With a silent crackle, the electric blue of the Chirr'T'Thar's mechanical gate shuts down as the transdimensional portal closes. On the mining station of his mates, Copernicus sighs, "Well, it seems to be working. We've sent half a dozen scoutships to our old galaxy to pick up any stranded Chirr'T'Thar and to take some of the aliens stranded on Tharhome when I moved it on accident. I sure hope this thing keeps working."
>Roughly a Day Later....
Acacia Lightheels stretches as her scoutship leaves orbit around that odd planet Copernicus had lived on for a few years. Even taken several hundred students to it not that long ago. It seemed rather normal compared to the stories, but it was intriguing to find Diane Rockhopper there, and apparently expecting from a...dragon? She thinks that's what Diane called her mate. Shiran. An interesting name, and a rather intriguing person to go with it. She purrs, "Anthehr, Selene, set course for where the gate should, hopefully, reopen."
The two Chirr'T'Thar that make up the bulk of her crew just nod and go about their duties. The ship humms as it prepares to enter warp space.
Diane is nearly bouncing off the walls in the rear recreation area, "They're ok! I still can't believe Copernicus misplaced the solar system, but they're ok! Oh, I can't wait to have you meet my family Shiran. I really appreciate you coming along for this visit."
Shiran is, as a result, nearly ducking. "You can't? You haven't traveled enough with him, then. This is Coper we're talking about." He sighs. "I'm not sure I can stand much more waiting.. You're sure I'm going to come through this in one piece?" The question sounds like a mild tease.
Diane pretends to pout, "Of course you'll survive. Just remember to say no when you mean no. ;) Oh, I know my mothers will adore you. Is there anything I can do to make you less worried?"
Shiran shakes his head with a grin. "Err... not really. After all, they're your relatives." He winks. "Which is what's got me worried."
Diane calms down enough to pad over and curl a wing around Shiran and licks his nose, "Well, my father may not be thrilled with my choosing to postpone my duties, but it's a bit late for him to stop me. How much do you know about the Chirr'T'Thar anyhow? I mean, OTHER than what you've learned about me. ;)"
Shiran shakes his head. "Probably not as much as I should. ERrr.. you parents aren't going to be '
Shiran says, "'not thrilled' with me, are they?"
Diane tickles Shiran's ear, "As I said, my mothers will adore you."
Shiran breaks into a giggle, then ahems. "And your father?"
Diane humms and looks at a spot on the wall.
Shiran eyes the felitauress. "That's really not a good sign, you know."
Diane chuckles and curls up on the floor, dragging her chosen with her, and purrs, "Oh, he'll be annoyed. Probably grumpy about it, but he'd have to challenge my mothers to do anything about it. And no male takes on three females. But I guess I need to give you a few pointers about life there. I can't go into too much detail as we'll be reaching this "gate" soon apparently."
Shiran is drug, and makes the most of it by trying to get comfortable. "Pointers are good, yes. I really don't need to get into, for example, a duel or the like."
Diane gigglepurrs, "Oh, well, my brother will try and find some way to challenge you, but there aren't any duels to the death, or anything like that. There are rules about gishing visiting aliens and the like. ;)"
Shiran's eyes go a notch wider. "Brother? Challenge?" His tail twitches. "At least this shouldn't be boring."
Diane grins widely and purrs, "Nothing to worry about, honest. As a race we are very friendly, very physical. We rub and groom each other a lot. And, as you no doubt have figured out by now, we often use physical intimacy as part of our social structure. Now, I know how shy you pretend to be, but even so, you're not expected to do anything you don't wish to. There is no way to stop everyone from flirting with you, but they will not go any further unless you say so. So just tell them no if you're not interested."
Diane's tail curls around Shiran's and tries to tickle him some more.
Shiran giggles. "I really am trying to *mmph* pay attention here..." He shakes his head. "I'd figured that much, really, up to now." He raises an eyeridge. "Shy? Pretend?"
Diane smiles softly and gives Shiran a light kiss, "Well, you're not so shy when we're alone at least. I'm still surprised that you agreed to be my mate."
Shiran mmmms, and tries to put a (still somewhat wry) grin back on over the growing case of nerves. "Did I have much choice?" He winks.
