Chapter Text
I was back on the Śuri again. I had just finished bringing the engines to full capacity as we were in combat. The planet Esarhaddon had sparked out in rebellion, which the Śuri had been tasked with putting down. Just after we had engaged in combat however, one of the PDC cannons had overheated and jammed really badly, so I had been called up to fix it. I had been told that the jam was preventing the PDC from being recalled into the hull, so I had to do a spacewalk. I donned a vacsuit and helmet and hopped into an airlock, waiting for the go ahead from Ensign Heighsinger, who was my spotter. Performing a spacewalk was terrifying on the best of days, but it was even worse during active combat. Despite my fear, I marched along the hull fine. I didn’t see a single rebel projectile. Or ship, for that matter. Maybe I didn’t notice any. I was too intensely focused on making it to the jammed PDC. I made it relatively quickly, radioing in to Heighsinger that I had made it. It looked like one of the rounds hadn’t gone off, and got stuck in the ejection port, while the round behind it had, the bullet backfiring through the feed belt into the swivel mechanism. Not the most simple fix, but I could patch it up for the rest of the operation. I grabbed a sheet of repair polymer and sealed it around the wound that the backfired round had caused, before pulling a pair of pliers out of my tool pouch to yank the backfired round and the unfired round out of their respective jams. The swivel mechanism had been scratched, but it wasn’t bad enough for it to malfunction again. I’d have to polish it up and fill in the scratches afterward, but we had to get out of combat first. With all my tools back in their pouch, I turned back towards the airlock. But I froze. We weren’t firing on a military base, or a captured warship, or a swarm of missiles and torpedoes. No, the Śuri’s port guns were pointed right at the small colony on the moon, a mostly commercial centre and a civilian spaceport. I could see the flex-glass of its observation dome shattered, fragments slowly drifting through space, along with debris from within, sent flying under rapid depressurization. A pulse from the deck gun jolted me out of my horrified trance, and I trudged back to the airlock as fast as I could.
After that, life went on as if everything was normal. I returned to the PDC after the operation to fix it up properly, I got a clap on the back from Captain Fiario, and the mess hall was awash in celebration and alcohol at a mission accomplished. I tried my best to fit in with everyone, enjoying the celebratory barbecue and beers the same as everyone else, but I couldn’t stop seeing the shards of glass and concrete drifting off into space. To make it worse, Ambrosius was on duty and Tony was stuck in the kitchen, cranking out food for the party. As I sat, nursing my beer, someone sat next to me. “Hey, you the engineer that cleared the starboard PDC?” It took me a second to come back to the present. “Hm? Oh, yeah. Yeah, that was me.” I turned to look at them. They were slightly taller than me, with their black hair tied back into a wolf tail, and bangs held out of their eyes by hairpins. Their hazel eyes sparkled like lakewater in the bright LEDs of the mess. “Thanks for that. I was worried that I was gonna sit the battle out.” They had a hint of an accent, but I couldn’t tell what colony or planet it was from. “No worries, just doing my job.” I told them, sipping my drink. “Well, thanks anyway. What’s your name?” They asked. “Galatèa. Galatèa Ribak,” I answered, extending my hand. They shook it firmly. “Nadya Lamoty.” “Nice to meet you, Nadya.” I smiled, albeit weakly. As much as I love Ambrosius and Tony, it was nice to make new friends. “Come over and say hi if you see me around the ship,” Nadya told me. “It’ll be nice to have a friend who’s not another cannon jockey.” I chuckled at their description of their crewmates. “Sure thing, see ya around.” I waved to them as they got up to leave. My smile faded as they left. I was happy that someone so naturally cool wanted to be my friend, but they had been operating the weapons that had fired on a civilian spaceport. And I helped them do it. Surely there was just something I was missing, right? Captain Fiario knew what he was doing, that’s why he was placed in command of one of the newest ships in the fleet. Maybe the terrorists had gotten a weapon onto the spaceport. Maybe the port had been taken over completely by a terrorist cell and they had killed or evicted all of the civilians. At least, that’s what I told myself as I tried to fall asleep, later in the evening, as I replayed that moment over and over in my head.
