Gabatrix: Veleshar
CMed (TheUniverseofCMed)
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About the Author
Hello everyone, my name is CMed. I will make it brief and quick about me. I was a college student who got a Major in History before going into the realm of the military. I am a Navy Veteran that has served for six years and wanted to become an author and book writer near the end of my military contract.
Serving aboard ship was a long and challenging life. It is not for the faint-hearted, but after being taken off of it, I now had more time than ever. I used my time wisely to begin writing books. Writing had and continues to serve as therapy for me. It helped me through my times, even way before diseases or social unrest ever became the main headlines of modern media.
Writing is something that does not come overnight. Most writers require at least two years of writing before they are even going to be marketing. Needless to say, make sure that you set the time to do so if you wish to be a part of that hobby. If you know somebody that wishes to become an author, make sure to give them that support. Writing is an extension of us and our imagination. Without imagination, our civilizations would never exist. Without imagination, we would have no empathy towards the next person. We all come from different walks of life. Each one of us can tell a story, and it all comes down to our will to survive through the best of times to the worst of times.
I have designed Tales of Heroes and Gabatrix to be a system that expands itself. If people like my stories, then they can help out that cause. With the help of you, the audience, the system will get bigger and bigger. If you like my stories, then come and support me on my Patreon. Thank you, and enjoy my stories. :)
https://bookapy.com/a/cmed-theuniverseofcmed
https://www.patreon.com/TheUniverseofCMed
https://www.gabatrix.net
Disclaimers
Tags: Space, Science Fiction, Future, Sex, Love, War, Swearing, Action, Fighting, Violence, Interspecies, Male Human, Female Alien, Anthro, Scalie, Shark, Human/Alien Sex, Size, Intercourse, Consensual Sex, Impregnate, M/F, M/F, M/F, M/FFF
My books are available on Amazon Kindle, Bookapy, and Google Play. Money made from that also goes into the universe too. All books are now available for Print on Demand for hardcopies as well.
Disclaimer 1: This story is meant for adults as it contains sex, violence, fighting, and cursing. The sex scenes depicted are of a consensual variety. There is a clear division between the sex and the violence.
Disclaimer 2: This book is an erotica, action, and science fiction rolled into one. Expect scenes of human/alien or human/anthro sex and love. Gabatrix is an ongoing series. It’s highly recommended that the audience reads the earlier stories to enjoy the overall arc of this story.
Disclaimer 3: The opinions stated in this story do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the author. Remember, this is just a story. Treat it as such.
Cover Artwork by Piero Painter.
Special thanks to a Shal’rein fan for contributing the funds necessary to commission the book cover artist and make this story possible. Thank you. 😊
Special Thanks to my Patreon supporters:
Johndewey, Quintin Martin, Joshua Nelson, Nindahr, Mr. Darknut, Christof Bradford, Darklord Sengir, Mike Nixon, Nightsound, Anthony Kestle, Vlad Emanuel, and Lynn A Sines, for their generous donations.
And, of course, the other patron supporters for allowing me to write and supporting the universe that I write. :)
By CMed
Prologue
“There are two factors that go towards my final plan before my forthcoming end reaches me. My daughter is one of them. She is me, and I am her, forged from my heart, wisdom, and soul. The other one is harder to control. It is both my mate and myself. It is a balance of making smart decisions and that of love for another, for when my mate is unleashed, she will commit to her actions often disregarding the consequences brought forth,” Master Adjunct Gular’Shel, 2339 AD.
……. It is 2351. The Itrean clans are in an unstoppable war. Destruction, death, and the annihilation of the other dominate the galactic spectrum…..
……. In a theater of war where all clans stagnate to gain better ground, it’s up to those at the top to make the best decisions, in both wisdom, passion, strategy, and perhaps luck….
……. A human engineer is destined for Itrean ships. In his lonely life, he is bound to eventually find another that carries this passion. It will be up to him to adjust and enjoy the overwhelming persona a galactic civilization offers or perhaps that of a sole individual….
Chapter 1: February 20th, 2351 AD
In the vacuum of space, you hover in the zero gravity like a baby trapped in a mother’s womb. The warm voice of a woman can be heard, both calm and soothing. Despite the cold darkness, you feel as if the warm hands of a mother’s embrace engulf you, making you feel safe from anything that would bring you harm. In the distance, the orange star glows intensely. Past it is the continuous array of other stars…..galaxies….and more……much more.
I know that you’ve often appeared. You are like a traveler from some distant universe, come to witness events. I’m aware of the concept of who the Kiline are, the harbingers, the first race of beings that our people believe, mythologized to that of gods, observers, and overseers.
At least…..that was for a time. As each year passes in the Itrean calendars, so too do the ancient religions. Old faiths are slowly discarded, and new ones will take their place in an ever-slow rhythm. My people have existed far longer than most of the alien races we’ve met. Our ancient homeworld of Itrea has been rediscovered, the place of our birth. The humans called us Dinosaurs, but we called ourselves Itreans.
Our history is a long path of triumph, success, progress, and ultimately bloodshed. We are a people who can live twice as long as any human being, yet there are times when we reduce our lifespans simply because of conflict. Eons of war have led to revenge and anger toward the other clans. It is a cycle of death….but a cycle of life.
I place no blame on the male counterpart as the female shares the same responsibility as the male Itreans partook in. For the general part of all Itrean clans, both sexes were created equal. Yet, it was the hand of a woman, a Yutilian, who wanted half of the Itrean population destroyed. In her madness, she unleashed a deadly plague, the great disease that carried her name.
That was 12 Earth years ago, the day I lost my husband. I remember when the news hit our media. I was witnessing the designs of a new ship to eventually carry his name when the first male in front of me began to cough and hack. Suddenly, like clockwork, all the male Shal’rein started to get sick. They spat out blood and cried out in pain as their mates came rushing to them. They grew weaker and weaker. I wondered to myself, “What foul virus did our enemy unleash upon us now? Surely, we can resist it….”
