Return to Earth (Part one?)

The light flashed quickly into my eyes, blinding me of my surroundings. I was the centre stage of a court of very powerful people, perhaps some of the most powerful in the galaxy.

When humanity entered the galactic stage and found new life, the people expected war or annihilation or worse. Science fiction movies and books and other media had clouded their judgement and had them believe that alien life would be hostile. But negotiations, meetings, and ceremonies took the centre stage as we were welcomed with open arms into a universe that we had never thought possible. Although wars were a thing even to this day, the human race had found a prosperous and comfortable position in the galactic senate.

“Daniel Achilles.” The man standing above me on his podium announced, his face masked by the shadows though I knew who he was. Abraham Newton, the president of the United Federation had made it his mission to oversee this trial personally.

“You are hereby convicted of manslaughter of several Cyrak nobles. How do you plea?”

“Guilty...Your honour...” The words were bitter in my mouth, the experimental star fighter was sabotaged and everyone knew it. But the Cyrak Dominion still demanded justice when I crashed into the observation deck holding four of their royal families, killing or injuring the lot.

President Newton took a deep breath, he had known my father as a respected military man and a dedicated patriot. I held no ill will against him, this hurt him as much as it hurt me.

“You are to be stripped of your rank and duties--” He announced, his words heavy. “But Emperor Crull III demanded that you pay the highest price in their rule...”

The room remained silent, there was no trial to be had, really. Everyone knew how this would end.
“Daniel Achilles, I hereby sentence you to a life of banishment from Galactic Senate space. You are to leave our realm of influence and find a new life somewhere in the corner of the galaxy... May you find luck in your new life.”

The lights shut off and I was once again surrounded by black. The sounds of gears turning in my ears and the sudden motion meant I was being lowered from the courtroom. If this was a human trial I would be discharged and sentenced to many years or life in prison, but the Cyraks don't think like humans do. To them, there is no greater dishonour then to be forced to leave civilization. Many Cyraks that have been sentenced to such a fate would rather commit suicide then to abandon their precious dominion. There's something to admire about that much national pride.

I had become quite famous across the galaxy. Daniel Achilles: Ace pilot! I won many competitions after my run with the military, with no wars to fight I had to find something to do with my piloting skills. Trick shows, races, mock battles, I won them all and in return was bombarded with sponsorships. Anything from fast food to Alien entertainment products were slapped on my uniform and ship. When I was offered a chance to pilot the most advanced war machine in all of existence, how could I refuse?
Though if I wasn't so lost in my own fame, maybe I would have realized all the enemies I had made, and how many of them wanted me dead. Not that I had to worry about that anymore. I was off the grid, no longer a threat, to them I was nothing but a ghost in the wind.

I had amassed quite a fortune in my career, one I held on to. I wasn't much for great expenses or drugs or parties or crap like that. Instead I just put it away, sure I spoiled myself every now and then and lived rather comfortably, but I never really went on a mass spending spree, well at least until now.


My list would have you think I was preparing for war, but I wasn't going to just fall over and die just because of something like this! Hell, maybe I would enjoy the life as a crazy old hermit on some god forsaken rock.

A colony cube, the same one expanding colonists use to house entire families as if it were just another neighbourhood. A one bedroom one bathroom cube would be more than enough for me. I didn't expense on the luxuries either, what was I going to save up for? Retirement? Half of my money went into this damn cube alone until it was outfitted to the point of making a Gen-jar aristocrat blush in delight, if I was going to be lonely I may as well do it in comfort.

I also didn't know what planet I was going to be calling home either, so I bought a small rack of firearms. The PT-71 Pulse Rifle, a favourite among humans and Cyraks alike. With a holographic display and sights, it fired in bursts and fully automatic, and it only took an hour to recharge. If you're going to kill something you may as well be environmentally friendly about it.

But the one thing I probably won't leave the cube without. A Exo-suit, or “X-O” for short. The military variants are what put the human race on the map as a military power. Able to take a tank shot and keep the guy inside from turning into mush. Your average marine can punch through armour, leap great distances, and run faster than most species in such a war machine. Though finding one outside of military service is next to impossible, I had to rely on the civilian variant, putting me only slightly over your average warrior race or large animal.

I had everything set up and prepped for launch in a docking bay orbiting the planet Tyrus VI, millions of light years away from Gaea, the planet I grew up on and the capital of the human race. I felt almost melancholic walking down that hall, my boots echoing against the metal ground sending shivers down my spine. The blast door opened instantly when I reached the end and I was greeted by the calling of my name.

“Dan!” A harsh voiced called. Standing with the ship that would expel me from the galactic community was Largo, a friend of mine from way back. We was waving at me with the three fingers of his right hand, balling them back up into a fist to support his lumbering figure on all fours. Chi'tarin grew up on a high gravity planet, their brown fur keeping them from freezing to death when any other race would have. His four glowing eyes blinked at me as he did his best to impersonate a human smile with his mandibles.

“Good to see you, Largo.” I said with a smile, giving his long front arm a friendly punch.

“As you, my friend.” Largo looked behind him, his face turning to a very Chi'tarin frown. “Are...you ready to leave?”

I looked behind him, glaring at the ship that will take me to fuck-off no where. With a deep, sad sigh I nodded. “Yeah man, lets get out of here...”

“-lift off permission granted-” the automatic voice announced over our comm. Within seconds we were launched into the vast void of space, hovering over the alien construct that would sling shot our ship into this big empty.

I sat cross legged in the pod chair designed for Chi'tarin use, this was Largo's ship after all, and he was kind enough to kick me off some barren rock like a good friend.

“There really aren't many planets outside of Senate space that you can thrive on, Dan.” Largo told me the honest truth, a truth I new all to well.

“But there are some, right?” I asked, a hint of concern in my voice.

“Well...” He clicked his mandibles, tilting his large head to one side. “There is one you might be interested in. Sitting around a yellow sun in the system you guys like to call Sol.”

I furrowed my brow, the name 'Sol' spoke to me somehow, like I read it in a history book or saw its name on something... Then it hit me.

“Earth!” I shouted. “You're talking about Earth!”

“Right you are.” he confirmed with a nod.

Earth, the birthplace of humanity. Seven hundred years ago it was the only planet in the entire galaxy that housed my species. It was overpopulated, polluted, stricken with war and strife and violence of all kinds between old nations that no one even cares about anymore.

But then we were given a way out in the form of the Seraph Corporation. They had funded and manufactured ships that could take us from one solar system to another in the matter of weeks, a joke by today's standards. At first, hundreds left, then thousands, then millions. While colonies thrived Earth was falling deeper and deeper into a depression, there was no work, fossil fuels were a thing of the past and machines could do what a man can do in a second of the time. Even the rich saw their fortunes plummet.

At first the Earth governments tried to stop the mass migrations, tried to make a point that Earth was our home, where we all began. But there was nothing they could really do and soon the United Nations left their old ruined countries behind along with their subjects, taking their machines and resources with them.

There was nothing left on Earth for man, everyone had left for greener pastures. Everyone but a select group of scientists and engineers that stayed behind, using Earth as a base of sorts so their research and inventions could go unhindered. But only thirty of these bright minds stayed on that little blue dot, not enough to breed or expand. And soon they died off as well. Nature reclaimed the Terran world, letting itself spread unhindered and unchallenged by man.

The old machine fired us into space, breaking reality as we entered warp. I sat in my seat in silence, neither of us knowing what words to exchange to one another. After a few hours, our trip was suddenly halted and we were thrown back into real space. Alpha Centauri was the edge of Senate Space and would be our dropping point for our journey. Largo set his ships course, punching in the coordinates for the Sol system before it fired off again.

After a few more hours, we finally reached our destination, the little blue dot orbiting the sun.

“Anything on scans?” I asked Largo. “Not that some militant group is going to shoot us down as soon as we enter orbit.”

“Nothing on scanners...” Largo announced. “This place is so damn back water, yet too damn close to Senate Space to be used as any kind of head quarters.”

“Hold on tight, we're entering orbit.”

The ship eased itself into the planets atmosphere, the planets surface becoming more and more visible. We hovered a few miles upwards from the surface, Largo pushing the ship from area to area trying to find the best place to drop the colony cube.

“We can hook you up on that lake.” Largo suggested, pointed at it on the map display. “Nice, clean fresh water. Not even a trace of uranium.”

“A lake house, huh? Sounds nice actually.” I said with a shrug, sitting back in my seat. “Sounds pleasant.”

The ship lowered until it was only a few metres from the ground. The latches disconnected and the cube was dropped against the grass with a thunderous thud. In moments it expanded as it gripped into the dirt and elongated a hose into the lake water until it was some ways into the centre of it. Systems would purify the water even further and keep out any unwanted visitors. The cube continued to morph until it resembled a big square metal house.

