Catt stepped out of the fresher after a long sonic shower. The away mission had left her feeling less than herself. The disinfectant had caused her to smell like a chemistry lab.
So she had been eager to get to her quarters and clean up properly. She has made some changes to her look as part of her precautions. She had in effect given herself a fur trim shortening her body fur to only a inch in length. She had spent a great deal of time grooming as doing so was soothing. She had of course ensured the final look wouldn’t look unsightly before implimenting it. The computer projections had impressed her as she looked more like the majority of Caitans than she usually did. Her last step if she kept to her plan was the most drastic change and her determination wavored.

“Catt, you’ve been in there over two hours.”, her room mate called through the door.

” oh uhm sorry. Rita come in I need your opinion. I can vacate if your desperate.”, Catt called back pressing the door lock release. Her and Rita had of course discovered they both prefered nudity in private so the only reason the door was locked was in case Rita’s lover was visiting. He had accidentally walked in on Catt before and Catt didn’t mind if he saw her naked really but Rita was possesive so they had a agreement.
Rita came in and stopped short blinking in shock at the change. Catt twirled to let her see every side. And stopped facing Rita. Rita when she was able to speak again started with “Whoa”, which got Rita a ear perk from Catt. “Wasn’t expecting that”, Rita finished.
“So?”, Catt prompted.
Rita smiled, “I can tell your a girl now.” Rita said with a giggle that caused Catt to roll her eyes. The your androgynous as a house cat joke had of course come up far to often of course.
Catt signaled mild amusement with tail and ears and activated a holo imager to show Rita the next step in her plan. This caused Rita to look at Catt open mouthed.
Catt placed adjusted and pinned the head fur she wore wig like to make herself look less like a prepubesent member of her species. To give Rita time to recover.
“Still thinking it over. But I found a process that will cause a permanent pigment change. So it’ld be like being reborn normal. There are even experimental treatments that would possibly repair the chromasonal damage I suffered. I could then get organ replacements. No longer be sterile.”,
Rita sighed. “This again?” And she put her hands on her hips.
“Caitans are matriarchal. As I am now I am not male or female to my people. I have no standing. I am an embrrassment. A embarrassment that my aunts political enemies use against her. ” Catt sighed and looked at the holo image. “No I don’t suddenly love my aunt. She still threw me away like garbage. Tried to bury my very existance. Then tried to place me in a lie of a mating agreement where I would of raised adopted kits.” And Catt sighed and deflated looked at Rita. “But … I have a obligation to my planet. Giving away everything my parents owned has done less good than I hoped. My aunt will support my initatives if I can be a suitable mated female with young. It’s not the same as it’s no longer a lie if I do this.”
Rita stood there blinking as she took this in. “What about Starfleet?”, came the responce after a long delay.
Catt shook of the grim mood and chirupped, “Women have babies in Starfleet. I’m not on the command track either. I can do my job and never get promoted. Nor does my specializations require me to be on a starship. The male selected for me wants a dozen kits. So a planet assignment is likely better anyways. My species tends towards multiple births in any case. But I was terrified on the away mission. It was bad enough before I was attacked. Every moment after that was worse than the last. But the mission made up my mind about the alterations and chromasonal therapy and everything for a very different reason. Kind of embarrassing and very personal. Ok?”,
Rita snorted. Hey I tell you everything!”, she said.
They hugged and laughed and finally left the fresher. The conversation turning to how I felt when stories as they sat together after Catt dressed and
for a change Catt had something to contribute as well as listening.

Cadet Catt Bennet. Sciences (making googlie eyes at the mirror.)