Captain Bass paced back and forth with heavy, determined steps. Commander Lemm stood with her hands behind her back and her legs spread slightly in an ‘at ease’ position.

Junior Crewmate 3rd Class Lauryna Gwenn bit her lip and cringed as she awaited the inevitable explosion that was to come. She could feel it, smell it, taste it.

“Can I just say….” Corporal Ibanez said up quickly – but one wary look from the gigantic, auburn-haired Commander Lemm shut the tiny human down quickly. It wasn’t so much an intimidating glance as a helpful warning. A hint that silence was perhaps the best option.

Aertimus turned on his heel and stormed over to the Junior Crewmate. He jabbed his finger sharply towards her, millimeters from her nose. He opened his mouth tospeak…then sharply turned and paced again across his ready room, cradling his temples with his hands.

“Sir, I….” Lauryna said, meekly, but she was cut off abruptly and viciously.

“Do you know how many rules I broke to get that human home? Do you understand what it could have cost me, Lemm, this crew!?” Aerti’s voice was as close to yelling as it ever had gotten in the presence of one of his crew. Aertimus Bass was not a yeller, he was a negotiator. But every man has his limit.

Lauryna was silenced, and simply looked down at her boots.

“Do you understand what you’ve cost this woman!?” Aerti motioned to Izzy, who was quite intimidated at the sight of the angry giant.

“But she didn’t….” Izzy spoke up once more but was once again convinced to remain silent after a quiet shake of the head from Lemm.

“Is it too late to turn around and….” Lauryna squeaked with the last reserves of courage she held.

“We have been ordered to detour to Antrova shipyards, a first-order command from Narvachos Imperii herself. The Kerberos is already starting sector sweeps! Yes crewmate…it is -too late to turn back!-”

“Oh….” Lauryna whispered, and looked back down.

“Can I just….” Izzy spoke up once more, but the louder and more commanding Titan voices drowned her out.

“This is the most irresponsible, reckless, careless, insubordinate thing I’ve seen for some time Crewmate Gwenn!” Aerti stormed back towards Lauryna. “You didn’t just disobey protocol, Crewmate, you did so at the cost of this woman’s freedom!” Aerti’s face was red and his nostrils flared.

“Can I just say something!” Izzy shouted, her fists balling out of frustration.

The three Titans all looked to Izzy, Lemm and Aerti taken aback by the outburst.

There was a silence, but as nobody showed signs of protest, Izzy continued.

“Who am I speaking with?” Corporal Ibanez began, looking to Captain Bass.

Aertimus recomposed himself and approached the confident, yet mildly terrified Human. He was clearly still quite angry, but it was clear his anger was not directed towards Izzy.

“Captain Aertimus Bass, commanding, Starship Gyfjon,” Aerti nodded, attempting to control his tone.

“I am Corporal Isabel Ibanez, U.S. Army, 4th Military Information Support Group, 8th Battalion, Black-2 Company, 1st Squad…and I don’t think you have any right to scream at her like this.” Izzy swallowed as she forced her brazen words out.

“I believe the Captain is more than capable of discerning….” Commander Lemm said, but she was silenced with a slight gesture from Aertimus.

“Go on,” Aerti said, his curiosity piqued.

“Izzy you don’t have to….” Lauryna said quickly, but silenced herself after a sharp look from the captain.

“Well…it’s just that, this isn’t solely her fault, sir.” Izzy swallowed the lump in her throat and maintained her stiff, alert pose. When there was silence in reply, Izzy took it as a sign to keep going.

“I woke up…from whatever you did to us…confused and disoriented. I wandered off on my own accord.” Izzy looked to Lauryna, who had a worried look on her fact, a concerned look.

“They came and took everyone away and I was by myself…Lauryna found me, calmed me down and explained to me what was going on. She was just curious…but she was accommodating and hospitable.”

Captain Bass was silent as he digested the tiny human’s words. After an uncomfortable silence he brought his hand to his chin in thought. “We’re you held against your will?” Aerti asked, stoic, but calmer.

“Never! She made it very clear I was not her prisoner. In fact she didn’t even abduct me against my will, she was gentle and inviting. She never once forced me to accompany her.” Izzy looked to Lauryna once more.