Largo landed his ship just outside of my new home, his hatch opening and the two of us crawled out.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye.” I said.

Largo sighed. “Look, Dan. I'm not going to just leave you out here and forget about you. I'll come visit whenever I can, I promise.”

I smiled, patting Largo on his arm. “I appreciate that, buddy.”.

With one final shake of hands, we said our goodbyes, Largo having to get back to his life and I having to start my new one. I looked everything over, it was surreal how calm and quiet Earth was compared to where I came from. No sounds of vehicles or ships blasting off, no bellowing on the streets below and no security sirens. It was just me and the gentle waves of the lake, the chirping of native birds, and the wind.

“This...” I whispered, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Fresh air, something I wasn't accustomed to, but luckily I was already vaccinated for whatever could be prowling in the oxygen.
“This isn't bad at all...”

I punched in my password for the front door, the door sliding open to reveal to me my new home. My first sight was my living room designed as your average human dwelling. A couch and a flat screen were the centre of attention, with a entertainment box hooked up at the back. I filled the thing with anything I could think of ranging from new movies and video games to archived classics from hundreds of years ago. There was always something magical about those primitive movies from the 20th and 21st century.

I found the control module right away, slapping in some preferences. A few shielding pulled away to the outside, replacing themselves with windows, there was no way I was going to deprive myself of such a view.

The bathroom was large, with a tub built for at least four people taking the stage in the back. It was brightly lit and smelt of lavender, complimenting its bright walls and decorated utilities. Romantic.
My bedroom was something you would see in a pent house on many worlds, with a king sized bed in the centre back and two night stands on each side. A large walk in closet was at one side with clothing already hung up. The kitchen was fully stocked though I figured I would need to learn how to hunt quickly, as fast as I was in a X-O suit, I don't think I'll be able to sneak up on whatever wild life lived on this planet.  All this and solar panels that sucked up rays like that ancient character Superman, and I was in for a rather comfortable exile.

I opened the door to the outside, leaving my cube to take in my new surroundings. The crisp air cooled my lungs, sending an unfamiliar sensation through my body, by bones felt chilled and my muscles relaxed. I wasn't that familiar with very fresh air, usually the repugnant stench of hive cities and the stale taste of recycled oxygen. This was different, there was no pollution in the air, no odours of other people, no ship or transport exhausts or the smell of fried foods. It was serene, therapeutic in a way.

I sat down in a nearby rock overlooking the lake, surrounded on all sides by pine trees and bushes, from this distance it looked like some of them even held on to fruit, I'd have to scan them later to see if their edible or not, would be nice if they were.

I closed my eyes and took in another sweet, deep breath. My troubles had faded away in an instant, this seemed more like a reward than punishment. I've been on clean Terran worlds very few times, and each time I always remembered the air, but this one had an almost sweetness to it. It was just me alone in a world all to myself...Or at least I thought...

“Uyaa?” I jumped at the sudden voice, falling off the rock and into the grass. I managed to withhold my shrieking, replacing it with a loud “What the hell!?” instead. Suddenly I regretted leaving my rifle in the cube.

I pulled myself off the grass to spot my attacker, locking up when I saw it. Or rather her. In front of me stood a girl on all fours, thin and a shorter than I. She peered at me with her blue, cat like eyes with two cougar printed ears sat atop her orange neck length hair. Her face had no kind of imperfection that I could see save for the three brown claw-like marks running across both of her cheeks, though by the looks of them they didn't appear to be scars of any kind.  A long tail waved coyly behind her with similar print to her feline ears. But out of all that, she didn't leave much to the imagination, on account that she was naked.

The girl tilted her head to the side, crawling on all fours closer to me until she was practically on top of me. She sniffed my skin and hair, touching my face with her hands that was somewhere in between that of a human and a cats. I remained still, looking back up at her face with all my might as to not let my eyes wonder to the rest of her body. She was rather cute, especially for a humanoid.

I finally snapped out of it, scurrying across the grass and out from under her.
“What are you, some kind of stowaway or something!?” I asked her, doing my best to stop my heart from pounding in my chest.


The girl tilted her head again, making a soft hum with her lips as if to express her confusion.

“You some kind of mutant or something?” I asked, pushing myself back to my feet and wiping the grass from my shirt and pants. “I'm surprised the ships security system didn't pick you up the second you sneaked on board.”

“Aoo.” the girls tail swished from left to right. She stood up straight to mimic my posture, my eyes only wondered for a moment at her fit and tight body.

“Woah woah, easy now.” I covered my face, mostly to hide the pink glow on my cheeks. “Where the hell are your close?”

“Aoo!” The girl moaned again, her tails and ears sticking up on end,  she seemed frustrated about something.

“What!? What do you want!?” I raised my voice. “Use your big girl words!”

The girl jumped back, a sudden startled expression on her face. She seemed threatened by me, almost like I was some sort of predator. I narrowed my eyes, letting the gears turn in my head as I began to put the pieces together.

“You...aren't a stowaway, are you?” I asked with a lowered voice, though I knew she couldn't understand me. She wasn't speaking a different language, she wasn't speaking a language at all. This girl is an inhabitant of this planet! But how? All of her grunts and sounds were just animistic voices, me talking to her was like trying to talk to a wild animal. Maybe that's what she was?

The girls ears lowered, she seemed less tense now, though still wary of me. She approached me once more until she was only a few inches from me. She once again reached up and took my face in her hands, rubbing my cheeks and feeling my skin with an astounded “Ooh...” Every few seconds.

She was amazed at my existence, this was like some sort of “We're not so different” moment. I stood still, letting her rub my face, mostly as to not set off whatever defence mechanism she may or may not have. But also her hands were...Very soft and nice to the touch.

The girl pulled her hands away, placing them on her own face which she squeezed and rubbed. Soon she smiled a bright, wide smiled and giggled, leaping forward and embracing me in a big hug. She wrapped her arms under mine and nuzzled against my chest, giggling to herself the entire time.

“Hey, woah, what?” I was caught off guard, unsure of how to react. The girl pulled away, her ears flicking and her tail wagging happily.
“Unya!” She called out again, pointing at my face and then to hers. I blinked, this time I was the one tilting my head.

“Awu! Awu!” She continued to touch both my face and her own.

“You're happy...Because we... Have the same face?” I asked her while touching my own face, as if it would help her understand.


Apparently it did, the girl nodded energetically, humming a tune to herself and dancing in place before leaping forward for another hug.

“Hey, easy there.” I couldn't help but chuckle, reaching around and grabbing a hold of her wrists. She let her grip go as I pulled her hands away, looking up at me with disappointment.

“Its nice to meet you too, but I still have a lot of things to do, if you don't mind?” I knew she couldn't understand a damn word I said, but I still found myself talking to her, maybe it was just instinct for me at this point but I guess it beats just pointing and grunting like a damn caveman.

I took a few steps back and waved with a “Bye-bye” before turning back to my home. There were a few things I had to make sure before I hid inside it for the night, the sun was beginning to go down and I would rather be inside than outside for my first day on a planet I wasn't familiar with.

I began to circle the house in search for any kind of problems, ranging from loose panels to hull breaches. Space travel was really fast and sometimes a tiny piece of space rock would fly past the radar. I didn't want any leaks or insect problems after all.

I crouched down to examine anything suspicious, mostly just metal burns or small chips in the materials. Nothing at all to get worried or upset about. I stood up and turned around, stopping in place as I saw the girl standing right behind me, her hands locked behind her back and a smile wide enough to reveal a fang poking out from under her lip.

“C'mon, I said I'm busy.” I complained, waving her off with my hand. I continued my examination of my home, only finding a small stone jammed under it, only to find out it was just an earth rock split in two by the cubes landing.

I tried to ignore the girl following behind me, her giggles very audible to my ears. They were laughs of barely restrained giddiness, like a little girl who knew she was going to find presents downstairs on Christmas morning. I stopped and turned around, the girl freezing in place as soon as my eyes locked with hers.

“Don't you have a home or something?” I asked. “Its getting late.”

The girl tilted her head again, letting out another confused hum and my words.

I sighed and pressed my finger and thumb against the bridge of my nose. “Alright, do whatever you want, just no funny business, alright!”

I began my walk back to the front of my house, and just in time as my surroundings became darker and darker.

“You probably don't have a name, do you?” I called back behind me, not even bothering to check if she was there or not. “From now on I'm going to call you Cat, okay Cat?”

Of course, she didn't understand me, so I just took that stupid grin on her face as a yes.

“Well Cat, its getting late, so I'm going to call it a night.” I announced, putting in my password for the door .
I stepped inside as it slid open, looking back at Cat who was standing a few steps away, a crushed expression on her face.

“Okay, it was nice meeting you, but I'm going to crash now.” I told her with a wave. “Have a good one, Cat!”

