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Keep forgetting to upload this. Part3 and the end of the mini series.
In this story, we get arrested, I have some steak and Telricktus gets upset
Part 1: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56546076
Part 2: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56593819
Story is pasted below as usual
Snr Captain Tano’rath
Cmdr, DES Defiant
“Alright, so the good news I have is that we’ve found a ship with the experimental drive unit,” Talorath remarked as I sipped from my mug of tea, “but there’s a catch.”
“There’s always a catch,” I replied with a snort, flicking my tail as the rickety chair creaked under me, “do we have to sneak in, bribe someone or what?”
“No, that’s not it,” He replied, rubbing his forehead, “It’s more complicated than that.”
“What, did the captain know me in the day or something?” I replied, cocking my head, “I could just wear a bit of makeup, that’ll surely be fine.”
“Oh no, she’ll pick you out a parsec away, my dear departed brother,” Talorath replied with a half chuckle, “She was your mate. No amount of makeup and prosthetics will hide you from her.”
“Let me guess: this is also the only option that won’t take weeks?” I replied with a sigh, rubbing my chin.
Talorath snorted and nodded, “We only know of a handful of ships with this tech and the others are in the field with full complements. No way we can touch them.”
“What’s her name?” I replied, rubbing my snout as I caught his eyes, “and I mean the captain, not the ship.”
“Commodore Fiora.” He replied, snorting, “She oversees the First Fleet and took power by killing her predecessor in ritual combat. I understand if-“
“If what? There is no choice in the fucking matter. My duty is to return and if it involves confronting my mate’s counterpart here, then so be it,” I snapped, glaring at him, “We go.”
“I see why you made Captain,” He replied with a snort as he tapped away on his comms unit. “but either way, good luck.”
“We don’t believe in luck,” I replied flatly as I drained my mug of tea, “Either I make it or you shove my body into the drive core.”
“I’m not losing you a second time, Tano’rath,” My alternate brother snarled, grabbing my arm as I turned to go, “I might not see you again, but I’ll send you home. I owe you that much at least.”
“I have no plans to die in the next too weeks, Tal. It’ll be alright.” I replied with a snort as he let go, “let us cruise there and see how it goes.”
Talorath nodded as I strolled off. They had given me a little cabin in the middle of the ship and after a quick shower, I ended up lying on my side on the very thin mattress, wondering if I would actually make it back or not.
Cadet (Senior) Quaren
I.D.A.F. Command Training Program
Apparently the Captain has found a potential way back, which was fantastic news, but the setup in the cargo bay was playing up. Edge was having a pretty hard time with it since most of the documentation was classified and the IIS engineers were less than willing to share anything with us. It didn’t help that we were almost done and they actually needed our help to finish up, not to mention splicing the equipment into the power systems and so on.
It was, however, also abundantly clear that these IIS technicians and engineers were not used to working with tight datelines. I was watching them arguing about the torque specs for one of the floodlights until Edge ran out of patience and simply welded the holder to the floor while telling them to shut up and get on with it. They didn’t like that very much, but it resolved the matter at least.
The ship had been pulled back from border patrol duty and we were sitting close to one of the outer colonies as the preparations continued. High Command wasn’t happy, of course, but the general atmosphere seemed to imply that this had happened before, which wasn’t particularly surprising considering how calm Telricktus had been about the entire affair.
Either way, with our staff yelling at them to hurry up, everything was eventually set up properly and the modifications we needed to the drive unit to deliberately open a new rift were done. While the engine was primed, there was not much else left to do other than to stand by for an update.
Snr Captain Tano’rath
Cmdr, DES Defiant
While getting to the shipyard wasn’t spectacularly difficult, slipping in with our shuttle that was made from five different shuttles proved to be trickier.
A transponder signal is easy enough to fake, but no amount of paint is going to hide how bent the chassis is. That thing still had a cloaking unit, but well, it’s a full-blown shipyard we’re talking about here. Detecting a cloaked ship is trivial for the sensor net, let alone one as leaky as ours. However, given the circumstances, there was hardly a choice.
Instead, we ended up having to do it the old fashioned way by sneaking in when a patch of the grid was taken offline for routine maintenance. We still had to cloak and paint the shuttle to at least look passable, of course, but the wait was terrible all the same and the tension as we crossed into the compound was palpable. I could smell all the pheromones in the shuttle and no amount of leaks would clear that.
Of course, it was not possible to fly straight into the hangar bay of the ship in question – that would be suicide. Instead, we went to an adjacent landing pad that was inactive but still pressurised. Mirror-Edge made short work of the security system and had the force field drop to allow us in.
As we puttered in, technician uniforms were handed out and I had to struggle into the coveralls over my armour, since there would most definitely be no time to get changed later. Besides, I rather be slightly inconvenienced than get shot and die if things go badly. The coveralls were a bit oversized anyway, so it was fine.
Once done, we grabbed a few toolboxes, that surprisingly, only had tools in them and set off. I suppose weapons aren’t really a problem since everyone carries sidearms here anyway.
