Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 5

“I’m sorry,” Tari whispered, nose nuzzled into the crook of Jadyn’s neck.

“Whatever for?”

“Interrupting breakfast for… this.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I should be the one offering an apology for not making this a worthwhile time in your ongoing exobiology research. I kind of let you down, I think.”

“No, no. Trust me, I’m good.”

“Mmm… I will make it up to you, though. It’ll have to be sometime after I actually get more than an hour’s nap.” Yawning, he forced himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. “I really wish I knew why I’ve been so worn out… I guess, thinking about it… I’ve pushed myself a little harder as of late than I’m used to, getting those seals undone… It was a long couple of days before you came into -“

First Contact, Part 1

“This is not how I pictured First Contact.” Casi winced, adjusting her vest. “Not in the most distant possibilities I imagined…”

Jadyn raised his eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Greeting a handful of presumably terrified survivors in the cramped embarkation room of a starcutter, while stuck wearing a bulky, itchy, uncomfortable uniform? This is not optimal.”

Casi had donned a mostly standard Commonwealth Fleet uniform. The sleeveless vest-top had been adapted to allow room for her wings, mainly by removing most of the fabric on her back and reinforcing the surrounding seams. Whereas the new Commonwealth Fleet uniforms were generally gray with color offsets representing the duty class, hers was the Councilor’s standard: all white with a cerulean blue stripe running from the neck down her left leg.

Fieldwork

38 Desca, 2799; August 28, 2047.

“You requested my presence, Madam Speaker?”

“I have one item from the session to finish reviewing before we can talk. Do make yourself comfortable.”

Jadyn strode across the large octagonal office of the Speaker of the Commonwealth Council, taking a seat in the middle of three wooden chairs. On the opposite side of the large black marble desk sat the youngest to ever hold the office of Speaker. Casiandra Jubah had done incredible wonders in her four years of leading the Commonwealth. Among other things, she’d supported and helped achieve the passing of a motion to alter the name and function of the haphazard grouping of cultures. The rather dated ‘Aligned Worlds’ charter had been completely redrafted, replaced by the ‘Commonwealth of United Worlds.’ Her crowning achievement, single-handedly convincing over two dozen estranged colonies to resume their seats on the Council and have their grievances addressed, had finally dissolved the movements spreading rumors that she was too ineffectual and too vapid to guide the Commonwealth.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 5

“I’m sorry,” Tari whispered, nose nuzzled into the crook of Jadyn’s neck.

“Whatever for?”

“Interrupting breakfast for… this.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I should be the one offering an apology for not making this a worthwhile time in your ongoing exobiology research. I kind of let you down, I think.”

“No, no. Trust me, I’m good.”

“Mmm… I will make it up to you, though. It’ll have to be sometime after I actually get more than an hour’s nap.” Yawning, he forced himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. “I really wish I knew why I’ve been so worn out… I guess, thinking about it… I’ve pushed myself a little harder as of late than I’m used to, getting those seals undone… It was a long couple of days before you came into -“

First Contact, Part 1

“This is not how I pictured First Contact.” Casi winced, adjusting her vest. “Not in the most distant possibilities I imagined…”

Jadyn raised his eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Greeting a handful of presumably terrified survivors in the cramped embarkation room of a starcutter, while stuck wearing a bulky, itchy, uncomfortable uniform? This is not optimal.”

Casi had donned a mostly standard Commonwealth Fleet uniform. The sleeveless vest-top had been adapted to allow room for her wings, mainly by removing most of the fabric on her back and reinforcing the surrounding seams. Whereas the new Commonwealth Fleet uniforms were generally gray with color offsets representing the duty class, hers was the Councilor’s standard: all white with a cerulean blue stripe running from the neck down her left leg.

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Fieldwork

38 Desca, 2799; August 28, 2047.

“You requested my presence, Madam Speaker?”

“I have one item from the session to finish reviewing before we can talk. Do make yourself comfortable.”

Jadyn strode across the large octagonal office of the Speaker of the Commonwealth Council, taking a seat in the middle of three wooden chairs. On the opposite side of the large black marble desk sat the youngest to ever hold the office of Speaker. Casiandra Jubah had done incredible wonders in her four years of leading the Commonwealth. Among other things, she’d supported and helped achieve the passing of a motion to alter the name and function of the haphazard grouping of cultures. The rather dated ‘Aligned Worlds’ charter had been completely redrafted, replaced by the ‘Commonwealth of United Worlds.’ Her crowning achievement, single-handedly convincing over two dozen estranged colonies to resume their seats on the Council and have their grievances addressed, had finally dissolved the movements spreading rumors that she was too ineffectual and too vapid to guide the Commonwealth.

