Mikasa

Mikasa wakes up slowly. Life was slow and easy in the den. Her pack was large, and always seemed to be growing. The opportunity for treats were many, and even more opportunities for pats. It was good there was so much abundance. Mikasa knew many more puppies were coming. Mama smelled like puppies. Lots of the other mamas who weren't Mama smelled like puppies too.

Mikasa hoped the new puppies would want to play with her. The hiss monster in the Unseen's small den did not want to play with her, and many people save the Quiet Mama were often too busy to play.

The ‘little’ pup stretches out as she rises from her comfy bed, letting out a bark to announce herself to anyone who might be around. Quiet Mama comes quickly, letting her out of Papa's bedroom and into the wider den, then quickly feeding her breakfast. Quiet Mama was soft, gentle, she wasn't much for play time, but her pats were almost as good as Papa's! She was also carrying many puppies. More puppies than Mikasa could work out, but she knew all the same that Quiet Mama would soon have lots of little ones for her to help protect, and that those puppies would grow into new potential playmates for her! She'd protect the puppies for Papa and her Mamas! Mikasa was brave and strong! Then they could play!

"Mikasa, you're getting to be such a big girl aren't you? Yes, such a big girl... why, you'll almost be as big as me soon!"

Mikasa responds with a happy sound before returning to her food, eagerly wolfing her breakfast down as Quiet Mama strokes her and gives her affection. She didn't really know what Quiet Mama had said, but it sounded like praise! The ever growing puppy had noticed she was getting even more food recently! She must have been a very good girl recently to get more tasty food.

She was even getting meat all the time now! What Papa called "Chimkin" and "Bacon" and "Beef". She didn't know what the sounds were exactly, nor, despite her attempts, could she say them herself, but she knew what they meant all the same. Just like she understood all the other words Papa had taught her.

Finishing her meal, she gives Quiet Mama another cuddle before deciding to go for a walk. She might not get a chance to play as often... but if she could find Papa, he might take her to the park to play! Plus she needed to patrol! The hiss monster might try and break out of the Unseen's den after all!

Mikasa trots down the hallway, sniffing along, inspecting new scents throughout the den. It was a large den, but they had a large pack. The pack seemed to add new females all the time, and many of them quickly became Mamas! Papa was a strong hunter to provide for so many so easily. Mikasa would have to learn carefully so she could be as strong as Papa!

She sniffs around the Unseen's door. The hiss monster appears to still be inside. She can hear it spitting at her through the door. Satisfied that the horrible monster was contained, Mikasa barks at it a few times to put the hiss monster on notice and proceeds down the corridor.

Mikasa ‘hides’ as best she can behind a plant, and races out of the Den when the door opens to admit one of the Mamas. She quickly bounds down the hall, nails clicking on the deck plates. She knows where Papa probably is, she remembers how to get there. Mikasa's a clever girl after all. She slips into a lift, sitting patiently till a human arrives and heads for the Redoubt, bringing Mikasa with him.

She continues to follow her nose and memory towards Papa's office, the scent trail was fresher this way than the path that leads to what Mikasa thought of as the big noisy room. She stops, scratches at her neck a bit, still getting used to the new collar, and the strange metal badge that had been added to her dog tags. She didn't and couldn't understand that the little device was a modified version of the same badge the two legged crew wore, and would automatically activate to keep her alive if she somehow got spaced.

A few moments pass, as Mikasa waits patiently, curiously looking around the room before the door opens, not to Papa's office, but the bigger room near it. A large group of people start walking out. Mikasa recognizes most of them, by scent if nothing else, and a newer scent, a female with a large tail that radiated warmth stopped to fuss over her and give her lots of nice pets. Mikasa thought of that one as "The One in Heat", she was nice, but Mikasa was certain she was after Papa! Not that it was a problem. Not when she gave pats like this and slipped her treats!

The One in Heat tilts her big hat up and crouches down, giving Mikasa her due in scritches and cooed compliments. The One in Heat was nice, and she knew how to find that one spot that made Mikasa's leg start kicking involuntarily, much to the entertainment of the passing humans and aliens. Even The Cold One, who pretended she didn't like Mikasa when people were around, but occasionally held her in her lap and gave her pats when they weren't, looked happy.

A few moments later, Papa and Mama come out of the big room, and Mikasa is immediately winding between their legs, communicating her happiness to see them as Papa reaches down and gives her scritches.

"Hmm, seems someone got out of the Den again eh Mikasa? Such a clever girl. Come on, let's go to the park! You can play a bit while Syl and I have lunch."

The park! Mikasa barks, clearly excited, today was going to be great!

#

Tyler

The cockpit felt warm to Tyler Sarkin as the Huscarl class gunship sliced through the void, flying Combat Aerospace Patrol (CAP) for the Tear. They'd settled on a fairly heavy CAP of two small craft for the Tear once they hit Frontier space. In Wild space they'd up their readiness status once again.

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Perhaps it was the small enclosed space. Perhaps it was just his mind saying the high performance machine should have a warm cockpit like the familiar seat of his F-35C back on Earth when the sun was really burning down.

Or maybe it was the topic of discussion with his Wizzo turned wife.

