Pyro flashed his paw-beacon to the right.

"Anything?"

A shake of the head. "We're chasing ghosts." His voice echoed off the rocky walls, and into the dark. They were in a series of caves ...

"I don't believe in ghosts," Adelaide whispered resolutely.

"Angels, then," Pyro corrected, flashing his beacon to the left.

"What would angels be doing," was the bat's rhetorical question, "on a rogue planet? This far from home?"

"What are WE doing on a rogue planet," was Pyro's counter, "this far from home ... "

Adelaide sighed. Didn't answer. "Shine your beacon straight ahead. Stop moving it about."

Pyro nodded. Flashed the light ... straight ahead of them.

It had been a week since Luminous had fled the snow rabbit sector. They had two weeks of supplies ... left. And were planet-hopping, avoiding predators ... were still alive ... sensors had picked up sources of artificial energy on this seemingly dead world. And an away team had been compiled to investigate ... the rogue planet was rich in untapped resources. But there was no infrastructure in which to harvest any of it ... perhaps ... whatever furs were behind the energy source ... perhaps they could help. Or perhaps not.

"Yeah ... why are we here," Dotna asked, adjusting her phase rifle.

"Sensors picked up ... strange sources," Assumpta told her, "of synthetic energy. Were you not listening to Adelaide's mission briefing ... before we left the ship?"

"I always listen," Dotna defended.

"Then perhaps you need to adjust the volume," the snow leopard said, "of your ears."

The chipmunk smiled and bit her lip, not responding.

"We keep detecting energy sources, but ... no furs. Where are the furs?" Pyro asked.

"Beats me," Adelaide whispered. She was leading the away team. Had a scanner in her paw. A beacon in the other.

They were on a rogue planet ... a planet entirely shrouded by dark (at all hours). Rocky, seemingly barren, but ... somehow with an atmosphere. Somehow, with ... air. The said air was cool, but not frigid. And hardly toxic.

"I smell something," whispered Pyro, pausing.

"Where?" Assumpta sniffed the air.

Dotna tightened her grip on her weapon. Nose and whiskers twitch-sniffing.

The wolf pointed. "Down that cave ... that ... that path-way."

"These caves have been tailored. These pathways are too perfect ... to be natural," Assumpta noted. The snow leopard bringing up the rear of the group, keeping watch from the back. Pyro may have had versatile eyes (which seemed to glow in this lack of light), and may have had a great nose, as well, but ... no one bested felines for quality ... in outright night vision. No, she could see better than the rest of them.

"I don't like this," Dotna whispered.

Pyro gave a quick glance ... at her. Wished he could squeeze her paw ...

"This can't be right," Adelaide whispered, squinting at her illuminated scanner. "I'm detecting ... "

" ... bats!" whispered Dotna, tensing, turning.

"Drop," said a male voice, "the weapon, rodent. Now."

Dotna hesitated. Looked to Adelaide (who seemed to be in a state of shock ... she hadn't picked them up ... with her mind. She hadn't felt them. These bats ... they had no telepathic signature ... it ... even now, with them surrounding her away team, she couldn't sense them ... that wasn't right ... ) ...

"Do as he says," Assumpta told the chipmunk. Realizing they were outnumbered (and in close confines). Knowing they wouldn't win ... not now, anyway. Not without a strategy ...

"Who are you?" Adelaide demanded of the bat who'd spoken. He was male, and like all male bats ... his fur was a periwinkle-blue. A sky-blue. Eyes a deep sapphire.

"We are outcasts."

Adelaide squinted, looking (in the errant beam of Pyro's paw-beacon) very bold, very defined ... as bat-like as she could be. In this cave and suddenly surrounded by fellow bats ...

"Follow us. We shall explain."



"All fixed?"

Juneau looked up (on her knees on the floor, a spanner in paw) ... " ... mm ... " She took a breath, whiskers twitching. Ears swiveling. Tail a bit mussed. "Well ... almost, yeah. I mean, faster than expected." Sickbay was supposed to have taken two weeks to repair and ... get back to normal. But, after only a week, it was almost back in shape ... " ... just a few loose wires. A few ... "

The lights went off.

Ketchy squeaked ... looking around.

The lights came back on (with a hum).

" ... glitches," finished Juneau. "Heh ... um ... yeah, a few glitches, but ... almost done."

