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Michael was hurting. It hurt to move, eat, his face hurt, and he was hungry all the time. Currently, his nanites were using all the energy his body produced for healing, causing him to feel somewhat sluggish. But, despite that, he hauled himself out of bed. He wanted to see the new shuttle arrive, so he shook off his stupor and followed Srettia to her bridge. "What's your plan? Are you going to go back to being a miner again or become the first Aasteran explorer?" He asked, looking her in the eyes with a smile.

"I plan to go see my parents first. Let them know I'm okay, ya know." She replied. "But I would like to explore for a bit after we do. The shuttle has a fabricator on it, so I won't need anything for a while, I think."

"That's cool. We'll go say hi to the folks and head out when you're ready." He smiled back. Letting her parents know she's safe seems like a good plan.

"The shuttle will arrive in forty-six seconds."

"Thanks, Jack! A D-class with rail guns, huh? Admiral must like you to let you have that kind of shuttle. Are you excited?" He asked, looking over to Srettia only to noticed she was fidgeting. "Hey, don't be nervous. You fly this ship, right? Not much difference. You just need to get a handle on the controls."

"I'm not worried about flying a damn shuttle, you dummy." She spat.

"Alright, I wasn't aware it was a touchy subject," Michael replied defensively with his hands up.

The short wait was much the same. Michael would say something, Srettia would return with slight agitation carried on her voice. It wasn't until the two began speaking of how Terran flight controls worked that the awkward air cleared, and the two really started to talk. Only the sound of the shuttle docking and subtle vibrations informed the two that the shuttle had arrived.

"It looks more like a fighter than a mining craft." Srettia whispered, running over to a nearby display as the ship came into view.

"That's because it is. A D-Class is meant for deep space bombing runs with a crew of seven. It looks like they scooped out the munitions area and turned it into a storage hold for you." Michael helpfully informed her.

"I have control of the shuttle. I'll open storage, and you can transfer my pod, then I will dock the ship."

After some careful and clumsy maneuvering, the two somehow managed to load Jack up in the new shuttle and secure him in a relatively safe area. Though Srettia was confused on how placing Jack's pod next to the reactor core was a safe place.

"Well, that does it." Michael said, looking over at Srettia. "Ya ready to see your new shuttle?"

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Srettia excitedly followed Michael around her new ship as he continued to guide her through a tour. The first stopped at the fabrication room where she could make new clothes and tools. They then moved to an exercise room, where she wasn't sure if she could use some of the equipment, but it looked fancy regardless. But what she was really excited over was the "THREE WHOLE PERSONAL ROOMS?!" She shouted, looking at Michael with surprised eyes.

Michael grinned and waved her forward ."Yup. A large one for the captain." He explained, which Srettia immediately claimed. "And two that can fit three people each." He finished.

Srettia wasn't very interested in the other rooms, but Michael had explained the ship also had a room with something called 'full hard light immersion.' She wasn't sure what that meant, but Michael was happy about it, so it made her happy too. But, best of all, The ship had something she had only dreamed of."

"FULL GRAVITY PLATING!" She announced, jumping around and letting the gravity pull her down with a happy face for a good five minutes before Michael pushed her forward back into her new room.

Srettia began darting around her new room, ignoring the fact Michael was the first to sit on her new couch. She moved about ass lighting, poking and prodding everything within reach and making sure to ask about the weird devices she'd never seen or even dreamed of before.

That's when she suddenly came to a weird area in her 'bathroom,' Michael called it. She stepped in and closed the door, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she decided to push some buttons. First, she tried the center one switch, which caused the door to close and lock. She pouted and looked around in confusion as odd sounds began tickling her ears.

Ice-cold water began pelting her from a raised spout. Screaming in horror, Srettia flailed her arms about, trying to unlock the door in a panic. It took several moments. But eventually, the door opened, and she fell out of the bathroom while Michael quickly ran to her side.

"What kind of death contraption is that!" She screamed while Michael looked down at her. The cold sleep began overtaking her as she looked up at Michael in fear.

"I told you to be careful and ask questions." He retorted with that dumb smile.

Srettia's eyes were heavy, she felt sluggish, and she couldn't open her mouth to speak. The sleep was calling to her. She decided it wouldn't hurt to rest her eyes for a moment, "Weird." She thought she heard Michael say something, but sleep sounds lovely, she thought and closed her eyes...

