Terran found himself dropping down, belly crawling underneath the ships flank in order to hide from the ambush.

The attack swept over the platform sending several over the edges. Screams filled the air and yet no sirens went off as the attack hit the platform hard and fast. Several speeders swept over head with insects riding on them, firing at anyone in the open and even taking down the luxurious vessel that was trying to dock on the platform.

Several twin barrel shots hit the side of the blue, golden draped vessel and the whale designed ship began to teeter to the side before crashing against a building next to the platform. There were shouts, people were crying and Isaac still didn’t hear a single siren go off as all hell broke out on the landing pad.

Unsure what else to do, Isaac pulled out the tablet planning to contact the authorities himself. Only to find the signal jammed. Stowing it at his side, Isaac drew his sidearm as a rather distinct voice shouted from the center of the landing pad.

“Terran!” The voice shouted shooting a pistol several times up in the air to get some semblance of silence from those around them. Anyone who made a sound after that got a shot to chest much as Sphinx had.

Peaking around the corner, Isaac could see a very regal looking white fur Tigeron standing there with a very familiar coyote in its grip. The Tigeron’s two other arms held up a blaster that seemed to have been custom made with gold and silver filigree around the handle.

There was static in Isaac’s mechanical eye and he lost focus from it for several seconds as he looked away. “Shit, it’s whatshisname again.”

“Who?” A voice piped up from his blind side, making Isaac jump with another muffled curse having to slap a hand over his mouth to silence it.

Typhon was there, looking above Isaac and around the corner of the ship’s landing gear to see who was talking. “Oh, the cat. Again. Great.” Typhon rolled his eyes before looking down at Isaac. “Are you sure you don’t know this guy? ‘Cause he seems to know you.”

“I’m just unlucky…” Isaac frowned trying to figure out how they could make it inside the ship. Once they activated the shields, they should be in the clear to get off this damnable planet.

“I’m seeing that, boy.” Samson said from Isaac other side, startling the human once more.

“How are you both so sneaky!” Isaac cursed at them both.

“They tried to steal the ship previously. We thwarted them.” Typhon beamed prideful of their accomplishment.

“Should’ve killed the bastards.” Samson ducked down as an insect flying a speeder swooped overhead, gunning down several of the Tigeron guards that had come up the ramp.

“They’re jamming the signal. The automated turrets aren’t activating…” Isaac winced, feeling the sharp pain from his mechanical eye. The biofeedback resonance was getting bad. He might have to look into replacing it at this point.

“They must have some sort of security clearance to deactivate them.” Samson nodded along. “If only I had my cannon.” The two just gave him a look. “Blast that kitty to pieces!” The bear garuffed a laugh.

“Can that shield hold against that Gatling laser?” Typhon asked. Isaac only shook his head.

“Doubt it. Plus it would only keep me safe…” He noted looking at the other two.

“Terran!” The white fur Tigeron shouted once more. “I’ll give you a count of ten before I put a bullet in this dog’s head!”

“I’m a coyote, ya’ barbed dipstick.” Juke groaned underneath one of the Tigeron’s four arms. Bound and tied up, the coyote marshal couldn’t do much but try and nurse the migraine he was currently suffering from.

“Welp, he’s dead.” Typhon just bowed his head for no more than a second mourning their fallen companion. “Too bad.” There was no hint of remorse in his voice as he looked down at Isaac. “Let’s just get in and get out of here.”

Isaac wanted to say something about that but the counting only grew louder.

“Three… Four!” The Tigeron went on out front with his henchmen circling the landing pad.

“Boss, we don’t got much time left before-,” a grasshopper spoke up to say. He was promptly shot in the chest for interrupting the Tigeron overblown counting. The speeder continued forward, crashing into another docked ship. Exploding on impact.

For every insect of the Noxious blossom shot down, two more seemed to pop up to replace them.

“Five, Terran. Not much time left!” Ba’Tai laughed aloud, mocking them at this point.

“Terran isn’t a number!” Isaac just shouted back, feeling annoyed by all this.