Ketchy nodded, looking around.

Juneau, wiping her paws on her uniform (and still on her knees), nodded at the office (with its big, clear window). "He's in there ... as you can see. Been in there all morning."

Ketchy nodded, and ... padded to the office. There was no door. Just an open entryway. She paused there, and ... knocked her paw on the bulkhead. "Mind if I come in?" she whispered.

Denali blinked and looked up. "Oh ... yeah ... I mean, no, I don't mind if you come in. I mean, yes ... come in," he said, taking a breath. Letting it out.

Ketchy giggled, moving up behind him. He was in a chair, and she put her paws on his shoulders. "Mm ... nervous?"

"I ... I don't know."

"Come on, darling ... you are."

"What if I am?" was the quiet response.

"Then admit it. And let me help. Let us ... help. No one's demanding anything of you."

The otter stared at a computer screen. Listening to the beeps and whirs of the various ... instruments in sickbay. He took a breath and whispered (trying to keep their conversation outside of Juneau's ear-shot), "I failed out of medical school ... I'm the back-up medic. I'm ... supposed to be running the science lab, and now ... I'm the ship's doctor. The ship's ONLY doctor ... " He trailed. "Just overwhelming, is all. It's a lot of responsibility."

"Well ... " She rubbed his shoulders.

He closed his eyes.

"Well, I have faith in you," was what she said. A funny thing for her to say. To say she had faith in someone. To have ... any kind of faith. She'd always struggled with her faith. "And I'm here, and ... you've a lot of friends on this ship."

A quiet nod.

"You'll do fine."

He looked up at her ... and smiled softly. "I'm glad you think so, cause ... I'm so nervous ... " He trailed.

"I'm the one who's supposed to be nervous," she reminded.

"Guess it ... goes around," was the otter's response.

And Ketchy leaned down and quietly kissed his cheek. And their eyes, from up close, met, and ... she went to kiss his ...

" ... patient. You've got a patient!" chimed Juneau, in jolly tone.

Denali sighed.

Ketchy giggled an airy, breathy giggle. "Mm ... is the doctor in?" she whispered.

"Afraid so. We'll continue this," he promised, a paw snaking for her tail, fingers raking through the brown, bushy fur ... and a grab! " ... later."

A chitter, and a sighing smile ... which turned into a grin ... as Denali stood and left his office. And as she followed a few seconds later.

"Hi," said Field. Waving a paw (in shy, mousey fashion).

"You're the patient?" Ketchy asked, blinking. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's ... well, it's her," Field said, of the baby in his arms. His daughter. Akira.

"Oh." Ketchy looked down a bit ... saw her. And smiled. She loved baby Akira ... loved babies. "Poor thing. Is she okay?"

"Well, I don't know," Field said, whiskers twitching (and nose sniff-sniffing ... non-stop). "That's why I brought her here." He looked to Denali, raising his eyes a bit ... as if waiting for the otter to say something.

Ketchy nudged the otter in the side.

"Oh ... well ... what's wrong?" Denali asked.

"I don't know!" Field repeated, squeaking in frustration. He sighed ... " ... that's why I'm here," he repeated. "She needs a doctor." He met the otter's eyes.

"Well ... um ... let me see. Sit down on a bio-bed. Hold her still."

Field nodded and padded to a bio-bed, thin tail trailing behind him like a fishing line ... and dishy ears swiveling. The mouse was a bundle of twitching motions. A live wire of anxiety. It seemed almost worse ... than normal. Maybe because Adelaide wasn't on the ship. No doubt, the mouse was worried ... about her being on the rogue planet. About the ship losing contact with the away team ... once they had entered the caves. Oh, the worry was in his eyes ...

Denali pulled out a scanner, and ran it over the baby ... " ... symptoms?"

"Coughing. Little ... barky coughs. Like ... "

"Barky?"

"Like, rough ... rough coughs. I mean ... you know ... maybe she has a cold? I don't know ... "

The otter's scanner beeped and hummed. "Mm ... a little virus, I think. Nothing life threatening."

"Well ... "

"I'll give her some medicine. She needs to get some rest. It'll ... get better. She'll be fine."

"What kind of medicine?"