In the course of 50 years, we had defeated the Emphra, the scourge of all life. Then, we did something for the first time in Itrean history. We managed to create a United Itrean Republic when the clans put down their weapons and focused on rebuilding. There was a time when red, green, and purple worked in harmony. There was a time we even debated about every Itrean ship being painted in blue, the color of unity and harmony. For the Itrean idealists, sadly, we wished too much. Even I simply didn’t believe it was possible. Despite this, we still made progress. Any alien race that understood our history to see ourselves reach this point could understand that we were making progress. Sometimes, I wish the Itrean Republic had never fallen because when it failed, it dropped deeper than the deepest oceans of hell.
And then, Zilik’s Disease appeared. The males were gone. The women watched as the sons in their wombs died. Economies nearly crashed. Hospitals were overrun. The Itrean clan wars were called into a ceasefire till a remedy could be found and the damage assessed. Suicide began to take hold as the Itrean mothers couldn’t live with what had happened.
I wept like any mother did. Perhaps I was more fortunate than the others. Besides my mate, I had only one daughter, and that was it. Others had sons who perished. Meanwhile, I watched the other women be selected to undergo surgery to be made into “replacement mates.” Each of the clans nearly fell into their own civil wars just because of the creation of the ivon, the third gender.
Then, the war continued. I begged the Shal’rein Greater Adjuncts to reconsider and convince the Autarch to a complete ceasefire and reinstatement of the United Itrean Republic, but she refused. The new Autarch, the mate and widow of the prior Autarch, was old, stubborn, and used to the days before the Emphra War. In her opinion, the Yutilians unleashed the disease to kill Shal’rein, and in that fact, she was correct. However, she did not know and did not believe that the other clans were equally affected. The other clans wanted the complete decimation of the other….and so the war continued.
We are a good people, young observer. Even if war decimates our kind, we carry an equal amount of passion. Economies that work. Mateships are abound. Governments, politics, negotiations, trade, movies, and media, we have it all. Couples stay together till death do them part. Never let the guns on our ships scare you, for they are a part of our religion and our very soul.
And with that, I must turn you around. No longer do you face the great star in the distance, but that of a planet. Countless spaceships, coated in dark purple, travel in various directions. Some are heading to the surface. Some are leaving orbit to the nearby gate ring. Commercial space traffic is at an all-time high. Beyond it are thousands of Shal’rein warships, serving as patrols, scanning commercial freighters for anything dangerous.
This was my home. The planet of Shal’tar is one of the two gems of the Shal’rein clan, which is the capital of the subclan Nak’Ko’Ken. It is a world larger than Earth and nearly covered in one vast ocean. The brilliant orange hue of the star makes the water appear purple, the symbol of strength, power, and passion. Yet above the ocean surface are that of enormous low orbital platforms. These massive facilities consist of stardocks, industrial centers, merchant hubs, and shipyards to help maintain the high influx of commercial traffic. They are so huge that they cast a natural shadow, blocking some of the star’s light from reaching the surface. There are a few small island continents that reside above the sea levels, allocated to industrial complexes, homes above the water, and various other planetary defenses.
Of course, much of that doesn’t matter. Our people may be able to operate above the water, but below it is where most of the population resides. Unlike the humans, the Yutilians, the Aksren, or the Alara’jal, we’ve learned to live below the waves. Our vehicles drill below in attempts to construct new underwater dwellings. They can operate below, above, or on the ocean surface. My people are the perfect personification of our adaptability. Much of the Shal’rein history was the sheer fact that no place could stop our expansion.
Except ourselves….
It wasn’t until more recent Itrean history that the Shal’rein subclans began to work together in harmony. Before that, the Yutilians, Aksren, Alara’jal, and Palierans mostly left my people alone, for we were more of a danger to ourselves. Water worlds became battlegrounds as subclans tried to overdominate the other. It wasn’t until after the fall of the Jalgren Empire that the Gok’Shinta and Nak’Ko’Ken subclans announced a partnership treaty under Rototrein’s family. For the next ten thousand years, the Shal’rein operated fluently together. While there were a few close moments, our people worked harmoniously. Even my mateship with Gular’shel was all but common in the intermixed communities. Shal’tar and Zhav’tren serve as the guideposts of our people’s destiny for eons to come.
With my home, I made a decision to say goodbye to it. My friends, other family, associates….more important matters reside. I blame Zilik’s Disease for the cause, but it’s a convenient excuse on my part. I’m well aware that I’m not in some ordained destiny of the cosmos but that of my prior mate. Gular’shel was perfect in so many ways, but he knew me well.
But this is a tale that isn’t going to be strictly about me. This is about another. I release you from my hold. With a wave of the hand, Shal’tar and every ship in front of you disappears.
Instead, it’s replaced with a new background. The stars and distant galaxies are different here. The human world, named Cebravis, appears before us. The UWA planet is that of pristine beauty, a place that surpasses that of Itrea itself. The great luscious continent can be seen in all its glory, surrounded by clear blue and purple ocean waters. Unlike Shal’tar, the human space force is much smaller even despite this world being a center of population. At least seventy UHN warships reside in three fleets. Commercial spaceships are making trips to and from the nearby tethered gate ring in orbit. The Shal’rein clan would love to call this their home…..perhaps in a time when relations improve.
For now, I bid farewell. A new soul awaits to find me. Like many of the women of Itrea, we’ve had no choice but to move forward. But I've learned to be patient in a galaxy of so few men. I know that somebody will eventually show up….it’s just a matter of when……
*******
Down beneath the puffy clouds of the Northeastern portion of the Cebravin continent lies one of the UHN military bases. The facility of Fort Heavensworth was one of the first to be built almost 100 years ago. It is parked in a vast forest of moderate-sized blue trees. Stone pathways line the walkways to various warehouses where different equipment is stored. A variety of AIO weapon turrets and planetary railgun batteries can be seen in the corners of the base. Various personnel wearing red and blue camouflage uniforms are heading to different buildings, taking care of the tasks around them.