Off we went, with me finding the shipyard looking surprisingly familiar, just that instead of just a mess hall, there was a food court and a few shops. It was actually quite strange walking through a Drakonian installation where you have to pay for your basic three meals and whatnot. That being said, though, the food looked largely the same, but one can’t help but wonder how much variance in quality there is. Not that our resequenced nonsense is any good anyway, but there is at least a certain consistency to it.
We puttered around, eventually finding a group bound for the ship we wanted, which surprise, surprise, was the Defiant, and joined the gaggle of technicians. They were mostly quiet, flicking through their social accounts as we fell in step. Nods of greeting were exchanged and off we went.
I was told later that the technicians are mostly contractors, so there was little to no camaraderie, since they were mostly encouraged to get things done and then get out. They aren’t paid particularly well either, so I suppose they don’t care enough to discuss things.
While I did assume that the Defiant here would be the same old DN-II class as mine, I was so wrong.
We were led to a brand new DN-IV class ship and while I’ve been aboard a few of them, I am in no way familiar with them enough to get myself out of trouble should anything happen. While I wanted to say something, there were too many other technicians and crewmembers around. Thankfully, the crew paid us no mind as we made a beeline towards the engine bay.
It almost looked like this was going to be a cakewalk, especially since we walked past the Commodore who didn’t seem to give us a second look.
Judging from the four security troops that met us at the doors to the engine bay, plus the other four that stepped out to cut us off, she did, in fact, look.
The thought crossed my mind that perhaps I should try to fight my way out, but I quickly dismissed that, since knowing how I’d personally react to something like this happening on my own ship, I’d end up in a body bag in relatively short order. The other two seemed to agree and we all ended up putting our arms in the air…
We were relieved of our weapons, of course, and led to the brig. I followed along, but when it came to my turn to walk into a cell, the sergeant of the group shook his head. “No, the Commodore will see you now. Come with me.”
I couldn’t help myself from raising an eyeridge, but I nodded along and let them escort me away. I could feel the eyes of Edge and Talorath boring into my back as I left. While I wanted to say something, I thought better of it and kept my mouth shut.
I was led through corridor after corridor, up the lift and to the Commodore’s quarters. The all too familiar surroundings did throw me off, but I kept reminding myself that this was not home.
The two troops that were escorting me took position at either side of the door and the same sergeant pointed me to the panel, “You are expected. Ring the bell when you’re ready.”
“You’re not…escorting me in?” I found myself frowning slightly as he pointed to the bell symbol on the door.
The burly male snorted at me, “No, but I would highly advise against making her wait. Won’t end particularly well for you and your friends.”
“Right,” I replied, taking the chance to get a better look at his unit patch, only to realise that he didn’t have one, “I assume running is worse?”
“Your scales and temperament tell me that you’re old blood Daranakaan Clan,” He replied with a chuckle, “You guys don’t run.”
“I won’t say you’re wrong there,” I replied with a slight shrug, “can you tell me anything about what to expect?”
“Ring the bell and find out, sir,” He replied with a snort, “Commodore didn’t tell me anything. She just told us to bring you here and put your friends away.”
I reached over and rang the bell. The chime was exactly the same to mine and the door hissed open immediately.
Standing in front of me was Fiora, or well, this timeline’s version of her. She stood slightly shorter than I am, like back home. However, she wore the uniform of the Special-ops division and had the insignia of Commodore on her shoulders. A thin scar ran perpendicular to her left eye, though the eye itself looked fine. She caught my gaze without hesitation and folded her arms, “I thought you’d take all day. Enter, there is conversation to be had.”
It's not as if I can run at this point. No honour in that anyway.
As I entered, the sergeant handed my previously surrendered sidearm to Fiora. The moment the doors hissed shut, she tossed it, caught it and pressed the barrel against my forehead, “I didn’t fancy you, of all people, to be a big enough coward to fake your death and play rebel, Tano.”
“Pull the trigger, I fuckin dare you.” I snarled, glaring at her as I stood my ground, “It’s not as if there’s anything left to fucking lose.”
She snarled at me and did exactly that, but because my gun is bound to my prints and DNA, since captains’ guns are prized as trophies, the weapon did not fire and instead gave her a good, hard shock to the arm. With a roar, she dropped the weapon, clutching her arm in pain as I snatched the pistol off the ground.
She glared at me as she nursed her arm and drew her knife with her good hand. I holstered the gun. “I’m not your Tano’rath.”
She glared at me for a moment before putting the knife away and cackling, “You can actually misdirect! I’m impressed!”
“Had to be sure, huh,” I replied with a snort, “so what’s the deal?”
“Oh, I’ll let you and your smelly friends go, we want you here as much as you want to stay here,” She replied with a shrug, “with some conditions.”
I raised an eyeridge as she poured herself a glass of water, “and what would those be? You do know that I can’t spill secrets, right?”
“Oh, please, I’m not Intelligence. I don’t care about that,” She replied with a snort, walking past and poking my snout with a claw, “for one thing, lose the coveralls, I know you have armour underneath. If we are to have dinner, you might as well show me your actual rank.”
