Operation AWAKE ~ Chapter One

Doscher checked his equipment again for the third time because no way in a stray asteroid did they expect to find a Kafgarian shuttle past the Nifflin nebula on their journey to Delphi Station.

Could be Markus.

Their friend had left three days prior with a human woman who Markus had violently swore against, but couldn't refuse to help because the mysterious arrival in their tourist shop had been his mate.

Doscher was still a little sore about that as they hoped they and Markus shared a connection that spanned beyond mating instincts. Hell, humans weren't supposed to have them. And yet, this situation had Doscher chasing after their friend thanks to an alert bulletin from Space Force seeking information on the very woman Markus abandoned them for. There had been a moment of panic and concern, enough to send Doscher into a bit of a spiral because Markus was a key part to their future. Add in the Kafgarian government threatening to shut down their business if Doscher didn't cooperate and find their missing partner and the problem called for drastic measures, including contacting Markus's brother, Quintus, for help.

Their control panel beeped consecutive chimes, signaling the finish of the scan. This second one a little more detailed. They scanned the words confirming the identity of the type of vessel, one life form present, and the environmental controls had failed. Whoever was on board was dying.

Not today.

They set on a course and hope blossomed in their chest. Maybe their friend had escaped Earth. Maybe the woman was gone and they could return to Kafgar, get Markus to testify he'd been coerced, let Quintus get back to his life and they could get back to business. They had spent many years chasing random pleasures, working odd jobs, and seeking credits however they could in the search of something reliable, steady. Never having a place to call their own or a future to work for until Markus.

Until he gave us the purpose we needed. The shuttle looked almost like Markus's, the same striping, but no identification numbers. Which is entirely possible.

Markus had left with a wanted woman, neither of them had any clue Space Force would search for her. Nor that the Kafgarian government would crack down on association with her.

"He should have known better." Especially with the woman's destination. Hell, they didn't even want to bring up her name in their mind for fear of jinxing themselves, but they would still dock with this ship. It didn't take much to set the auto docking controls, the pressure seal connecting and the slow hiss paired with a solid beep to confirm the ships were safe to move between.

To be safe, Doscher slid a helmet on. Kafgarian physiology would protect their flesh, but not their lungs. What I wouldn't give for a transporter. But that type of technology wasn't something the Kafgar government had bothered to trade for. No, they preferred the scraps of what humanity offered.

Focus. They needed to keep clear on the mission to rescue whatever being was on the shuttle. A press to the release and the door slid open, the small steel platform connecting the two shuttles the only thing keep them from hurtling into space. Doscher used their wristband to unlock the door, all Kafgar ships were naturally programmed to react to the tagging within the band.

Red alert lighting flashed and alarms beeped from within, the visibility poor amid the smoke wafting through the air.. The hunk of metal shuddered under their feet. It wouldn't be long before the engine gave out. They moved swiftly around the few crates of cargo and into the main cockpit area. That's when they saw a creature that they'd hoped to never encounter.

A Kafgarian female. Doscher cursed silently. They had no choice but to rescue this woman from certain death. It was Kafgarian law that females be saved in any circumstance.

How the hell had she gotten out here? Had she been kidnapped? Were there others? The questions came unbidden and unwanted, but ingrained from years of indoctrination. Females were sacred. The single sex of the Kafgar species, the only ones who could reproduce, were born one for every thousand intersex Kafgarian. To see one was a rarity in and of itself, to actually get to touch one? Fuck.

They were breaking a million rules of Kafgar culture by merely coming to this petite creature's rescue. Her skin was different tones of pink and purple, so unlike the blues, greens, and tans of intersex Kafgarians. Doscher hoisted her into their arms, the soft moan she released and the way her head rolled into their chest sent a shot of arousal right through them. Their dorsals heated. Double fuck. That wasn't something they could afford to happen either.

Another alert startled them from momentary stupor and they quickly moved back to their shuttle, pretending their body's acute reaction was forced by travel-enforced celibacy. They carefully navigated the connection tube in three steps. They didn't bother sealing up her vessel. Just closed and pressurized their ship before disconnecting. The lack of care caused the other shuttles connection tube to implode upon itself as soon as shuttle detached.

Doscher didn't have time to give the female a ton of attention, nor did they want to, laying her down on a seat bench not far from the galley before they made their way back to the cockpit and moved their shuttle far away from the rapidly detonating one. They had barely cleared a safe distance when the explosion occurred. Nothing was heard, but the shockwave rattled everything a bit. They had the shields in place to protect them, and Doscher wasn't worried as they engaged auto-pilot and went back to ensure the female was secured.

How did she leave Xin? Even mating females weren't allowed to leave the moon the government had given to the females to live on. And, if the government found her in their possession, it was likely all possibilities of getting back to business as usual would dissolve like Calfi foam on a warm day. How would they navigate this?

The one option would be to return to Kafgar immediately. They had the logs to prove they'd found the ship. If this female was missing, Doscher would be hailed a hero for the rescue. If she'd been kidnapped they might be accused of taking her, but there was no proof. Shit...they should have tried harder to save the shuttle. But mechanics weren't their expertise, that was Markus and Quintus.

