Sounds. Soft sounds, high pitched sounds, trilling sounds. All these and more come from the vegetation that lives in and on the Skygazer home, making it a form of high tech terrarium, as if the builders could not settle the dichotomy between their high tech and primitive aspects. One small fuzzy rodent is perching near Jenora as she sleeps in the family pile up, while Nebula's tail is twitching in her sleep, right across Kainudy's nose.
Kainudy's nostrils pinch shut, and she starts breathing through her mouth.. which quickly results in snoring.
Jenora sniffles a little, whiskers twitching.
The small rodent waddles up closer to the pile of felines and one dragon, oddly brave. Nebula stirs at the snoring and her eyes slide open a fraction, trying to decide what to do next.
Jenora yawns widely, licks her lips, then turns around a little and settles back in.
Kainudy coughs, then shifts her head so her nose isn't being tickled anymore.
Seeing an opportunity, the walking fuzzball scurries onto Jenora's back and starts tugging on one of Nebula's feathers resting there.
Jenora turns her head quickly as something scurries over her back, eyes opening a fraction to track it.
The tail now tickles the sleeping dragon's ear as Nebula's eyes close momentarily, trying to get another 15 minutes of sleep before getting up.
The creature, a grapefruit sized ball of fur with feet and tail sticking out, is tugging harder on the felitaur's feather, using Jenora's back for leverage.
Kainudy's ear twitches now in response.
Jenora's arm slowly and quietly slides out of the pile... then snatches at the critter.
RRREEEEEEEEEEE!!! As the creature screeches out in fright, the extra tug by Jenora has pulled the feather free from Nebula. It flies up into the air and bounces off a wall, hard.
Jenora's ears flatten out as she lifts the little rodent up, then turns to see where the feather went.
Kainudy snorts and jerks her head up, awaked fully by screech.
With the tip now broken, it floats towards the sleeping pile. Nebula yawns and opens her eyes just in time to see a foam feather explode 3 feet above them.
FWOOOMPH!!!
Jenora groans, clamping her other hand up beneath the critter as she sits up, so it won't get away before someone can answer a few questions.
The pile of sleepers is now covered in fire retardant foam. Nebula gaks as she gets some in her mouth and sputters, "What?"
The foam also makes things much slicker, and the small creature becomes harder to hold as Nebula stumbles dazedly to her feet.
Kainudy shakes her head in an attempt to get the foam off.
Jenora hmmmms... and starts creating a bit of extra heat around herself... with any luck, the foam will congeal. "Nebula..."
Nebula has the same idea and shakes out the foam from her fur, sending another spray of it around. She sputters, "What? What happened?"
Jenora holds up the little creature. "What is this thing?"
Kainudy shakes even more now, to get rid of the foam from Nebula's shaking..
Jenora is sitting there, literally steaming, with the foam hardening into a crust around her.
Kainudy sputters, "I know your race can be a bit kinky, but could you give some advanced warning next time??"
Nebula wipes the foam off her face and muzzle and peers, "I'm not sure really. It looks like the "Kaboyengs" some of the children talk about from time to time.
That gets a small purrchitter out of Nebula, "Believe me, fire retardant foam is hardly romantic. How did my feather go off?"
Jenora says, "This thing crawled across my back, and I think was pulling out your feather. I grabbed it and startled it, making it throw the feather across the room."
The little Kaboyeng really wriggles in Jenora's hands now that Nebula is away, squeaking loudly.
Nebula hmms, "It was trying to take a feather? Odd. I can't see it very well with all that foam on it."
Kainudy says, "It looks like a fuzzy grapefruit."
Jenora stands up, ripping herself free of the rest of the foam. "Any place to clean it off without letting it go?"
Nebula hmms, "Well, maybe the bathroom down a couple flights. I think we could all use that to be honest.
Jenora says, "Yes, we could."
Jenora sighs. "I've had better ways to wake up."
The foam covered felitaur nods and hits a few wall panel controls to clean the apartment and pads towards the gravity tube, "Well, follow me. Yes, course, I bet we have different ways we'd like to be woken up."
Kainudy sloughs as much of the gunk with her wings as she can, before following the others.
Jenora walks off, making a few tearing noises from the lightly burnt foam along the way.
With a leap, Nebula floats down a few floors before disappearing into an opening.
Jenora jumps down the tube to follow.
Kainudy follows a little more carefully. She doesn't care for the gravity tubes much..
The spacious bathroom looks more like a small forest with a small pond and sand beach around it. The trees form several smaller private alcoves. For some things even the Chirr'T'Thar like some privacy it seems. A small waterfall at one of the pool keeps the water churning, and shelf like benches along the sides hold brushes, small bottles and even some very large towels.