“…you just want to have dinner?” I replied with a frown as she grabbed the zipper for the coveralls and I batted her hand away. “Do not.”
“You can hardly leave when half the station is servicing the drive, idiot,” She replied with another snort, still orbiting me and clearly inspecting my form, even tugging on a wing till I smacked her with it, “I know the rules, but if you keep leading me on like this, we’d might as well fight and bed each other…”
“I can’t do that, but dinner I can do,” I replied with a sigh, “You’ll guarantee the safety of the other two?”
“Obviously! Why else do you think their dumb tails get away with things?” She replied with a chuckle, “You’re leaving, so take that with you, yeah?”
“Yeah that I can do,” I replied with a chuckle, realising slowly that she wasn’t going to stab me the moment I let my guard down, “Dinner isn’t for a few hours, though.”
As I gesticulated, she grabbed the zipper of the coveralls and dragged it down, revealing the rank insignia on my armour long before I could stop her. She looked and grinned, “Well then, we can have tea and exchange stories, Senior Captain, assuming your rank insignias are the same, of course.”
“For fuck’s sake, Fiora,” I replied with a snort as I peeled the coveralls off, “you’re right and I have a ship of the same name, just older.”
“Fitting!” She exclaimed and borderline dragged me to a sofa with a side table that had a pot of tea waiting, “Your friends will be fed and taken care of and when the time comes, you go home, but till then, I would…appreciate your company.”
“I..uh,” I replied as she had me sit next to her and I saw the emotions in her eyes. I felt my own gaze soften as I took the cup of tea that she offered, “You uh-“
She looked away. “No, I didn’t find anyone else.”
“I’m sorry.” What else was there to say?
She nodded and I heard her take a breath before turning around again, “No, it’s not your fault. Look, if you’re not comfortable, I can just put you in guest quarters with the other two till the technicians leave.”
“You have me for the afternoon,” I replied, sighing, “losing you in my timeline would leave something broken inside too.”
Besides, if I said no, there’s also no guarantee that she won’t blow my brains out there and then…
She simply nodded and we sat in silence for a while. I got up to lay the coveralls on a chair properly so that they’d not be too scrunched up. Halfway through, I realised that she was watching me and giggling, saying something about her version of me being a bit of a slob.
We ended up talking most of the time, sharing stories and discussing cultural differences. I was careful not to reveal too much and I could tell that she was doing the same. There were a few first contact stories that I shared, together with the usual things about war. Apparently, first contact here is very different, since we tend to approach peacefully and establish diplomatic channels, but our peers here never saw the reforms that we had, so first contact is almost always through conquest.
Apparently my patience with dealing with other cultures was surprising and Fiora mentioned that she would’ve just turned up and launched missiles instead of wasting the time. Meanwhile, the might of the Empire here is actually astonishing, with fleets way more powerful, enhanced with alien technologies acquired through conquest and with a way larger industrial base built on cheap labour.
While we’re stronger in this timeline, I still found myself quietly questioning the cost.
Either way, dinner consisted of a fantastic steak. I can get steak back on my ship, but nothing nearly this good. Maybe the officers’ menu has something like this, but I’ve never bothered, I eat the same thing as my men. Apparently this timeline’s Fiora think’s I’m insane for doing that.
The time passed slowly at first, but as things grew a bit more comfortable, it went by quicker. I managed to sneak updates to Telricktus via my comms unit, with timeframes and the like.
Eventually, Fiora, true to her word, escorted me to the engine room and we were joined partway there by Edge and Talorath, all under guard. The duo shot me questioning looks, but said nothing. I had left them a message on the comms unit that they had given me, but that’s for later.
The engine room was actually empty when we entered, since everything was turned off for maintenance. Fiora dismissed the guards, citing classified business as the reason, before she began the startup sequence. I added in the changes needed to open a gate as the drive hummed to life and the air began to distort.
“Take your mate to dinner for me,” She remarked as the drive unit got to operating efficiency, “but there is one more thing I want.”
“There isn’t enough time for mating,” I remarked absentmindedly as I tapped away at the control screen.
“You stupid male!” She snarled and snatched me out of my seat and into a kiss.
I found myself half flailing around for a moment as I was manhandled before I pulled her in and twined tongues with her, feeling her hum into my throat before she let go, “You’re just as fucking ridiculous here as you are there.”
“You’re lucky to have a me. Now go!” She snapped, pointing to the glowing drive, “it’s ready for you.”
Hearing the note of finality in her voice, I handed the spare comms unit back to my mirror-brother and did just that.
Cadet (Senior) Quaren
I.D.A.F. Command Training Program
The drive whined and protested as the rift opened in the cargo bay. I could half glimpse the forms of a few others through it, but I knew better than to get too close. As Edge wrangled with the systems to keep things stable, I could see a figure walking through.
The power figures spiked as the drive roared, almost as if we were jumping the ship before everything went quiet and out stumbled Captain Tano’rath.