Captain Bass stood once more, he seemed to deflate just a little. “This complicates things, doesn’t it, Commander,” Aerti sighed.

Lemm nodded and eyed Lauryna thoughtfully.

“Please…she was willing to sacrifice her career for me…we both lost track of time Captain….” Izzy half smiled.

Aertimus almost chuckled. Almost. “Before, I had someone to yell at….” Aerti approached Lauryna, he spoke in his best command voice. “Is this all true,Crewmate?”

Lauryna looked to Izzy and then back to Captain Bass. “Aye aye, sir.” Lauryna nodded.

“Understand this, Crewmate. Your first order of business should have been to report your finding to a senior officer. That failure rises to the level of dereliction of duty.” Aerti’s voice was stern and fierce.

“Aye, sir.” Lauryna shot back respectfully.

“Wait didn’t you hear me?” Izzy frowned.

“That said….” Aerti looked back at Izzy for a second and then put his business’face back on for Lauryna. “Corporal Ibanez doesn’t seem too keen on letting you burn.” Aerti narrowed his eyes.

Lauryna was quiet.

“The question remains: What do I do about this mess?” Aerti stroked his chin in thought.

“We could turn about to Titan station, corporal Ibanez might like to be among friends?” Lemm spoke up.

“Hmmm….”

“Friends?” Izzy questioned. “You mean friend, Eyrn right?”

“Well, her and Sergeant Avery…he choose to remain with her,” Aerti answered as he rounded his desk and sat down, swiping his hand over his communications pad.

“Comm, send a message to Narchavos Imperii Orin, request permission to return to Titan station.” Aerti looked to Izzy, who had a silly grin on her face.

“Darren you crazy fool! Can’t even let me get abducted by Aliens on my own, eh? Ha! I knew he’d be too much of an meddling Nancy to let you send him home! Stubborn fool!” Izzy laughed. Knowing there was someone else wrapped up in all this made her feel a bit at ease. If she had to be stranded in an alien empire with anyone, Darren wasn’t so bad.

Junior Crewmate Gwenn was still tense, awaiting the harsh judgment she felt was comming.

“Comm reporting, request to turn about denied, we are to continue on route to Antrova Shipyards,” a female voice responded.

Aerti huffed and turned to Izzy with a a remorseful look.

Crewmate Gwenn sunk at the reply and frowned.

“Heh, well looks like I’m stuck here then?” Izzy responded calmly.

“For the time being, it would seem you are.” Aerti sighed thoughtfully. “Isabel, would you consider remaining aboard until we find ourselves back this way?” Aerti asked.

“Not like I have much of a choice it seems.” Izzy laughed slightly.

“Well, it’s true, your options are limited, but I don’t want you to feel as if I am forcing you to remain aboard.” Aerti folded his hands together.

“I appreciate that.” Izzy nodded.

“I assume Crewmate Gwenn has filled you in on a number of things regarding….” Aerti was cut off.

“She told me everything…yeah….” Izzy sighed.

“So you understand why I am hesitant to drop you off at the closest space port and send you on your way….”

“Yes, in your shoes I might be just as hesitant,” Izzy responded thoughtfully.

“I think I have a fitting solution. Corporal, are you comfortable with Junior Crewmate Gwenn?” Aerti asked pensively.

“She’s a sweet kid, little absent minded but sweet. Yeah, why?” Izzy narrowed her eyes.

“Crewmate Gwenn, approach.” Aerti asked sharply.

“Aye, sir!” Lauryna stumbled forward and snapped to attention.

“Corporal Ibanez has chosen to remain on board as a civilian guest, while she is with us, In lieu of bringing you up on charges, I am making you -soely- responsible for her comfort and well-being. You are to see to it that Ms. Ibanez is happy, comfortable and treated well.” Aerti looked to Izzy. “Is this acceptable, corporal?” Aerti smiled.

“I…er…um…ok…sure?” Izzy looked to Lauryna, who was trying hard not to smile.

Aerti looked back to Lauryna. “Do you understand then? You are personally responsible for seeing to our new guest’s safety and well-being!”

“Aye sir!” Lauryna nodded.