The matronly felitauress just dives into the pool, causing a small splash. Several lines of sand zip away from where the water drops land. Nebula purrs, "Come on in, the water is fine."
Jenora says, "Got a cage somewhere?"
Kainudy enters the pool a bit more sedately, and watches the fuzzball in Jenora's hands.
Nebula blinks, "Dogfeathers. Yes, but up in the kitchen."
Jenora walks into the water, and around to Nebula. "Here, you hold this for a sec?"
Nebula extends her claws slightly as she grabs the creature from Jenora.
This causes the fuzzball to screech again when the felitauress grabs firmly a hold of it.
Kainudy says, "I've never seen a land animal that is quite so.. round."
Nebula nods and dunks the creature under a few times, causing it to really squeal loudly. Now it looks like a wet furry grapefruit. The creatures squeals elicit a bit of rustling in the surrounding vegetation.
A startled purr exclaims, "It must be a Keboyeng! We thought they were children's stories."
Jenora looks around, grumbles a bit, then places her hands together. They start to glow as she rubs them together quickly, and an odd brownish plate spreads out between them as she cycles her hands around it.
Nebula watches Jenora as the little fuzzball futilely tries to bite her hand.
Kainudy says, "Exactly what do these tales say about them? Are they intelligent?"
Still focusing on Jenora's actions, she idly says, "Intelligent, yes, very. Sapient, we don't know. But there is a reason for them being so round."
Jenora finally pulls her hands apart from each other, splitting the plate in half along the middle. Where her claws are, bars extend down between the two plates, producing a cage with a gap on one side from her palms.
Jenora pops the new cage off of her hands, then holds it out with the gab up for Nebula.
The startled Chirr'T'Thar blinks a few times then goes to pop the creature into it when several odd sounds can be heard. They all sound a LOT like "keboyeng!"
Jenora blinks. "Well, I see why they're called that, anyway."
Kainudy says, "I thought it was because they would bounce.."
Twelve little hairy grapefruits bounce off Nebula, Kainudy and Jenora, causing the felitauress to drop her captive in the pond.
Kainudy ducks back underwater!
As their hapless comrade swims towards the shore, the rest of the Keboyengs riccochet around the room, making an excellent distraction.
Jenora stands exactly where she was before as the things bounce off her, and sighs.
A small giggle is followed shortly by a loud laugh as Nebula picks up the swimming critter and bounces it like a basketball off the bench. It seems to enjoy it, but finally bounces out of her grasp. "Finally, something sillier than my own son."
Jenora laughs at this, and leans back against the edge of the pool.
Kainudy pokes her head up out of the water again, once she realizes the Keboyengs don't explode on impact.
Nebula hmms and swats at one as it bounces past, aiming towards Jenora.
Jenora bats the Keboyeng up off the ceiling and back towards Nebula.
Kainudy hmms at the antics, and wonders aloud, "So, why was it trying to steal a foam feather?"
One Keboyeng bounces off Kainudy, but it's like getting pounced by a koosh. The only difference is it's a little heavier, and makes that odd "Keboyeng!" sound. Nebula giggles and returns the fuzzball Jenora's way. Only problem is, the other Keboyengs want to join in too.
Nebula purrs, "From the stories, it must have goofed and grabbed the wrong feather."
Jenora says, "I have no idea... we could ask them. What feather would it have been looking for from the stories?"
Kainudy says, "I hope not an explosive one??"
Nebula grins and pulls out another feather and holds it up in the air. Two of the passing Keboyengs grab it, and when they hit the far steel wall, it detonates, and the Keboyengs riccochet around madly, riding the force of the blast.
"Amazing, it truly is them."
Jenora shakes her head, chortling. "You're right. This is one of the silliest things I've seen in what must be close to a century now."
Nebula nods, "But they've been nothing but old stories for about 300,000 years now. They supposedly lived near where the slavers first found us, over half a million years ago."
Kainudy ducks more of the psychotic fuzzballs. "And where did they come from??"
A shrug ripples down Nebula's flank, "I have no idea. Supposedly the slavers had us hunt the poor little things. Seems they didn't like them much."
Jenora pulls the top off of the cage she built, and uses it as a bouncing plate to knock the things about some more.
Kainudy says, "You mean these creatures have been on Tharhome for thousands of years, and you've never noticed them before this?"
When it becomes clear that no more feathers are forthcoming, they suddenly disappear with a few farewell "Keboyengs". Nebula's whiskers droop a bit as they vanish, "They've never been on Tharhome."
Jenora grins. "Thank you for making my day just a little more surreal."
Kainudy blinks.. "Then how did they get here?"