Diane smiles, "Oh, at least some. ;)"
Anthehr and Selene walk by the open door as they move to the back of the ship. Diane's eyes track them for a moment and then she looks away sharply, the fur along her back doing a momentary shiver, as if trying to shake something off.
Shiran strretches, and looks around. "About what I thought. So.. this is a 'spacecraft'?"
Shiran eyes Diane, having caught that look with one eye. "What is it?"
Diane frowns slightly, "You know how much I love you, don't you Shiran?"
Shiran wraps an arm about your 'waist', and nods. "I'd certainly like to think so.. what's bothering you?"
Diane takes a deep breath and finally lets it out, "I was so happy when I found out you weren't upset that I let myself get pregnant by you. I don't want to do anything to hurt you, but, well, what are your races "marriages" like?"
Shiran hmmms. "They're.. well, they're marriages. Having never been paired anywhere else, I don't have much room for comparison.." He shrugs, eyes down. "And as much as I've already broken from what my 'race' considers normal, I'm not really sure they would still apply." He looks up. "What difference are you worried about?"
Diane wrinkles her nose a bit and purrs, "Are they....monogamous?"
Shiran nods. "Family pairings generally are, yes, although family ties as such aren't as tight as I've seen them be just about everywhere else, except between parents and very young children." He looks back up. "But really, your 'city' was more your group than a family was, there. It's not an arrangement I've seen in many other places."
Diane looks at Shiran very seriously and purrs, "I..we...need to spend time with others of our race now and then Shiran."
Diane looks rather small for such a large being, and for the first time since she thought she had lost her home world, she looks a bit scared again.
Shiran raises an eyeridge. "I've heard enough from you and Coper to know you.. er.. share about more than most, and I figured that our pairing wouldn't exactly be exclusive on your part." His eyes narrow mildly in draconic musing, as he finishes. "It's.. strange to me, in fact this whole thing feels very odd in some ways. But especially since we haven't really been through any kind of ceremony requiring otherwise, I can understand if you need to, you know, get about."
Diane relaxes a little and purrs, "Thank you Shiran. And I will do my best to be discreet, I can tell this still bothers you a bit. It doesn't diminish my feelings for you at all. Bearing someone's child is no small thing, even for the "infamous" Chirr'T' Thar. As far as ceremonies go, there's usually a celebration about a month after the birth of the children. But we'll just register our names in the mating records. We're not big on formal ceremonies. If we feel that we are life mated, then we are, simple as that."
Diane gets her mischievous grin back, "And, of course, if one of my mothers succeeds in seducing you, I won't hold that against you either. ;)"
Shiran can't help a chuckle. "Among my people, it's the main reason for pairings, really. Bringing up children for the sake of the city.. Anyway, I've noticed the lack of formality, as well, yes. So.. what else do I need to know?"
Shiran's earfans go pale. "Errr... one thing at a time."
Diane hmmmms as she ponders, "Let's see. Oh, while we are allowed some evenings to ourselves, to be polite we are expected to sleep with my family a few times at least."
Shiran hrmmms. "Might be hard on the spine, but okay."
Diane grins and nods, "And my father purrs rather loudly in his sleep, so no one will hear you at all. Oh, I can't even begin to think of what will be different there. Just relax, ask questions, ignore my father's comments for the most part, say no or stop when something bothers you. That should do you fine. Oh, I think we're slowing down, we must be getting near the gate nexus."
Shiran raises an eyeridge? "You can tell we're slowing down?" He shakes his head. "I do _not_ snore."
Diane smirks, "Of course not. You just purr in your sleep a little. ;) Yes, I can feel the subtle shift in gravity. It's good to be in space again."
Shiran hmphs.
Diane stretches and carefully gets up, then pads over to one of the windows and stares out, "We've never had one of those "gates" before. I wonder how Copernicus and the other engineers figured out how to build one?"
Shiran shrugs. "I only tried a very little with some Gate-elements, not even full gateways. I really wouldn't know."
Diane purrs, "Supposedly he used some of the same devices that "moved" Tharhome and it's solar system several galaxies away."
Shiran looks impressed. "Some devices."
Diane hmms, "From what I told, it was a rather close call. All that energy that had been released when local space had been damaged had to be channeled somehow. With a mix of this "magic" you keep talking about, the devices, the damage space...and of course, Copernicus, I guess it's not really all that surprising."
