FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

For Reference:

Kyree (key ree): anthromorph wolf-like race

Kenseng (ken sang): anthromorph tiger-like race

Drala (dra la): anthromorph reptilian-like race

Arastos (a rest tos): alien starship www.sofurry.com/page/298134

Arastos Crew:

Kanolos (ka no loss): male kyree, starship helmsman, mated to Riyla

Riyla (ri la): female kyree, starship captain, mated to Kanolos

Shyla (shy la): female kenseng, starship tactical officer/cook, mated to Yanashi

Yanashi (ya na she): female kyree, starship tactical officer/physician, mated to Shyla

Eriras (ear rass): female kenseng, starship engineer, mated to Taylo

Taylo (tay low): male kenseng, starship engineer, mated to Eriras

Lumina (loo men na): female kyree construct, starship supporting A.I.

Keith (key th): male human, human ambassador/starship operations officer

Territory Map Diagram: www.sofurry.com/page/222716/

Life's Delicacies

Written By: Spudz

"Hurry the hell up and get us out of here!"

Nose angled high away from the rapidly receding ground below, impulse engines screaming at near maximum thrust, the shuttle of the Federation Axis vessel Arastos clawed its way upward through the dense cloudbanks of the atmosphere, leaving the chaos of the world below. Not wasting any time, Kanolos demanded more power from the engines as he piloted the vessel from the helm, hastening the ship's ascent into space.

Sometimes, you just couldn't get away fast enough...

Within the relatively cramped confines of the shuttle, the entire complement of the ship's crew, minus Keith and Yanashi, fell into a weary silence behind the pilot. Exhausted and disheveled, each had only just managed to climb into their respective jump seats for the short ride. The peacefulness of the spacecraft was a welcomed relief from their earlier troubles.

It was only after the distinctive blue of the surrounding sky began to give way to the black void of space that the fatigued silence was finally broken.

"What a waste of time!"

Kano's words hung in the air of the shuttle compartment, echoing the thoughts of everyone present.

The day had indeed been a complete waste, which was no surprise to any of the crew. What was supposed to be a political discourse between UN and Federation Axis representatives had instead degraded into a hearing against the kyree and kenseng officials that had attended.

One after another, politicians had voiced their demands and concerns to the alien delegates. What was being done to protect Earth from another alien invasion? Why wasn't the Federation providing humanity with military technology to help bolster human defensive capabilities? When would the new International Space Station be operational? The questions went on and on.

Meetings with United Nation officials had been tedious at best over the past month, never really amounting to any forward progress concerning humanity's integration with its stellar neighbors. Considering just how tumultuous conditions on Earth were at that given point, it was generally understood, at least on the Federation side, that fully accepting the human race into the Federation territory was at best several years away. And that was only the best case scenario. However, the human politicians didn't seem to understand that key issue.

"I can't believe that is what Keith has been dealing with these past few months," Kanolos remarked, the exasperation clearly evident in his tone as he piloted the small shuttle craft into a high orbital trajectory above the planet. After a long and trying day, the crew was finally returning back to Arastos.

"Yeah, I was taken aback by just how savage those politicians can be," Taylo added from the jump seat just behind the pilot. "Remind me when we get back to thank him for keeping us away from that mess this long. That was just not fun at all."

Everyone aboard the shuttle agreed readily to the kenseng's words.

With Keith ordered to remain behind on Arastos, the rest of the ship's crew, except for Yanashi, had taken up the call to meet Commander Ja'laski on the planet surface for a diplomatic session earlier in the day. Even though Keith was the official Federation diplomat to Earth, Captain Riyla had somehow managed to convince her superior that he could remain behind. How she had done so was beyond the crew's understanding, her mate included.

"I felt we owed Keith one for all of the crap he's taken on our behalf," Riyla spoke from the seat alongside Taylo. The black kyree turned her gaze toward the window and the stars beyond. "Besides, he needed to be there for Lumina's procedure."

Taylo's feline ears perked up. "Ah yes," he remarked, the russet kenseng's expression livening up. "Her transformation should be completed by now if everything went according to plan. I wonder how that went."

Riyla gave Taylo an impish smile. "We'll know soon enough. We haven't gotten any calls from Yanashi or Keith. So I assume everything is fine."

"I sure hope so," the kenseng replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I certainly wish I could've been there for it."

Riyla shook her head, her golden eyes remaining on him shrewdly. "You know as much as I do that Lumina needed her privacy. I wanted to make sure she was comfortable."

"Oh... I know. But just to watch her savor all the wonderful things in life for the first time; you can't blame a kenseng for being curious."

The ensuing ride back to Arastos was markedly uneventful. In only a matter of minutes, the shuttle was docked within the small hangar of the ship, effectively bringing the vexing day to a close for those aboard.

Following the others out into the corridor from the starship hangar, Riyla came to a stop as the contingent of kyree and kenseng all looked at one another. "I don't know about you all, but I'm hungry and need some grub," the captain proclaimed. She turned her gaze to Kano, silently asking if he wished to join her.

The captain's mate nodded his head. "Actually that sounds like a great idea," the fox-furred kyree replied.

"Ah... I think I'll pass," Eriras spoke. "Sleep sounds like a better idea to me." The white kenseng stifled a yawn as she wrapped an arm around Taylo. "You're welcome to join them if you want, hun."

Her mate smiled. "Nah. Sleep does sound like a good idea."

"I think I'm going to go find Yana," Shyla added. "Not really hungry for some reason."

At that, the group parted ways in the corridor, with Kano and Riyla making their way toward the mess hall.

As she walked, Riyla turned her gaze up toward the ceiling bulkhead above, yet stopped short of calling out to Lumina. She had almost forgotten that the construct wasn't part of the ship's network anymore, at least for now. The thought caused the black kyree to stop suddenly in the corridor, eliciting a look of puzzlement from her mate as he turned to regard her.

"Something wrong?" Kano inquired, tilting his head to the side curiously.

Riyla's wolfish ears splayed back slightly, her expression becoming sheepish. "Lumina has always been there whenever we're on the ship. It's... weird, knowing she isn't part of Arastos anymore."

Kanolos blinked deliberately. "Really?"

"I don't know," Riyla stammered. "I guess it was comforting to know she was always there watching over my ship for me."

Kano smiled. The captain would have never admitted such a thing, except to her mate. "You're right," he replied, with just the faintest hint of mirth gracing his voice. "I think we're all going to have trouble adjusting to her new form." A grin suddenly formed across his muzzle. "At least now though, I don't have to worry about her watching us when we mate."

Riyla couldn't help but laugh. "Did it trouble you that she was always watching you perform?"

"Well, no. I mean... I guess a little."

"I'm surprised that bothered you," the black kyree said, grinning mischievously. "I always found her spying to be quite a turn on."

With those words, the captain continued on down the corridor, leaving her mate standing dumbfounded behind her.

Finally though, after a few moments of shock, Kanolos turned to follow in Riyla's wake. "You really did?"

His reply was met with nothing but a playful sidelong glance from over the captain's shoulder.

By the time he managed to catch up to her, the kyree had just mounted the stairs up to the deck above. "You really surprise me sometimes," he added, while following her voluptuous tail up the steps.

Riyla paused halfway between decks, stealing a look back toward him. "Oh? Come now... you know me better than that."

Kanolos eyed her doubtfully, before he shook his head with a grin. "I suppose I do. Sometimes I forget how wild you can be."

"And that is why I love you," Riyla replied, giving him a wink. "You tolerate my quirkiness." The kyree turned her gaze up the stairway. "Our mateship aside though. Do you think Lumina will adjust well to her new life?"

As the two kyree continued up the stairs, Kanolos considered her question. "You know... when I first met Lumina, I didn't really despise her per se. She just rubbed my fur the wrong way."

"That is an understatement," Riyla remarked jokingly. "You two didn't quite get along."

"Well, now I've come to respect her as a trusted colleague, and a close friend. She has this incredible ability to develop and evolve beyond what others have defined as her limits. She has become much more than just an A.I. construct." With the mated kyree pair reaching the crest of the stairs, Kano caught Riyla's golden eyes as she turned to regard him. "I think she'll be fine. Besides, Keith is there to help her get on her paws."

Riyla nodded her head in agreement. "That is true. Those two are practically made for each other." Her smile became roguish, allowing canine fangs to show. "And now she has quite an attractive body to call her own. I wonder..."

The captain's words trailed off while they crossed the short distance to the nearby door leading into the mess hall.

"Keith and Lumina?" the fox-furred kyree questioned, rubbing the underside of his canine muzzle thoughtfully. "I guess I could see that happening. I have to agree; they are made for each other."

"I've always secretly wished their relationship would become closer." Riyla gave Kano a knowing look as the mess hall door swooshed open before them. "I'd definitely be happy for both of them. We should pay Lumina a visit later."

