In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Today (3 May 2010) is a ‘bank holiday’ in Britain. That means I should be able to write more than usual, so I have decided to post an extra chapter this week. Enjoy!

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Spacer crews travel the Far Borders and the Fringe of occupied space, trading. Spacing is an ancient and honourable profession carved out by millenniums. Most spacers start out as fourteen-year-old boys seeking a future. Few survive a decade spacing.

---

78. Pack

Kiba watched the scene unfold from the sidelines. With him were Naruto, Rin and Sasuke-sama’s advisors, Neji and Shikamaru. In the centre of the room were those who had been Uchiha when Itachi had slaughtered his family; Itachi was answering for what he had done.

Itachi knelt in the centre. Kisame had one hand fisted in his hair and other on a knife at his throat. The plaque in Kisame’s forehead had been painted black. Sasuke stood at their side. The elite fighters who had served the old Uchiha were fanned out facing them.

Sasuke spoke.

“This is the man who was Itachi Uchiha. He killed my family. He killed many of your comrades.

“He does not remember committing those murders or his reasons for doing so. He remembers nothing of the last eleven standards. His memory from before that is patchy.

“I have demanded he give up the Uchiha name. He has done this. He is no longer an Uchiha.

“At this time, I am not demanding his life in return for the murders he committed. In my mind, this man is not that man.

“But each of you has that right. You can demand his life and Kisame-san will give it to you.

“I ask you to exercise or forfeit your right.”


Kiba did not understand. Itachi-san had described Kisame as his best friend. He heard himself whimper and hoped that it was too quiet for others to hear.

Only, of course, Naruto had heard it. “They will be less likely to ask for Itachi’s death if Kisame has to kill him,” he whispered so softly that only dog or fox ears could possible hear. “They know Kisame loves him.”

Kiba wondered which of the purebreds had thought of that. Not Sasuke-sama, Kiba was sure he would have held the knife himself rather than have asked Kisame to do it. It would be one of the scarily clever advisors; probably Neji.


“How do we know it is not an act?” Gai asked. “Or that he will not regain his memory and revert to his murderous ways?”

Sasuke turned to him. “He will be examined by a Therapist when we return to Tarrasade. The Therapist will be able to tell if he is likely to revert. Neither I or Neji-san think he is lying. If it is shown he is lying, or he shows any sign of reverting, I will kill him.”

Kakashi stepped forward. “I forfeit my right to ask for his death for the murders he had committed in the past,” he announced. “I will not give my reasons here, but you all know them.”


Kiba made a small noise of enquiry. Naruto did not reply. Kiba understood. He was not yet pack. To be pack he would have to promise loyalty to Sasuke-sama. He was almost ready to do that. Each time he watched Sasuke-sama he edged closer.

Listening to him and Naruto the previous night had helped. Kiba had never heard anything like it. For Orochimaru sex had been a weapon. For Kabuto it had been a punishment. It had never occurred to Kiba that both the people involved could enjoy it that much.

Now he truly believed that Naruto was Sasuke’s partner.


One by one the fighters forfeited their right to demand Itachi’s death.

Rin snorted. “Impressive, Neji-san,” she murmured, “but you’ll find it harder to manipulate Asuma and Haku.”

Kiba noticed that Neji did not reply. Itachi had been released by Kisame and was promising loyalty to Sasuke-sama. From the fighters’ reactions, the ways they shifted and smelt, there was much about the pack that Kiba did not understand.


Then it was back to work. As well as looking after the foetuses and helping Dan-san with the podded minkies, so many people created a lot of mess for Kiba to clean up. He had mopped the corridors and was scrubbing one of the bathrooms when Neji came to find him.

“The people who have used the bathroom should be cleaning it,” Neji complained. “You are not meant to be cleaning up after us.” He sighed. “Two days away from Iruka-san and they have fallen back into their bad habits.”

Kiba wondered who Iruka-san was and it must have shown on his face.