Over the intercom Acacia Lightheels' voice purrs, "Well, time to the gate reopening is about 15 minutes. Seeing as we've only just got it working, we're not sure what the return trip will be like. Please make sure to secure yourselves before it triggers."
Shiran nods. "It sounds a bit beyond me.. I'm far from an expert with magery."
Shiran hmms. "Secure ourselves?"
Diane settles down on one of the couches and digs her claws in, "We'd best strap in, and as far as your knowledge of magic, I'd be willing to bet you know more than Copernicus ever will. But it sounds like he didn't have a lot of choice. Yes, you want to sit by me and I'll strap us together? It's just a precaution. Acacia said the trip through the gate was quite uneventful."
Shiran nods, and settles in. "Hook me in, then."
The young, and slightly widening felitauress shifts a bit and wraps a wing around Shiran, then uses her tail along with her arms to help put a webbing of straps around them both, buckling them securely to spots along the edge of the couch she rests upon.
Diane purrs, "All ready?"
Shiran nods. "I think. This is meant to hold me in place, yes?"
Diane nods and then rests her chin on Shiran's shoulder, "It sure is, you can't run away now. ;)"
Shiran trembles, trying to look nervous. "Oh, dear..."
Diane has arranged them both so they can easily look out the port window, and within a few minutes, a patch of empty space beings to waver and glow.
Shiran watches, eyes intent.
Acacia's voice purrs over the intercom, "Let's hope the return trip is just as easy."
Shiran can't help a chuckle; it sounds as if this 'Gate' is still in the 'new and experimental' phase.
The portal shimmers, then resolves with an abrupt snap, and before Acacia can order the engines started, the ship is unceremoniously sucked right into the portal. The acceleration is a bit rough, and as the ship enters the portal, gravity goes haywire, but luckily everyone is strapped in securely.
Shiran hangs on. o O {Experimental indeed.}
Shiran blinks at sudden weightlessness, and hmmms.
Around the rustic world of Nexus, several Chirr'T'Thar ships, and one mining station are now in orbit. The reason for all this activity is the mile wide silver circle that now hovers above the planet. All involved hold their breath as the gate reactivates for the return trip. Everything works according to specifications. However, for all those watching, the gate effectively goes "Ptoooi" and spits the shuttle out. On the mining station, a certain felitaur shakes his head sadly and purrs, "No, Ceres, I don't think we'll be able to remove that effect. We'll just have to warn people about it. And no, calling it a feature instead of a bug isn't very honest.",
Shiran shakes himself as 'gravity' comes back. "I don't remember transits being quite so rough."
The ship tumbles end over end for nearly a minute before Acacia and her crew finally regain control and turn the ship back towards the mining station. Diane meeps, "I think it still needs a little work. But considering the distances involved, I guess we should be lucky it works at all."
Shiran watches stars go spinning outside. "Well.. probably better than my first try."
Acacia's slightly shaky voice purrs over the intercom, "Well...we made it. Ahm. Let's see. Oh yes, We have to stop at the mining station and dock so they can make sure the gate didn't harm it. Be about an hour before we transit to Tharhome."
Diane blinks at Shiran, "You're first try didn't work? You're usually pretty careful. What happened?"
Shiran shrugs. "I had a few claws clipped." He looks out again. "Looks like we're straightening out.."
Diane rubs her cheek against Shiran's, "Yes, I felt the engines kick in just now. We'll be docked in a bit. Oh, gravity at the station is about 1/2 G on average."
Shiran manages a rumble. "What does that mean?"
Diane flicks an ear, "Sorry. One half normal gravity. You won't float, but you'll bounce a lot. ;)"
Shiran begins disengaging straps. "I won't get any help bouncing, will I?"
Diane starts unbuckling them both as the mining station fills the viewport. She can't resist the occasional tickle as she purrs, "Who knows. Just move a bit slower, you can easily hit your head on the ceiling."
The ship shudders as a muffled *Thunk* echos through the ship.
Shiran stands up, giving Diane the 'I'm trying to look good for the relatives, so stop tickling' look. "What was that?"
Diane purrs, "We've docked. That was the airlocks connecting. Well, we have an hour, then another gate trip and my folks. Let's check out the station."