Crossing through the door threshold into the mess hall changed the topic of interest over to food. Neither kyree had managed a proper meal throughout the day.

Yet, whatever plans they had for a filling dinner were suddenly forgotten, when the two abruptly realized they weren't the only ones who had food on the mind.

For a moment, Kanolos froze just inside the door, regarding the white-furred kyree who had her back to him. She was sitting at the large common table that dominated the space, her wolfish tail wagging eagerly while all manner of commotion emanated from the galley just out of his view. Who was this?

Riyla, however, was quicker on the draw than her mate. "Lumina?"

The white kyree turned toward the captain's voice, allowing Kanolos to identify Lumina with a start. Damn... it was her alright. There was no mistaking that elegant white fur coat of hers, along with those mischievous golden eyes that had a unique quality to them.

Lumina was wearing a rather large T-shirt that had originally belonged to Keith, as well as a matching pair of oversized basketball shorts. It was the kyree's first set of clothing she could call her own, since Keith had no use for said shorts with the hole he had cut along the backside to accommodate her wolfish tail.

Recognition played across Lumina's expression, while her muzzle split in a beaming smile. "Ah, welcome back!" The white kyree nearly bolted from where she sat and quickly crossed the distance between them.

Much to Riyla's surprise, Lumina embraced her fully in a powerful hug. "I can't thank you enough for making this possible for me," the white kyree exclaimed. "I had no idea just how wonderful this new life would be!"

The captain quickly overcame her surprise and accepted the hug with a warm smile. "You earned every bit of this opportunity. I'm happy to see you already on your paws."

Without pause, Lumina released her hold on the kyree to embrace Kano in the same manner, knocking the breath out of him as a result. "But, this was only possible with your support," she added, regarding Kanolos with a giddy grin. "I'm really lucky to have such wonderful friends."

The fox-furred kyree returned her smile with his own, chuckling to himself. "My, you've definitely gotten used to your new body it seems. I think I feel ribs popping."

Lumina's expression melted into alarm as she abruptly pulled away from him. "Oh... I'm sorry." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"Don't worry about it. I was just teasing."

The white kyree's countenance brightened up once more, seemingly infusing the room with renewed energy. However, her forthcoming words were cut off by Keith entering the common area from the galley, holding a dinner plate in hand carefully.

"Ah, welcome back Riyla and Kano," the human spoke, acknowledging the two kyree in question with a slight nod of the head. "How was your day?"

The mated pair exchanged a look, before Riyla uttered a heavy sigh. "Just awful as a matter of fact," the captain replied grimly, shaking her head.

Her words visibly stung Keith. "That bad, eh?"

"On behalf of the entire crew, I have to thank you immensely for acting as our diplomat," Kanolos added. The fox-furred kyree's look became pained. "We had no idea that was what you've been dealing with on a daily basis. I'm sorry we took your help for granted."

Keith waved his free hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I knew full well what I was getting myself into." The human then shrugged helplessly. "Besides, someone has to do the job. And I'm probably the best fit for the role at the moment."

"I'm glad we could at least help you out for a day in that respect," Riyla spoke, her expression suddenly weary. "I don't know how you manage to deal with those vicious politicians. We certainly didn't fare well."

"I suppose I've learned over the past few months how to play the game, so to speak," Keith remarked, shrugging his shoulders again. "It's like this weird strategy game that you have to play, trying to guess what moves your opponent is going to make, avoiding the verbal traps he sets. I guess you can almost relate the endeavor to a game of chess." He shook his head. "However, all that isn't important. I have no qualms about being Ambassador to Earth. So don't worry your furry butts."

Riyla opened her muzzle to speak, yet was cut off by a raised finger from Keith, accompanied by a knowing look.

"Don't worry about," Keith spoke again, before smiling at her befuddlement. "There are far more important matters to deal with." He motioned toward the plate held in his other hand. "Like this delectable meal I have for Lumina for instance."

All three kyree turned their gaze toward the food in question. Arranged neatly atop the plate was that of a juicy T-bone steak left over from the dinner last night, a baked potato garnished with sour cream and butter, and corn on the cob to top off the ensemble. To a hungry kyree, this was a meal fit for a king.

"Oh... that looks delicious," Kano spoke, licking his chops.

"I'll say," Riyla added. The black kyree's eyes took on a voracious air. "Captain Rubin's dinner last night was just spectacular."

Keith nodded his head in agreement. "I figured there was no better meal to start her off with." He regarded Lumina, who was ravenously eyeing the plate like a predator stalking its prey. "I had a little trouble figuring out how to reheat this. Nevertheless, this should be just as good as the meal we had last night."

Keith moved to set the plate down onto the table and motioned for Lumina to take possession of the complementing seat. As she happily obliged, Riyla turned to Kanolos.

"Come on furball," the captain suddenly spoke. "Let's go whip something up for ourselves. I'm hungry."

Kanolos hesitated a moment, as he gazed forlornly at the impressive feast laid out for Lumina.

Rolling her eyes, Riyla grabbed hold of her mate's tail, and promptly dragged him off toward the galley by the appendage, eliciting quite the startled look from the fox-furred kyree while he was led away backwards.

Lumina paid the two kyree no mind as she took her seat. "This is so much food!" she exclaimed, taking in a heady whiff of the intoxicating aroma. "The steak smells so good! I can feel my mouth watering." She abruptly considered the human with a puzzled look. "How can all of this fit in my stomach?"

Keith laughed, causing the white kyree to cock her head to the side in typical canine curiosity. "Believe me. It is amazing how much you can eat. I've often wondered the very same thing myself." He made his way over to the end of the table to procure a set of silverware, which consisted of a knife and fork not unlike common utensils found on Earth.

"I'm sure you know how to use these," he continued, placing the silverware next to the plate.

Lumina studied the utensils inquisitively. "Yeah, I've watched the crew use these. I guess the underlying concept isn't that difficult."

"Compared to learning how to walk, this will be easy."

Carefully, Lumina picked up the fork with a hand, grasping it awkwardly in her closed fist. The feel wasn't quite right, so she experimented with various ways of holding the silverware. After a few moments, she found a grip that felt right, which closely resembled how she had seen the crew eat. It was only a matter of clutching the fork gently between her thumb and index finger. The rest was easy, as the knife required a similar approach.

While Keith took possession of a seat alongside her, Lumina slowly brought her utensils up toward the steak. Making sure to best mirror how she had seen the crew perform the action, the kyree then cautiously began to cut into the T-bone with her knife.

At first she struggled to work the utensils, resulting in a small mess. Yet, the white kyree quickly adapted her technique, allowing her to eventually obtain a bite-sized piece on the end of her fork.

Lumina paused with the fork held before her, studying what was going to be her first real taste of food. "I never thought I would be given this opportunity. I can't express how thankful I am."

Keith said nothing. Instead he simply smiled in anticipation, while motioning with a hand for her to go ahead.

Lumina hesitated a moment longer, trying to predict how wonderful the sensation would be. However, she couldn't hold off her excitement any longer.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the white kyree parted her muzzle. In one fluid motion she brought the fork up and slid the utensil into her maw, feeling the cold sensation of the plastic-like material gliding across her broad canine tongue.

At first there was nothing else... but then...

Keith couldn't help but laugh as Lumina's facial features crinkled with delight, her ears splaying fully back while the delectable taste of her steak overwhelmed the kyree's awareness.

Lumina's mind reeled. Oh... how the subtle flavors caressed the palate, the intricate nuances of the steak teasing her taste buds for a pleasurable sensation the construct had never experienced before. Without thinking she closed her muzzle and slipped the fork out through pursed lips, leaving the delicious tidbit of food to dance across her tongue. There was no denying the fact that she had been missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures!

Emitting a murr of pure delight, Lumina slowly worked her jaw muscles, allowing the kyree to savor the unique feel of her teeth shredding the tasty steak morsel to bits. Without thinking she then swallowed, appreciating the unique feel of her food sliding down the throat. How she had managed to do so was a mystery; it was interesting how such things happened without her giving the task much thought.

"Seems you enjoyed that," Keith teased, a grin spreading across his expression.

Lumina's ears perked up fully as she smiled. "Oh... that was incredible!" Her hungry gaze rapidly fell back to her meal, the kyree bent on sampling another bite from her steak.

To Keith's surprise though, she suddenly paused with fork and knife hovering over her plate. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" she asked him, fixing the human with a concerned look.

"Nah... I'm not really hungry." He motioned with his hands for her to keep going. "Dig in silly... don't want your steak to get cold."

Lumina continued to regard him with concern. "Are you sure? I'd feel better if you ate something."