Quintus... The Cheesemonger on Delphi Station waited for the pair of them and the cheese. A very strong, sour and salty smelling product Doscher had traded a fair amount of credits for. That cheese would spoil if not moved quickly. Not to mention the Cheesemonger was the only one who had answers. According to Quintus, this Monger could tell them how they could find Markus, or at least get him back. The communication capabilities of this black market dealer were far more detailed than anything that Doscher could have uncovered on their own, which was why they had trusted Quintus to help.

The risk of taking the woman with them was dangerous. Doscher couldn't be blamed for yet another thing and having a female that they weren't mated to in their possession would likely see them banished from Kafgar for the remainder of their life. Not an option. Not losing the one thing that kept them whole.

They took another glance at the new problem that had dropped into their lap and tried to keep breathing. The rumor was that if an intersex Kafgarian merely glimpsed a female they would be overcome. Doscher had always thought those lies were meant to make intersexes believe that mating was the ultimate reward and force their hand to enter the mating lottery. Turns out the government's tales were right because Doscher found her more beautiful than words.

The coloring of her skin, the shorter, sleek look of her dorsals. The way her dark red hair fell in waves, framing her face and touching her shoulders. She even wore a space suit similar to what Markus threw on when he left for space travel. Even she provided a reminder of why they had to continue on, no matter the distraction, to Delphi Station. Exchange the cheese to the Monger and get the information needed to find Markus.

Doscher turned and made their way back to the cockpit, pulling up the communication log and hitting the button to connect them to Quintus.

"How far out are you?" No greeting, no kind words, just straight to the point. Quintus was the blunt edge of a cush-cutting blade.

"Ran into a problem."

"The Space Force kind or another issue?"

Doscher eased back into the pilot’s chair and tried to consider how to phrase this. "Found a Kafgar shuttle, it was damaged, about to explode. Thought it might be Markus, but no, it's worse."

"What could be worse?"

"I found a Kafgarian female. She's still alive and I got her out, but I can't go to Delphi Station. I have to take her back."

There was a pause, followed by the slamming of something in the distance. The lack of words bothered Doscher because a quiet Quintus was more scary than a silent Markus.

"Say something."

"You can't. I already struck the bargain for the cheese. If I show up without the cheese, scratch that, if I don't show I ruin my credibility. This is my main source for information, supplies... I'm not just taking care of myself, Doscher."

Yes, too true. Quintus ran a black market ship building and repair operation. Under the radar and specifically targeted to help those attempting to escape Space Force or any of the number of allies the Terran Galactic Federation had formed. After being freed from Space Force, Quintus had pledged his life in service of helping others, much to his brother's frustration. Markus would probably give Doscher a black eye for even contacting Quintus, for endangering him.

On the opposite side of the situation was Quintus' livelihood and the others who worked for his cause. Backing out now would only put them in a bind.

"Okay, alternative solution. I meet you at the station and drop off the cheese. Then I leave and return the female. Will that work?"

"What about the information? It's not easy to send communications to Kafgar. At least I don't want to make the same risk twice."

More good points that made Doscher clench their hands shut, digging their fingers into their palms. Why did everything have to be so damn difficult? "I'll figure that part out later. You're forgetting the interrogation I'm going to face once I make the drop off on Xin."

"You're the one with the timetable. I'm more concerned with finding my brother."

Doscher gritted their teeth. It's that woman's fault and Quintus needs to stop acting like some holy man on a mission of self-sacrifice. "Quit pretending this is an altruistic task for you. Markus knows your location, if Space Force gets their hands on him it's just as much game over for me as it is you."

Because they'd both lose what they'd gained.

"Fine. Just get here, with the cheese. I'll expect you in the diner."

"I'll be there." Doscher clicked the button, ending the communication and opted to look up at the roof of the shuttle over them. Metal rivets bored into panels and beams, everything secure and safe, though how quickly it could all crumble. They checked the auto-pilot, ensured they were back on course for Delphi Station, and sat back.

A yawn snuck out and they stretched as it emerged, resting back against the cool cloth covering over the seat. The travel, the rescue, the conversation...all of the action had made them exhausted. They relaxed in the main chair, allowing themselves the opportunity to get comfortable. Moving at fast speeds would shorten the trip, but it would still be hours before the arrival. Plenty of time for a nap.

Operation AWAKE ~ Chapter Two

There was a smell...attacking Fee. A decidedly sharp and pungent one that bothered her nose and yet made her mouth water. She had never encountered such a smell before, it had her blinking her eyes open and there was the source, a cylindrical shaped yellow object. It taunted her from its position on the counter with its scent, enough so that she was fully awake in seconds.

Where am I?

She pushed herself up to a sitting position. The small galley area, the bench she'd slept on, both were similar to the ones on her vessel, the yellow stinky brick was not. Her ship had been compromised by an asteroid. How was she to know shields didn't auto-equip themselves? She'd learned how to fly the shuttle, not all the little nuances to deep-space travel. The alarms, the beeping, the loss of air—she recalled gasping for breath before her vision blurred and she'd passed out.