“So you are here! I thought you’d run away, again. Coward.” Ba’Tai only sneered turning to face towards the spot Isaac was hiding. He placed the barrel of his gun against Juke’s head. “Don’t try anything funny. I got an itchy trigger finger.”

“You always were a terrible shot, Tai.” Isaac just shouted back. That took the Tigeron back for a second.

“Oh, ho. You do know me then? I am a rather famous Prince after all.” The Tigeron boasted aloud not seeming to mind that his position was on the line. Whatever he was after was clearly more important than something as a simple title such as prince.

“The last son in a long line, if I recall correctly.” Isaac just shouted back, motioning for Samson and Typhon to move around the other side of the ship while he distracted the tiger. Typhon refused at first and had to be dragged away by the Usra mechanic; Typhon’s nails digging into the metal landing pad as Samson dragged the saberwolf away by his tail.

“A no good, nothing of a prince that is!” Isaac said loudly to distract from the screeching sound of nails digging into metal.

Ba’Tai winced at that, glaring daggers at where Isaac was. The Tigeron motioned with one of his four arms and a speeder swept around the ship. Only to be jumped on by a rather angry disgruntled saberfanged space wolf that ripped the ladybug to shreds. Limb from limb, wing by wing as Typhon crushed the insects carapace with both hands. Covered in bug guts, the speeder shot off with Typhon trying to figure out how to operate it.

“I said no funny business!” Ba’Tai warned.

“I didn’t do shit, buddy.” Isaac just called back. The Terran showed his gun off from the side of the ship and tossed it out into the open. “See. I’m unarmed. I’m doing nothing. I can’t say anything for the poor suckers that got stuck in the middle of this with us, huh, Tai?”

The tiger sneered at the gun. “You think you’re in charge? I got a whole army at my beck and call, just waiting for the word to strike!”

“Then why haven’t you?” Isaac answered back.

“I need to know something.” Ba’Tai brushed a hand through his head fur to smooth it out from the humidity from the planet surface.

“And what’s that, sweetcheeks?” Isaac was tapping away on his left arms panel. The thing wasn’t acting properly. The interference was affecting his arm as well as his eye it seemed, though he wasn’t sure how. Both of them should’ve been independent from each other and even a powerful EMP shouldn’t affect the devices.

The Tigeron had more tricks up their sleeves than the Fleet seemed to be aware of.

“How. How did you manage to start The Stellar Drift?” Ba’Tai was more curious than anything else at this point. It didn’t matter now that the ship was up and running again. Still, a cat’s curiosity could be a dangerous thing in itself and he demanded to know.

“Magic.” Isaac just answered back. No sooner had the words left his lips did he feel the point of a curved dagger press against his back.

Clung to the side of the ship, a chameleon appeared. His body shifting colors back to a slimy green and yellow as a hooked tail wrapped teased underneath Isaac’s chin.

“Don’t move, sweetcheeks.” Artavis said with a cold laugh. “You let your guard down.” The chameleon leered overhead, twisting its neck in an impossible angle to look Isaac in the face with those ever shifting eyes.

“I did, huh?” Isaac raised his hands. The metal bracelet on his wrist slid down his arm, the three opals shining in the sun.

“Don’t even try to activate that there shield of yours…” Cameron Artavis warned deathly, tapping his bracelet with a clawed finger as the lizard pressed against the Terran’s back. A hand caressed Isaac’s cheek, running down before gripping his throat with a three fingers hand.

“Right.” Isaac coughed, struggling to breathe as he was led out from behind the ship with a hooked bone dagger to his back, much like the nail at the end of the chameleon’s tail. “The thought didn’t even cross my mind.” He choked out.

Isaac got a hiss from the lizard at that, a growl of a sound that was far more elongated than the others.

“The first thing I think I’ll cut off is that sharp tongue of yours.” The assassin pressed the dagger roughly against Isaac’s back, causing the human to wince from the sharp prick of pain that soon bled down his back.