“Iruka-san is in charge of the domestic side of our lives,” Neji told him. “He makes sure we are fed and clothed and comfortable. He also makes sure everyone does their share of cleaning and tidying. He has a team. I do not know if you will be part of his team or in a special baby care team.” Neji suddenly gave a small smile. “I know how to make them all do their part of the cleaning. Don’t do any more.” He took the cleaning equipment from Kiba’s hands.


The next time Kiba saw his equipment, Sasuke-sama was using it to scrub the lavatory that was the most convenient and had therefore had the most use.

Kiba was impressed by his skills. Even the corners of the floor shone.

There was an outbreak of communal cleaning. Kiba retreated to the laboratory to make sure no one took it into his head to clean there. When he emerged the place smelt terrible, at least to a doggy nose, but it was cleaner than Kiba had ever seen it.

He tried to imagine Orochimaru scrubbing a lavatory and failed.

Next time Naruto came to view the kits, Kiba told him that he was ready to promise loyalty to Sasuke-sama.


It was more complicated than he had thought. He could promise loyalty to Sasuke or he could swear to Uchiha. Even after Sasuke explained, Kiba was not sure what was meant by swearing to Uchiha.

“You can be loyal to Sasuke personally, like you were to Kabuto,” Naruto explained, “or you can be loyal to Uchiha, which is like joining a family with Sasuke at the head of it.”

Kiba understood. Swearing to Uchiha was becoming pack. He wanted that.


Three days later all the podded minkies, the tissue bank and the four tanked purebreds had been transferred to the Sakura. The plan was for the Sakura to lift and dock with the Oak so that its cargo could be transferred. Dan, Rin, Hamaki, Terai and Fu would make the round trip, which was expected to take three days.

The evening before they were due to lift, Kiba found Naruto in the laboratory viewing the kits. He looked up when he heard Kiba entering.

“There is something I have not told you,” Naruto admitted. “Sasuke and I have purebred babies gestating on the Oak. Three.” He hesitated. “I want to go and check on them but I don’t want you to feel that I am favouring them above the kits.”

Kiba was not sure what he thought about them having purebred babies who they had chosen as well as the kits, which they had not. “Three?” he queried. “I thought purebreds always chose to have babies one at a time.”

Naruto flushed. “I thought they would be happier as a litter. Now it is a really big litter.”

Kiba was less certain that they would be able to put the two litters together, but he decided not to say so to Naruto. “You should go. You will only be gone three days. I will look after the kits.”


He was in the laboratory when Shikamaru entered and started looking at the gestators. Kiba watched him warily but Shikamaru kept his hands in his pockets so seemed harmless. When he had been there for twenty minutes, Kiba decided he had better speak with him.

“Kiba-san,” Shikamaru acknowledged as Kiba approached.

Kiba nodded.

“Naruto and Sasuke would still like to move the kits to the Oak,” he said. “Ideally, both the kits and the babies would be decanted in Tarrasade. The Uchiha home is in Tarrasade.” Shikamaru looked back at the gestators. “These gestators cannot possibly be moved. They only operate when the surroundings are optimal.”

Kiba was wary of even discussing the subject. He had thought that Naruto had accepted that the kits needed to stay in the laboratory until they were decanted, but that was before he had known that Naruto had three babies on the Oak.

“May I show you the gestators Naruto and Sasuke are using for the babies?” Shikamaru asked and moved to the controls of the holoprojector before Kiba could answer.


Kiba had not known the holoprojector was even connected to the rest of the information systems. A hologram of an egg-like gestator was projected and Shikamaru began describing its features while stripping away layers or expanding parts of the projection to show more detail.

It was an impressive piece of equipment. There would be no kinked tubes or faulty feeds. Alarms would sound if anything deviated from the parameters that had been set. When in the protective egg, the foetus would even survive exposure to space; the extra equipment in the egg would send it into stasis.