Warmth was coursing through her like a burning sun, along her back, waist, and tail. She slowly opened her eyes. Horror, absolute horror! Michael had taken both their shirts and pants off, and she was sitting in his lap with his arms around her waist, her tail curled around his. He had covered them in some sort of electric thermal blanket to trap his heat. It was wonderful and horrifying.

"Hey, look who's awake," Michael laughed. "Oh, that was a shower, by the way. You're gonna need to use the hot water, not the cold, if you wanna use it."

"You should have thrown me in that death trap with the hot water on and let me drown then." She said quietly.

"Ahh, I could have, but Jack said it might be unsafe since he wasn't sure how hot it would need to be." Michael replied.

"You are welcome, Srettia."

"Shove it, Jack." She replied softly with a smile and digging into her new chair to enjoy the warmth.

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Admiral Miles was going over the reports from the Aaster disaster relief team. Things seem to be going well. Contrary to what he thought would happen. The planetside locals took to the landing parties pretty quickly when they started handing out food, even more so when they began setting up area heaters.

"We still don't have enough manpower." He said to an empty room. The teams made sure to target the worst areas, but two billion people. That was more than the seventh fleet could handle at the current moment.

The Admiral looked up as the sound of his office door opening broke into his attention. "Sir, we have selected another ten thousand volunteers from the fleet. I just need you to sign off on them, and we can begin shuttling them out." His second Norae informed him as she walked into the room and handing over a datapad.

"We're gonna need another six hundred thousand from the looks of things." He replied while thumbing the pad and signing his name. "How's the work on converting Dread Carrier 'Speaks With Fists' to a fab ship coming along?"

"All fighters, bombers and drop ships have made homes in other carriers as of an hour ago. The construction drones are being programmed as we speak, so it'll take about two weeks for the full conversion to take place." Norae said, pulling back the datapad. "The data we received from Captain Michael's ship along with our own was sent back to command along with our request for aid as well. If all goes accordingly, it should take a year for a fab fleet to arrive."

"This whole system is a shit show. Have you seen the telemetry we're getting from Gentle Winds?" The Admiral blurted out angrily.

Norae nodded slowly as the Admiral attempted to calm himself. "Sir, I would claim it was subject to war if I didn't know any better."

Admiral Miles had to agree with her observation. Irregular orbits, destroyed planets, leftover power signatures that had no reason to be there. "I want the fleet on high alert. I don't care if pilots and soldiers start getting bitter. I'm not letting whatever did this to the system get the jump on us... Or them."

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Cholate was sitting under one of the new area heaters the aliens installed, enjoying warmth he hadn't felt in years. Recently, he took to watching the large Terrans move from area to area with seemingly unlimited energy. At first, he was terrified when they came down in their large ships and walked off like some kind of army before setting up a camp. But after he saw the supplies they began unpacking. He didn't mind.

He liked listening to the whispers of hope the others around the heater spoke of as they tore into food that was freely handed out. Though, he secretly wondered what would happen when these aliens got bored and left his planet. Being one of the many Aasteran who lost his parents to the creeping cold, he came up with a plan and decided to approach one. Maybe if he could befriend an alien, they would take him into space.

Gathering up his courage, he decided to approach the one that looked similar to himself. So he walked up to a Terran that was sitting on a box, busy tinkering with some kind of pad. He introduced himself. "Um, hello, Mr.Terran," He said shyly.

The large alien looked up from his pad and gave a toothy smile. "Hey, little dude, what can I do for you?"

"Umm, my name is Cholate. I was wondering what you were doing." He tried.

The Terran barked at him. Cholate knew now it was how they laughed, but it was still unnerving. "Alright, Cholate. The name's Dave." He said with a laugh.

Cholate was confused. This Terran was amused at something but couldn't quite figure out why.

Taking a seat in confusion, he decided to ignore it and hopes nothing bad would happen. "So um... Why did you decide to come to our planet, Terran Dave?"

Dave looked lost in thought for a few moments before answering. "I was on a Fab ship. It's a ship built to supply a fleet with all it needs, like food and equipment. I guess a test pilot crash in your system, and we came here to pick him up. That's when we found you guys and decided to help."

Cholate was confused. People don't normally help others freely like this, do they? "How long do you think you'll stay? If you have the pilot, won't you just leave?"

