A month later Chakat Thriceborn, Starhunter, and a plumper looking Sunbeam entered the space port with their bags packed for another tour of duty. “Well this is good bye until we come back home again big sis; hope your trip goes smoothly on your tour.” Star said before both pudgy kat’s gave each other a warm hug, Sunbeam soon joined in, purring happily to each other as they all shard a moment to project and connect with one another empathically.

“The both of you made me feel so welcomed, and I’m so lucky to be part of the family.” Sun told before licking Thrice and Starhunters Cheek.

“You two love birds need to get going, I’ll comm you both when I can, so let’s get going,” the cougar pattern chakat said before swatting them both on the rump.

Star and Sun made their way over to the shuttle bay where a heavy cargo shuttle was prep for them both to take some supplies for the ship, it would be another 12 hours to get the ship on standby and it needed it’s head engineer, as did Thriceborn’s own ship.

---

2300, one day before anniversary of Star, and Sun’s, 3 Months from Raksha

The F.S.S Wellington had just left port from Star base 2, and on was on route to Raksha, which the Rakshani Captain and other crew members that were mostly made up of Rakshani was quite happy to be making the trip, though it did add another 2 months on the already extended tour.

Sunbeam was greeted by hir team with wonders of how shi have gotten a bit soft around the edges, though knowing full well that it was not their place to ask of their commander. It was about 6 months before shi slimmed-down a bit, but Star seem to have stayed the same soft pudgy kat, which Sunbeam wouldn’t want hir mate any other way.

Grayclaw found that work was still being done, and if anything, things went even more smoothly on his ship sense the two chakat’s became den mates. He had never though that having two happy chakat’s would make such a change to his crew, but here it was, almost a year has passed, and not even a bad report had touched his deck.

Starhunter was on the helm when shi felt his thoughts and blushed a bit to hir self, even Sun could sense hir mate feelings much strongly now that they were bond with each other, it was something that both thought they were ready for. Being able to know what the other thinks, and feels without being in the same room, or ship. It was something new and exciting.

---

2 Months from Raksha.

‘Hello big sis, just wanted to let you know that Sunbeam and I had our anniversary the other day. Shi asked me to be hir lifemate. I think it was one of the best days of my live, we have been bonded for about 5 months now; I can hear hir thoughts and feelings from engineering, and it’s such a wonderful feeling. I hope you’re staying safe out there big sis and we both love you lots.’

Starhunter smiled as shi looked over the note once more before tapping send, placing hir PADD down with a soft smile upon hir muzzle as hir thoughts wondered. ‘It was surely a wonderful year.’

‘And it’s going to be a lovely life living with you sweetie,’ Sunbeam sent hir mate through their empathic bond. Star chuckled lightly as shi pulled hir uniform shirt back on and made hir way to the bridge for the last of hir shift.

---

5 hours later.

The Rakshani Comm officer male with red fur and white stripes called out to the Captain. “Sir, I’m getting a distress signal from a transport ship.“ Grayclaw nodded and asked to play the message.

“This is the F.S.S. Kyson we are in need of help; our ship was attacked by pirates, forcing our warp core to become unstable.”

The mood in the air grew somber while the Captain thought for a moment before looking over to sensors. “Glad, how far is that ship?” he asked the wolf morph.

“Sir it’s 20 minute out, bearing 143.237.” He answered,

“Helm, make best speed to that heading, comm let the ship know that we are coming to aid them;” Grayclaw said before tapping his comm badge. “Chief engineer Sunbeam, we need you to form a team and prepare to be beamed aboard a civilian ship, they are having trouble with their warp core from a pirate attack.” He said before hearing a quick reply, making him raise an eye brow.

“We are ready to be beamed over when every your ready sir.” Sunbeam answered back.

Grayclaw then had sickbay and security notified before the ship came out of warp, and into normal space where they found the drifting Rakshani ship.