“I have worked out the modifications that we would need to do to use a gestator like this for the kits,” Shikamaru told him. “They are trivial, just a matter of resetting the parameters.”

“It is a much better gestator,” Kiba agreed, “but the transfer process is too risky.”

Shikamaru nodded. “I know. I have been working on that.”


Kiba discovered that he was more willing to listen to Shikamaru than to Rin or Naruto. Naruto had not appreciated the risks. Rin had thought the risks acceptable. Shikamaru wanted to eliminate the risks. He was suggesting that they make a piece of equipment to make the transfer safe. He had even been through all the laboratories and the storerooms and found all the components. His plan looked sound. He was suggesting that they build and test it.

“Best do it while Naruto and Sasuke are away,” he added. “Then we don’t get their hopes up if we have to decide it is not going to work.”

Kiba found himself smiling as well as nodding. The notion that Shikamaru would abandon his plan if it did not work made Kiba more confident. He had far too much experience of crazy schemes pursued to completion.

Also, Shikamaru had designed and built Naruto’s collar; he had a track record of solving insurmountable problems.


It was hard work but Kiba could devote almost all his time to it now he was not was not tidying and cleaning. Shikamaru’s technical skills were very limited but he could think his way around every problem that presented itself. Kiba had spent all his life building and maintaining laboratory equipment; he could make anything Shikamaru suggested trying.

“We make a good team,” Shikamaru observed as he handed Kiba a drink and a ration bar.

Kiba looked at the ration bar. It was the first time anyone had fetched him food in a very long time, probably since he was a pup with Amachi.

“Yes,” he acknowledged. “Thank you for the food,” he added.

Shikamaru watched him biting into the ration bar. “Tell me about your life here,” he suggested. “It will help me pass the time.”


They had run the initial tests and done the first round of modifications by the time Naruto and Sasuke returned. Naruto had come directly to the laboratory to check the kits and had stood just inside the doorway, staring at what they had built. Shikamaru left it to Kiba to explain how it would work.

Kiba could see why Shikamaru had suggested building it when Naruto was away. Merely the notion that it might be successful excited him. He hugged Shikamaru. He even hugged Kiba. Kiba was glad that the initial tests had been so promising.

Then Naruto admitted that they had the mobile gestators; one of their other ships had delivered them to the Oak just before the Sakura returned to Jewel.

Over the next two days, Shikamaru, Kiba and Rin carried our ten mock transfers using a bundle of detectors and sensors in place of the foetus. The transfer unit performed perfectly. After the tenth, Kiba agreed that they should speak to Naruto and Sasuke.

“We can never eliminate all risk,” Shikamaru admitted. “But the transfer is as safe as we can make it.”

Naruto looked to Kiba.

“I think it is safe enough,” Kiba confirmed.

“What does it entail?” Sasuke asked.

“We put the guts of the two gestators, both operating, in the transfer unit,” Rin told them. “The conditions in the transfer until are strictly controlled. We move the bag that supports the amnion from one gestator to the other. As long as the amnion does not break the foetus will be fine. If it does break we have a vat of artificial amniotic fluid ready inside the transfer unit to support the foetus until we can mend the amnion.”

“I suggest we transfer the largest and strongest kit first,” Kiba said. “Then we watch and monitor for three days. If all is well, then we transfer the others. If there is a problem, that kit has the best chance of surviving being transferred back to his original gestator.”

“This is probably hugely overcautious,” Rin added.

“We like overcautious,” Sasuke insisted.


The transfer took only a few minutes and went without a hitch. The kit appeared to be thriving in his new home. Even so, Rin agreed with Kiba that they should follow the original plan and wait the three days before transferring the other five.


“Gaara is going to visit tomorrow,” Naruto told Kiba on the second day. “He thinks he was conceived here. He would like to see it before we move out.”

Kiba was lost. “Who is Gaara?”

“My friend,” Naruto replied. “He is a tanuki-human hybrid raised in the Kaze system.”

