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Chapter 5 of Star Hopper, a furry novel that I have worked on and off for the past two years and finally finished! As soon as all the chapters are uploaded you can actually buy a copy on Lulu.com if you want (around 7 or 8 usd). Also I've had to edit this myself so please disreguard adn typos that you find that i've missed and enjoy the book!

5

Ian awoke to the feeling of cold water splashing in his face and sat up in a flash sucking in air.

"What's going on?"

He glanced around his surroundings and found that Bot, Colleen and the wolf with a scar stretching from his forehead to neck, all staring at him. Colleen's eyes were still a red hue, if not a bit darker and her red line was still as vibrant as ever.

"How long have I been out?"

"About ten minutes." The wolf answered him.

Ian rubbed his forehead with a paw, "Trent what the hell happened?"

Trent smiled, "I didn't want to just walk up and say 'oh hey I'm alive.'"

Colleen was about to pull her fur out, "What the hell going on here?"

Trent put a paw out and helped Ian up from the ground, "jeez, you didn't bother to move me to a bed or anything?"

"Nah, I don't have one."

Trent then pulled up a rickety chair for Ian to sit in, who offered his thanks.

"No problem, but it looks like I have some explaining to do."

He sighed, "It's kind of a long story, so settle in." But before he could start Colleen interjected, "wait just hold on a second! Who even is this guy? He wouldn't tell me anything!"

"Hold your horses" Trent said with an attitude, "I was getting to that. You see, whoever you are!" He pointed at Colleen, "I was his pilot back in the day, back when he had a crew."

"If you're part of the crew then why aren't you dead? Ian you said they were supposed to be dead!"

Trent scoffed, "She does not shut up, where did you find this hooker and why is she even here and Ian? What's up this that name?"

Ian rolled his eyes, "That's my real name, Ian and you happen to be looking at one of the Princesses personal servants. Trent meet..." Ian thought for a second, if Trent knew her name, he'd know how she is, he had to make one up. "Aspen."

Ian saw Colleens expression, but discreetly gave her a hand signal to simmer down.

Trent looked the fox over and nodded as he did so, "you did pretty good for yourself."

"Oh shut up!" Ian punched Trent in the shoulder.

Trent rubbed his shoulder, "What? I was serious, she's cute!" He made his realization, "does that mean that you and her aren't, you know." He took his index fingers and pointed them at each other.

There was an awkward silence as the two waited for each other to answer the question, Trent took advantage of the opportunity.

"Oh, ok." Trent said and then slid his chair to sit next to Colleen, "more for me then."

Colleen then slid her chair to be next to Ian, Trent smirked. "Ok, I see how it is."

Ian leaned forward a bit so his elbows rested on his legs, "So what happened with you?"

"Well, again it's a long story, do you remember when Commander Ashtin, well Captain back then, found us outside the supremacy."

Ian nodded while Colleen listened.

"When he attacked us, you ordered to fight back and blah-de-blah-blah. Unfortunately our weapons were not at full potential because we'd just raided Ridlyyn and they needed recharging. After about an hour of fighting they shot out our engines, you remember."

Ian nodded.

" Anyway it shot me out of the pilots chair and their ship attached to ours, we all got to defensive positions. When it was seen as pointless, Ender." He paused for a second "Well you know that part, after you jettisoned we held them for 40 minutes and during that I saw every one of the crew fall one by one. At the end it was just Mitch and I holding off the entire crew of his ship, Mitch took a shot in the leg and fell still shooting. By then my plasma rifle and pistol were both drained, Captain Ashtin walked up after Mitch's core was out and without a word shot him directly in the head. He then proceeded to grab me by the collar and dragged me back to his ship where I watched him blow up our ship and all the remains of our crew and Black son. For the next three years I was his prisoner, off the record of course, and somewhere in that time I got this scar from one of the beatings that he administered on a regular basis. I hoped and prayed for salvation and it came in the form of a new assistant that Ashtin had gotten. A beautiful wolf by the name of Kilda, she and I got involved with each other. You could say that we loved each other."

Trent's eyes began to float, "Her eyes...ears, oh god I miss her. But she couldn't hide it from Commander Ashtin for very long and during a mock battle exercise she hid me in an escape pod and gave me one last kiss saying that we'll see each other soon."

His head sank, "I spent a month in that pod before crashing here and making it my home, luckily people leave me alone for the most part."

His eyes went back to that lifted look as he thought about his lover, and Ian let the story sink in.