He was clad in the same armour and looked more than a little bit dazed. He walked out and leaned onto one of the consoles, sighing as the rift closed behind him. Telricktus was upon him almost immediately with a medkit, doing a bunch of scans to make sure we got the right person and that he wasn’t hurt.
Thankfully, he was fine and as Talorath and I walked over, he smirked at the former, “I met you there and he had balls bigger than you.”
“You had no idea how hard it was to get this to work and that’s all you have to say to me?!” Talorath spluttered.
“Nah yeah you got that steel buried under all that cardboard,” Tano’rath cackled as he picked himself up, patted his brother on the shoulder and walked to the exit, “I just had to die for you to find it and that’s unacceptable.”
“What?!” Talorath spluttered again as the Captain walked off.
Tano’rath, in keeping with his usual style, flipped Talorath off, “Stop being a fucking bottom! Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to call my mate.”
“It’s normal, he’s just a bit disoriented from the transition,” Telricktus remarked as he packed the medkit up, “I think we’ll have the debriefing tomorrow, let him rest.”
“Should we…” Edge added and Telricktus held up a hand
“No, nothing here is classified, we’ve known for years, we just don’t talk about it,” Telricktus replied with a snort, “As far as I’m concerned, this is a personal matter for your Captain. He can discuss it as he sees fit.”
“So, what, we just let him basically drunk call his wife?” Talorath protested, gesticulating wildly at the door as he spoke.
Telricktus chuckled, “No, he probably met her on the other side. Let your brother have his private time, Lieutenant. I think he has a lot to reconcile.”
“You talk like you’ve been there, Telricktus,” Edge broke in as he sauntered over, having finished his work, “Care to share your experience?”
“I don’t think I had as good a time as your commander did,” Telricktus replied tersely, his trademark confidence suddenly gone, “they didn’t like that I was Intelligence. I rather not discuss the scars.”
“Fair,” Edge replied with a snort, “So I suppose there will be no funny business?”
“That’s a constant, but it is of none of your concern,” Telricktus snapped, flaring his wings slightly, “now, other than probing at my misadventures, do you two have any other questions? Else I have a report to prepare.”
“Hey, we didn’t mean it that way,” I started.
Edge continued, “Look, I think I came on a bit too strong, I just want to know if we should do anything…special for the Captain?”
“No, just let him have his space,” Telricktus replied as he walked to the exit, “regardless of what transpired there, it’s always rough. He’s going to someone close so it’s a good start, but if he wants to talk, I suggest giving him the time to talk it out.”
“Is there anything of note that we should know?” Edge added, sighing as the technicians began dismantling the setup in the background.
Telricktus snorted, “Yeah, he wasn’t wrong. He’s dead in that reality.”
Snr Captain Tano’rath
Cmdr, DES Defiant
I ended up spending a few hours talking with Fiora about what had happened and she insisted that I go and have a hot shower followed with a long nap. I doubted if I would be able to get any sleep, but then an hour later, there was a knock on the door and she turned up in person. Apparently Admiral Hector had whispered in her ear and had her sent here posthaste.
Her counterpart is right – I don’t deserve her.
We ended up taking for a while before I found myself yawning and in bed, with the fatigue hitting me like a ton of bricks. As I had agreed with her counterpart, I cooked a nice steak dinner for her and we talked late into the night before going to bed. After a bit of deliberation, I took a few days off, partly to rest, but mostly to unpack what I had been through.
Eventually, though, I sat down with Telricktus to complete the incident report and then with Fiora to explain to her that while she looked very, very badass with that scar, I didn’t expect her to actually get a scar. I really shouldn’t have sneaked those photos while over there, but it would be hard to get people to believe me if I had nothing to show for it.
I returned to duty a few weeks later under the condition that I saw the counsellor every three days.
--Message retrieved from DKBI Phone Unit—
--Model DP-L-577-T--
ATTN: Captain Talorath Daranakaan
Hey Tal,
I’m not sure what to write here, but I feel like I should leave you with something at least. As you said during one of our conversations, I always have to have the last word anyway.
I’m unfortunately not your brother, even if I wish I could be. I know, to some extent that you’re projecting it on me, I’ve seen the way you look at me. That aside, though, you’ve found a cause to fight for and you fight well.
I cannot agree or disagree with what you’re fighting for, the regulations back home forbid it, I’ve caused enough trouble as it is and an inter-timeline war is not something I want on that list.
Part of me wants to tell you to take less risks, but well, your counterpart where I come from tells me the same thing almost daily. More risk, more reward, I get it. Just make sure you come out in one piece. I know how these things go.
That being said, there is, sadly, not much else that I can add without getting into a universe of trouble. Perhaps we might meet again someday. If you end up in my piece of reality, send me a ping on 577.685 and I will find you.
Keep safe, don’t die.