"Tharhome was only established after about 200,000 years of wandering, or 300,000 years ago. I have no idea Kai, the stories did say that they got around somehow. And maybe we picked them up when my son...er...you know."
Jenora says, "Umm, yes."
Kainudy hmms, her paranoid nature coming up with other possibilities..
Nebula grins softly, "Well, I think a lot of Tharhome will be happy to know they are back, but we'd best be more careful with demolition feathers I think. They are amazing, aren't they Jenora, Kainudy?"
Jenora says, "Amusing, certainly."
The look on the older felitauress's face is one who's just seen her childhood fairy tales come to life.
Kainudy thinks, o O ( These things were around when the Slavers modified the Chirr. Probably like rats on their spaceships. What if they came from another Slaver spaceship? )
Kainudy says, "Yes, amazing critters.."
Nebula purrrrrrs loudly, and finally shakes her head, "Well, that was a wonderful start to a good day. How did things go with my son? He left for his mates' mining station by the gate late last night."
Jenora says, "Things went... about as well as could be expected."
Jenora pauses, beat, two, three, four... "Yes, that badly." She grins.
Kainudy says, "He didn't seem sure on how to proceed with Melora.."
Nebula blinks and looks at both of the aliens carefully, "Well, I don't see any marks or bruises on you, so not quite as bad as I thought. Yes, that is the problem. It was not clear what he had decided to do yet with his fourth."
Jenora nods. "He got handed a list of grievances that numbered into the thousands, apparently."
Kainudy rubs her shoulders absently.
Nebula smiles in spite of herself, "T'Thar have little sense of humor it seems. The fact that he's lived this long is a testament to his durability, and his odd form of luck. Now that they've said their piece, they should leave him alone. Kai, is something wrong?"
Jenora says, "Well, I'm sure comments about 'flirting with small stars' were in there somewhere..."
Nebula looks at Jenora appraisingly, "Well, from a Chirr perspective, that is highly understandable. ;)"
Jenora nods her head in a small bow.
Kainudy says, "Oh, no.. nothing."
Nebula chuckles and combs some more of the foam out of her fur, "Well, we need to get cleaned up. And Andromeda should be back soon from the academy to guide you around. Wait to tell her about the Keboyengs, I need to tell the council first."
Jenora says, "Not a problem..."
Jenora brushes the foam out of her hair and fur.
Nebula offers Kainudy a brush, "Could you get my lower back please?"
Jenora grabs the cage she made, and re-absorbs it into her.
After a quiet but pleasant bath, Nebula flies off to the council of elders while Kainudy and Jenora dry off in the early morning sun on the open roof. The silence is broken by the familiar buzz of yet another flying felitaur, this one heading right for them.
Jenora waves up idly.
Kainudy makes room, having had enough things bounce off of her this morning.
Andromeda lands quietly, "My, you two are learning to be just as lazy as we Chirr'T'Thar. How are you two doing? I understand you got to see my brother last night? Did you hear about him being a father?"
Jenora smiles. "It's not 'lazy'. It's 'Sybaritic'." She grins, and sits up. "And yes, we heard."
Andromeda bounces, "I can't wait to see them. I'm glad his mating group didn't mind that he's had children by his Fourth already."
Jenora says, "Ah, there's a certain protocol involved in this?"
Kainudy says, "They're all up at the gate, aren't they?"
Andromeda purrs, "They're in the mining station near the gate yes. It's been moved farther away, seems they nearly killed Melora by a misfire of the gate. Some odd stories about that too. Yes, he's contracted to breed his mates in another 3 years, usually you wait for that first, but it all depends. Copernicus is lucky with his group.""
Jenora says, "So it sounds..."
Kainudy nods.
Andromeda chuckles, "Well, they seem to be happy with him too. Guess they were getting bored being just miners. So, what do you two want to do today?"
Jenora yawns, stretching. "Oh, I don't know. Wouldn't mind going back to take a peek at the gate at some point, but that's not an immediate priority."
Andromeda hmmms, "That is near my brother's mating group too, and they do plan to do some final tests on it today. What else would you like to do?"
Jenora's ear perks up. "Final tests?"
Kainudy hmms, "How long does it take to get there? I'd like to see Melora again if possible."
Andromeda nods, "We've never built a transdimensional gate before, and it's using the HUS's used in our move here. It's a few hours shuttle flight Kai."
Kainudy looks to Jenora, "What would you like to do?"
Andromeda sits on her haunches and uses a rear paw to scratch at her wingbase.
Jenora says, "Traveling out to the gate sounds fine with me, though I could get there faster than the shuttle anyway."
Andromeda finishes attacking her itch, obviously enjoying even this simple act, before purring, "Well, true, but you'd have to wait for us to catch up Jenora."
