The blade had special significance to aurorans. The symbolism highlighted what they valued and were willing to fight for. Be it knife, glaive, sword, or scimitar, the blade represents duty, aspirations, and promises. At a young age, an auroran would get an individually crafted fractal blade with which to make promises and pledge themselves to certain goals in simple rituals among family and friends. Duels were thus an expression of those values and dedication. Many special occasions were marked with ritual combat, many ending in a much closer bond if not a spirited mating session.It spoke to something deep in their culture and biology that predisposed them to fight, but fight with feeling, focus, and ideals at the forefront of their minds. Well... that could be said before the war turned everyone's understanding of the universe upside-down.

For a young recruit in the interspecies auxilia like Lana Tango, it was obvious how comfortable aurorans were with swords. Since coming to the training camp on the jungle moon of her home, Lana had spent more time among aurorans than ever. She was fascinated by how they moved with implied strength and agility. She was amazed with their psychic talents. And if pressed to be honest, utterly enamored with their sensual grace and emotional sensitivity. Making her way across the mesa top, she did her best to fix her askew raven-hued hair, wet with sweat and ambient humidity. It was a futile task, given the persistent mist that hung over the high altitude plateaus, spraying from towering waterfalls that tumbled down every rock face.

Entering the garden where the mess hall had been set up to grow food for the trainees, Lana sighed with relief at how much cooler it was inside thanks to hovering anima drones with fans keeping the air circulating. It was quiet with most of her squad taking their down time to sleep or gamble, so it didn't take long for her to find who she was looking for.

"Commander," Lana announced with a sharp, curt voice she was utterly unused to but seemed suitably military. She saw a forest green cloak with a hood covering the commander's form as she knelt by a bush baring fresh fruit. The hood had distinctive ears, designed to slightly muffle the commander's hearing as it could be acute to the point of pain and distraction. Lana could only imagine what it would be like to feel every emotion and sensation on a razor's edge between stimulation and agony, and she couldn't do so now as it was fairly understood in every military that one should ideally not openly lust after their superiors.

Kayla turned without rising to see the recruit, flashing the girl a gentle smile. She was partially armored, as usual, with prismaglass plates mostly covering her legs. The mix of bare fur and gleaming psychic metal made the auroran impossibly ethereal and exotic. She had been eating a plump berry and the way her tongue glided down her muzzle to guide any excess juice down her throat made Lana tense her thighs together as if it could suppress the heat deep in her core.

Kayla dusted off the ornate loin cloth hanging from her waist and hummed, "mmm... did I lose track of time again, softpaw? At ease." The nickname for new recruits referred to a young auroran who was all pads and no claws, with no experience wielding a weapon. Somehow the term came across as agonizingly affectionate. Why couldn't Lana get berated or demeaned like a trainee in a proper army! Fighting not to blush or tremble, knowing the commander's senses were far keener than hers, she vigorously shook her head.

"No ma'am," Lana managed to reply without cracking her voice, "power armor exercises aren't for another hour. I was just... feeling restless." Kayla stood and offered Lana a bite of fruit which she gratefully accepted as an excuse to hide her facial expressions. If Kayla had caught on to the softpaw's crush, she hadn't said anything or acted on it.

"I see," the auroran purred with a nod. "Well, your unit has been working hard. It's important to pace yourself. Though I suspect you didn't come to the garden for a bite to eat from plants that won't try to eat you first. You sought me out, yes? What do you need, softpaw?"

That was an obscene question in its open-endedness for someone who had wanted a libraries worth of romance novel moments from her commander. God how she longed to touch Kayla's purple fur, to run her fingers through the velveteen texture. She'd do anything to feel the emerald bio-luminescence pressed against her skin... Oh wait fuck, Lana thought, they were at war.

Lana cleared her throat and mumbled "I've been working on my close quarters drills but still lag behind where I'm at with firearms. The guys try to help when we practice, but the grappling and disarming maneuvers just elude me. I thought maybe you'd like to..." She couldn't even finish the sentence. Kayla twirled and cast off her hooded cloak, turning to look over her shoulder at Lana with a wide grin. Her free paw was already going for an inert fractal blade hilt at her hip. Her tail undulated with eager motion and ear flicked with sudden energy.

"I'd love nothing more," Kayla laughed. "I've been dreading filing evaluations and could use another way to avoid it. Come on then softpaw. Let's play a while."
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Sorry I'm so slow on uploads. Been sick af and trying like hell to find a suitable new place to live. I got this a couple of weeks ago and LOVE how it turned out. The beauty of Kayla being a sword collector is that each image can have a totally different style! Yellowdog nailed her patterns and the trickier parts of her armor. Thanks so much!

Fav the original and watch the wonderful artist here

Art by  artbyyellowdog
Character belongs to  KitKabbit