Sad… The doggy had to leave…

Well, it was kind of funny to see the handler absolutely panicking when he realised the dog wasn't listening to him even when he was practically begging the dog to return to the box.

He then looked at me with pleading eyes and I felt sorry for him so I gave the dog a final pat before telling her to return to the box.

At least she didn't seem too upset about it and obediently jumped back into the box before laying down inside it.

Only when the door was shut did everyone around me let out a sigh of relief.

Come on guys… Calm down… Were you all expecting me to tell the dog to attack you guys or something? You guys have Power Armour on your side for crying out loud.

The captain of the frigate approached me, "Are you… No… What are you?"

I raised an eyebrow, "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"I… I apologise, I do not mean any offense. It's just… I've never seen anyone able to control a creature like that before… And I've been working in this job for quite a while…"

I shrugged, "I don't know why but it seems like they just like me for some reason. And I kind of want to know… Is there a way for me to get one of these dogs for myself?"

The guy opened his mouth for a moment before shutting it and opening it again, "I was going to ask if you were crazy for even thinking about wanting one of these creatures for yourself… But seeing how you handled that one, I suppose that you would think you could handle them…"

"Uh huh… So is there a way for me to get one or not?"

He hesitated for a moment, "It is not for me to say but you could try to apply for permission to get one through the appropriate channels within the Inner Colonies."

My face fell, "I have to go inside the Inner Colonies to get one? I can't just order one from the GalaNet or something?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, "I'm surprised you didn't know about this… There's a specific place that you have to go to apply for the right to get one of these creatures. You do know how dangerous these things can be, right?"

"Err… Yes?" I lied.

To be honest, I just want one because they're cute.

I would take ten of them if I could, though I would worry about feeding and taking care of them, of course.

I wonder if their diet is the same in this universe as it is in mine?

The frigate captain continued, "Also, it's really hard to even be granted permission to have one since you would not only need a lot of Credits, you also need to have credentials and the trust of the… Ah… I suppose being the one responsible for the downfall of a Pirate Lord would qualify you for that…"

"Oh, so I could actually place an order for one? How much do I have to pay?"

He scratched his head, "I… Can't tell you since I don't know. This isn't something that normal people would even think about after all… I'm afraid you would just need to find another way to get that information."

"Right… Don't suppose you know where to start then?"

"I'm afraid not… I'm just a lowly salaried employee after all…"

Guess I'll ask the girls later.

He let out a sigh, "Anyway… Sorry to keep you here. Your ship is clear so you are free to go."

"Just curious," I stopped him right as he was about to turn around. "Is there a lot of smugglers around these parts?"

He frowned, "Why would you… Ah… Mercenaries… Of course. I suppose there's no harm in telling you then… We have indeed received reports that there have been some sightings of unsavoury people around these parts. We're not sure why but my guess is that it's related to the Exo-Knight exhibition that is happening. The fact that a new generation of Exo-Knights is being revealed might have caught the attention of some smugglers and pirates who might want to try and steal the new ones for themselves."

I grimaced, "Surely there's going to be security there that will stop that right?"

He shrugged, "I would say yes but… Who can say for sure? All I know is that I've been given orders to check this space for smugglers and pirates. If you run into any smugglers or pirates, feel free to take them down for the reward."

The frigate captain then gave me a wave before turning to join the rest of his men to return back to their ship.

The fact that all of his men were staring at me uneasily was not lost on me.

Seriously, you guys are the ones travelling with the dog on your ship, you know?

I waited until the door cycled closed and their ship detached from ours before I turned to Amber, "So… Where do we get a dog?"

Amber shuddered, "I'm going to be honest, Tera… I would very much prefer that you don't get one. But if you do choose to get one, I won't stop you either. But I honestly don't know where to even start to get a dog through legitimate means. I know you could possibly get one through the black market channels though."

Hmm… I think I know just who to ask then.

I left the cargo bay and headed straight to the medical room where I found Mara staring at her screen at her work station.

"Mara?" I called out to her.

She didn't even respond and just stood up from her seat to raise her ass in the air, her hand pulling her coat aside to reveal she was wearing nothing underneath.

She gave her hips a tantalising shake and I almost went ahead to shove myself inside her before I stopped myself.

I cleared my throat, "Ahem… I'm not here for that, Mara…"

She looked back at me, "Hmm? Are you sure? I thought you would want to have some release after dealing with those military people."

Amber pouted beside me, "Are you saying that I'm not good enough and Tera would rather come find you for that than me?"

"Oh, I didn't even notice you were there, Amber. But yes, that's precisely what I'm saying."

Amber looked like she was about to go in there and give the doctor a piece of her mind so I quickly interjected.

"Ahem… I'm not here for that… Though I wouldn't mind transitioning to doing that once I have my question answered."

"Hmm? Then what question is it?"

"I want a dog."

Mara did not answer me immediately and just stood there with her back arched for a good long minute before she slowly turned her head towards Amber.

Amber shrugged, "They were using a dog to check our ship… Tera wants one now…"

Mara let out a sigh, "Captain… I love you with all my heart and I would gladly fight even the Nobles for you if I have to… But to ask for a dog… I don't know if I am able to do that…"

"Is it really that big of a deal? I mean… You know that I can pretty much deal with the dog right? So what is there to be afraid of?"

"It's something that everyone has been taught to fear from young, Captain. From the highest nobles in the Inner Colonies to the lowliest of pirates in the Outer Colonies. Everyone's common sense towards those monsters is that it can and will tear open your throat if it is given the chance to. And there will be nothing you can do about it."

"I suppose I have heard the stories about it… But wouldn't this mean that it would be great security for us if we actually get one for ourselves?"

Mara hesitated, "I… Would probably still be able to get by if you confine the creature to the very end of the ship… And that's already assuming that I am somehow able to consciously decide not to just try and kill it before it can kill me."

"Come now… You're exaggerating…"

"I wish I was, Tera… But I really am not… I fully believe that any dog you get will try and kill us the moment you aren't around…"

I really don't think that's the case though…

I was expecting the plan to be scrapped but Mara raised a finger, "If Captain really wishes for one… I could possibly provide you the location of a black market that you might be able to find one to purchase… But that would mean that if we are caught with one, we will be labelled criminals. Otherwise, you would need to wait until after you are granted permission to enter the Inner Colonies…"

Geez… If even Mara is acting like this after I brought up dogs… I'm pretty sure the other girls would act even worse if I were to tell them about this…

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