“Kyson, this is Captain Grayclaw of the F.S.S. Wellington from Star Fleet, we are going to beam medical, and engineering teams over to help.” Grayclaw said on the open channel, soon getting a reply back from a female Rakshani voice.

“Thank you for answering our SOS , I’m Captain Winder, we are very grateful for the help.” She said through the comm.

The Kyson wasn’t as massive as the Wellington, only being about 230 meters long, but it was able to hold up too 120 passengers along with its cargo.

“Sensors, full scan of the area and the Kyson for any sighs of pirates.” Gray ordered while gazing upon the view screen, soon getting an answer back from the sensors officer. “Nothing showing up other then their ship, and scans show about 160 life forms.” Glad answered as the captain nodded and tapped his comm badge. “Teams, you are clear to beam over.”

Both teams were teleported into the drifting ship with security while Star moved the Wellington alongside Kyson, using tractor beams to help stop the tumbling mass.

“Sir, scans show that the core is becoming very unstable, core breach will mostly occur,” Glad informed the captain.

“Chief, how are things going over there? We’re seeing that a core melt down maybe highly eminent;” Grayclaw said into the comm.

Star remain quiet, hir hands worked the controls while keeping a close eye on other things, feeling the waves of fear coming from the Kyson along with the projected feeling of hir own crewmates on the bridge.

“Captain, their core is badly damaged, the shutdown system is fried, and I can’t get the core to eject thanks to all the damages the ship took from the attack,” Sunbeam informed them, hir own hands working on a control panel that was just as badly damaged and gave little to no help at all.

The bridge went silent at the news, and Grayclaw knew if his best engineer could not fix the core, there was nothing anyone else can do, he then paged the Kyson’s bridge, which Captain Winder quickly answered, “Yes Captain Grayclaw?” She asked, hear voice sounding as if she was annoyed.

“Captain, we are going to beam all your passengers and crew aboard my ship, your core is not going to last very long, and it’s better to save lives now while we can.”

Winder was silent for a moment. “How long do we have?” she asked before Starhunter gave them the answer.

“Sunbeam said about 25 minutes, 35 tops, but the system is not working well for hir to control them for much longer.”

Grayclaw looked over to his helmsman with a questionable look upon him. “How do you know that, we haven’t heard back from Chief officer Sunbeam yet?” His tone, was not harsh, but firm.

Star looked over to the captain and tapped hir head. “We are bond to each other empathically, so we can hear each other thoughts and feelings,” the leonine chakat informed him.

“Shi is doing hir best, but it’s only buying time for you which is not going to be much.” Star answered. Both Captains knew of the bond that chakat’s made to their life mates, which made sense to what Starhunter was saying.

“Ok, while start beaming everyone over into the ship right away; let them know to only bring what they can carry.” Grayclaw said before closing the channel.

Sunbeam grumbled under hir breath as shi pulled at some wires from one of the burned out panels, hoping to find something to work with, but only to find more burnet out lines and wires. “This is getting harder to work with.” Shi said while pulling another section from the wall, finding some cables that shi could use and linked them up to a still working display panel.

“It’s getting hotter inside here, I don’t think we can take much more.” complained a black furred wolf morph, one of the engineers from hir ship.

“If we don’t work at our best to even slow down or stop the anti-matter from bleeding out, then all of us, and the people were here to save will not see the light of day again.” Sunbeam told him, though shi could feel hirself over heating as well, sweat patted hir mane, but shi was not going to stop, hir family raised hir to face things, and take action the way shi see fit when it comes down to saving lives.

---

The next 25 minutes were like hell as everyone was beam in groups of 4 and 5 into the transporter pad of the Wellington before being led to bay 2 for the time being. Once the 20 minute mark approached, more than 95% of the crew was now tucked away inside bay 2, leaving only the Captain, 6 members of security, and 5 Rakshani engineers along with 3 that came with Sunbeam’s team.