"Oh shush," Keith said, giving the kyree a meaningful look. "How many times have you sat by and watched while the crew and I ate our meals? Consider this payback."

Lumina mulled over his words for a brief moment, and then smiled with a shake of her head. "Alright... if you're going to be stubborn about it." She then turned her predatory eyes down toward the unlucky steak before her, intent on finishing what she had started with gusto.

It was roughly 10 minutes later when Riyla and Kanolos emerged from the nearby galley, both kyree holding a plate of food in hand as they made their way toward the common table.

The meal of choice for the mated pair was a traditional Soran dish comprised of tender meat wrapped in several balls of a rice-like grain, which was baked in a blend of seasonings to harden the food to the point it could be eaten by hand. Such a dish was a common favorite amongst the crew, coming in a variety of flavors and styles that Keith himself had also grown to like. The notion was quite interesting to the human, how the Soran food closely resembled onigiri, the humble Japanese rice ball.

While the two mated kyree moved to join Keith and Lumina, they chatted idly about the day's happenings. However, both suddenly paused upon catching sight of Lumina.

What had once been quite a heaping pile of food before the construct in question was now nothing more than scraps. All the more surprising was the sight of Lumina holding the remains of her steak in hand, the white kyree ravenously gnawing on the bone to clean off every last scrap of meat. Muzzle matted with steak sauce, wolfish eyes glaring ravenously, she certainly had a predatory air about her, giving her crewmates pause.

Keith, on the other hand, was rather enjoying the show. He simply sat alongside Lumina and watched with a beaming smile as she polished off the remains of her steak. Her utter disregard for manners was quite amusing to him. She really did look like a wolf devouring the spoils of a recent kill.

No doubt Kano and Riyla were thinking the same thing, since both kyree remained motionless just beyond the doorway leading back into the galley with muzzles ajar.

The captain managed to recover her composure first.

"Wow," Riyla spoke up, causing Lumina's wolfish ears to swivel about toward her voice. "You sure devoured that food." The black kyree moved to join her at the table, serving to snap Kanolos out of his gawking as he quickly followed suit.

Her bone now completely clean, Lumina placed the remains of her steak back onto the plate and leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh. "Oh my goodness, that was spectacular! I can't believe I ate all that!"

"You definitely have a healthy appetite," Keith remarked, grinning teasingly while Riyla and Kanolos found seats at the table opposite the two of them. "I figured you'd be a hungry little kyree."

Lumina's ears folded flat as her expression became sheepish. "It was just so good... I couldn't stop myself."

"Nothing wrong with stuffing yourself," Kanolos said. "We all do it from time to time."

"Exactly," Keith added. "Besides, devouring a meal is the best way to compliment the chef... which in this case was mostly Captain Rubin."

Lumina placed a hand gently onto her stomach, noting how it appeared to be distended slightly. "I'm so full! I'll never eat this much ever again." She then noticed that the shirt Keith had given her was covered in numerous food stains. Embarrassed, she looked back at him. Yet the human was two steps ahead of her.

"Don't worry about it," he spoke to the kyree. "I get stains on my clothes all the time. It happens... and I have plenty of shirts... too many perhaps."

His reassurance didn't help Lumina much. The stains could be removed in the wash. Still, it was mortifying to see the mess she had made. She needed to learn proper table manners quickly, otherwise what would the crew think of her?

"Now that you've had a filling meal, what's next?" Riyla inquired, before taking a sizeable bite out of a Soran rice ball.

"I'm not sure," the human replied after a second's consideration. He turned toward Lumina, taking note that she was quite a mess. "Perhaps I'll take Lumina to get washed up. I need to help her get acquainted with the bathroom facilities anyway."

His words made the white kyree blush fiercely beneath the fur. She did indeed need to tidy up after her messy foray with her food.

"Is the guest room we gave to Lumina ready for her to move in yet?" Keith asked Riyla.

The captain paused with a rice ball in hand. "I don't believe so. Since it's not the quarters we normally reserve for guests, I think the power relay to the room is inactive at the moment." Her expression became thoughtful. "There also might be a few spare containers stored in there as well. I'll have to check up on that."

"You could use the other guest quarters in the meantime," Kanolos ventured.

Riyla shook her head. "You could, but I haven't had time to clean the room since Captain Rubin used it."

It was always odd to Keith, how the captain had taken up the responsibility of maintaining the ship's guest quarters in a custodial respect. The crew didn't entertain visitors aboard very often. But when they did, the black kyree always made a point of keeping the space impeccably clean by herself, though Kanolos helped when he could. It was a noble gesture of Riyla, which signified her strong friendship with her crewmates as an equal. Most captains would have simply appointed the menial task to one of the crew, giving it no second thought.

"I don't mind using Ian's room," Lumina added meekly.

Keith was about to agree, when he suddenly had another idea. "We can use my room," he said, causing Lumina to start noticeably. "I suddenly had an idea for a little hand-eye coordination training."

His words caused all three kyree to look at him in confusion.

"What did you have in mind?" Riyla asked, her countenance a study of curiosity.

"Figured I'd give Lumina a shot at some console gaming."

At first the black kyree didn't understand what he meant. However, after a moment's pause, realization played across her facial features. "Oh! Yes, that would be quite a good exercise for her."

Keith was in fact referring to one of the crew's favorite entertainment outlets, that being online video gaming on human console systems. Each mated couple had one such system in their living quarters, Keith included, while an additional unit was found in the common room of the mess hall, to allow for a little play time during meals. There was a unique quality to the online gaming community of Earth that was simply fascinating to the crew, a quality not found in far more advanced systems of the same nature within the Federation territory.

Perhaps it was the aloofness of the individuals they interacted with, only having a voice to distinguish as an opponent or ally; sometimes there wasn't even that, just a mute computer generated character that symbolized a random human player somewhere on the planet surface below. Maybe it was the archaic controller based input design, or the general lack of sophisticated graphical interfaces. Whatever the case, the crew of Arastos always took pleasure in the activity... beating humans at their own game was quite amusing.

Riyla was, by far, the undisputed champion of what the humans called first person shooter games. No one aboard could touch her, nor could many of the random players she typically came across online. How she had become such a god in only a few months was beyond everyone's understanding.

Keith believed though, that the black kyree's title had a worthy challenger. "I think she'll be a natural at it, perhaps better than you, Riyla," he mused aloud, provoking a mischievous smirk from the captain.

"Oh, really?" The kyree's grin grew more devious, curling her muzzle back enough to show fangs wickedly. "Well, I'll have to see about that."

Lumina, for her part, was intrigued by Keith's suggestion. She had always watched the crew enjoy the activity from afar, wondering what it was like to play such an old-fashioned game. Some time ago she had even considered trying it for herself, but had eventually decided the venture wasn't worth pursuing due to her obvious advantages as a construct. Where would the fun be in that?

Now though, the playing field was leveled so to speak. So why not give it a shot?

"Alright, that sounds like fun," Lumina said to Keith. Her gaze quickly fell back on the captain, who was still smirking wickedly. "I don't think I'll ever top your prowess, Riyla... but I'll try my best."

"You're on."

"Then it's settled," Keith proclaimed. He turned toward the two kyree sitting opposite him at the table. "Would you two care to join us?"

Riyla and Kanolos exchanged looks for a brief moment, before the captain replied. "I think we'll pass. It's been a long day and I think we both could use a good night's sleep."

"I understand. Dealing with the UN really does take it out of you... figured I'd ask though."

Keith moved to stand from his chair and reached over to pick up Lumina's plate. However, Kanolos stopped him with a raised hand.

"I got that," the fox-furred kyree declared, giving Keith a slight nod of the head. "You two go have some fun."

Keith hesitated for a moment, but then returned the kyree's nod with a smile. "Thanks."

Lumina also gave Kano a smile and silent nod of thanks, while she removed herself from the chair and padded to follow the human toward the door.

As the two made their exit, Kanolos watched Lumina's wolfish tail disappear out into the corridor. "You know... I wonder if they might..."

The kyree's words were cut off by a sharp jab to the ribs from Riyla. His subsequent grin was met by her disapproving glare.

"What? I was only going to say..."

This time a firm hand came up and swiftly tweaked his pointy ear, holding the fox-furred kyree at Riyla's mercy as he finally laughed and admitted defeat.

The captain's disapproving scowl softened into a look of feigned exasperation. "What am I going to do with you, furball?" Riyla breathed, shaking her head.

"Oh come now," Kano spoke mischievously. "Don't tell me you weren't at least thinking it."

Riyla scoffed at his words. "No... that is their business. Not mine."

"You liar."

The black kyree gave his wolfish ear a playful tug, before releasing it. "Wiseass..."

Kano's muzzle split in a roguish grin. "You know you love me."

