FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The 14th chaper of Star Hopper! My furry sci-fi novel. Enjoy!

14

Skye lay curled up on her side facing the corner of the cell, the smell didn't bother her much anymore, neither did the shit that was incrusted in the floor and walls of the decrepit prison. She saw blackness, bright lights and felt pain, even with her eyes squeezed shut. Her clothes were shreds barely clinging to her, most of them had fallen off though. Rumbling sounds from her stomach resonated through the cramped cell, but she couldn't eat. It was as though somebody had stuffed an entire ship down her throat and with one more bite of food or drop of liquid she would explode. So the day's meal lay untouched near the door, the maggots squirmed in and out of it, she swore that she had smelt urine on the bread the third time she had gotten it. One of her fingers continued to trace the same line in the messy wall near the corner, she had to have one clean spot, just one. Her fur clumped together in places with filth, her tail rested on the ground unmoved since she got to the prison.

"Was it worth it?" The same voice across the hall grabbed her attention from the dirty wall, but she didn't dare move from it. "Hello?" He entered her brain and filled it, the voice kept her straight. It kept her within reason, she didn't know why. Maybe it was the interaction?

"You didn't say anything, did you?" She didn't move from his nagging. "I bet you didn't, how could you betray your brother like that? It's something that's locked in your heart, you'll never tell them out."

She rustled from across the hall, what he was say was getting through.

"Yeah, it's ok. It may hurt but, you'll know that you never sold him!"

From the darkness of the other side he saw Skye rise to her knees and crawl to the blue screen and the front of her body came into view.

Both Luyi and Erit had been at Nuimi for years and thought they'd seen it all, but what lay on this wolf both made them take a step back.

Her grey fur had been burnt back to the skin underneath, gashes littered her body. Some of them required stiches, which they received, but it made them worse due to the horrible job the doctor had done. That was a torture in itself. Dried blood crusted her muzzle, inside her fangs lay crooked as others were gone completely. Her paws were burned along with the rest of her body and the claws wrenched out of them, her feet suffered the same fate. Tears rolled down, through her sobs they made out her words.

"This isn't even the worst part."

Luyi and Erit regained the step that they'd taken back, "w...what is?" He asked timidly.

Their eyes met and they knew without Skye having to tell them, but she continued.

"The worst part is...I...I...I sold him out, told them everything I knew."

Her tears rolled down the cut fur and broken skin, "I...I didn't mean too! They hurt me so bad!" She fell to the ground and pounded it with one paw, "I told them to stop, I'll do anything. Absolutely anything."

She leaned forward, face on the ground and tail in the air. "I told them, who he actually is. Where I thought he'd go and all his deepest secrets that he trusted me with. He trusted me!" She fell to the side.

Luyi and Erit heard quiet sobs from the cell, "be best to leave her alone."

Colleen and Ian sat comfortably in a stolen ship, both of them had come across if after running out of the city on Alleendro. It sat in the dust with no markings at all, it looked like it had never even been flown. Although it had its share of problems, the cooling system that cooled the ships engines wasn't as effective as is should be, meaning warp didn't last as long as other ships. The hull of the ship wasn't in the fairest shape and the plasma core read below acceptable levels. If he wanted to make this ship last longer Ian would have to find a new one. Or he could go back to Veare and pick up his own Star Hopper if it was still there. But, what else could he do.

"Are you sure it's still going to be there?" Colleen said from her roomy chair behind the captain's chair. "No." Ian said bluntly, "No I don't. I just don't know what else to do." Colleen sat back in her chair with her paws on her pregnant stomach gently rubbing it. She glanced at the radio that lay on the floor next to Ian.

"What's with the radio, why'd you take it?"

He looked down at it, "oh that?" Pushing with his feet, he swiveled in the chair to talk face to face, picking the radio up along the way. "This is so we can listen on their chatter." Ian pressed a small indentation on the front and the entire thing light up with a bright blue, it slowly grew brighter and darker. But then it turned to red. "What's that mean?"

Ian used his paw and manipulated some of the touch sensitive buttons on, "I think," He paused, studying the thing, "I think that it can't find a signal." Colleen scoffed at the technology, "some use that is to us."

Ian shrugged, "Eh, well, we might get a signal on Veare."

