Star Cat: War Mage

by Andrew Mackay

  Tripp, Wool, Jaycee, Tor, and Jelly lay asleep with peaceful looks on their faces.

  Manuel burst to life by the energy tube and slapped his pages together, “Guys, wake up. I have some amaziant news.”

  “Huh?” Tripp was the first to wake up. The others shuffled around and groaned, half awake, “Are we dead?”

  “No, quite the contrary,” Manuel zoomed over to Tripp and lowered himself to his face, “We’re being rescued.”

  “Rescued?”

  “Yes, Opera Charlie is hours away. They are here to rescue us.”

  Tripp gripped the edge of his pod and jumped to the floor, “That’s great—Whoa,” he yelped and lost his footing. The disorientation hadn’t quite left his body.

  “Be careful, Tripp. Take it easy. We don’t want you falling over and hurting yourself before our visitors arrive.”

  “No, you’re right. I’ll take it real slow for a while,” he said.” Where are we?”

  “We are no longer on Pink Symphony. According to the geo-scan we have returned to our solar system, just out of Saturn’s orbit.”

  Tripp closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked over his shoulder and caught Bonnie, Wool, and Jaycee open their eyes and yawn. He turned back to Manuel on the verge of crying for joy, “Thank God.”

  The book took a bow, “It’s on my to-do list if we ever meet him. Or her.”

  “Did we make contact with Charlie?”

  “In a manner of speaking.”

  “What’s that meant to mean?”

  “They left us a message—”

  “—Right, did you send one back—?”

  “—I was just going to say… yes, I did. They should have received it by now. No response so far, but by the time we return to control I think we can commence bridging procedures.”

  Tripp stood to his feet and felt his jaw. Baldron’s replacement cheek had settled in nicely during the hyper-sleep. He felt a million bucks once again.

  “Good idea. We’ll get everyone oriented and ready to disembark.”

  “Certainly,” Manuel threw a beam at each of the pods and pulled the front hatches down, “The question is, what do we do about Opera Beta? We are forty-eight hours left on oxygen and general supplies.”

  Tripp watched Jaycee and Wool start to wake up.

  “We may have to abandon Beta, depending on her state. I’m sure between us all we can make it back to Earth.”

  “I knew you said disembark a few seconds ago,” Manuel muttered and ducked his head, “But if you do that, I’ll be left on my—”

  “—Everyone, can I have your attention?” Tripp ignored Manuel and clapped his hands together. Jelly rolled around in her bed. She didn’t want to wake up.

  “Ugh, did we get off that godforsaken disc?” Wool muttered.

  “Yes, we did. Guys, I have some good news.”

  “What?” Jaycee asked.

  “We’re going home.”

  The crew didn’t believe what they’d just heard.

  “Are you serious, right now?” Wool asked.

  “Yes, I am. I’m going to the control deck with Manuel to make the arrangements. I suggest you do whatever it is you need to do to prepare.”

  “Comms are back on?” Tor asked, somewhat giddy with excitement, “Can we send messages?”

  “Yes,” Manuel said. “Comms are fully operational, now.”

  Tripp walked to the door in just his underwear. Wool snorted and sighed, “Tripp?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Put your pants on first?”

  “Oh,” he looked down at his bare stomach and legs, “Yes, good idea.”

  An anxious Tor stepped out from his pod, “What does this mean for me?”

  Tripp approached the slider on the wall, “What do you mean ‘what does this mean for you’?”

  “Well, if we’re going home…” Tor thought out loud, arriving at the obvious before the others had a chance to dish it to him, “I, uh, can’t go back home.”

  “You damn well can and will, dickhead,” Jaycee planted his bare feet on the ground, grabbed the edge of the pod, and pushed himself upright, “USARIC will deal with you properly.”

  “Guys, look,” Tor said. “No one knows anything. Please, I beg you. Don’t say anything. Don’t turn me in.”

  “That’s rich coming from you,” Wool spat with sarcasm, “You’re lucky Jaycee didn’t switch you off and wear your reproductive organs as a bracelet.”

  Tor sighed, close to tears. A pathetic sight, aided none by the fact he was standing in his briefs, “Please?”