It is just past morning as one man is accompanied by a lone Yutilian. The anthro reptilian woman isn’t like the other Yutilians. Her ancestry is confined to a lone distant world. She has green and brown scales and stands on digitigrade legs. She has no feathers on her arms, legs, head, or tail. Instead, it is that of a pair of small horns on her head. Her clothing consists of a green and black stretch suit that covers her arms, breasts, stomach, and lower extremities. In one of her clawed four-fingered hands was a pair of closed tilons.
The human male beside the Yutilian, however, is more noticeable. The man was much taller, being a little over 6 feet in height when compared to the very short-statured 3-foot Yutilian. He wears the typical red and blue camouflage jumpsuit uniform. Near the top portion of the neckline of his uniform is that of the Petty Officer 1st Class rank insignia. The nametag Scott could be seen as well. This man carries a significant muscular physique. The rolled-up sleeves and sweat on the man’s brow indicate the somewhat warm temperatures. The uniform head cover obscures the man’s dark brown hair, but he has a pale complexion and lacks facial hair. The two individuals seemed to be talking to one another as they continued walking down the main path together.
“Phew….,” Scott said. “Glad we finished up our assignment on the Ben’va’das. What do you think, Xel’di?”
“Bored….,” the Yutilian said in an almost exhausted, heavy Japanese and French-like accent. “It’s the same thing every day.”
The man nodded and kept a straight face. “You can say that again. They need to have more personnel doing what we’re doing. Surely, the men would be flocking to do our assignments.”
“They do,” Xel’di made a few clicks in her voice. “But they become mates to the ship crews….” Her voice trailed off.
“What?”
“Nothing….,” She said with a mild hint of guilty pleasure.
Scott could see the main path leading to the center crossway. Here lay the basis for a large-scale fountain. A small statue of a man could be seen in the center as the dancing hydro jets would squirt water near it. The marble statue of Gabatrix depicts the famous pioneer pointing to the sky almost as if he beckons everyone to take flight. Benches reside where other military staff would sit and relax, listening to the rushing water. A few took brief notice of the lone Yutilian, noting her somewhat different appearance, before looking away again to resume their conversations. The man paused for a moment and looked around. Xel’di did the same thing.
Scott sighed. “You know….I’ve been thinking. I might want to take leave….”
“You do?” Xel’di asked.
“Yeah…..In the course of three weeks, we’ve been on three different T’rintar ships….well, ‘lend-leased’ ships. I feel like I need to take a break.”
“I don’t get that option…,” she made a chirp in her statement.
“Sometimes I wish I had the resiliency that you Itreans have. At least you require less sleep. Me? Eight hours if I’m lucky.”
The Yutilian seemed disappointed but kept her attitude neutral. “You would go on leave now if you wished?”
“You said it yourself. I’ve been getting bored. Same thing on every ship. I got a few days I can relax….might even see family back on Mars. It’s too bad you can’t go on leave with me. Take you with me.”
Xel’di’s eyes lit up a little bit. Her tail stiffened some as she looked at Scott with due diligence. “You….you would?” she asked.
“Yeah, I mean….you’re my friend. Better than most of the others I’ve met.”
There was a brief moment when the Yutilian saw one of the UHN servicemen holding hands with a T’rintar Aksren. The couple seemed so cute. If Xel’di would blush, she would, but when she turned to look up at Scott again, doubt seemed to fill her senses. She was only starting to get the human concept of being “friend-zoned.” Scott showed no hint of any romantic attraction toward her and had made his prior statement seem nonchalant. She gave a hint of a frown from her snout and tapped her clawed foot to the stone below her.
“What?” Scott asked her. He stared at her and gave a confused look.
“They won’t give me that option,” Xel’di said. “But….do you mean that?”
“Take you around to show Mars? Sure….”
“In…what way?”
Scott didn’t understand her line of questioning. “Umm….I don’t understand.”
“As a friend….or?”
“As a friend…”
The Yutilian cocked her head and stared intently up at him. “Just ‘as a friend?’”
“How many times do I have to say it?”
Was the man that aloof? Xel’di already knew that Scott knew she was single. Her advances on him seemed dashed in every way possible. At times, the two conversations always seemed borderline intimate but never proceeded anywhere close.
“I mean….,” Scott said. “If you don’t want to go with me, then fine. It’s your call.”
“I’m….looking for a mate….,” she told him.
“And I’m sure that you’ll find someone. That’s why I was willing to offer to take you to Mars. I have a cousin that you might meet. I know he’s been eyeing that UWAN Itrean mate finder program, but….”
“Then, by the time I meet him, he’ll already have a mate selected,” She made a few clicks in her voice.
“Possibly, but there’s no hurt in trying, right? Are you on the UWAN Itrean mate finder?”
“Yes….”
“You get the hint?” Scott made a smirk to her.
Xel’di could still see that the man just didn’t get it. Did she have to put landing lights on her lower extremities? How could this male bachelor ignore the obvious sight of a single Itrean like her?
Ultimately, she could only be patient and hope that, eventually, Scott would cave into her.
“How old are you?” she asked him.
“Forty, why do you ask?” he questioned her.
“And….you humans engage in sex before…. ‘marriage?’”
“It can happen, yes.”
“You are a virgin….yes?”
“Ehmm…,” Scott could see that the conversation was spilling over to other personel that could hear it. He gestured her away from the fountain and down one of the paths leading toward the nearby barracks building. When they put enough space between the other people, he continued.
“Yes, I am,” he said without hesitation.
“Sorry,” Xel’di said, realizing her question was potentially excessive. “Us Ko’min….”
“I know…,” he interrupted her. “I work with Itreans long enough to know that the Ko’min people are not necessarily tied down by mateship, that sex is more free and exposed.”
“My point is that I lost my virginity when I was 15….,” Xel’di said with a few clicks in her voice. “In your Earth years. But….I don’t understand why you have not married or found a mate, that you haven’t had sex.”