Colleen watched Ian fiddle with the radio, she watched his eyes scan over it trying to decipher it's codes. She went down his body, her eyes gently following every curve and outlined every muscle of his slender body. His fur called to her. Thoughts invaded her head, soon they evolved into daydreams.

Ian set the radio on the floor, "I'll get it later." He was annoyed. A sigh escaped from his muzzle, "well, let's hope my ship is there."

"Why?" Colleen asked.

Ian pointed to an illuminated screen showing engine heat, it looked like a thermometer and it was on the rise. Three quarters of the way up and continuing. "I don't think this thing," He kicked it with his foot, "will be able to do another warp. If it doesn't cool down, the engines could go into meltdown and that would be bad." He prolonged the "and."

Colleen took in the information not having really anything to say. It spread to Ian and the two were soon engulfed in silence.

"Well, there it is!" Ian pointed out a slowly growing white sparkle that was Veare. He propped his elbow on the arm rest and placed his head in his paw. A gentle whimper of worry escaped his mouth, although he didn't really want it to be heard.

"What's wrong?" Colleen's voice surprised him a bit. They hadn't spoken for a long while and for a split second he thought that the apparition of his "Colleen" had come back to haunt him.

"It's Skye, I don't know what happened to her. I guess I forgot about her."

The sparkle grew into a small sphere. "I don't know if she's even alive right now." The sphere grew bigger. "She could have died weeks ago and I wouldn't have known. She could have been executed and I wouldn't have been there to stop it." The planet now almost filled the entire window as they came in for a landing. Ian's voice trailed off.

Ian maneuvered the small ship around the outskirts of Veare, around the place where he landed his Star Hopper so long ago. To both of their surprise, there it lay. Ian's little Star Hopper, untouched since they left it. Ian quickly brought the small ship, still larger than Ian's Star Hopper, to the ground.

"I need to get to Bot, he's probably wondering where the hell we've been."

The hiss of the door made way to Veare, Ian helped Colleen out of the ship and over to his own. His eyes rolled over it carefully inspecting it, making sure that nothing was different about it. Nothing was. Every little scratch, burn mark, scuff was in the same place as he left it. Colleen followed Ian to the main doors and watched him punch in a key code. The door hissed and hydraulics let it down slowly creating a ramp that the two used to enter the ship.

Ian hit a switch and the familiar hum of low lit lights buzzed in his ears, but something was missing. Bot wasn't here, nobody was.

"Maybe he's in the cockpit." Ian crawled through the small hole above the main doors and emerged into the cockpit, it held the same story. Empty. Ian slumped in his chair as Colleen called from behind him. "Did you find him?"

Ian answered half-heartedly, "no, no he's not."

For a few seconds Ian moped, what was there to do. Sure he had his ship back, but where would he go now. He was even more notorious, and with the disowned princess, who had escaped death sentences it was only going to get worse. The entire universe would be after him. Plus where was his friend.

Suddenly, he perked up, "Skye!"

He jumped out of the chair and squeezed back through the hole, "C'mon, we have to get to the city!" Just like when they were running paw in paw away from the soldiers on Alleendro they ran to the city.

The hustle and bustle of the city didn't faze him, he watched the store fronts until he came to Skye's shop. "CLOSED" it said, not a good sign Ian thought. He raced up to the store and peered into the glass windows; the only light came from behind him and through the windows. It was empty, bottles littered the floor.

"Is she there?"

Ian shook his head as his tail drooped. Ian backed against the wall and slid down till he sat on the ground. Colleen sat next to him, both watched as hundreds of others rushed past them not even taking notice. Large electric billboards populated the skyline and its lower areas. They were filled with advertisements and public service announcements.

"The new Hopper class! Ready for your travel and shipping needs. Stop at a dealer today!"

"Buy Buy Buy Buy. Come on in today! New homes available for three hundred thousand down!"

"Tired of having to do those meaningless tasks, Spice up your life with one today!"

"PSA PSA PSA! Ian Ashtin and Princess Colleen are at large."

Both Ian and Colleen's ears perked up and found the billboard that displayed photos of the both of them. "If you see these furs, stay away, they are dangerous, and then call the local law enforcement."

Under Colleen's paw, Ian's paw clenched. She looked over to find Ian in a rage, his teeth shining brightly in the sun. "What's wrong."

"They used my name."

Colleen cocked her head, "Yeah what's up with that."

Ian stared her directly in the eyes, "They used my name! I've never told them my actual name."