  “It’s out of our control now, good buddy,” Tripp patted the creases on his inner-suit pants, “You made your bed. You sleep in it.”

  Wool cleared her throat and held her head in her hands, “God, my head is pounding. My guts feel like they’ve been through a grinder,” She held her arm over her bra in a bid to protect her modesty, “Did I hear you correctly?”

  “Yes, Wool. We’re going home,” Tripp tore his eyes away from her chest and slipped the top half of his suit over his head, “Better get ready.”

  Wool scanned the room. All but one crew member was accounted for, “Where’s Bonnie?”

  Everyone looked at their feet. They’d remembered what happened and were as stunned as each other that Wool hadn’t.

  “She didn’t make it,” Tripp unraveled his inner-suit down his front and slipped on his boots, “Don’t you remember?”

  Wool stared at the ground and bit her lip, “Yes. I remember now.”

  Images from the battle on Pink Symphony flooded into her brain. She took a deep breath, puzzled by her feelings on the matter.

  One crew member remained unaccounted for.

  “Where’s Jelly—?”

  CRREEEAAAAAKKK.

  All eyes averted to the cat’s hyper-sleep pod.

  CLUNK-CLINK-CLINK-CLINK.

  Four Titanium infinity claws rose out from the pod and pressed their way across the ceramic edge.

  “Me… owww…”

  Wool held her chest with amazement, “Jelly, honey?”

  Bonnie, Tor, and Jaycee backed up and watched a huge furry arm lift up from within the chamber.

  “That… was a long sleep,” came a husky voice from within. The infinity claws on her right hand pressed against the adjacent wall of the pod.

  “Oh m-my God…” Wool took three cautious steps forward and risked invading Jelly’s privacy, “Honey?”

  “Mommy? Is that you?” came a sultry, female voice of an adult. “Did we die?”

  Jaycee and Tor remained still, as did Tripp. Would Wool approach whatever it was inside the pod? If she did, would whatever lay inside freak out and attack her?

  “Wool, be careful,” Tripp whispered. “She’s still a cat, after all.”

  “It’s okay,” Wool focused on the pod and crept forward, “Honey? We’re not dead. You can come out, now. We’re going home.”

  “Are we?”

  “Yes,” Wool just about managed to squeeze the word out of her mouth, “Why d-don’t you come out from the pod?”

  “It wasn’t this small when I went in,” Jelly whined, “It’s shrunk.”

  She sat up straight and faced the others.

  The first thing they noticed was her face. No longer an innocent and sweet adolescent half-cat. Her jawline and whiskers had thickened. The fur on her face had all but fallen away.

  The second thing they noticed was her bust. Jelly was well-endowed, by all accounts.

  “My tummy’s stuck,” she growled and lifted her top half out from the unfeasibly tight oblong that contained the rest of her body, “Ah, that’s much better.”

  “Honey, y-you’re—” Wool couldn’t finish her sentence. Jelly’s beautiful tail swished out and slapped against the side of the pod.

  “Jesus Christ,” Tor said. “How did that pod even contain her?”

  Tripp shook his head, taking in Jelly’s evolution, “I don’t know, I—”

  “—Meo
w,” Jelly swung her left hind leg out from the pod and slammed her heel against the ground, sending a shudder across the ground. Everyone felt it and gasped.

  “Just one…. More…”

  SCHTOMP.

  Her right heel dug into the floor. The muscles in her arms flexed through her fur, “Ngggg…”

  She straightened her arms and pushed herself to her feet. Her head almost hit the ceiling.

  Tripp, Jaycee, and Tor’s eyes tilted up and took in her new size.

  Wool started crying at the sight of the girl’s back, “Honey…”

  Jelly swished her tail. Her long, orange-brown locks fell over her shoulder blades as she looked up at the ceiling.

  CRUNCH-CRICK!

  She rolled her shoulders and moved her head, cracking the kinks out of her neck and shoulders, “Feels good to be out of there.”

  Jelly stood seven-and-a-half feet in height. She appeared to be wider in frame, too - the technical equivalent of a somewhat over-sized adult female. Not an ounce of fat anywhere on her.