Suddenly all the engineering systems stopped responding, “Shit, everyone get out now, she’s not going to last much longer!!!” the black furred chakat roared out to the crew inside the room, which quickly left as fast as their feet could carry them, knowing that the scanners could only get a clear signal to beam them out once away from the radiation off the core.

Shi tapped hir comm badge, “Captain, the core is now out of our control and is starting to melt down, everyone left needs to be beamed out ASAP, I will go last.” Shi said to him just as the alarms went off in the engine room making hir ear’s pin back at the loud sounds while shi turned around to head for the door, and out from the shielding of the room to be teleported out.

A loudsnap could be heard as a display panel was overloaded and blown from its place, hitting Sunbeam left foreleg, and lower torso.

Starhunter yowled out in pain, feeling hir mate’s pain as if it was hir own, everyone gaze was upon hir as shi sat patting.

“2nd LT Starhunter, what’s going on?” the Captain asked?

It took a moment for Star to clear hir thoughts up a bit. “Sunbeam is hurt; think it was a panel that hit hir…shi’s not able to move…”

Grayclaw looked over to his security officer that was a foxtaur vixen, “Can you get a lock on hir Crimson?” Her hands worked over the controls as shi tried to get a lock on the chakat, shaking her head while still trying to find a way. “No sir, there is too much radiation to get a lock on hir sir.”

“Star, you have to go…you most save the others…” a low hurt groan came from Star’s comm badge, barely able to get through the radiation from the ship.

Star shook hir head. “No, we won’t leave without you Sunbeam, We will save you.” Star said before Grayclaw ordered hir to move the ship away from Kyson. Star knew too well that there was nothing shi could do, or anyone else. Shi just sat there glancing at the view screen, hir mind last in thought, she could not think of a way to save Sunbeam.

Grayclaw stood up and walked over to the chakat, placing his hand upon hir shoulder, “We have to leave, or else everything Sunbeam has done for us will be for nothing.”

His words along with years of training and reasoning forced hir hands to carry out the order, Star’s hands seeming to move on their own as the chakat released the tractor beam from the Kyson before adding power to the engines, moving the Wellington away from the ship, hir eyes filled with tears, matting the fur along hir cheeks. Feeling the waves of fear, and pain being projected from hir mate, even the bridge crew and captain that had his hand upon hir shoulder could feel Sunbeams pain being projected through Starhunter.

Sun opened hir eyes, seeing that the room was now black as the lighting was out, and only the growing glow from the core lit the room, shi was pinned under a metal frame that was from the side wall. Hir eyes closed as shi reached out to hir mate, hir love, and sent hir last message.

“I love you Starhunter, with all my heart and soul, I will always be with you. Please, Keep the peace, and form the family you always wanted. I know my family will be happy to meet you.”

That was the last thought between both chakat’s before a blinding bright light could be seen behind the Wellington getting a light shock wave from the blast that shook the ship a bit.

Starhunter yowled out loudly as the sudden wave of empathic pain and loss filled hir mind and body, everything shi dreamed, every moment shi shared with Sunbeam, it became all much to take in at once, forcing the chakat to collapse onto the helm.

The Rakshani Captain pulled his hand back, almost being overwhelmed by the direct link from Starhunter as shi lays unconscious before looking over to the security officer. “Commander, beam Starhunter to sick bay, and call for Petty Officer Nickel to the helm, Commander White tip, you have the conn, I’ll be with Captain Winder in my ready room, Crimson you will join us once you’re done here.”

“Aye Sir.” Both answered before the older Rakshani left the bridge for his ready room where he took a seat at his desk with a PADD built in for him to do his reports.

---

About 5 minutes later the vixen foxtaur entered the room with the other Rakshani Captain close behind. Crimson took up one side of the door as another guard, a human male stood to the right of the door.

“Captain Winder, please take a seat, we have much to discuss for the report I need to make for Fleet.” Grayclaw said while turning his gaze up to her and signed for the two guards to leave.