Signed:
Senior Captain Tano’rath Daranakaan
Commander, D.E.S. Defiant
Imperial Drakonian Space-Fleet
The Union of Drakonian Socialist Republics / The Drakonian Empire
In this story, we get arrested, I have some steak and Telricktus gets upset
Part 1: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56546076
Part 2: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56593819
Story is pasted below as usual
Snr Captain Tano’rath
Cmdr, DES Defiant
“Alright, so the good news I have is that we’ve found a ship with the experimental drive unit,” Talorath remarked as I sipped from my mug of tea, “but there’s a catch.”
“There’s always a catch,” I replied with a snort, flicking my tail as the rickety chair creaked under me, “do we have to sneak in, bribe someone or what?”
“No, that’s not it,” He replied, rubbing his forehead, “It’s more complicated than that.”
“What, did the captain know me in the day or something?” I replied, cocking my head, “I could just wear a bit of makeup, that’ll surely be fine.”
“Oh no, she’ll pick you out a parsec away, my dear departed brother,” Talorath replied with a half chuckle, “She was your mate. No amount of makeup and prosthetics will hide you from her.”
“Let me guess: this is also the only option that won’t take weeks?” I replied with a sigh, rubbing my chin.
Talorath snorted and nodded, “We only know of a handful of ships with this tech and the others are in the field with full complements. No way we can touch them.”
“What’s her name?” I replied, rubbing my snout as I caught his eyes, “and I mean the captain, not the ship.”
“Commodore Fiora.” He replied, snorting, “She oversees the First Fleet and took power by killing her predecessor in ritual combat. I understand if-“
“If what? There is no choice in the fucking matter. My duty is to return and if it involves confronting my mate’s counterpart here, then so be it,” I snapped, glaring at him, “We go.”
“I see why you made Captain,” He replied with a snort as he tapped away on his comms unit. “but either way, good luck.”
“We don’t believe in luck,” I replied flatly as I drained my mug of tea, “Either I make it or you shove my body into the drive core.”
“I’m not losing you a second time, Tano’rath,” My alternate brother snarled, grabbing my arm as I turned to go, “I might not see you again, but I’ll send you home. I owe you that much at least.”
“I have no plans to die in the next too weeks, Tal. It’ll be alright.” I replied with a snort as he let go, “let us cruise there and see how it goes.”
Talorath nodded as I strolled off. They had given me a little cabin in the middle of the ship and after a quick shower, I ended up lying on my side on the very thin mattress, wondering if I would actually make it back or not.
Cadet (Senior) Quaren
I.D.A.F. Command Training Program
Apparently the Captain has found a potential way back, which was fantastic news, but the setup in the cargo bay was playing up. Edge was having a pretty hard time with it since most of the documentation was classified and the IIS engineers were less than willing to share anything with us. It didn’t help that we were almost done and they actually needed our help to finish up, not to mention splicing the equipment into the power systems and so on.
It was, however, also abundantly clear that these IIS technicians and engineers were not used to working with tight datelines. I was watching them arguing about the torque specs for one of the floodlights until Edge ran out of patience and simply welded the holder to the floor while telling them to shut up and get on with it. They didn’t like that very much, but it resolved the matter at least.
The ship had been pulled back from border patrol duty and we were sitting close to one of the outer colonies as the preparations continued. High Command wasn’t happy, of course, but the general atmosphere seemed to imply that this had happened before, which wasn’t particularly surprising considering how calm Telricktus had been about the entire affair.
Either way, with our staff yelling at them to hurry up, everything was eventually set up properly and the modifications we needed to the drive unit to deliberately open a new rift were done. While the engine was primed, there was not much else left to do other than to stand by for an update.
Snr Captain Tano’rath
Cmdr, DES Defiant
While getting to the shipyard wasn’t spectacularly difficult, slipping in with our shuttle that was made from five different shuttles proved to be trickier.
A transponder signal is easy enough to fake, but no amount of paint is going to hide how bent the chassis is. That thing still had a cloaking unit, but well, it’s a full-blown shipyard we’re talking about here. Detecting a cloaked ship is trivial for the sensor net, let alone one as leaky as ours. However, given the circumstances, there was hardly a choice.
Instead, we ended up having to do it the old fashioned way by sneaking in when a patch of the grid was taken offline for routine maintenance. We still had to cloak and paint the shuttle to at least look passable, of course, but the wait was terrible all the same and the tension as we crossed into the compound was palpable. I could smell all the pheromones in the shuttle and no amount of leaks would clear that.
Of course, it was not possible to fly straight into the hangar bay of the ship in question – that would be suicide. Instead, we went to an adjacent landing pad that was inactive but still pressurised. Mirror-Edge made short work of the security system and had the force field drop to allow us in.
As we puttered in, technician uniforms were handed out and I had to struggle into the coveralls over my armour, since there would most definitely be no time to get changed later. Besides, I rather be slightly inconvenienced than get shot and die if things go badly. The coveralls were a bit oversized anyway, so it was fine.
Once done, we grabbed a few toolboxes, that surprisingly, only had tools in them and set off. I suppose weapons aren’t really a problem since everyone carries sidearms here anyway.