I closed the door, silencing the outside world and leaving me alone in my new home. I turned back to it and sighed, rubbing my eyes and throwing my shoes to the side before stepping in. The temperature was comfortable, not too warm and not too cold, perfect for just lazing around and wasting time.

“Maybe a movie...” I contemplated, shrugging it off for just getting something to eat and drink and then hitting the hay.

I made myself a light meal, just a sandwich with a beer. I should really learn how to make this stuff myself before I run out of the stock pile I had amassed in the storage room. With a loud burp and my meal done I headed upstairs, throwing my cloths anywhere I pleased before warming up a bath.

The water was a tad too hot, melting my mind and muscles until I was nothing more than puddy in human form. I stayed in there until my fingers became like prunes, finally finding the will power to pull myself out of the bathtub. The steam left behind from the hot water made the air a little more bearable, though I didn't dare leave the washroom until I was dry and covered cozy in the silk pajamas that I had folded and ready.

The door slid open, the steam from the washroom rising out and against the hallways ceiling. Like a zombie I forced my way down the hall and into my bed room, my perfectly made bed ready and waiting for me to jump in and lose myself in its cushions.

I crawled in and laid down flat on my back, my body sinking into the mattress and pillow. I didn't even want to think about my situation, how I would never see any form of civilization that wasn't a pirates paradise or a planet like this. This place was like a paradise, it was amazing that humans didn't come back and set up some sort of resort for the rich and famous. Though I didn't even know if I was supposed to be here, there had to be some reason why we never came back here.

Maybe it was out or respect? We abandoned the planet, it would be in bad taste to go “Oh! Everything's fine again!” and repeat the process.

I tried not to dwell on it. I would rather enjoy that I was abandoned in this natural paradise. With just me and the birds and the animals and...A very cute cat girl that doesn't speak any language I understand and seems to have some sort of affection for me. A little bit of company can't hurt, I guess.

But it raised the question... Where there more like her on this planet? Was there a society I wasn't aware of? Something so primitive that the scanners wouldn't pick it up as anything other than a herd of organic life forms from above? Maybe shes an outcast and just sees me as a salvation to her loneliness?
That's probably just my mind losing itself though. Her voice has no pattern I could follow as any sort of language, only squeaks and shouts. Though I was kind of disappointed that she didn't meow, it would probably be really cute.

I continued to think about random things until my eyes refused to stay open, the room detecting that I was drifting off to sleep and dimmed the lights until all that was illuminating the room was the stars and moons poking in from the single window in the side of my home. With one final deep breath, I drifted off to sleep.

For the first time in a long time I had a good, long nights sleep. When I once again became conscious of my body and the world around me, my muscles tingled with the feeling of relaxation. I didn't want to get up, and instead allowed my eyes to rest as I simply enjoyed the silence of the world around me and the soft breaths of Cat behind me. I turned over in the sheets, wrapping my arm over her shoulder and pulling her close with a smile on my face.


...Wait...

My eyes shot open, trailing down to the naked girl with cat-like appendages lying in my bed, fast asleep. She began to purr at my touch, pushing herself tighter against me. The situation finally clicked with me as I fell back, falling out of my bed and narrowly missing the night stand with the back of my head.

Cat's eyes fluttered open, her eyes still drowsy as she lifted herself from the bed with her arms.
“Hawuu?” She squeaked, spotting me on the ground and giving me a smile.

“I--” I was at a loss for words. “But—Where—How!?”

Cat seemed to understand my confusion, snickering at me before making a pressing motion with her right hand, going “Boop boop boop!” with each thrust of her fingers.

She...She watched me put in my password, she memorized my password and figured out how the damn machine works. And here I thought purchasing the finger print scanner extra was ripping myself off...

I blinked, she was much smarter than she led on. I sighed and wiped my hand down my face, laughing to myself with a mutter of “Oh, this is perfect...”.

“I guess I'm stuck with you, huh?” I asked her while standing up. Cat sat on her knees on my bed, bobbing back and forth happily with a big wide eyed expression on her face.

“Well, if we're going to be buddies, I don't think I can handle you being naked around me all the time.” I admitted my eyes have been trailing quite a lot, and her perfectly fit body wasn't really helping. To cut out any awkward situations, this seemed like the best idea.

Cat watched me as I moved towards my closet, throwing open the doors and inspecting the line of clothing hung up or tucked away in a shelf. Cat hopped up beside me, her eyes scanning over my wardrobe. She looked at the cloths before peeking over at my pajamas, the idea clicking in her head as she tugged on my sleeve.

Without even a warning she jumped into my closet, rummaging from shirt to shirt and pants to pants until there was a large pile on the floor. I ignored the mess, watching her fling around the closet like a kid in a candy store until she finally stopped.

She was bent over one of the shelves, peering into it until she yanked out a long sleeve hoodie.  She turned around to look at me, the hoodie held in both her hands.

“Go ahead.” I said with a nod. She grinned and did her best to put the hoodie on, scrambling around in it until I stepped forward and helped her put it on properly.

She looked at herself, twirling in circles with the widest smile.
“Hayuu!” She called out, pointing at my shirt and at her newly acquired attire.

“Yes, we are one in the same.” I said while doing my best to mimic a wise shamanistic voice. With barely contained giddiness, she leaped forward and embraced me, giggling happily. She seemed really big on the hugging.

The grey hoodie went down past her waist and almost to the end of her thighs, not that she seemed to mind. It was like I accepted her into my pack or something with this offering. She sat there in the living room, humming ecstatic  to herself while I prepared myself breakfast.

“You want anything?” I asked her, though I don't know why, I guess I was just trying to keep myself talking as some sort of attempt to cling to my civility.

I was always a fan of traditional cooking, it wasn't added a taste that instant or processed meals just couldn't beat. Cooking is an art form that humans mastered, no other race in the galaxy can compare, even if they have many astounding chefs themselves. And not to mention the smell, that smell that you can only get by grilling meats and adding the spices yourself, the A.I created meals just couldn't compete.

The bacon sizzled, its grease pouring out against the griddle and making contact with the pancake batter I had plopped down. I took in the aromas, I can't even remember the last time I had a home cooked meal, my mouth was watering just thinking about it.

I suddenly felt weight on my shoulder, Cat had joined me in the kitchen and was now sniffing at the food being cooked over the hot griddle. She let out a light moan, reaching forward only to receive a slap on the hand with my spatula.

She yelped and jumped back, licking the top of her hand and nursing it.

“Its hot! No touching!” I barked, waving my spatula at her menacingly. She whined, looking up at me with betrayed eyes.

“Ah, shit.” I whispered, putting the spatula down on the table, it was just instinct, something my mother would do when I was trying to be sneaky and grab some grub.

“Here, let me see...” I reached out. Cat pulled her hand back, her lower lip quivering.

“C'mon.” I implored. She looked up at me and then at my hand, hesitantly putting her hand in mine.

There was a big red spot under the fur, nothing too severe, it didn't look like it would bruise so there was no point in putting any medical spray on it. I gave it a rub with my thumb, a band-aid wouldn't do anything either, though the look on her face made me feel like I had to do something, I never felt like this big of a scum bag in my life.

I groaned, moving my head from side to side before finally giving in, when all else fails, you give it a loving touch. I leaned down, puckering up my lips and giving the red spot a little kiss. Cat's ears perked up, she gasped and jumped back a little.

“There.” I said as I rubbed the spot with my thumb again. “All better.”

Cat looked at her hand, touching the spot I kissed with her claw. Her ears lowered and shit hid her smile.

I managed to make two plates of food without incident, stacking the pancakes by three's and making space on the side for four strips of bacon, going in strong this morning.

I sat Cat down at the under end of the table, placing a plate on both sides. Cat gasped with glee at the sight of the food, ready to wolf it down like an animal at a moments notice. She looked back at me, doing my best to look as proper as possible. I aint no savage, no siree.

She watched as I picked up a fork and knife in each hand, and with a comical primpers cough, I stuck the fork into the stack of pancakes. With the knife in my other hand, I cut off a good chunk of it and placed it into my mouth, chewing it thoroughly before swallowing my food.

“Ooh...” Cat sighed, looking down at the fork and knife on each side of her plate. With a look of determination she took them in each of her hands, mimicking my movements and cutting off her own portion before throwing it into her mouth, her teeth sliding against the fork.

“Hey, there you go!” I praised with a clap. “Now how about this?”

I reached over the table, picking up a bottle of syrup from the centre and pouring a little on her pancakes. Cat's ear flicked, examining the brown liquid before cutting off another chunk and placing it in her mouth. She gasped in delight at its sweetness, and the fork and knife became a none factor as she wolfed down the pancakes faster than I could even react to the situation.

“Damn.” I piped up, taking another bite. “That good, huh?”

We finished our meals, tossing the plates into the washer before heading back into the living room.
“Earths a pretty big planet, isn't it?” I asked Cat, looking out the window. “Would be kind of a shame if I just wasted away in here for the rest of my days.”