Jenora says, "True."
Andromeda just strrrrrrrretches and purrs, "Entirely up to you and Kainudy Jenora."
Kainudy says, "It's an interesting ride."
Jenora says, "Let's go, then."
Andromeda looks at Kainudy, "You've been awfully quiet since the night we went skydancing. Is everything OK?"
Jenora stands up, stretching.
Kainudy says, "Just.. still recovering. }:)"
Andromeda nods quietly, "Well, let's fly to the space field. I think your shuttle is there too Kai?"
Jenora says, "Sure... don't think I've actually been to the space field; I didn't exactly check in when I landed."
Andromeda chucklepurrs, "Well, a lot of my brother's friends seem to skip customs. Either of you need to bring anything with you? We might end up staying the night on the mining station."
Jenora shakes her head. "I'm fine."
Kainudy says, "I don't have anything."
Kainudy hopes her shuttle hasn't gotten bored.. if such a thing is possible for a shuttle. It's probably sleeping.
Andromeda nods, "Well then, let's go" and then leaps off the roof and spreads her wings.
Kainudy stretches her wings a few times before following.
The young felitauress's wings still show their blazing phoenix pattern, though faded and plain missing where feathers have been removed and regrown. She seems very jubilant as she flys towards the edge of town.
Jenora jumps off the roof, and follows along...
Kainudy thinks, o O ( That girl is just way too happy.. )
As the space field approaches, several small ships are in the process of taking off or landing, keeping nearly the entire area abuzz with activity. All except one small corner of the field, where an odd little ship waits silently.
Jenora peers down, then veers towards Kainudy. "That your ship down there?"
Kainudy nods to Jenora, and points to the mottled-black thing that looks vaguely insect-fish-birdlike.
Andromeda lands and folds her wings as she peers at the odd ship, waiting for her new friends to join her.
Jenora pulls a stall-drop near Andromeda, dropping neatly to her feet.
Kainudy lands nearby as well.
Andromeda hmmms, "So, what do you feed it?"
Kainudy shrugs, "I'm not sure that it eats in an organic sense at all."
Andromeda's whiskers quiver, and is tempted to ask why Kainudy knows so little about her own ship, but decides to skip it for now, she purrs, "I think that might be a bit small for me. Shall we take one of our shuttles?"
Jenora says, "I have no particular preferences either way..."
Kainudy says, "A Chirr'T'Thar shuttle might be best.."
Andromeda gives the living craft one more odd look then nods and bounces towards one of the shuttles nearby.
Kainudy doesn't know how well her shuttle will respond without its Stelya-rhyan nearby.
Kainudy follows along, less bouncily.
Jenora pads along almost silently.
Andromeda rubs alongside one of the techs working nearby, and whispers into her ear. Their tails coil around each other a moment and then she pads back to her friends, "Ok, I've got a free shuttle for the next two days. Let's get going."
Kainudy says, "Ever ridden in a mechanical spacecraft before, Jenora?"
Jenora says, "Several times... why?"
Andromeda pads up to the tiger striped ship and opens the hatch and leaps inside.
Kainudy says, "Oh? This will only be my second time."
Kainudy climbs through the airlock.
A soft hum permeates the ship as Andromeda powers up the main drives and purrs back, "Move up front to the flight couches."
Jenora pops inside, settling herself in on the couch. "Heck, I used to fly something fairly similar to this."
The flight couches are designed for 'taurs, but can be adapted to bipeds also. Andromeda purrs, "Truly? Well, when we get on our way I could give you a flight test if you'd like? Oh, and Kainudy, can you handle the straps yourself?"
Kainudy says, "During one of your.. alternate personality phases, Jenora? Err.."
Kainudy looks over the straps.
Kainudy says, "None of them go around my neck, do they?"
Andromeda blinks, "No, course not. Across your torso, hips and so on, to support you, not strangle you. Want me to help?"
Jenora says, "Yes, exactly."
Kainudy says, "Yes, please.."
Jenora straps herself in fairly expertly. "The ship wasn't the same, some of the controls would have been different... but sometime when it doesn't really matter if I blow some fuel, sure."
Andromeda nods and pads over to Kainudy, adjusts the couch to a more chair like position and carefully straps Kainudy in, snugly and securely. She gives Kainudy a quick kiss on the nose and with a grin flops onto her flight couch, her four paws worth of claws digging securely into the material, as it was designed, "I'm sure we can arrange that Jenora. Everyone set for take off?"
Kainudy rubs her nose and blinks.
Kainudy says, "I suppose so."
Jenora says, "All set."
The humming turns into a loud thrumm as the repulsors under the ship push it away from the surface high enough for the rear repulsor fields to kick in and the ship rapidly accelerates up to the sky. At about three miles up, the main engines kick in and the ship rockets away from Tharhome.