Off we went, with me finding the shipyard looking surprisingly familiar, just that instead of just a mess hall, there was a food court and a few shops. It was actually quite strange walking through a Drakonian installation where you have to pay for your basic three meals and whatnot. That being said, though, the food looked largely the same, but one can’t help but wonder how much variance in quality there is. Not that our resequenced nonsense is any good anyway, but there is at least a certain consistency to it.
We puttered around, eventually finding a group bound for the ship we wanted, which surprise, surprise, was the Defiant, and joined the gaggle of technicians. They were mostly quiet, flicking through their social accounts as we fell in step. Nods of greeting were exchanged and off we went.
I was told later that the technicians are mostly contractors, so there was little to no camaraderie, since they were mostly encouraged to get things done and then get out. They aren’t paid particularly well either, so I suppose they don’t care enough to discuss things.
While I did assume that the Defiant here would be the same old DN-II class as mine, I was so wrong.
We were led to a brand new DN-IV class ship and while I’ve been aboard a few of them, I am in no way familiar with them enough to get myself out of trouble should anything happen. While I wanted to say something, there were too many other technicians and crewmembers around. Thankfully, the crew paid us no mind as we made a beeline towards the engine bay.
It almost looked like this was going to be a cakewalk, especially since we walked past the Commodore who didn’t seem to give us a second look.
Judging from the four security troops that met us at the doors to the engine bay, plus the other four that stepped out to cut us off, she did, in fact, look.
The thought crossed my mind that perhaps I should try to fight my way out, but I quickly dismissed that, since knowing how I’d personally react to something like this happening on my own ship, I’d end up in a body bag in relatively short order. The other two seemed to agree and we all ended up putting our arms in the air…
We were relieved of our weapons, of course, and led to the brig. I followed along, but when it came to my turn to walk into a cell, the sergeant of the group shook his head. “No, the Commodore will see you now. Come with me.”
I couldn’t help myself from raising an eyeridge, but I nodded along and let them escort me away. I could feel the eyes of Edge and Talorath boring into my back as I left. While I wanted to say something, I thought better of it and kept my mouth shut.
I was led through corridor after corridor, up the lift and to the Commodore’s quarters. The all too familiar surroundings did throw me off, but I kept reminding myself that this was not home.
The two troops that were escorting me took position at either side of the door and the same sergeant pointed me to the panel, “You are expected. Ring the bell when you’re ready.”
“You’re not…escorting me in?” I found myself frowning slightly as he pointed to the bell symbol on the door.
The burly male snorted at me, “No, but I would highly advise against making her wait. Won’t end particularly well for you and your friends.”
“Right,” I replied, taking the chance to get a better look at his unit patch, only to realise that he didn’t have one, “I assume running is worse?”
“Your scales and temperament tell me that you’re old blood Daranakaan Clan,” He replied with a chuckle, “You guys don’t run.”
“I won’t say you’re wrong there,” I replied with a slight shrug, “can you tell me anything about what to expect?”
“Ring the bell and find out, sir,” He replied with a snort, “Commodore didn’t tell me anything. She just told us to bring you here and put your friends away.”
I reached over and rang the bell. The chime was exactly the same to mine and the door hissed open immediately.
Standing in front of me was Fiora, or well, this timeline’s version of her. She stood slightly shorter than I am, like back home. However, she wore the uniform of the Special-ops division and had the insignia of Commodore on her shoulders. A thin scar ran perpendicular to her left eye, though the eye itself looked fine. She caught my gaze without hesitation and folded her arms, “I thought you’d take all day. Enter, there is conversation to be had.”
It's not as if I can run at this point. No honour in that anyway.
As I entered, the sergeant handed my previously surrendered sidearm to Fiora. The moment the doors hissed shut, she tossed it, caught it and pressed the barrel against my forehead, “I didn’t fancy you, of all people, to be a big enough coward to fake your death and play rebel, Tano.”
“Pull the trigger, I fuckin dare you.” I snarled, glaring at her as I stood my ground, “It’s not as if there’s anything left to fucking lose.”
She snarled at me and did exactly that, but because my gun is bound to my prints and DNA, since captains’ guns are prized as trophies, the weapon did not fire and instead gave her a good, hard shock to the arm. With a roar, she dropped the weapon, clutching her arm in pain as I snatched the pistol off the ground.
She glared at me as she nursed her arm and drew her knife with her good hand. I holstered the gun. “I’m not your Tano’rath.”
She glared at me for a moment before putting the knife away and cackling, “You can actually misdirect! I’m impressed!”
“Had to be sure, huh,” I replied with a snort, “so what’s the deal?”
“Oh, I’ll let you and your smelly friends go, we want you here as much as you want to stay here,” She replied with a shrug, “with some conditions.”
I raised an eyeridge as she poured herself a glass of water, “and what would those be? You do know that I can’t spill secrets, right?”
“Oh, please, I’m not Intelligence. I don’t care about that,” She replied with a snort, walking past and poking my snout with a claw, “for one thing, lose the coveralls, I know you have armour underneath. If we are to have dinner, you might as well show me your actual rank.”