“Nyuu.” Cat peeped, pressing the button beside the door and opening it and skipping outside.

“Oh sure, you can't speak, but you can operate a damn intergalactic space door...”

I took a step outside, crossing my arms and looking over the lake, the morning dew still heavy in the air. Cat turned around to look at me, pointing out into the woods in excitement.

“What, we're going on an adventure today or something?” I asked her with a shrug.

Cat skipped towards me, grabbing me by the wrist and urging me to come along.
“Hold on, hold on.” I stopped her, taking a step back. “For all I know there are man-eating super bugs or some sort of ancient battle robot waiting for me in those woods. For my second day on a abandoned planet? I'm not going to take any chances.”

Cat looked disappointed as I turned back to my home, probably believing that I wasn't going to come along.
I made my way to the storage room, my X-O was already set up in its station, and all I needed to do was step inside. The green and grey powered armour molded around me almost symbiotically. Even with the plating I had no trouble moving around unhindered. With the armour in place I grabbed the pulse rifle from the rack and slung it around my shoulder. There isn't a kill like overkill after all.

Cat's eyes widened immediately at the sight of my X-O, circling around me as if trying to decipher just how I gotten into this thing.

“See, now we're good to go.” I told her with a confident smile.

Cat cheered and led me along, pointing the direction our journey would take us. My homes location was saved into my suits HUD, so even if I went way too far I would still be able to find my way back. The trees spread out in all directions, a never ending forest where any manner of beast could hide. Though hopefully said beasts are more like Cat than the kind I was use to.

The sound of birds chirping and animals moving around above were more prevalent deeper into the forest than it was by the lake, though I suspect that might be because of Cat's presence than anything else, a waterhole is a great spot for mammals to live.

I never noticed how nimble Cat was until we were out in the woods, she hopped and leaped about with endless amounts of energy. Sometimes even climbing up into the trees and swinging from branch to branch like a...Well...A cat.

It was still very quiet, I could hear the gears moving and connecting in my suit, though this probably isn't the case with the military X-O's.

“So, I've been thinking.” I called out to Cat, breaking the silence. “Just what the hell exactly are you?”

Cat looked back at me only for a second before continuing her little journey above, swinging and hopping from tree to tree freely.

“I mean, you look human, but then you have all those cat bits. That's why I call you Cat. Well, that and I'm not very creative... You're agile and you got the eyes thing going, but are you some kind of meta-human or what? But then again, you're actually a little too cute for a human girl. What with those eyes, that tail, those little stripes on your face, the way that everything I do is god damn amazing to you...”

I stopped myself, looking at the ground as I walked along.
“Holy hell I'm falling in love.” I joked to myself, scratching the back of my head.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't even realize Cat went silent. I looked up to see her sitting in the branches, completely still and staring off ahead. I followed her gaze, noticing something moving around in the distance.

I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better look at the creature, it looked like some sort of insect. Slowly, I began to approach it, making sure I didn't break any fallen branches under my heavy boots. Cat noticed this, gasping a quick “Eep!” before crawling down the tree. She ran up behind me and wrapped her arms around my body in an attempt to stop me.

I could hear her whimper against my armoured back. Halting my advance, I turned around to look at her. There was a very visible look of fear on her face, her eyes on the verge of tears.

“Why?” I whispered in low tone I'm sure only her ears could pick it up at this distance. Cat bit her lower lip and shook her head, grabbing on to my arm and urging me to turn around.

My curiosity got the better of me, I wasn't really known for running away, daddy didn't raise no coward. But I wasn't dumb either, instead I turned around a got down to one knee. Cat was having a very frantic, very silent panic attack beside me, using all of her might to try and pull me away, it would have made much more noise were it not for my X-O.

“Hold on.” I reassured her, bringing up my arms in an attempt to calm her down. Cat shrunk into a crouch, grabbing on to her tail and biting down while I had my little inspection.

I knew this suit had some sort of optics, I pressed my hands along the outside until I felt a compartment on my right knee, pressing the button and opening it up. Just as hoped for, a small set of binoculars, very primitive, but they get the job done.

I peered into the optic glass, looking over the creature that had Cat in complete hysterics.

It was a spider, a very big spider with eight black legs and red markings on its abdomen. The size of the creature caught me off guard that I didn't even realize the rest of it at first...Or should I say her. Merged with the carapace, instead of eight eyes and large fangs was instead a woman's body from the pelvis and up, her hair was jet black and she had two large eyes with six smaller eyes positioned around them.

What else caught me off guard was her womanly appearance. She was gorgeous! Just like Cat, her face had absolutely no imperfection, like a beautiful woman trapped between a young adult and her middle ages. Her breasts were at least H-cups and brought to bare with silk to cover them up, but only slightly.

The spider woman prowled around the woods, picking things from trees and examining them before putting them in a sack made out of her own webs. A rather accurate display of early cultures learning how to use tools and other applications.

She seemed content to just rummage through the bushes and trees, but Cat was now sitting on her rump beside me, her eyes covered behind her fuzzy hands and whimpering. There was obviously something off about this creature, and judging how she was practically crying, I wasn't going to risk it.

“Alright.” I reassured Cat, petting one of her ears. “Lets get out of here...”

I turned around to head back, grabbing on to Cat's hand and beckoning her to follow. She let out a sigh of relief, trailing her beside me as we made our grand escape.

I tried to remain as quiet as I could, skulking over the grass with careful precision.
“Go off ahead.” I ordered Cat, pointing at her and then off into the distance. She seemed to understand, her ears lowering on her head, a concerned expression on her face. I nodded, patting her on the back as reassurance, and she accepted my orders hesitantly, climbing into the trees and disappearing into their foliage.

I stood still until I couldn't hear Cat above me anymore, nodding to myself before making another move. I made it some more yards before my ears peaked up at a noise.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud thud thud thud.

I turned around quickly, my heart stopping at the same moment my assailant did. She stood only a few feet away from me, I didn't realize how tall she was from the distance. The spider woman gazed down at me, her eyes carefully scanning my figure. I took a slow step back, not sure how to react to the situation.

“Uh...Hi.” I greeted her, maybe, on the off chance, she was as friendly as Cat is.

The spider woman began to circle me, moving from place to place as quickly as you would expect a prowling spider to me. I kept my body facing her, turning with her movements and making sure I don't open myself up to any kind of sneak attack.

The spider suddenly stopped, crossing her arms under her breasts and staring down at me with a smile.

“Is there...anything I can do for you?” I asked her, looking from side to side.

The spider raised her left pedipalp, running it along my chest and stomach. My instincts kicked in like fireworks, grabbing on to the palp with my hand. The spider yelped in surprise, holding still and awaiting for some sort of attack. I just stood there like an idiot, holding on to her appendage in my gauntlet.

Unlike Cat, she didn't seem much for random noises and squeaks, rather to just look on with a cold confidence, a glare that sent a chill down my spine. The spider looked down at her palp in my hand, tugging at it in a futile attempt to escape my grasp.

She furrowed her brow, reaching down with her almost human like claws, their qualities resembled the exoskeleton that made up the spider parts of her body. She wrapped her sharp fingers around her palp and tugged, giving off little grunts of effort with each pull.

With one final attempt, she began to pry at my fingers, before finally admitting defeat. She crossed her arms again and pouted, I guess I didn't come off as a threat to her anymore. But I was right to put money into the X-O, I could barely feel her efforts against my body with each of her tugs and pulls.

I finally snapped out of my little bout of fascination, letting go of her palp and taking a step back.

“Oh, sorry about that.” I apologized, brushing my hand against my chest piece.

The spider rubbed its palp with the other, giving me a resounding “Hmph.” For my mercy.

The spider began to turn back towards the area she was originally inhabiting, her curiosity apparently sated.

“Okay, nice meeting you!” I called out with a wave. She looked back at me and gave me another sly smile, though I couldn't tell with all her eyes, I was pretty sure she just winked at me as well.

I followed my beacon back home, I don't think its a good idea to travel out any further, at least for my second day. But I got a grip on my surroundings, so there's a victory in that.

I didn't see Cat on my entire journey back to my home, a notion that began to worry me. Though I found my way there without incident, I couldn't shake that feeling of uneasiness in my heart.

I open my door to the deathly silence, stepping into my home and wiping my feet on the rug. I looked around, the door shutting behind me. My eyes scanned the room before I clicked in a few buttons on my wrist that separated my body from the X-O, the suit standing straight and open at the entrance.

“...Cat!?” I called out, stepping deeper into the house, the eerie disconnect made my hairs stand on end.

I advanced up the stairs slowly, gulping down the lump in my throat after every step. Cat knew how to get into the house, but I thought she would at least appear again when I made distance between myself and the Spider, had something happened to her?

