I was Kaire but had been raised by a human who was my god father. He was good about teaching me Kaire traditions and history. I am what you would call red with black strips which was why they named me Kai, which meant fire. Jesop was the one to send me to Kair to study when I was eighteen.

That was when I found the old records and woke the empire up. I was looking for dates when colonies had been sent out. I found the records for one colony departure but no corresponding colony record. I tried asking in many places and finally walked into a huge office with a golden Kaire.

He glanced up and then sat back, "you are Kai?"

I nodded as I crossed to the desk, "yes sir."

He smiled and gestured to a seat, "I found your query interesting, tell me more."

I sat and took a breath, "the record I found showed three colony ships leaving for a temperate world called Tres. The scout record has it as a heavily forested world with many edible animals and predators. I looked and have not found any follow up record after the ships left Tres."

I waited and he frowned, "and you want what?"

I had thought about this, "a chance to go to Tres and see what happened to the colony."

He scratched on a pad on the side of the desk, "I would like to find out also."

He looked at the six females that strode in and sighed, "I see my mates found me."

They walked around to stand behind him, waiting and he looked from them to me, "I will have a scout ship made available."

I blinked, "you can do that?"

He stood, "I am the emperor so yes I can do that."

I watched him walk towards a side door with the females following him. I was shocked and finally stood as they left and the other door opened. A tall human stood waiting and I walked towards him. He smiled, "If you would pack a bag I will have someone contact you with directions to reach the ship."

I glanced at the other door, "he was the emperor?"

He laughed, "Serg heard about you. Our father is human as well as one mother and a grandmother."

I blinked because I had not heard that. I grinned and nodded, "I am staying at the colony..."

He nodded, "we know."

Four hours later I was pulling a small float with a pet carrier and a large case with my belongings. The female Kaire that was leading me barely glanced at me as she walking into the lift. I followed and pulled the float close before we ascended up into the scout. When I walked in she began bringing the lift into the ship and I pulled my float through the airlock.

A scout is only a hundred meters long, half that wide and a third that tall. A dark grey spotted male led me to a cabin. I hesitated before releasing Ginger from her carrier. The male shifted as she came out and started looking around, "what is that?"

I smiled as I watched my four year old cat leap to the bed, "a cat."

He growled and I looked at him, "a real cat. She is what they call an orange tabby."

He looked at her as she began kneading the bed, "what does she do?"

I grinned, "kill rodents and just about anything else she can catch."

He grinned as she laid down and started purring, "what about when she goes to the bathroom?"

I gestured to the cage, "the bottom has an outside liner I put clay sand in."

He turned to leave, "we lift shortly."

I turned to fix her litter box before picking her up and setting her beside the box. She smelled it before turning to head towards the door. I caught her and picked her up as I left and went to the common area. I sat on a couch and let Ginger go. I felt the change in the ship as it lifted and a female walked into the room.

She stopped and looked at me and then Ginger. She crossed to sit in a chair and turned on the holo table, "I am Sora."

I smiled and bowed my head, "Kai."

She grinned, "it fits."

She looked down as Ginger jumped down and crossed to her before jumping up and into her lap. Sora was surprised and hesitated as Ginger smelled and then laid down while purring. I grinned, "that was fast. She normally takes a little longer to adjust to people."

Sora grinned, "what is she?"

I smiled, "an earth cat. She is called Ginger and is an orange tabby."

She laughed as she felt and then pet Ginger. Sora was not the first she converted, by the time we reached Tres she had the whole crew treating her like a queen. Dolan was the scout commander and told me after we reached the planet they would wait in orbit. They were more than happy to watch Ginger while I looked for the lost colony on the planet.

We could look down on the area around where the colony ships had landed. There were no lights or other electric fields we could see or scan. What we did see was six areas to the west that had a lot of small fires. The scout landed on the western edge of a huge plain and I shouldered my pack before opening the outer airlock.

Sora followed and extended the lift and watched as I took it down and stepped off. She brought it up as I took a deep breath of fresh air and started walking. I glanced back when the ship lifted and then continued into the forest. Most of the trees were only a hundred meters tall or less. The bushes and brush had frond like leaves that closed when the sun went down.

I had planned to head straight west to the set of fires we had seen grouped together. It would take me a couple of days to reach them. I still had a few hours of daylight before I could set up camp. It was an hour before I saw the grey tree house. It was two thirds of the way up a large tree and from the ground I saw it had a wide porch area.

I looked around and shifted the short plasma rifle before shouldering it. I moved to the tree and leaped to grab onto the bark and started climbing. The lower branches were more than ten meters above the ground. From the first thick branch I found wooden pegs in the tree. The tree was slowly covering the pegs.