“What’s the problem about?” Scott questioned her.
She paused in her question and looked down briefly. “The other Itreans on every ship….they look at you with interest. Many females….so little males.”
“I know that….but I can still choose whom I want.”
“I don’t want you to be sad…..lonely.”
“Sad?” Scott gave a faint smile to her. “I’m not lonely, Xel’di.” He extended his hand and patted her shoulder. “I’ve just learned to be patient.”
“Ehm….Patience is only so good until you’re dead….” Her voice trailed off, and Scott didn’t hear the last few words.
“What?”
“Nothing…..”
Scott turned to look back at the base. The two biggest buildings were the Main Admin, where the COC worked, and the other being the barracks ahead of him. The barracks were rectangular, big enough to carry their own cafeteria, gym, and rooms for thousands of personnel. It was built from brick, had glass windows, and looked like the oldest structure of the entire base. Besides the stone pathway was a row of gardens and silk green grass, properly tended by a few civilian personnel and wheeled automated drones. Behind Scott and past the fountain was the path leading to the main warehouse, where marine personnel stored and maintained some of the UHN Marine vehicles.
“I would like to relax today,” Xel’di said.
“What do you have in mind?” he asked her.
“There is a….,” she seemed to think as her reptilian eyes looked around briefly. “A dance party….tonight at 18 hundred in the barrack’s courtyard.”
“A dance?” Scott also strongly considered it for a moment. “Hmmm…..”
“Do you….dance?”
“Not particularly well. With Itrean dancing, I know I would be rusty as hell. What about you?”
Xel’di momentarily gripped her arms. “Not good, but…..” she made a few clicks in her voice. “I want to try. Many Itreans will show up.”
“Really? How?”
“I hear that some T’rintar Adjuncts are meeting with your COC to discuss the Lend-Lease program.”
“Eh….and knowing them, they might stop by this dance hall depending on how much they want to take their own private shore leave.”
Xel’di gave a confused look. “I don’t understand.”
“Heh….you have enough commanders in one place. They’ll do the same thing as anybody else does. They act like they work hard and take excessive time off. I could be wrong, though.”
She kinked her head a little bit as she looked up at him. “Would you like to go to it?”
“Me?” he asked. “I don’t know…..” He began to scratch the back of his neck some as he thought about it.
“You should go to it. Meet somebody.”
“Heh….meet somebody? Xel’di, we work on multiple ships and meet lots of different people all the time. Besides, I wouldn’t mind getting caught up in the news feeds….talk to some of my family now that we’re done working on the Ben’va’das.”
She seemed disappointed. For some reason, seeing her give that discouraged look drove into the man's soul. He sighed.
“I’ll think about it….,” he told her.
“Ok…I’ll see you there,” she said, making a few chirps in her voice.
“If not….I’ll see you tomorrow at 0800….figure out our next possible assignment.”
“Ok…,” she did her quick nods.
With that, the two bid farewell as they dispersed. Scott continued to head in the direction of the barracks…
*******
Scott’s room was not the most luxurious of places. The hint of old building smell seemed to permeate its edges. The carpet and furniture were worn down after prolonged usage. The single bed was barely big enough to house his large frame, and the only connecting restroom with the adjacent neighbors was the only external space beside the main room itself. It wasn’t a particularly large place, but it was at least a place of refuge for the man.
“Hmmm….,” Scott said, looking at the main hanging display on the wall. “No response from the parents. Probably past their bedtime on Mars. Damn, lack of time sync in the galaxy to make decent phone calls anymore.”
The man was dressed in a green and blue shirt and boxer shorts, happy not to be wearing his uniform. He tapped his augmented hand’s projected display, trying to access the main menu screen. Properly interfaced, the UWAN network was established.
“Let’s see what messages I got,” the man said. His eyes perused the emails and phone call messages left behind throughout most of the day. Most of it was spam and other advertisements.
“Meet Itrean women in your area…,” Scott said. “Check out the UWAN Itrean Mate Finder….” He shook his head. “Now they’re sending messages out to every male citizen like it was nothing. I guess the T’rintar clan is really stepping up on that department….”
He tried to close his mind. The advertisements were picking up more and more. The Itrean women were looking for humans, more specifically, men. It was all in hopes of producing children. Trillions of women for millions of bachelors. He remembered the looks of some of the T’rintar women. It wasn’t as if they were salivating to have him, but it wouldn’t have taken much to know that they were still eyeing him. At times, his mind would portray Xel’di, often scantily clad or with no clothes at all.
He chased the thoughts away before he checked another message. This one was left by a person he knew all too well.
“Ah….,” He grunted. His curiosity peaked when he activated his message box.
On the main screen appeared that of a human. She had a dark complexion, most likely being an Oshunian woman. She had long flowing dreadlocks and wore a yellow and black t-shirt. Her small apartment behind her seemed a little worn down.
“Nala….,” Scott said. He didn’t seem all that impressed seeing the recording of her face, but he listened to the message left behind.
“Jeffery….,” Nala said with a strong Oshunian accent. “I…..I wanted to get ahold of you.” She paused as if she were trying to think up what she wanted to say.
Scott closed his hand, shutting down the interface with the main display. He crossed his arms and gave a nonchalant look at the image of his past “girlfriend.”
“What is it?” The man asked with a gruff. He pretty much knew what she was going to ask.
“Hey….” She continued. “I just wanted to get back in touch with you, Jeffery. Look….” She swished her hair a little bit. “I….Jeremy broke up with me.”
“Ah, huh….,” Scott replied. He could see there was a hint of sadness in her face.
“I….just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I dumped you for him.”
Scott was shaking his head. “No….”
“And I was thinking that maybe we can hook up again. I don’t know if you can get some time off, but I could…..”
The man closed out the message. The display went back to the message box, where he hesitated to delete it.
“Sorry, Nala,” Scott said. “You complained about everything that I did, got a new boyfriend without telling me, dumped me, and now he dumped you. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found an Itrean.”