Impending Doom Syndrome

Late-night traffic and pedestrians filled the street outside the bookstore as Jadyn stared out the windows. With both diurnal and nocturnal species calling the city ‘home,’ Azainte almost always buzzed with some level of activity. Very few hours of the day saw the streets completely empty. Not every one of the planet’s stores kept open twenty-eight hours a day, though - the original outlet was one of the few.

The night staff had every part of their routine down to an absolute science. He’d tried to help out behind the food counter, but quickly discovered he was merely a hindrance in his current state of mind. After trying to do other menial tasks, he’d finally volunteered to just stay out of the way as they went about their work, an act that had in no small way relieved the entire crew. Parking himself in a corner of the cafe, he quickly found himself wondering why he’d bothered to come in. Even with the busy spurt that had rolled through not an hour before, they had kept everything perfectly covered.

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 5

“I’m sorry,” Tari whispered, nose nuzzled into the crook of Jadyn’s neck.

“Whatever for?”

“Interrupting breakfast for… this.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I should be the one offering an apology for not making this a worthwhile time in your ongoing exobiology research. I kind of let you down, I think.”

“No, no. Trust me, I’m good.”

“Mmm… I will make it up to you, though. It’ll have to be sometime after I actually get more than an hour’s nap.” Yawning, he forced himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. “I really wish I knew why I’ve been so worn out… I guess, thinking about it… I’ve pushed myself a little harder as of late than I’m used to, getting those seals undone… It was a long couple of days before you came into -“

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Impending Doom Syndrome

Late-night traffic and pedestrians filled the street outside the bookstore as Jadyn stared out the windows. With both diurnal and nocturnal species calling the city ‘home,’ Azainte almost always buzzed with some level of activity. Very few hours of the day saw the streets completely empty. Not every one of the planet’s stores kept open twenty-eight hours a day, though - the original outlet was one of the few.

The night staff had every part of their routine down to an absolute science. He’d tried to help out behind the food counter, but quickly discovered he was merely a hindrance in his current state of mind. After trying to do other menial tasks, he’d finally volunteered to just stay out of the way as they went about their work, an act that had in no small way relieved the entire crew. Parking himself in a corner of the cafe, he quickly found himself wondering why he’d bothered to come in. Even with the busy spurt that had rolled through not an hour before, they had kept everything perfectly covered.

First Contact, Part 1

“This is not how I pictured First Contact.” Casi winced, adjusting her vest. “Not in the most distant possibilities I imagined…”

Jadyn raised his eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Greeting a handful of presumably terrified survivors in the cramped embarkation room of a starcutter, while stuck wearing a bulky, itchy, uncomfortable uniform? This is not optimal.”

Casi had donned a mostly standard Commonwealth Fleet uniform. The sleeveless vest-top had been adapted to allow room for her wings, mainly by removing most of the fabric on her back and reinforcing the surrounding seams. Whereas the new Commonwealth Fleet uniforms were generally gray with color offsets representing the duty class, hers was the Councilor’s standard: all white with a cerulean blue stripe running from the neck down her left leg.

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Fieldwork

38 Desca, 2799; August 28, 2047.

“You requested my presence, Madam Speaker?”

“I have one item from the session to finish reviewing before we can talk. Do make yourself comfortable.”

Jadyn strode across the large octagonal office of the Speaker of the Commonwealth Council, taking a seat in the middle of three wooden chairs. On the opposite side of the large black marble desk sat the youngest to ever hold the office of Speaker. Casiandra Jubah had done incredible wonders in her four years of leading the Commonwealth. Among other things, she’d supported and helped achieve the passing of a motion to alter the name and function of the haphazard grouping of cultures. The rather dated ‘Aligned Worlds’ charter had been completely redrafted, replaced by the ‘Commonwealth of United Worlds.’ Her crowning achievement, single-handedly convincing over two dozen estranged colonies to resume their seats on the Council and have their grievances addressed, had finally dissolved the movements spreading rumors that she was too ineffectual and too vapid to guide the Commonwealth.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 5

“I’m sorry,” Tari whispered, nose nuzzled into the crook of Jadyn’s neck.

“Whatever for?”

“Interrupting breakfast for… this.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I should be the one offering an apology for not making this a worthwhile time in your ongoing exobiology research. I kind of let you down, I think.”

“No, no. Trust me, I’m good.”

“Mmm… I will make it up to you, though. It’ll have to be sometime after I actually get more than an hour’s nap.” Yawning, he forced himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. “I really wish I knew why I’ve been so worn out… I guess, thinking about it… I’ve pushed myself a little harder as of late than I’m used to, getting those seals undone… It was a long couple of days before you came into -“

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Impending Doom Syndrome

Late-night traffic and pedestrians filled the street outside the bookstore as Jadyn stared out the windows. With both diurnal and nocturnal species calling the city ‘home,’ Azainte almost always buzzed with some level of activity. Very few hours of the day saw the streets completely empty. Not every one of the planet’s stores kept open twenty-eight hours a day, though - the original outlet was one of the few.