Shiran strrrretches. "Lead on. You know this 'station' better than I do, and I muss confess some curiosity about the place."
Diane suppresses a smile, "Well, I know some of the people on it. It's an asteroid mining station, for various metals and ores. Ah, the airlock is already open." She pads out and into the station, her feet flexing as they adhere to the metal floor.
Shiran treads out, somewhat cautiously, behind Diane, trying to get a feel for the 'half-gravity'. "Wouldn't it be easier to just mine worlds?" He considers. "And.. by the way, what sorts of 'challenges' to Brothers subject people to?" He looks around, taking in a decidedly alien architecture.
Diane shakes her head, "No, many asteroids are nearly pure metal. And this way you don't have to haul them into space to build either. Oh, I'm not sure really. He'll find something. But it'll have to be fairly tame or our mothers will go after him."
The hatch has opened into the outer torus of the mining station. The slow rotation of the station gives it the half gravity, rather than using large amounts of energy on gravity polarizers. The walls, floor and ceiling are a smooth, padded polymer surface, with a few well rounded hand and paw holds here and there. To the right of where they entered is a large transparent section filled with plant life, and apparently some animal life. Smooth control panels are recessed at regular intervals. Windows also show the center of the station, where a second set of tori surround a large, pitted rock that is being carved with beams of colored light. And to the left of where they entered, a large furry projectile pounces Shiran. It's white with black spots, but a lot curvier than you'd expect for Copernicus.
Shiran, having been felitaur-pounced before, has developed a set of trained reflexes. These allow him to hit the deck somewhat gracefully, with only a mild 'erp' despite the surprise, although his eyes are now saucer-wide.
Ceres, the classical bodacious fuzzy felitaur babe, snuggles Shiran, and purrs, "Hi, I'm Ceres! Coper sent me to welcome you two. Diane, he is SO sexy!"
Diane has given up trying to hide her laughter and openly giggles at her poor mate, "He sure is Ceres. But be gentle, he bruises easily. ;)"
Shiran blinks twice in between being owl-eyed. "Ceres. I'm Shiran.. I'm with her." He nods to Diane.
Ceres meeps and backs up and quickly yanks Shiran to his feet with a little bounce, "Oh, I didn't know. I'm so sorry. Can I do anything to make up for it Shiran?"
Shiran shakes himself up a bit, and manages a bit of a chuckle. "Warn me next time."
Ceres smiles, "I can do that! I know you don't have much time, but Copernicus wanted to say hi. Want to follow me?"
Shiran raises an eyeridge. "Why not?"
Shiran. o O {Pouncing. Very popular.}
Ceres giggles, "He's funny too. C'mon, you don't have much time!" and bounds down the long corridor, tail flicking as he hindquarters' sway with every bounce."
Diane smirks at Shiran, "Well, she is something isn't she?"
Shiran waits until Ceres' back is turned to do a quick check for external damage. "Something else entirely." He watches the bounces. "There's no way I can follow that, I'm afraid, but..."
Diane pads up and also checks for any damage and purrrs, "Well, I can follow her scent well enough. She is right though, we don't have much time to say hi to the male who set us up. Remember?"
Shiran nods. "I know, an hour. Is it really Coper?" He starts treading along, not feeling up to anything more under the circumstances.
Diane churrrrs softly as she snugs a wing around Shiran, helping him along a bit, "That's what I've been told."
Shiran runs a hand over his head. "I think I'm getting used to this. No scraped scales or anything."
The walk takes them closer to the middle torus, where the living quarters are, and finally to a room where a winged snowleopard is guarding two apparent Chirr'T'Thar cubs. One with Copernicus's coat, the other with Melora's pattern, black with dribbles of white along the shoulders and flanks.
Shiran's eyeridges crease a bit; the snow-leopard pattern, at least, he recognizes.
Diane blinks as she looks at the winged feline, "Who's that?"
The snowleopard grins, "Shiran, Diane. So you are safe. And...my, you're looking a bit plump Diane."
Shiran leans forward a bit. "Coper?!"
Copernicus chuckles as Diane also does a double take, "Yep. The little incident with our solar system destabilized my form again. I'm getting better, slowly, but I still have to spend several hours in this form. Try not to be too loud, I just got the little rascals to sleep."
