FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I started this out as a fan-fic, but then decided to steer it into a more original direction. Lemme know what you think- I'm sorry if there's no yiff in this chapter, but I intend to implement it in later chapters. The next one will have what people like. Every character in this story is copyright ME. ME I SAY, ME. o.o ANYWAY, lemme know what you think, I'm a sucker for comments and constructive criticism. * * *

I was born on the fifth planet of the Biotahn system's center, Nimer, February 13th, 4785. I lived and grew as many sentient beings did. Nothing special. I had my interests and my dislikes, and all of it is irrelevant at this point, because where I begin this story is here- here is when I began to make something of myself. I was never one much among the ladies. Sure, I worked out, but being unable to approach the opposite sex is what happens when your head is more in the skies and in the games and books than when it's on muscle-craft, sex and good clothes. Even now, I'm not sure where I stood as a person on the popularity level when I was 14. Perhaps I was little more than an average schmuck, though I did eventually pursue one relationship- a detail I'll go into later. Still, "average schmucks" don't get accepted into the BAF Navy either, particularly when they live in the lower slums of Nimer, and could just as easily have been accepted into the opposing territories' armed services off the bat- but I had too much pride in my system and it's history to turn my back on it for some totalitarian fuck with an Oedipus Complex. And "average schmucks" don't end up training and schooling alongside some of the best pilots of the system, not to mention other training I would undertake in the following years. I graduated in the top 10 of the year's 300 students, ranked 9th. As is a ritual among the graduates finest, we'd all made a bet with that year's top-guns, as to whether or not we'd be leading or following whatever squadron we'd join. To tell you the truth, if one had provided substantial proof that I would have been Commander only two years later, I might still not have believed it. Mind you, 16 is the age of adulthood among Therians, but you're not bumped up to General when you reach it. I was 17 and recently graduated, when I was asked if I'd like to take an easy job. I initially refused, and I underwent training among the Perception Corps. for a year, coming out a better man. Upon return, I was offered another job, assigned to the 5th Fringe Dragoon Rangers, a patrol group sent out along the outer rim of the system. Although hesitant, I took it anyway. I served 30 years among them. I feel I lived a great life. * * * 8 years had passed since I'd stepped out of the academy, and at that point, I was commander; new problems were springing up all over the place. The outer fringes of Biotah airspace became battlefields of forces from two neighboring systems- the Yvannis system Empire, which consisted of both humans and Therians; and the Communist Party of the Timat system, which comprised mostly of predatory Therians and some humans. Despite the Yvannian's best efforts to stem the flow of war into Biotahn borders, fights would still break out. It didn't help that some Biotahn squadrons - like ours - were equipped with ships used mainly by either side. Borders were effectively closed off, our job becoming more prevalent. Newer planets were discovered and claimed, allied with among the local colonies made by pilgrims in that area and made stronger. Among the changes were those of staffing regulations- fighter squadrons demanded a rigid 10 pilots for planetary/moon base units, 12 for orbital posts and checkpoint units, and 8 to 12 pilots for border patrols and Rangers. So we recruited 2 more people in order to meet new regulations. Rin was one of the two. * * * It now occurs to me that I've yet to introduce myself. My name is Kajex Surenam, and at the time of this tale, I was 25. I'm a Jaguar Therian, standing at an underwhelming 5 foot 6 inches, with a medium built that I kept with infrequent and effective workout sessions, medium-length white hair, crimson eyes, and a rather calm, observant expression- or so I'm told. Truth is, if there was a word needed to describe me, it probably would be calm or observant. I'll start with the day came when we received the 2 new recruits, transported to our modest mobile-home, the Ashardalon, named after the red dragon of destruction- a fitting name for a fully-armed cruiser. The entirety of the crew was in the hangar, although not all of them were there simply to meet and greet the team- we loved being engineers, and while only one of us really qualified as a ship technician and repairman (Tarry), we all had the informal training necessary to handle ourselves. As a result, half of us in the hangar were just doing repairs or modifications- that, and I ordered them to find something constructive to do while being informal about it. I wanted to convey a relaxed sense of duty among the crew. The hangar's detection system stirred, giving off a low-tone drone that echoed through the hangar. Space had been cleared specifically for the new arrivals, which was good- the incoming ship was a bit larger than I had expected. Tarry, who had