At the final step I immediately turned towards my bedroom at the end of the hall, my feet thumping against the carpet floor with each step.

“Cat!?” I called out again, my heart now beating in my chest. I had just met her yesterday, but there was this vicious stabbing in my chest, one of worry. I didn't care if she was a new thing in my life, I just wanted to know that she was safe.

I door opened as soon as I stepped in front of it. I rushed in with a jump, leaning against the door with my hand and looking to my left into the bedroom.

There was a shivering lump under my blanket with a distinct sound of whimpering. I was struck with a sudden sense of relief, sighing deeply and stepping into the room.

“Peek-a-boo.” I chimed, lifting the blanket up in front of Cat's face. She jumped, her ears falling back against her head before she realized it was me.

With a sudden yelp of joy, Cat jumped against me, wrapping her arms around my stomach. The force almost sent me off my feet, I stumbled backwards a step before regaining balance.

“Woah hey, whats up?” I asked her, putting my hands against her arms. She was still whimpering and shivering, her forehead pressed against my stomach.

The look in her eyes was one of total fear and discomfort. Maybe the spider was some sort of natural predator to Cat's race? To be fair, she did close the distance between myself and her rather quickly, but I would find it hard to believe she would have been able to keep up with someone or something as agile as Cat was.


“Hey, wait.” I stopped, pulling apart her grip around me. “Why would you hide up here?”.

She of course didn't answer me, rather she sat back in my bed, bringing the blanket up to her nose. She chose this place because the bed smelled like me, how did she become so attached in just a day? Was I missing something? But the spider woman also seemed rather curious and fond of me, like there was some sort of link that brought her closer to me.

I thought it would be for the best to stay by the house for the rest of the day, lounging around by the lake or doing maintenance on my equipment. The X-O was back in its station and my rifle was back on its rack, thankfully I didn't really truly have to use either.

The sun began to fade away over the tree tops, the clouds above coloured with a tint of orange with a few stars peeking through in between. I used to travel to those distant suns, visiting the planets there on a PR tour or some form of competition. But down here, when you can't just get into a ship and go wherever the hell you want. There was a majesty to them, a unexplainable wonder that filled my heart with a desire to explore and discover. I felt so small and insignificant now, countless miles away from a community of countless races and cultures, planets that had been converted into one giant city or worlds made entirely of water or diamond or sulphur.

I lost track of how long I simply stared up into the skies, I caught myself wondering what it felt like to  soar in between the clouds like a bird, even though I was very familiar with that sensation. I shook my head, throwing these thoughts to the back of my mind and turning around to go inside.

I prepared water for a bath, something that had always helped me take my mind off things, last I saw Cat she was lying on the ground in my room, having herself a little nap. I undressed and tossed my dirty clothing in the hamper, stepping into the bath and letting the heat of the water melt the tension in my muscles away.

I threw my arms over the sides of the bath, taking in a deep breath and filling my lungs with the heat given off from the water. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, with the sounds of swishing water breaking into my calm.

I was lost in it all, the sound of the door sliding open almost going unnoticed. I opened my eyes and looked to my left, seeing Cat standing above me with a curious look.

“H-Hey!” I yelped, sitting up in the bath.

Her tail flicked playfully behind her, bending over and touching the water with two of her fingers. She tilted her head to the side before looking back at me, her ears twitching on top of her head.

“Huu.” She sighed, pulling the hoodie I had given her off of her body and dropping it on the ground.

My eyes widened as Cat raised one her her legs over the bath, stepping inside before lifting her other one and planting them in the tub between my legs. She sat down, her bare and back pressing against me with her tail resting on top of my left shoulder. I guess she isn't afraid of a little bit of water.

Cat whined a little, fidgeting to the heat of the bath and against my body. I bit down on my lower lip and looked off to the right against the wall. But as she calmed down, so did I, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. This wasn't the first time I was with a woman in such circumstances, it was just I was never with one that was so..Fit. It had a nice feel to it, her body was firm and tight in all the right places. Like the body of an athletic runner or gymnast.

Cat sighed, the tension in her muscles easing as she leaned back against me. She purred softly and just enjoyed the sensations over her body, at least somebody got it.

“Doing alright, up there?” I asked jokingly, Cat turned her head to look at me, scooping some foam in her hands and blowing it into my face lightly, giggling to herself before turning forward again.

Though I did my best to keep my prick under control, there was a distinct feeling of peace in the room. There was nothing sexual about this, at least to her. It was just a bath, a relaxing one, but a bath none the less. Her purring helped set the mood as I struggled to stay awake.

“Hauu.” Cat mumbled.

“Hm?” I responded.

“Hiyuu...”

“Hm... Yeah, that would be nice.”

What the hell was I doing? Those weren't even words. Maybe I could teach her how to speak? Read and write? Like a good settler. I'm sure I had something in the house with educational programs already installed.

I opened my eyes, struggling against the water that was turning my body into puddy.
“Cat.” I called out, shaking her. “Cat come on, we've been in here long enough.

Her only response was her soft breath and purrs, she didn't respond to my gentle shoves. She was asleep, probably for good reason.

“Ah jeez...” I complained, scratching my head. “And you're a heavy sleeper...”

Slowly and methodically, I pulled myself out from under her, picking her up in the process in fear of her drowning. I laid a towel down on the floor, putting her on top of it and wrapping it around her. How the hell was she sleeping through all of this?

Like a package, I picked her off the ground and cradled her carefully in my arms, carefully making my way down the hall towards the bedroom. I put her down on the bed and threw the blanket over her, Cat almost instantly snuggling up under the sheets.

“Great.” I whispered to my self. “Now maybe I should grab myself something to wear, I look like a mad man...”

Finally dressed, I sneaked into bed beside her, lying down the same place I had slept the night before. I felt a tug at my arm, Cat had wrapped her arms around mine and was holding on to it tightly. I sighed and lied back in the bed, the lights of the room dimming until they were completely shut off. I adjusted myself until I was comfortable on my back, though I didn't really have a good range of movement with Cat clinging to my arm. When I finally felt at ease, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Days passed, I finally familiarized myself to my environments, or at the very least to the surrounding areas. I would rarely ever see any other kind of sentient life out here, which surprised me considering how close I was to drinking water. Though I would catch a glimpse of one or two every few days.

A girl with wolf ears stopped to bathe herself in the lake, not that I was peeking...Okay I peeked. The next day another cat girl like Cat came by and had herself a drink and a groom, though Cat didn't seem interested in making contact.

This was followed by a lady with bird wings and legs, then a group of women with snake tails passed by and frolicked near the lake. And then finally a woman with dark green skin and horns, with large fur claws and a tarantulas lower torso scuttled by, humming to herself and gather water in a bucket. This one really set off Cat, I was starting to think that maybe she was just arachnophobic.

Though one thing stuck with me, one thing that nibbled at the back of my mind. Out of all these strange meta-humans I had discovered while living at this lake, not one did I see anything that was remotely male. The cat people, the creatures I've come to call werewolves, the harpies, the spiders, the snakes, all of them were female, and all of them shared that same feature of almost unsettling beauty, like a race of angels had taken physical forms on Earth while humanity was gone.

Where were the males? I refused to believe that there wasn't any. Its been hundreds of years since humanity had abandoned its birth place, you can't tell me that a race with nothing but females could have prospered. And I refuse to believe that they were asexual, I've seen enough of Cat's body to know that that was a lie.

Each and every one of them approached my house, though I made no evidence that anyone was inside. Each time one got close I would turn my windows to one-way mode and simply watched. The ones with keener senses of smell would stick around for awhile, scratching and poking at the metal exterior before giving up and going on their way.

“Okay, lets go down the list.” I told Cat, both of us sitting at the kitchen table. She nodded enthusiastically, her hands pressed against her lap.

“This one?” I asked her, pointing at the big A on the tablet.

“A!” She responded.

“This one?” I asked again, flicking the Tablet to the next page.

“B!”

“And this one!”

“C!”

We went down the list with complete success, the alphabet was already, literally child's play, but I was rather impressed how fast she remembered all of them. Cat seemed rather happy with herself, giving me a big grin as I stood up. She had grown very accustom to life in this little box.

I remember the first time I turned on my screen and found a movie to watch. A classic, more than fifty years old about a pilot who crash landed on a alien planet. You and me both pal...

Cat freaked out when the man appeared on the screen, desperately searching from one end to the other on the flat screen to try and find a way to free the man from his magical prison. When I finally found a way to calm her down, the idea slowly began to seep into her head. I fiddled with the pause, rewind, and even stopped the movie all together to show her that this wasn't really happening. It seemed to click with her, uncomfortably sitting down beside me on the couch.

Soon she found herself absorbed by the movie, crying out and pointing whenever the man was in danger or hurt. She cried when he lost his alien-pet companion and cheered when he finally found a way back into space and to civilization.