“You said she was preparing to detonate the ship’s reactors? Why?” I heard unfamiliar, but unmistakably Affini voices nearby as I slowly clawed my way back to consciousness. “Her captain ordered it. Something to do with the “ship being lost” due to our boarding.” “And she tried to get her crewmates to escape pods. That same crew nearly hit each other with gunfire as they shot at Orari. Macira had to help him out.” “She was doing what she thought was best for her friends. Did you know that they’ve been told that we eat them and raise them as livestock?” I groaned slightly as I started to move again, my limbs finally responding to my brain. “Hello?” I managed to ask, yawning heavily. I noticed soft restraints on my ankles and wrists as I tried to move. “Good morning, Galatèa. Did you sleep well?” I recognized Aucari’s voice. “Sort of. Had a bad dream, though.” I pried my eyes open. A bright, pale white light shone in my eyes overhead. To my right, Aucari leaned over, her “hair” cascading over her shoulders. To my left, a somewhat serious looking Affini stood, a datapad in their hands. “Where, um. Where am I?” I turned, asking Aucari. “You’re in the vet’s office on my ship, sweetie.” She said, smiling happily. “You mean a doctor’s, right?” I looked quizzically up at my Affini captor. “Nope!” she answered with a giggle. “Doctors are for Affini. Sophonts like you go to the vet, because they specialize in your cute little bodies.” I shuddered. “I guess that makes sense?” I said. “So you must be my vet?” I asked the Affini on the other side of my bed.
“That I am,” he said, his face warming. “Tama Liyas, eighth bloom, He/they.” Tama’s wood sections were a medium yellow-tan color, and his body was shaped into a lean, androgynous figure. Broad, fuzzy leaves accented his vines, and soft-looking clusters of needles were styled like hair into a fuzzy cap. His eyes shone a strong yellow with patches of pale pink. “Galatèa Ribak, She/they.” I responded. “So, Galatèa,” Tama started, striding towards my bed. “Apart from those nasty burns on your arm and leg, our medical tendrils haven’t detected any physical maladies. Are there any other medical or psychological needs we should know about?” Medical tendrils? I looked around and saw a small cluster of vines, connected to the skin on my chest like electrodes, and leading into some biotech near the foot of my bed. Larger fronds covered the burns on my arm and leg, like plant bandages. “Yeah, uh Yes.” I stuttered, drawing my eyes away from the tendrils and back to Tama “I would really, really badly like to get back on HRT?” I told him. “HRT?” Aucari asked quizzically. Tama sighed sympathetically as he looked at Aucari. “Hormone replacement therapy. An archaic Terran version of class-g’s.” Tama turned back to me after answering Aucari. “I’d be delighted to help you out, cutie. We can get quite specific with how you’d like your body to change, but for the time being we can put you on general feminizing class-g’s right away,” he said, a blue-green flower with a long, thin pistol extending from his arm. “Yes please.” I said, more needy sounding than I would have liked. “There will be a slight pinch, petal.” Tama smiled, plucking the flower from his arm. I squirmed. “I’m not really great with needles. Unless it’s more effective than other methods. In which case I can deal with it.” I stumbled over my words slightly, eager to finally get on HRT again. “Good to keep in mind for your specifically formulated class-g’s, but for the time being this is more effective.” Tama explained sympathetically, gently placing his hand on my arm. “Alright,” I relented, “go for it.” True to his word, I felt a gentle pinch as Tama injected me, but it was quickly over. “There we go, sweet thing.” He said, placing a hand on my back as I sat up. I felt slightly dizzy. Maybe it was just that I hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning, or maybe there was something else in the injection that Tama had given me. “Now, we’ve got a little time before I’ve got to treat some other patients of mine, and before a vote on your status is held, so is there anything else I can help you with?”