Scott wasn’t going to hesitate any further. He threw the message in the computer’s trash bin file.
Years of dating her down the drain. Ever since the Itreans arrived, everything changed, and he was well aware of it. He just didn’t know if his future would be with some human woman or the new trending Itrean women.
And why not? Even if he knew that he was a stud, five years ago, there were far more male bachelors. Nala didn’t care that he was handsome. The other women didn’t fare any better either. He thought about going to New Olympia to get married, but from the stories that he heard, once you move there, you never leave. For some men who knew well enough about it, New Olympia used to be the final straw. You were so tired of trying to find a woman that you finally just gave up on wanting to live in any UWA world. But, once the T’rintar clan became an ally two years ago, it became a dose of breath of fresh air. Now, the human women were suddenly in less demand in the course of a month. But was it his destiny for him to date an Itrean?
No, that’s not how they did it. They became mates. Dating was a human term. Itreans didn’t fool around. You either became a mate or moved along.
“It’s going to happen, is it?” he asked himself. “Waiting for the right one to just appear before me….But, she’s not going to be human…”
Scott wasn’t against the idea of being with an Itrean, far from it. He felt more welcome by them than ever before. However, the concept of dating or lack of dating seemed to confuse him. That, mixed with a culture of women who lost all their men ten years ago, had undoubtedly left a powerful mark on their ambitions.
The man tapped his arms. He looked at the clock and could see that it was nearing 18 hundred hours. He had already finished eating an hour ago. Xel’di would be there, but that wasn’t the sole reason for considering it.
“Ugh…..I’m a terrible dancer,” Scott said to himself. “Fine….I’ll go.”
Now he had to consider what he was going to wear…..
*******
Music echoed in the vast interior room. The courtyard’s lights were kept at a moderate level. The hard concrete floor had a light gray vinyl lining extended over half the room. Basketball and playing equipment were tucked away in the far corner. Most of the chairs and collapsible furniture lined the other side of the area. Drinks and food were set on tables and left behind for the patrons to come and enjoy.
There had to be at least 100 people present. When Scott entered the scene, he could hear the music of Cebravin rock. It was a combination of synth and electric guitar mixed together to produce an almost slow dance beat. Some individuals were already dancing as it was, but it wasn’t a packed event either.
Scott took a quick look. He didn’t know what the attire was for the event. Was it laid back or a more formal party? Did he need to head back and change to something less formal?
From what he could tell, most of the servicemen were dressed in their military dress uniforms. That would no doubt make sense. Dress uniforms were more than allowed in a formal dance party.
Scott straightened his uniform. It consisted of blue and red semi-spandex material and black boots, but no headcover since it was indoors. A series of award pins dawned near his left side, something that he wouldn’t be really allowed to wear on a spaceship due to the fear of something getting snagged during ship operations. The others also wore similar uniforms.
“Good….I don’t have to change,” Scott said to himself.
He looked around. Scott did recognize that his divisional officer was present. The lieutenant, who was sort of an odd fellow, was already known for his long blue hair and mixed complexion. Supposedly, he was born in one of the Canadian domes on Earth. Because he didn’t operate in a spaceship, he left his hair to grow to the maximum regulation size possible and flung it around his head when he danced in place on the mat. Even his movements were ridiculous, but Scott had to admit that the officer was a good man when not on duty.
The other men and occasional human women were either standing aside, eating, talking amongst themselves, or associating with the Itreans. There were a few other officers, including the XO of the base. He appeared to be talking with other high-ranking Itreans.
The Itreans were a different matter. Scott did see Xel’di in the corner of the room to herself. She was wearing her green and black spandex-like uniform. The Itreans who served in the military didn’t have much when it came to formal military attire. They wore the same thing almost everywhere they went. The civilian Itreans wore more formal attire, but from what Scott could tell, none of the Itreans present were civilians.
Most of the Itreans were the Yutilian variety. Unlike Xel’di, they stood at around four feet in height. Many of them had green, scaly skin, stood on digitigrade legs, and had feathers on their head, arms, and tails. However, a few of them had feathers that were different in size, along with various colored scale patterns. Much like Xel’di, they had a protruding snout and a reminiscent look of their velociraptor ancestors. However, there were a few T’rintar Aksren, with one inching closer toward Scott. The Aksren were known to be slightly taller than the Yutilians. They carried the distinct head crest that went from their snout to near the top of their heads. They lacked feathers and might have had potentially sharper beaks. Unlike the enemy Aksren, the T’rintar Aksren were friendly and had green or red scales.
Then there were a few Shal’rein. The domineering shark-like species was always easy to spot in the room. They were the biggest of the three main Itrean species. Scott was well aware of them. They were the one Itreans that he had to remember looking up when speaking to them. On average, they stood anywhere around seven to nine feet in height. They stood on digitigrade legs and had finned arms, fin-like ears, and finned tails. It was obvious that the Shal’rein were the descendants of sharks from former Earth. However, most of the Shal’rein that Scott met were typically soldiers for the T’rintar. No doubt, since they were the biggest, they carried the heaviest guns and acted as shock troopers when needed. They also usually wore their wrap armor. Scott had to admit it was rare to see the women who weren’t wearing it. Instead, they wore green and purple spandex uniforms. On average, some Shal’rein had hair on their foreheads that were a combination of green, black, or purple. Much like the T’rintar Aksren, the T’rintar Shal’rein were friendly….most of the time, unlike the more aggressive Shal’rein clan variety.
Scott walked toward Xel’di, seeing a familiar associate. The lone Yutilian seemed to express some shock on her face the moment she saw him. If she had feathers, they would have risen. She loosened her stance some as her tail momentarily wagged. The others momentarily glanced at the man as he walked by before tending to their own activities.
“Xel’di,” Scott addressed her.
“Scott….I wondered if you were going to show up,” she said with a few clicks in her voice.
“Meh….you were right. I didn’t have much to do.”