Diane's ears blush a bit at the mention of her swelling body, but still looks astonished, "That is you, isn't it?"
Copernicus nods, "Well, have a seat, we've got only a little time before you two head out."
Shiran quirks an eyeridge. "I see you've been changing around again?"
Copernicus nods his head, "Yep. I never learn. Magic is dangerous stuff to play with. How have you two been? I'm sorry I left you in the lurch Diane, but I figured you were in better hands with Shiran. Though I'm impressed, I didn't expect you two to get this far so fast. ;)"
Shiran manages something of a low-gravity flop. "We've been doing rather well under the circumstances, although I'm really rather surprised to see you again."
Diane curls up next to Shiran and purrs, "I see you and Melora have already had cubs. I take it she's well now?"
Copernicus nods to Diane, "Melora is fine, and elsewhere on the station working. I know Shiran, it was touch and go for a while, and saving the solar system has not been without cost to us."
Shiran eyes Coper. "Touch and go? It looks like you certainly changed neighborhoods. That's a high-end gate you've got out there, albeit a rather rough one."
Copernicus carefully shifts his paws around the sleeping cubs and purrs, "It's the best we can do. At least it works, and relatively safely. That area of space nearly shredded itself from the damage that war caused. All things considered, we were lucky. From the looks of things, you two have hit it off well. Very well."
Diane blushes slightly again, and remains next to Shiran, grinning.
Shiran's earfans go pale again, something that's likely going to happen a great deal for a while. "You could say so, yes."
Copernicus smiles softly, looking rather odd on a snowleopard's face and purrs, "Well, congratulations to you both. I hope you enjoy your stay on Tharhome. I need to stay here and deal with the gate, and the governments on Nexus, such that they are. And I think Melora will prefer raising our cubs on a more natural planet."
Copernicus chuckles softly, "I don't know who's luckier, you or Diane. I hope you can deal with having a Chirr'T'Thar for a mate. She's a bit more laid back then Ceres at least. ;)"
Shiran can't help a grin. "I noticed. How do you keep up, having her for help here?"
Copernicus ahems and coughs, "Well, she does do some good work. And the autorepair mechanisms can usually cope. She is truly sweet, and well meaning. And a true handful, but they all are, even Melora. But, by now, I'm used to being hopelessly outnumbered. ;)"
Shiran nods. "It looks like you've made the transition here rather well.. and it really is good to be seeing you again."
Copernicus carefully gets up from around the sleeping cubs and blurrs momentarily before padding up and giving Shiran a headrub and a firm but gentle hug, "It is so good to see you too. I've even seen Delachiel, Jarik, Kainudy and Jenora. Oh, and Charon too. ;) Maybe we can get together sometime on Nexus and start another riot for old times sake. ;)"
Diane's eyes raise, "Another riot?"
Shiran grins at Diane. "It's sort of a long story, which I'll tell you on the next leg of the trip." He turns back to Coper. "That many? Maybe we should at that.. but for now, you take care here, yes?"
Copernicus purrrs, "Oh, I will. And do stop by before you head back. I want to spend some more time with you. Have a safe trip, and..well, make sure to buckle up. ;)"
Shiran nods vigorously. "Believe me, we will. On both counts, and maybe for longer on the way back."
Diane giggles and gives Copernicus a proper taur hug, using arms, foreleggs and wings as she headrubs, "Take care silly. And you realize this is all your fault? ;)" as she points to her swelling flanks.
Copernicus smirks, "I'd say Shiran had a bit more to do with that than I did. ;)"
Shiran ducks his nose, and blushes furiously; his ears are close to sheet-white. "Errrrrr...."
Copernicus chuckles, "You are very cute when you blush Shiran. Now you two shoo, you need to catch your shuttle."
Diane grins, "He definitely is cute. Take care Copernicus. C'mon sexy, let's go meet the family."
Shiran inclines his head and throws Coper a half-salute, half-wave on the way out, still looking a bit embarrassed.
The two lovers get back on the "Rump Biter" as Acacia Lightheels and crew fire up the engines. The gate fires up once again, and the shuttle, and it's occupants, arrive inside Tharhome space with another ungraceful *PTOOI*. Shiran's mumbled comment is lost in Diane's excitement as they approach her home, where the real adventure begins. (To be continued)