Colleen shrugged her shoulders, "So what. Trent could have told them or they could have looked back in the files."

Colleen shot him down.

"Yeah, I guess."

He went quiet for a few seconds thinking over the facts. He'd never heard them use his actual name before, in fact, he didn't even know if they had it in a file like Colleen suggested. The service announcement continued with more.

"The two were last seen on Alleendro and are possibly on their way to Veare where they are thought to take refuge. So if you see anyone like this." The photos showed again, "don't approach. Call the any type of law enforcement immediately."

"Now how would they know that?" his jaw dropped. Colleen carefully got up, "what do you mean?" Ian quoted the service announcement. "How would they know where we were headed?"

Colleen shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, maybe Skye's shop."

"What?" Ian said, hoping she'd figure it out.

"I don't know Skye's s..." suddenly she put it together. "Skye!" Ian started to make his way back to the Star Hopper, the look on his face, relentless.

"I'm sorry Colleen." He said when they reached the ship, "looks like we're going to have to go back." She shook her head, "Why should you be sorry? I'm ready for action."

Ian chuckled as he pictured her with a plasma rifle. "Yeah." As Colleen made her way back into the familiar Star Hopper, Ian ducked into the other ship and returned with the small radio.

"You'll never know what you might come across." He said getting in.

He crawled into the cockpit. "Bot, take us too..." he paused and remembered that his friend was not present. He sighed, "I'm coming."

The plates and silverware clattered as the Queen snarled her food down. She ate alone, as she always did. Something about others watching her eat. Her mind raced through her plans, ones that had already been done and others that hadn't. Most of them had gone off without a hitch, up until the escape of that damn pirate. He was a persistent thorn in her side. Killing the king was easer then killing him, all in required was some poison in a time release capsule. She lucked out that he was in the bathroom. But it was done during the trial, another plus. She controlled the media and she put what she wanted in the daily broadcasts. "They'll eat any of that shit." She said to herself. A smirk hinted in her muzzle, she'd almost forgot that her little "princess" problem was taking care of itself. It seemed as though everything was going exactly the away that she wanted them to. Except Ian.

A sudden barge through the door brought her attention away from her food, it was a servant.

"My queen, I bring news from the tower."

With a roll of her eyes, she answered. "What?"

"Captain Trent has been killed."

Somehow she wasn't that surprised. "Really, that soon? Let me guess Black Son?"

He nodded, "Yes, he disobeyed orders and went to Alleendro without permission where he led a team to find Colleen and the pirate."

The Queen went back to eating her meal. "Where he was killed right?" she said with a mouthful.

The servant nodded. "Correct, I hear his death was brutal though. From first had reports it sounds as though he had his throat torn out."

She chuckled to herself, "I didn't really like him anyway. Now I don't have to do anything to try to get rid of him."

Her eating continued without a beat and the servant left.

More thoughts swirled around her head , "Daysus!" The intercom rang with his name. He heard it and his eyes instinctively rolled. He'd grown tired of the constant barrages from the queen, although he know she trusted him. His name, once again, rang through the intercom. "Fine." He huffed and marched out of his room to the queens quarters. The door slid open and he walked in, "What do you need?" He only heard grunts of pain and agony, "My Queen?"

He walked around the bed to find her on the floor crumpled into a ball. With lack of better words he yelled, "What's going on?"

In between grunts and deep breaths he heard his answer, "I'm going in to labor! Get a doctor!"

He stood there stunned for a quick second, had it really been four months already?

"Hurry!"

He quickly hurried to the open comm, "Doctor to Queens's quarters! Doctor to Queen's courters immediately."

After several antagonizing seconds of hearing just painful grounds he got a reply.

"This is Doctor Foun, on my way!"

Daysus left the comm and went back to her side, "I have a doctor coming, he'll be here soon just hold out."

"It's not as easy as it looks."

Without anything better to do the large wolf placed his arms around her.

"You'd better be doing not be doing something stupid!"

Daysus picked her up and placed her as comfortably as he could on the bed, "I figure that the bed might be more comfortable then the metal floor." She replied with a grunt of approval, Daysus grew silent. What could he do now? He stood by and watched her wriggle in pain.

The door's hydraulics hissed open and a wolf walked in carrying a bag of supplies. He quickly moved to the Queens side and rolled her on to her back. Daysus stood back not wanting to interfere with anything. Doctor Foun took her heart beat, blood pressure and checked her pupils.