Tama’s smile was like a beam of sunshine as he asked me. Honestly, it reminded me a bit of Ambrosius. “I really need to shave, if you can get me a razor. I also haven't eaten anything since…” I couldn’t remember. Stars, I couldn’t even remember how much time had passed between eating breakfast and getting captured by Aucari. “Unfortunately, both will have to wait until after your status vote, but I can get the depiliating honey ready. One moment, please,” Tama said, walking over to a wall covered in shelves. They seemed to be growing right out of the wall, the flat wooden platforms adorned with the same soft-looking needles that were on Tama’s head. I turned back to my original captor. “Hey, Aucari?” “Yes, Galatèa?” She had a pleasantly bemused look on her face. “What’s this status vote thing that Tama kept mentioning?” “Well, Galatèa, every time we capture a feralist, such as yourself, a group of Affini including your veterinarian, rescuer, another member of the boarding party, and whoever else may be pertinent to your case, decide what to do with you. If you retain too much of your feralist ideologies, then you’ll be given to a loving Affini owner and florted. If you’ve demonstrated that you don’t adhere to feralism, then we can arrange a wardship to monitor you and make sure you’re getting everything you need and have given up your feralist ideology, and eventually you’ll be a free and independent sophont again.” She smiled happily as she explained this. “I… what are sophonts? What does florting mean?” Aucari was about to answer, but as she opened her mouth, another Affini entered the room.
They were tall, their vines corded around their pseudo-limbs to give them a strikingly muscular appearance. Their wooden sections were a gorgeous deep reddish-brown, with pale bluish-green leaves on their head, eyes of mottled orange-brown, and a pair of fluffy white antennae protruding from their forehead. They had a tired look on their face as they introduced themselves. “Sarix Aedis, They/them, eighth bloom. You are Galatèa Ribak, She/they, yes?” “I am,” I answered, taken slightly aback by their directness and bluntness. “Good. Aucari Sapo, Tama Liyas, do you state your knowledge of the sophont and agree to vote fairly and in good conscience for their best needs?” Sarix asked the two others Affini. “I do,” the two answered, in near unison. “Excellent,” Sarix said, somewhat monotonally. “So, Galatèa, you were a technical officer on board your ship?” “I was.” I answered. They tapped something on a handheld tablet. “And you surrendered willingly to Aucari Sapo during the boarding?” “I did.” They tapped something on their tablet, before looking back at me. My head was still buzzing. I had definitely been drugged. “Did Aucari promise you anything in exchange for your surrender?” They asked pointedly. I responded with an accuracy and honesty that surprised me. “I asked Aucari if they could make sure that my crew in engineering would be ok. I was really scared for them and I could hear gunfire from the direction they were coming from. I also asked them if they could get a couple of items from my berth, but I had already surrendered to them when I asked.” Sarix’s face brightened slightly. “And how do you feel about being rescued by the Affini?” Sarix stared at me intently, while Tama gave me a sympathetic look. “To be honest, I'm kind of scared. I’ve been told some terrifying things about the Affini by the Terran government and some of my crewmates. But after more than a year of being on a rebel ship… A year of missing gender affirming care, of sleights against me, of barely surviving on synthetic rations… I think I’m done with, I think you called it feralism? Also I don’t think Aucari wants anything but to actually help me. I’ve met both genuinely kind people and people who have a veneer of kindness and niceness in order to gain trust, only to backstab me when it’s convenient, and Aucari seems genuine. I trust her not to eat me.” The words stumbled out of me, the dizziness turning into a haze, not dissimilar to the first time I smoked a joint with my friends on Nebra. “If I may, why am I um, dizzy?” I asked the assembled Affini. Tama looked guiltily at me and answered: “Sorry petal, it’s standard for feralists to be administered class D’s, which ‘remove your filter’ to quote the ‘so you’re domesticating a Terran’ handbook. I also gave you a very mild dose of class A’s to help with the pain, but you seem to have a low tolerance for them.” “Ahem, back to the questioning. We’re almost done anyway.” Sarix said, making a noise similar to a Terran clearing their throat. “Right, apologies.” Tama said, turning his attention back to Sarix. “Does Galatèa require any immediate medical or psychological care, and does she have any pinnates?” “No on the medical or psychological care, at the moment.” Tama answered dutifully. “She was alone and hadn’t mentioned anything when I rescued her.” Aucari shrugged. “Excellent,” Sarix said, pressing one final input on their tablet, before turning it off and hanging it on an inconspicuous vine on their hip. “I’ve seen all I need to. My vote is for a period of wardship, with the decision for independence or being put up for adoption coming at the end of the wardship period. All in favour?”