"Just shut up and eat your food. I have plans for you tonight."

The fox-furred kyree's ears perked up, his hand stopping just short of grasping a rice ball. With a start his gaze shifted to settle on Riyla's golden eyes, meeting her hungry predatory look.

He'd seen that glare before.

With an inward smile he set about wolfing down what remained of his food, knowing full well what lay ahead when they made it back to their living quarters.

***************

There was something to be said about the unique atmosphere of Arastos. Compared to most starships of the Axis fleet, she was a small, yet nimble vessel. With this small size came a few drawbacks, such as a general lack of firepower and armor. However, the crew had come to love the ship, not only for her unrivaled speed, but for the general sense of privacy they had compared to the much larger fleet vessels... not to mention far more spacious living quarters among other perks.

Each living space had started out as nothing more than a drab grey compartment adorned with nothing more than a bed, a large wall-mounted display screen, and a dresser. The adjoining bathroom was no better off, with just the bare essential amenities required for daily living.

Over time, the crew had tailored their quarters to suit their tastes; after all, the ship was now their place of residence. You could only stare at dull grey bulkheads for so long before it drove you crazy.

Keith had also taken it upon himself to renovate his living space after becoming a full member of the crew. What had once been one of the three guest quarters was now home for him, and he couldn't have asked for better accommodations. Not many had the privilege to lie in bed and stargaze out through the window, watching the distant specks of light silently scroll by the viewpoint against the oddly soothing black void of space. He was one of the lucky few humans who had such an honor, and the first to experience such a thing with the comfort of gravity, no less.

Lumina had watched with interest over the past few months while Keith transformed his quarters into something livable. She knew every intricate detail of his living space. Still, that didn't stop her from pausing just within the doorway to marvel at the room's splendor as if the kyree was seeing it for the first time. This was perhaps true to a degree, since it was the first time she was physically standing in his quarters after all.

The once drab grey bulkheads were now adorned in a striking cobalt blue, thanks to custom made panel covers, while the deck was overlaid in soft white synthetic flooring not unlike high quality carpet. Here and there various distinctive items decorated the space, such as the framed picture of Keith's shuttle launch team atop the dresser. There was also a moon landing picture autographed by none other than Neil Armstrong himself, several scale model displays of the Apollo, Mercury and Space Shuttle launch vehicles, and, of course, the mission patch from Keith's first flight into space.

The room possessed quite a number of unique and interesting objects from the human's life. Yet, the most fascinating item by far for the Arastos crew happened to be a simple decorative object that Keith called a lava lamp. The science behind this enthralling object was utterly simplistic in design, involving only a heating and cooling process. Still, the kyree and kenseng crew always found themselves captivated by it whenever they entered his room, much to the human's amusement.

Standing within Keith's quarters, Lumina couldn't help but think back to the day when they had moved him aboard after the war. That had certainly been an interesting time indeed, beginning with Arastos paying a visit to the local executive airport in Orlando, Florida where he lived. The thought provoked a slight smile across the kyree's muzzle. Oh, the locals had really enjoyed that...

They had ended up procuring Keith's old Ford pickup truck to move him out of his old apartment, literally driving the vehicle onto the airport tarmac to unload his belongings aboard the ship. All of this had taken place as many curious civilians, including a handful of local news organizations, looked on in confusion from nearby.

Lumina remembered watching one of the resulting newscasts, which had clearly presented Keith and Kano in his human holographic disguise lugging a reclining chair over toward the starship's gravity lift. Oh, had she gotten quite a kick out of the commentators trying to make sense of the scene. The very chair in question now resided next to the large window nearby.

"Hope you don't mind using my bathroom for the time being," Keith suddenly spoke up from behind Lumina, serving to snap the white kyree out of her thoughts. "I'll make sure to get your quarters straightened out tomorrow morning when the crew isn't completely drained."

Lumina turned her gaze toward Keith, who had just crossed into the living space from the corridor outside. "I don't mind in the slightest," she replied wholeheartedly, noticing his look of sudden embarrassment.

"You sure?"

The kyree smiled. "Of course. Out of the entire crew, your room has always been the cleanest."

This interesting fact triggered a raised eyebrow from Keith. "Really? I had no idea that was so. I've always considered myself to be slightly above average when it comes to cleanliness... but certainly not to the point of being immaculate."

Lumina nodded her head. "Well you do have one advantage over the rest of us... you don't shed."

"This is true," Keith spoke with mirth, shrugging his shoulders. "Lucky me I suppose."

After crossing the distance toward the bathroom entrance, Lumina turned back to him.

"You feel comfortable with how everything works in there?" Keith asked awkwardly, averting his gaze to a nearby bulkhead.

Lumina opened her muzzle to reply, but then hesitated.

As a construct, she had retained access to the entirety of the ship, including living quarters and bathrooms. The A.I. had thus never given the crew's privacy a second thought, since her awareness was always integrated fully with the ship's sensors.

With an existence relegated to a realm of computer code and circuits, the concept of privacy had been rather perplexing to Lumina. Even so, she had taken care never to mention anything pertaining to what happened beyond the public spaces of the vessel, understanding, after a particularly harsh lesson from Riyla, that discretion was required on several matters when dealing with her flesh and blood counterparts. This didn't mean however that the construct had restricted her awareness to only public areas of the ship interior.

Consequently, Keith's inquiry put the kyree in a bind. This was because she already knew every facet of the bathroom space beyond the door she stood next to, as well as how to use said bathroom facilities.

Lumina couldn't very well let him know she had gained such knowledge from essentially observing the crew... could she?

The white kyree's sudden indecision drew a puzzled look from Keith. "What's wrong?" he asked. It only took him a moment though to realize what her quandary was.

"Oh... don't worry about that," Keith added suddenly, catching Lumina off balance with a reassuring smile. "There's nothing for you to be ashamed of. The crew and I fully comprehended the depth to which your awareness encompassed the ship. Curiosity gets the better of us all."

"I..."

Keith's meaningful look cut of Lumina's words. "I said don't worry about it, silly. We don't hold anything against you."

The kyree held her gaze to his own for a brief second, before she finally uttered a heavy sigh. "Thank you." Her regard became resolute. "I promise I will never intrude upon your, or anyone else's, privacy ever again."

Keith simply shook his head while making a shooing motion with his hands. "Just get your furry butt in there and clean up."

"Oh... alright," the white kyree replied finally. She gave him a seductive wiggle of her haunches, producing quite the embarrassed look from the human. "I'll be right back after I take care of business."

Keith watched as Lumina's silky tail disappeared through the doorway, not sure what to make of her sudden change in behavior. At least she seemed to know what to do when it came to using the bathroom. He wasn't exactly sure how he would've helped her learn had she not been one step ahead of him already.

It had always been interesting to Keith how the bathroom facilities aboard a technologically advanced starship still held a strong resemblance to the like back on Earth. Sure, the toilet used a complex decompilation field to break waste down into recyclable subatomic particles for the replication system. And the shower replaced water with a cleansing energy wave that passed over the user in much the same manner as a scanner reading a piece of paper, removing any foreign elements from the body in the process.

Yet, even with all of the technology, there was still one basic amenity that couldn't be left out. Each bathroom was also adorned with a sizeable tub, for when one of the crew just simply needed to relax with a soothing bath to take the edge off. It was a luxury to be sure, one that Keith enjoyed from time to time. There were just some comforts technology could never hope to replace.

Giving a shake of his head, Keith put the thought out of his mind and moved toward the video display. While Lumina took care of her business, he planned to setup the gaming system.

It was roughly 20 minutes later when the white kyree reemerged from his bathroom, looking far more presentable than before.

After some trial and error using his sink, Lumina had managed to wash her muzzle and hands thoroughly, removing most of the mess from dinner. Her shirt was still stained however, as only a trip into the washing machine would've cleaned that particular mess up; a task that would have to be left undone until she had another change of clothes.

"I see you cleaned up nicely," Keith remarked, now sitting on the edge of the bed. "Have any trouble?"

Lumina made her way over toward him. "A little. But I figured things out and took care of my... needs."

"Good to hear. That was one thing I couldn't help you with."

The kyree's ears splayed back as she felt a blush well up beneath the fur. "I guess that was one good thing that came out of my past ventures."

Keith uttered an amused laugh at her words. "I would have to agree." He patted the bed surface next to where he sat. "Did you still feel up to trying a little gaming?"

Lumina's ears perked back up slightly. "I suppose so." She moved to take his offered seat, making sure not to sit painfully on her tail in the process. "After Riyla's challenge, I have to at least see if I can play."

"Alright then. We'll start off easy first." Keith handed Lumina one of the two gaming controllers that had been previously sitting atop the bed next to him. "Let me show you how to use this for starters."