“…you just want to have dinner?” I replied with a frown as she grabbed the zipper for the coveralls and I batted her hand away. “Do not.”
“You can hardly leave when half the station is servicing the drive, idiot,” She replied with another snort, still orbiting me and clearly inspecting my form, even tugging on a wing till I smacked her with it, “I know the rules, but if you keep leading me on like this, we’d might as well fight and bed each other…”
“I can’t do that, but dinner I can do,” I replied with a sigh, “You’ll guarantee the safety of the other two?”
“Obviously! Why else do you think their dumb tails get away with things?” She replied with a chuckle, “You’re leaving, so take that with you, yeah?”
“Yeah that I can do,” I replied with a chuckle, realising slowly that she wasn’t going to stab me the moment I let my guard down, “Dinner isn’t for a few hours, though.”
As I gesticulated, she grabbed the zipper of the coveralls and dragged it down, revealing the rank insignia on my armour long before I could stop her. She looked and grinned, “Well then, we can have tea and exchange stories, Senior Captain, assuming your rank insignias are the same, of course.”
“For fuck’s sake, Fiora,” I replied with a snort as I peeled the coveralls off, “you’re right and I have a ship of the same name, just older.”
“Fitting!” She exclaimed and borderline dragged me to a sofa with a side table that had a pot of tea waiting, “Your friends will be fed and taken care of and when the time comes, you go home, but till then, I would…appreciate your company.”
“I..uh,” I replied as she had me sit next to her and I saw the emotions in her eyes. I felt my own gaze soften as I took the cup of tea that she offered, “You uh-“
She looked away. “No, I didn’t find anyone else.”
“I’m sorry.” What else was there to say?
She nodded and I heard her take a breath before turning around again, “No, it’s not your fault. Look, if you’re not comfortable, I can just put you in guest quarters with the other two till the technicians leave.”
“You have me for the afternoon,” I replied, sighing, “losing you in my timeline would leave something broken inside too.”
Besides, if I said no, there’s also no guarantee that she won’t blow my brains out there and then…
She simply nodded and we sat in silence for a while. I got up to lay the coveralls on a chair properly so that they’d not be too scrunched up. Halfway through, I realised that she was watching me and giggling, saying something about her version of me being a bit of a slob.
We ended up talking most of the time, sharing stories and discussing cultural differences. I was careful not to reveal too much and I could tell that she was doing the same. There were a few first contact stories that I shared, together with the usual things about war. Apparently, first contact here is very different, since we tend to approach peacefully and establish diplomatic channels, but our peers here never saw the reforms that we had, so first contact is almost always through conquest.
Apparently my patience with dealing with other cultures was surprising and Fiora mentioned that she would’ve just turned up and launched missiles instead of wasting the time. Meanwhile, the might of the Empire here is actually astonishing, with fleets way more powerful, enhanced with alien technologies acquired through conquest and with a way larger industrial base built on cheap labour.
While we’re stronger in this timeline, I still found myself quietly questioning the cost.
Either way, dinner consisted of a fantastic steak. I can get steak back on my ship, but nothing nearly this good. Maybe the officers’ menu has something like this, but I’ve never bothered, I eat the same thing as my men. Apparently this timeline’s Fiora think’s I’m insane for doing that.
The time passed slowly at first, but as things grew a bit more comfortable, it went by quicker. I managed to sneak updates to Telricktus via my comms unit, with timeframes and the like.
Eventually, Fiora, true to her word, escorted me to the engine room and we were joined partway there by Edge and Talorath, all under guard. The duo shot me questioning looks, but said nothing. I had left them a message on the comms unit that they had given me, but that’s for later.
The engine room was actually empty when we entered, since everything was turned off for maintenance. Fiora dismissed the guards, citing classified business as the reason, before she began the startup sequence. I added in the changes needed to open a gate as the drive hummed to life and the air began to distort.
“Take your mate to dinner for me,” She remarked as the drive unit got to operating efficiency, “but there is one more thing I want.”
“There isn’t enough time for mating,” I remarked absentmindedly as I tapped away at the control screen.
“You stupid male!” She snarled and snatched me out of my seat and into a kiss.
I found myself half flailing around for a moment as I was manhandled before I pulled her in and twined tongues with her, feeling her hum into my throat before she let go, “You’re just as fucking ridiculous here as you are there.”
“You’re lucky to have a me. Now go!” She snapped, pointing to the glowing drive, “it’s ready for you.”
Hearing the note of finality in her voice, I handed the spare comms unit back to my mirror-brother and did just that.
Cadet (Senior) Quaren
I.D.A.F. Command Training Program
The drive whined and protested as the rift opened in the cargo bay. I could half glimpse the forms of a few others through it, but I knew better than to get too close. As Edge wrangled with the systems to keep things stable, I could see a figure walking through.
The power figures spiked as the drive roared, almost as if we were jumping the ship before everything went quiet and out stumbled Captain Tano’rath.
