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Marking Time
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
Ahro
The entire This Far system was a beehive of activity.
As one of the systems closest to the border between Terran Space and the Kashlani, it was already well-situated to become a thriving port. Add the Imperial Fleet’s presence for repair, refit and recreational facilities, and the businesses in the system were prospering. Meredith’s co-mother Marie’s idea of setting aside part of the meat farm she worked at to grow Kashlanin-compatible meat had resulted in a promotion and bonus for her, so the golden palomino mare’s family were doing fairly well.
The A Quiet Life and the other ships of the 41st Combat Support Element had returned to This Far for rest and refit, which included leave for the crews of the freighters.
“Everything smooth, Jax?” Meredith asked as she slung her kitbag over her shoulder. The shuttle was waiting for her.
“Smooth as transparisteel,” the rat replied with a grin. “As soon as the new field emitters get installed and calibrated, I’ll be leaving as well. The ship can look after itself for a few days, at least.” He patted the arm of his chair.
Meredith smiled. “All right then.”
“Where are you going to be?” Jax asked.
“My folks first,” she replied, “and then Fuji and I will be hiking.” She glanced down at her midriff. “I’ve found out that I like exercise.”
He winked. “You mean you like how Fuji looks at you.”
The rat and the mare both laughed. “Yeah, that too,” Meredith chuckled, and the mare headed for the airlock.
She sat down beside the Komodo monitor and strapped herself in. “You ready?” Fuji asked. “We’re going ten miles.”
“Yes, you told me.” She smiled at him. “I’ve been working out every chance I can, and I’ll have a locator on me. If either of us have any trouble, we can call for help.”
Fuji nodded. “Always a good thing, especially if things go rough. Have you had any luck with your game?”
The mare’s ears laid back. “Lots of leads,” she muttered irritably, “but nothing concrete. I’ve found six villages near the valley that are either regularly victimized, deserted, or more than happy to wrap up unwary travelers and deliver them to the elephants as tribute.”
“’Tribute?’”
“Yeah, to keep the elephants from draining their intelligence and then eating them.” She chuckled. “I went through that scenario four times. I’ve encountered four recipes for cooking a mare.”
Fuji grinned and licked his lips. “Well, you do look good enough to eat . . . “ He said it just loudly enough that the crewmembers seated closest heard him, and they all started laughing.
The sound of the airlock doors cycling closed eclipsed his yelp as she slipped a paw between his thighs, and the laughter got louder.
After passing through Medusa Station, they went planetside and greeted Meredith’s parents. Javid had gone off hormone therapy, and his breasts had gotten much smaller. Berto and Amir were both starting to teethe.
All three of her parents were working from home now, with only occasional trips to their various workplaces.
Meredith came up for air after embracing all three of her parents and said, “I am so glad to see all of you.”
“You too, Sunflower,” Javid said. He looked past her and asked Fuji, “Fuji, have you introduced Merry to your family yet?”
“Just over comms,” the monitor admitted. “Being under military direction, we can’t really pick and choose where we go. Mom and Dad are both thrilled.”
The stallion grinned. “Great! Where are you two headed off to now?”
“Some hiking,” and Meredith gestured behind her at the pair of packs by the door. “We’ll be back in a few days.”
“Good,” Thea said. “Marie and I will make dinner.”
“Have you heard from Varan?” Marie asked.
Meredith nodded. “She’s in command of a heavy cruiser now, and no telling where she is. The only reason we were rotated back here is because the Kashlani basically brushed past the Colonial Fleet and told Admiral Fikset to stay back. So, here we are.”
“And we’re glad that both of you are here,” Marie said.
The weather outside of the arcology was partly cloudy, and the temperature was mild. Still, the mare had started sweating only a few miles into the hills leading into the Kraftsberg range, and by the time they reached where Fuji wanted to camp she was panting hard.
For his part, the monitor looked only a little winded. As his lover sat down, he shouldered out of his pack and offered her a canteen of water. “Just little sips,” he reminded her. “Using a treadmill’s not quite the same, is it?”
“No,” she managed to gasp out. “No, it isn’t.” She looked around. “Pretty place.”
And it was; they were midway down a hill, with a spring-fed pond at the bottom of the slope shaded by plane trees and cushioned by grass. It was one of the ‘wild’ places set up by the terraformers as a surprise for those who came after them. “We set up camp here?”
Fuji smiled. “Looks as good a place as any, yeah.”
Later on, after dinner, Fuji was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed as Meredith read from her padd. She looked up at him, smiled fondly, and went back to the report that Jax had sent her.