Xel’di wasn’t the sort to jump for joy herself, but Scott could tell that she lightened up some the moment he appeared in the room. For a moment, she didn’t really know what to do.
“So….,” Scott said to her as he looked at the dancefloor. “It’s a dance party, but not exactly anything grandiose.”
“Hmm…” Xel’di felt like she was going to comment on something, but Scott knew that Itreans typically had good hearing. If the Yutilian voiced anything too negative, it was possible for the other Itreans, more specifically, the higher-ranking Itreans, would overhear her. However, Scott decided to be a little coy, knowing that the Itreans couldn’t do anything about the humans who casually remarked on the event.
“Huh….,” the man said. “Looks like the Adjuncts are just turning the party into some extended meeting. I imagine you can’t say too much about it.”
“It is the way of things….”
“But what if they wanted you to have a good time?”
“I would have to ask them first.”
“Ah….I don’t know about that.” Scott looked around. “Not every Adjunct of every ship is the same, you know? Trust me….I’ve seen enough.”
“That is because you are human….,” she made a few chirps in her voice. “You are a visitor from another world.”
“True, but I like to think differently,” Scott held his hand out to her. “Care to dance? I can’t promise it'll be pretty.”
Xel’di did a few quick nods as she went and joined him. They walked to the center of the dance floor while the music was picking up a little bit. It turned into some rock and Chinese combination theme, most likely some Martian remix that turned into an odd beat. However, it was enough to get one’s legs moving if one wanted to enjoy it.
Scott began to tap his legs. His stance and movement and how he shimmied would have been similar to the Cha-Cha. He would stand in place and try to act like he was walking as he moved his arms.
Xel’di was watching the movements. With Scott, he did know that the Ko’min were not really used to this form of movement. They had become underground dwellers, with tunnels that were even smaller than his frame could ever hope to traverse. As a result, their society had adapted their entertainment accordingly. The Ko’min dances were more of having the Itreans bend their torsos forward as they would walk in place. In some ways, she mimicked Scott in hopes of mixing it together, but the awkward movements didn’t exactly translate into something that was incredible in any way.
Regardless, Scott knew Xel’di was trying to do her best. It at least distracted the others from his not-so-good performance.
“Hey….Scott….,” Officer Jackson called out. He did a timed two-finger point at the right beat. Scott nodded his head as he moved to look at his divisional officer.
“Not bad, sir,” Scott said.
“I can say the same for your not-so-feathery friend of yours,” Jackson said.
Scott could see Xel’di try to extend her arms above her back as she stomped in place. Her tail did a lot of work timing each adjustment to the beat, swinging back and forth. There were the occasional officers who looked at the dance floor briefly before turning back to resume their conversations with one another. However, another Yutilian got out and started dancing in her own pattern.
The petty officer was distracted by the newcomer. She was a lesser adjunct with pink and orange feathers. By now, Scott could almost identify that she was a Nat, most likely a Getrean due to her lighter green skin texture. While her moves didn’t match the beat in any way, her movements were very swan-like, kept with her arms locked out while extending her scaly hands and twirling perfectly in place. It was done in a ballerina style as she would contort her tail and spin on one clawed foot. She was a perfect natural, graceful, and amazing in execution. If only the music was shaped to it, it would have been absolutely perfect.
*******
“Phew….,” Scott said to Xel’di as they stepped away from the mats. The man must have figured that they were dancing for well over ten minutes. Even the Ko’min had to call it quits and take a short break from the dancing.
“Man, that one Yutilian can dance. She hasn’t stopped yet,” Scott said.
“Lesser Adjunct Dre’Qua,” Xel’di replied.
“You know her?”
“Not personally. She’s served as a dance instructor for the Getrean princess. She commands the Lob’igrieta.”
“Surprised to see her here if that were the case.”
Xel’di looked down. There was more than what she knew that she didn’t tell Scott. If he asked, she would most likely have said nothing.
“Well….,” Scott said. He turned around and walked over to the nearby refreshment table. Surprisingly, there were a variety of drinks available, including light alcoholic beverages. He grabbed a paper cup and went to the tab.
“Sweet….,” he said to himself.
“Reoi’tre *Click* sen,” Xel’di said with a click in her voice.
“What?”
She pointed her scaly hand at the label. “Kre beer.”
“Wow, I can’t believe they actually allowed this to be brought onto the base….” Scott filled the cup and sniffed it. “It’s actually sort of pungent.” He took a sip of it. “Has a bit of a sweet and sour taste, though.”
“It is more meant for children to drink,” Xel’di remarked.
“Well, I know that you Itreans are harder to get drunk.” He took a hard swig of it. “Pretty tasty. Has a little bit of fermented lemon to it. Eh….ah….I understand. You misinterpreted what you said. This isn’t beer. This is your version of lemonade.”
“Sorry….”
Scott drank the whole thing and licked his lips. “Nah, it’s ok. You had me hoping they had actual beer. God, I miss it…”
“What?”
“My cousin runs the fermentation plant in Waterville, DC’s farms. Became a little bit of a connoisseur when it came to alcohol. Heh….” He shook his head. “I guess you guys wouldn’t really get it due to your physiology.”
Xel’di said nothing more as Scott tossed the empty paper cup into the disposal unit. The man turned to look at the dance floor as the music slowly changed. It still kept a high dance beat, but it slowly went down little by little. Ironically, it worked in favor of the dancing Itrean since her dancing was slower. Even the divisional officer seemed tired and walked away from it as a few others were doing the same.
Scott looked over at the other officers. They became mundane to them. The many Itreans were no more than mere distractions to the eye. Some looked over at him. No doubt, he knew that a few of them could see that he was quite tall. At the same time, he was a man. However, the sight of Xel’di not far from him seemed to discourage their wayward thoughts toward him.
At least, that was what he thought….
“I need to pee,” Xel’di said. “I will be back…”
“Alright,” Scott said. “It should be down the hall.”