"I'm just saying we have a few dates. We aren't committing to anything! They've been extremely polite to give us such a long period without approaching... nor, my love, do you need to say yes. You have a great many eyes on you. A great many Seramali eyes."

"And Seramali women have more eyes than most."

Cassie giggles. "A fair point, though my point remains. Several of the unwed huntresses have approached me about joining our eyrie. They have a varied set of backgrounds, interests. I think all would be worthy sisters to me, and wives to you. So I think it harms nothing and no one to meet these women. I think you'd rather like most of them. One is a popular fiction author in her spare time for example."

"It's not that I wouldn't..." Tyler sighs. His skipper might have embraced having a harem, but he was still working on the idea. "Okay, she's a writer. What genre? And popular where exactly?"

"She writes a popular series of fantasy adventure novels. They're popular in Seramali and Apuk space mostly, but there's some dedicated readership demographics wise among the Yauya and a few other Apex races. Along with smatters among the rest. Tret are probably the biggest non-Apex fantasy demographic. Not sure why."

Tyler ponders that maybe humans are not as entirely distant from their Tret lookalikes as they initially thought, while Cassie continues.

"Cannidor tend to prefer media that features Cannidor. Apuk just want a handsome prince to rescue, which admittedly, Elyria provides for her heroines. Though she's considered quite progressive for including very active male leads. Not just as diplomats or adepts either, but proper warriors. Revealing her own tastes no doubt, which might explain why she joined the Undaunted in part. I hear her next book will be a military sci fi adventure focused on our new stellar nation. Apparently one of Cistern's people approached her after she signed up and offered her a rather lucrative contract."

"I have no doubt. Alien women going on adventures with charming, bold, humans, men in particular, will probably be more effective recruiting wise than Top Gun was for the Navy back in the day."

"I did like that movie! Though I admit I was surprised by the amount of... ah. How did you say... Cheesecake? On display? It almost seemed like it was made for a galactic audience!"

"Heh. I have no doubt the 80s will be a very popular period of human entertainment in the galaxy... There's a lot of ‘cheesecake’ for a female audience. Plenty of action too. Apparently licensing rights on some of the more popular action franchises might be settled for Cannidor space with the transfer of an entire planet to the Undaunted."

"That seems a bit extreme."

"The Cannidor like their beef cake it seems, in addition to all the actual beef they're buying from the skipper. Hold that thought, I need to check in."

Tyler triggers the radio for the radio. "Raven, Geirr 1-1, no sign of any activity out this way in terms of ambush craft, the Tear can continue on course."

"Geirr flight, Raven copies, continue as planned."

Tyler toggles the switch to talk to his wingman, the ever fiery Gaucha flying in her new Starblade for the first time on an actual mission.

"Two, lead, status?"

"Four lit and in the green, all systems nominal lead."

"Good, how are you holding up on your own over there, Gaucha? Single seat seems boring in the black."

"I'm just savoring the flight, enjoying some music the Skipper recommended and thinking."

"Anything you want to share with the class?"

"Perhaps it would be good to get an outside opinion. Angel, how did you seduce our bold commander?"

Tyler blanches even as Cassie chuckles. As hot blooded as the Apuk woman was he shouldn't be surprised she was after someone. Hopefully not him. He was a bit intimidated by the far more bombastic Apuk. The generally more reserved Seramali women were far more agreeable in that regard at least.

"It's really not hard to seduce or woo a human man. Depending. Some men will remain firmly out of reach and not even the gods can shake them then. For example some men are dedicated monogamists, and all but the most exceptional of women will not bring them from that position."

"I do not think monogamy is a problem in this case."

"One hurdle cleared then. Otherwise being one's self and being direct with your desires is generally all that's needed. Some humans, especially the nerdier ones apparently need your intent spelled out to them in the most literal sense possible. One of the younger huntresses just married one of the young men from the so called Nerd Squad who came aboard the Tear when we shipped out. I believe she resorted to quite literally writing him a letter and passing it to him in the hallway. Like a schoolgirl passing a note. Incredibly embarrassing but it finally got the point across when most flirting went right over the man's head."

"Also not a problem thankfully. Hmm. Be direct. I can do that. But how best to do so... lingerie and a bottle of good booze after talking with his wives might be a bit too direct. Challenging his other wives to combat for his hand would probably cause serious damage to the ship..."

Tyler pipes up. "Or you could just talk to him. Who is this guy any-"

Suddenly the comm system lights up with a priority message overriding their channel.

"Raven to Geirr flight, unknown ships just jumped into the system. 160 degrees off base plate, well out of range of weapons but they're in sensor range. Looks like four deep space rated fighters of unknown type or configuration, and a light spacecraft. Swing by and che- belay that, sensors show the fighters are attacking the small spacecraft. They're not responding to hails. No IFF beacons from the fighters, the lighter’s beacon is identifying it as the Merisee Hope, a civilian craft reportedly seized by pirates a few years ago.”

Masha snarls. "Mhmm, internal dispute, or innocents fleeing the pirates do you think?"

Raven’s voice is still perfectly calm and controlled when she responds.

"It doesn't really matter to us in the end. The Captain orders you to interdict the enemy fighters. If you're fired upon you are to neutralize all enemy combatants. Geirr flight you are weapons free."

"Interdict four bandits and a lighter, confirm weapons free. Geirr 1-1."