Handling the controller turned out to be easier than Lumina had initially expected. The contours of the device were just so that her hands naturally grasped it with one thumb positioned over each of the two analog control sticks, allowing her to adapt to the controller's unique feel and weight.

Once she was accustomed to the movement of the control sticks, Keith began teaching Lumina about the various buttons laid out across the plastic surface of the device. It wasn't hard for her to memorize what input performed which action. The real tough part, as Keith went on to say, was learning hand to eye coordination with said buttons and inputs to make the character on the screen move in the manner Lumina wished. This in turn could only be accomplished through hands-on practice.

After a few minutes of explaining matters, Keith powered on the gaming console, which subsequently presented Lumina with a startup screen across the wall mounted video display before her. The game of choice was a first person shooter that had become rather popular down on the planet below, centering on warfare gameplay that promoted teamwork and cooperation in squad based fighting.

Lumina had watched the crew play as a team on this very game quite a number of times, using headsets to communicate between one another as they worked together collectively. She had always enjoyed seeing them decimate their opponents.

"I think the best place to begin is with some co-op gameplay," Keith proclaimed, while he began expertly navigating through the various menus on the screen with quick and subtle motions of the controller inputs. "That way we're only dealing with dimwitted A.I. baddies."

Lumina turned and gave Keith a shrewd look.

"I use the term 'A.I.' loosely," he added with a grin. "It's probably not fair to call the game's programming by such a title when I'm sitting next to you."

The kyree narrowed her eyes mischievously. "I think I'm just a tad more advanced than this video game."

"Just barely."

"Ouch... that hurt." Lumina stuck her tongue out at him.

In the beginning, the gameplay was difficult to the kyree. Upon starting her first mission with Keith, her character immediately greeted the nearest wall face-first, prompting a few verbal pointers from him as she struggled to use the controller properly.

Much to Keith's amazement though, Lumina quickly began to grasp the basic motions of using both control sticks in concert, much quicker than he had expected. It was only a matter of her learning what to do through trial and error, grasping how different inputs resulted in certain movements of her character. Soon she was keeping up with him just fine, although shooting her weapon was a whole other level of difficulty.

The first enemy their two soldiers came across showed Lumina no mercy. Before she even knew what had happened, her character was face down on the ground, pleading to Keith's guy for a revival.

"Ooof... I think I've been hit," Lumina said, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hang on," Keith replied curtly. With expert precision his character quickly dispatched the group of hostiles pinning them down. "Let me just pick you right back up."

And just that suddenly, his character pulled Lumina's own to his feet, gun back at the ready.

"Always nice to have a teammate to help you out," Keith remarked, giving the white kyree a wink.

Lumina locked her eyes on the display screen, her expression a study of determination. "Alright... I'm going to get the hang of this game... even if it kills me."

"It already has once."

His teasing words caused Lumina to visibly start, before her muzzle parted in a devious smirk. "Well then. It will have to kill me a thousand times over in that case."

After trudging through several waves of enemy soldiers, Keith began to notice that Lumina's aim was improving. Instead of spraying her weapon uselessly into the ground, or straight upward, her bullets were beginning to find their mark. Her rate of improvement was quite impressive, no doubt due to her unique physiology as a former A.I. construct.

Through the first objective their two soldiers progressed, and still Lumina's aim improved. Now her character was leading the way mostly, dropping any hapless targets that happened across her field of view with such expert marksmanship that Keith was taken aback.

They had only been playing for about 30 minutes, and already Lumina was on par with his skill level, if not better. Chancing a look over to the kyree beside him, he noted that her concentration was unwavering, her broad tongue poking out the side of her muzzle as her golden eyes remained fixated on the display screen. It was almost scary how quickly she was learning.

"Wow Lumina," Keith breathed finally, after the mission had been completed. "You've already become better at this than me... and I'm not half bad myself."

The kyree shook her head as if to break her focus away from the screen. "That was quite fun," she replied after a moment's pause, turning to give Keith a broad smile. "Once I figured out the controls, it just came naturally I guess."

"That was no small feat you just did," Keith continued, rubbing a hand through his hair subconsciously. "I'm truly amazed."

Lumina's fur mostly concealed the blush that suddenly overtook her. "You're always too kind to me, Keith."

He smiled as an idea suddenly dawned on him. "Would you feel up to going up against real opponents online, by chance? You've definitely demonstrated your prowess against computer adversaries. I think you're ready for the real thing now."

Lumina considered his suggestion with an inquisitive look. "You think so?"

Keith nodded his head. "Yes I do. You're ready to kick some unsuspecting human butt."

"Well... ok, if you think so."

Initially, the act of hooking up to the human internet had proven to be a rather cumbersome process for the crew of Arastos, requiring Lumina's continuous influence to maintain a direct link between a series of satellite ground stations all across the planet below.

However, after a few tweaks to her methodology, the construct had succeeded in establishing a more stable and self-sustaining solution, relying on a single satellite ground station uplink, which just so happened to be used by NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Lumina's reasoning behind such a bold endeavor was the simple fact she could easily hide their piggybacked signal within the massive bandwidth of the satellite uplink.

There had been some disruption with their internet access just after the war, since most of the human satellite network had been either crippled or destroyed outright by the Domain. Thankfully, the resulting chaos had necessitated immediate action to replace almost every orbiting platform lost, through a joint collaboration between Federation and human space agencies. Only a few weeks had been needed to get replicated satellites back into orbit for both government and commercial purposes, with only a few minor issues complicating the process as a whole.

Thus, all Keith had to do in order to access the online network of the gaming console was merely to log in just like any normal person would planetside. Lumina's previous handiwork took care of the rest.

It was oddly humorous to the human, knowing that his internet connection was used to help warn and defend an entire continent from the onset of nuclear war... as well as to play video games.

"We'll need to create a new online handle for you," Keith spoke to Lumina, after taking a moment to acquire a mic headset from atop the nightstand nearby. "What would you want it to be?"

His words gave Lumina pause. She had never considered making a new username just for herself.

Each crewmember had a unique handle that was indicative of some aspect of their personality or life in general. Keith, for instance, was known as Astromat, a play on his former and current occupations as an astronaut and diplomat respectfully. Moreover, Riyla's gamertag was Blacktailedfury, while Kanolos went by Foxtailedpilot in keeping to the same theme as his mate.

Everyone had a fitting username to go by. So then, what could Lumina use as her own?

Keith seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he regarded her with a knowing look, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It should be something that defines your character," he finally stated. "Something that fits your personality perhaps."

Like the snap of a finger, a name suddenly came to Lumina in a flash.

"DeviousConstruct," she spoke suddenly, ears perking up.

"Hmm... that does seem like a fitting name." He gave a nod of the head and began the process of creating her account on the screen. "You are indeed quite a crafty little kyree. Yes... I believe that name will do nicely."

What followed, after everything had been properly setup, was nothing less than an astonishing spectacle for Keith to witness.

Now with him watching, Lumina dove headlong into the online gaming community, and wasted no time imposing her newly acquired skills against the first set of human opponents she was matched against. Keith couldn't help but watch the white kyree with fascination as she imposed her wrath upon her victims. Only after a few minutes of tense fighting, her gamertag adorned the top of the scoreboard; there was just no contest.

Lumina's concentration was steadfast, her eyes never leaving the display screen while the kyree's hands worked the controller proficiently. Canine tongue still poking out the side of her muzzle, wolfish ears covered by the bulky mic headset, she looked absolutely adorable sitting there alongside him. There was, however, nothing adorable about the mayhem she was causing on the screen.

It only got worse for her opponents as time wore on. Moving on to a larger map, the kyree subsequently discovered the art of sniping, and rapidly made use of this newly acquired skill to such a deadly degree that Keith was astonished.

His first shock had come when she had lined up an oncoming enemy helicopter in her sights. Before Keith could say anything, Lumina gauged the various parameters of the setup and fired a single shot. To the human's amazement, the kill icon appeared at the bottom of the screen, indicating a headshot on the pilot, while the helicopter suddenly nosed over into a nearby hill with a fiery explosion of twisted metal.

"Woo..." Keith breathed softly, looking back at Lumina in surprise. "How did you do that?"

The kyree kept her gaze on the screen as she replied. "It is actually very simple once I figured out how the game works." She paused for a moment to dispatch another hapless opponent. "It boils down to mathematics basically. I just have to gauge all the variables of each shot I take; distance, target movement, bullet drop... Once I know everything, taking out the enemy is easy."

Keith blinked deliberately. "Yes... but it is quite hard to do all that just by looking at the screen... I certainly can't."

"I don't know," Lumina replied awkwardly, shrugging her shoulders. "It's weird how easily it comes to me."

"I wish I had your skills."