"Trent, how was Kilda on that ship, the Ragnarok, they don't allow females on battle ships."

"It's not technically classified as a battle ship." He said, "so females were allowed to serve on it for short periods of time, I think for like a year at the most or something. Plus, I think that Commander Ashtin had it for her and wanted her around."

He began to growl, "but if he does so much as lay a paw on her I will rip out his neck."

Ian met eyes with Colleen and then looked back at his old friend, "You won't have to worry about that anymore."

A confused look took over his eyes, "why, what do you mean?"

The dark furred fox took a shallow breath, "Commander Ashtin's ship was destroyed not too long ago."

"Oh" He said.

Suddenly, a loud obnoxious beeping sound erupted throughout the small hut,

"Uh, Trent, what's that?"

He got up with a stern look on his face, "We have to go now." The wolf hurried and looked up out the window, nothing was there.

"Trent what's going on!"

He went around his little hut collecting odds and ends and placing them in a grey rucksack that had seen years you use, then he swung it around his shoulder, he glanced at the two statues in the room.

"Come on guys! A military ship is on its way here, that's what that alarm means. I have this hideout outside of town that we can go to and let them swing by, it's probably a routine check but we should move."

Ian looked at Bot who tweaked his head in the general direction of his little star hopper. "No Trent, you're coming with me. My ship isn't far from here and hopefully we can get out of the system before they arrive." He turned to Colleen, "come on lets go."

Trent raced after Ian, "why can't we just stay here, it's safer!" In a rushed tone Ian answered him, "I'll tell you later now let's go." He pulled him out of his little hut that had been Trent's home for years and even though Trent himself hated it he looked back on it in sadness having a strange feeling that he won't come back to it. With Bot in the lead Ian, Colleen, and Trent followed him for the fastest way to their small ship. Darting in between dusty buildings and garbage littering the streets they could hear giant engines roar over head as the ship came into view, The Apex. With the engines above them, they all pushed their bodies to the limit and sprinted as fast as they possibly could and soon the little Star hopper came into view sitting right where he left it. When the four neared it the main door's hydraulics started to move and lower the large ramp door while the cockpit glass lifted and without saying anything Colleen and Trent climbed the ramp into the bowls of the ship while Ian and Bot jumped into the cockpit. The fast acting canopy clamped over the cockpit as Ian started the ship and before the main door was closed he blasted the Hopper into the sky and with confirmation that the hull was air-tight Ian thrust the throttle and blasted into warp.

"Sir a small ship, Hopper class just hit warp!" Said the navigator aboard the Apex.

Captain Daysus pressed a button that was conveniently placed on his arm rest and a small screen showed the small ship zooming through space and suddenly disappearing into warp. He slammed his foot on the squeaky clean, white floor, "well turn around head after it!" But just as he said that the intercom clicked on and a coordinator from the planet spoke to the ship.

"Welcome Apex, you are now docked feel free to exit the ship."

Daysus had forgotten that he'd already told the first mate to go through with the docking procedure and turn off the engines, he swore loudly, so loudly that people around him thought that the entire planet could hear him. Daysus swiftly got up and stomped off the bridge in a quick tantrum, it was impossible to lift off now after the engines had been turned off, they took a full two hours to warm up and by then the warp trail would be gone.

Daysus slumped into his chair that inhabited his room and used his paw to rub the space between his yellow eyes, it'd been a very long day and he found himself slowly nodding off to sleep. A smile appeared on his face as the warmth of the rest embraced him but it was soon interrupted by a live message from the bridge, it was the first mate.

"What is it Elidon?" His tone was one of annoyance and tiredness. Elidon spoke quickly and precisely, "what do you want the crew to do sir?" Again half asleep Ashtin answered, "just let them have fun down on the planet, I'm sure they are all very tired. Like me!"

Without a response from his first mate he switched off the comm, and lazily climbed out of the chair, he stood at the foot of his master bed and let the gravity pull him down. His face hit the pillow like it was a cloud and the sound of snoring replaced the sound of rustling.

Daysus awoke at his normal hour that his internal clock had set many years ago, 6 am. The room's lights slowly turned on to his specifications, dimly lit with blue lights. He lazily got out of bed and fixed himself up, straightening his ruffled dark grey hair so it looked official. Getting out of the clothes that he wore the other day, he'd fallen asleep in them, and found a new crisp uniform. Finally when he gazed at himself in the mirror he nodded and said perfect to himself. The wolf stood at his desk and hailed the bridge, which was answered by an ensign.