been sitting in a replaced cockpit fiddling with something inside, made some sort of comment on how loud the visiting vessel was, but apart from not being able to hear well due to the volume, I really wasn't interested. She touched down on her designated pad, which rotated around to face the exit in case of emergency liftoff, and deactivated her engines. Kiya shot a glance at me, which I noticed. "Something to say, kiddo?" She and Kiyo were the youngest on board, and two of my closest friends- Kiyo had been among the set of recruits that replaced those lost during my first battle, and I owed him my life many times over. Kiya, meanwhile, had quickly proven herself a more-than-worthy addition to the team, after Kiyo had recommended her. I gave in partly because their parents had been killed, and she had nowhere else to go. She smirked. "I just pity the guy who has to fly that wreck, is all. Aren't you going to say anything to the man when he walks out? You know, like mock the fact that he flies a vessel bigger than my aunt Linda's fat ass, with less grace?" I shrugged. "Likely, he already knows. I'm not here to make his job tougher, just here to welcome a couple of new people into the family, is all." The loading ramp lowered as I spoke. "Just keep your arms open, I requested 90% and above on their efficiency rating." I paused, watching as the vessel's ramp came to the floor with a thick thud. "So we're getting a medic and another engineer?" Kiyo spoke this time. "Engineer/Specialist. Probably some psychic. Didn't think we'd need another." "We don't," I responded. "But now that we have a surplus of up-and-comings, we might as well take what they offer." I refocused my attention on the visiting vessel, where a rather pudgy pug officer was making his way out of. He glanced up, gave me a rather half-hearted salute which I returned, and held up his clipboard. "Commander Surenam of the 5th Fringe Dragoon Rangers, ID number 1175-138, as per orders of the Biotah Armed Forces Navy-" "Sir, I-" "-you've been offered two new members of your crew to increase your onboard personnel in-" "Hey, I-" "-accordance to BAF protocol 293-RRP-" "Dude, cut it out!" I was starting to get irritated. I make it a habit to not hold grudges or hate anything, but one thing I do genuinely hate is an overstuffy Rear-Echelon fucker trying to make himself seem higher-up than he really is with official numbers and protocol call-signs and what-have-you. Out here, we did the real work. "Cut to the chase- who are they, what do they do." The officer seemed to be taken aback by my sudden outburst, and a bit reproachful, but I was never going to see the guy again, so why I should have cared was beyond me. He cleared his throat. "Well... one new Medical Officer, Aaron Poe- he received standard marks in the flight academy's regular curriculum, but he received notably solid marks in medicine and injury treatment. Seeing as you haven't had one in a few years, and you've had a few injuries in the past," he remarked, looking at Kiyo's false eye, "this should be something of a godsend. You do still have the medical quarters cleared, yes?" I nodded. We had already prepared the facility. "We're short on viable supplies, though." "Not a problem. M.O. Poe requested a fresh supply of tools and drugs just in case." He looked to his datapad once more. "And... the second addition is a psychic fresh out of the Perception Corps.. Rinyu O'Keefe- high marks in vehicle operation, higher marks as a pilot. I think you got the cream of the crop in this one, if you don't mind my saying so." He gave a rather amused smile to nobody in particular, one that I didn't much care for. "... Right. Well, if that's all, where are they?" I asked. Nobody had followed him down the ramp. "They're picking up their stuff- they came with the standard-issue necessities. See, here they come now." Being a Ranger has the distinct disadvantage of not being able to be planetside for roughly 95% of the job, it doesn't give you much time for relationships, unless actively pursued form within the team. I won't deny it - there was no shortage of sexual relations among the entire team (especially in the presence of good alcohol), and in the several years we'd come to know each other, we'd ALL proven that none of us were truly "straight", although the extent of feelings was that of friends with benefits, and little more. Yet one of the figures moving down the loading ramp had me stunned for what seemed like half an hour. She stood shorter than any of us, yet more confident than one would expect, at about 5 foot 1 inch, with a modestly attractive figure in terms of hip and bust size - a snow white feline with cherry red hair, and gentle green eyes. Had I not been a Receptive, I'd have not perceived her irrational nervousness, but she held the soft gaze of someone determined to make a favorable impression. I composed myself after a few moments - attracted or not, I was still commander, and I had to proceed with introductions. I started with Aaron- a medium-height raven with a laid-back expression of comfort that gave the impression that he was pleased with his surrounding. If he had any idea of what things would be like before he got here, I doubt he would have had a different face to show. He certainly didn't seem