We spent all of that day watching movies, from martial arts with Cat trying to mimic some of the kicks and poses, to haunted horrors with her hiding behind the couch. It was nice that she didn't scream witchcraft and try to burn me alive, I appreciated that bit.

In a way, Cat had become my best friend. She was always around me and not once had I ever felt annoyed or tired of her presence. She was quiet when she needed to be, and energetic when I needed to be encouraged to do something. She was always bouncy and playful, and not once did I feel like I was missing anything from home.

Not long after breakfast and our little lesson, I heard the distinct sounds of engine exhausts above. A familiar ship dropped down and landed just a few yards away from my house, the hatch opening to reveal the quadruped Largo with a large container strapped to his back.

“Good to see you aren't dead.” he greeted me as he shook my hand.

“Good to see you didn't forget about me.”

Largo nodded, flashing me the best smile he could conjure before unloading the container from his back.
“Got you some fresh stuff. Milk, meat, fruits, vegetables, all those things you humans like to eat.”

I opened the container, frozen mist pouring out from the sides as I was touched by a sudden bite of cold. I could barely contain my own happiness at the sight of fresh food.

“I really appreciate it, Largo.” I thanked him, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

“No need. Its your money that's in my account now. The least I can do is use some of it to keep you going out here.”

Largo looked over me, spotting Cat hiding at the doorway.
“And I see you made a new friend.” he mentioned, nodding over to her.

“Oh, yeah.” I acknowledged his words, looking back at the house. “That's Cat. She popped up not long after you left.”

I took a step closer, Largo leaning over with a raised brow.
“You don't think you could uh...Pick up some woman’s clothing next time you're out, could you?” I asked him.

Largo peered down at me with a suspicious look. “You want me... To pick up some clothes for your friend?”

I coughed. “Uh...Yeah.”

“Let me rephrase that.” Largo stood up as straight as his species could. “You want ME, to go pick up CUTE, clothing for your friend?”

“Well, if you put it like that I sound like a huge pervert.”

“You are a huge pervert.” Largo corrected me. “I've known you long enough to know that that's for true.”

He bellowed a laugh, smacking me on the shoulder with enough strength to almost knock me off my feet.
“I need to head back home, its good to see you in one peace, Dan.”

I smiled and took a step back, nodding. “Alright Largo, I'll see you when I see 'ya.”

With one more shake and a wave, Largo went back to his ship, the vessel lifting off soon after. I crouched down by the crate, pushing my palm against it and nudging it only slightly.

“Damn, this is a pretty heavy crate.” I muttered to myself, Cat finally leaving the safety of her hiding spot to join me.

I turned to her and patted the top of the crate twice. “Mind watching over this for a few moments?” I asked her.
Cat ear flicked, looking down at both my hand at the crate before looking back with a smile and a nod. She sat down on top of it, kicking her legs and tilting from side to side with a hum.

“Good girl.” I complimented her, jogging towards the house.

I entered storage, the X-O standing in its station like a super heroes suit. Didn't expect to use the suit for its actual intended use, but that is what it was designed for. As the gears and locks clicked in place, I heard a loud scream coming from outside. I recognized the voice instantly and my heart sank in my chest.

“Cat!” I cried out, charging through the house and back outside. She was lying in the grass on her stomach, from this distance I could tell she was hurt.

I spotted her attacker right away, yet another female. This one larger, more muscular than any I had seen before. Her legs were covered in a brown fur and stood upon two hooves, two large horns protruding from her short length brown hair. She rested a club across her shoulders, poking the crate with her free hand and kicking at it with her hooves. The only name I could give the woman is “Minotaur” from appearance alone.

“Cat!” I called out again, rushing over to her side. She was still breathing, I lifted her shirt up to see the huge, vicious mark on her back in the shape of a blunt object.

I wanted to get her to safety and treat her wounds, only for my wrist to be snatched in the palm of Cat's attacker. She caught me by surprise and pulled me to my feet, her grip tight around my gauntlet as she gave me a mean glare.

I stuck up my lip, pulling my gauntlet out of her grip, she was caught off guard, not expecting me to pull away so easily. The Minotaur gritted her teeth, grunting at me and pointing at both herself and I as if trying to explain some sort of agreement I wasn't really a part of.

“I'll deal with you in a minute.” I told her. “But first I have to get my friend here inside.”

As I tried to crouch down to pick up Cat, the Minotaur grabbed on to my arm at the bicep. She continued to holler at me, pointing at her self with her thumb and then at me again.

“I'm not fucking going anywhere with you.” I told her, believing that this is what she was trying to tell me. “Get lost!”

After her third attempt to latch on to me, I lashed out, pulling my arm away again and shoving her at the shoulder.
“Last warning!” I threatened, even though I knew it was pointless. I could feel my legs buckle with adrenaline, my lip quiver and my teeth grind. I was angry, very angry, an emotion I wasn't entirely use to, as could be told by my shaking legs and pounding heart.

The Minotaur didn't seem to appreciate my tone of voice, raising her large club into the air before sending it barrelling down on top of me. I reacted on instinct, catching the club in my gauntlet and twisting it out of her hand. Almost like I was automatic, I raised my boot and planted it firmly against her abdomen, sending her stumbling backwards.

I raised my knee and shattered the club over it, this X-O wasn't spec'd for combat, but I'll be damned if it still wasn't completely capable of holding its own.  I raised my hand in front of me and took a pugilists stance.

“Alright then.” I growled. “If its a fight you want then its a fight you'll get.

The Minotaur, at first stunned by my strike, snorted steam from her nostrils, the cow-like tail behind her flicked aggressively as she kicked up dirt with her hoof.  I took a few steps away from Cat, getting her out of harms way until it was just between me and miss cow over here. She scrunched her freckled face, glaring at me with her brown eyes so full of anger until she finally charged.

I took a step back, bringing both my hands to bear as I latched on to her horns. She was stronger than she originally led on and I was pushed across the grass, leaving a trail of dirt under my feet. I struggled to regain my position until my back crashed into the tree's behind me. I heard the wood creak and crack against my armoured back, but it managed to hold on. With a grunt of effort, I finally managed to dig my heels into the ground, twisting my body to the left and pulling my attack with me, throwing her off balance and sending her spinning to the ground.


I had to make this short, I didn't know exactly what kind of condition Cat was in, the marks on her back were most likely already bruising. The Minotaur rolled on the ground and immediately returned to her hooves, charging forward and closing the distance for a hook towards my head.

I brought up my arms, the creatures large fist crashed into my wrists, even with the X-O I could feel the vibrations down to my bones. Suddenly I was regretting not putting on the helmet as well.

Had to keep my guard up, had to keep my feet moving, and most of all I had to break her stride. I wasn't going to last in a constant barrage, sooner or later one of her strikes was going to get through and hit me in the skull and that would be the end of it.

I slid my arm across her strike until I met her wrist, parrying it off to the side before bringing my other arm down for a strike at her stomach. My fist met its mark and Minotaur flinched and wheezed at the sudden impact. She staggered for a moment before going on the attack again, defence wasn't her strong suit.

I countered another punch with a strike to the side, followed by a blow to her right and then one to her stomach, military training comes a long way in a situation like this. Though these never seemed to slow her down. With every blow she just got angrier until finally she found a way through my own guard, throwing my arms to the side and kicking me firmly in the chest plate.

I was thrown off my feet and send flying a few yards until I smashed into another tree, splintering it at the trunk. The tree fell down to the side and I was left on my ass in a daze. I had barely protected my head from the sudden impact, my ears were ringing and I could barely see straight. All I could do is thank whoever was watching over me that she didn't hit Cat this hard.

I staggered back to my feet, only to to feel another surge of pain course through my bones before I could even react. The Minotaur smashed her shoulder into me, goring me from the ground and taking me for a ride before finally body slamming me into the ground.

I could taste the blood in my mouth, spitting up what I could. I looked up to see her straddling on top of me, her face red with rage. She raised her fists into the air before bringing them down on me punch after punch.

I brought up my guard, feeling each strike punish my entire body, my muscles began to tingle under its armoured protection and I could feel my bones practically bend with every impact. What I wouldn't give to have a military grade X-O right about now.

I kept my arms in front of my face the best I could, my joints protested while I struggled to keep my arms from smashing into my own skull, I knew I couldn't keep this guard up for much longer.

I had to act quick and fast, one shot at this or I may as well just accept being paste in the ground. I waited, enduring punch after punch from this outrageously powerful woman, her tail whipping against my legs while she went to town on my body.

Finally, I enacted my last ditch plan, twisting my body to the left and moving my head as far to the side as possible after her last punch.
I felt her skin graze against my face as she missed her mark and smashed his fist into the grass under me, a yelp of pain as her wrist bent against the impact. Using the opportunity, I pushed forwards, wrapping my arm around her failed strike and throwing my body upwards until I could put her in a head lock.