“Now, now. He is our guest. No damaging them until we have what we want…” Ba’Tai clasped two hands together, letting Juke fall to the ground next to him.

Tigeron’s were tall, lean creatures and as Ba’Tai walked over to join them Isaac was forced to crane his neck looking upwards at the mischievous smile spreading over the white fur, black striped tiger’s face. A hand grasp Isaac’s chin, the soft tiger paw pads roughly turning it to one side and then to the other. Ba’Tai kept the other three arms behind his back, fully confident his hired gun could manage the situation as he boasted.

“What a strange creature you Terran’s are. So weak. Small. Fragile…” Ba’Tai started with mockingly. “How you can even pose a threat to our great Empire, I’ll never know.” The tiger just shook his head sadly as if sure the advisors had gotten it all wrong.

“We’re just full of spunk, is all.” Isaac spat back after the tiger let his chin go. Ba’Tai chuckled at that.

“Yes, I can see that.” And with a hand wiped the front of his regal robe off as if Isaac had literally spat on him. “Disgusting creatures…” The tiger turned around taking a step away and looking around. “How did you know about the ambush?” He inquired, glancing back with cat like eyes.

“What?” Isaac chuckled though. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“At the embassy!” Ba’Tai nearly shouted, spinning around and snarling at the smaller creature. “I had set it up all! It was elaborate, beautifully cunning, crafty even for my own genius! And you just just… just… walked away!”

“Oh…” Isaac took a second. “We just decided not to go… is all.”

“Oh…” Ba’Tai was taken aback, having to take a moment on that. The tiger licked the back of one of his four hands and brushed it over his cheeks and head, smoothing down his fur once more. “I see. Your dumb luck seems to be carrying you through this.”

Isaac rolled his eyes at that. “I’ve always been rather dumbly lucky.” The Terran dared a glance to the side, seeing Samson off to the side. Unsure where Typhon was, he kept the arrogant Tigeron talking. “It’s been ages and the first thing you do is insult me, Tai?”

Ba’Tai took a second on that, looking the Terran over before focusing on his face. “You must be mistaken, you daft fool. We’ve never met until the other day.”

“Don’t be like that.” Isaac huffed, with a roll of his eyes keeping the conversation going. “Afraid someone else will find out?”

“I am sure I have never acquainted myself with someone as low and pathetic as you, Terran.” Ba’Tai lipped twitched showing a flash of fangs, though he kept it back trying to remain calm and cool in front of their prisoner.

“The academy?” Isaac frowned now. “You can’t fool me. Or you afraid others will be mad you went to a Terran school?” Isaac only pressed.

Ba’Tai was the one frowning now. “Terran. I do not know what kind of strange, primitive game this is… but I have never seen you before in my long, luxurious life. It would be such a waste to limit myself to Terran education.” The tiger did laugh at the very notion.

“But… we…” Isaac was the one to falter. Did he mistake the Tigeron in front of him for his roommate? It was possible. It had been several years… how many years had it been? The Academy. His flight program…

Isaac winced as more static hit his artificial eye, making him cringe back as the biofeedback backlash happened again.

“I… we…” Isaac clenched his hand tightly into a fist.

“I think you broke him, boss.” Artavis laughed pushing the human forward roughly with a hand while twisting his hooked tail around Isaac’s ankle. It was more than enough to make Isaac fall over. “What a pathetic, weak, useless-,”

The lizard never had a chance to finish as a blast of red energy smacked right into his back like a sledgehammer. Artavis was sent flying forward, tumbling over onto the ground limbs going limp as he rolled several feet to the side, his body smoking.

“Don’t move!” The static voice of Sphinx came from within the ship. A Tigeron body suit stepped out, still missing the helmet revealing the empty inside of it.

“What, what, what!” Ba’Tai lifted up his gun only for another shot to fire at him. It missed, aimed towards the side making the Tigeron quickly drop his weapon and hold all four hands up in surrender.