to be nervous in any way, and when I shook his hand, I was almost certain he knew where he was, that it was where he wanted to be. He spoke with what I identified as a British accent- one that didn't make my ears bleed, but was instead complimented with a calm, off-kilter demeanor. "Heyas, Commander Surenam - I suppose this is the home away from homes you have, eh?" I nodded, smiling back. "That it is. Welcome aboard the Ashardalon, pride and joy of the 5th Fringe Dragoons." I indicated to the rest of the crew, most of them who were pulling themselves away from the "repairs" I made them do to look like we were busy- all except for Tarry, who was wrestling with a serpent's nest of wiring like a little kid. The other member, Rinyu, had stepped up, and also shaken my hand. It was the closest I'd ever been to losing any sense of professionalism in something as minor as new-member orientation, but her calm and confident tone was enough. "Great meeting you, Commander. I look forward to time on this ship." I immediately was taken with her smile, timid though it seemed at the time. To which I nodded, indicating the rest of the team. "Well, let's get the introductions out of the way, then." I pointed to the twins, on either wing of my Razor. "Kiyo and Kiya Tix, reconnaissance and communications, respectively,-" They waved to the two. "-Diego Ruoxeev, onboard strongman and weapon-systems tech,-" Our resident brown-furred equine responded with quick handshakes to them both. "-Sen Relado, our translator and codebreaker-" She'd been smiling at the two from her perch on a ship's canopy, and waved in a friendly manner. "-Tarry Meijo, programmer and hardware professional-" He looked up from his work for a moment to wave before going back to his work. "-Talon Skyes, second-in-command and onboard shrink-" My best friend settled for firm handshakes. "-And I'm Kajex Surenam- and before you get into the habit of calling me 'Commander' you can just call me Kajex or Kaj, like everybody else here." * * * I could go on about the rest of that day, but there's nothing of it to say except that our new crew members were very well received, not in the least due to Aaron's sense of humor mixed in with biting sarcasm for stupid people, and Rinyu's gentleness mixed in with her outgoing habit of trying to find something to do, or someone to help. It only took 3 days before we all noticed that she seemed to be searching for a moment where she could aid in some way- I was amazed at the fact that, despite her timidness, she was increasing efficiency twicefold, both onboard the Ash, and in combat. She wasted no time in befriending the entire crew within the week, and from my understanding at the time, Aaron was well aware of her kindness, and apparently a close friend of hers even before they'd both arrived. Aaron, for his part, aided the crew not just in terms of medicine, but as a means of talking to others. Talon worked as the shrink of the ship, anticipating how people reacted in combat and politics, talking through sessions with the other teammates when something seemed to both them- but whenever he was free, Aaron was more than happy, and always content, to listen to the crew when they felt they had a problem they couldn't confide in Talon about. Not that Talon was offended, knowing that it helped to have a non-psychological explanation for every thought process- something Talon was keen to make clear of. That, and Aaron was more inclined to get answers with his effective sense of humor. So between Aaron's listening and Rinyu's helping, life was a general improvement, not in the least because now we had two extra gamers onboard. And during a long stretch of nothing to do over the course of a week, things started to become interesting among us. It started then, really. * * * I was stuck with a malfunctioning engine thrust regulator one evening, while everyone else is off doing their own thing. It was Saturday, and as such, the entire crew followed only one rule- no rest for the wicked. Seeing as I'm the slavedriver and all, I continued to work around the ship- though all it means is that as commander, I'm responsible for making sure at least one person is on duty at all times. As such, I usually volunteered. Sometimes Tarry would come in and lend a hand, or Diego, but at that time Rinyu had been making her rounds and constantly offered her assistance. She seemed to be a little disappointed when I politely turned down her offers for help, but - bless her heart - I just couldn't put her to work when she was already contributing so much to the team selflessly. Other than that, everyone else was busying themselves with their hobbies. In any case I had a wonderful string of profanities going, probably breaking the 700's, when I hear a small squeaking sneeze. I whipped around, having heard or sensed nobody moments before, my paw fumbling for my sidearm. I failed miserably and tripped over my toolbox and straight onto my nose, in front of a pair of black boots. I rolled onto my back, in a slight daze, waiting for my vision to refocus so that I didn't have to decide which of the two white kitties above me was the real one. Not that Rinyu was going to give me time to recover. "Oh crap, Jesus, I'm sorry, Kaj!" she said, sounding genuinely apologetic- she wasted