The night staff had every part of their routine down to an absolute science. He’d tried to help out behind the food counter, but quickly discovered he was merely a hindrance in his current state of mind. After trying to do other menial tasks, he’d finally volunteered to just stay out of the way as they went about their work, an act that had in no small way relieved the entire crew. Parking himself in a corner of the cafe, he quickly found himself wondering why he’d bothered to come in. Even with the busy spurt that had rolled through not an hour before, they had kept everything perfectly covered.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 5

“I’m sorry,” Tari whispered, nose nuzzled into the crook of Jadyn’s neck.

“Whatever for?”

“Interrupting breakfast for… this.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I should be the one offering an apology for not making this a worthwhile time in your ongoing exobiology research. I kind of let you down, I think.”

“No, no. Trust me, I’m good.”

“Mmm… I will make it up to you, though. It’ll have to be sometime after I actually get more than an hour’s nap.” Yawning, he forced himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. “I really wish I knew why I’ve been so worn out… I guess, thinking about it… I’ve pushed myself a little harder as of late than I’m used to, getting those seals undone… It was a long couple of days before you came into -“

First Contact, Part 1

“This is not how I pictured First Contact.” Casi winced, adjusting her vest. “Not in the most distant possibilities I imagined…”

Jadyn raised his eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Greeting a handful of presumably terrified survivors in the cramped embarkation room of a starcutter, while stuck wearing a bulky, itchy, uncomfortable uniform? This is not optimal.”

Casi had donned a mostly standard Commonwealth Fleet uniform. The sleeveless vest-top had been adapted to allow room for her wings, mainly by removing most of the fabric on her back and reinforcing the surrounding seams. Whereas the new Commonwealth Fleet uniforms were generally gray with color offsets representing the duty class, hers was the Councilor’s standard: all white with a cerulean blue stripe running from the neck down her left leg.

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Impending Doom Syndrome

Late-night traffic and pedestrians filled the street outside the bookstore as Jadyn stared out the windows. With both diurnal and nocturnal species calling the city ‘home,’ Azainte almost always buzzed with some level of activity. Very few hours of the day saw the streets completely empty. Not every one of the planet’s stores kept open twenty-eight hours a day, though - the original outlet was one of the few.

The night staff had every part of their routine down to an absolute science. He’d tried to help out behind the food counter, but quickly discovered he was merely a hindrance in his current state of mind. After trying to do other menial tasks, he’d finally volunteered to just stay out of the way as they went about their work, an act that had in no small way relieved the entire crew. Parking himself in a corner of the cafe, he quickly found himself wondering why he’d bothered to come in. Even with the busy spurt that had rolled through not an hour before, they had kept everything perfectly covered.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 5

“I’m sorry,” Tari whispered, nose nuzzled into the crook of Jadyn’s neck.

“Whatever for?”

“Interrupting breakfast for… this.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I should be the one offering an apology for not making this a worthwhile time in your ongoing exobiology research. I kind of let you down, I think.”

“No, no. Trust me, I’m good.”

“Mmm… I will make it up to you, though. It’ll have to be sometime after I actually get more than an hour’s nap.” Yawning, he forced himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. “I really wish I knew why I’ve been so worn out… I guess, thinking about it… I’ve pushed myself a little harder as of late than I’m used to, getting those seals undone… It was a long couple of days before you came into -“

First Contact, Part 1

“This is not how I pictured First Contact.” Casi winced, adjusting her vest. “Not in the most distant possibilities I imagined…”

Jadyn raised his eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Greeting a handful of presumably terrified survivors in the cramped embarkation room of a starcutter, while stuck wearing a bulky, itchy, uncomfortable uniform? This is not optimal.”

Casi had donned a mostly standard Commonwealth Fleet uniform. The sleeveless vest-top had been adapted to allow room for her wings, mainly by removing most of the fabric on her back and reinforcing the surrounding seams. Whereas the new Commonwealth Fleet uniforms were generally gray with color offsets representing the duty class, hers was the Councilor’s standard: all white with a cerulean blue stripe running from the neck down her left leg.

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Impending Doom Syndrome

Late-night traffic and pedestrians filled the street outside the bookstore as Jadyn stared out the windows. With both diurnal and nocturnal species calling the city ‘home,’ Azainte almost always buzzed with some level of activity. Very few hours of the day saw the streets completely empty. Not every one of the planet’s stores kept open twenty-eight hours a day, though - the original outlet was one of the few.