And so the night carried on, with Lumina thoroughly enjoying herself. Here and there Keith would offer pointers; where to go when an opponent took the high ground, how to counter specific strategies of the enemies she came across, what to do to support her fellow teammates and so on. Each suggestion he made was promptly carried out by the kyree, usually with lethal results.

Keith eventually took a quick trip down to the mess hall to procure some fresh popcorn, allowing both of them to enjoy a late-night snack as Lumina continued her deadly rampage. He was quite content just to sit and watch the kyree play. Seeing her having so much fun was all that mattered to him.

However, things suddenly took a turn.

It happened without warning; a vehicle suddenly appeared out of nowhere, running Lumina's character over from behind as she was lining up a nearby enemy. At first, neither of them knew what had happened, that is, until an ally came to stand atop her dead body.

"What is he doing?" Lumina asked in confusion, watching as the soldier on the screen proceeded to squat and stand repeatedly over her character.

Her inquiry was met with a heavy sigh from Keith. "This would be the darker side of online gaming," he eventually spoke, shaking his head. "Your ally killed you on purpose."

Lumina's eyes narrowed as she looked over to him. "Why would he do that?"

"That's a very good question. I suppose... he wanted to get a rise out of you. Some players find entertainment in pissing off teammates using such sadistic tactics."

The white kyree's expression became a mixture of confusion and simmering anger. "How can someone find pleasure in that?"

"I don't know," Keith answered. His countenance became thoughtful. "I suppose it is a sort of thrill maybe. You can grief other players like that and hide behind the veil of the internet. There is no risk of retaliation beyond what can be done inside the game itself."

Lumina was about to let the issue go, when again her character was abruptly killed by the same ally.

"Ok that's it," the kyree suddenly said, anger clear in her tone. Since she had started playing, Lumina had kept the mic of her headset off, electing to instead concentrate on the gameplay; she had other plans now.

Keith watched as the kyree toggled off the mute button to her mic.

Uh oh... this wasn't good.

"Why do you keep killing me?" Lumina spoke out, righteously indignant. "What did I ever do to you?"

The player she was speaking to was aptly named TrojanJustice. It was clear to Keith what sort of person they were dealing with. Lumina had just chummed the water for the sharks to come and feed.

As Keith had expected, any and all conversation across the entire team abruptly ceased. She had also unwittingly made the fact known that she was not just another guy like the vast majority who played the FPS game.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" The words were taunting from TrojanJustice's mic, audible from both the display speakers and Lumina's headset. Keith wagered the man behind the gamertag was probably in his early 20s, Caucasian, perhaps a little overweight... and spoiling for some malicious fun from the sounds of it.

Lumina's eyes narrowed slightly at the verbal retort. "Do you find pleasure in harassing your teammates?"

"Only when they cry like little babies," came the wicked reply. "I find the one chick who plays this game, and she cries like a baby."

Keith stole a glance at Lumina, noting that her ears were splayed fully back as the kyree's muzzle curled upward slightly in a silent snarl. Yet, she still managed to maintain a deceptively calm and steady voice. "You are quite a heartless person," she continued, her tone controlled with just the barest hint of malice. "If you aren't going to play the game properly, I ask that you leave."

Seeing how the situation was going to spin out of control, Keith opened his mouth to speak... but was abruptly cut off by a raised hand from Lumina.

"I ain't going anywhere," the voice replied spitefully. "I rather enjoy teamkilling you, just to hear you cry about it."

Lumina's seething anger continued to grow, her silent snarl now baring fangs viciously. Still the calm outward air prevailed in her voice. "Obviously you have nothing better to do, right? No friends I imagine. Your only goal in life is to piss on everyone's fun."

Both Keith and Lumina watched as her character was killed again by TrojanJustice, accompanied by his goading words.

"Go ahead... cry about it some more."

It was at that point Lumina lost whatever had been maintaining her self-control. "Listen you little shit! You think you're all high and mighty hiding behind the internet. You're not as safe as you might think!"

Keith was about to interject, when he suddenly remembered who was sitting next to him on the bed. This was Lumina after all... and she wouldn't knowingly get into a situation without having a plan of action.

The voice on the other end didn't know that though. Unbeknownst to TrojanJustice, he had just fallen into her trap. "Fuck off bitch. You can't do shit to me!"

Lumina's menacing snarl suddenly took on a malicious air. "Very well."

While Keith looked on in rapt silence the kyree's eyes closed, her snarl now a wicked grin.

Oh... he had seen that look many a time before...

It was only a few moments later when the kyree's predatory eyes opened once more.

"Your name is John Berkman," Lumina spoke into the mic condescendingly. "You live in Springfield, Missouri in a dump of a studio apartment. You drive a beat up '91 white Chevy Caprice delivering pizzas for a living."

She paused for a moment, only to hear dead silence in reply.

"Let's see here," the kyree went on, twisting the knife that she had already plunged into her adversary's back. "Hmm... only one bank account with Bank of America I see... and... oh... only a hundred and eighty three dollars to your name."

Lumina went on to rattle off his Social Security number, date of birth, driver's license, and credit scores.

Still silence greeted her from the headset. By now, the entire team had stopped playing the game altogether, as everyone couldn't help but listen in.

The first knife was joined by a second. "Ah, it seems John only has a high school level education... and barely at that. Not a very stellar GPA. You applied, but were denied admittance to the local community college." A third knife was mercilessly added. "I was hoping to find something more suitable to steal, but you really have no assets to your name worth taking. You're behind on rent by two months, and the utilities aren't much better off. Why are you even paying the subscription fee to play this game in the first place?"

Finally, John worked up the nerve to speak. "Who the hell are you?"

"I don't think that is your biggest problem right now," Lumina shot back, not missing a beat. "You should take your gaming console and sell it right now, get your priorities straight, and get your life back in order."

To Keith, the kyree's malice was utterly terrifying. This was the true power of an A.I. construct. She could get into your life and sincerely wreak havoc.

TrojanJustice was clearly shaken up. "What the fuck is this?"

Lumina went in for the kill. "Every facet of your life is open for me to do with what I please. I could empty out your bank account, or ruin your credit in an instant... but I won't. Your life is already bad enough as it is. Just remember next time you try to make yourself feel better by pissing on others... you're not as safe behind the internet as you might think."

It was with those parting words that Lumina's adversary disappeared from the game altogether. She wasn't done though.

"Does anyone else want to try their luck?" the kyree asked in a calm but menacing tone.

Not a single word was spoken.

"Good... then the rest of you gentlemen have a fine evening."

Removing the headset from her ears, Lumina powered down the gaming console and turned to Keith with a sigh of utter satisfaction.

"Jesus, Lumina," the human breathed. "That was scary to watch."

The white kyree gave Keith her best disarming smile. "Oh, was that fun."

"Were you really going to steal that man's money?"

"Of course not," Lumina replied earnestly. "I just wanted to teach him a lesson."

Keith uttered a nervous laugh. "I would say you did indeed. I suppose it is safe to say you can now branch your awareness out beyond your physical body."

"I wasn't sure I could," Lumina continued. "It just sort of happened when I wanted to."

"Well... good job scaring the hell out of him. I can't tell you how many times I've wished for the ability to humble someone like that." Keith chanced a look at the nearby wall-mounted clock. "Ack... I didn't realize how late it has gotten." He turned back to Lumina, who was still seated next to him on the edge of the bed. "Perhaps I should help you get settled in to the guest room. It's been quite a long day for you I imagine."

Lumina's smile vanished suddenly, as her gaze fell to the deck. "Oh... ok."

"What's wrong?" Keith asked, alarmed at seeing her mood change so abruptly. "Do you feel uncomfortable sleeping in the guest room?"

The white kyree continued to study the deck beneath her paws. "No... well... I guess so... maybe." There was a moment's pause. "I guess... I'm not quite comfortable spending the night in a room by myself yet. I've never truly been alone before."

Keith brought a hand up to rub through his thick brown hair. "Ah... would you prefer to stay the night here then?"

The kyree's wolfish ears twitched as she looked up to him. "Thanks for the offer... but I really shouldn't."

"Just for tonight," Keith countered. "I understand your trepidation at the thought of being alone. It's perfectly natural to want the company of others." He motioned with a hand to the nearby couch. "The bed is all yours. I'll take the sofa."

Lumina opened her muzzle to speak, but stopped short at a loss for words.

"I won't have any fuss on the matter," Keith continued, raising a finger to silence her coming protests. "We'll get your room properly set up tomorrow. So don't worry."

After a moment of uncertainty, Lumina closed her muzzle once more and gave him a warm smile. "You are always too kind to me."

Keith returned her smile as he moved to stand, intent on procuring some fresh sheets from the nearby closet. Lumina's sudden grasp of his arm with her hand however, stopped him sort of standing fully upright.