"Ensign what is your name and where is Elidon?"

The small wolf saluted, "Lindol sir, and the first mate is off-ship with the locals."

" Lindol, is anyone else on the bridge?" Daysus said with resent in his voice. The small wolf replied with a shake of the head and went on to say that the bridge and most of the ship was empty because they had all left. The only reason why he didn't was because he was calibrating the radar and had to stay all night. Daysus sat with his head in his paws not listing to the little ensign, he'd let his target fly away and all his crew was off ship intermingling with the "inhabitants."

"Oh dear God kill me now."

He closed the comm, and exited his room. The halls were empty, not like the usual bustle of people going to and fro. He followed the main hall down the ship to the main door, he pocketed his pistol so it was now in perfect view and pressed the large blue button that opened the door. Slowly he descended a large stair case that was part of the dock that held his ship. It's magnificent grayish paint shone in the bright sunlight, and the short swept back wings attached towards the back with the landing lights on everyday and all day. The large engines were clearly seen from the side, it looked like the engines were four times the size that the ship could take. It's captain set his pads on the dusty ground of Alleendro eyeing around, the space dock was a little a ways from the main city, so Daysus sighed and started walking towards the city in search of his crew.

When Daysus stepped foot in the city the first thing that went through his mind was how it looked like crap, he was used to the tall gleaming silver sky-scrapers that littered his home world. He wouldn't of even called this a city, it was more of a shack town with mud and wood houses. There were a couple of multiple story buildings but they were mostly hotels, brothels, and other pleasure sites. He picked one out and walked in and immediately he saw at least ten of his crew members sitting at the bar with lime drinks in their paws, he chuckled to himself some of them had actually scored, and pretty high from the looks of it. All of them were laughing amongst each other spilling their drinks left and right, Daysus worked up a smile and found his way in between two engineers.

"Hey guy's what's up?"

All of them jumped back and sobered up immediately, one of them spoke what all of them were thinking. "What are you doing here Captain?"

He bobbed his head back and forth, "oh, I just need my crew back we're lifting in an hour!"

All of them realized that Daysus was mad and booked it out of the bar leaving the drinks and girls behind, one of them reached out with her paw as if to say why are you leaving, but Daysus saw in her eyes that he hadn't paid her yet.

He rolled his eyes and stomped upstairs, it wasn't much of an upstairs. Just one hall and five doors all on one side, plus the hallway itself was incredibly dirty with bugs and other small animals hiding in the corners. Daysus strode to the end of the hall and stood in front of the first door. He took a deep breath and kicked the door out, inside lay what he thought. A bland room with nothing but a shaggy queen size bed, a torn love seat and a night stand with a light with no late-shade. But including the bad furnishings, two "lovers" lay on top of the tattered bed, both of them quickly tried to cover themselves up. The wolf lying in the bed he didn't recognize.

"What are you doing bitch?"

Daysus wasn't embarrassed at all; he was doing what he wanted but he didn't want to hinder, "sorry, just looking for something."

He left the room and replaced the door and moved to the next one, he opened it and peaked in, not wanting to make such a big deal about it. Inside was the same story with all the same furnishings, the next one was empty. On the fourth door, Daysus opened it and peered inside, he was quite surprised by what he found. It was his navigator, Quelt, a wolf laying in the bed with a fox. Neither of them had heard him quietly come in.

"Quelt!"

The wolf froze in the bed, he recognized the voice from the bridge. It was always barking at him, his captain, Daysus.

"What do you happen to be doing?"

Quelts new "friend" woke up and didn't understand what was happening, while Quelt's heart was in his throat.

"Uh, nothing."

Daysus stared him down and then stuck his thumb in the way of the door, "get out of here!" Without any hesitation Quelt jumped out of bed and quickly dawned his clothes and ran out the door. The remaining fox sat their wondering what was still going on. The tall wolf pulled out some spare credits and tossed them her way, "here's your money" and with that left the room.

He went around to all the bars and hotels he could find, collecting his crew from their unrecorded vacation, soon the word got around and while walking through the dirt streets he saw his crew filing their way back to the ship that lingered in the distance. His search ended when he received a call from the bridge that everybody had been accounted for and he headed back to the ship. Within an hour The Apex was airborne and ready to shoot off after Black son.