“Sorry for the delay.” Sphinx stepped out holding a galleon cannon sized gun with his four arms. The heavy metal barrel made even the mechanical suit Sphinx was piloting struggle to hold it up. “Damn, Samson must be crazy! To think he’d use something like this.” He cocked the bottom of it, turning it on one of the insect speeders above and fired.

The cannon roared as lights glowed along its sides brightly as the end erupted with a blinding red light. The cannonball sized laser blast took out the speeder, the insect and the nearby street light in one shot. Ripping apart anything that got in its way. The force of the weapon pushed Sphinx back several inches and the end of it was smoking.

“Crazy bastard! I love it!” Sphinx just cheered without a head as he turned it on Ba’Tai. “What’s the plan with this asshole?”

Isaac pushed himself to his feet and dusted himself off. Thoughts ran through his head, making his aritificial eye hurt. He needed to get that looked at if it was acting up this much. Conflicted if he wanted to beat the answers out of this tiger, outright kill him or just…

“We need to go.” Isaac said, not letting his personal beef get in the way. “Killing a prince, even one as low and unimportant as Tai here,” Isaac couldn’t help the jab at the feline’s rank. “Would not be good. In fact, it would be very very bad.” Isaac just winced as he limped over towards Juke, his ankle killing him. That hooked tail had cut his ankle and he was bleeding badly from it. His toes were going numb and he’d need medical treatment before long.

Pulling out a laser edged knife mostly used for opening container crates, Isaac undid Juke’s bindings helping the coyote back to his feet.

“You…” Juke wasn’t sure what to say and Isaac wasn’t about to force a thanks out of him.

The sirens began going off and the three of them could see the automated turrets come back online. The square panels along the side of the landing platform opening up as red lights began spinning around them. With a quick glance, Isaac could see Ba’Tai quickly stashing some kind of device in his back pocket with one of his lower arms. Most likely the thing that had jammed the turrets from going off in the first place.

“Let’s go!” Isaac just said about to run towards the ship and promptly stepping on his cut ankle and falling flat on his face. He laid there for a good ten seconds cursing his very existence.

An ugly beetle’s head was tossed in front of Isaac making the human jump as a loud thud landed by his side. A green gooped Typhon landed next to him with the beetle’s body in hand and one of its arms in the other.

“Need a hand?” Typhon smirked down at him, offering one after tossing the black beetles body to the side. It was covered in that green goop that dripped from his fingers and onto the metal platform before Isaac’s face.

“I rather, no. Just no.” Isaac forced himself up, thankful for the assist from the coyote on his side to help him the rest of the way to the ship. “You need a bath.”

“Only if you scrub my back.” Typhon only wagged before his nose twitched, smelling the blood. “Are you ok?” Typhon grabbed both of Isaac shoulder and shook him roughly, only ending up causing far more damage to the already banged up human.

“Ya’ love birds can fuck for all I care! Just get in the damn ship!” Juke growled at the two, tossing Isaac up to Sphinx who helped the human from the doorway of their ship. “Oi, old man! You comin’ or we leaving yo’ fat ass here!” The disgruntled ‘yote shouted towards Samson who came lumbering up behind.

Samson answered with a shove, forcing Juke inside before grabbing Typhon by the scruff of his neck and tossing him inside too. Soon followed by several crates that he’d been dragging along.

“Did you steal those?” Isaac asked, a bit wide eyed. “There’s going to be so much on my record after all this is said and done…” The Terran was already seeing himself in chains, in front of a courtroom as the prosecuted him for all the sins he’d done thanks to these idiots.

“Nice!” Typhon just cheered.

“At least we got some loot from this trip.” Juke grumbled, rubbing his rear where Samson had hit him. He never minded a good slap to the ass, however a metal Ursa hand was something else.

“What are we space pirates now?” Isaac scampered to his feet, limping still as he made his way towards the front to take the pilots seat. At least he didn’t need his legs to fly.

Sphinx tossed the cannon gun onto the center table before joining Isaac up front, putting back on his helmet as he went.

“Are we pirates now?” Sphinx asked, hopeful his face lighting up with stars for eyes at the idea.