Kainudy rrfs, not remembering this kind of kick the first time..
The G forces finally fade along with the gravity and Andromeda humpurrs as her clawed hands move over the console. Finally, she stretches her wings and purrs, "Course set. You can get out of your harnesses now."
Kainudy pokes and prods at the clasps until they release her.
Jenora flips off the clasp, and pushes herself off the couch.
Kainudy wraps her tail around her flight couch as an anchor.
Andromeda walks along the ceiling, obviously enjoying the near zero G conditions, she looks "down" and purrs, "You ok Kainudy?"
Jenora floats around in the middle of the cabin, peering around to try and take it all in at once.
Kainudy says, "Yes, just don't want to bump into any switches. I'm used to freefall.. just not in such a small space."
The main cabin has three command couches, and two for passengers. The shuttle has enough room to seat 5 felitaurs in the cabin, but rather close fitting. Several port windows are spaced to allow a view outside, along with the various computer displays. Andromeda hmms, "Well, I could kick in the gravity polarizers if you want Kai. I just haven't had much time to be in space recently is all."
Kainudy says, "I don't think adding gravity will make any difference. I'd still be afraid to bump into anything. }:)"
Andromeda chuckles and nods, then pads down and adjusts a few controls, "There, I've locked out all the control panels without a pawprint verification. You're safe now."
Jenora floats down and looks over the control panel.
The ship rockets past the various planets of the Tharhome solar system, including one that has a lot of small craters on it. No obvious buttons can be seen on the panels, just a smooth slick surface with various lighted sections under the surface.
Jenora hmmms. "How do the control systems work, anyway?"
Andromeda purrs, "They are pressure sensitive panels. We found the old button system didn't work for creatures with sharp claws like our own."
Kainudy moves to the nearest window to watch the scenery.
Jenora says, "I can understand that... pressure sensitive systems tend to be more easily reconfigurable anyway."
Andromeda chucklepurrs, "Yes, with a few commands any station can duplicate the controls on any other station."
Kainudy glances over the (to her) complicated control panels.
The barren looking planet full of impact craters moves by Kainudy's viewport.
Kainudy hmms, "That must be were you practice temperance."
Jenora says, "Good idea."
Jenora peers over the panels, tracing along some of the lit patches.
Andromeda hmms at Kainudy, "Tempering? Yes, but I'd hardly call it practice. It's also a form of graveyard. About 5% of those craters are burial sites in a fashion."
Kainudy winces.
Jenora says, "Ow."
Andromeda looks at the planet quietly then nods, "Yes, a rather brutal practice. Every few decades it comes into question, and then, when done, it's decided that it still serves a purpose. It keeps our race from becoming weak, and probably keeps our growth rate down a bit too."
Kainudy says, "And keeps the females in power. }:)"
Jenora sighs.
Andromeda smiles slightly at that, "In a way. We have to go through tempering once, after we reach full maturity, where we have a much smaller chance of dieing. I sometimes wonder if my brother is right though?"
Jenora says, "About what?"
Andromeda chuckles, "He says that the males believe they are in charge, and let the females think they are in charge, while the females do the exact same thing with the males. The system works so long as neither side is truly in charge entirely."
Jenora says, "What, and that's any different from some 90% of the other cultures I've seen?"
Andromeda purrs, "Well, both sides seem to know it though. And other races see our system of mating groups with one male, and assume it's a patriarchy or something silly like that."
Andromeda purrs, "We have another couple hours to go, is there anything you two would like to see?"
Jenora says, "Well, nothing that would take us off course, obviously..."
Andromeda shrugs, "We have some games, music and holovid tapes."
Jenora says, "What sorts of games?"
Kainudy says, "Holovid?"
Andromeda purrs, "Holographic video. We have board games, card games, computer games, and...games you're probably not interested in right now. ;)"
Jenora chuckles. "Probably not."
Andromeda smirks at Jenora, "A shame. But to each his or her own."
Jenora says, "Not now, anyway..."
Kainudy says, "What sort of card games? }:)"
Andromeda shrugs, "We have some from nearly everywhere. Poker, solitaire, pair up, etc etc."
Jenora says, "All right, poker sound good, then?"
Andromeda nods, "Sounds good to me. How about you Kai?"
Kainudy says, "Poker's fine with me."
The table is set up, the cards are on the table when Andromeda purrs, "So, we're supposed to wager something on each paw I believe. What should we use to wager?"
Jenora says, "Well, I suppose we could just do it for points..."
Kainudy says, "I didn't bring anything with me."