When she finished, he was in the same posture. Sensing that she was watching him, he smiled and blinked his eyes open. “I was meditating.”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t interrupt you.”
“Want to join me?”
“Sure.” They had both already stripped out of deference to the mild weather, and she sat comfortably facing him.
“Close your eyes,” the bull said, quietly, “and focus on your breathing. When everything inside you is still, you can hear Her.”
“Gaia? I’m a Deist.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Fuji said. “Deus may be everywhere, but a Gaia is here, where you sit and breathe. Her voice is in the wind and the water, so quiet yourself and listen.” She smiled and closed her eyes, and after a few moments he closed his eyes as well.
***
“Hull damage, frames 26c through 39d,” Subcaptain th’Ner muttered, scrolling through the damage report as the Bōank and other damaged ships made their way back to Point Mu Station.
Novaya Zastava had been taken, but the Confed forces in the system had fought hard and had not withdrawn willingly. Nearly twenty percent of the Kashlanin ships had been either destroyed or damaged to varying degrees, and while repair ships moved forward to aid those too crippled to move safely, the others left the combat zone under their own power.
The Command-Second glanced over at his superior. Varan was looking over the same damage reports he was, but concentrating on the casualties. Ten shlani had died in the action, with a further seventy-seven injured. “Gartabin?”
“Ernnh? Yes, Tabin?”
His expression was concerned. “Are you all right?”
Varan blinked and gestured affirmatively. “Yes, I’m fine. I just don’t like losing anyone, war or not. That last cruiser we defeated fought very well.” Her ears perked and she looked down at her padd. “Incoming message, from the High Admiral to all commanders.”
“Ulnt?” he asked as she accessed it.
The vir’s face contorted as the corners of her mouth pulled up in a frown. “All military units not currently engaged are to cease operations and consolidate gains made. Ernnh. Could the Terrans have surrendered?”
“They might have, after they destroyed the Wolf-penār,” th’Ner pointed out. “That surprised me, I admit.”
“Me too,” Varan said. “Aka, we are headed for repairs, so any offensive action on our part will be restricted to the Engineer’s reaction to the roast peschij,” and both of them laughed, recalling the chief engineer’s unfortunate gastric reaction to the fish.
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
AhroThe entire This Far system was a beehive of activity.
As one of the systems closest to the border between Terran Space and the Kashlani, it was already well-situated to become a thriving port. Add the Imperial Fleet’s presence for repair, refit and recreational facilities, and the businesses in the system were prospering. Meredith’s co-mother Marie’s idea of setting aside part of the meat farm she worked at to grow Kashlanin-compatible meat had resulted in a promotion and bonus for her, so the golden palomino mare’s family were doing fairly well.
The A Quiet Life and the other ships of the 41st Combat Support Element had returned to This Far for rest and refit, which included leave for the crews of the freighters.
“Everything smooth, Jax?” Meredith asked as she slung her kitbag over her shoulder. The shuttle was waiting for her.
“Smooth as transparisteel,” the rat replied with a grin. “As soon as the new field emitters get installed and calibrated, I’ll be leaving as well. The ship can look after itself for a few days, at least.” He patted the arm of his chair.
Meredith smiled. “All right then.”
“Where are you going to be?” Jax asked.
“My folks first,” she replied, “and then Fuji and I will be hiking.” She glanced down at her midriff. “I’ve found out that I like exercise.”
He winked. “You mean you like how Fuji looks at you.”
The rat and the mare both laughed. “Yeah, that too,” Meredith chuckled, and the mare headed for the airlock.
She sat down beside the Komodo monitor and strapped herself in. “You ready?” Fuji asked. “We’re going ten miles.”
“Yes, you told me.” She smiled at him. “I’ve been working out every chance I can, and I’ll have a locator on me. If either of us have any trouble, we can call for help.”
Fuji nodded. “Always a good thing, especially if things go rough. Have you had any luck with your game?”
The mare’s ears laid back. “Lots of leads,” she muttered irritably, “but nothing concrete. I’ve found six villages near the valley that are either regularly victimized, deserted, or more than happy to wrap up unwary travelers and deliver them to the elephants as tribute.”
“’Tribute?’”
“Yeah, to keep the elephants from draining their intelligence and then eating them.” She chuckled. “I went through that scenario four times. I’ve encountered four recipes for cooking a mare.”
Fuji grinned and licked his lips. “Well, you do look good enough to eat . . . “ He said it just loudly enough that the crewmembers seated closest heard him, and they all started laughing.