I was able to use them to climb higher until I stepped onto the ancient wooden porch. I shifted the pack before removing it and moving towards the open doorway into the house. I looked in and then walked in and looked around. Beside a table there were cabinets along the outer wall. To the back was a wide bed that had what looked like a fur covering.

I walked to the bed and reached down to feel it. It felt solid and like it could still be used. I turned at a gasp and a Kaire girl was standing in the doorway staring at me with only a leather belt around her waist. I had not thought about what I would say and cleared my throat. She was black with grey spots and very pretty.

She spoke before me, "I am Kesha Den Sa Gilgor and I see you."

A thrill raced through me at the words as I walked to her, "I am Kai Ser Glen No Dos and I see you."

Her eyes went wide and she placed her hand on my chest, "I claim you."

I blinked, "but..."

I took a breath, "I am from Kair."

She pushed as she began to walk and I had to step back until I backed into the bed. I sat and she knelt as she reached out to open and remove my long kilt. I caught her hands and she looked into my face. I slowly let her hands go and sighed as I stood. I moved to the table and set the short rifle on it and then undid my weapon belt and set it on the table to.

I turned as the girl stood and removed the simple belt as I took the thin shirt off and removed the kilt. I walked to her as she backed onto the bed. I followed and laid beside her, "you claimed me very quickly."

I caressed her pelvis as she shivered and smiled, "this is a claiming house."

I bent to suck on a nipple and she shuddered and held my head. I moved over her and between her legs and rubbed my cheek against hers, "claiming house?"

She looked at me as I moved down to her pussy, "males and females of age from any clan may come to one of the claiming houses and claim a mate if they have not been chosen."

I nodded and licked through her pussy. She gasped and spread her legs while tilting her hips, "ooohhhh!"

I pushed my tongue into her and then nibbled on her inner lips. I captured her clit and sucked hard as I wiggled my tongue. She humped and clutched the bed as she wailed, "aaaahhhh!"

She wiggled and bucked as I continued to use my tongue on her clit. She twisted and began thrashing around while still screaming. It was several minutes before I moved up and settled with my cock sheath against her pussy. I looked into her eyes as she panted and finally humped and pushed.

She grunted as my cock emerged and sank into her. She put her arms around me as she humped and wiggled while trying to adjust. Her pussy was tight and warm and kept squeezing and massaging my cock. I wanted to fuck her hard but my adopted father had told me what to expect and what to do.

I rubbed cheeks with her and licked under her ear as she shivered and humped. I pulled back and started to fuck her with deep thrusts. Each time I buried my cock I pressed and rubbed against her. Kesha lifted her legs and spread them wide as she clutched me and began howling. She struggled and thrashed while her pussy constantly tightened.

I continued to fuck her with long strokes as her eyes rolled up and she started convulsing. I fucked her hard and deep suddenly and she spasmed and screamed, "yyyeeeessss!"

Several minutes later I shoved into her and pushed as I gushed cum. She kept jerking as her pussy clenched and milked the sperm out of my cock. When I was done I relaxed and looked at her before pulling out and laying beside her. I felt and caressed her until she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

She looked at me and grinned before rolling until she was on me, "it was very good."

I rubbed her butt, "yes."

I gave her a hug before rolling her off me and moving off the bed. I walked out and brought my pack back in and to the bed. Kesha was sitting up as I sat and dug into the pack and pulled out the sat link. I opened the comm and moved onto the bed and beside Kesha, "Dolan?"

It was a minute before he answered, "Kai? Are you in trouble?"

Our scheduled comm time was still a few hours away, "I found a dwelling in a tree. When I was checking it a girl found me."

I looked at Kesha, "her name is Kesha Den Sa Gilgor. Gilgor was one of the colony clans."

"I will relay it to the emperor."

I smiled as I cupped one of Kesha's breast, "the building is called a claiming house."

"Claiming house?"

I tugged on her nipple and she shuddered and grinned before straddling me, "males and females of age from any clan may come to one of the claiming houses and claim a mate if they have not been chosen."

They were quiet for a minute and then I heard laughing and Sora, "she claimed you?"

I wiggled as my cock emerged and Kesha tilted her hips to push back and down, "yes."

They laughed again and I sighed as my cock pushed into her slimy pussy, "tomorrow I will have her show me the way to her clan."

"Call tomorrow night at our scheduled time or before if you reach them."

I humped as Kesha began rubbing her pussy on me while it constantly tightened and squeezed, "let me know what the emperor says."

The comm shut off and I reached for a panting Kesha and rolled as I pulled her down. It was awhile before I slept with her snuggling against me. I woke with the predawn and looked at my new mate before caressing her hips. She purred, "start that and we will be in bed all day."