Andromeda's whiskers quiver a bit, then sighs, "I guess for points then. Who wants to deal first?"
Jenora grins. "I'm sorry, I'm not going to do strip poker. Wouldn't be fair anyway, we haven't exactly got equal stakes here."
Andromeda blinks, "Strip poker?"
Andromeda, like all her race, is only wearing armbands and a few belt pouches, and the concept of "strip" poker just doesn't click.
Jenora says, "I guess that wouldn't really apply to your culture anyway... a game in which the participants use their own clothing as stake for the wager."
Andromeda wrinkles her nose, "Well, I guess what I had in mind is SORT of like that. We'll stick to points though. You want to deal first Kai?"
Kainudy takes the deck of thin metal cards, "Okay.."
Jenora says, "And what did you have in mind, by the by?"
Andromeda smirks, "Something that should only be done amongst very close friends anyhow Jenora. We don't really "bet" to win or lose favors. That's too much like slavery. But with a bunch of willing friends playing, it's more of a game. ;)"
Kainudy manages to shuffle without mangling the cards.
Jenora grins. "I see."
Jenora says, "Anyhoo, let's see now..." She picks up her cards."
Kainudy hmms at the interesting etchings for the royal cards..
Even Andromeda has to turn one of the cards around several times to try and figure out the picture. Seems even Chirr'T'Thar artists exaggerate sometimes.
Kainudy hmms, and asks, "Anyone need any cards?"
Andromeda frowns and sighs, realizing she has to toss out that card and purrs, "Two please."
Kainudy hands over two fresh cards.
Jenora says, "No, I'll stand pat, thanks."
Kainudy takes three cards for herself..
Andromeda hmmms, "I'll bet 20 points."
Kainudy looks to Jenora.
Jenora says, "I'll go sixty."
Kainudy hrms..
Andromeda's tail is thumping now, and you can see the wistful look on her face. Each person has been given 300 points to play with to start. She nods, but waits for Kai first.
Kainudy says, "I'll match the sixty, and raise another sixty."
Andromeda's tail is really thrashing now, but she purrs, "I'm in."
Jenora says, "I'll see the onetwenty, and raise you another sixty."
Kainudy hmms.
Andromeda is obviously frustrated only betting points, though it's not clear she'd play to win or lose. She shrugs, "I'm still in."
Jenora peers at Kai.
Kainudy throws in the rest of her points to match the 180, and says, "Call."
Jenora shrugs, and drops her hand on the table. Five utterly unrelated cards, ten high. "Ah well."
Kainudy blinks at Jenora's hand.
Andromeda hahs, "I've got a full house" and drops her cards. From the pictures, it's a very active and full house.
Jenora says, "So much for bluffing."
Kainudy hmms, and spreads her hand. "I think this is a Royal Flush. At least, I'm pretty sure that's a king and a queen.."
Andromeda peers, "Well, she's being queened at least. Wow, that's the highest possible hand."
Kainudy says, "It is?"
Kainudy tries to sort through the rules in her head.. there are a LOT of variations on poker, after all, and she's played some fairly weird ones.
After 2 hours, Andromeda sighs with relief at the docking alert from the computer. It's been fun playing, but the scent of her frustration is in the air, and she knows she needs to spend some time with those that will appreciate her properly. She purrs, " Gate's coming up. I thought we'd check out their next test before visiting the mining station. Let's head to the control cabin."
Jenora pads up, and smiles to Andromeda. "Perhaps next time."
Kainudy returns to her position at a window.
Andromeda blinks, and grins softly, "I'd like that Jenora. Well, want to listen in on the test you two? I've positioned the ship so you can see it clearly from the port side."
Jenora says, "Sure."
Kainudy says, "Listen in?"
Jenora says, "I'd love to see what they're doing with it."
Andromeda nods, "The communication channels are public. Here we go."
A cacophony of voices can be heard, then the tired, still frayed but familiar voice of Copernicus can be heard, "Well, it looks like it's aligned. Yes Europa, we're not sure WHAT it's aligned with, but lets start powering up the Heisenberg Uncertainty Stabilizers."
A slightly frustrated Europa is heard to say, "Yes SIR. You supposedly know what you are doing" and gives the command.
Jenora raises an eyebrow. She leans forward, looking out the viewport, and closes her eyes, letting herself feel what's going on.
Kainudy umms.. "All this depends on Copernicus knowing what he's doing?"
Space, time and gravity are gently bent this time by the mile diamter ring of odd devices. They still hold some of the horrible energies that had threatened the Chirr'T'Thar's home system when Copernicus sort of saved them. A portal starts irising open within the huge silver ring. Everything appears to be working perfectly.