“Lemm? Anything to add?” Aerti looked to his first officer.

“Nope.” Lemm gave her head a slight shake.

“Then Crewmate, you are dismissed!”

Lauryna saluted her captain and gently set her hand down for Izzy to board. As they were exiting the captain’s ready room, Aerti spoke up.

“And Corporal….”

Izzy turned to face the captain.

“Welcome aboard!”

***

“Yer a friggen celebrity, kid!” Darren grumbled as he fiddled with the awkward-fittingrobe Nurse Talec had supplied him with.

Humans apparently didn’t wear clothes, or so he was told. They did, however, have a number of fashion accessories and cute adornments at the station’s pet shop. A place the junior nurse, Lerrayene, was more than eager to show him.

While there, courtesy of the station’s refugee expense account, Lerrayene helped Darren pick out an adorable outfit, with puffy round ears and a hood, and the rest of the outfit all fluff and faux fur. It was capped off with a long slim tail, and arms that ended in tupp palms.

Darren had maintained his composure, and promptly shredded the unacceptable portions of the outfit once he had been returned to Eyrn’s bedside. He had time to tailor it. He had nothing but time.

Eyrn slept more than she was awake, and the Nurses and Doctor were always too busy for conversation. Not that he enjoyed the elementary conversations they did offer him.

The fluffy tuppy outfit had been sliced, shredded and with the aid of the needle and thread that came standard in every field survival kit, Darren managed to fashion acrude, primal-looking — but respectable — replacement outfit. His field gear was starting to smell ripe from overwear.

“What are you talking about now?” Eyrn mumbled as she drank a bit of her reconstituted meal replacement. The irony was not lost to her; around her own people at last, and her stomach needed time to adjust to the new fare. She was free, and still eating gruel.

Darren held up the shirt portion of the former tuppy costume and eyed it. Titan days were long. Too long. He was liable to grow mad from boredom alone.

“Ah mean, everyone wants ta see you. Yew wouldn’t believe the crowd that gathers outside the ward! They’re callen ya the wild girl!” Darren chuckled.

Eyrn groaned and set her cup of lunch on the side table. “How many of them are there?”

“Bout’ twenty when me’n Gabby-Gertrude went out.”

“Was she nice to you?” Eyrn asked quickly, and with no end of concern.

“Yes’maam! She think’s ah am adorable! I think I couldda asked fer the moon en she’d a done it! These Titans are suckers fer a cute face’n a squeaky voice!” Darren chuckled.

“It’s not funny! It’s horrible! Humans as pets…it’s an atrocity, that’s what it is!” Eyrn had all but forgotten about the apparent crowd that gathered in her name.

“Bah, lighten up. Besides, nothing we can do’bout it.”Darren shrugged. It bothered him a great deal more than he would ever let on. But Eyrn was wound up enough for the two of them. Besides, he was growing skilled at using his ‘cuddly woodland animal’ status to his advantage.

“How are you just so calm about all this?” Eyrn asked, with a relieved smile on her lips.

“One of us has’t be. Now finish yer…um…stuff. Ya need yer strength! There sending ya home in a few days.” Darren sounded upbeat. Even he was looking forward to getting out of the sterile-smelling hospital room.

“Do I even have a home?” Eyrn sat up, fiddling with the small tight bracelet around her wrist. She wore one on each wrist.

“Apparently so!” Darren shrugged. “Seems they don’t got no homeless problem t’worry about. They hook ya up wit a place t’live, en a job. In yer case since ya never got no schooled, a place’t live’en a place’t go to school. Yer gonna be a student.” Darren tore a thread with his teeth and set the ‘shirt’ down.

“Interesting…so welcome to the Empire, here’s a place to live, see ya later?” Eyrn hugged her blanket nervously.

“Naw, sum case worker’s gonna drop in on ya, and ya gotta pass some kinda psych assessment b’fore they letcha go.” Darren picked up the pants he had been working on and began to make some last minute touches on it.

“This all seems so…strange I mean…they’re just gonna let me go…just like that?” Eyrn picked up the shirt Darren had been working on and examined it.

“Yup….”Darren spoke as he worked.

“And what about you?” Eyrn asked cautiously.