"I don't think so. Our Fleet Admiral already signalled our home to send aid, so I'll most likely be here for a few months at least." Dave replied offhandedly as he continued poking at his pad.

Cholate thought about how weird the day had been. If it's going to be like this for another few months, he might have a chance to befriend a Terran, and they can take him with them.

"Well, I gotta get back to work chocolate, can't be sitting around all day." He said, seemingly amused at something.

"Okay Dave, I'll see you tomorrow then? Maybe you can tell me about your home." Cholate hoped the Terran would join him tomorrow and talk.

"Sure thing, Chocolate. I'll see you tomorrow then." Dave said as he waved his hand and walked away.

"What is Chocolate?" The brown scaled Cholate asked.

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Srettia was sitting in what Michael called a crash couch. It was more comfortable than a pilot's chair, though, at the moment, she was sitting on her tail. The controls were easier to reach now as well.

Currently, Michael was showing her how to control the shuttle. And he was right. It was close to her old ship's controls. "Alright, we just need to do one more thing," He said, hefting a giant tool she'd never seen before.

"You will NOT use that on my ship, you beast." She hissed, attempting to unbuckle her harness to stop the male from approaching her chair.

Michael seemed to ignore her and picked her up out of her crash couch as she unlatched the harness. "Up ya go, lady."

Srettia, in turn, tried to break his hold. But he just seemed amused and sat her down in the co-pilot's seat. She then watched in terror as he started up the machine and attached it to the back of her couch. Oddly she only heard a light humming, and after a minute, it beeped.

"All done," Michael announced, removing the device and walking away.

Looking at her couch, she noticed it had reformed itself and had a place for her tail now. "You dummy." She smiled and moved to sit in her reformed couch, which was now more comfortable.

Srettia waited for Michael to return before she started up the engines the way he had shown her. When he did finally return, he quickly sat in his Co-pilot's couch with a thumbs up and a smile.

"Gotta get used to this one now, don't I? Where to?" He said, keying some controls.

"Like I'm going to let you fly my ship." She said, powering the impulse engines. "And we're going to Xezis. That's where my parents are. I haven't talked to them in around nine days now. I bet they probably think I was killed by pirates or worse."

Michael nodded as he began to customize his console controls. "Alright, sounds like a plan. Just key in the coordinates as I showed you, and we can do a warp Skip."

Srettia was confused at that statement and looked to the Terran for answers. "Didn't you say that it was illegal?"

"In Terran space, yes. I don't think your people have any gravity spikes or rules on warp travel yet, do they?" He said with that stupid smile.

Srettia, in response, laughed and key in the coordinates before activating the warp drive for the first time. "She felt the ship shudder for a second and Panicked. "We forgot to name the ship!"

Michael shrugged at the response and pointed to the console. "Well, name it then. It's your ship. Jack, can you re-code the IFF to match the name?"

"I can do that, partner."

"Thanks, pal," Michael said, looking into a camera.

The ship came out of warp only a few minutes away from the space colony. Immediately they requested identification. That's when Srettia had a fun thought. "This is Srettia of the Blazing Sun." She said, transferring her credentials to request a docking permit.

"That's a good name Srettia."

Receiving her permit, Srettia guided the ship into the docking bay and parked in her regular spot. It was a bit bumpy, but it was a new ship and odd to control at slow speeds, so she didn't mind. "Well, let's get going," she said, taking a deep breath. She then picked up her datapad and attempted to connect to her parents as she moved to leave the ship.

"You going to be okay, Jack?" Michael asked as she unlatched his harness.

"Very much so, partner. I have much to observe on this station."

Srettia jumped as the call was suddenly answered by a worried-looking female with similar colours to Srettia. "My daughter, You are alive! the female said."

Srettia's tail was wagging wildly, slapping Michael in the legs as they walked off the ship. Jumping back, he gave her a funny look. "Excited much?"

"I'm fine, mother. I'm on my way over now. Are you home?" Srettia said, waving at a guard who was intently studying Michael as they walked through her regular gate.

The female on the datapad perked up from the statement. "Yes, your father is too. We'll prepare a meal for you."

She hesitated and took a deep breath, "I'll be bringing a guest over as well. He's kinda the reason I haven't been able to speak with you for a while."