"Field," whispered Ketchy. "Calm down ... "

The mouse's blue-grey eyes darted, and his ... nose sniffed, and ... he let out a breath, nodding, nodding ... Akira cradled in his arms. Her eyes half-open. She seemed listless. "I ... I can feel her," he said.

"Adelaide? On the planet?"

"No, the baby. I feel sick ... cause she feels sick." The mouse's whiskers drooped. "I can feel her pain," he whispered.

"Oh ... I'm sorry," Ketchy whispered. She hadn't known to what degree ... the mouse was linked with Akira.

"Adelaide makes it better," Field whispered, looking at the carpet of the floor. And he squinted. "It used to be grey ... "

"What?" Denali, back with the medicine, blinked.

"Grey. The carpet," Field realized, looking up. "Used to be grey."

"Oh, I changed it," Juneau piped in, smiling. "You like it?"

Field smiled shyly. "Yeah, it's ... a much better color. Much more soothing. Much less ... "

" ... sterile? Oh, I agree. I mean, blues bring out the best in ... "

"Are we done?" Denali interrupted, holding the medicine (and his scanner).

Juneau bobbed her head in playful consternation ... and looked back to Field, confiding, "I don't mind saying this to you, Field, but ... males have NO sense of interior design."

Field blinked, asking (in his wispy voice, with his tail limp behind him), "Why don't you mind saying it to me?"

Juneau giggled. "Mm ... cute," she said, smiling, nodding, and looking back to her work.

Field blinked and looked to Ketchy.

"Don't worry about it," Ketchy said, smiling, too ... " ... and don't worry about anything, okay, cause ... Akira will be fine, and Adelaide will be fine, and ... "

" ... I don't care about interior design," Denali said, giving Akira some medicine.

"You should," Juneau replied. "You really should ... colors affect moods, and ... it's a whole science, you know."

Field nodded ... at Juneau's words.

"Well, I think ... my services have been rendered," Denali announced, nodding, giving the mouse an encouraging smile. "Think she'll be okay."

"Think?" His eyes widened, hugging the baby tighter.

"She'll be okay," Denali insisted, giving the mouse a pat on the shoulder. "Bring her back ... if her condition changes."

"Okay." Field let out a breath and stood. "Well, hopefully ... Adelaide will be back before long. Mm ... " Again, the worry evident in the mouse's eyes.

"She will be," Ketchy assured. And gave Field a paw squeeze and a smile ... and led him to the door, waving as he went back to his quarters. And she turned back ... thinking for a minute, and saying to the others, "You know ... I've never thought about this before, but ... we really need a ship's counselor."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, a counselor. I mean, like ... what happened with Chester, you know, and ... other things ... "

Juneau was quiet for a moment, before saying, "Well ... we all have mates. Isn't that enough? We can all talk to our mates ... "

"I know, but ... none of us are psychiatrists."

"Exactly," she countered. "So, who among us ... is qualified to be a ship's counselor?"

"Well, no one," Ketchy whispered. "I just ... wish they'd assigned one before we left home. I mean, having the Ops team in charge of crew morale ... we need an ACTUAL counselor, someone who's job it is ... to exclusively ... you know, keep the crew in good spirits. To ... all that. I don't know ... just a thought ... "

"Well, if you find someone ... let me know. And ... I'll back the idea." Juneau turned back to her work.

"Yeah," Denali added. "And while you search ... look for another doctor, too."

Ketchy rolled her eyes. "You're bringing this tension on yourself ... "

The otter sighed, sitting on the bio-bed that Field had vacated. "Maybe," he admitted. "I just ... it would be different if we weren't nomads now, low on supplies, and ... evading danger every day."

Juneau worked on some optical fibers ... and said, from her position a few feet away, "We're all in the same boat ... " A pause. "Well, same ship, to be ... exact. It's not easy on any of us. So ... we're just gonna have to do without a trained doctor ... without a counselor, without ... whatever, you know? We'll adapt. We're prey. We're stronger than anyone gives us credit for, and we'll fill in the gaps ... with our own ingenuity. We'll make it through," she said, and then stood ... and nodded. "What great carpet!"



Adelaide had been led away from her fellow crew-furs ... to a darker corner (in the cavern-like space to which they'd been led). The male bat's name ... the one who'd spoken, the leader of this group of bats ... his name was Ereth.

"You're a long way from home," Ereth told Adelaide, walking in a slow circle around her (while she stood still, breathing, trying to feel his presence ... and failing every time).