The three Affini all raised their hands. I also tried to raise my hand. That sounded like a pretty good deal. Through the haze of the xenodrugs, I was also retroactively glad I hadn’t fought back against Aucari; I wouldn’t want to dive headlong into being owned by an Affini without any knowledge of what that would entail. Aucari giggled slightly as she saw my hand raised, though my arm was still held in place by the restraints “Oh, sweet thing, you don’t have a vote in this. But your desire to be a part of the decision is adorable.” I frowned slightly, but I put my hand down. “Sorry little flower, I know you weren’t to know,” Aucari sympathized. “Tell you what, why don’t I become your warden? I haven’t done this sort of thing before, but I’d be delighted to show a Terran as cute as you how life in the compact works.” I saw Sarix crack a small smile for the first time they had entered the room. “That saves me a little work, trying to find them a warden.” “Excellent!” Aucari beamed. “Do you want this, Galatèa? Choosing a ward is something we do take your voice into account for.” I nodded. “Yes please. Aucari is nice and cool and pretty.” I blushed as I finished my sentence. “Oh?” Aucari queried, turning to me with a smile. “Glad you think so, Galatèa. I think we’ll get along well.” “If that’s all, I’ll be off to the next rescued Terran. If there are any updates to Galatèa’s case, let me know.” Sarix announced, before walking to my left. The wall, much to my surprise, furled up like a fern frond, creating a gap for the Affini to walk through, which unfurled as they passed through. Uniquely botano-mechanical, like the medical equipment. “Whoa,” I murmured as I watched it happen. Tama laughed a bit, though out of adoration rather than to be mean. “You aren’t the only patient in my clinic, you know. We just tend to keep our recently rescued feralists separated in vet’s offices because many are in fragile states of mind after a rescue, and sometimes seeing their crew or friends can cause strong anti-Affini and/or feralist ideas to spring forth.” “Wait, is anyone from engineering here?” I blurted out. “It’s quite possible,” Tama said, turning back to the depiliating stuff he was getting earlier before bringing it over to me.
“But let’s get you settled before we reintroduce you to your friends. Now, chin up little one.” I obliged, and Tama, with gloved hands, grabbed a handful of the viscous material, before spreading it carefully on my neck, jaw, chin, upper lip, and cheeks. The solution burned slightly, before turning into a warm and fuzzy feeling. I squirmed slightly in my restraints, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Tama noticed, and reassuringly patted my head with his free hand. “Its ok, little one. Just let the honey work.” “H-honey?” I asked. “Honey,” Tama replied plainly. “From a Beeple. This particular honey was made with nectar from plants with relaxant and mild psychoactive agents, so as to make the process a bit more pleasant.” Embarrassingly, I giggled slightly. The xenodrugs from the injection earlier had worn off, but the ones in this… ‘Beeple’ honey were stronger, and they made the moss of my vet bed feel like a heated wool blanket. “Looks like you’re all done,” Tama smiled. “Let’s get the honey off of your cute little face and then you can go home with Aucari.” The vet reached his hand towards my face, with more of the fuzzy-looking leaves rapidly sprouting from his vines. As they made contact with my face, Tama used his other hand to pour a little water onto them, as he wiped away the used honey. His leaves felt really good with all of the xenodrugs in my system, and I had to stifle a gasp. “All done, Galatèa. I’m sure I’ll see you and Aucari around when you’re done picking out what you want from your class g’s.” I felt the restraints open, the vines retracting back into the bed. Slowly, I sat up, touching my face. It felt smoother and softer than it ever had. I tried turning so I could throw my legs over the side of the bed and stand, but Aucari stopped me. “Easy, petal. I’ll carry you back.” I was going to resist, but I felt how high I was. It was probably better to be carried, even at the expense of my pride. “Ok. Thanks.” I muttered. “Any time, cutie.” The towering Affini leaned down and picked me up, holding me in a princess carry. I blushed hard, and tried to turn my face away from Aucari so she wouldn’t see. An “awww” from my new warden meant that the blush (and attempt to hide it) were noticed, and appreciated. “Now petal, what do we say to your vet?” I blushed again. In my drugged-out state, I had forgotten to thank Tama. Even if waking up strapped to a medical bed wasn’t ideal, Tama had been really nice, and had given me more gender affirming care in the span of one visit to his clinic than any Terran doctor had in the last two years. “Thank you very much Tama!” I called to the vet. “Any time, petal. Take care!”