Michael thought he heard squealing and attempted to get a better look at the pad. Though while he was leaning over Srettia shoulder, he noticed a few Aasteran looking oddly at him and decided to act in a way as not to draw attention.

"You're bringing a male over? How delightful! We'll make sure to make enough food for him as well." The female replied, promptly continuing a small chat as both Srettia and Michael stepped into a lift.

The colony was what you would think of a slapdash piece of metal floating in space. Lots of gray's and metal, with potted plants and patches of grass here and there. He was expecting funny looks, but the Aasterans just seem to glance at him and look away. It was only after about a half-hour, they arrived at a door.

Srettia took a Deep breath and swiped her key card. The door opened, and she stepped into a new hallway as her mother came scrambling around the corner to hug her tightly. "Oh my, you're very warm, but I guess it has been nine days, hasn't it?" She said with a chuckle.

"Ahh, Mum." Srettia whispered.

"Oh right, not in front of the male, right?" Her mother replied, jabbing her in the side with her tail and giving her a look Michael didn't understand.

Michael watched as Srettia's mother stepped around her daughter and froze. He held back a laugh and decided it best to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Michael Graeme, A test pilot for the Terran Star Navy. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.

Michael heard a male voice from across the residence. "A test pilot, is he? Well, at least he has manners. What's this Terran Navy business, though?"

Srettia grabbed her mother and brought her to another room for a friendly discussion. Leaving Michael to stand around.

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"You were abandoned, partner."

"Whoa! Jack. Hello. Where are you?" Michael was stunned for a moment. He couldn't figure out which piece of gear Jack was talking to him through.

"I have taken control of the station's audio and camera outputs. It is very enlightening. They are interesting people."

"Ahh, that's cool, Jack. Try not to get into any trouble or peep on anyone then." Michael decided it was best to leave that bit alone. So he began looking around at the residence. That's when he noticed a head poke around the corner and eye him. So being the gentleman he was, he waved. Unfortunately, the curious owner retreated.

Srettia came around the corner with her parents trailing behind. "Mom, Dad, this is Michael." She introduced him formally, and he noticed she was nervous. "Well, I guess introducing an alien to your family would be stressful," He thought.

"So you're the one giving my daughter all this extra heat?" The father took a step forward Srettia held her head in her hands.

"Yes, sir." Michael tried, not knowing what was going on.

The father looked him up and down. "You're a very big guy."

Michael bit his lip and fought back the urge for an ancient reply. "Yes, sir. most male Terrans are around my height though not as muscled."

"That so? Well, how about we go have a nice sit-down. Just the two of us." The male then waved Michael in with his tail.

Confused, Michael followed the father while Srettia still held her hands over her face.

Michael was brought to a room, and the door was closed behind him. Take a seat Michael Srettia's father offered with a point of his tail.

Michael sat down and faced his host with a look of confusion on his face.

"So you're a test pilot, is it? How much currency does that net you annually?" The male questioned.

Michael was a bit offended. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Then he did a double-take. Maybe it's just a cultural thing? "I make about four hundred thousand credits a year if I'm active, which I currently am. About seventy thousand yearly when I'm not." Michael watched as the male's eyes went wide. "Guess jack did the translation on it." He thought to himself.

"I see, I see. So test pilot Michael. What are your honest thoughts on my daughter?" The male asked as he leaned forward, tongue flicking constantly.

"This is getting weird." Michael thought. "Well, She's a nice girl, a hard worker who takes risks. I mean, she saved my life when my pod was stranded in space. A little flighty, though." He answered.

"Now then, What are your future plans with my daug-"

The door burst open, and Srettia stormed over. Grabbing Michael by the arm, she dragged him out.

"I have saved you, partner."

Michael. Still confused, rolled with it. Following Srettia into what looked to be a living room. Her mother was sitting in a weird-looking C-shaped chair and just smiled at him. "Ahh, Nice to see you again, ma'am." He tried.

"Likewise, Michael. Now that the nasty business is out of the way. How about you stay for dinner and tell us some stories of your homeland?" She said with a smile.

"I'd love to." Michael replied, taking a seat. Srettia then took the spot directly to the side of him, nearly leaning on him as she got comfortable.

Her father came into the room and sat across from them, directly beside the mother. Michael felt like he'd been in this situation before. A long time ago. When he was young, then it hit him. Everything clicked.

"Oh god, I'm meeting the parents."

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