no time in grabbing my paw and helping me up, keeping me steady. "I didn't think you'd be so tense, is all- you seemed relaxed while working." I blinked, holding onto her shoulder as I regained my balance- my vision had returned to normal, allowing me to identify her, her words had only just registered to me. "Huh..? Oh... nah it's fine, it's fine... just caught me off guard, is all." I breathed a sigh of relief. "I should be the one apologizing for trying to whip out my pistol without seeing who it was." She giggled. "You do that with many women?" The joke didn't pass by without a half-smile on my part. "Men too." I wiped my brow- work would have to continue a bit later. "What can I do for you?" She shrugged. "I dunno, I figured I could give you a hand with whatever you're doing, is all. Sen told me you were doing some repair-work." "The network's up and running again- I figured you'd be doing some gaming with Talon and Tarry." She shook her head. "They dipped into their boyfriend talking again. Not that I'm against gays, but mushy stuff between any couples drives me the wrong way, so I ditched." She cleared her throat, then gestured to me. "Besides, I couldn't very well let good old captain Kaj do all the work by his lonesome- ship repair can be hard work. If you need an extra paw...?" I shook my head. "Nah, that's alright." I banged the exhaust with hand-held welder. "This bitch is driving me nuts- it's either a problem with the mechanics, and I don't see where it could be, or it's a problem with the onboard systems, so I'd have to let Tarry take a look at it. But thanks all the same- I'm taking a break." I hesitated for a moment, noticing that she, like I, was still in uniform, dressed in a white jumpsuit and standard maroon jacket, in contrast to my black suit- it was odd, since everyone else made it a point to be dressed casually when not on-duty. From that, I could only conclude that she was more devoted to the team than I initially thought. "You're... pretty eager to help out, I've noticed." She smiled. "My father used to tell me that you get alot of respect, love and happiness out of helping those who need and deserve it." "Sounds like a nice guy." "... He is." I saw it- both eyes seemed to falter, and whatever spark of life she had in them seemed to dim sadly. It was gone the next moment, replaced with the spark of enthusiasm and kindness I was used to seeing in her. "So I made it a point to integrate it into the kind of person I am. With my loyalties and priorities put towards the right places, of course." She was smiling again. "I figured I could get myself a reputation for being reliable if I helped where I can." "It's working." I nodded. "Whatever else you may be, you're a damn fine addition to the crew." "Thanks." I reached back into the toolbox, which doubled as a foodstuff container in case of an onset of the munchies, and pulled out a pair of cans. "Ale? It's not cold, mind you." I didn't wait for her to answer, tossing it to her anyway and watching her catch it expertly. I climbed on the ship's cockpit, reclining with my drink and watching the stars just outside the hangar, as Rinyu sat on the wing and sipped hers. "So... how'd you come to be all the way out here?" I asked. "It's a long way from home, wherever that may be." She smiled. "Me? A banged up freezing tent on Telchur, while they were still constructing the atmospheric processor, in the middle of a blizzard. But yeah... long way from home. You?" "Nimer. Lower slums of Hangit City. My family moved to the better parts of the city, so I'm not worried about them." "Yeah? That's good to hear. I know a lot of people who've lost their folks since the last war..." She cleared her throat. "Talked to Kiya about that- I can certainly sympathize." I nodded. "Yeah... well, you get used to it after a while. I think they've picked up on the crew here being their second family and all." I said nothing for a moment, before noticing something. "You dodged my question." "Did I?" She blinked. "Yeah. I asked why you came out here." I had read the list of potentials for recruitment filling, but when I filled out the forms acknowledging openings and that they could make the choices, I'd listed that I would only be content with individuals who wanted to be stationed as a Ranger, to narrow the number of applicants. If she were here, that was only because she wanted to be. "You don't need to answer, if it's personal or anything. I'm just throwing it out there, is all." "No, not at all- it's nothing personal." She shrugged. "Why am I all the way out here? ...Probably because I still want to help people, but in places where we've yet to give them help. I just figured if the rest of the BAF has the core of the system covered, I might as well be patrolling on the fringes with the best of the rangers." I chuckled. "We're not the best, you know. I've read the reports- we're efficient, but we don't do much." She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. In case of an outside threat, we're the ones to deal with it first. I wanted to be able to be here in case someone did need my help if things did hit the fan." "And you're alright with this? You seem happy here." "Are you kidding? You guys may not think you see a lot of action, but you see it far more than