"So are you," Adelaide whispered back.

"Mm ... "

"I can't feel you," Adelaide said, addressing the issue up-front.

"Not one to pussy-foot, are you?" Ereth asked ... with a toothy grin.

"No," was her brisk response.

"Shame ... I do like games."

"I should've sensed you ... the moment our pod landed. Why didn't I?"

"As I said ... we are outcasts."

"That tells me ... "

" ... everything," Ereth whispered, stopping his circling ... and standing in front of her. "It tells you everything."

Adelaide blinked.

"All bats have telepathic abilities. But most bats have ... limits. Barriers. Most bats do not have limitless powers. Most bats have ... inhibitions. Moral inhibitions."

She breathed, eying him up and down, and then meeting his eyes ... her deep-pinks to his ... gem-blues. "And you don't?"

"No," was Ereth's whisper. "We were branded too dangerous ... by our fellow bats. Do you realize the hypocrisy in that? Our species has been treated horrendously ... was hunted ... by the predators. And then we turn against each other? Bats telling bats ... who is dangerous and who is not ... among them?"

She squinted.

"It was five years ago ... that we left. Or, rather, were forced to leave. In a long-distance transport ship."

"I never heard about this."

"The Council," he said, referring to the governing body of the bat species ... each species had a council or a ... leadership ... and two representatives from each leadership were sent to the furry senate. Politics on Home-world ... they were intricate. They were very messy. Many furs (including most on Luminous) ... had done their best to ... pay no attention to them. Not that, anymore, they needed to ... being exiled. "The Council determined that some bats ... were too dangerous. Dangerous to the whole. And we were sent away. We had stronger powers, but not the numbers ... we had to leave."

She listened. Angular ears ... swept-back and listening.

"I see that you, too, have been exiled ... but for different reasons. You are the only bat," he whispered, "on your ship. You have seen no other bats ... in over a year."

"No ... "

"You are mated," he whispered, reading her mind like a book (and even with her blocks ... she couldn't stop him) ... " ... mated to a mouse." A chuckle. "Not so bad, maybe ... mice are more like bats, physically ... than most creatures. But mentally? Mice are inferior. You know that."

"Apparently, I don't," she whispered back. With a bite in her voice.

"You're the dominant partner in your mate-ship?" he understood, looking deeper. "You have a daughter by him ... "

"Get out of my head," she told him. Simply. Strongly.

"I'll get out ... when it suits me to." He kept searching. Getting every ounce of information about her, about Luminous, about all that had happened, and ...

Shove!

Ereth stumbled back ... and fell to his furry rump, dazed. And looking up to her ... his link severed by the physical jolt.

"So, you're outcasts ... because you believe that telepathy is, what, a birthright? And that, as the holders of telepathy ... we may do what we wish?"

"It's an advantage. It gives us an advantage over other furs," Ereth said, still at a sit. "We are few, Adelaide. If we hope to repopulate and regain what we lost, and ... we must outmaneuver the other furs. Manipulation ... is required," he said, "for our survival."

"We're ALL furs," Adelaide exclaimed.

"Some species ... are better than others. We recognize that. You should, too. You have powers of the mind. That is ... rare. It is ... " Ereth stood, and stepped back toward her.

Adelaide tensed.

"Your mouse ... he has telepathic abilities? How?"

"I don't know. He had latent mental abilities ... the first time we yiffed, when I bit him ... those latent abilities were activated." A pause. "His powers aren't like mine, but ... he has them. I unlocked them ... "

"That is dangerous ... if other furs develop telepathy ... "

"I told you ... he already had it. He has a special mind. It just needed ... to be rendered fertile. To be nurtured."

"I don't wanna hear about your pet mouse," Ereth spat. Putting a paw on ...



... her arm. On the other side of the cavern, one of the male bats (with his light-blue fur, and his over-confident swagger), put his paw on Dotna's arm.

Pyro glared. Red eyes ... burning invisible holes in the bat who was touching his mate.

Dotna tensed, stepping back. She didn't have her weapon. The bat's had taken it.

The bat grinned a toothy smile, and ...



... ran his paw along Adelaide's neck.

She tilted her head, closing her eyes.

"You've bitten," he realized, "but have never been ... bitten in return, have you?"