The opening starts to fizzle slightly, like a badly tuned TV station and Copernicus growls, "Ok, we seem to have found the local dimensional instability points, try and focus the gate onto those!"
Andromeda swallows, "Well, he's gotten a lot of advice from our physicists, and Uncle Otto's books on dimensional structure."
Kainudy says, "It's a bit like a lens then?"
Andromeda nods, "Sort of yes."
Jenora says, "Tell you what... where's the airlock? Just in case something happens, I think I'd prefer to be outside."
Andromeda purrs, "I can go out with you Jenora, but Kai...."
The gate seems to be having troubles focusing, but suddenly finds and locks onto another gating event on a world not too far away, called Nexus.
Jenora says, "I should be able to block anything incoming."
Andromeda nods and points to the airlock, "My brother does have a contingency in case he opens it up to something bad, but your help may be needed."
Kainudy says, "Block.. ?"
Andromeda sighs, "Gates have two ends, we're not entirely sure at first how to make sure where the other end opens to at first."
Europa's voice purrs, "It's stabilizing, but we're getting a stray reading, almost as if we're forming more than one gate."
Jenora nods, and walks over to the airlock, sealing herself in to cycle it.
Andromeda helps Jenora with the airlock, not noticing the slight disturbance in the air around Kainudy.
Kainudy blinks, "I think the gate is making me hallucinate.."
Jenora steps outside once the airlock is cycled... having absorbed her clothes back into herself in the process.
Copernicus voice goes, "How odd" just as a gate opens up around Kainudy, focused through the gate Jarik made days ago on Nexus.
Kainudy hmmms... this doesn't look good..
Copernicus can be heard to say, "Ok, I think I see the problem, we're going to have to move this to another area to align it properly. Ok, shut it down folks."
As the gate collapses, Andromeda turns around just in time to see Kainudy apparently get swallowed by a miniature gate.
Andromeda sighs, "Copernicus!"
The gate closes with no dramatics from Jenora's point of view.
Jenora hmmmmms, tapping her chin as she looks it over.
The new coordinates come up and Copernicus blinks, "Oh boy. What a great place to have to move this thing. They'll just be thrilled."
Andromeda gets on the all band and shouts, "Copernicus! That secondary gate you think opened? It got Kainudy!"
Jenora tunes herself to the frequency Coper was using before. "You know this place?"
Copernicus's voice starts, "The place we need to move to is Nexus. I met Jarik and Delachiel there. Kai seems to have been snagged by a secondary gate as we were too far from Nexus. It must have sent her through a gate that was used there recently."
Jenora hmmms... "A half-closed gate that picked up a resonance effect, I guess..."
Andromeda's voice comes over the same channel, "So, how do we find her? Her kids might not be too happy to know we lost her in the space time discontinuum."
With a deep sigh, Copernicus's voice says, "We'll have to set the gate up by Nexus in order to track her properly then. We try it here and we'll keep opening random sub gates."
Jenora says, "How far away is it?"
The tired felitaur's voice purrs, "About a day under transwarp. But moving the gate will be a pain. We'll have to totally immobilize the Heisenberg Uncertainty Stabilizers before we can safely transport it."
Jenora says, "And then recalibrate the whole thing at the other end..."
Copernicus radios, "Exactly. We'll have to hope that Kainudy can survive about a week wherever she is right now."
Jenora says, "All right then. And you sound like you need a day's sleep before getting going on anything."
Copernicus radios, "Yeah. My crew can start draining the excess power from the HUS's. Have Andromeda find you a berth on the mining station. I'm sorry to be antisocial, but my family is having some serious discussions right now. Take care Jenora, and don't worry, Kainudy is way too ornery to die."
Jenora says, "Right now, she's not the one I'm worried most about."
Copernicus can almost be heard to blink over the radio, "Who are you worried about?"
Jenora says, "Right now, you. Now get some rest."
A small chuckle over the radio and Copernicus says, "I will. I'm doing...ok. I'll see you tomorrow, you too Andromeda, I'm going to need your help at Nexus."
Andromeda purrs over the radio, "I'll be there brother. Kainudy means a lot to me too."
Andromeda purrs over the radio, "You want to come back in so we can dock Jenora?"
Jenora broadcasts back, "Wilco."
Jenora floats back towards the airlock, opening it and pulling herself inside.
Andromeda hears the lock cycle as she powers up the engines and turns towards the mining station floating about 100 kilometers from the gate.
Andromeda purrs, "I sure hope Kainudy is ok. I was watching you and just turned around in time to see her disappear. Well, we'll be docked in about 3 minutes.
Jenora pulls herself inside the shuttle. "I hope so as well."
Andromeda sighs, "My brother also sounds very weird, even for him. Do you know what's wrong?"