planetside personnel, no contest. At least out here, you get frequent calls for sanctuary by Yvannian and Commie forces who like duking it out." She seemed to hesitate a moment. "Not that I take sides in that bullshit- they're BOTH wrong." I agreed, but didn't say anything on the subject- arguments for or against either side usually got heated among most BAF personnel, and didn't make for pleasant conversation. "So you don't regret your decision?" "Coming out here to aid you guys? No." She looked up to me. "I don't think I ever will." "Why not?" She set her drink down. "You come to see a lot of hypocritical things in the core of the system, when it comes to military and politics. Until I transferred to this ship, I was afraid there was nobody with whom shared my ideas of helping other people. It's always about who has what they believe to be a better idea for the system- an idea of how things should be run, without considering the effects of such change. I personally hate political discussions-" "Amen to that," I agreed, chugging my drink. "- but at the same time I'm not about to claim that they're unimportant. Far from it, it's very important to us all, and requires we make sure we know what we're doing when we vote." "And this pertains to us Dragoons... how?" She blinked. "Well... you're not enlisted in a core system, as planetary defense. You're almost untainted by the idea of political and military change. You don't do what you do because it's of political importance- you do it because you want to help." I blinked, but shrugged- I was too used to what I did to understand, though she was right. "This is just a job, to some of us..." She scoffed. "Right. I suppose that makes a fine excuse when you don't have to consider there are better-paying, safer jobs out in the universe." I don't know why I was defending my position. "It's exciting." "No doubt- but so is being a criminal, or space pirate. And nobody here fits that kind of attitude." I considered. There was a minute's worth of silence before I asked. "Why do you think we're here?" She said nothing for a moment, and I could sense her trying to choose her words carefully. "Kaj, bluntness is not one of my strong points, but I find that people who are straightforward about what they do, and love to do it, are often so engaged with what they do that they forget why they do it- not because their mind has shifted and the purpose has changed, but because they're so satisfied doing it that they don't need to reflect on it." She paused again. "I rarely see anybody who does this kind of work simply because they want to help people. This whole crew... and you in particular... are so very different from them." She looked up at me. I could only describe her eyes as those being ones of deep admiration for me- I wouldn't understand the other things I saw in her eyes, not then. But I would eventually. "You could be at home, near an airbase, sitting behind a desk and directing needless patrols around planets - and not several million miles in the middle of ass-end-who-the-fuck-knows-where-along-the-fringe, drifting in space, doing the real work. But you are. Thus, I can only assume you're here because you want to help people. And I want to be with people like that." She cleared her throat. "A crew, I mean. Then at least I know I'm not the only one pulling my own weight for the right reasons." I said nothing for a minute. I began to chuckle softly. "It's an... unusual reason." She seemed a little red faced. "But it's also the most selfless and kindhearted reasons I've seen a person give." I paused. "What was your oath to?" She smiled. "'To Others', would my services be dedicated to. You?" "...'To the Ones with No One There.'" "I'm not sure I understand." "... It's a personal oath. Not something I'm keen on getting into." She blinked, and looked away. "Sorry 'bout that..." I shook my head, smiled warmly at her. "Don't get me wrong- I trust you a lot. You may not have to wait very long before I say what that means." Her ears perked, and she tilted her head, not aware of what was going on through my mind. The equation included a modestly attractive female with a kind heart and the best of intentions, wasn't a bitch (to the crew, at least- she could be nearly feral to anybody insulting us), and was admittedly someone I wanted to know more about. Face it- anybody would be attracted to an attractive person of the opposite sex, but it was rare to find somebody who seemed to possess a kind heart and selfless personality. That, and she was a gamer. And gamerchicks are fucking hot. We had 3 chicks that played video games now, and the general consensus, even among Talon and Tarry (who were gay), was that gamerchicks were fucking hot. You take what you get out in the ass-end of nowhere- this practically qualified as a perfect opportunity. I cleared my throat. "Call it hasty if you must, but... Do you want to grab some grub and do some talking?" She seemed stunned for a moment. I knew she hadn't expected me to ask her for a 'date' clear out of the blue. I pressed on, determined to not let such an opportunity pass by. It was the best decision I'd made in my entire life. "Not exactly date-like conditions, but I could do with good food and friendly company." She smiled, nodding. "It's a date, then."