** content warning: violence, injuries, death **
There weren't any windows in the back of the troop carrier, not that I'd have been able to see much anyways since it was nearly midnight. I figured we were probably staying close to the ground though, to avoid showing up on anyone's sensors.
We'd only been under way for a couple minutes when the mission leader's voice came t...
2025-10-17 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post"I think Hannes is mad at me," Theo commented quietly as he rested his chin on his front paws and wrapped his tail around his side.
Stef responded softly, "I don't think he's upset with you personally. It's Gaia's message that's got him on edge."
I agreed then added, "I'm not sure what sort of negotiating he was expecting to do today, but it definitely didn't help his cause having A...
2025-10-16 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View PostLike I figured, Rebecca and I didn't get back to the Demeter until morning. It was a couple hours after sunrise in Ganvis when the two of us emerged from the shuttle and found the rest of the crew waiting outside the airlock to greet us.
"So how'd it go?" Sarah asked as she held out a couple mugs of coffee for us.
Jenna added, "What's the plan? I take it Lady Magniveen opted to rem...
2025-10-15 10:22:14 +0000 UTC View Post"If your intention is to continue your current employment," Athene replied in their typical calm level tone, "Then I would suggest you arrange a meeting with your employer's Human Resources department as quickly as possible."
They gestured towards the envelope they'd just handed me as they continued, "Simply show them everything I've just given you, and they should be able to update your ...
2025-10-14 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Why don't you take the right-hand seat?" Rebecca suggested as we boarded the Demeter's shuttle. "I'll button up the airlock while you're doing the pre-flight."
I grimaced as I looked from the pilot seat to the star-filled night sky out the windows, then suppressed a shudder. "Actually how about you take the controls while I seal the hatch? Last time I had to fly the shuttle you and my si...
2025-10-13 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View PostAs promised I prepared a nice lunch for my girlfriends and shipmates, then Sarah and I spent some quality time cuddling with Rebecca on the sofa in the ship's lounge. My tail somehow ended up on our captain's lap, so she could stroke my floof or hug it against her chest as necessary.
Meanwhile Jaycee Cam and Jenna stayed at the table in the mess. The three of them played some cards at fi...
2025-10-10 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: brief mention of injuries & gore **
My girlfriend's announcement about potentially going after General Sidex on her own led to another somewhat heated discussion, mostly between her and Lady Magniveen.
I'd have almost called it an argument, except the young noblewoman wouldn't actually argue with her princess. She came pretty close though, as she di...
2025-10-08 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: mention of injuries & deaths **
"Good luck with your pa Miss Jaycee," Cammie said as we all headed down the Demeter's ramp and out into the open air. The catgirl's ears and tail all drooped when she added, "I'm real sorry about your ma."
The brunette responded with a sad smile, "Thanks Cam. You be careful now ok? I'll see you later on, I'm coming bac...
2025-10-06 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View Post=::= Jenny's PoV =::=
"I know you believe you already know how my Re/Gen capsule functions," I told Nyssa as I tried to maintain my calm professional demeanour, "But it really is in your best interest to pay close attention during this briefing."
The perplexing young woman nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah go on Jenny, I'm listening."
I found that somewhat hard to ...
2025-10-03 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View PostHannah and Athene hung around for another hour or so after we'd all finished dinner, then they pitched in and helped tidy up afterwards. I did too, and soon enough we had all the left-overs in Luna's fridge while the dishes and cutlery were washed and dried and put away.
Finally when the tall redhead and their enbyfriend decided to head out I figured I ought to do the same. After working ...
2025-10-02 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: mention of injuries & deaths **
I found Nyssa resting on the lower bunk in the guest cabin. And since I had my medkit with me, what was supposed to be just a quick check turned into some minor surgery. I administered a sedative and some painkillers first, then spent a good thirty minutes or so extracting as many bullet fragments as I could from my little s...
2025-10-01 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post=::= Jace Wheeler's PoV =::=
"Wow," I frowned as it all sank in. "So that's ah..."
My voice trailed off and I slowly shook my head as I glanced around one more time. The small white room was completely featureless, there weren't any doors or windows, no way in or out. There wasn't any obvious source of light either, but I could see just fine.
Not that there wa...
2025-09-29 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: violence; injuries; gore; death **
I found myself laying on my back on the ground, gasping as I tried to catch my breath. My ears were ringing, and I hurt all over from several small cuts and bruises. As near as I could tell though I wasn't seriously injured, so I grabbed my weapon and pulled myself upright.
Jenna and Rebecca were both doing the same, th...
2025-09-26 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post"I'm just saying, look how easily she diverted that river!" Charlotte insisted as she gestured towards the image on her new phone screen. "The Thames isn't some little stream, it's a proper serious waterway! And that little dog-girl stopped it in its tracks with her magic, then sent it up over the banks and into the city!"
Flora looked like she was fighting back a smile as she replied, "I...
2025-09-25 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: violence; injuries; death **
We were all at our positions when the Demeter dropped out of jump, and as usual I began a routine sensor sweep of the immediate vicinity while Rebecca verified our position and heading. And when everything checked out we continued on our approach to Deveron-8.
Not much had changed since my last visit to that world, with one b...
2025-09-24 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: brief violence, injury **
The building shook a little harder, causing several cracks started to appear in the outer wall. They quickly reached from the floor to the ceiling, in between the large bullet-proof windows.