Her rather furious roars turned into sincere yelps of surprise as I twisted my body around her until I was in the superior position, not once letting go of her arm that was now locked and pushed against her shoulder.

She didn't seem ready to calm down, doing her best with her other arm to try and force me off of her. But I wasn't willing to lose. Finally I planted my knee firmly on her shoulder blade, pulling her arm upwards until I heard a cringe worthy pop.

The Minotaur cried out in pain, her resistance letting up until I let go, falling to the ground and writhing in agony.  I stepped away from her and looked on for a few minutes to see if the fight was truly over. The tear stained face confirmed this and I turned running to Cat.

“Don't worry, I got you.” I said to her as I carefully picked her off the ground and brought her back into the house, lying her down on the couch. She moaned in pain but finally opened her eyes, looking up at me with a relieved smile as if I was in the one in danger.

“We're going to get you all patched up, okay?” I said to her in the softest voice I could muster. Giving her a poke on the nose and a smile before running into storage. I grabbed the Medkit from the table, opening it up and finding the muscle padding used for more severe injures. I wasn't going to take any risks with the only friend I have on this planet.

I came running back to Cat, motioning her on to her stomach and lifting up her hoodie. The mark had already began to bruise heavily and their were visible gashes into her flesh.

“This is going to hurt, okay?” I tried to inform her, knowing not a single word would stick. “So just bare with me.”

I took a deep breath, unpacking the padding and hovering it closely over her wound. A medical device used for extreme cases of trauma, massages the muscles and helps them with the healing process through several varieties of nanites file trading over from hot to cold.

Cat bit down on her lip and whined as I stuck the pad on to her back, tears welling up in her eyes until I grabbed on to her hand. I could feel her squeeze through my gauntlet until she finally eased up.

“There, everything’s going to be just fine.” I said to myself, rubbing Cat's ear gently.

I let her rest and allowed the pad to do its job, throwing a blanket over her before heading back outside to bring the cargo in doors.

I turned to my left as soon as the door opened, spotting the cargo exactly where I left it as well as the Minotaur, sitting on a nearby rock and trying her best to nurse her dislocated arm.

Her sobs filled my ears as I went to grab the cargo, lifting it from the ground and returning to my house.

“Okay then...” I muttered to myself, dropping the cargo in the kitchen.
“Just have to unpack everything and...And...” I could still, faintly, hear the Minotaurs sobbing coming from outside. She got what was coming to her, and its not like she hasn't been hurt like that before...Right?

“Okay, meats in the freezers and...Ah shit...” I cursed myself, rolling my eyes and drudging back to the entrance.

The Minotaur was still sitting on the rock, holding her arm. Her eyes were glistening with dew and her cheeks were still red.

“Nnnnghh...Fine!” I complained, throwing up my hands and marching over to the Minotaur. I had a weakness for cute things, even if they came in battle tank form.

The minotaur looked over to me as soon as I got close, her eyes widening and her ears falling against her head. She yelped and fell backwards, scrambling against the ground and whimpering.

“Here, let me see...” I muttered as I reached for her arm. She only cried louder as I grabbed on to it, shaking her head and doing what I assumed was an apology of sorts.

“Hey!” I complained, flicking her on the nose. It was enough to make her stop, though she was still visibly shaking.
“I'm not going to hurt you anymore, alright? Besides, you started it...”

The Minotaur rubbed her eyes, trying her best not to break out in hysterics again. I placed my hand on her shoulder and positioned her arm correctly.

“Now be a big girl for me.” I ordered. “Stiff lip.”

I began to push against her, the Minotaur closing her eyes and expecting a greater punishment. She whimpered at the strain and pressure and finally cried out as three loud pops filled the air, putting her arm back in its proper socket.

“There, good as new.” I said to her as I stepped back. The Minotaur looked down and moved her arm, titling her head to the side when she realized it was no longer broken.

“Alright, well you learned your lesson.” I waved my hand at her, turning back to go inside. “Try not to get into any more trou-”

I felt her arms suddenly wrap around me as I pressed against her large breasts, her tongue suddenly licking my cheek and ear as she held me in her embrace.

“H-hey, c'mon! We just tried to kick one another's asses a minute ago! Lose with dignity!” I complained, though I can't say I minded.

I finally gave in, trying not to start another conflict as she licked my face and neck until her hearts content. She finally let go and I stumbled forward.

“There, feeling better now?” I asked her, though all she did was smile and giggle.

“Alright, jeez, all is forgiven! Don't go bullying anyone else, okay?” I said to her.

When I went back into my house, I spent a little time watching her through the one way windows. The Minotaur circled the box once, jabbing at it a few times with her fingers before finally giving up and disappearing into the woods, though I had a feeling I would see her again.

Cat was already up and about, much to my protests. She helped me put all the things Largo had brought us away, though I stopped her from lifting anything that was more than a few pounds. She stopped every few minutes when she moved too quickly, but the pad was already doing wonders for her back.

“How you feeling?” I asked her, putting my hand on her shoulder, I threw the X-O back into storage as soon as I had the crate inside.

She looked up at me and gave me a big smile, at least her ego wasn't damaged. With everything packed away it was time to call it an evening, sitting down on the couch and turning on the flat screen.  Cat sat down slowly, easing her back against the cushion to not hurt herself any further.

I turned it to random, knowing that the odds of us getting something we've already seen before would be very very slim. What came on was an ancient movie from even before man had first took its steps on the moon of Earth.

The movie itself was about an age even before that one, about a man and a woman who fell in love during an event called the American Civil War. The movie continued and we saw the two become closer and closer, speaking of flowers and their fading beauty, the meaning of sunsets, and the effects of time on humanity. Very sappy, very classic, very done to death in this day and age. But back then, this was new, unexplored, like the medium itself, it was fresh.

Cat watched on, her legs crossed and her hands planted firmly against the couch. Her eyes were wide as she took it all in. Finally, the couple found themselves alone in a ballroom, looking deeply into each others eyes as one of each of their hands wrapped around one another's waist and the others locked at the fingers, their eyes never leaving one another's as they twirled around the room to the sound of of a piano.

Cat tilted her head to the side, watching the dance unfold until her ears stood up. She made a determined “Hm!” and stood up, pressing the stop button on the remote.

“Hey!” I complained. “I was watching that!”

Cat stood in front of me, gazing towards me with big, puppy dog eyes. She brought her hands up in front of her, as if beckoning me to hold on to them.

“Dan...” She said my name with a look of hopeful anticipation. I eyed her hands before looking back at her.

“What? You want to dance?” I asked her.

Cat tilted her head, doing a small, short hop on her toes. I looked away and chuckled, finally giving in.

“Alright, you convinced me...” I told her, standing up and flipping through the music menu until I found something appropriately classic.

It was a somber piano score, one made specifically for slow dancing. I took Cat's right hand in mine, carefully wrapping my around around her and pressing my hand firmly above her tail, making sure I don't touch the pad under her hoodie.

When I felt her own hand press against my back I took that as a cue to begin.

“Alright, ready? Left foot.” I began, moving slowly so she can keep up with my movements. She stepped back as I moved my left foot forward, followed by our right feet, then a step to the side, and finally a turn.

We moved with rhythm, starting slow until both of us had the feeling for the motion until we were at a steady pace. I didn't even realize how long we had been dancing, going through at least three songs already. Once we finally stopped, Cat gave me a warm smile, pulling her hands away and repositioning them in a long around my neck. She pressed her ear against my chest and purred. All I could do is smile back, placing my arms around her and resting my cheek on the top of her head between her two cat like ears. We simply tilted back and forth slowly, losing ourselves in the moment of peace.

--
The Planet Paris VI, named after the colony ship that discovered it some few hundred years ago. It has become a planet known for its fashion and beauty by all races.

The Chi'tarin weren't known for their etiquette or appreciation of arts. Born and raised on a hostile world, they were once the scourge of the galaxy, conquering and pillaging every system in their path until finally defeated over four hundred years into the war through a collaborative efforts of most galactic races. Though over the years they have calmed down, their acceptance into the galactic community was not an easy process.

Largo stood over the rows upon rows of clothing designed for a human body, his eyes scanning over each and every dress and top. He clicked his mandibles, a very human chill rolled down his carapace. He was stumped, cloths shopping was never his strong suit, preferring industrial wears to formal, like most Chi'tarin.

“Can I help you sir?” asked an accented voice. He almost fell over in surprise, not expecting to have anyone come to his aid.

A blond human female in a blue dress stood before him, two metallic plates over her ears and a stream of blue, glowing veins crawled over his face.

“Is...Something the matter?” The cyborg asked with a raised brow.

“Oh no!” Largo fidgeted. “Nothing at all...I was just looking for some clothing for...My sister.”

“Your...Sister?” She asked him.