Kiba knew that Amachi had favoured tanuki hybrids as berserk fighters because they could be put into hibernation. “Is he one of Amachi’s hybrids?” he asked. “I am,” he added.

Naruto smiled. He had smiled a lot more since they had taken the decision to transfer the kits. “I had not thought of that. You have that in common.”

“And he has a collar like yours?” Kiba checked.

Naruto nodded. “But he only just got it. Shi-chan made it for him soon after we met. Before that his way of coping with the berserk thing was living away from other people.”

Kiba was not surprised. Amachi had always advised clients to keep berserk fighters away from stimuli.


What Kiba could not understand was why Gaara smelt so familiar. There had been occasional tanuki-human hybrids about when he was young and none of them had smelt particularly special. Kiba had to stop himself rushing up to the stranger and butting him. He wanted to wag the tail he did not have.

Gaara seemed equally disconcerted. His blue-green eyes were wide. He was sniffing the air. He stared at Kiba.

“Is Kiba a common name for a dog-human hybrid?” he asked.

“Gaara?” Naruto queried.

“I have read the copy of Amachi’s records that my father kept,” Gaara told them. “They mention a dog-human puppy called Kiba. He had the puppy with him when he was on Kaze.”

“You know each other?” Naruto queried. “That’s awesome.”

“Not know,” Gaara clarified. “Remember in a way that does not involve memories.” He walked up to Kiba, stood close and sniffed Kiba’s neck.

Kiba let him. It felt right.

“Wow, Garra, someone you can get close to without passing out,” Naruto observed.


They sat down and, with Naruto’s help, Gaara and Kiba began exchanging information. Gaara told Kiba why he kept passing out and described how the collar, despite its drawbacks, was so much better than what had gone before. Kiba talked a little about Amachi. They only realised that Naruto had slipped away when he returned. He was bouncing with excitement.

“Shi-chan has found some holovids of the two of you in Amachi’s records,” he announced. “You have to see them. The two of you are so cute.”

Kiba watched the holoprojection of the two pups playing together. Shikamaru told them that it had been Amachi’s plan to raise the tanuki-human hybrids in small groups. When Gaara had been the only survivor, Amachi had resorted to using the slightly older dog-human pup he had been raising as a demonstration model.

Naruto was soon insisting that Gaara was less inclined to pass out in Kiba’s presence and suggested that Kiba accompany the group escorting Gaara back to his ship. Kiba agreed, partly to keep Naruto happy but mostly to spend a little more time with Gaara.

Once they reached the mooring, Gaara offered to show Kiba the inside of the ship he lived on. Kiba said that he could make his way back alone but the fighters insisted on waiting.

Kiba understood; he was now pack.

Gaara showed him the small changes that he had made, each a milestone on his journey to a normal life.

Kiba made encouraging noises but what he saw was a stark and empty shell that made his tiny kennel look welcoming and cosy. He now appreciated Gaara’s point of view that passing out was a small price to pay. He did not think that he could have raised six kits to face a life like that; he was deeply grateful to Shikamaru for inventing the collar.


After returning from the spaceport, Kiba viewed all the relevant records. They were interesting. The last holovideos in the sequence were upsetting, because they showed Gaara’s distress when separated from Kiba after two standards. There was no record of Kiba’s reaction; he had not been the subject of the study.

He wondered if Gaara would choose to view the records or not.


The next day they transferred the other five kits.


Three days later they left.


Kiba had sent one small box of belongings and mementos on one of the hover platforms. He checked the gestators in their eggs. Then he and Naruto placed each into its harness and strapped it to someone’s back: Kisame, Kakashi, Gai, Sasuke, Naruto and Kiba himself. One last visual check and Kiba followed Naruto out of the door, closing it behind him.

He did not look back. He looked forward, following his pack towards his new home.

---

Author’s note.

Thanks for the suggestions for names for the kits. I have still not settled on any, so please keep them coming.

---