  “Jelly, how are you feeling?” Tripp asked.

  Her cat ears twitched. She moved her arms in front of her chest and faced away to preserve her modesty, “I feel great.”

  Tor looked down at her behind. He followed the swishing of her tail around with his eyes, “B-But but…”

  Jelly turned back to them. Her curvaceous frame and trim legs were an astonishing sight to behold.

  An truly exquisite vision.

  Then, the bulge in her stomach came into view as she completed her turn. She held her claws over her belly.

  “That’s one helluva pussy,” Jaycee muttered. For the first time in his life he felt threatened - scared, even. A much bigger being shared the room with him, now. Anyone with decent vision could see that Jelly could kick the guy around the room and have him for lunch.

  “Hey, don’t talk about her like that,” Wool said. “Look at her. You think this is what she wanted?”

  “I didn’t mean pussy in a derogatory way. She is a cat, after all. I meant a pussycat—”

  “—Shut up,” Jelly roared at the pair with fierce volume, “Both of you.”

  Tripp stood to attention and gulped at her instruction.

  Jelly’s chest heaved in and out with anger. She extended her first infinity claw on her right paw and pointed at Jaycee, “You.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, you,” she said. Her feminine voice was huskier than ever before, “Did you just call me a pussy?”

  “No, I d-didn’t mean it like—”

  “—You want me to show you how cute I am?” Jelly kicked the side of her pod in anger, “Come here and I’ll show you how easy I am to pet, you massive, metal turd.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Good,” Jelly stepped forward and loomed over the petrified man, “Then show me my respect. Bow down.”

  “Wh-what?”

  “Show me my respect,” she repeated. “Bow down.”

  Jaycee looked to Tripp for a get-out. Not only was the attempt unsuccessful, it also angered Jelly even further.

  “What are you looking at him for?”

  “I, uh—”

  “—I’m not playing around, Jaycee. Show me my respect and bow down.”

  “Okay, okay,” Jaycee held out his arms and fell on one knee, “I’m doing it. I’m sorry—”

  “—Don’t you dare apologize to me, Nayall. Just do as I say.”

  Jaycee kept his mouth shut and hung his head in front of her. A giant purr erupted in her abdomen as she looked down at him.

  “I’m bigger than you, now. Don’t ever forget it. Stand up.”

  He did as instructed and arched his back, wondering what was coming next.

  Jelly turned away and made for the door. “By the way, Jaycee?”

  “Yes?”

  She nodded at the slider on the wall and pointed to her stomach, “Mind if I borrow one of your exo-suits? Bonnie’s kid’s jeans are no use to me, anymore.”

  “No, not at all.”

  “I don’t think the others’ inner-suits will fit me.”

  “I agree,” he said, thankful that he was still alive, “You go ahead and take whatever you want.”

  She made her way through the door, “Thanks, human. See you on the control deck.”

  SWISH-SCHUNT.

  The door slid shut, leaving the others beyond dumbfounded. Tripp looked to the others and thought twice about his next sentence.

  “Uh, I guess she’s in charge now?”

  Tor tapped him on the shoulder, “Good luck telling her otherwise, good buddy.”

  ***

  Jelly stormed along the level three walkway and kept her head down. The protruding bars across the upper sections of the wall threatened to smack her in the face as she moved past them.

  A growl whirled inside her stomach. She stopped in her tracks and pressed her claws along at her belly.

  “Miew…” she cried. Her knees nearly buckled. She pressed the pads on her palms against them, trying her best to contain the pink, glowing orb within, “God… I feel sick…”

  She managed to turn the corner take hold of the staircase railing. The end of her claws scraped against her wrist, slicing off the ends of a few strands of fur.

  BLOICK!

  Her hips thrust so hard she nearly tumbled backwards down the stairs. She pulled herself forward and slid down a couple of steps. A whimpering came from within her throat as she spluttered and reached the last step.

  “Guhhh…” she stretched her mouth wide open, along with her eyes, “Oh my tummy… ugh…”

  She twisted her body around and planted her behind on the top step, accidentally trapping her tail. Her waist tilted forward and released, “Ugghhh...”