There was a pause as the small Yutilian walked away from Scott. The man remained relaxed. The music continued to slow down till it reached a melody that he wasn’t familiar with. It consisted of Japanese flutes and drums, including the Spanish guitar. It didn’t take long before Scott recognized it as possible Itrean music.
“The music is slowing down, isn’t it?”
Who was that? It was a female voice, but nothing like Scott ever heard before. It was deep in tone but friendly. There was a faint hint of a Japanese and Spanish accent, but it was said quite fluently.
Scott turned around to face that of a Shal’rein. She was the typical height of around 8 feet. She had smooth gray skin and long purple hair neatly woven into it. Her snout was somewhat pointy, and she had a paler white skin tone near the bottom portion of her jaw, down to her chest line. She had a long-fined tail, fin arms, and a fin on the back of her head and back. However, there was something incredibly noteworthy about her.
“Oh….my,” Scott said to himself as he looked upon her.
She wasn’t looking at him but at the dance floor. Among her features was the fact that she wasn’t wearing a typical Itrean uniform. She was wearing a kimono. It consisted of purple and blue silk mixed together. Black lily pad patterns and pink flowers lined portions of the stomach. However, unlike the traditional Japanese kimono, this was slightly more revealing. Her moderately large breasts, at least by human equivalent, pressed outward, exposing a fine cleavage that nearly caught the man’s gaze. The kimono extended halfway down past her knees, exposing her webbed feet.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” she asked him.
“Umm…..yeah….yeah,” he almost fumbled his words.
She was gorgeous. The sight of a Shal’rein dressed this way took him by sheer surprise. She had to be an Itrean civilian due to her attire. There was even a moment when Scott had his mouth open for perhaps too long. The man had to snap himself out of it before he turned around. He noticed she had stepped up beside him where Xel’di had initially stood. Where did this Shal’rein come from? He almost swore that nobody was behind him and Xel’di, but the room was still big enough for those to come from odd corners. A gentle smile came from her face.
“Itrean music….,” Scott said.
“Do you know what type of music?” the Shal’rein asked.
“Phew….,” the man shook his head. “No idea…”
“Gui’optre…..Traditional So’xolk’treq music.”
“I’m surprised,” he told her. “I was always told that the Yutilian Gui’optre were good at punching numbers rather than being artisans.”
“The Gui’optre are excellent business professionals, but they still have a culture like anything else.” She looked at him. “You know Itreans very well.”
“What can I say? I work on the ships.”
“You do?” Curiosity could be seen in her shark-like eyes.
“Yeah…,” Scott grinned.
That smile….it was beautiful to gaze upon. It was unknown if it was the combination of her looks, her body, her attire, or just her persona, but Scott had to admit it was alluring.
“What?” She asked. Her smile continued to radiate.
“It’s….ah…..hmph….,” Scott chuckled a little bit to himself. “My name is Scott…..Jeffery Scott.” He extended his hand to her as she reached down to grip his hand.
“Veleshar,” she told him. They shook each other’s hands. By surprise, Scott realized that he acted impulsively by extending his hand. Itreans weren’t really known for shaking hands. It was more of a human custom and greeting.
“Veleshar…..nice name. So, come to Cebravis often?”
“This is my first time here, Scott. What about you?”
“Stationed here, but this isn’t my home. Can’t really complain, though. It’s pretty nice here.”
“It’s very beautiful here,” her soothing voice said. "It reminds me of planet Vibetin.”
“Vibetin? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a Shal’rein world of the Nak’Ko’Ken. One of the few worlds where it isn’t a complete water world. Forests….jungles….preserved and protected.”
Hmmm…..Scott took note of that statement. She made it sound like she knew or visited the world, but she had to be a T’rintar Shal’rein. There was no way they had access to Shal’rein clan worlds. He said nothing else about it.
Veleshar cocked her head a little bit to the side, causing her woven hair to swing some. “You seem to be thinking,” she said.
The man shook his head. “Nothing….,” he said as he looked at her clothing. “Absolutely pretty…..what you’re wearing.”
“Thank you,” she said. “It belonged to my mother.”
“Really? And it’s water soluble?”
“It’s good at keeping the water off, but…..you think that all Shal’rein like living beneath the waves?”
“Let’s just say that my knowledge of Itreans is mostly of the Yutilian variety.”
She nodded her head. “There is much that you can learn about us. Although….even then, you would know that most of the T’rintar Shal’rein do like living above the waters.”
“What planet do you come from?”
“Shal’tar.”
That was a word that Scott knew. It was one of the main capital worlds of the Shal’rein clan. She claimed to be born there. Was she born there before the United Itrean Republic collapsed? Scott was well aware that Itrean aging was different than human beings. Most could live up to 200 years, but there wouldn’t be many signs of their aging. At most, a 180-year-old would still appear to be a human equivalent of 40 to 50 years old. Systemic brain failure was the actual true cause of death for natural causes. Literally, the brain is the only true limitation in why the Itreans don’t live forever. This Veleshar had to have been born in Shal’tar and moved to live in T’rintar space before the Itrean Republic came to an end.
The music changed. This time, it became a more traditional Japanese melody. The Spanish guitar switched over to a Japanese biwa, or lute and violin combo. Other instrument sounds represented glass rubbing, possibly a glass harmonica of some sort.
“Ah….one of my more favorite pieces of music,” Veleshar said. “New Traditional Nat music…the Kol’de *click* *chirp* treol.”
“The what?” Scott asked.
“We call it glass music. A Shal’rein that moved to Getrea surmised that by using water and spinning glass bowls of different sizes on a spinning device, you could create a new instrument. It even became the Getrean royalty’s favorite type of music. This piece is one of my favorites. It’s called the Orbital Moon.”
She closed her eyes a little bit as she extended her four-fingered hand to the air. It was almost as if she were conducting the melody. Scott could see the nostalgia that was on her face. It was nothing grandiose in any way, but it finally overtook her. It was mesmerizing. The more and more he looked at her, the more he felt an attraction even if it was small.
She stopped conducting and extended her hand to Scott.
