Chapter 1

Carrie Byrd looked at her orders with a sinking heart. When she applied to the Academy she had specifically requested planet-bound duty. Now that she graduated, specializing in communications, the powers-that-be saw fit to post her on one of the new Pegasus-class, long-range scout ships. Worse yet, she had only two hours before the shuttle lifted! Carrie did the only thing she could do in the situation. She grabbed all her uniform jump suits, her music, and literature files, and a couple very personal belongings; hastily packing them into her duffle.

"Shipping out sale!" she bellowed as she threw open her dormitory door.

The response was instant! Her classmates and friends for the last two years, swarmed in to see what they could get their hands on.

"Hey Canary, I thought you wanted a base posting," Millina Fray, her closest friend asked her, as the excited crowd fought over her old junk.

Carrie shrugged her shoulders. "So did I. Apparently somebody up there thinks they know better!" Carrie didn't even fight her nickname anymore. In boot camp, the drill instructor naturally took C. Byrd, as Canary Bird, and that's what Carrie had been known as, ever since. Carrie and Millina hugged tightly. "I'll miss you, Mill. Every chance I get, I'll send you a file, okay?"

"You better, Birdie! You just behave yourself with your partner, you hear? What's he like, is he cute? Are you planning any personal explorations?"

Carrie blushed. She still didn't feel comfortable discussing such personal matters, even after she and Mill had drifted past friendship, into a loving and sexual relationship. Millina was from McCaffrey, one of the newer, more open-minded colony worlds, and she just loved teasing her Earthling friend.

"I don't know. The orders were just cut this morning, and they don't say."

Millina patted her back. "Well, I'm hoping for you kiddo. You be sure and tell me everything that happens, you hear me?"

Carrie promised she would and was on her way, after one last kiss. Millina would see to the sale of her junk, and credit it all to her account. All Carrie had to worry about was her new exploration partner. She strapped herself into the commercial shuttle, and managed to grab a quick nap in the 40 minutes of freefall, before docking at Aurora Station.

When Carrie presented herself to the Station Master, requesting directions for the scout ship Fairview's berth, she didn't understand his sudden laughter.

"You did say communications officer Byrd, didn't you?" he said with a last chuckle.

In her confusion, she made matters worse. "Yes sir! Canary Byrd, I mean Carrie."

If it weren't for the reduced gravity, he would have fallen from his chair. "Canary Bird! That's priceless!" he wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I couldn't help it. Just wait until you meet your pilot, flight control officer Cat!"

Carrie couldn't help grinning. "Cat and Byrd, what a pair!"

"Well little Bird, you best fly now, can't keep your partner waiting!"

Carrie thanked him, and was on her way. As she approached her new home for the next year, she saw a few Techs making final checks, but no sign of her partner. She boarded the Fairview, and headed for the control cabin.

"Hello Cat? I'm sorry; I don't know your full name. Are you on board?" She nearly jumped out of her uniform, when someone soundlessly came up behind her.

"Actually, Cat will do nicely," a low whisper sounded in her ear. "Few humans can pronounce my true name."

Carrie spun around, and stood eye to eye with a panther! At least that's what it looked like. "You startled me!" she gasped, as she tried to calm her heart.

"I do apologize, Carrie Byrd," Cat whispered as a huge grin split her darkly furred face. "You humans are so easy to sneak up on!"

Carrie looked over her new partner. It really was amazing how much she resembled an Earthly panther. The only real differences were the size of the skull, the opposable thumbs, and the four prominent breasts, under the sleek black fur of her chest. Carrie felt herself blushing, when she noticed the pink nipples peeking out of that glossy pelt.

"Um, that's okay. Just don't make it a habit, okay?" Cat dropped down to all fours, and padded silently through the ship.

"We really are lucky. Fairview was just commissioned." Carrie was almost mesmerized, watching the powerful muscles roll beneath Cat's shining fur. Cat paused and keyed open a cabin door with the tip of her long tail. "This can be your place."

"That's great!" Carrie entered the compact unit and stashed her duffle on the bunk. "This is much bigger then my Academy dorm!"

Cat rose to her hind legs and watched amused as Carrie checked out the amenities of the cabin. Crossing her fingers for luck, the human turned to the catering computer. "Coffee, black." With a yelp of delight, she snatched the steaming mug, and inhaled deeply of the rising steam. "Thank goodness! I was worried they didn't have my preferences programmed in yet!"

Cat purred deep in her throat; a sound Carrie recognized as a giggle.

"You humans and your caffeine!" She padded over to the unit, and hissed quietly at it. Carrie nearly dropped her mug when Cat picked up a large crystal goblet and began to lap at what appeared to be fresh blood! Cat looked at her; droplets of crimson fluid clinging to her muzzle. Carrie was startled further to see the thin, snake-like forked tongue flash out and clear away the dampness. "I am sorry, Carrie. I know some humans are bothered by this, but it is best to discover such things early, I think."

Carrie recovered fast. "That's quite all right. I'm no vegetarian." She found she was beginning to like Cat's openness. "I think everything is going work out!"

Carrie was right. It was a little disturbing, at first, to watch Cat consume raw meat with such delight, but the human soon adjusted. Besides, Cat couldn't understand why humans would ruin perfectly good flesh by broiling the life force out of it!

Late, by ship's time, Carrie snapped on the lights in her cabin. She heard that sound again. She pressed her ear to the bulkhead, trying to figure out what it was. After weeks of FTL flight, she knew every sound that the Fairview made in its normal functioning. This late night sound was driving her insane! She asked Cat about it, thinking her keen hearing would surely pinpoint it, but the feline told her she was too deep a sleeper to have heard it.

That sound had mysteriously vanished after that. Cat refused to talk about it; in fact, the feline was starting to get rather snippy the last couple of days.

Tonight was the first time in almost a week Carrie heard the strange rhythmic hum. "I have to track that down, or I'll never get to sleep!" Looking over all her exploration gear, she chose the tool best for the job. Slowly she walked through the ship. Pausing from time to time to hold a drinking glass to the bulkhead, Carrie placed her ear against it. She was tracing the sound to its source. At the entrance to Cat's cabin, she heard her partner cry out, as the sound suddenly increased in tempo.

Carrie slapped the door actuator key. The door slipped silently open. The human gasped, and dropped her glass when she saw what was happening inside.

"Close that!" Cat roared.

"I'm so sorry!" Carrie stammered as the door slid shut again. The human couldn't get the sight out of her mind. Cat, on all fours, was thrusting herself madly at a machine strapped to the side of her bunk. The device's single large shining piston was pumping into her, accompanied by that odd rhythmic humming! The feline was whipping her tail from side to side, her large yellow eyes burning with her rising passion!