Once the door slid close, Winder took a seat close to where Gray was sitting. “So where should I start?” She asked him, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Everything from the beginning, up to the attack.” His voice sounding much firm, showing that he was not the one to be bull shitting with.
“I don’t see why you’re being so uptight about it, we were attacked, and lucky to fight off the pirates, and then being rescued by your ship.” She hissed before sensing that his anger was growing from the answer she gave him, though he was in control of his self.

“I’m going to need more info from you then that, I lost a Chief engineer trying to save you and your crew, much less that I was able to feel how shi died trapped inside your ship with the link of hir mate, which is now inside of sick bay.” Grayclaw told her, growling out the last bit.

“So sorry if I may come off a bit firm when I ask for more info of your attackers, you may have lost cargo, but no lives, I’ve lost one, maybe even two lives, depending if my helmsmen will be able to pull hirself through this.”

---

Grayclaw entered the medical bay looking to find the doctor who was doing some scans on her only patient. The tigress morph was just a bit shorter than a Rakshani, but she was quite strong for her size and very firm when she needed to be.

“Captain, thank you for coming down,” she said to him without turning her eyes away from the scanners.

Grayclaw moved up beside Lilly with a smirk, she had always known when he came to see her, and often wonder if she was empathic as well. “So how is shi doing?” he asked Lilly while looking upon the unconscious form of Starhunter resting on the medical bed,

“As far as I can tell, shi's doing well for now, shi’s been under for the past 4 days.” The tigress answered before looking over to him. “I think it would be better if we waited until we return to Terra before waking hir, but with the amount of drugs I will have to use on hir is not going to last long, nor would it be good for hir health, we don’t have enough of it and it won’t be long before hir body will resist it. Which doesn't leave us with many choices, other than putting hir in stasis, there nothing else we can do.”

Grayclaw nodded and thought of the options, “There are some Chakat’s joining us from Star base 3 once we docked, one of them were Sunbeams older sister.” Before Lilly could interject, the Rakshani lift his paw up.

“Shi is taking the news better than you think, though shi was quite pissed off the last 2 days from what I heard and been working the networks trying to find leads on the pirates that attack the ship.”

The tigress morph nodded. “We are still far from the base, and with hir away from hir own kind after all this is not going to be a good thing, shi needs interaction with another empathic being;” Lilly said, crossing hir arms a bit. “And sadly there are no other chakats on the ship, so hir mental health will be very unstable, and with the loss of hir mate adding to the fire.” The tigress morph looked back at the chakat before a shiver ran down her spine.

“Wake hir, we need to see if shi will be able to do hir job, or be a danger to everyone.” The Rakshani ordered of the doctor who prepared a hypo stray and press it to Star’s neck to inject the drug before filling it with something strong enough to put hir under again. It took a moment before the chakat let out a low groan, hir body felt a bit numb and shi felt weak as hir brain slowly kick started, Shi opened hir eyes slightly as the bright lighting from the room took hir a moment to get use to before shi sensing both the head doctor, and Captain standing beside hir.

“It’s good to see you awake 2nd Lieutenant, how are you feeling?” Grayclaw asked hir with a concern look upon his face, closely the same look that Lilly had on her own.

Star looked at them both, feeling a bit confused before all the memories of what happened rushed back to hir, soon the leonine chakat started to sob with hir hands over hir face and muzzle. Lilly stepped up and gave Star a warm hug, trying her best to let Star feel her projecting love and calmness, knowing that the chakat could sense her feelings. It took another 10 minutes before Star could pull hirself together.

“Starhunter I know this will be hard for you, but I need to know, do you think you’ll be able to continue doing your job for the next 7 weeks before we reach Star base 3?” Grayclaw asked the Chakat, watching hir closely.

The chakat seem to be lost in thought as hir eyes lost focus for a moment before shi gave a slight nod. “Y-yes sir, I can continue…may I ask…how is the crew from…the Kyson?” Shi asked of him, feeling his emotions changed to a happier one from the question.