“Huh?” Scott said.
“Care to dance?” she asked him.
Where was he to say no to such an offer? But there was a fleeting moment. What about Xel’di? Would she be jealous? He had little time to think about it. No….Only a madman would ever turn down this beautiful woman’s offer at a dance.
“Of course,” he happily replied. He extended his hand to her. It didn’t take long before she gripped onto it. Her fingers were much larger than his, but they were smooth and warm to the touch. The man followed her to the dance floor, along with a couple of other Itreans and humans who followed suit. Scott and Veleshar held hands as they stepped to the center of the dance floor. The melody of the music was as slow as ever, being that of ease and comfort…..perfect for Scott’s somewhat fatigued state.
“I don’t know much about Itrean dances,” Scott told her.
“I do,” she told him. “We’ll start off easy.”
She took her other hand and took his, bringing it to her side hip. It didn’t take long before it gripped neatly to her side, feeling the incredibly smooth texture of her silk attire. Then, Veleshar placed her hand around the man’s back. From there, she began to move her body from side to side in a slow but predictable pattern.
“Easy…,” Veleshar said with a smile. Scott began to move his feet back and forth. It didn’t take long before he fell into sync with her movements. Her strength was present, but he knew he still controlled where the two wanted to go.
“See?” she said.
“I admit…,” he gave a light chuckle. “I’m worried about stepping on your bare feet.”
She shook her head. “You can’t hurt me, Scott. Besides….it’s worth it.”
The man continued to follow his movements. There was something proudly romantic about this that he couldn’t put his finger on. Veleshar felt human…..more human than the other Itreans. Everything about her composure and persona: he felt warm, embraced by a titan of a woman, but caressed and welcomed at the same time. This Itrean was becoming more and more unique….sexy….alluring.
“This….isn’t easy for me,” he confessed to her.
“What is?” she asked him.
“Let’s just say that as a human, I’m used to looking down at Itreans most of the time.”
“You like the Yutilians and Aksren?”
“I like them being short. It’s easier for me to see the floor when I dance.”
“You’re used to being in control?”
“That’s one way to put it. That and when my head isn’t straightforward, I’m not offending the woman by staring straight into her cleavage.”
“I’m not offended. I know when a human is staring at my chest that I have one that might be attracted to me.”
“Duly noted.”
“And….we will start to slowly twirl around,” she told him. “Counterclockwise…..one, two, three, and go….”
He followed her command with ease. Veleshar used her grip to slowly pull the man’s waist counterclockwise. The two began to move together in a circular motion, and the outside environment became nonexistent. After making two full rotations, they stopped the spin.
“Your English is incredible,” Scott said.
“Thank you,” she replied.
“I’m used to Itreans fumbling words or making clicks with their voices. You, it’s said so fluently that I would almost feel like you were born in the UWA.”
“Let’s just say that I have years of experience to help me out.”
“Or one hell of a teacher.”
She smiled. “That too….”
“So…, Veleshar….what sort of job do you do?”
“The type that wins wars.”
“Umm….ok.”
“And you?”
“Petty Officer 1st Class…..Engineer, although I’m more of an instructor for other UHN engineers dealing with Itrean equipment.”
“The lend-leased battleships?” she asked.
“Yep. Most people think that we get the T’rintar ships, slap a coat of gray on them, and think that our fleets are suddenly better. The catch is that UHN personnel have no idea how to operate alien equipment. That’s where people like me come in handy.”
“How about Shal’rein equipment?”
“Ummm…..come again?”
“Shal’rein equipment can be different.”
“I….don’t know. I’m used to T’rintar clan equipment….you know? Vines and fruit growing on the walls and all that.”
“It’s almost the same, just slightly different environment.”
“I see….”
“And spin….,” she directed again.
The two began to spin around again. This time, it was done slightly quicker. By now, Xel’di had walked back into the room. It didn’t take long before her gaze befell Scott. Her reptilian eyes noted the movements of the man and Shal’rein. To see the hands and arms neatly embraced against each other. There was a moment when Xel’di was almost speechless. However, it didn’t take long before her head lowered down. A wave of anguish seemed to exist that Scott would never see. The music’s beat had started to increase in rhythm very slowly, but the instruments had remained the same.
Scott felt more and more enraptured by this Veleshar. He felt that the woman was experienced. She had to be the same age as him. It was all the more alluring, a woman that was close to him.
“Tell me what you’re feeling,” Veleshar asked.
“Well….I’m dancing with you. The music is nice.”
“What else?”
“…You’re pretty. Not used to seeing Shal’rein without armor.”
“You look handsome yourself. Almost Shal’rein in body and physique.”
“Well…..I can’t help it if I’m human.”
She shook her head. “I was trying to complement you. Tell me more about you. Where were you born?”
“Earth….actually.”
“Really? So few humans come from there.”
“Yep, Waterville, DC, the biggest dome city in the North American continent. You know it’s now called Itrea, right?”
“Ugh….”
Veleshar had a short chuckle in her tone. Scott could see that she was joking around.
“Don’t worry,” Veleshar said. “I would feel that way if my homeworld were suddenly handed over to someone else and renamed.”
“Yeah….”
“Still….you humans are so kind and gentle when you want to be. I hope they will keep the name Earth. It’s so…..grounded compared to Itrea.”
“It’s your race’s name, though.”
“Heh….you know how many places we call Itrea? New Atrea, Old Itrea, Mid Itrea….In thousands of years, the name Itrea will fade away from our people…..born from their planets whose families have lived for hundreds of thousands of years. But Earth is such a unique name, though. We were the ones that abandoned it long ago, not you.”
“Well, I would hardly call it home past the dome cities,” he said. “The amount of times I’ve had to be treated for Orange Muck poisoning.”
“It makes you stronger, though. I can see it in your frame,” her hand quickly caressed his hips some more. “Martians can be skinny, same with the other planets. You have the look of a human who comes from high gravity.”
“And works out….good observation on you.”