So. Not my shuttle.

She tentatively stood, arms outstretched, hands splayed to gain steadiness. Thankfully her footing was firm. A few more glances and she recognized the ship as Kafgarian. Had someone found her? They were going to take her back... I can't go back.

Xin was a death sentence for her, a life of constantly being impregnated until she died giving birth or from being unable to conceive. Her only friend had lived that life, embraced the blessing and... she died for it. Nope, not Fee. She would forge her own path.

Her stomach growled, the sensation like the gnawing of a kaflunar pog at a bone. She couldn't stand being hungry. That yellow round's scent hit her nostrils once more and she noticed the package of wafers beside it. She patted herself down, and found the blade she'd hidden in her boot remained. It wouldn't be much to cut a slice off the yellow round. Maybe a protein she could enjoy, or something with a bite that would give flavor to the Kafgar wafers that dried out many a moist mouth. There was no beverage in sight, so this would do.

She unsheathed the knife, and sliced off a thin section. The smell was even more interesting up close. A delicacy she'd never tried. The piece of yellow was semi-soft between her fingers and she brought it to her mouth like a moron. Hell, could be poison.

Her stomach let out another rolling growl. She wouldn't make it on wafers alone. This would have to do. She stuffed the yellow flesh into her mouth and hoped it didn't taste like anything awful. Thankfully it wasn't crunchy and stinging like riga or bitter like criprots, two bugs she'd never eat again no matter what. This substance fell apart easily, flavor bursting on her tongue of salt and bite in equal measure. It reminded her of the spread they made from the malfray milk. Though this was distinctly different.

She stuffed a wafer in her mouth. Then another slice of the strange protein. This would nourish her for now. Give strength to her body so she could fight against her captives, figure out how long she had to take over the ship before it arrived back at Xin.

What punishment would she face? Her act would be considered cowardly, maybe even treason. Females weren't supposed to leave Xin ever and to her knowledge not a single one ever had. Until now.

She was a pioneer for the single sex of her species. And damn if this protein didn't go down so easily. Wasn't long before there was nothing left. Her belly sated, her body and mind more steady, she was ready to discover who had dared to take her back. No weapons in sight, she opted for sneaking her way from the rear of the ship and up to the cockpit. A short ways, past some suits and a few cargo boxes. This wasn't a ship with Kafgarian police, that was for sure, because she only saw one person, an intersex Kafgarian sleeping in a chair. The Kafgarian wasn't wearing a suit. Funny enough, the moron. Though far from being the first intersex she'd seen, they were definitely living up to the arrogant attitude she'd watched most of them display. The barely-there clothes, a simple sleeveless tunic, pants, and boots left little to the imagination. Though one could often take an intersex out of Kafgar and not take away the desperate urge to party and screw half their day away.

She caught sight of their dorsals, a delightful light tan, mixed with black hues common for intersex, though she'd always believed the blue and green ones to be more alluring. Until now anyway. She almost dared to touch them, to swipe the long black hair from out of their face so she could see if their lashes were long. If their nose was shaped sharply and proud or more of the flattened variety on many tans and blacks. The curiosity was odd, her focus not so usually swayed by those of her species. Her mission was set in stone.

I need to remember that.

Her focus moved to the dash and the readouts. Her ability to make out anything was limited as the readouts were in another language. While translator alterations were readily available, that didn't mean a person could read any of the couple dozen ones other species did. This had obviously been completed to keep her from knowing how to operate the vessel. They had to be returning her to Xin.

If only she'd been smart enough to avoid the asteroid. Smart enough to figure out those shields. Who knew how long she had before this fool woke up and she refused to be at anyone else's mercy. She'd decided when she left that she would forge her own path. A future where she made the choices. Her first choice being to find a weapon so she could brain the hell out of this intersex and force them to switch the control panel language back to Kafgarian.

She made her way out of the cockpit, propping open the cargo box lids with no luck. There was nothing useful in them. Some outfits, party supplies, and some rope...now, wait a minute.

Tying them up might work, if she'd been any good at knots. That wasn't her strong suit. Maybe she could find something else. Abandoning the crates, she moved back to the galley and sleep area. Digging through the cabinets and drawers, she found nothing really of any help.

Fee groaned in frustration and threw her hands above her head. "Who the hell has a shuttle with no weapons?"

"Someone who runs a tourist business of the Kafgar pleasure sites. How the hell does a female get off Xin?"

She froze as the tenor voice rippled through her body, like a sound wave rippling the surface of calm water. Though she was more like a water animal, locked in fear, as if she didn't move she wouldn't be seen.

Did she dare to turn around? Yes, I do.

Pivoting on her heel, she slowly rotated and did her best to keep herself calm. Slow, steady breaths because the intersex in front of her was much more intimidating awake, standing upright. They towered over her, even with at least three to four feet separating them.

"The kind that don't plan to breed. Ever." She stood straight, proud. No sense in denying her intentions right here and now. If they killed her, so be it.

The intersex held her gaze, theirs firm, and then they glanced at the galley counter. The frustration on their face turned to shock, fear. It was an entire ripple of emotions. "What happened to the cheese?"

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