The trip back to Aucari’s place was pretty quiet. Try as I might to observe much of the ship, I only caught a few glances. Part of it was, at first, the shame of being carried naked in a public setting, but Aucari's vines formed a sort of pouch or hammock around me, holding me up and shielding me somewhat from any potentially watching eyes. How thoughtful. If only I’d been given some clothes, or a gown or something. The Affini were clearly freer than I had been in more ways than one. By the time we got to Aucari’s quarters, I was beginning to feel the xenodrugs from the depiliating honey wear off. Unfortunately, I could feel the hunger of not eating a proper meal in stars-know how long setting in. Aucari sat me in a large, comfortable chair at a gorgeous wooden table, made of a large plank of wood with live edges. The wood itself was a bright, pale yellow-brown, with smooth bark and a slight minty scent. “Hungry, Galatèa? What would you like?” I was almost shocked; it was the first time in over a year since I’d had a choice in what to eat. I uttered the first thing that popped into my head. “Chicken stir fry. My… I ate it a lot growing up. Please. If it’s possible.” “Sure,” Aucari said, moving over to a device fixed to her wall. In shock, I watched as a series of prep bowls filled with ingredients materialized within it. Aucari gathered up the containers and carried them over to a stovetop. “I’m glad you picked something I knew how to make,” the Affini said, placing a wok on the stove. “I wouldn’t want my ward to have to have a meal straight from the compiler on their first night.” “Compiler?” I asked, as Aucari dropped something into the now-hot and oiled wok, filling the room with the delicious smell of frying aromatics. “Its like a, oh what’s the Terran equivalent… 3D printer! So long as it knows the thing that you tell it to print, it can and will, from things as simple as a pouch of water to complex dishes. Most Affini prefer to cook for themselves, though.” The wok sizzled again as she dropped more ingredients in. “I’ll have to get you set up with the compiler’s intelligence later. For now, if you need something, just ask me.” Aucari quickly finished cooking the dish, and doled it out into a bowl that she then set in front of me, along with a pair of chopsticks. It smelled divine, with prevailing notes of garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. I stared at it in disbelief for a second. Yesterday, I was lucky to get some sparse real food from Tony’s private stash, otherwise I was stuck to synthcubes. Now, I had a sizeable bowl of the tastiest looking stir fry I had ever seen right in front of me. I grabbed the chopsticks and tried to eat with at least some restraint and manners. The rice had perfectly absorbed the seasonings and sauces, slices of water chestnut gave a satisfying crunch, and the topping of cilantro added a freshness to compliment the richness of the dish. Aucari saw how ravenously I was going at my meal, and gently patted my back “Easy, flower. We wouldn’t want to choke on our dinner, would we? Here, drink.” I Felt her vines on my face as she turned my head to face her. She held a tube in the other hand, which she brought to my lips. Understanding, I grasped the tube between my lips and drew the water from it. It was the perfect temperature, and clear and crisp, opposed to the ship’s meager rations of metallic-tasting chemically hard water. I withdrew, refreshed, and looked up into Aucari’s eyes. Her hand was still gently holding my face, and the remaining xenodrugs in my system almost made me shudder at her touch. “Feeling better, Galatèa?” I nodded. “Thank you so much, Aucari. I- I don’t know how I could ever repay you, you’ve been so, so, so kind to me.” “Repay? Sweetie, you’re a part of the compact now. We don’t need to pay or repay anyone. More to the point, I did this because it’s what any Affini would do for an adorable surrendered feralist such as yourself.” Stars, she was so incredibly pretty. “Now, let’s finish our dinner and we can get you bathed and in bed.”