"Wait," the kyree nearly whispered.

Keith fell back to sit on the bed once more. "What is it?"

Lumina's expression was awash with conflicting emotions as she seemed to search for words. He had never seen such a look splayed across her facial features before.

"There's... one more thing I'd love to do before I sleep," she finally managed to say.

"Sure. What did you want to do?"

Releasing his arm, Lumina cupped her hands together in her lap fretfully. "I've really enjoyed every wonderful experience I've had today..." The kyree's words trailed off for a moment. "But, there is one more thing I've always coveted above all else."

Suddenly, Lumina's wolfish eyes came up to regard Keith's own with such desire that he was taken aback.

"Please, mate with me," the kyree said, her imploring gaze never leaving his eyes.

Keith was rendered speechless, his mouth falling open in disbelief. He didn't know what to say.

"Please..." Lumina pleaded again, turning her whole body to face him. "It would mean so much to me."

Finally, after several false starts, Keith managed to find his voice again. "Lumina... I can't. It wouldn't be right."

"Why?" Her reply was meek, triggering a pang of guilt in him.

Keith's gaze wavered as he searched for the right words. "Because... you've just undergone a life-changing transformation. I understand your desire to experience every blissful sensation life has to offer. Nevertheless, this is something you should wait for when the time is right."

The kyree was genuinely hurt by his words. "But, I thought this was... the right time." She recoiled back from him slightly, her gaze falling away from his eyes.

"No... it's just..." He couldn't think of the right thing to say.

The shame was too much for Lumina. She just felt horrible. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have overstepped myself." Before Keith could speak, the kyree stood from the side of the bed. "I was wrong to say such a thing."

Lumina moved for the door.

At that very moment, something deep inside Keith snapped.

The white kyree suddenly froze as a firm but gentle hand came to grasp her arm. Surprised, she turned to find him looking at her with an unreadable countenance.

For what felt like an eternity, Lumina gazed into his emerald green eyes, until Keith lightly pulled her toward him.

Guided by his gentle touch, the kyree felt herself drawn back down onto the side of the bed alongside him, her gaze never leaving his own.

"Don't be upset," Keith breathed softly. "It pains me to see you hurt like that."

Time slowed to a standstill; no more words needed to be said as their lips slowly met in a passionate kiss.

Lumina's consciousness was overwhelmed by the sensual touch of another upon her virgin body for the first time. His hands tenderly wove their way around her waist, pulling her closer toward his inviting warmth, drawing her more deeply into their heated kiss. For so long, she had dreamed of this very moment.

Following Keith's example, the white kyree parted her muzzle slightly, allowing her broad canine tongue to meet his with zealous hunger. She relished his taste, savored how his hands worked their way under the bottom hem of her shirt to caress through the supple fur of her back; his intimacy was absolutely magnificent.

After a few wonderful moments of bliss, Keith pulled away from the passionate embrace out of breath. Lumina's golden eyes gleamed with an excited air as their gazes met once more, the kyree panting lightly with her rapidly heightening arousal. Her expression was of anticipation, wordlessly submitting herself to Keith's will.

With an affectionate smile that Lumina returned, he carefully removed himself from the side of the bed to crawl up onto the plush sheets behind her.

His touch was soft and reassuring as two hands came down to grasp the hem of her shirt, carefully lifting the fabric up over her head to expose the bare fur beneath. Her bra quickly followed suit, haphazardly discarded onto the floor without a second thought.

At the loss of her clothing, a discomforting chill washed across Lumina, until Keith's hands suddenly wove themselves beneath her arms, pulling her back to rest up against his form. Holding her tightly against him, he gently cupped her modest breasts in each hand, tenderly kneading the supple orbs with practiced skill.

Lumina couldn't help but murr with untamed delight, feeling her body teased by his loving embrace. Wolfish ears pinning back fully, the kyree basked in the marvelous sensation of his roaming digits massaging all across her sensitive chest, teasing her petite pink nipples into beautiful hardness.

A distinctive warmth began to grow within Lumina, slowly building in intensity with every sensual caress of Keith's hands against her supple breasts. The pleasurable feel of his touch was pure bliss, yet her body craved something more, something far more magnificent. Without her realizing it, the kyree's murr slowly melted into a soft growl of desire.

Suddenly, Keith removed himself from behind her, leaving an empty void that abruptly snapped Lumina out of her daze. Uttering a pitiful whimper, she turned to catch his warm smile while he slid up alongside her, before placing a hand lightly atop her shoulder.

At first the kyree was confused, till she felt him guide her down to lie flat atop the soft sheets of the bed with her paws still hanging off the side. After awkwardly positioning her tail, Lumina came to stare upward into Keith's eyes, the kyree still panting lightly in arousal.

"You're so beautiful," Keith spoke quietly with an affectionate smile. For a moment, he couldn't help but admire her striking wolfish eyes.

Lumina emitted another meek whimper, imploring him to continue his sensual exploration of her body. The kyree hungered for his intimate touch as her arousal continued to intensify with every passing second.

His body lingering just above her, Keith was happy to oblige her desire. With frenzied passion their lips met once more, producing another voluptuous murr from the kyree beneath him. Yet, their embrace only lasted for few a tantalizing seconds, before once more, he pulled back to give her a wily grin.

Lumina watched curiously as Keith slowly moved his way down her slender form, wondering what he was up to. Unexpectedly, the kyree's muzzle fell open with a gasp as her eyes lidded. Her awareness was inundated by sudden waves of fiery pleasure, at the feeling of Keith's tongue splaying against the tender flesh of her petite nipple. The odd prickly sensation was spine-tingling, making her fur stand on end while she writhed atop the bed sheets.

Relishing how the kyree's body tensed and contorted to his touch, Keith made sure to give her other sensitive nipple the same treatment as the first, before resuming his trek downward. After pausing to give her navel a soft kiss, eliciting a giggle from Lumina, he moved down to what he sought.

Keith brought a hand up to tug at the hem of the kyree's shorts, his eyes meeting her own with an inquisitive regard. Her gaze clouded with lust, Lumina nodded her head slightly, giving him the consent that he wanted.

Carefully, he hooked his fingers under the waistband of the clothing, and pulled the fabric slowly down the kyree's shapely legs, all while Lumina watched hungrily. With some help from her, he quickly removed the shorts and added them to the growing pile next to the bed, before setting his sights on her underclothing.

After a moment of fumbling about to remove the troublesome fabric, Lumina's fur stood completely bare, allowing Keith to take in the full splendor of her slender kyree physique for the first time. He couldn't help but smile at noticing her sudden coyness.

"Simply beautiful," he spoke serenely, catching Lumina by surprise as he reached up to stroke a hand along the supple fur of her tail.

Now kneeling next to the side of the bed, Keith gradually moved himself up to her paws. While the kyree looked on with bated breath, he brought his hands up to pull her legs apart gently, allowing him to draw himself closer to the treasure he truly desired.

His hot breath suddenly wafted across the slightly puckered lips of Lumina's virgin sex, filling the kyree with anxious anticipation. She had watched the crew pleasure each other countless times, always looking on from the ship's sensors as both kyree and kenseng alike cried out in pure ecstasy with their partner's tongue dancing across their heated folds. Now, that pleasure would be hers to finally revel in.

Lumina's breath suddenly caught as Keith's tongue gently licked up against the entirety of her slit. The slick warmth of his caress overwhelmed the kyree's awareness; the sensation was unlike anything she had ever expected!

She instinctively spread her legs further apart, allowing Keith to draw closer. Again he lashed out with a powerful stroke across her heated sex, provoking a heady groan of rapture from the kyree as her outer lips yielded to his delightful touch. She could distantly sense the warmth of her body strengthening, feeling him suddenly bury his head eagerly between her legs to taste her essence with impassioned hunger.

Eyes screwed shut, ears pinned fully back, Lumina arched her body powerfully with a sharp intake of breath. The carnal pleasure of his efforts ebbed and flowed beautifully, slowly building the warmth within her body into a powerful burning euphoria. In the throes of ecstasy, the white kyree couldn't help but weave her hands through the thick auburn hair of his head, pulling him closer, longing for that wonderful tongue of his to go deeper still.

Keith relished how Lumina's body squirmed and wriggled to his every sensual caress of her magnificent sex, how she whimpered and groaned helplessly in her overcome state of mind. Feeling her hands against the back of his head, he happily obliged her desire, thrusting his tongue deeper to splay across her inner folds, working to bring Lumina to her first glorious release.

The kyree's breath came in quick, heavy pants; the fiery ecstasy continued to grow, quickly spreading out from her loins all throughout her body. Lumina found herself suddenly fighting against a daunting surge that threatened to overpower her awareness, relentlessly swelling stronger with each passing instant.