"She's gone into labor."

"I could have fucking told you that!" The Queen yelled in his face, Foun took a step back.

Without looking back at Daysus he moved back next to her, "I need you to leave commander. This is a private procedure."

Daysus quickly left the room, he had no desire to watch. As far as he was concerned it was something that a male should never see, unless of course they're mates. He did want to see the kit though. So he sat outside the room next to the door fiddling with his thumbs and picking at his grey fur. He thought to himself. Had it already been four months since Colleen had gone missing? Time flies when lots of things are happening. A sigh escaped his muzzle from boredom, "I wonder what this kit's name will be?" He said under his breath. Will it be a boy or girl, what would it look like? Will it be a twin of Colleen or something entirely different. More doctors ran down the hall and quickly entered the room.

"Well, I'll find out soon enough."

Daysus nodded his head, sleep started to engulf him, his eyelids started to become heavy and harder to hold open. His ear twitched. He heard something. He heard crying, the crying of a small child. Instinctively he stood up and opened the door. Inside he saw four doctors surrounding the Queen who was holding a small white ball. A small whimper came from it. The doctors looked up at the curious commander.

"What is it?" He asked.

The doctor answered, "She is a she. She has a beautiful snow white coat." A small squeaky yawn escaped the kit and she rolled over in the Queens arms to sleep.

"What's her name?" It was the question that everybody in the room was thinking but only Daysus actually asked the Queen. She used a finger and scratched the small kit's head.

"Her name will be, Sapphire."

Daysus quietly trend to the bed, he sat next to her and stared at Sapphire. She looked nothing like Colleen, she didn't even look like the Queen. She had more of a liking to the King although it wasn't much.

"Sapphire. Hmm, I like it."

Sapphire let out a small coo, "She likes it too."

Colleen fell straight on her face. Ian rushed to her aid, he picked her up and sat her on the bed. The ship was on auto pilot.

"What happened? Did you trip?" He asked checking for injuries.

"I don't know. One minute I'm fine, the next, I'm light headed and can't stand. It felt as though all my strength just left me. OW! What are you doing?"

Ian pulled back, "What? I didn't do anything."

Colleen lifted her paw to her face, she saw grey hairs growing out of dark areas of her skin. Ian leaned in for a look. "What's the matter?"

Without saying anything Colleen followed the dark spots up her arm, she looked under her shirt and found them their too. They also littered her legs.

"Uhh, Ian. I think something's wrong."

He was already scared by the sudden fall. This just added things on top of that. "What do you mean?"

"Look."

She showed him the spots. Ian studied them closely, he could only come up with one solution. "Colleen, how's the kit?" Colleen's face changed, it no longer was one of worry for herself but for her Kit.

"I don't know! I can't tell. Or I don't think I feel that different."

Ian kicked a box out of rage, it flew across the small space, impacted the wall and fell to the ground not changing anything. If Bot was with him he could find out, he had some basic medical abilities. Ian glanced around the ship, garbage littered it. Wrappers, plates, cups, equipment you name it. Both of them sat in silence not knowing what to do.

Ian picked up a cup and fiddled with it in his paw. Suddenly, he came up with an idea.

"Hold still."

Ian placed the large end of the cup on Colleens stomach and then put his ear to the other hoping to mimic a stethoscope. He heard everything but something was absent. He couldn't hear the faint thump-thump of their kit's heart. Frantically, Ian moved the cup around trying to find the heartbeat, but there was none to be found. Ian sat back, his eyes suck open in a stare. The cup dropped from his paw and rattled across the floor.

"Ian? What's wrong? You're scaring me."

"Something's happened." His tone warbled, almost to the point of crying.

"What what what!" Colleen asked her voice breaking.

Ian's eyes welled up, "Our Kit is dead."

Colleen fell back into the bed, her paws rested on her enlarged stomach. It was gone, their Kit was gone. They didn't even know if it was going to be a girl or a boy. They hadn't even considered names.

"Akuta. That's what we'll call her if it turns out that it's a girl. If it's a boy then Canta, for the fur who save our lives." Ian moved to the bed where Colleen laid. Both of them sat in the quiet ship except for the quiet sobs of a mother and father who just lost their child.

The Star Hopper flew through the open space toward Ridlyyn, now with nothing to lose.