  Her heels dug into the third step, trying to kick the intense pain away.

  “Oh God, not now—”

  GRUMBLE… GROOOWWWL…

  Jelly held her breath. The pain and rumbling in her stomach abated and settled down. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  CLANG.

  Sparks flicked up from her claws as they scraped against the railing. She hoisted herself back to her feet and stormed up the next set of stairs.

  The Control Deck

  Space Opera Beta - Level One

  Jelly made a beeline for the flight deck.

  Manuel paused his work on with the communications panel when he saw her enter the room, “Jelly, you’re here.”

  “Yeah,” she kept her focus on screen on the flight deck as she approached it, “I heard comms are back on. Patch me into N-Gage. Now.”

  Manuel tilted his covers in confusion, “Oh my, you have grown.”

  She pulled the chair out from under the desk and spun it around, “No,” she quipped, “Do you really think so?”

  “Yes, I do think so. Your height. Your frame, if I can call it that?”

  “Stop looking at me like some kind of weirdo,” Jelly lifted her tail the way female humans hitch their skirts and slumped into the chair, “Patch me into N-Gage. Anderson household, Chrome Valley. Do it now.”

  “But, we’re awaiting rescue—”

  “—Hey, Manuel?” she snapped.

  “Yes?”

  “Do you want me to scratch your eyes out and hump the sockets?”

  “Umm, no?”

  Puzzled, he fluttered further away from her, “It’s just that we’re awaiting contact with Opera Charlie to establish—”

  “—Aww, God damn it,” Jelly slammed the flight deck with her claws and spun her chair around, “You’re not listening to me. I want you to patch me into N-Gage. Now.”

  “But I—”

  “—Make no mistake, you floating piece of crap. I want to speak to Jamie and tell him I love and miss him. Not that I have to explain my actions to you.”

  Manuel tried to calm her down.

  “Miss Anderson. I’m fully aware that you, like the others, miss your family. But if we connect to Earth it could jeopardize our bridge with
Charlie. We must keep the channel free for—”

  “—What’s the first rule?”

  “Uh, I wasn’t aware there was a first rule, Miss Anderson?”

  “Oh, then let me enlighten you. The first rule is I get what I want. Everything that ever was, is, and ever will be is mine. All mine. Do you understand what I’ve just said?”

  “Uh, yes?” Manuel lowered himself, hoping not to get swiped by her vicious infinity claws.

  “I want to see Jamie. Now patch me in.”

  “Okay, okay… don’t have kittens,” Manuel said as the color drained from his covers.

  “Har-har, very funny,” Jelly stopped herself from giggling at Manuel’s inspired quip, “Let’s see how funny you are when I tear your covers off, comedian.”

  “Patching you in now. Please be quick.”

  “I’ll take as long as I want, you encyclopedic-head.”

  “Oh, come now, Miss Anderson. That was uncalled for.”

  Jelly threatened to push herself off the chair and punch the communications panel.

  “Shut up and do your job or I’ll tear out your pages and Origami them into a baseball bat and smack you around the covers with it.”

  “Fine,” Manuel paused in mid-air, enabling the flight deck screen to come to life, “Here we go.”

  “Thank you,” Jelly turned to the screen and briefly caught a glimpse of her own face in the glass. She didn’t recognize herself at all. The girl who’d battled on Pink Symphony was no longer present. Instead, a beautiful half-cat looked at her. The screen beeped and displayed white text.

  N-Gage

  Anderson Residence

  Chrome Valley, United Kingdom.

  Dialing…

  “Come on, come on,” she spat, impatiently, “Answer, Jamie.”

  The screen wobbled around and flushed into white static. A shape of a man’s face formed within the dots.

  Tony, Emily’s husband, appeared on screen and looked into the lens, “Hello. Who’s this?”

  Jelly shook her head and winced at Tony’s face, “Who’s this?”

  “Sorry, who are you trying to reach?” Tony said.

  “I want to see Jamie.”

  Tony’s face peered against the screen as he tried to ascertain who, exactly, this strange half-cat, half-women was, “Who are you?”