The low hum of the engines and the rumbling of the ship comforted Colleen as she lay in a birth, the soft bedding touching her fur was the first time she'd been in comfort for the past while. The cadence of the ship and its rocking slowly got the best of her and she fell asleep, a deep dreamless sleep. Ian watching her, made sure she was asleep. The yawn he made showed that he was tired too, Trent sat in a fold-out chair behind him. "You know Trent, I think I'm lying to myself." The comment caught Trent off guard, as show by his sudden movement. "What'd you mean?" He looked back at Colleen, this time just to look at her, the way she looked the way her chest slowly rose up and down with each breath. " I don't think I want a new crew."

This time Trent didn't answer that fast, Ian had just torn him from his home, or what he called home, and he also had a gigantic ship on their tail, why'd he come along? "Ian I'm not sure what you mean by that, you already have a good start now. Aspen, me and above all you." Ian bit his lip "I think this is a ruse to just let me stay with her longer." The shock factor wore off, "you can stay with her all you want." He stopped and looked slyly at him, "either you're hiding something or there's something I'm not getting. But I'm leaning towards the first one."

Ian took a look a Colleen then switched his gaze back to Trent. He softened his voice so Trent could just barely hear him under the engines."Look Trent, um..." He was at a loss for words, "I told you her name is Aspen, that wasn't correct. Her name is Colleen. She's the princess."

Trent slowly placed his face in his paws and in the same low voice answered, "Oh man, what did you do. Are you saying that that fox right there is Princess Colleen, but how's that possible her eyes aren't silver and that vibrant red."

Ian carefully chose his words, Trent was still someone he didn't trust one hundred percent. "She had an accident and fell into a mysterious substance on an abandoned space dock. Then I found her like this."

He was careful not to reveal her "abilities" yet, "look it did something to her that I don't exactly know changing her color." Suddenly the ship bounced causing all the stuff in the small ship to shift. Both stole a glance at the fox, it looked as though she was still asleep. Ian quietly pulled a chair up next to the bed. He moved her bangs covering her shut eyes, "yeah, I think I'm done with my life right now." Ian said quietly petting Colleens head. She rustled around.

Trent couldn't believe what he was hearing, he remembered the heroics his captain used to do, cheat death, ensnare ghosts, and steal vast wealth. Now he was a washed up half-bread stroking the hair of a fox way out of his league

"You know Ian, I...I I don't know what to do, you're not what you were. You're dead." Trent stood up from his chair and walked to the back of the ship and sat in a half-cleaned birth. "Drop me off anywhere after we sleep I'm done."

Ian understood him, he'd lied to him, even if for just a while plus it looked like he was expecting action and adventure, "That's one thing I could offer" he thought to himself, "but" his eyes went back to Colleen, "she's my ambition now."

Ian stood up and moved to the door to the cockpit and squeezed through. Colleen closed her eyes.

Bot sat there waiting and chatting with the onboard computer, "Bot set a course for Veare." The robot looked up from the terminal, "Why?" Ian found his seat in the pilots chair, "we're having a slight change of plans."

"We didn't have any plans in the first place, you realize that." "Just do it" he said in an aggravated voice.

"If you say so!"

The fox rested back and closed his eyes, "I just want some sleep, wake me when we're close."

"I will, I'll plug in it'll alert me, I need to charge too."

Already have asleep Ian answered "Fine, just as long as it gets done."

Trent opened one of his eyes, the ship was quite and devoid of movement. Colleen still lay in the birth quietly breathing, her chest slowly rising. His eyes scanned the inside of the ship and found what he was looking for, a nav screen. Without making a sound the wolf stood up and moved toward it, it currently showed the course and the destination, a planet named Veare. "Ok, found it." He whispered and reached into one of his many pockets, he took out a tiny intergalactic radio and switched it on, a small static sound came from the speaker. Hurriedly he looked back at Colleen, she hadn't moved, "ok." He imputed some coordinates, "here we go."

"Daysus!" His first mate called out, "Yes?"

"Transmission coming through, unidentified source." Daysus looked at Elidon "patch it through."

"Yes sir, the signals week though."

Though the huge speakers present on the bridge you could hear a "hello." The talker was trying to be quiet wherever he was.

"This is Captain Daysus of the Apex who is this?"

"It's me, Trent. We met before and I said I could get Black son for you."

Daysus searched his memory banks and recalled a conversation with an officer on the Ragnarok once not too long ago by that name. "Yes I remember, well can you?"