She opened her eyes. Turned her neck away from his paw. "No ... "

"Never yiffed with a male bat. With a male of your own species ... you do not know ... what I can do for you. You think you've FELT it ... with your mate? I could make you feel more," Ereth whispered.

"I highly doubt that," she whispered (with a growing edge in her voice). Her mind building a wall around herself. And ... preparing to defend herself (as it was becoming apparent she would have to do).

"You can't avoid me ... "



"I can try," Dotna said, voice quavering. Rodent heart pattering, pat-pattering ...

A low growl. Coming from ...

... Pyro's throat.

Dotna swallowed, looking to her mate. Wishing for him.

The blue-furred bat (who hadn't mentioned his name), chuckled. "Your doggie upset? Am I playing with his toy?"

A blur of ...



... fur. Assumpta barreling into Ereth, slamming him into rock.

Adelaide shivered, collecting herself. "Is he ... "

"Unconscious. He will wake with a substantial headache," the snow leopard exclaimed, with ... a glint ... in her eye. "I saw you required assistance. I came as quickly as I could."

"You overpowered all the other bats?" Adelaide asked. "But their ... "

" ... mental abilities may work on prey and predators alike. However, I am of the ice. My mind is ... layered differently. They are not able to affect me ... as they affect the rest of you."

"Immune to mind control, huh?" Adelaide asked.

"Apparently."

"The others? Pyro ... Dotna ... "

Assumpta turned and scanned the darkness for them ... " ... back over there."

"Let's go ... "



The unnamed bat was on the ground, with a bloody gash in his side, and Pyro ... heaving blood-red eyes ... glowing. He heaved, breath shaking. Blood on his paws. He hadn't killed the bat. No, the bat would live, but he'd ... drawn blood. He'd actually drawn blood.

Dotna was clutching to him ... shaking. Thanking him for ... stopping the bat. "He was in my head ... he was in my head," she repeated. Shivering.

Pyro nodded ... swallowing. He knew what it was like to have someone invade your own mind. He knew what it was like to have ...

... Adelaide. Strolling into view. Looking down, and then up. "You ... okay?" she asked (of the both of them).

"He tried to hurt her," Pyro whispered. Hugging Dotna protectively.

Assumpta, standing behind Adelaide, met Pyro's eyes ... and gave a tiny nod. Pyro, at first, gave no motion back, but ... eventually ... returned the nod. Remembering their conversation in the mess hall. And, suddenly ... scared of himself. Of what he could do. But ... he'd done it for her. For love. He would never let anyone hurt Dotna ...

"We're getting out of here," Adelaide stressed. "NOW." She huffed, looking around. "This place is full of cold fire. I suspect they ... were hoping to control us all, take our pod, and ... use their unlimited mind control to ... take Luminous from us. And use it to ... go all the way back home and exact revenge on ... everyone."

"We best leave, then, before they regain consciousness," Assumpta said. "Before reinforcements arrive." There was no knowing how many bats were in these caves.

Adelaide nodded, scooping up the fallen bat's weapon, and ... tossing Pyro a paw-beacon. And the four of them hurried back through the caves, to the pods, and ... back to Luminous.



The doors swished open.

Field turned. Beamed. "Mommy's home," he announced.

"She okay?" Adelaide asked, scooping the baby up ... from Field's arms.

"Yeah ... she had a cough, but Denali made it better."

A nod. Adelaide looking down at her daughter. And feeling the ... little emotional feelers. The good feelings. And smiling.

"How did the mission go?" Field asked, sniffing the air. Sniffing her.

"We ran into some wayward winged things, but ... they underestimated ... our red eyes and ice minds and ... the power of our loves," she whispered. And she planted a kiss on Field's cheek. And then on his lips (soft, slow, sweet ... and succulent). "Mm ... " The kiss parted with a smack-smack, and baby Akira gently caught between their upright bodies ... " ... I'm okay."

Field smiled ... and breathed of her. Always glad to hear it.



Chester, at helm ... steered Luminous away from the rogue planet. The ship had two weeks of supplies left (before it would become dead in the water ... or dead, rather, in space) ... they needed to find friendly furs. Or some kind of planet to ... explore and settle on.

They needed something to happen.

Nose of the ship pointed to some unexplored star (out here on the edge of known space) ... Luminous warped away ... with a hope and a prayer.