OUTWORLD: Chronicles

Dogs Of War

KYLIAN SECTOR TO OSA: GET STUFFED

by Kerry Chung, CoreNews in the Outworld Territories

Tensions between the Outworld Scientific Authority and the Core Republic in the Kylian Sector intensified yesterday as the OSA's request to access "vital" resources in several of its systems was unanimously denied by all members of the local assembly. Lucy Purbright (Otter), representative for Meheline Minor, was particularly critical of the OSA's overtures: "They think they can take whatever they want and we'll stand idly by? Not a chance." Meanwhile, Lamary's Coylou Tabley (Dog) commented: "The arrogance and entitlement on show here from the OSA is staggering." Representatives of other systems including Ollema, Acadia, Padlie, and Iolaire have declined to comment further, with Ollema's Ted Minton (Cat) mentioning that "[he] didn't want to put [his] head above the parapet." The OSA has yet to offer a response.

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19/12/82, CORE REPUBLIC MARINE CORPS LIGHT FRIGATE MARGALO'S GAMBIT RETURNING TO BASE VIA THE KYLIAN STRIPE

Private Meeko Bright coughed as he snapped awake, caught in a storm of gas and ice. An insistent bleep invading his twittering ears informed him that his hiber tube was opening, and he stumbled out of it. His fur was rimed with frost, and so he shook out his coat, sending glittering crystals in all directions. He hated hiber as much as the next Husky, but growing up on the snowy world of Acadia had given him a bit more resistance to it.

He rubbed his underused eyes as the waking world came back into violent focus, strip lighting glaring into his corneas, and he gasped. Other voices joined his, and he looked around as his keen vision improved. He began to recognize faces, particularly that of a caramel-haired Sheep – Mik was her name. She blinked unsteadily, obviously getting her eyes to adjust, and they met his. She smiled, and raised an eyebrow flirtatiously.

Meeko returned the look. Over the past few weeks of dulldom, all the weapon strip, drills, patrols, boot polishing and the rest, they'd got to talking, and then they'd... "shared a bunk" a few times. Their unit's CO, Lismore, had let it ride, seeing as a Core Marine had little enough in the way of pleasures out in the middle of nowhere, and it wasn't like they were at war... though she had commented that he and Mik would have rather odd-looking offspring.

Get yourself together, you dopey mongrel, he chided himself. Something's up, and you're acting like a giggly teen.

"What's going on?" someone else cried. "We home yet?" Meeko's ears pointed him in the speaker's direction; it was one of the two Lionesses who were milling drunkenly near their tubes. Meeko remembered them as Tina and Mina; upon first meeting them, he'd assumed they were sisters, or close relatives at least. It wasn't until seeing them in the shower, and their complete lack of navels, that he'd realized they were clones, more than likely created from the DNA of an elite Marine. Wait, Meeko corrected himself, they don't like the word "clone". What was the preferred term? Genetic replica, that was it.

As the volume of voices in the hiber suite rose sharply, Meeko picked out Lismore's voice. The Badger had rushed over to her locker and was struggling with her radio, which was hooting for attention. "Lismore here," she was saying. She looked so alert and businesslike, for which Meeko envied her.

Mik hovered closer. Meeko's heart leapt as his sensitive nose picked up that coconutty fragrance she wore. "Hey."

"Hey," Meeko murmured, his eyes going back to Lismore. "I don't think we're home yet."

"Doesn't look that way, does it?" Mik snorted. Meeko smiled; he found her broad Iolaire accent utterly charming.

Lismore clipped her radio to her arm brace and cast a glance over her groggy squad. "Alright, you lot! Listen up!" she said loudly. The hubbub died down as everyone stood to attention. "Okay. As many of you have no doubt grasped, we are not back at base."