"I can, but I have an even better prize with it."

"Well what is it?"

"I can give you Princess Colleen."

Daysus just about fell over, he almost though his ears had lied to him. How could she be alive?

"How? She's dead."

Trent chuckled "No she's not, although she looks different. But I assure you she's alive I'm looking at her right now as we speak."

"Ok, Mr. Trent is there a place where we can meet up?"

"Yes, there is" he replied, "the planet in sector 34 called Veare, I'll be there along with Black son and Colleen."

"How long?" "Less than a day Captain Daysus."

The line hung up and the wolf smiled, he had what he needed, "Mr. Quelt!" The navigator looked up at the captain who gave him a strange look, "set a course for Veare." "Right away!"

Trent placed the intergalactic phone back into his pocket and crept back to his birth, he quietly climbed back in and fell calmly asleep.

"Ian...Ian!" The fox batted at the interrupter of his peace, "what!"

Bot climbed off of him "were a couple hours out." He rubbed his eyes, "I told you to wake me when we were close, not a couple of hours!"

Bot rolled his mechanical eyes, "oh sorry Mr. Specific!" "Bot! I didn't know you could do sarcasm?"

"Yeah, yeah." Suddenly, a clucking noise sounded from behind his chair, "what?"

Colleens head popped up, "where are we going?" Ian reached behind, "Oh, you're awake, come on up. There's not a lot of space but there's some." He lent a paw to her and pulled the fox in the chair, he scooted over to give her space and she sat. He felt her fur rub against his and smiled nervously, "we're going to Veare a small planet close to the interplanetary space-dock."

Colleen shrugged, "Ian, this Trent guy made me wonder. How'd you get into this pirate life?"

Ian scratched his ears, he searched for the highlights.

"Uh, it started with my dad; he wasn't exactly a model father. He was a wolf while my mom was a fox, not exactly the most acceptable couple. Foxes and wolves aren't supposed to interbreed. He beat me every time he got home on leave, trying to get me tough. Well, it worked and one time I fought back, he was drunk. I used my fists but he grabbed a knife and swung at me." Colleen got closer, or at least as close as she could get. "My mom, who actually took care of me and comforted me tried to protect me, she got in between my dad and I and he took the swing. He killed her that night, and I ran away. The official file will say that I stabbed my dad's arm and that he killed her in defense but that's a lie to make me seem like the bad guy. In reality I just ran off."

Colleen leaned in and hugged him "I'm sorry." Under the hug, Colleen sighed and brought up the courage she'd been looking for.

"You know Ian, I heard what you said."

Ian smiled embarrassedly as he tried to play it off. "What do you mean? I didn't say anything."

Colleen backed away from the hug. "Look, I heard what you said to Trent. You're willing to give up your life. You said 'she's my ambition now.'"

A slight wave of relief swept over him, she didn't hear about her being the princess but the other part made him worry. Would she not like what he said, she would probably not want to hang around him after this. She'll probably just run off when they reach Veare. He'd have to take a shot in the dark.

Ian slowly nodded, "Yeah I did say that."

Colleen sunk into the small portion of the chair he had open and she wrapped her paws in his. She leaned in and kissed him. A warm shiver shot up Ian's spine, not expecting the sudden show of affection.

Ian's paws slowly wrapped up around Colleen as she backed away. "I just wanted to tell you." She smiled, "I feel the same." She went in for another kiss, Ian was happy to oblige.

Bot made his way to the back of the ship not wanting to have any take in what was going to happen next, "I have to do some schematics, I'll be in the back." He said as an excuse.

Bot bounded to the back of the ship where Trent had just rolled over, Bot jumped up onto the birth. Trent spoke from his sleep, "how far are we out?"

"Uh, I think we're about an hour away from Veare, or well I think so."

Trent sighed, "Ok." He turned around so his face was facing toward Bot, "so Ian built you?"

The little robot cat opened one of his closed mechanical eyes, "What? Yeah. I don't know how he did it though, Ian isn't exactly the compuerish type. I just learned not to question it." Trent let it sink in, "do you have any weaponry, you know to defend yourself?"

"No," he replied reluctantly, "the closest thing to a weapon that I have would probably have to be my blow torch, I usually use it to fix the ship if in need of a quick fix. Now if you'll please stop with these questions I have to plug in." Bots life-like tail slithered along the bed until it came to an outlet, he went through a couple of inputs, found the one he was looking for and plugged it in, "be up in an hour."