He was clad in the same armour and looked more than a little bit dazed. He walked out and leaned onto one of the consoles, sighing as the rift closed behind him. Telricktus was upon him almost immediately with a medkit, doing a bunch of scans to make sure we got the right person and that he wasn’t hurt.
Thankfully, he was fine and as Talorath and I walked over, he smirked at the former, “I met you there and he had balls bigger than you.”
“You had no idea how hard it was to get this to work and that’s all you have to say to me?!” Talorath spluttered.
“Nah yeah you got that steel buried under all that cardboard,” Tano’rath cackled as he picked himself up, patted his brother on the shoulder and walked to the exit, “I just had to die for you to find it and that’s unacceptable.”
“What?!” Talorath spluttered again as the Captain walked off.
Tano’rath, in keeping with his usual style, flipped Talorath off, “Stop being a fucking bottom! Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to call my mate.”
“It’s normal, he’s just a bit disoriented from the transition,” Telricktus remarked as he packed the medkit up, “I think we’ll have the debriefing tomorrow, let him rest.”
“Should we…” Edge added and Telricktus held up a hand
“No, nothing here is classified, we’ve known for years, we just don’t talk about it,” Telricktus replied with a snort, “As far as I’m concerned, this is a personal matter for your Captain. He can discuss it as he sees fit.”
“So, what, we just let him basically drunk call his wife?” Talorath protested, gesticulating wildly at the door as he spoke.
Telricktus chuckled, “No, he probably met her on the other side. Let your brother have his private time, Lieutenant. I think he has a lot to reconcile.”
“You talk like you’ve been there, Telricktus,” Edge broke in as he sauntered over, having finished his work, “Care to share your experience?”
“I don’t think I had as good a time as your commander did,” Telricktus replied tersely, his trademark confidence suddenly gone, “they didn’t like that I was Intelligence. I rather not discuss the scars.”
“Fair,” Edge replied with a snort, “So I suppose there will be no funny business?”
“That’s a constant, but it is of none of your concern,” Telricktus snapped, flaring his wings slightly, “now, other than probing at my misadventures, do you two have any other questions? Else I have a report to prepare.”
“Hey, we didn’t mean it that way,” I started.
Edge continued, “Look, I think I came on a bit too strong, I just want to know if we should do anything…special for the Captain?”
“No, just let him have his space,” Telricktus replied as he walked to the exit, “regardless of what transpired there, it’s always rough. He’s going to someone close so it’s a good start, but if he wants to talk, I suggest giving him the time to talk it out.”
“Is there anything of note that we should know?” Edge added, sighing as the technicians began dismantling the setup in the background.
Telricktus snorted, “Yeah, he wasn’t wrong. He’s dead in that reality.”
Snr Captain Tano’rath
Cmdr, DES Defiant
I ended up spending a few hours talking with Fiora about what had happened and she insisted that I go and have a hot shower followed with a long nap. I doubted if I would be able to get any sleep, but then an hour later, there was a knock on the door and she turned up in person. Apparently Admiral Hector had whispered in her ear and had her sent here posthaste.
Her counterpart is right – I don’t deserve her.
We ended up taking for a while before I found myself yawning and in bed, with the fatigue hitting me like a ton of bricks. As I had agreed with her counterpart, I cooked a nice steak dinner for her and we talked late into the night before going to bed. After a bit of deliberation, I took a few days off, partly to rest, but mostly to unpack what I had been through.
Eventually, though, I sat down with Telricktus to complete the incident report and then with Fiora to explain to her that while she looked very, very badass with that scar, I didn’t expect her to actually get a scar. I really shouldn’t have sneaked those photos while over there, but it would be hard to get people to believe me if I had nothing to show for it.
I returned to duty a few weeks later under the condition that I saw the counsellor every three days.
--Message retrieved from DKBI Phone Unit—
--Model DP-L-577-T--
ATTN: Captain Talorath Daranakaan
Hey Tal,
I’m not sure what to write here, but I feel like I should leave you with something at least. As you said during one of our conversations, I always have to have the last word anyway.
I’m unfortunately not your brother, even if I wish I could be. I know, to some extent that you’re projecting it on me, I’ve seen the way you look at me. That aside, though, you’ve found a cause to fight for and you fight well.
I cannot agree or disagree with what you’re fighting for, the regulations back home forbid it, I’ve caused enough trouble as it is and an inter-timeline war is not something I want on that list.
Part of me wants to tell you to take less risks, but well, your counterpart where I come from tells me the same thing almost daily. More risk, more reward, I get it. Just make sure you come out in one piece. I know how these things go.
That being said, there is, sadly, not much else that I can add without getting into a universe of trouble. Perhaps we might meet again someday. If you end up in my piece of reality, send me a ping on 577.685 and I will find you.
Keep safe, don’t die.
Signed:
Senior Captain Tano’rath Daranakaan
Commander, D.E.S. Defiant
Imperial Drakonian Space-Fleet
The Union of Drakonian Socialist Republics / The Drakonian Empire
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 50 x 50px
File Size 171.2 kB
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