Abruptly, Keith withdrew from her tortured sex, leaving the kyree hanging precariously on the excruciating edge of her peak. Her teeth clenched tightly, she remained frozen in anguish ... until the human's lips tenderly closed around her sensitive clit, plunging her down into the beautiful crescendo of her first magnificent release.

The world suddenly dropped away from Lumina as the fiery euphoria erupted in a dazzling flash of ecstasy, engulfing the kyree in its brilliant magnificence.

A sudden howl escaped her muzzle, reverberating off the bulkheads to heighten the pure elation of the moment. There was nothing but the overwhelming waves of pleasure, which relentlessly assaulted her so perfectly.

Time seemed to slow to a standstill...

After a few marvelous moments of utter bliss, Lumina's peak slowly ebbed and subsided into peaceful tranquility. The kyree's body soon fell back onto the bed as she panted out of breath, basking in the satisfying afterglow of release. The whole experience had left her completely exhausted.

Her view of the ceiling bulkheads was suddenly interrupted by Keith's affectionate smile. "You're so beautiful when your tongue lolls out," he said with amusement, enjoying her ruffled state.

Lumina gave him a disheveled smile of her own. "That... was wonderful." He was caught by surprise as she unexpectedly pulled him down into a passionate hug. "Please mate with me," she whispered seductively into his ear. "I want to return the favor."

He pulled back to gaze into her golden eyes, his expression wavering for a moment.

"Please," Lumina repeated, pleading with him. "There is no one else I would rather be with than you."

Her words touched him deeply. Smiling once more, he removed himself from her to stand upright alongside the bed.

While Lumina looked on in anticipation, still panting from his earlier handiwork, the human quickly rid himself of his clothing unceremoniously, soon presenting the white kyree with his full naked splendor.

As Keith rejoined her on the bed, Lumina felt her heart rate quicken. She had seen him naked innumerable times before... but this... this was different. The kyree sensed the warmth of her arousal return once more, relishing the sight of his pulsing erection aching for her needing sex. She couldn't help but lick her chops expectantly.

Slowly, with deliberate care, Keith brought himself up onto the bed between her legs, his emerald eyes remaining locked keenly on her own.

Lumina sighed deeply, savoring Keith's warmth as it brought her thoughts briefly back to their wonderful kiss, when she had first felt the emotional fulfillment of his loving embrace. His comforting intimacy filled an emptiness Lumina had never even known existed.

It was at that very instant the kyree realized she never wanted to be alone again... and through that terrible thought came the solace that Keith would make sure she never was.

With care, he gently guided his slightly muscular form to rest comfortably atop Lumina, allowing the two to meet in another brief eager kiss. The kyree's modest breasts pressed enticingly up against Keith's chest, driving him crazy with lust as her silky fur and perky nipples brushed across his bare skin. It took every last shred of his self-control to not give in and fuck her mindlessly.

Keith slowly spread the kyree's legs wider, causing her breath to catch with the feel of his erection brushing up against the plush fur of her inner thigh.

The heat of his body permeated down beneath her fur; his heavy breath tickled her sensitive ear... the anticipation was just too much for her to bear.

"This will hurt for just a second," Keith spoke softly.

She gave him a slight nod as the human shifted his hips gradually, until Lumina felt his arousal gently glance against her sex, sending a shiver down the kyree's spine.

This was it...

In one powerful motion, Keith's hips surged forward, thrusting his aching erection deep within the kyree beneath him, taking her virginity fully in one quick forceful thrust.

Lumina uttered a piercing yelp in pain and surprise, feeling herself torn apart by his savage motion. Ears splaying back, she desperately wrapped her arms around him, trembling uncontrollably, powerless to do anything but ride out the initial discomfort of her first mating.

Keith held himself completely still, his hips flush against Lumina's as he made soothing sounds to calm her distress. The kyree's virgin sex embraced his erection with a tightness never before experienced by the human, inundating his awareness with an intense wave of pleasure. Yet still he maintained his self-control, and brought a hand up to stroke across her cheek fur reassuringly as she whimpered beneath him.

Slowly, Lumina's pain subsided, replaced instead by the sweltering ecstasy of Keith's length filling her so perfectly. Panting heavily, she clutched her arms around him tighter, trying to pull him deeper within her.

Feeling the white-furred kyree draw him closer into her wonderful embrace, he began moving his hips gradually in short gentle strokes, producing a long drawn out murr of delight from her.

Steadily Keith's pace quickened while he relished her passion-crazed response; his thrusts becoming deeper, his rhythm quickly building in intensity to her complementing cries of lust.

The kyree's body squirmed beneath his every sensual motion, twisting and contorting as he mated her zealously, his hips slamming powerfully against her own with each powerful plunge. Keith enjoyed her every strained expression, her lidded eyes, her muzzle hanging ajar with tongue lolled out helplessly... the kyree's pleasure only spurred him on with fervor as he brought his hands up to knead her sensitive breasts, his gaze never leaving her gorgeous eyes.

Lumina's world swiftly closed in on itself. Her body felt as if it had become aflame; the fiery pleasure of her loins grew into a raging inferno. Keith's form moved with a forceful, yet affectionate, motion, spreading her inner folds wonderfully wide with each thrust, seemingly threatening to tear her apart. The white kyree could do nothing but submit to the passion of the moment, uttering Keith's name heatedly in the throes of pure bliss.

His thrusts against her hips grew swifter... more powerful, his strained grunts meeting her sensitive ears continuously as she wrapped her legs around him. The raging inferno burned hotter still within Lumina, threatening to consume her once more in a powerful release.

Keith released his hold of her breasts as he felt himself being overcome, clenching his teeth tight in an effort to stave off his approaching peak.

The raucous slurping and sucking of their mating intensified, echoed by Lumina's sharp whine of pleasure... she couldn't fight if any longer!

The white kyree suddenly succumbed to her climax as the inferno erupted in a cascade of fiery passion, flooding her with a heavenly onrush of untamed carnal rapture. Toes curling, eyes screwing shut, Lumina howled once more with the overwhelming power of her release, clutching Keith tightly in her heated embrace.

The kyree's tortured sex contracted rhythmically around his length, thrusting him to the knife's edge of his climax. With a groan, Keith buried his head in the downy soft fur of her shoulder and bucked his hips wildly, spilling his seed into her waiting folds in thick creamy spurts.

He joined Lumina at the height of a glorious pinnacle, his pleasure perfected by the kyree's visceral howl. Together they reveled in the primal harmony of the moment, while Keith continued to rock his hips steadily against her, still emptying himself into her abused sex.

A blissful eternity seemed to pass them by... until finally, their combined peaks receded into a fulfilling serenity.

Lumina panted roughly as she fought to catch her breath, her eyes glazed over by the bodily satisfaction of their coupling. While the kyree sprawled breathlessly on the bed sheets, Keith carefully removed himself from atop her, causing his length to slip from her sated folds. The resulting mess of their combined fluids was quickly forgotten as the two snuggled up closely together, regarding one another affectionately.

"I love you," Keith said, his voice soothing to her ears.

Lumina's fond smile greeted his words as he wrapped his arm around her slender waist to draw the kyree closer. "I love you too," she replied, basking in the comfort of his intimacy and warmth. Feeling exhaustion tug at her awareness, she closed her eyes, still smiling.

Yes... she would never be alone again...

***************

It was several hours later when Keith found himself standing next to the large window of his quarters, gazing quietly out toward the vast expanse of Earth as the planet slowly revolved by his perspective. With the room lighting dimmed down to near darkness, the view was quite spectacular.

Standing there, enjoying the remarkable scene before him in silence, Keith's thoughts dwelled on the past. It had really been a crazy ride over the past few months.

He had been nearly killed by terrorists aboard the International Space Station, had made first contact with an alien race, had become a diplomat on part of the very same alien race, had been nearly killed again in a surprise attack that had sparked an interstellar war, had helped rescue the President of the United States, and had eventually helped broker a peace treaty for said war... crazy ride indeed.

Looking back on what had happened, Keith couldn't help but wonder how he was still in one piece after it all. The whole ordeal was rather compelling... perhaps, one day, he would work up the will to write a book about it.

Amused by the idea, he turned his gaze away from the window toward the nearby bed, to find Lumina sleeping soundly beneath the covers. For a moment he simply watched her chest rhythmically rise and fall with a smile. She was actually snoring slightly.

Keith was glad he had become part of the Arastos crew. Together, they all had endured through many perilous challenges, tackling each new problem as a cohesive team. Numerous difficulties still lay ahead as their future remained largely a mystery, yet the crew was ready and willing to face whatever was thrown their way.

Even after all of the trial and tribulations, one simple fact still remained. If any of them had been given the choice, they would do it all over again...