My ears folded back and my tails hung down low behind me as I addressed my parents, "Mom, dad? We should probably move away from the window...
2025-09-23 10:22:02 +0000 UTC View PostIt turned out we didn't really have much in the way of plans, mostly because the boss wanted to stick around incase Tamsin wrapped up her analysis early.
That evening Rebecca took Sarah and I out for a fancy dinner in the city. She invited Cammie and Jenna too, but they both decided to stay with the ship and keep Jenny company. And since it was just the three of us we ended up visiting on...
2025-09-22 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View PostIn the end we all agreed to continue our level zero jump to Rolandan-2.
We had enough fuel on board to safely abort the jump and return to that outpost at Jump-0, and we probably would have had enough fuel remaining to make it back to Rolandan-2 again afterwards. But it would have been cutting things close, and it would have added another two to three days to our ETA.
The bottom li...
2025-09-19 10:22:02 +0000 UTC View Post"I'm sorry tonight was such a waste of time," I commented as Jenna and I settled together into the big pillow-pile in our bedroom.
"Maybe I was wrong about Miss Underwood," I added with a sigh. "I really thought she'd listen to us. I thought she'd take your warnings seriously."
My girlfriend cuddled up close against my side, although she was also clutching her big plush pink pony to...
2025-09-18 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View Post"So I'm about eighty-percent positive these twin turrets are pulse-lasers," Sarah announced after inspecting yet another of the weapon systems stacked up in the Demeter's primary hold.
Rebecca shrugged, "I'm sure Tamsin will figure it out. So that's what, seven of these things that look in good shape? And two more that are probably only good for spare parts."
I nodded, "Right. Seven...
2025-09-17 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View PostMe (1:45 pm): Hello Miss Underwood. I know you must be very busy and I'm sorry to bother you like this, but something's come up that I believe is very important, and it involves (or maybe affects) you. It's too complicated to try and explain over a text message, so I'm wondering if there's any chance we could meet again sometime soon? Like this afternoon? Or tonight?
Me (4:15...
2025-09-16 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Loke seemed to believe the outpost's Re/Gen unit could be repaired," Jenny commented sadly as she looked to her feline girlfriend. "You don't share his optimism?"
Cammie's ears and tail all drooped as she sighed, "The power couplers were completely fused. That's an easy repair though, me and Sarah could fix up a whole new set in no time at all. It's just, the problem's a lot bigger than ...
2025-09-15 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Amandaaaaa! I'm bored!"
Nyssa's whiny voice immediately sent me into a cringe, while my ears folded back and my tail tucked down under my chair. It was almost enough to make me stop the recording right then and there. Fortunately it seemed like she was just kidding around with me, so I let it keep playing.
"Sorry sis," she grinned into the camera, "I couldn't resist. Anyways guess...
2025-09-12 10:22:02 +0000 UTC View Post"We're in," Sarah announced over the comm. "Through the outer doors anyways. The inner ones look pretty standard, no armour plating. Shouldn't take long to get them open."
Cam added, "I'm resealing the outer doors now."
"Alright," Rebecca replied. "Keep us updated on your progress."
My tail twitched as I tried to suppress a smile. The corners of my lips kept pulling upwards th...
2025-09-10 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View Post"Hey love," I said as I sat down on the sofa next to Jenna. I slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle side-hug then asked, "How are you doing?"
She'd been sitting in the living-room all morning, alternating between cuddling with her big pink plushie pony and staring at her camera's built-in screen like she was studying the pictures she took yesterday at the nature reserv...
2025-09-09 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: brief mention of death **
"Thank you Major Ruud," the AI responded, and this time I didn't detect any stress in his voice. He sounded relieved but weary as he continued, "I appreciate the kind words. And I'm happy that order came from a friendly voice."
"You're welcome -" I started to reply, but he'd already closed the channel on me.
It was only an...
2025-09-08 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post** content warning: this chapter may be upsetting to sensitive readers; unintentional deadnaming; implied death **
=::= Jenny's PoV =::=
I let my holographic instance fade from the cockpit while the captain held the ship steady just outside tractor-beam range. Then my HPD went into standby mode as I shifted my awareness to my internal cockpit simulation. 2025-09-05 10:22:02 +0000 UTC View Post
=::= Jenna's PoV =::=
I couldn't help feeling anxious as I stared at the guy... hiker... person... entity. Meanwhile he smiled quietly at us while he sat crosslegged just inside the mouth of the cave.
It was bad enough that he somehow knew my name, but then he had to go and recite those lines of poetry. I'd almost forgotten about that Petunia greeting card, since i...
2025-09-04 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe next morning Rebecca and I were up bright and early. There was no reason for Sarah to get up too, but she joined us in solidarity. As soon as we were all presentable the three of us headed out to the ship's mess, where we found Nyssa already up and waiting with a coffee in hand.
"G'morning sis," I smiled. "I'm glad to see you're ready to dive into the training."
She made a face...
2025-09-03 10:22:00 +0000 UTC View PostNone of us were surprised that Gwen didn't want to go clubbing with us that evening, although I got the impression Sarah may have been a little disappointed.
Cammie and Jenna weren't interested in dancing either, and remembering how out of place our catgirl mechanic seemed that time we were in a nightclub with Tamsin I honestly wasn't too surprised about that either. Instead Cam and Jenn...
2025-09-01 10:22:01 +0000 UTC View Post