The night staff had every part of their routine down to an absolute science. He’d tried to help out behind the food counter, but quickly discovered he was merely a hindrance in his current state of mind. After trying to do other menial tasks, he’d finally volunteered to just stay out of the way as they went about their work, an act that had in no small way relieved the entire crew. Parking himself in a corner of the cafe, he quickly found himself wondering why he’d bothered to come in. Even with the busy spurt that had rolled through not an hour before, they had kept everything perfectly covered.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”

Awakening, Part 7

“If you really wanted to distract me this morning, you should have brought me here,” Alecha observed.

Tari winced, smiling sheepishly as Alecha grinned back at her. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hm. I do appreciate the effort — but this…” The salt and pepper vixen gestured at the gardens laid out before them. “This would have done it.”

They’d crossed from the J’Ruhn to Terac Lun, just for a change of scenery. The mini-tour of Azainte presented only a small cross-section of local species, mostly velorian with a few feldaran and some others she’d been unable to name; far more as-yet-unknown species milled about in the space station’s public gardens. Some in Councilor attire, relaxing after the day’s session; others clearly aides or pages passing through as they darted from one place to another. Several wore no indication of anything at all — perhaps civilians, sightseers like themselves.

Awakening, Part 5

“I’m sorry,” Tari whispered, nose nuzzled into the crook of Jadyn’s neck.

“Whatever for?”

“Interrupting breakfast for… this.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I should be the one offering an apology for not making this a worthwhile time in your ongoing exobiology research. I kind of let you down, I think.”

“No, no. Trust me, I’m good.”

“Mmm… I will make it up to you, though. It’ll have to be sometime after I actually get more than an hour’s nap.” Yawning, he forced himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. “I really wish I knew why I’ve been so worn out… I guess, thinking about it… I’ve pushed myself a little harder as of late than I’m used to, getting those seals undone… It was a long couple of days before you came into -“

Armada

The little white fox cowered in fear, teal eyes staring plaintively at its aggressor. With a snarl, Tari grabbed the spirit beast by the scruff of its neck and stared it in the eye.

“You had no right!” she shrieked, shaking the unsettled fox. “I don’t care how desperate you are - that is never an option!”

The manifestation of her kitsune spirit yelped as it was thrown across the dreamscape, landing roughly beside the dissolving husk of the blue Val’Traxan. The little of his energy it had not consumed was no longer capable of maintaining his imprint; all that was visibly left of him was his torso and upwards. He’d fallen unconscious just after Sanusin had seen through Tari’s impersonation of him. By the time she had a free second to turn her attention inward, he’d been half gone.

Impending Doom Syndrome

Late-night traffic and pedestrians filled the street outside the bookstore as Jadyn stared out the windows. With both diurnal and nocturnal species calling the city ‘home,’ Azainte almost always buzzed with some level of activity. Very few hours of the day saw the streets completely empty. Not every one of the planet’s stores kept open twenty-eight hours a day, though - the original outlet was one of the few.

The night staff had every part of their routine down to an absolute science. He’d tried to help out behind the food counter, but quickly discovered he was merely a hindrance in his current state of mind. After trying to do other menial tasks, he’d finally volunteered to just stay out of the way as they went about their work, an act that had in no small way relieved the entire crew. Parking himself in a corner of the cafe, he quickly found himself wondering why he’d bothered to come in. Even with the busy spurt that had rolled through not an hour before, they had kept everything perfectly covered.

First Contact, Part 1

“This is not how I pictured First Contact.” Casi winced, adjusting her vest. “Not in the most distant possibilities I imagined…”

Jadyn raised his eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Greeting a handful of presumably terrified survivors in the cramped embarkation room of a starcutter, while stuck wearing a bulky, itchy, uncomfortable uniform? This is not optimal.”

Casi had donned a mostly standard Commonwealth Fleet uniform. The sleeveless vest-top had been adapted to allow room for her wings, mainly by removing most of the fabric on her back and reinforcing the surrounding seams. Whereas the new Commonwealth Fleet uniforms were generally gray with color offsets representing the duty class, hers was the Councilor’s standard: all white with a cerulean blue stripe running from the neck down her left leg.

Awakening, Part 10

Alecha managed four steps toward the gallery’s gravlift before Jadyn grabbed her shoulder, abruptly dragging her to a stop. “Hold on.”

“She just said—”

“She’s lying,” Jadyn asserted.

Astonishment spread through the vixen’s countenance. Her incredulous stare remained fixed on him as he let her shoulder go. “She can lie? To you?”

“T’bia and I have a very unique working relationship,” he gently explained, scratching distractedly at an itch on his left bicep. “She’s kept me a generally sane and reasonable individual over the many years we’ve traveled together by attempting to drive me crazy at every opportunity she gets. At times it is inconvenient to parse what exactly she’s relating, to sift the information and the noise… This one’s easy. She knows I’m nearly asleep on my feet, so she thinks she doesn’t have to try very hard. There’s one glaring error in what she told us about Tari that gives it away.”