Jenora says, "Not really, no."
Andromeda frowns at Jenora, as if she suspects something, then just goes through the docking procedures with the large asteroid mining station.
Jenora sighs.
Andromeda pads over to the airlock and waits for the air pressure to equalize.
The door hisses open and Andromeda pads through, purring, "C'mon, I'll find us a room."
Jenora smiles. "Thanks."
Andromeda nods and pads along and then suddenly goes very quiet, and peeks into an open door.
Jenora goes quiet as well, padding right up alongside Andromeda.
Inside is a normal Chirr'T'Thar sleeping pile, consisting of Ceres, Libra, Aurora, Melora (though she is now much larger and has black splotches on a white background for her fur now, a negative like image, and her butterfly wings are even brighter than before). Sleeping at her breast are two good sized cubs, and in the middle of the group is a tired, frayed looking Copernicus.
Andromeda looks at her brother and the assembled group with a very wistful look on her face, then motions for Jenora to follow.
Jenora smiles, then pads along silently behind Andromeda.
Andromeda finds an open room with some cushions, blankets and the normal mattress like floor. She motions for Jenora to follow as she curls up on the floor after getting a large drink for herself and purrs, "You want anything?"
Jenora says, "Depends on what you've got."
Andromeda hmmms, "Well, mostly water, milk, cheese and meat. The rest would be by food synthesizer."
Jenora says, "Just some milk, then."
Andromeda nods and gets out some milk from a wall panel and grins, "Hey, some of my brothers cold pizza. Seems he picked that habit up from Kainudy."
Jenora chuckles. "Doesn't surprise me."
Andromeda chuckles, "Do you want some?"
Jenora says, "Sure, thanks. Just a bit."
Andromeda hands Jenora a slice, and the tail of something dangles off the side. Well, this is pizza for carnivores. Andromeda sighs a little as she munches on her slice and passes Jenora a glass of cold milk.
Jenora grins, and chomps on it.
Andromeda purrs, "Jenora, may I ask you a personal question?"
Jenora says, "Go ahead."
Andromeda purrs, "Have you thought about mating? Having cubs?"
Jenora says, "At times, yes. There are some problems with my genetics, or lack thereof. I have in fact done it before, though not recently."
Andromeda blinks, "You've had cubs?"
Jenora says, "That was a long time ago, but yes."
Andromeda hmmms, "Well, I'm at about the right age to start forming a mating group. And looking at Copernicus and the crew that got him, well."
Jenora grins. "The biological clock is ticking."
Andromeda shrugs, "Sort of, but not really. I'm in my 30's, I have a good 6 or more centuries to live, but the desire to be a parent is still there."
Jenora says, "I know, was in part a joke line... but yes, I can understand that."
Andromeda nods, "I just need to get a mating group together."
Jenora says, "And you've been putting some thought into who you'd want...?"
Andromeda nods and looks at Jenora, "You need to find people you care about enough to be with at least 30 years."
Jenora nods back...
Andromeda purrs, "Problem is, the first two that I've considered aren't Chirr'T'Thar."
Jenora smiles. "Seriously considering what the drummer was saying last night?"
Andromeda grins a bit shyly for once, "Well, what he said yes. Not him though."
Jenora chuckles, and reaches over to rest a hand on Andromeda's flank. "Kainudy's going to be the hard one to convince."
Andromeda's eyes open wide and she grins, "Well, to be honest, I doubt Kainudy would agree. She's still mourning the loss of her mate. But I'm glad you'd at least consider it. Course, not sure how much you'd like bearing a Chirr'T'Thar cub when you're so small, but you could do it."
Jenora grins mischievously... and suddenly grows larger, expanding to about half again her previous height. "Small?"
Andromeda blinks and then smiles again, "That is a neat trick. You'd...you'd seriously consider being part of a group with me? Do you even know what that entails?"
Jenora says, "Not entirely. I'd have to do some study first before agreeing." She smiles. "I'm out here to learn. And this would certainly be a new experience."
Andromeda purrrrrs shyly, yes shyly, hard to believe for a Chirr'T'Thar. But she purrs, "I'm glad you'll at least think about it. Shall we get some sleep?"
Jenora nods. "Something like this I'd only want to do with someone I know. I'm a bit fussy that way. But from what I've seen of you I don't think it will be a problem. Anyhow, yes, goodnight..."
Andromeda curls up and lifts a wing for Jenora as she grabs a pillow for herself and her friend.
Jenora purrrrrs, and curls up as well, snuggling in.
The two new friends curl up and doze off together, while in another room nearby, Copernicus wakes and looks at Melora, torn by the decision he must make. And Kainudy, Kainudy is somewhere else for now, but not necessarily safe.