“They are all ok, we were able to save them, and most of the passengers were children, which makes the rescue that much imported.” The Rakshani said as Star slowly rolled hir pudgy form off the medical bed, and onto hir paw, still feeling weak from the stress, and drugs.

“T-thank you sir,” hir voice wasn’t as energetic or close to what a Star Fleet officer tone would carry.

Grayclaw shook his head before standing over hir, having to lean down to give the chakat a hug, shi blinked for a moment as he held hir.

“No, we thank you, there are no words that can be said for your loss, and sacrifice, if there is anything you need, let me, or the doctor know.” He informed before letting hir go.

Star nodded and rubbed hir eyes a bit before grabbing for hir uniform top to put on. “Thank you Captain, I think I’ll rest in my room before the next shift if that is ok with the doc?” Shi asked while looking over to Lilly who nodded.

“That would be a good ideal, though I would like for you to rest for a week before going back on duty, and to talk with me.” She said to the Chakat before Star turned to leave sickbay.

Both Lilly, and Grayclaw glanced at each other for a moment. “I hope you know what you’re doing Gray.” Lilly said as shie went to place the hypo stray away, and the bed to self-clean.

“There was a chakat on the ship we rescued,” Grayclaw commented. “I plan to meet with hir as shi was also the only chakat on that ship, so maybe they can help us out by helping each other through this until we reach star base 3.” The Captain said before leaving sick bay.

---

Starhunter slowly made hir way to the room that once was a place of relaxing, joy, love, and happiness, but now, it was just as empty as space. Shi locked the door behind hir before climbing upon hir bed, one that was filled with such warmth before.

“I wish I could have took your place…I’m sorry I failed you Sunbeam.” Star whispered to hirself as shi just let hir tears flow out, crying to hirself of hir lifemate, the one that the leonine chakat was made to be with, now having to find a way to keep hir word to Sunbeam.

Starhunter had the computer place psionic shields up, it was something shi did not enjoy having done, not being able to feel the background emotions of others was unnerving, but was needed if shi didn’t want the crew of the ship to be bothered by hir much powerful feelings.

---

Grayclaw was sitting behind his desk when the door chimed, "Enter." He said before the door slid open for a panther like Chakat with light blue fur and yellow hair and green eyes, seeming to be around hir mid 40’s and quite far along hir pregnancy from the swell of hir lower belly. Shi stepped into the captains ready room feeling a bit out of place as shi had never met many people of such rank beside hir mates.

"Hum...you wish to speak with me Captain?" Shi asked of the Rakshani Star Fleet Captain.

Grayclaw lifted his head from the display screen with a warm smile before standing up, making his way around the large desk to greet the Chakat. Shi glanced at the tall Rakshani, sensing his emotions let hir feel at ease, knowing that some Rakshani didn't like Chakat's or other morphs from Terra; but he was different than most.

“Thank you for coming, I'm Captain Grayclaw, you must be Chakat Bluefire.” He said, shi could sense that he knew more about hir, but shi kept hir self from asking that of him for now.

“Why did you send for me?” Shi asked, hir long tail flickering from side to side a bit.

“As you might have found out, I lost a crew member from my ship that was a chakat while rescuing the ship you were on,” He pointed out. “My ship only had 2 chakat’s, both were mates, and as I remembered they were bonded as well,” he paused for moment watching the expression on hir face while letting hir take in what he was saying.

Bluefire felt a shiver run down hir spine at the news before feeling light kick from hir lower belly; shi smirked to hirself as she sat upon hir hunches to rub her handpaw over the swell of hir belly. “So, I’m guessing you want me to help hir with hir empathic feedback and support of hir lost mate? Well I surely won’t say no to helping another chakat in need of it, I know that I could use the company as well, but for the bond.” Shi stated while glancing up at the taller Rakshani. “Shi will need the help of hir family, unless shi has another mate.”