“I go where you go, master,” Darren said with a surly grin.

“Heh, right…keep forgetting that part.” Eyrn sucked her teeth awkwardly. “Oh hey, how did that…thinggie…go!?”

Darren motioned to his arm nonchalantly. “Regestered to a Mizz Eyrn Twat Fitzgerald, cleaned, vaccinated en passed mah physical! Also got a cookie…cuz am’m friggen adorable!” Darren laughed.

“You told them my middle name was –Twat?!-” Eyrn’s eyes went wide.

Darren’s eyes remained focused on his work at hand, he spoke without guilt or remorse. “Well I hadda tell’em something, they asked.”

“Well you could have said anything else!” Eyrn shouted.

“Yer lucky ah was as nice as ah was! I wanted to tell’em it was yer first name! But Aerti already told em that!” Darren chuckled.

Eyrn mumbled explicit words and crossed her arms over her chest. After a bit of a silence, and a few stifled chuckles from Darren, Eyrn spoke up.

“So, why do I feel so crappy? Nobody ever answers my questions around here!” Eyrn spoke with her surliest voice she could muster.

Unfazed, Darren answered calmly. “Well best ah can figure from eavesdropping, as they don’t tell me shit really, is ya feel that way cuz of the grav inhibitors they got strapped to yer arm.” Darren motioned to Eyrn’s wrist.

“What are they for? What the hell is a ‘grav-inhibitor’?” Eyrn huffed.

“Keeps ya from climbing the walls like spider man wit them implants a yer’s.” Darren shrugged.

“Why didn’t they just take then out? Or turn them off?” Eyrn grumbled.

“Well, that was our initial idea, but it seems your circulatory system has fused so well with the implants, I’m afraid the procedure would carry too much of a risk with it,” A male voice spoke up

Eyrn looked quickly to the source. A balding man with tan skin and what looked like ocular implants in his eyes. He was stout and had short stubby fingers, a bearded face and wore a white coat with a strange apparatus around his neck.

“Oh, um…hi.” Eyrn spoke, still not used to the presence of such humongous people. But she was doing better.

“Deactivation was our second idea, but whomever meddled with it made that directly tie into your central nervous system. Short term it can be turned off, but not without significant brain damage.” The man spoke simply as he looked over a pad in his hand.

“And…you are?” Eyrn asked, with a bemused frown.

“Oh, Dr Aames, Aames Leuron.” The short stout man nodded and smiled, what looked like a well-practiced smile.

“Oh…so these….” Eyrn looked to the light, form fitting bracelets and back to the Doctor.

“As your pet repeated, they inhibit the outward effects of the device. You see, Miss Fitzgerald, we stopped using the particular device grafted to your skeletal system long ago, due to the long-term nature of the implant. When a less intrusive device was implemented, the dark mater anti-gravitational inhibitor was decommissioned. What you have there, miss is a museum, piece.” The doctor smiled. “One that you will have use of, for better or for worse, for the rest of your life.”

“Heh…so if I take these bangles off?” Eyrn fiddled with the braclet on her right arm.

“You’ll feel much lighter, faster and have to deal with the effects of lowered gravity,” The doctor responded.

“Cool! Did you hear that Sarge, I’m the Flash!” Eyrn looked down to Darren with a wide grin on her face.

Darren rubbed his hand over his face and groaned. “Aww hell doc, ya hadda go tell her! Couldn’t ya’ve just told’er it wouldda killed her!?” Darren scorned and grumbled as Eyrn giggled.

“Ohhh! Don’t be such a surly little pet Darren!” Eyrn teased.

Darren himself grumbled as the Doctor spoke with Eyrn.

After a through run down of her vitals, her blood type and a detailed explanation of the particulars of her DNA and genetic makeup, most of which left Eyrn bug eyed and confused, the stout doctor lowered the bed rail and, accompanied by a nurse, pulled down the sheet to Eyrn’s bed which she had been using to cover herself.

“Hey?!” Eyrn grasped at the sheets but was too slow to prevent them from being pulled away.

“We would like to see you walk, just to see if we have the inhibitors set properly.

Eyrn eyed the Nurse and Doctor with tension as she set her bare feet on the cold hospital floor. A shiver ran down her spine, and she clinched the blue mattress tightly.