I grinned and rubbed her cheek before moving off the bed. I put the comm away and got dressed as Kesha got up. She showed me the hole that was used as a bathroom and then we climbed down. In a nearby stream I washed and watched her as she cleaned her pussy. She shuddered and grinned before starting to wash her body.

After we were done I let her lead and we moved a lot faster than I would have alone. We walked up to a river in the late afternoon. I knew it was on the edge of the area by one group of fires. Kesha gasped and I followed her look to see a large animal. I thought of a Kratcal but it was larger and the head was different.

She was trying to back away while looking up. I caught her arm as I shifted the pack and slipped it off. I let her take the pack as I lifted the rifle to my shoulder. The animal was eating what looked like a type of river animal. I aimed as it lifted its head and sniffed the air. I squeezed and the rifle kicked and roared.

The plasma round exploded through the animal's head and it dropped through the branches to the ground. Kesha stared as I moved towards it while it spasmed. It was dead so I set the rifle aside and glanced at her as I knelt and pulled out my knife. She grinned and set my pack down and came to help as I carefully skinned the animal.

She rolled the hide and we went to the river to wash before returning. I shouldered my pack and bent to help with the hide but Kesha pushed my hand away. She struggled to stand and put it over one shoulder. She gestured and I turned to follow, "we will talk about this later."

She glanced back, "you are my mate and I..."

I growled, "and I can help carry anything I kill or skin."

She looked down, "yes my mate."

I sighed, "start that and I will spank your butt."

She grinned and finally looked up at a large tree. I followed her look and saw a rope bridge across the river going from the upper branches. I set my pack down, "put the hide down."

I went through the pack and pulled out a strong cord. I tied one end to the hide before shouldering my pack, "climb up."

Kesha nodded and moved to the tree where wooden pegs had been inserted into the trunk. I followed and climbed up until I reached the small platform at the beginning of the bridge. I gestured before bending to pull up the hide, "go across."

Once I had the hide I shouldered it and looked across the swaying bridge before slinging the rifle. I grabbed a rope on one side and carefully stepped out and started across. It swayed and swung but I crossed without anything happening. A male was waiting with Kesha and looked me over as I approached.

I smiled and kept going and he stepped back to make room. An hour later I was sitting with dozens of males while females moved around us. One had greying face fur and leaned forward, "you are not from one of the clans."

I smiled, "I am from clan Dos."

They looked at each other and I leaned forward, "I came to see what happened to the Kaire colony here. Why did no one maintain contact with Kair?"

The old one growled before shaking his head and making a throw away gesture, "it was passed on that we were abandoned."

I frowned, "the records show the ships left here and the inventory shows you had a star comm."

I looked at the other males, "why did no one send the request for tech supplies or give a colony status?"

They looked at each other as if asking what I was talking about. I turned and opened my pack and pulled out the sat link before opening my comm, "Dolan?"

It was a moment before it was answered by Sora, "he is asleep."

I looked at the males, "I am in clan Gilgor speaking to their clan council. They tell me it has been passed down that they were abandoned. Did Dolan get through to the emperor?"

She sighed, "we were hoping it was something else. Yes he talked to Serg personally and he is sending several cargo ships with colony supplies. He wants them to put sat links around the planet and is sending his brother to speak with all the clan leaders."

I looked at those around me, "request modern weapons and medical equipment. Also flyers capable of vertical landings."

She chuckled, "we have put together a list and those were on it."

I smiled, "how is Ginger?"

She laughed, "she misses you but we are caring for her. We will be landing where we dropped you off. See if you can contact the other clans and bring them to the ship."

I nodded, "I will try."

I disconnected and looked at the elder, "you heard. The emperor is send supplies."

He looked at the others before nodding, "we will send runners to the other clans to have a gathering."

He gestured and they stood and walked away talking to each other quietly. I looked around and Kesha slipped up and under my arm, "I have found us a place to sleep."

I smiled as I hugged her and bent to grab my pack. The tiny shelter had a carry bag filled with Kesha's belongings. We left early the next morning and once back across the river we climbed down. She had traded the heavy hide from the animal I had killed for a light wooden spear thrower and a sleeping fur.

She carried the bag and when we stopped I helped her alter it and turn it into a pack she could wear. She killed a type of browser before evening and we made camp. She scrapped the hide as I seasoned the meat. I slept lightly since we were on the ground and we were up early. Kesha let me lead and seemed to look around as if she did not know the area.

It was midday when we walked out of the forest and onto the plains. Kesha looked around with wide eyes that kept returning to the ship. I crossed to the lift as it dropped and grinned when I saw Dolan with Ginger in his arms. I slung my rifle over my shoulder and reached out to take her. He grinned and glanced at Kesha, "she has missed you."