“Gods, I hope not.” Isaac still wanted to be allowed to be buried in the same plot his mother was after his inevitable death from this mad crew.

“What are we then?” Typhon asked, strapping into the seat on Isaac other side. The dark blue fur saberwolf was still covered in green guts and goo from the several insects he’d been hunting down on the platform.

Isaac took a second to look at those with him as the ship started up. At the goo covered spacewolf from a savage alien planet, at the illegal robot AI that went against numerous galactic laws that was his copilot stuck in a Tigeron battle suit; at the older bear mechanic who was busy polishing his gun that could only be called a makeshift ship cannon at this point after call it “my sweet little baby gurl” and finally at the washed up ex-marshal coyote that was currently raiding the liquor cabinet.

“Idiots. We’re all idiots.” Isaac just gave up as he and Sphinx lifted the ship off the platform and angled it towards the heavens above.

The ship engines lit up like the morning sun, burning ever brighter as the core turned on and soon enough they were launching upwards towards the atmosphere of the planet. Warning lights flashed and the translucent blue shield brightened up around them as the gun turrets fired from the town they had, somewhat, raided and pillaged before escaping back into the safety of space.

The orbital defense system activated and only thanks to the credentials Isaac had gotten from the officer on the platform, registering they owned the ship, could they breach the planet’s safety net and out into open space. The diamond shaped vessel spun slowly as it began to build up its jump engine.

“Looks like we’re in the clear.” Isaac said going over each thing before initiating the jump. The light around the ship began to fold and elongate, stretching out behind them as the coordinates were set in.

“Where too?” Sphinx was the one to ask at his side, using all four arms to tap away on the console in front of him.

“Anywhere but here.” Isaac just shrugged.

He would be a wanted man by the Tigeron’s for this. Ba’Tai would pull any strings he needed to hunt Isaac down for such an affront to his pride and an insult to his rank and status, something deathly important to Tigeron culture. Isaac was probably already a criminal from The Fleet for not turning Typhon in and being gone for so long; or just marked as dead at this point. Riding along with the very alien that had abducted him in this crew of misfits.

Then there was the whole illegal AI that was his co-pilot and a coyote he was sure he couldn’t trust at this point who was busy getting sloshed on the sofa behind them. Next to their mechanic who was whispering sweet nothings in a baby voice to his precious, Isaac was sure, illegally hand crafted cannon.

There really was no place they could just up and go.

“Let’s just go, past the stars and float away from here.” Isaac sighed heavily as he rested back. Only then recalling he was bleeding out and quickly made his way towards med bay with a very unhelpful space wolf hounding after him.

“What a freaking week this has been.” Isaac could only curse as he slammed the door shut in Typhon’s face, sure the spacewolf was waiting on the other side for him.

He didn’t need to see his cracked reflection to know how fucked up he was. Isaac just washed his face off, bandaged his wounds and ended up staring into the blood mixed water of the sink. It took a good couple of minutes and Isaac had to assure Typhon everything was fine as the Terran disconnected and pulled out his cybernetic eye.

Placing the metal device on the side of the sink, he rinsed out the socket. Staring down with his one good eye at the mixture of blood and black in the running faucet.

“Black?” Isaac frowned at that before daring to look up at his own reflection.

At the cracked mirror before him, of the man with a socket less eye and of the black blood dripping down his face…

…

“You’ve seen it before haven’t you!” Ba’Tai had said the very last day Isaac had seen him. “It’s there. It’s in you… your… your sick, Isaac! You need help.”

“Shut up!” Isaac could recall his own words echoing back to him as the sludge dripped from his own eye.

“Let me get the nurse at least. We can just,” Ba’Tai had moved towards their dorms door.

“I said shut up!” Isaac winced at the heavy bang of a sound. Of the thud that hit the floor shortly after and of the blank, died eyes of his roommate looking up at him.

It had been an accident… he was sure. There was so much blood. And those eyes kept watching him even then, even now.

“Isaac… the stars are falling…”

End Part One.