“Yes.”
“Your sister is human?”

“I have a very strange family, you see.”

 “Well, okay then! I won't pry!” Said the clerk, shrugging her shoulders. “What kind of clothing is your sister into?”

Largo thought back on Daniels words, his beady eyes looking across the room as he thought about it.

“Something...Cute.” He said plainly, trying not to make eye contact.

“Cute.” The clerk repeated.

“Cute.”

The Clerk looked around, shaking her head before going through the rows of clothing. Largo watched as the clerk went by instinct, grabbing anything from summer dresses to printed T-shirts.

“How are these?” She asked.

“These...These are fine!” Largo yelled, throwing his giant arms wildly into the air.

He didn't stick around for much longer, paying for the clothing and hurrying out of the store, if he could blush he would be beat red right about now.

“The things I do for friendship.” Largo grumbled to himself, keeping his head low as he marched through the crowds.

--
“Dan!” A familiar voice called out. I groaned, refusing to open my eyes.

“Dan! Dan!” The called out again, this time with more aggravation.

I tossed to my side in bed, waving my hand as if to say “Begone!”

“Leave me alone, I don't want to get up!” I complained.

Cat pouted, crossing her arms and thinking before coming up with an idea. She leaned forward and placed her hands on the side of my head and jawline, pressing her lips against my cheeks before blowing raspberries against my skin.

I began to struggle, throwing my hands wildly into the air before finally pulling away.

“Okay! Okay! I'm up!” I cried, rubbing the sand away from my eyes.

Cat wagged her tail and smiled, her ears flicking once before she pointed outside.

“Look! Look!” She called out.

I turned my head towards the window, seeing Largo's ship touching down just outside my house.

“Already? Its only been a few weeks.” I said to myself, forcing my way out of bed and on to my feet.

I drudged my way down stairs, nearly tripping over a few of them and finally reaching outside. Largo was standing outside his ship with an irritated look on his face. That can't be good.

I approached and before I could even say hello I was almost thrown off my feet with a sudden impact of clothing against my face and chest.

“My Ma found these in my room and started crying about how I was dating a human girl and “Oh, I have no son! I have no son!” Largo complained.

“Jeez, I didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal.” I said to him, wrapping the clothing in my arms.

“You owe me big time, Dan!” Large shouted, pointing at me with his elongated finger.

“You already have the rest of my fortune, what else can I possibly owe you?”

Largo retracted his finger and looked off to the side with a “Hrngh...”

“I need to get back and explain to Ma what the clothing was actually meant for.” He explained as he turned back to his ship.

“They're cute, right?” I asked.

Largo stopped, groaning to himself before throwing back a “Yeah!” and continuing his march up his ships ramp.

“Thanks Largo!” I said with a wave and a stupid grin, stepping away from the ship as the engines ignited and it lifted off.

I made my way back into the house, throwing the new clothing over the couch and crawling my way back up the stairs.

“Back to bed I go...” I said to myself, only to be stopped by Cat who threw her arms around my neck.

“No!” She whined. “Stay wakey!”

“Ugh, fine!” I whined as well, stepping away from the stairs and falling over the couch. “Can't a guy just sleep in anymore?”

Cat crossed her arms with a “Hmph!” looking away from me and directing her attention at the clothing I brought in with me. She picked up the first one on top, giving it a look over.

“Those are for you.” I told her from the ground.

“Mine?”

“Yes, yours.”

Cat's eyes brightened, throwing off her hoodie with reckless abandon to try the first one on. A tan summer dress held up with two straps. She had to lower her tail so it didn't lift her dress, though she didn't seem to mind. She gave herself a spin before giggling bashfully, dropping to her knees and giving me a big hug.

“Thank you!” She cried with a lick to the cheek.

“Hey, don't mention it.” I patted her on the head, finally finding the strength to stand up and stay awake.

I leaned against the window, looking outside at the lake. For the past two months now I've been living here. At first I thought I was going to go mad, to turn into some crazy hermit off on some back water planet. Or dead within the first week from hostile lifeforms or conditions.

Unsurprisingly, I was conditioned for Earths atmosphere, it was similar to hundreds of Terran worlds I had visited in the past. I didn't even know what it was like outside in the galaxy anymore. Largo never spoke of war or hardships or sporting events. We never really talked at all save for the few minutes he came down to drop off supplies. Maybe next time he's here I'll ask him to stay awhile to just maybe hang out like we used to.

Its so damn peaceful here, save for the few visitors who take more of an interest in my home than others. Last week a group of wererats as I've came to call them tried to break down the door with a makeshift battering ram, only for Cat to scare them away.

They can smell me, faintly, but the scent is there. For some reason they're attracted to my aroma, some more than others. Thankfully its very mild with Cat, she tends to stick around me but she never tries anything like dragging me away to some nest. Though I suspect at this point this is her nest.

I realized that I don't know much about this world outside of this little lake. I have no real means of transportation and going out on foot is not only dangerous, but highly impracticable.

I've seen the natives here communicate with one another. Some are more feral than others but many of them, like Cat, are capable of learning. Some have already learned on their own like the wererats or the spider. Some move in packs, other seem to move like communities of nomads. Maybe their way of life is different from species to species?

“Hey Cat?” I called to her, she looked back from admiring her new dress.

“Do we got anything to do today?”

She put her claw up to her chin with a “Hmm...” before shaking her head.

“No work at all, huh?” I said to myself as I looked out the window. “You up for movies, then?”

“Yup yup!” She said excitedly, nodding her head.

We set up the living room with snacks before starting the movie. An action movie starring a man named Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Remember when I said I would kill you last?” Arnold asked the man he was hanging upside down from the cliff.

“Yeah! Yeah you did say that!”

“I lied.”

And with his little one liner, Arnold let the man fall to his death with a rather hilarious looking rag doll taking his place.

I tried to stifle my laughter, stuffing my face full of popcorn. When that movie was over with a climatic gun battle with dozens of armed men and finally a knife fight with somebody named “Beckett.”, we moved on to another movie.
And then another.
And another.

Finally, the sun set over the tree tops like it did so many times before. Cat was curled up on the other side of the couch, intently watching a romance movie.

It was a adaption of Romeo and Juliet, though a lot more lighthearted than its original counter parts while still retaining that pretty heart breaking ending. When Romeo and Juliet finally met each other face to face in private, they moved in for a kiss.

Cats ears raised on her head and her eyes widened. It was then that I realized that most of the movies we watched were action thrillers or horror movies from maybe ten to twenty years ago. It was only recently that more and more ancient classics began to pop up. This was the first time Cat had actually seen a kiss.

When Romeo's and Juliet's lips parted, I could see Cat's face turn red. She balled up her hands and pressed the back of her fur covered fingers against her lips, looking off to the side. I knew that look.

“Dan...” Cat said to me, pulling herself away from the couch corner. She began to crawl over to me, slowly and hesitantly.

I simply watched on until Cat was right on top of me, holding herself up but keeping her face only inches away from mine. I could feel her breath against my face. She gulped and looked off to the side, fidgeting in place before finding the courage to lean in closer. She puckered her lips slightly, pressing her lips against mine.

It was a sweet and innocent kiss, like a school girl who had just started dating the boy she likes. She held the kiss for some time, neither breathing nor opening her eyes. Finally, her lips parted from mine, the blush on her face never fading.

With a quick “Eep!” Cat scrambled off from on top of me, falling off the couch and curling up in front of the flat screen.

I blinked, a smile coming to my face as I sat up straight on the couch. Her tail swished back and forth frantically in front of me, Cat refusing to turn around to look at me. I leaned forward and reach for the middle of her tail, catching it between my fingers and brushing it gently towards the end.
Cat snatched her tail between her own claws and finally looked back at me, her body shaking and her lips trembling. Without hesitation, I hopped off the couch and sat down on the ground with her, scooting over until I could wrap my arms around her.

I held her close, her back pressed against my chest. She gasped loudly, her hands wrapping around my wrists.

“Its okay.” I whispered to her, petting her ear.

Cat turned her head, looking back at me with her tear filled eyes.

“L-...Love you.” She stuttered.

I leaned in for another, tender kiss. Our lips locking once more. Her hand pressed against my cheek, holding my face closer to hers until we felt it was right to pull away.
I leaned my back against the end of the couch, with Cat's back pressed against my chest. I could feel  the light sensation in my stomach and chest, this is something I knew could have happened earlier, though it wasn't something I wanted to rush.
Cat looked up at me again, wiping away what tears she had left. She smiled and used my chest as a cushion for the back of her head, guiding my hands to wrap around her tighter as she purred.

I sighed contently before remembering what movie we were watching and the ending. Not wanting her to get the wrong idea of our little kiss, I grabbed for the remote.

“Lets watch something else, okay?” I said as I stopped the movie, and went down the list to something with a more...Happier ending.