Grayclaw nodded lightly. “We are planning to pick up a crew from Star base 3 that is returning back to Terra with us, one of which is the sister to the member I lost, shi has informed me that shi can help; so that will be covered, until then, I thought it would be better for the both of you to be with each other for the rest of the trip.” Grayclaw commented before handing hir a comm badge, “If you need to get a hold of me or need any aid like medical, you can us this, and the chakat in question name is Starhunter.”

He informed hir while Blue took the badge and placed it into a belt pouch before asking. “Where can I find Starhunter’s cabin?” hir eyes gazed back to the captain while he pulled up the ships mapping on a display panel that was built into the long table. He pointed his fingers to a red dot showing where they were before a line showed the path to the cabin that Star lived in; about 3 levels down.

“May I have your PADD?” he asked of the chakat, getting a nod as shi pulled out hir PADD for him to load the map into, then handing it back over to Bluefire. “It will get you to sickbay and the mass hall as well. As you know this is a Military ship, many places are not open for you to enter, mostly for your safety.”

The chakat nodded, “Well I won’t take up much more of your time Captain, I’ll see what I can do to help hir.” Shi says to him, giving a firm hand shake before padding out of his ready room. Bluefire pulled up hir PADD, following the line markers to the elevator and when down to level 3 before continuing on.

---

Starhunter was resting upon hir bed, hir tail curled up around hir forelegs as shi gazed at the fast moving stars that was formed from the warp field of the ship. Thoughts of a life with hir mate still hung over hir head, plans of forming a family, and moving to a new colony, it was all now nothing but a dream.

Hir ear’s flickered to hir door chime, sighing to hir self before saying. “Enter.”

The door slid open behind the leonine chakat, hir gaze still have yet to move away from the window until shi felt the empathic touch of hir guest. Shi turned hir head to face the chakat that looked to have light blue furred panther markings. “Is there anything I can help you with?” Star asked, trying hir best to not sound too dryly.

Bluefire gazed upon the chakat before hir, sensing sadness, depression, loneliness, and fear. Shi stepped over to Star’s bedside, projecting calmness and comfort. “I think we can both help each other, it’s going to be another 7 weeks before we make it to star base 3;” Blue told before sitting upon hir hunches on a taur pad, helping to ease the stress hir heavy lower belly was forming for hir.

Starhunter’s gazed lowered, seeing that the chakat before hir was indeed with cub, or cubs from the size of hir belly, making the Star Fleet officer sit up a bit more as the empathic feedback loop was helping hir slowly, shi know that the young ones could feel of hir emotions, and thought to ease hir projections. “I don’t think it will be a good ideal, and I don’t wish to put you and your cubs in harm’s way.” Star pretested, getting a soft chuckle from the older chakat.

Blue placed hir hand on Star’s lower back. “There will be no harm to me and my cubs here with you, and from what I can sense, I will be in good hands,” Shi said to Star, still smiling like a mother would. “My name is chakat Bluefire, daughter of Hottail, and Whitemane.” Shi says while leaning closer to give the other kat a warm hug.

Star just held still for a moment before melting into the hug, moving hir own arms around Blue’s back. “I’m Chakat StarHunter, child of Lighttail, and Leatherneck,” shi told while continuing to hug the blue furred panther kat, lightly breaking into a soft sob. Blue hummed softly, rubbing hir hand over Star’s back while shi continued to project comfort to leonine Chakat.

After a while Star pulled hirself together, letting a soft sigh lift from hir maw before feeling Blue paw upon hir chin to slowly lift up to stare into each other eyes. “Now that we got you calmed a little, would you like me to help you with your heat?” Bluefire asked, still holding the same soft warm motherly smile upon hir.

Starhunter blushed along hir cheeks while hir ear’s pinned back just the same. “S-sure, I would appreciate that a lot,” the leonine chakat said, sounding a bit embarrassed at something shi had been doing the last 8 years of hir life, from basic training to now being on long tours of duty, It was a need that had to be taking care of.