“It should feel natural, seamless in fact. Actually you might feel a little bit lighter. Your dark matter anti grav implants hadn’t been recalibrated…well…ever, so this should feel a lit better,” The doctor spoke as he looked over the data pad, and then the bangle on Eyrn’s right arm.

Eyrn watched the man fiddle with her new adornment, like a surly grumpy cat. She wasn’t used to being handled, let alone by people her own size.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Eyrn asked with caution.

“Dr. Leuron is just making sure everything is set correctly.” Nurse Talec spoke up, with her signature kind and cheerful bedside manner.

“Will it always take this much fiddlen?” Darren spoke up. “Teh get the thing working?” The tiny Texan looked up at the two Titans as they worked.

Nurse Talec looked to Dr. Leuron and back again to Darren. The two caregivers exchanged curious expressions before Nurse Talec addressed Eyrn.

“Well, actually….” The Nurse was interrupted abruptly.

“I didn’t as the question, Darren did.” Eyrn spoke with gusto.

“A-huh….” Nurse Talec looked to Darren, and crouched down closer to his level.

“Well, actually once the doctor makes the adjustments, baring any major weight loss or gain, Miss Fitzgerald’s new accessories will be totally self-maintaining.

Darren put his hand to his chin and narrowed his eyes in thought. “And if she takes ‘em off?” Darren asked pensively.

The nurse looked to Eyrn for a moment, perchance wondering why she was explaining this to a common house human? But Eyrn remained unwavering in her dedication to fairness. She simply shrugged and motioned back to Darren.

Nurse Talec sighed slowly and looked back to Darren, her voice picking up a cherry sweetness.

“Well, if she takes them off, she will have the benefits the doctor explained before. Quicker movement, less incumbency from gravity…mmmkay?” Talec smiled forcefully. “That means, she will be super, super fast and feel really, really light!” The nurse explained once more, in terms she felt Darren could better understand.

Darren nodded his head, he choose to ignore the childish and condescending tone in the Nurses voice. He had only been a denizen of the Empire a very short while, and already he was fast growing accustomed to Titans.

“Okay! We are all set Eyrn! Easy now!” Dr. Leuron took a step back, nurse Talec assisted the petite woman to her feet.

Eyrn stumbled and her knees wobbled. She swatted Talec away when the Nurse attempted to assist her.

“I got it.” Eyrn mumbled, her eyes were focused and her lips pressed tightly.

“I feel heavy…you said I would feel light?” Eyrn questioned.

“Your muscles are getting used to functioning mostly on their own. You’ve grown accustomed to the implants.” Dr. Leuron looked Eyrn over carefully as she slowly moved from one side of the room to the other.

“Atta’girl twat! Get’er done!” Darren cheered from the sidelines.

“I don’t like this! Turn them back on!” Eyrn grumbled, she was doing remarkably well, even if she didn’t think so herself.

“You haven’t had a fall yet and you’re halfway across the room!” Nurse Talec ran a scanner up and down over Eyrn as she walked.

“Will’ya look at that! I can walk…I wonder what my first word will be!” Eyrn quipped, her tone sarcastic and dry.

“No need for an attitude, you really are doing good!” Nurse Talec responded with a grin as she handed the medical scanner over to the Doctor.

“Weight distribution optimal, no abnormal stress on joints and ligaments, even weight displacement…looks good!” The doctor spoke, sounding quite pleased.

Eyrn made it to the door, and peered out into the hallway. The station’s medical bay was teeming with activity. There were all sorts of Titans moving about, including a few species she hadn’t been exposed to, including a fuzzy little creature that had four arms, a long prehensile tail, and a long snout like a lemur.

Eyrn grasped hold of the door frame, carefully she turned her body to look the other way. As before while she was aboard the ship, not only were the people her size or bigger, but their surroundings also seemed tailored for her.

“Okay, come on back now.” Nurse Talec’s voice rung in like a melody.

Darren snuffed a laugh and went back to working on his outfit. “Heh, yea lemme know how that goes ‘sweet cheeks!”

Eyrn pushed off the door frame and continued shuffling onward, down the hall.