The sound of the airlock doors cycling closed eclipsed his yelp as she slipped a paw between his thighs, and the laughter got louder.
After passing through Medusa Station, they went planetside and greeted Meredith’s parents. Javid had gone off hormone therapy, and his breasts had gotten much smaller. Berto and Amir were both starting to teethe.
All three of her parents were working from home now, with only occasional trips to their various workplaces.
Meredith came up for air after embracing all three of her parents and said, “I am so glad to see all of you.”
“You too, Sunflower,” Javid said. He looked past her and asked Fuji, “Fuji, have you introduced Merry to your family yet?”
“Just over comms,” the monitor admitted. “Being under military direction, we can’t really pick and choose where we go. Mom and Dad are both thrilled.”
The stallion grinned. “Great! Where are you two headed off to now?”
“Some hiking,” and Meredith gestured behind her at the pair of packs by the door. “We’ll be back in a few days.”
“Good,” Thea said. “Marie and I will make dinner.”
“Have you heard from Varan?” Marie asked.
Meredith nodded. “She’s in command of a heavy cruiser now, and no telling where she is. The only reason we were rotated back here is because the Kashlani basically brushed past the Colonial Fleet and told Admiral Fikset to stay back. So, here we are.”
“And we’re glad that both of you are here,” Marie said.
The weather outside of the arcology was partly cloudy, and the temperature was mild. Still, the mare had started sweating only a few miles into the hills leading into the Kraftsberg range, and by the time they reached where Fuji wanted to camp she was panting hard.
For his part, the monitor looked only a little winded. As his lover sat down, he shouldered out of his pack and offered her a canteen of water. “Just little sips,” he reminded her. “Using a treadmill’s not quite the same, is it?”
“No,” she managed to gasp out. “No, it isn’t.” She looked around. “Pretty place.”
And it was; they were midway down a hill, with a spring-fed pond at the bottom of the slope shaded by plane trees and cushioned by grass. It was one of the ‘wild’ places set up by the terraformers as a surprise for those who came after them. “We set up camp here?”
Fuji smiled. “Looks as good a place as any, yeah.”
Later on, after dinner, Fuji was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed as Meredith read from her padd. She looked up at him, smiled fondly, and went back to the report that Jax had sent her.
When she finished, he was in the same posture. Sensing that she was watching him, he smiled and blinked his eyes open. “I was meditating.”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t interrupt you.”
“Want to join me?”
“Sure.” They had both already stripped out of deference to the mild weather, and she sat comfortably facing him.
“Close your eyes,” the bull said, quietly, “and focus on your breathing. When everything inside you is still, you can hear Her.”
“Gaia? I’m a Deist.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Fuji said. “Deus may be everywhere, but a Gaia is here, where you sit and breathe. Her voice is in the wind and the water, so quiet yourself and listen.” She smiled and closed her eyes, and after a few moments he closed his eyes as well.
***
“Hull damage, frames 26c through 39d,” Subcaptain th’Ner muttered, scrolling through the damage report as the Bōank and other damaged ships made their way back to Point Mu Station.
Novaya Zastava had been taken, but the Confed forces in the system had fought hard and had not withdrawn willingly. Nearly twenty percent of the Kashlanin ships had been either destroyed or damaged to varying degrees, and while repair ships moved forward to aid those too crippled to move safely, the others left the combat zone under their own power.
The Command-Second glanced over at his superior. Varan was looking over the same damage reports he was, but concentrating on the casualties. Ten shlani had died in the action, with a further seventy-seven injured. “Gartabin?”
“Ernnh? Yes, Tabin?”
His expression was concerned. “Are you all right?”
Varan blinked and gestured affirmatively. “Yes, I’m fine. I just don’t like losing anyone, war or not. That last cruiser we defeated fought very well.” Her ears perked and she looked down at her padd. “Incoming message, from the High Admiral to all commanders.”
“Ulnt?” he asked as she accessed it.
The vir’s face contorted as the corners of her mouth pulled up in a frown. “All military units not currently engaged are to cease operations and consolidate gains made. Ernnh. Could the Terrans have surrendered?”
“They might have, after they destroyed the Wolf-penār,” th’Ner pointed out. “That surprised me, I admit.”
“Me too,” Varan said. “Aka, we are headed for repairs, so any offensive action on our part will be restricted to the Engineer’s reaction to the roast peschij,” and both of them laughed, recalling the chief engineer’s unfortunate gastric reaction to the fish.
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Horse
Size 71 x 120px
File Size 55.4 kB
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